Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl

mr_angry

Ok, having just been to the official Stalker site, I am simply blown away. Anyone who has seen the videos will be aware of some of the incredible features of this game:

- Real-time weather effects (day becomes night, night becomes day, it rains, it shines, there's thunder & lightning, etc.)
- Over 30 square kilometers that can be explored and played in a non-linear fashion. No rules.
- Option to co-operate with NPCs during the game to accomplish tasks.
- Realistic physics, except for the anamolous zones, where Bad Things™ happen to people.
- Some good old-fashined monster-bashing.

This game looks incredible. I think Half Life 2 might just have a rival...

Matt Simis

Yep, looks fantastic, following it for a year now. Still some ways off though isnt it (end of 2005)?



Matt

Mr E

There is a long video with the DVD version of PC Format this month. Looks and sounds fantastic. Atmospheric, good story line, and its beautiful looking..... Apparently its modelled using the real layout of Chernobyl (and using authentic textures).

Its got multiple endings depending on what you do in the game, and if you hang around long enough, one of the other stalkers can finish the game instead of you!

I have a feeling its out before the end of the year - I'll check the mag when I get home and confirm later.

- Dave.

mr_angry

Originally posted by Matt Simis
Yep, looks fantastic, following it for a year now. Still some ways off though isnt it (end of 2005)?

Amazon say 24th September. Judging by the recent delays in every 'groundbreaking' FPS though, I wouldn't be surprised to be picking it up this time next year though.

The attention to detail is incredible though. Did you know the story is based on actual documents de-classified by the Russian government? And yes, they went on a big trip to the Ukraine, and mapped out 30 sq km of landscape in enormous detail. If you decide to go all the way to Chernobyl, you'll find all those towns and villiages. And probably some radiation too!

Matt Simis

Originally posted by mr_angry
Amazon say 24th September. Judging by the recent delays in every 'groundbreaking' FPS though, I wouldn't be surprised to be picking it up this time next year though.

The attention to detail is incredible though. Did you know the story is based on actual documents de-classified by the Russian government? And yes, they went on a big trip to the Ukraine, and mapped out 30 sq km of landscape in enormous detail. If you decide to go all the way to Chernobyl, you'll find all those towns and villiages. And probably some radiation too!

And the headache is free too! I remember reading an interview with them and they said after around 30min you get the radiation induced headache, during the real life trips.

I meant start of 2005 BTW, not end! (doh).

Yeah, my understanding is that they took elements from book "A Roadside picnic", the "Stalker" film and some of this mysterious unclassified info, mixed in with their own interpetations. The fact its set in Eastern Europe is a major attraction for me, the constant US towns and Arab deserts are getting a bit tiresome.

I find it rather intriguing that Russian "folk" medicine includes cures for things such as fever, cough and "radiation"! http://home.comset.net/freshspb/medical/folk-med.html. Such a place could provide an influx of fresh ideas for years to come.

In game you use the old Russian radiation antidote of Vodka, something taken seriously in Russia but got big laughs at the nVidia GDC when Stalker:SOC was shown.. :dunno:
IMO, Vodka was probably introduced as an antidote to take the victims minds off the fact they had no real treatments available.


Matt

Sand

Looks very interesting though theyre promising a lot - Id heard of the game before but didnt understand its actual style before, I thought it was going to be some silly old quake clone or something. Its definitly on my wish list now if they satisfy even the majority of their claims.

One thing I cant understand is that as far as I know co-operative play isnt supported whereas the scope and even storyline of the game seems to scream out for its inclusion.

I dunno, guess thats why Im not a game designer.

L5

Nice trailer here showing off the weapons in it. 120mb
Looks great!

mr_angry

Can't wait for E3 - more & more goodies.

Matt Simis

Originally posted by Sand
Looks very interesting though theyre promising a lot - Id heard of the game before but didnt understand its actual style before, I thought it was going to be some silly old quake clone or something. Its definitly on my wish list now if they satisfy even the majority of their claims.

One thing I cant understand is that as far as I know co-operative play isnt supported whereas the scope and even storyline of the game seems to scream out for its inclusion.

I dunno, guess thats why Im not a game designer.

Is that confirmed? They originally had planned for CO-OP , I read it in an interview..


Matt

Sand

I think I stand happily corrected - I was reading the FAQ at work and saw this

Q: Will it be possible to play via modem?
A: It will not be built into the game directly, but establishment of Windows TCP/IP connection will be covered in the manual supplied with the game

Which given the variable english and not seeing any other questions made me think that online play was pretty much ignored. Looking back theyre only talking about modem to modem play.

A good bit further down the FAQs, right near the end are the questions actually dealing with online play.....

Looks like there will be up to 32 player DM/TDM which i dont really see the attraction of for this particular game though it will use dedicated levels rather than the game world i think, and a co-op mode which i assume can support up to 32 players as well - using the gameworld? Which is nice.

mr_angry

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=145537

That thread is very interesting, considering the hype surrounding the game...