Best S.T.A.L.K.E.R game?

[jebsmoker]

shadow of chernobyl due to the fact that it has been made immortal by its modding community

 

[Iucounu]

About the only purpose the tools serve is to make exploration solidly rewarding and exciting

But the 2nd and 3rd tier tools only exist in Jupitar and Pripyat, so exploring Zaton for them becomes an exercise in frustration.

I also think general exploration in CoP is discouraged by the PDA map showing all locations (including anomalies) with names already from the start of the game, as if you've arrived in a region already explored and mapped out by others.

Oh and the "tools where?" dialogue should be adjusted referring to this replacement item as that is also a worthwhile aspect that encourages actually paying attention to what NPCs say as well as encouraging exhausting dialogue options in a game that desperately needs said encouragement to begin with.

That reminds me, if you try to talk to an NPC he'll just refer you to his squad leader for some reason. Wonder why the developers implemented that restriction, to save themselves work?

 

[HeatEXTEND]

as if you've arrived in a region already explored and mapped out by others.

Not "as if".

 

[Iucounu]

as if you've arrived in a region already explored and mapped out by others.

Not "as if".

You're right. But why does the player character need to get spoonfed all that information as soon as the game starts? It feels like arriving at a holiday resort and getting a tourist brochure with all the attractions marked out.

ARK: Survival Evolved and The Long Dark (Survival mode) add a little challenge to unlocking maps. In the former, parts of the map is only revealed around locations you've visited; in the latter you also need to get charcoal to "draw" each location on the map (but only during daytime, and if the weather is clear). Other games may let you buy maps from e.g. traders.

 

[thesecret1]

It feels like arriving at a holiday resort and getting a tourist brochure with all the attractions marked out.

Well, the Zone is a tourist destination...

 

[HeatEXTEND]

But why does the player character need to get spoonfed all that information as soon as the game starts?

Agreed it would be better if it required player agency, finding/filling maps is good fun after all .

 

[Gerrard]

About the only purpose the tools serve is to make exploration solidly rewarding and exciting

But the 2nd and 3rd tier tools only exist in Jupitar and Pripyat, so exploring Zaton for them becomes an exercise in frustration.

Both Zaton and Jupiter have basic and advanced sets each, in Pripyat there are only expert tools.

 

[Beastro]

I preferred SoCs zone style that allowed for a focus on interesting locations and encounters.

The open world in the other two felt too bland and not open enough to channel the advantages of walking simulatorness enough.

 

[Ash]

I also think general exploration in CoP is discouraged by the PDA map showing all locations (including anomalies) with names already from the start of the game, as if you've arrived in a region already explored and mapped out by others.

Yeah. As if objective markers aren't enough, game even has all moderate-major locations marked. Even fucking Skyrim has you discover most locations partially yourself.
This is ultimately the case for all Stalker games; not as monocled as they could and should be, but still pretty cool and 10x the game Skyrim is overall.

 

[Iucounu]

About the only purpose the tools serve is to make exploration solidly rewarding and exciting

But the 2nd and 3rd tier tools only exist in Jupitar and Pripyat, so exploring Zaton for them becomes an exercise in frustration.

Both Zaton and Jupiter have basic and advanced sets each, in Pripyat there are only expert tools.

You are correct. So for the tier 1 tools you get a location hint by talking to NPCs, but for tier 2 tools you must search Zaton or Jupiter blindly, and for tier 3 you must search the whole game blindly (since you don't know they are in Pripyat). So it's still mostly annoying to find tier 2 and 3.

 

[Gerrard]

About the only purpose the tools serve is to make exploration solidly rewarding and exciting

But the 2nd and 3rd tier tools only exist in Jupitar and Pripyat, so exploring Zaton for them becomes an exercise in frustration.

Both Zaton and Jupiter have basic and advanced sets each, in Pripyat there are only expert tools.

You are correct. So for the tier 1 tools you get a location hint by talking to NPCs, but for tier 2 tools you must search Zaton or Jupiter blindly, and for tier 3 you must search the whole game blindly (since you don't know they are in Pripyat). So it's still mostly annoying to find tier 2 and 3.

There's NPC dialogue for every tool location.

 

[Iucounu]

There's NPC dialogue for every tool location.

I can't remember that, could you give examples?

 

[Iucounu]

CoP seems more family-friendly than SoC and CS:

Graphics in SoC can be a bit gory (without going to excess), with partially decomposed corpses everywhere reminding the player what kind of environment the Zone is. I can't find many screenshots of this, but here are a couple of related examples in case you haven't played the game:

https://www.mobygames.com/game/27172/stalker-shadow-of-chernobyl/screenshots/windows/245722/
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1193854755
http://capnbeeb.com/SA/Screenshots/Games/Stalker/ss_beeb_04-28-08_21-13-18_(l08_yantar).jpg

CS contains some gore as well, and also adds cocksucker jokes clearly not meant for children. (That said I can't stand NPCs that must say "fuck" in every sentence, but CS's rude language is much more sophisticated.)

But in CoP all of the above is removed, these are literally the worst corpse graphics you may encounter:

https://stalker.fandom.com/wiki/Mirone
https://stalker.fandom.com/wiki/Joker

I can't remember any politically incorrect language in CoP either, at least not in English.

Together with the easier gameplay and silly looking Burers, I think these changes give CoP a somewhat childish air compared with its predecessors.

 

[Gerrard]

There's NPC dialogue for every tool location.

I can't remember that, could you give examples?

 

[Iucounu]

Thanks! Yes, there does seem to be at least one hint for every location, except maybe for the Pripyat Department Store (unless "buy them in a store" counts as a hint)?

 

[Gerrard]

There are some lines that don't have the "tools" word in them.

<text>I heard there's a couple of places in Pripyat where you can find all kinds of technical junk. One of them is supposed to be the old Soviet department store. It was pretty much the only place that had anything useful for sale back in the day.</text>

<text>How am I supposed to know? Check in old workshops or stores, there could be something usable there.</text>

 

[HeatEXTEND]

silly looking Burers

Burers look cool

 

[Iucounu]

Burers look cool

The faces are OK, it's the oversized coats that make them look like dwarves in a fairy tale.

 

[puur prutswerk]

Real life. Like most games, I suck at it.

I don't have that competitive spirit nor do I want to hurt her, but only the rapey murderous stalkers reach the news.

Sometimes I feel like I don't have a chance, but usually I can keep faith.

I don't want to be some bitch's telehubby forever, this is supposed to be a contact sport.

 

[HeatEXTEND]

but only the rapey murderous stalkers reach the news

Which mod? asking for a friend.

 

[puur prutswerk]

but only the rapey murderous stalkers reach the news

Which mod? asking for a friend.

Your friend doesn't want it, trust me. It requires the extremely overpriced Lake Of Fire DLC where you're just put on a sulfur and brimstone stalagmite ass first and get moved up and down. It has no real gameplay to speak of.

 

[HeatEXTEND]

It has no real gameplay to speak of.

Pffffrrtt never mind.

 

[Iucounu]

Here are some examples of CoP's artistic decline:

(From https://greatgamer.ru/images/screenshots/3977/screenshot_stalker_call_of_pripyat_87.jpg )

Note the sharp edges in the background above (you can see the same thing in several other CoP anomalies). I don't think CoP's anti-aliasing is any worse than CS's, but surely those edges could have been masked better in other ways?

Below you can see CoP's flat, uninspiring colors (both on structures and the ground). Again I don't think CoP's distance detail is any worse than CS's (both games mask it with distance haze). Could it be something with the textures? (For comparison, here are official Clear Sky screenshots.)

(From https://assets1.ignimgs.com/2009/12/11/stalker-call-of-pripyat-20091211023442366-3081547.jpg )

(From https://www.newgamenetwork.com/imag...kerCOP/ss_ben_02-01-10_20-00-25_(pripyat).jpg )

 

[Be Kind Rewind]

 

[jaydee2k]

The first one of course.