I noticed in the Bioshock thread they are having FOV problems like before. I saw recently that the default FOV in Call of Pripyat is 55 degrees! There is a hack fix but I was surprised I never really noticed or cared on my 4:3 CRT. Seems ridiculously low. Cheap attempt to create tension by restricting field of view?
It worked.
And presumably the time and efforts will have to be spend no matter what approach is used.
The reason I’d like an ecology simulation, however limited, is two-fold. Firstly, simulating it could offer the player a degree of control over the spawn system. I don’t mean it should be possible for the player to create his own endangered Zone-Species list, but rather that it could allow the player a little influence on what’s fighting and where.
Secondly, simulating the ecology could increase the internal consistency of the Zone in the eyes of the player by eliminating the possibility of spawns that conflict with assumptions a player has been led to make by the game. SoCs Farm, for example, will spawn and position bandits if no bandits are there when the player comes within a certain distance, regardless of whether the Farm is occupied by a bunch of relaxing stalkers. It’s hard on the player’s suspense of disbelief, and could easily be avoided if the game used some type of simulation to track and spawn the Zone’s inhabitants.
Games and realism is a tricky combination. From my experience (which doesn’t include video game design at all), what games require is something you might call internal-logic-consistency. What I mean by that, is that the game shouldn’t define the player’s expectations, but it should define what expectations the player can form, and it shouldn’t contradict them.
To be perfectly honest, I wouldn’t even know how to define realism in a discussion about games. It might mean “conforms to the mechanics of reality”. Or it might mean “doesn’t violate potential player expectations, as defined by the game”. Or it mean something altogether different. It’s sort of like discussing consciousness. Communicating the concept in a very vague way is simple enough. But the exacts tends to defy description.
The concept you’re grasping for is called “verisimilitude”.
That’s what I meant by internal-logic-consistency, yes. Thank you.
The game appeared on steam, visibly out of nowhere. You can get a discount if you have SoC or clear sky registered on steam.
Also with a “Loyalty Promo” price of £14.99 UKP (reduced from £19.99) if you already have the first or second game in your Steam account.
That is a pretty cool little promo.
Well that will teach me to use other digital distribution services. I own both previous Stalkers, but not through Steam.
Cools. Doesn’t seem to be time-limited?
$10 off retail, not bad. I guess because you don’t get the “Collector’s Edition” with stickers and poster. But it doesn’t matter where you obsessively purchase games, just go get it!
Oh for fucks sake, the copy I ordered on Amazon for 40 bucks came in the mail today. Now its on steam for 20.
Wow, $20 for a new game. Of course, since I just started the original STALKER, I don’t see myself taking advantage of that deal anytime soon. Especially since I’m knee deep in Bioshock 2 right now. But even when I get back to Stalker, it will be Chernobyl, not Pripyat.
I have a question for all you STALKER veterans: Which of the three games is the best for someone new starting out? Is it best to play them in order, or can you safely skip one of them?
Cubit you get the gold star for being the first to ask the question I knew would come up.
The original game is still the best and has the highest high points of the series, but also takes the biggest investment of patience early on and maybe some mods if you can’t tolerate a bit of a struggle. The latest game is the easiest to get into and enjoy at a relaxed pace but doesn’t have any of the sequences that made this series a cult hit. Still, they’ve finally integrated some mechanics that take the edge off the Eastern Europe game design. In CoP you can sleep through the dark scary night, repair your equipment, and explore anywhere you want with fewer gated challenges to get restrict you. They also start you off with a rifle.
There are mods for SoC that add these things but CoP is the best if you just want to dabble for a few hours and check out the fuss. It’s also a good game on its own. Clear Sky remains the weakest because it focuses too much on shooting, rather than the surrealism of SoC or lonely tension of CoP.
My only worry is that playing Call of Pripyat might affect the surprise of the original when you go back to it (and you should!) If you have any patience at all I still recommend you start with SoC, but if you’re a very cranky gamer then Call of Pripyat is your ticket to this series.
NOW
And
Loyalty Promo grants a discount off Call of Pripyat if you already own the Steam Version of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky or S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl. Please note that you need to have Clear Sky or Shadow of Chernobyl registered to your Steam account before purchasing Call of Pripyat to receive the discounted price
33% discount if you already have Stalker or Stalker CS in Steam.
Good deal! :)
Whoa - thread anomaly :)
Godammit I should have bought SoC or CS during christmas sale eventhough I own them in retail, I could have CoP for 10 euros : /
No, no. It’s 30 € the normal price, and 20€ with the discount.
