STALKER: Clear Sky - Prerelease patch

[phallicAggression]

Didn't see a topic on this one yet...looks like they've already released a patch for Clear Sky at :

http://www.fileplanet.com/191404/190000 ... ch-(Retail)

I like that they take action before the game is even released! I wonder if this is in response to the issues some people seemed to have with the review copies of the game?

 

[MetalCraze]

Actually the game was released nearly 2 weeks ago, but GSC just used naive CIS dwellers to beta test the game for everyone else

Spoiler

The game is shit

 

[JrK]

Funny thing that, the patch is mainly for rushky version which have been out for quite a while as skyway noted. However, today was supposed to be the release for europe, but there seem to have been massive distribution problems throughout the continent. I've read germans, dutchkies and brits who all have scoured their local game stores, but they all don't have the game, don't know when it's coming, or (as in my case) were supposed to have it today but it just wasn't delivered. Something tells me there are some problems in the game for which it is pulled back.

On the other hand, there are a handful of brits who've bought it via some online store and got it today, and they've commented on the game as being stable, interesting and as fun as SoC. I'm still interested in it though.

 

[Deleted member 7219]

and they've commented on the game as being ..... as fun as SoC.

Oh dear.

 

[phallicAggression]

Ahh, I guess I'm out of the loop then hehehe.

It's a shame you say it's not that great because I was holding off on the OC until I got and finished this one :/

 

[JrK]

and they've commented on the game as being ..... as fun as SoC.

Oh dear.

It's an acquired taste I guess.

 

[Fez]

I was looking forward to CS, shame that this happened. Not that me going with Spore instead has worked out all that great.

 

[The Vanished One]

"As fun as SoC" is good for me, but I'll wait for the next 3 patches all the same, and save my money for Far Cry 2 instead.

 

[JrK]

Since there is a distribution failure at least here in the Netherlands, I won't be able to get my hands on the game until the 12th or later perhaps (only gamestore info, which is contradictory between shops). Since I did not physically remove STALKER SoC from an inventory, I will remove Clear Sky from an inventory with financial reimbursement as soon as I can get it. I'll let you guys know on the state of the game as far as bugginess and respawn shite go.

 

[Kingston]

Dear God you cannot run this fucker.

Well, you can, if you switch off sun shadows, but that basically removes a shitload of atmosphere. I've sorta tried keeping it on while running and then turning it off when combat hits. Seriously though, this is _badly_ optimised. That doesn't make much sense, better to say its not optimised, huh.

Can't say much on the game yet, the swamp looks cool.

Running on 8800GTS 640mb, Core2Duo E6750 (2,6ghz) and 2gb ram on XP.

 

[Skankster]

If the rig you have cannot run it, then I don't have a snowballs.

Looks like CS has died in a barrel.

 

[Fez]

Looks like CS has died in a barrel.

Ah yes, I remember dear Wolf dying in just such a way. A few other STALKERS would mysteriously commit suicide in such horrific ways too. Must have been the stress of living in the Zone.

 

[Skankster]

Looks like CS has died in a barrel.

Ah yes, I remember dear Wolf dying in just such a way. A few other STALKERS would mysteriously commit suicide in such horrific ways too. Must have been the stress of living in the Zone.

And so much more comfortable than asking a buddy to end it all. Or even running headfirst into a pack of mutated freaks with your bare hands. I guess vodka does strange things to the mind.

 

[JrK]

Since I've bought it and played it today, some first impressions:

Clear Sky takes a few elements from Shadow of Chernobyl, expands on them and improves them and this results in a game that is definitely STALKER, but has a quite different approach. The elements:

- Engine: the engine is seriously improves and optimized. One can notice that very quickly by playing on the same settings one had for SoC and seeing the improvement on frames per sec, while having a general upgrade in the graphics department. Animations are way better, shadows/sun/moon have been improved and there are some minor changes in texture etc. making everything look smoother. And again, this is at the same setting as SoC (full dynamic without improvements) with better fps.

-Shootering: Clear Sky clearly choose to improve on STALKERS (already satisfying) gun mechanics. Guns feel more real and this is mostly due to the increased smoothness everything seems to have. Everything in SoC felt choppy, laggy and stiff, and CS makes it more of a smooth ride. This is probably mostly due to the optimized engine, but there are some minor changes in the gun mechanics. Also, there is a repair/upgrade system for armor and guns which is both nice and easy.

-Atmosphere: This is one of the areas CS seems to have chosen another route. Where SoC was at times terrifying and depressing, CS seems more action oriented and crowded. I don't expect any of the suspense filled underground areas based on my first few hours. That said, the atmosphere of the Zone's outdoor areas is still there and is hugely improved due to the graphics update. Also, the first level, the Swamp, is simply brilliant.

-Faction war: This is one area that was almost nonexistent in SoC, but has seen a major revamp in CS. Indeed, it seems to have been the focus of the game. There is a faction balance page on your pda, the game revolves around capturing points for your faction and this almost resembles Battlefield in it's setup. But there still is the exploration and huge open areas which made SoC great.

In conclusion, if you liked the open areas and shooter mechanics of SoC, CS is definitely a game to buy. If your main interest was the survival horror feeling of the underground levels, I think you should think about not buying this game.

EDIT: before I forget: I haven't seen anything remotely like the horrible respawn in SoC.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

Well, you haven't been playing it for a helluva long time, right? Things can still get scary I would imagine. I would hope. Doesn't bug me too too much, I'll still get the game, tho it won't run on my pc.

 

[JrK]

I sure hope so, but the general feeling of the game tells me the scary parts are not the focus of the game. So I'm not expecting any really.

SoC is still a good measure for this game; if you can run SoC, expect to run CS.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

I had heard tho it has massive memory leak issues. Does the post-release patch fix it?

 

[JrK]

I've patched my game with the 1.5.something patch. I haven't noticed anything remotely similar to memory leakage. I can't really be sure about it though, I've only played for so much.

 

[MetalCraze]

Hey my nephew brought me a copy of Stalker: Queer Sky that was not removed from the inventory - so if I will beat my bias towards boring shit games I will post what I felt when trying to survive this boredom.

 

[Major_Blackhart]

I've patched my game with the 1.5.something patch. I haven't noticed anything remotely similar to memory leakage. I can't really be sure about it though, I've only played for so much.

There's already a 1.5 version patch for Clear Sky? Jesus, how bad was the game on release?

 

[JrK]

Keep in mind it was released two weeks earlier in Russia. From there came a true tsunami of criticism and outcries that this was just a public beta. And the guys from the company quickly, VERY quickly released a row of patches.

That said, it runs very stable on my pc, just like the 1.004/5 release from SoC (appart from the sluggishness). Have encountered no bugs nor any CTD's.

 

[Nicolai]

This game is pretty fun. Playing unpatched (1.5.0.0) since I'm just that hardcore.

 

[Claw]

Meh, I still want the game Stalker was originally supposed to be.

 

[Starwars]

I've been playing for a while today, though I haven't made it out of the opening area yet.

Mixed feelings so far. I must expect I'm liking it a bit more than I thought I would based on reviews and such. It definetely feels more crowded and actiony than the first STALKER, but so far I must admit I'm finding the combat quite fun, especially when you get going with a group of fellow STALKERs (and when they don't push you out from cover, damn AI). It feels quite "gamey" that there are so many people running around, and you don't get that desolate feel of the first game, but it's pretty fun stuff.

In terms of the presentation, the look is still great so that part of the atmosphere is absolutely still there. It's also pretty damn scary during the night, since the nights are much darker this time around. The whole opening Swamp area has got plenty of high weeds and stuff, and I was scared shitless one time when I was gunning down some bandits in the middle of night, and a mutated boar ran right at me from the vegetation at my side. But during the day it's, well... Simply not that scary. But I guess it's also due to the fact that we know what to expect since we've played the first game. This partially feels like an expansion, so there's not a whole lot of new stuff to sort of scare the player with.

But yeah, one has to accept that this is an earlier time in the zone, where these guys wage war on each other. It feels much more actionbased, but luckily the action (so far at any rate) is also more fun than in the first game I think.

Enjoying it more than I thought so far, but still haven't run into the much discussed design decisions like the Bandits who rob you or whatever.

 

[MetalCraze]

fucking lol