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We've got to talk - S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 downgrade

FireFly

Member
Then I wonder why it’s so broken or why it was promoted in the first place, only to be deliberately removed from the Steam description a week before release. It just doesn’t add up at all.
One possibility: maybe an A-Life framework is hidden somewhere in the code, but it’s definitely not developed or has been deactivated because they couldn’t finish it. Instead, they likely replaced it with this dice-roll spawn system because it’s simple and quick to implement - and apparently, it’s enough for many players.
This is what the A-Life fix mod author has to say:

"The AI director in Stalker 2 is actually very complex internally, however its function is gimped because of severe bugs compounding each other."

"However, I'm demonstrating this because the ALifeGridVisionRadius is one of a couple of reasons why the game's spawn system is broken. The low radius of the vanilla ALifeGridVisionRadius setting neuters the online alife interactions that you would otherwise see."

"This new AI Director is not by any means is watered down. In fact, the reason she is such a mess is that the ai system is in fact too fucking convoluted. But rest assured, the Director can do all the things you expect out of Stalker. She is able to schedule faction conflicts and turf wars, and create the kind of gunfights in the old stalker games, the ones you hear in the distance and hope to avoid walking into."

 

KyoZz

Tag, you're it.
This is what the A-Life fix mod author has to say:

"The AI director in Stalker 2 is actually very complex internally, however its function is gimped because of severe bugs compounding each other."

"However, I'm demonstrating this because the ALifeGridVisionRadius is one of a couple of reasons why the game's spawn system is broken. The low radius of the vanilla ALifeGridVisionRadius setting neuters the online alife interactions that you would otherwise see."

"This new AI Director is not by any means is watered down. In fact, the reason she is such a mess is that the ai system is in fact too fucking convoluted. But rest assured, the Director can do all the things you expect out of Stalker. She is able to schedule faction conflicts and turf wars, and create the kind of gunfights in the old stalker games, the ones you hear in the distance and hope to avoid walking into."

Happy Tasha Cobbs GIF by TV One
 

Radical_3d

Member
Your phone should log you out of GAF while it's at it. It'll only be for the better.

- A lot of the devs spent days or weeks living in shelters
- Some employees chose to fight in the war, some even died for it
- They had to completely up-end their work from one country to another in trucks
- Despite that many of them continue to volunteer to fight in Ukraine
- The game was also a notoriously well known target for Russian hackers during development
Who’d have thought that one day you couldn’t distinguish Tankies from republicans online. What a time to be alive.
 

HeWhoWalks

Gold Member
It feels like a lot of studios these days start with something huge and not possible, and then just chip away at it until it becomes something that is more feasible and functional.
That’s actually how game development always works. They have ambitions and visions, but realize the tools at their disposal and go from there.

The problem is many people (especially forum dwellers) don’t know how it works (I was fortunate to go to school for it). That’s why they’ll bash the hardware before bashing the humans creating the projects for that hardware. There are exceptions (GameCube, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox Series S - where the hardware is a mild to moderate hindrance), but overall, no game launches the way it starts.

Only a dev with disposable income and no concern for lower sales would choose to target the best PC hardware possible (where they’d likely have much less to chip away at), so they are bound to the specs provided (which is usually plenty if they know what they’re doing).

If I were to bet anything, the Series S coupled with their home turf situation is why some sacrifices had to be made, but even with them, the labor of love that went into this is clear and a patch or two is likely to correct most of the problems.
 
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MiguelItUp

Member
That’s actually how game development always works. They have ambitions and visions, but realize the tools at their disposal and go from there.

The problem is many people (especially forum dwellers) don’t know how it works (I was fortunate to go to school for it). That’s why they’ll bash the hardware before bashing the humans creating the projects for that hardware. There are exceptions (GameCube, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox Series S - where the hardware is a mild to moderate hindrance), but overall, no game launches the way it starts.

Only a dev with disposable income and no concern for lower sales would choose to target the best PC hardware possible (where they’d likely have much less to chip away at), so they are bound to the specs provided (which is usually plenty if they know what they’re doing).

If I were to bet anything, the Series S coupled with their home turf situation is why some sacrifices had to be made, but even with them, the labor of love that went into this is clear and a patch or two is likely to correct most of the problems.
Very true, but what I meant is that it feels even more exasperated. Which may be why it's problematic.

Mmm hmm, couldn't agree more.
 

Alebrije

Member
I blame Unreal engine and lack of resources from developers more than other stuff for the way games like Stalker behave

The engine gives good "vanilla" settings but polish them takes developing resources , specially on an Open world game that is why we see those FPS performances on PC.

Think some developers rely a Lot on the engine, also from some years to present most of UE games look pretty similar , specially FPS.
 

kiphalfton

Member
I count it as a small miracle we even got the game considering the war. I'm willing to cut them some slack. They'll fix a lot of it I have no doubt. They have a lot of goodwill imo and people want to support them with everything going on

I'm amazed we even got another S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game since it's been like 15 years since the last one came out.
 
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Gojiira

Member
In early leaked gameplay footage I've seen projectile / ballistic based gunmechanics. Did they scrap that and use hitscan right now?
Yeah,enemies are just omnisciently accurate. Not to mention their guns never jam or run out of bullets…
 
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