STALKER Shadow of Chernobyl Mod Thread

[Baron Dupek]

Artifact hunting was my favourite part of STALKER series. In GAMMA, on the other hand, started as a chore - then turned into grueling work.
You want good PSI protection? Get artifact or craft it.
Then craft/find some more, just to power it up, since the first sample came with 1-23% power.
Then craft/buy artifact container to put on your belt - upgrade it twice or buy the most expensive one.
...
and THEN repeat that at least 2 more times.
Now you have some chance to survive -like a few? more seconds in the PSI anomaly! With your blue (designed for the work in the PSI fields) scientists suit, helmet with the best PSI protection (both upgraded... oh and they're not gas masks so enjoy free radiation stream, sucker) and PSI blocker.

Stacking weapon benches hell yeah - TAZ pack FTW

don't mind the graphics - it's DX9
always playing on LOW setting no matter how good PC is under my desk
also don't care that's not full 60FPS (or whatever is current standard) because I've rarely played videogames in good framerate in my life....
In both Escape from Pripyat and GAMMA Rostok/Bar becomes stuttering hell anyway

This took me like a one full boring week (Sunday to Sunday)

There are still some guns to collect.

At least Phantom Star is useful - to get inside Brain Scorcher and turn it off. No way I'm dealing with welcoming party in 6 minutes.
Getting tools is much easier with new system.
Sid no longer sending us to hell in the north to find his stashes (as rewards).

 

[Ol' Willy]

Vanilla Stalker was never about survival. It was about you entering the location, killing 50 people and going on your merry way.

OLR restored more creepiness and reduced the number of human frags, so it's killing 30 people, 10 bloodsuckers and blowing up a BTR

But still, just as ol' school FPS spirit goes, if you pay attention, you can see interesting details.

For example, Monolithits and zombified stalkers are hostile to everyone else but not to each other, which could be observed at Radar and gives you a hint that Monoliths are not just some cultists - before the topic would be explained further in the end of SoC and in CoP.

Environmental storytelling is quite strong too, for example, pens for test subjects and controller in X-16 lab. Locations are full of interesting details overall if one is to notice them

Obviously, the biggest inspiration for original Stalker was Half-Life, so many spiritual features were carried through as well as many remarks towards original HL. Just like in HL, the setting is not related to you through the walls of text and dialogues, but with "show don't tell" approach and only limited hints

For those who didn't pay attention... X-18, X-16 and X-10 were all O-Soznanie labs. Agroprom complex was a front facility, supplying X-18 labs with needed materiel and test subjects. X-18 is where advanced mutants, including controllers, were created; controllers, due to their PSI abilities, were given particular importance and work transferred to X-16 lab. This is where experimental PSI emitter in the form of giant controller's brain in the vat was completed, but the overall design was deemed unsound - biological in origin, hard to control and hard to program (this is why there are so many zombies around on Yantar). But the information gathered from its creation allowed to create a better design, the X-10 PSI emitter located on Radar, and as there are way fewer zombies over there, the controllability is much better due to removal of biological origin.

But obviously, those experiments were done before the Zona was created and thus, weren't about zombifying people but about connecting to noosphere, thus, scientists united their consciences into one and connected to noosphere through X-10 antennae - which ultimately led to second explosion and creation of Zona. Scientists not connected to mind chamber perished either instantly or shortly afterwards, and those inside the chamber couldn't get out... but as they still had control over X-10 PSI emitter, they used it to take Monolith stalkers under their control and turn them into their guardians

One could see strong resonance cascade and Nihilanth vibes in this plot

 

[Iucounu]

the setting is not related to you through the walls of text and dialogues, but with "show don't tell" approach and only limited hints

As it should be!

For those who didn't pay attention... X-18, X-16 and X-10 were all O-Soznanie labs. Agroprom complex was a front facility, supplying X-18 labs with needed materiel and test subjects. X-18 is where advanced mutants, including controllers, were created; controllers, due to their PSI abilities, were given particular importance and work transferred to X-16 lab. This is where experimental PSI emitter in the form of giant controller's brain in the vat was completed, but the overall design was deemed unsound - biological in origin, hard to control and hard to program (this is why there are so many zombies around on Yantar). But the information gathered from its creation allowed to create a better design, the X-10 PSI emitter located on Radar, and as there are way fewer zombies over there, the controllability is much better due to removal of biological origin.

All the dead Monolith and Military outside and inside X16 intrigue me. They appear to have been fighting, and possibly all died, but Sacharov doesn't mention anything about it. Since there are no corpses there in Clear Sky (at least not on the outside), the fighting must have taken place sometime between Clear Sky and Shadow of Chernobyl (unless the Clear Sky level design is a retcon). Does that mean living Monolith were hiding inside the lab during Clear Sky?

You can also find dead Monolith in Clear Sky's Great Swamps, with no explanation whatsoever. What were they doing all the way down there, hunting Clear Sky members?

 

[Ol' Willy]

All the dead Monolith and Military outside and inside X16 intrigue me. They appear to have been fighting, and possibly all died, but Sacharov doesn't mention anything about it. Since there are no corpses there in Clear Sky (at least not on the outside), the fighting must have taken place sometime between Clear Sky and Shadow of Chernobyl (unless the Clear Sky level design is a retcon). Does that mean living Monolith were hiding inside the lab during Clear Sky?

The game makes it clear that all O-Soznanie experiments were black book projects and thus, government had no idea about them. This way, after Zona was created, government regularly sends military raids, smaller teams and single agents to gather information.

The first such raid is mentioned by Sidor: it happened right after Zona was created. Military wanted to get inside and just blast the place to smithereens with a nuke. O-Soznanie has control over blowouts and uses them as a protective measure, so the first raid was obliterated by a massive blowout. O-Soznanie also starts blowouts every time someone gets too close to the center, as it happens during every Strelok's raid (the start and end of Clear Sky, the end of SoC).

Military uses all opportunities to seize more information: this is why you meet soldiers on Agroprom, they drop on you after you leave X-18 and after you switch off X-10 they start another massive raid.

With X-16, the scientists are nearby, and being smarter than military, they actively hire experienced stalkers to do the job for them. Obviously, scientists and military both work for government, but in different branches. After you switch off the emitter in X-16, scientists instantly call a couple of helicopters to clear the area.

In Clear Sky you can see many stalkers being hired by Sakharov: he mentions hiring Strelok but he disappears, then he hires other guys, and finally, Scar. Scar stabilizes the emitter and goes on his merry way.

Now, O-Soznanie has no outside tools other than Monolith, and they had to protect relevant X-labs to prevent people from gathering too much information about them. This is especially relevant to X-16 lab as it has prototype emitter and can allow people to create PSI protection measures to go through Radar.

We may assume that O-Soznanine somehow learns about scientists making progress on Yantar (could be another Strelok mad dash and crowd of Clear Sky stalkers on Chernobyl at the end of Clear Sky) and decides to actively stop it, sending a major Monolith unit to seize Yantar and remove scientists/stalkers from there for good.

Stalkers are getting massacred, so this why we see lots of dead stalkers and zombies on the map in SoC but no one alive aside from scientists. Scientists call military for help and they start blasting each other with Monolith, hence lots of deaders from both factions around. Again, we can assume that military wins but has to retreat, being fried by X-16 emitter.

Another version is that after Scar stabilizes the emitter, military decides to use the opportunity and seize the facility. This prompts O-Soznanie to send Monolith unit to prevent it, and stalkers getting caught in crossfire. Hence lots of deaders.

Pick what you like more

 

[Iucounu]

By the way, it's a pity to see players complain about Stalker's fetch quests if they don't even notice gameworld details like the above...

With X-16, the scientists are nearby, and being smarter than military, they actively hire experienced stalkers to do the job for them. Obviously, scientists and military both work for government, but in different branches. After you switch off the emitter in X-16, scientists instantly call a couple of helicopters to clear the area.

In Clear Sky you can see many stalkers being hired by Sakharov: he mentions hiring Strelok but he disappears, then he hires other guys, and finally, Scar. Scar stabilizes the emitter and goes on his merry way.

Now, O-Soznanie has no outside tools other than Monolith, and they had to protect relevant X-labs to prevent people from gathering too much information about them. This is especially relevant to X-16 lab as it has prototype emitter and can allow people to create PSI protection measures to go through Radar.

We may assume that O-Soznanine somehow learns about scientists making progress on Yantar (could be another Strelok mad dash and crowd of Clear Sky stalkers on Chernobyl at the end of Clear Sky) and decides to actively stop it, sending a major Monolith unit to seize Yantar and remove scientists/stalkers from there for good.

Stalkers are getting massacred, so this why we see lots of dead stalkers and zombies on the map in SoC but no one alive aside from scientists. Scientists call military for help and they start blasting each other with Monolith, hence lots of deaders from both factions around. Again, we can assume that military wins but has to retreat, being fried by X-16 emitter.

Another version is that after Scar stabilizes the emitter, military decides to use the opportunity and seize the facility. This prompts O-Soznanie to send Monolith unit to prevent it, and stalkers getting caught in crossfire. Hence lots of deaders.

Pick what you like more

If scientists were seen as a threat one would expect Monolith to attack the bunker itself. Surely Sakharov would have noticed that, since Monolith behave different from ordinary Zombies? So maybe the Monolith force only protected the X16 lab from the Military, while Sakharov was hiding in his bunker and didn't know what was going on. But according to Ghost's PDA Strelok mistrusted Sakharov already on his first visit, and later Sakharov pretends to not recognize him (unless that's just a plot device, so the player doesn't find out who Marked One is), so it could be that Sakharov keept quiet about the Monolith when Strelok returned.

It makes sense that the Military won, if the scientists thought Monolith remained in the lab after the fight I suppose the lab assistant wouldn't have followed Ghost inside (unless Ghost's mission took place before the fight).

 

[Ol' Willy]

It makes sense that the Military won, if the scientists thought Monolith remained in the lab after the fight I suppose the lab assistant wouldn't have followed Ghost inside (unless Ghost's mission took place before the fight).

Monolith is established as very aggressive group, if they had won they would have just blasted the bunker away from existence on orders from O-Soznanie

So it's definitely that military won, but can't stick around because blowout/PSI emitter. After all, there are some zombified soldiers wandering around

 

[Iucounu]

After all, there are some zombified soldiers wandering around

I don't remember seeing that, will have to check again.

 

[Ol' Willy]

Finishing OLR I gotta say, the mod goes on very well before the Radar, but then goes mostly disappointing.

Radar is one of my favorite locations from vanilla SoC, it's well designed, tightly packed and offers a lot of open space combat, the best kind of combat Stalker can offer. In OLR, it is just barren. The build location itself is not that different from vanilla, just less detailed. But encounter design of it in OLR is the weakest. You kill a small group of mercs outside, go to bunker (which uses old location much closer to the entrance), inside five more mercs. Turn off the scorcher, 10 monoliths drop on you; you go out to meet a couple of soldiers and helicopter hunting for you. There's no reason to go to antennae other than getting secret docs, and over there it's just two small groups of soldiers and monoliths. The atmosphere and drive of vanilla radar is just not present.

Pripyat in OLR is huge, bigger than vanilla, with more open buildings, but similarly, mostly empty. Few stalkers and soldiers die without your involvement, some Monoliths sprinkled around (without any strongholds like in vanilla) and of course, the BTR galore. There's like 5 or 6 BTR parked around, with the sole goal to prevent you from running straight through the city in a couple of minutes.

Same story for ChAES. The location is huge, it was separated into two in release version. A little group of soldiers and BTRs, some Monoliths around, hordes of zombies (which ignored me for some reason) and some mutants. No kind of warfare between soldiers and Monoliths like in vanilla, no sense of urgency at all. The only reason to stick around is to farm some Gauss ammo from Monoliths.

Inside of ChAES is fine, and then goes the moment I really liked - the teleport around Monolith itself teleports you back to the southern point of the map, right behind the military blockpost. And you are joined to Monolith, so all stalkers all hostile to you. Now you had to make the way north while having almost everyone hostile to you. Cool idea. After cleaning the soldiers from blockpost, there is a convenient BTR parked nearby so you can take an armored ride north.

You can avoid engaging anyone, but I had to take some supplies from my house, so little stealthing around in Bar was required. I popped just three stalkers to avoid exterminating the entire Bar.

Now, because you are joined to Monolith, they are friendly to you, so trek through Pripyat and ChAES is even easier as you don't have to engage them. Generators are the next location, I always wanted to check it after seeing it in builds, but once again, it is mostly empty. You just trek from south to north, avoiding anomalies and popping few mutants, entering O-Soznanie lab. It is empty, the biggest challenge is just to navigate it at first.

Curiously, unlike the release version, killing O-Soznanie is the bad ending, as it causes Zona to grow in size and turn unstable. If you pop O-Soznanie and come topside, some scientist with heavy escort awaits you. If you talk to him - game ends, as they either kill or capture you. But you can just ignore them and walk away, which gives you freeplay.

Meanwhile, joining O-Soznanie is the good ending, as Strelok joining O-Soznanie leads to Zona fizzling down. Curiously how GSC reversed it on release version.

Endgame starting with Radar definitely needs some improvement

As I said, I played Stalker the most in 2007-2010 years, so all good mods mostly went past me. Back in the time I didn't have broadband internet, and lots of mods were either too buggy or not well known. Gotta try something more

 

[Baron Dupek]

Stalker Anomaly and its consequences by Timor Kazhyinsky

Introduction

1. The Anomaly mod revolution and its consequences have been a blessing and disaster for the stalker community. They have greatly increased the popularity of Stalker games in those “advanced” western countries, but they have destabilized the old community, have made a generation of "larpers" who think they know everything yet nothing and have led to widespread psychological suffering among the "gatekeepers" ie. old veteran fans.

 

[Gerrard]

The Stalker "modding community" has always been shit though, especially the eastern one. Bunch of autists jealously guarding their "secrets" instead of actually sharing them and working together to make a better thing.

 

[deuxhero]

Is OpenXRay the best way to play STALKER on Linux yet?

 

[Gerrard]

Massive

 

[Alienman]

Hjuup-uhmm.

 

[Twiglard]

From my understanding (40+ runs of vanilla games) it's the simple "breaking the LoS" routine

AI registers the clear path between AI itself and player/other NPC and moves behind the nearest object to break the LoS

After this, AI will pop up from randomized direction (I.E., left or right) to prevent popamole

If cover is sufficiently big (like a house) AI might walk around which creates the illusion of flanking maneuver

Either that's not the entire story or the scheme can even be improved.

When plotting a path across the map, you can bias the pathfinding toward not the shortest distance but the amount of cover that's provided in the worst case across the entire path (while still being able to peek out and fire back!), so that the enemies traverse the level fluidly but are able to step back or change direction without suddenly becoming exposed or staying in one place too much. Ideally I could get them to organically change formation to form a BROILER around the player by little as the player himself slowly moves around.

You can precompute occlusion (i.e. cover) positions assuming that the player can move a bit in any direction, to eliminate positions that are very dependent on angle of approach, etc.

Then add some influence map (think Go AI) / flocking on behalf of the entire squad to make them stay as a group without being too rigid. Then the problem should be solved in general terms.

 

[Ol' Willy]

From my understanding (40+ runs of vanilla games) it's the simple "breaking the LoS" routine

AI registers the clear path between AI itself and player/other NPC and moves behind the nearest object to break the LoS

After this, AI will pop up from randomized direction (I.E., left or right) to prevent popamole

If cover is sufficiently big (like a house) AI might walk around which creates the illusion of flanking maneuver

Either that's not the entire story or the scheme can even be improved.

When plotting a path across the map, you can bias the pathfinding toward not the shortest distance but the amount of cover that's provided in the worst case across the entire path (while still being able to peek out and fire back!), so that the enemies traverse the level fluidly but are able to step back or change direction without suddenly becoming exposed or staying in one place too much. Ideally I could get them to organically change formation to form a BROILER around the player by little as the player himself slowly moves around.

You can precompute occlusion (i.e. cover) positions assuming that the player can move a bit in any direction, to eliminate positions that are very dependent on angle of approach, etc.

Then add some influence map (think Go AI) / flocking on behalf of the entire squad to make them stay as a group without being too rigid. Then the problem should be solved in general terms.

As I said, I don't believe bots in Stalker are capable of any teamwork, I'm even sure they are not aware of each other location during combat.

The easiest thing you can do to improve such AI is to add the awareness of bots about each other locations. Let's say, two bots are breaking the LoS behind one bigger cover. If one pops from the left, then another would know that he has to pop from the right, and it would be top if they could actually synchronize their actions.

To prevent them from straying around, just implement "squad zones", so bots won't move to cover which is away from such zone.

Other thing is cover fire, so, when one bot is shooting at the player, the other would make a move

If you are feeling artsy, you can actually make it even more interesting. As the engagement starts, bot group will be divided into the suppression and flanking group (based on their weaponry obviously). Suppression group will keep the distance with the player while laying down lots of fire, flanking group will use cover to get closer. The top idea will be to give such behaviour pattern only to more "elite" enemies; let's say, if we talk Stalker, bandits and stalkers will fight without it but mercs and military will have such pattern

 

[Ol' Willy]

Did another run of vanilla 1.006

This is how endgame killcount looks like if anyone forgot, around 800 frags

 

[luj1]

As I said, I finished vanilla games dozens of times, but barely played any mods.

Which ones?

 

[Baron Dupek]

Aren't those killcounts busted? Like at some point they add more to random line (or it's mostly stalkers)?

 

[Ol' Willy]

The actual cover system (smart cover) the AI uses, that allows them doing things like shooting through a hole in a wall or blind firing, only exists in Clear Sky, I don't know if it even still exists as a function in the CoP version of the engine. CoC modders planned on adding it into their mod, but no idea if it was ever implemented, it would require making these cover tags for all non-CS maps.

This is really a negative feature as it makes NPCs stick at one point for far longer that without it, turning otherwise good combat into popamole

And obviously, not really sound decision for bigger maps. Clear Sky is the most straightforward game of the series with fairly small combat zones, which are often scripted

Almost all maps in CS are from SoC. And even on bigger maps the fights always take place at distances of like 50-100 meters max in most games. This is also why all those mods that make "realistic" weapon accuracy and aimbot AI are made by people who don't understand game design.

So I replayed Clear Sky to remember why I (like many other people) didn't like it much.

My point stands - the combat in CS takes place in far smaller combat zones which are sublocations like forposts, farms, etc. Most of the time they are enclosed and have just a couple of entrance points.

By Jove, I forgot how terribly AI was butchered in Clear Sky.

Firstly, AI movement was capped. Bots simply don't move as much as they do in SoC. This was done because lots of combat is group on group and takes place on smaller combat zones. Vanilla SoC AI would move too much for devs liking

But on the other hand, AI now has zero reaction time. They see you, they shoot, no delay. And they now have pinpoint accuracy.

I thought my game was broken, you know, like it happened with older games without V-sync, but no. The weapon type now only deals with bot's damage, the accuracy is the same. As an example, I had Abakan fully upgraded through sniper line, I was hitting the bot like half of my shots. The bot had AKS-74U and was hitting my with every burst. I could clearly see his bursts coming to me in a straight line, no dispersion.

Bot's routine with grenades is a total clownshow. Bots have a dead-on on your location and throw grenade right in your face if you don't move, regardless of the range or line of sight. It was amusing to sit behind a cover and seeing a grenade land right on top of it.

The best part is lategame if you start jumping teleports and game spawns monoliths on you. Because bots like to open with a grenade, let's say, three monoliths are getting spawned and all three of them are throwing grenades at you. If you don't move, you will be killed by three near simultaneous grenade blasts.

AI also bugs a lot. If you sit behind shoulder level cover (it covers the lower part of your screen) AI won't see you! You can take them at ease without getting any return fire. Especially noticeable at southern blockpost at Kordon

We know that Clear Sky was made in a haste and was a cash grab, but how they managed to butcher the AI like that - simply remarkable. Clear Sky has some replayability, but even back then I finished it only once or twice

 

[Ol' Willy]

Aren't those killcounts busted? Like at some point they add more to random line (or it's mostly stalkers)?

I don't think so, the numbers match up

 

[NecroLord]

The actual cover system (smart cover) the AI uses, that allows them doing things like shooting through a hole in a wall or blind firing, only exists in Clear Sky, I don't know if it even still exists as a function in the CoP version of the engine. CoC modders planned on adding it into their mod, but no idea if it was ever implemented, it would require making these cover tags for all non-CS maps.

This is really a negative feature as it makes NPCs stick at one point for far longer that without it, turning otherwise good combat into popamole

And obviously, not really sound decision for bigger maps. Clear Sky is the most straightforward game of the series with fairly small combat zones, which are often scripted

Almost all maps in CS are from SoC. And even on bigger maps the fights always take place at distances of like 50-100 meters max in most games. This is also why all those mods that make "realistic" weapon accuracy and aimbot AI are made by people who don't understand game design.

So I replayed Clear Sky to remember why I (like many other people) didn't like it much.

My point stands - the combat in CS takes place in far smaller combat zones which are sublocations like forposts, farms, etc. Most of the time they are enclosed and have just a couple of entrance points.

By Jove, I forgot how terribly AI was butchered in Clear Sky.

Firstly, AI movement was capped. Bots simply don't move as much as they do in SoC. This was done because lots of combat is group on group and takes place on smaller combat zones. Vanilla SoC AI would move too much for devs liking

But on the other hand, AI now has zero reaction time. They see you, they shoot, no delay. And they now have pinpoint accuracy.

I thought my game was broken, you know, like it happened with older games without V-sync, but no. The weapon type now only deals with bot's damage, the accuracy is the same. As an example, I had Abakan fully upgraded through sniper line, I was hitting the bot like half of my shots. The bot had AKS-74U and was hitting my with every burst. I could clearly see his bursts coming to me in a straight line, no dispersion.

Bot's routine with grenades is a total clownshow. Bots have a dead-on on your location and throw grenade right in your face if you don't move, regardless of the range or line of sight. It was amusing to sit behind a cover and seeing a grenade land right on top of it.

The best part is lategame if you start jumping teleports and game spawns monoliths on you. Because bots like to open with a grenade, let's say, three monoliths are getting spawned and all three of them are throwing grenades at you. If you don't move, you will be killed by three near simultaneous grenade blasts.

AI also bugs a lot. If you sit behind shoulder level cover (it covers the lower part of your screen) AI won't see you! You can take them at ease without getting any return fire. Especially noticeable at southern blockpost at Kordon

We know that Clear Sky was made in a haste and was a cash grab, but how they managed to butcher the AI like that - simply remarkable. Clear Sky has some replayability, but even back then I finished it only once or twice

What's your take on Call of Pripyat?

 

[Ol' Willy]

What's your take on Call of Pripyat?

In terms of quest design, exploration and storyline it is the best in the trilogy. But in terms of combat it is kinda lackluster, way less combat than in previous two games.

My favorite is SoC, and CoP would be a second place

 

[NecroLord]

What's your take on Call of Pripyat?

In terms of quest design, exploration and storyline it is the best in the trilogy. But in terms of combat it is kinda lackluster, way less combat than in previous two games.

My favorite is SoC, and CoP would be a second place

Same.
CoP has really good exploration and quests, but is not as atmospheric as SoC, nor as challenging. SoC had great combat sequences. CoP has some, but not enough.

 

[V17]

I think it's a good idea to play Clear Sky with Sky Reclamation Project or what it's called. It fixes some of the issues you mention, and you can choose which ones to leave as is. At the very least letting it fix the grenade spam greatly increases the enjoyment from the game.

The ending was retarded even without the Monolith soldiers teleporting on top of you with nades in their hands. But apart from that I thought it was an enjoyable game with the SRP fixes.

 

[Ol' Willy]

Since I already replayed the first two games, there was no reason not to replay CoP as well.

Playing them back to back in a short period it is so noticeable how well crafted CoP is. SoC is really a butchered game, if you have seen the builds, if you pay attention in the game itself, you will see a lot of scars. CS is just raw. But CoP feels very different, with better thought out locations, actual quests and characters, improved mechanics and improved items, etc. I think CoP is closest thing to what GSC wanted to make when they started making Stalkers at all. It is especially noticeable if you compare OLR 2.5 with CoP

Although, in my opinion, CoP is just too short and too easy, as it has fewer combat and easier character progression overall. Also, it has the lowest replay value out of all three. SoC is worth replaying because of great combat, you can try different approaches and tactics. CS in theory is the same, and you can try joining different factions. But CoP has far less combat, and storywise, variativity is just not there. The only significant fork in the game is choosing between stalkers and bandits on Zaton, but it is very short and doesn't really affect much (moreso, it is always more profitable to side with stalkers). I think it explains why most of the mods for SoC are gameplay mods and most of the mods for CoP are story mods.

On an unrelated note, I still keep this artifact. The pristine, unpatched version of SoC with God awful Starforce strapped to it. Notice how it doesn't say "Shadow of Chernobyl" anywhere on the package since other entries were not yet released

Notice how it is called a "survival FPS"