The sequel to the GOTY 2008 is coming fast.
wiki quote:
[quote]S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky, is the stand-alone prequel for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, a first-person shooter computer game by Ukrainian developer GSC Game World.[1] During E3, it was reported that the game will consist of a 50/50 mix of old remade levels and totally new areas to explore. Also the game engine is reportedly being updated to v1.5 and will have DirectX 10 support. The AI is to receive an overhaul to accommodate the new "faction wars" feature, this will give players the opportunity to lead one of the eight factions to become rich and dominant.
The current tagline appears to be, as of writing, "What awaits you S.T.A.L.K.E.R, in the Zone that changed?"
[edit] Known details
According to an article in PC Gamer UK[2] and from a page on the GSC Game World Website:[3]
* The player assumes the role of a mercenary whose goal is to kill the Stalker Strelok. It is confirmed that you can't kill Strelok. But the player will be able to see him in the game, and the storyline is directly tied to him.
* Rather than having a linear plot (as with Shadow of Chernobyl), the story focuses on an AI-driven faction war, where groups are fighting to gain control of new areas formed by a landscape-reforming blowout. Territorial wars, territory capture, and fan-created missions will be included.
* You can join one of eight factions and lead them to victory. Confirmed factions that are joinable are the Bandits, Duty, Freedom, Clear Sky, Mercenaries, The military, Scientists and Lone Stalkers.
* The game is still set in the Zone, so around half of the game's locations will have already featured in Shadow of Chernobyl (The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, the Agroprom Research Institute, and the Red Forest are confirmed locales). The entire gaming Zone will consist of 50% completely new areas, and 50% twisted, pre-Shadow of Chernobyl versions of old areas, as well as some removed ones. One of the new locations is the Swamp, which will be large.
* There will be more anomalous activity than in the previous game (with new and more varied anomalies). The anomalies, artifacts, and their detectors will be greatly varied. For example, the detector will be a device that is held in one hand, while the other holds a small firearm, like a handgun. Long-barreled weapons such as rifles cannot be held at the same time as the detector. New mutants have been added, and old ones have been enhanced. Blowouts possibly going to be included (uncomfirmed).
* The AI will be able to throw grenades. When the NPCs throw grenades, a yellow icon appears on your HUD, warning you. The developers decided to do this after a lot of people had trouble avoiding grenades.
* Beside the use of grenades, NPCs have become much more intelligent; they coordinate and work very well in groups, interact in groups, and with the player. At the Igromir gameshow, no one (including the developers) were able to kill more than two of four bandits armed with AKS-74Us and Sawn-Off Shotguns before dying.
* The AI now has day and night routines. Since smart terrain for the AI has been expanded, now the world can be physically interacted with.
* Weapons and armour will be repairable, and both will have a new upgrading system. There will be more new unique weapons. It will be possible to upgrade them very extensively in all categories by the player. Finding such weapons will be much more difficult. More ammo types (unconfirmed reports of 7.62x39mm hollow point and FMJ round being included). New weapons are of course planned to be added.
* There will be many more areas and locations, and there will be multiple paths to and through them. Fast travel is to be added to allow easier travel between areas. You can pay an experienced Stalker, like Guide from Shadow of Chernobyl to lead you through a short, but very dangerous path full of hazards from one area to another, in order to avoid having to run through the entire level.
* The engine has had a mass of modifications, almost to the point of being completely overhauled. The lighting has been almost completely overhauled (e.g. the nights will be darker and there is completely dynamic lighting, all light sources can be altered, shot, or diverted), and volumetric light has been added. The engine will support DX9 and DX10. The variety of animations has been greatly expanded. Enemies can blind-fire now and use cover in more ways than in Shadow of Chernobyl. The game will have more realistic looking weapons and more detailed player models and water effects. Your view focuses on your weapon when reloading, the background becomes blurred. Parts of the landscape will be destructible. There will be more dynamic objects
* The developers are considering adding vehicles into multiplayer and though female characters are not officially planned, it is possible that they might appear over the course of development.
* One new mutant has been confirmed, the "Marsh Bloodsucker", who will be invisible. This bloodsucker was seen in the swamplands level, and has the ability to grab NPCs and the protagonist and throw them high into the air, before taking them back into the swamps to eat.
* The game will be available for both retail and digital download, but the digital download will be exclusively from Steam.
So you aren't familiar with STALKER? Let me break it down for you.
Spoilers ahead, sorta:
[quote]Several years after the Chernobyl disaster, the Zone was occupied and "repurposed" for several clandestine research projects run by the Soviet government. Facilities were constructed or expanded under the abandoned military bases and civilian factories and industrial sites in the area, and a large lab was established directly beneath Reactor 4 and its Sarcophagus. These experiments were focused primarily on various aspects of the mind, including creating and enhancing ESP in humans, psychotronic weapons, and an experiment intended to create a human hive mind: the "Collective Consciousness" project.
Shortly after Collective Consciousness, or C-Consciousness, was successfully created by the fusion of seven human minds through a computer interface, the Soviet Union collapsed. In the years that followed, some of the research labs were abandoned, and the C-Consciousness entity took greater control over the few facilities that remained in full operation. With its enhanced cognitive abilities, C-Consciousness was able to perceive and eventually to directly alter the "noosphere" (the collective "environment" of all thought, just as the "biosphere" refers to the sum total of all biological matter and its myriad interactions).
The intention of C-Consciousness was subtle mind control on a global scale. It believed that by manipulating the noosphere that the more negative and destructive aspects of human consciousness, cognition, and emotion could be eliminated to create world peace and harmony. Unfortunately, in 2006 C-Consciousness's first major attempt to manipulate the Noosphere resulted in disaster. There was a massive explosion of both psychic and physical force, and the noosphere in the vicinity of the C-Consciousness lab was twisted and distorted. In much the same way that the biosphere can permanently alter the physical landscape of the earth, so manipulation of the noosphere can distort all manner of physical reality: mind over matter on a massive scale.
This distortion of the noosphere powered by C-Consciousness and the machinery it was connected to created the anomalies and many of the mutants that inhabit the Zone in 2012. Desperate to correct its mistake and in order to shield itself from outside interference, such as the meddlesome "Stalkers" looking for treasure and the Ukrainian military which was desperately trying to reassert control over The Zone, the C-Consciousness created a "Monolith" in the center of the gutted Reactor 4, and used its ability to take control of the minds of normal humans to create the Monolith cult, a group of heavily armed zealots whose tenets included worship of the Monolith and the prevention of "heretics" from approaching the Monolith. They converted the Steel Yard radar facility near Pripyat into a powerful "Brain Scorcher" that would blast the mind of any unprotected human who approached too close, turning them into mindlessly aggressive zombies. As time passed, a rumor fastly spread about a "Wish Granter" in the Center of the Chernobyl NPP, and thus, many stalkers started to enter the zone hoping for their wishes to come true.
This lasted for several years, but the continued efforts of C-Consciousness were unable to repair the damage they had done to the Zone. In fact, the damage appeared to be getting worse, with "Blowouts" deepening the distortion of the noosphere around the Zone at irregular intervals. Still, the C-Consciousness entity persisted in its experiments, behind the shields of the Monolith and the Wish Granter myth, the Monolith faction's patrols, the Brain Scorcher, and the dangers of the Zone itself. Occasionally, though, special circumstances would require an agent, a human able to do what was needed to preserve the Zone's secrets without revealing the existence of the C-Consciousness project. In these cases, Stalkers who were tough and resourceful enough to make it to or past the Brain Scorcher would be captured, brainwashed, and sent back into the outer areas of the zone on one of the "Death Trucks." These agents were marked with the tattoo "S.T.A.L.K.E.R." This is where Strelok, the main character, enters the story.
The original STALKER also has many cool features (not for the weak of mind/ console gamers):
[quote]S.T.A.L.K.E.R. (Scavengers, Trespassers, Adventurers, Loners, Killers, Explorers, and Robbers) is a non-linear, sandbox-style game. Players can explore the game world, or complete various assignments given by certain NPCs. Players take the role of "The Marked One", a Stalker with amnesia who is attempting to regain his memories. The Zone presents various dangers.
Gameplay is an RPG/FPS hybrid, though the player does not gain increased powers as in a standard computer RPG. Character advancement is achieved through acquiring and strategically using new equipment and artifacts, rather than enhancing attributes and skills. The role-playing part focuses more on traditional RPG elements, such as storyline and character interaction. However, the game does not allow for extensive variety in regards to conversations. Unlike RPGs such as Fallout, conversation branches are extremely limited and do not significantly influence the course of the game, save accepting or declining missions.
[edit] Playing area
The Zone comprises an area of 30 square kilometres, consisting of wilderness, human settlements, and several heavily-guarded military bases. However, the game world is not a true contiguous world, but rather 18 different maps separated by loading screens. Transfer from one area of the Zone to another can only be accomplished at certain specific passageways; a wire fence border blocks players from attempting to cross the map in any other area. The Zone is a fictionalized version of the real-life Zone of alienation, specifically a slice of it extending south from Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant; geographical changes for artistic license include moving the city of Prypiat into this area (it is actually to the north-west of the power station), although the city itself is directly modelled on its real-life counterpart, albeit smaller in size.[6]
The game does not feature controllable vehicles (although vehicles are programmed in the game code, they are not available without the use of a third party modification [1], [2]), and thus players are required to go from place to place on foot. A sprint option using a limited stamina bar can be used to temporarily increase the player's rate of movement, though this is reduced by the weight of objects the player is carrying, and weapons cannot be fired while sprinting. It is possible to sprint non-stop by using artifacts and keeping below a certain weight limit.
[edit] Mutants
The local wildlife and plant life were severely altered by the years of radiation, and have developed deadly instincts and natural defenses to survive the hostile environment. Another factor is large numbers of mutant lifeforms left behind from the unlucky workers and soldiers who were caught in the second blast. Mutated encounters in the earlier game areas are limited to altered domestic animals, but mutated humans and humanoids appear in later sections of the game. Certain mutants only appear in very specific areas. Mutants exhibit some realistic behaviors as part of their AI, including territorial defense, fleeing when injured, feeding on and dragging their prey, attacking and retreating in packs, and limping when injured. An in-depth guide of all the mutants can be found at [3]. However, many of these creatures were removed from the game before release, but like vehicles, they can be added back in with modifications, which can be found at [4]
[edit] Factions
Many human NPCs in the game belong to a Faction, designating their group loyalties and attitude toward the player. The Faction an NPC belongs to affects how they interact with other NPCs as well as the player. NPCs without a Faction are considered Loners; they are generally neutral to all other characters, and the player can even interact with and accept missions from some of them. Loners are actually a Faction of sorts.
The most omnipresent Faction in the Zone is the Ukrainian Military, who are attempting to control and police the Zone to separate it from the outside world. The Military are hostile to all Stalkers (whom they regard as trespassers), and use ground troops, helicopter air support, and elite Spetznaz special forces to control the Zone's inhabitants.
The two most important Stalker Factions are Duty and Freedom, as they are the only Factions that the player can befriend (friendship with a Faction allows various benefits such as access to their facilities and supplies). The player may join one of the two factions only if he never works for the opposite one (to join a faction the player must work hard for just one faction). Also the player may find uniforms used by the factions in various places in the game. Duty and Freedom are philosophically opposed to each other. Duty sees it as their responsibility to protect the world from the expanding Zone, while Freedom members fight for free access to the Zone and believe that information about the Zone must not be hidden from humanity. They challenge the state's monopoly over the Zone's secrets and wonders. These two Stalker groups are at war; members attack each other on sight, and assisting one group can cause the player to become the enemy of the other group.
There are also a few other Factions, such as scavenging Bandits and professional killer-for-hire Mercenaries, AKA Mercs. These factions are always hostile toward the player, and generally serve as enemies for the player to overcome. Finally, there is the mysterious and elite Monolith Faction, who control the center of the Zone, including the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. The later stages of the game revolve around a full-scale conflict between Monolith and all other Stalker Factions, in which the Marked One can gain the trust of more than one neutral faction by helping them fight Monolith.
At some brief moments in the game the player may encounter Zombified Stalkers. These are Stalkers whose minds have been destroyed by the Monolith Faction's Brain Scorcher, and, like zombies, act with no thought or rationality. In one part of the game there is also an Ecologist Faction, a team of scientists working in the Zone, who are neutral to the player unless allied with the Freedom Faction, and are the only faction neutral to the Military.
[edit] Anomalies, artifacts and radiation
The Zone is littered with anomalies, small areas of altered physics. There are several different variations, each one having a unique impact upon those who cross its path. They can be potentially deadly to the player and other NPCs, delivering electric shocks, or pulling them into the air and crushing them. Most anomalies produce visible air or light distortions and cause the player's detector to sound a warning bleep; their extent can be determined by throwing bolts (of which the player carries an infinite supply) to trigger them.
Anomalies produce Artifacts, the valuable scientific curiosities that make the Zone worth exploring monetarily. As well as being traded with friendly NPCs for money, a number of Artifacts can be worn on the player's belt, where they will give certain benefits and detriments (for example, increasing the player's resistance to gunfire while also contaminating him with small amounts of radiation). Artifacts are found scattered throughout the Zone, often near clusters of anomalies.
Radiation caused by the nuclear incidents at Chernobyl occur in specific invisible patches throughout the game world. Although most areas in the game have no radiation, areas near abandoned construction equipment that was used in the post-accident clean-up, certain military wrecked vehicles, and a variety of other locations create small to large fields of radiation that the player cannot pass without protection or they will incur damage. The player is equipped with a geiger counter that begins to click in any location where radiation occurs, and its rate of clicking increases in proportion to the level of radiation in the area (i.e. as the player gets closer).
It is possible for the player to receive radiation poisoning. During this time, a radiation icon appears on the screen and fades through from green to yellow to red, signifying the strength of the poisoning, which grows the longer the player remains present in the affected areas. The stronger the poisoning, the faster the player
...the sequel to GOTY 2008?
Yeah, that's just how good it is according to Poco.
Megathread? Where do you think you are, pal? Something Awful?!
ten bucks please
I'm just amazed they've got this much info on the sequel to a game that apparantly isn't even out yet.
[SIZE="7"]GET OUT OF HERE STALKER[/SIZE]
Can't wait to see all the new bugs.
"The original STALKER also has many cool features (not for the weak of mind/ console gamers)"
That quote made me laugh seriously. Too bad you PC gamers aren't going to ever taste how good Super Mario Galaxy is on your beloved PC. You know, the second highest rated game of all time, arguably the best game of 2007, and one of the best platformers ever created.
But go ahead and stick to your overrated Crysis, The Witcher, STALKER, Sins of a Solar Empire, and every other PC game you PC fanboys love to overrate.