Stalker...

**Lemur** · 05-17-2007, 14:46

Come here Stalker, I want to talk to you ...

**naut** · 08-25-2010, 15:39

Bump.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Lost Alpha

Rather than start a new thread. I'd thought I'd introduce a mod nearing completion for SoC. Lost Alpha. Made by dez0wave, the guys behind the excellent Priboi Story. This is a mod to add back EVERYTHING that was originally cut. It aims to get the game back to the expansive, atmospheric style that was originally intended. Rather than the half free-roam, half-scripted game that STALKER ended up being. It is currently in the test phase. Hopefully to be released at the end of this year. Although that's what they said last year, so fingers crossed.

Essentially it aims to bring back the feel of the pre-alpha builds namely 1935. With larger maps, "alife" (Stalkers use artifacts, use bolts to find and avoid anomalies, kill themselves/go insane under psy-influence), unrestricted storyline, etc. It re-implements and fixes vehicles. Fixes the game physics, rag-doll, lighting, shadows, weather, etc. Re-implements left out monsters, fixes their AI, adds back special abilities (such as the bloodsucker kiss seen in later STALKER titles). Adds weapon upgrades. New PDA. Artifact merger. New anomalies that didn't make the final cut. Adds back the SIN faction (Dark Stalkers). Adds back cut areas and fixes the current ones including:

Generators best area is finally back, a stunning area that was the best in the pre-alpha builds, originally intended to be the final area in the game and cause of the blowouts and actual zone itself.
War-Lab (X8), added back into the game from 1935 build, (CoP used this one, but this one has a secret).
Stancia (Chernobyl NPP) larger and more atmospheric and overgrown, non linear and explorable, with elements from 1935 build.
Sarcophagus changed back to the original style.
Pripyat larger, can actually explore inside the apartment buildings, more overgrown, actually looks like it has been abandoned for 25 years.
Radar (Red Forest) no longer only the forest, it is back to being the scrapyard as intended as well.
Secret-Lab (Monolith Control) moved back to it's original location, no longer "Monolith Control".
Bunker moved back to it's original location (dead-end road with Monolith outpost), and expanded to it's original size, no longer linear.
Dead City added and completely made from scratch with a few elements borrowed from 1935 build
Swamps added, huge area, fixed and completed (1935 build was complete but completely barren of life and the usual atmospheric clutter)
Military (Army Warehouses) only minor changes, mostly to the area links
Yantar uses original elements, as well as elements from the final release and 1935 build, more complete than 1935 version, bigger than SoC version
Desolated Factory reworked into the new Yantar area
X16 modified to fit the new Yantar area
Rostok Factory (Wild Territory) slightly larger, with a major factory surrounded by worker's houses
Bar-Rostok minor changes
Darkdolina (Dark Valley) a reworked version of 1935 build with slag heap and larger bandit factory, plus some original elements
Dark-Lab (X18) minor changes
Darkscape made from scratch, huge area intended in the original, but scrapped when vehicles were removed from the game
Agroprom minor changes, with tunnel entrances moved to original locations
Garbage larger and based on the 1935 build
Cordon larger and based on the 1935 build, with original bandit factory (Car Park) and military outposts
"Surprise" Area (X%)

No full-price game is making me salivate as much as this. The scale of this mod is immense. The first video is a good example, it is 5 whole city blocks before you reach Pripyat Square! Dead City is similarly large, and completely new. Cordon is back to it's original size, rather than being a box valley. Darkscape is huge and completely new. Dark Valley is much bigger. The new Yantar is amazing, so many little things that I could divulge, but don't want to spoil. There's even a mine shaft! The swamps are huge. Garbage completely revamped. Radar is no longer a narrow passage with a few trees. Rostok is completely new. It's all based off old screenies from all the way back in 2002, to pre-release footage, and of course the pre-alpha builds. If you've ever played STALKER and you enjoyed it, then this is for you.

**Meneldil** · 08-26-2010, 06:21

This sounds pretty cool, but I'm kind of put-off by that :

This is a mod to add back EVERYTHING that was originally cut. It aims to get the game back to the expansive, atmospheric style that was originally intended. Rather than the half free-roam, half-scripted game that STALKER ended up being.

I personnally likes unmodded STALKER very much, especially the fact that it has a driving story while still allowing the player to roam around, explore new areas and what not.

I couldn't get myself to play Morrowind or Oblivion because they offer too much "free roaming" and not enough story developpement. Does this mod do the same for STALKER? Does the game still feel like original STALKER when installed ?

**naut** · 08-26-2010, 17:34

Originally Posted by Meneldil

I personnally likes unmodded STALKER very much, especially the fact that it has a driving story while still allowing the player to roam around, explore new areas and what not.

I couldn't get myself to play Morrowind or Oblivion because they offer too much "free roaming" and not enough story developpement. Does this mod do the same for STALKER? Does the game still feel like original STALKER when installed ?

The mod isn't as much a mod as the completion of the alpha builds. The way GSC originally intended. So the new storyline isn't scripted, otherwise the "alife" messes up the scripting. It is similar to Priboi Story, solving puzzles, finding documents, finding PDAs of dead Stalkers, etc. Which is a different approach, but a similar end-result. The story will tell you where you need to search, where to go. But, you will be rewarded for exploring and you'll find extra info, documents, clues to the puzzles. It isn't go to place A and talk to person A, then go to place B and kill person B. It is go to area A and look for these documents, bring them back to me. Go to place B and find documents B, but solve a puzzle to get them, etc. Hard to explain. But, you won't be given completely accurate instructions, you'll have to figure things out by reading the PDA and the documents/info you find. Like, how in the original you are told to kill Strelok, but not who or what he his, and you progress to get the full picture. You should try the mod Priboi Story v1.1 to get a feel for the approach.

The other difference is that Oblivion's landscapes were boring and computer generated. STALKER's are hand-made with care and thought. Filled with easter eggs, etc. So yes it feels like the release version of STALKER but larger, more atmospheric/desolate, more complete. The scale of it is absolutely mindblowing.

**Fragony** · 08-27-2010, 07:54

File me under Excited

**Xiahou** · 08-29-2010, 00:53

I never played any of the series, but I've thought about trying to lay hands on one of the Stalker games. For a newcomer, which is the best of the series? The first?

**TinCow** · 08-29-2010, 01:04

A shame they're building it on the SoC game. CoP is the only one of the three that I found to have a truly solid and polished interface. After CS and CoP, using the modded-in weapon upgrade systems in SoC is cringe-inducing.

Originally Posted by Xiahou

I never played any of the series, but I've thought about trying to lay hands on one of the Stalker games. For a newcomer, which is the best of the series? The first?

IMHO, the third game (Call of Pripyat) is the best. However, I would recommend playing the first game (Shadow of Chernobyl) first, simply because it's how it's meant to be experienced. The second game (Clear Sky) can be avoided altogether. Only get that one if you've played SoC and CoP and still want more before Stalker 2 comes out next year.

**naut** · 08-29-2010, 06:33

Originally Posted by Xiahou

I never played any of the series, but I've thought about trying to lay hands on one of the Stalker games. For a newcomer, which is the best of the series? The first?

SHoC without a doubt, then CoP. The atmosphere is the game's key strength. As TinCow says, avoid Clear Sky. CoP decent, but I found it lacking.

**Fragony** · 08-29-2010, 09:25

Just grab everything you can get your hands on. Flawed as it may be, it's essential gaming. Unapoligically kicks your butt in the greatest setting ever. Watch a few post-apocalypse movies like 'The Road' first for mood enhancement.

**Meneldil** · 08-29-2010, 10:50

Everybody says Clear Sky sucks. Though it's not as good as the other two, I liked it fine anyway *shrugs*

**naut** · 12-28-2010, 15:50

Originally Posted by TinCow

A shame they're building it on the SoC game. CoP is the only one of the three that I found to have a truly solid and polished interface. After CS and CoP, using the modded-in weapon upgrade systems in SoC is cringe-inducing.

Latest video shows they're using the CoP upgrade interface (how they managed to build it into SoC I have no idea). I agree that not using the inventory interface is an odd move IMHO.