Gold: S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

[polonyc2]

Originally Posted by JimTram

Surprised me they still channel steam underground for heating.

http://www.coned.com/newsroom/energysystems_steam.asp

[JimTram]

Thanks, I truly didn't know. Yep it makes sense, as steam is probaly a by-product of the electical generation. When I lived in Moscow, USSR, steam was unrealiable as it was always leaking.

Originally Posted by polonyc2

http://www.coned.com/newsroom/energysystems_steam.asp

[JimTram]

I have learned as of late that MSNBC is not too reliable. NYT was credible despite being left-wing.

Originally Posted by TQ

Decepticon or Autobot? They never get you any back story...

[JimTram]

Originally Posted by zapionics<alt>

If you notice any blind marauding dogs or drooling citizens run like hell man!

[TQ]

Originally Posted by JimTram

When I lived in Moscow, USSR, steam was unrealiable as it was always leaking.

Heh...the same folks that built Chernobyl.

[TQ]

Originally Posted by JimTram

NYT was credible despite being left-wing.

Emphasis on "was"....
In the past several years the NYT has done everything they can do to undermine this country. I keep waiting for the day they publish the shut down codes for our spy satellites.

[polonyc2]

I've just entered Pripyat...lots of exploring to do here...I found the secret stash with the decoder, documents and Military Armored Suit...I like this suit, bullets pretty much bounce off of me now

I read that Pripyat in many aspects resembles what some parts of the real city of Pripyat looks like; a lot of the buildings and architecture, along with the general look, has been reconstructed in detail.

I may be in the minority on this but...my favorite weapon in the game is the TRs 301 machine gun with the Susat scope and grenade launcher installed...I tried the GP 37 and didn't like the feel/handling of it...I used it for an entire level while I hid my TRs 301 in a stash...didn't like it so I switched back

I like the Susat scope on the TRs 301 better then the built in scope on the GP 37...also the grenade launcher would not even mount on the GP 37 even though it supposedly should work with it

[polonyc2]

finished the game!!!

I saw the Wish Granter ending as well as the other 2 C-Consciousness endings...the Wish Granter ending was lame...I liked the C-Consciousness endings better (with the 'No' option being the best available ending)...the way you play the game throughout does have an effect on the Wish Granter endings

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is a great game but I still rank the original Half Life, Deus Ex, Far Cry and Half Life 2 higher...S.T.A.L.K.E.R. could have been better if the side missions weren't pretty much useless and was tied into the main storyline better...also your actions should have played a bigger role in the game (especially the Duty/Freedom part)...seems like a lot was cut out of this game but will be added into the Clear Sky sequel

Final Stats

Completed Quests: 500
Total: 2636

[traveler]

I certainly agree about Deus Ex. Deus Ex is the most well balanced multichoice game ever.



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[JimTram]

I lived there from '76 - '78. Biggest problem at that time was the sewer lines were above the water pipes, which subsequently got contaminated. I drank bottled water from Finland!

Originally Posted by TQ

Heh...the same folks that built Chernobyl.

[TQ]

Originally Posted by polonyc2

finished the game!!!

I saw the Wish Granter ending as well as the other 2 C-Consciousness endings...the Wish Granter ending was lame...I liked the C-Consciousness endings better (with the 'No' option being the best available ending)...the way you play the game throughout does have an effect on the Wish Granter endings

I liked the subtle way the Wish Granter endings were integrated into the story. It was, after all, a self-defense mechanism to draw Stalkers to their deaths. Even the "Yes" ending was that, as well, although tied into treachery rather than just an outright suicide-by-greed death.
This was the main reason why I loved Stalker: a great ending, or endings. This is where the vast majority of games go lame...they simply stick you into an arena style combat situation with a giant boss and it's shoot-save-die-repeat. Even games I've enjoyed such as the Neverwinter series, Quake 4, System Shock 2, the Jedi Knight series and virtually all others follow the same ending pattern of the original Doom. It gets tiresome.
Stalker, the Thief series and the original Deus Ex are among the all-to-few that didn't follow this cliched climax.

I was cleaning out Daywalker Studio yesterday and ran across my old copy of Deus Ex.
I was tempted to load it up...

[johnrr6]

My all time Fab Five:

Deus Ex 1
Half Life 1
Stalker
Far Cry 1
COD 2

With Honorable Mentions to:
Soldier of Fortune 1
Nobody Lives Forever 1 & 2
Unreal 1
Doom3
Half Life 2

And I can be swayed easily from this list----there are a lot of good ones.....

Best Level Ever: "Omaha Beach" in the original MOH.....the confusion, explosions, sand kicking up from impacts, the fast pace, and the sound-----oh baby the sound-----the developers got it totally right----down to the way an MP-44 would change sound when firing outside the bunker-----then in the bunker.....TOTALLY immersive.....

[TQ]

I'd have to say my all-time Fab Five would be - in no particular order - Stalker, the Thief series (counts as one!), the first Deus Ex, Morrowind and System Shock 2.

I loaded up Deus Ex today and was surprised to see that it supported 1680x1050 resolution, my HP widescreen's native rez.
While it's not widescreen the game doesn't looked stretched. Not too bad considering its age.

[polonyc2]

Originally Posted by johnrr6

it would have been nice to find in certain places a "cleaning kit" or repair kit for the weaps.....

Or maybe a side job or two to visit the smith.....

I think in the original vision for the game you were able to repair your weapons...I think this is one of those features that was cut from the game and will be added into Clear Sky

I say this because in the Army Warehouse Level, right behind the main Freedom building where Lukash is, there is a junkyard type of area where a guy sells different type of equipment and ammo...but...I noticed when I first chatted with him that he also mentioned something about repairing guns...I think the developers originally intended for this guy to also be a weapon repairer (check out the attached screenshot for a pic of our conversation)

anyone else notice the end of the game was very Matrix like?...when the leader of C-Consciousness first appears it looks very Matrix-like with the green computer code drifting down on the screen...also he looks very much like the Architect from Matrix Revolutions---the guy who tells Neo all about the Matrix and gives him a choice of what to do next...also notice that the main character in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is a man named "The Marked One"...in The Matrix it was Neo who was known as "The One"

best weapons: the TRs 301 with attached SUSAT Scope...you should also carry a shorgun in your inventory for those up-close indoor battles...the best shotgun is the Chaser 13

best artifacts: Soul, Moonlight, Urchin and Meat Chunk

best armor: ExoSkeleton is not the best armor in the game...you can't sprint while wearing it and it does not defend against radiation that well...the 2 best armors are the SEVA suit for radiation protection and the Military Armored Suit for excellent bullet protection

[TQ]

Originally Posted by polonyc2

I think in the original vision for the game you were able to repair your weapons...I think this is one of those features that was cut from the game and will be added into Clear Sky

I say this because in the Army Warehouse Level, right behind the main Freedom building where Lukash is, there is a junkyard type of area where a guy sells different type of equipment and ammo...but...I noticed when I first chatted with him that he also mentioned something about repairing guns...I think the developers originally intended for this guy to also be a weapon repairer (check out the attached screenshot for a pic of our conversation)

I think you're right. As good as the game was from what I orginally read about it four yeara ago it was supposed to have more of an RPG feel, much like Deus Ex.
This would have naturally included a much deeper world with guys - like this one - acting in various support roles, his being a gunsmith.