Clear Sky

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Hi everyone.

While AMK Team does not hurry to release anything for Clear Sky, I'll start a topic on it anyway.

Yes, I know, you guys get Clear Sky only on Friday, but we already have it (even before Ukrainians - they're pissed off huge time ).

So I own two copies of Clear Sky. Ask me any questions about it (sensible ones, though, I'd be frustrated to try and answer something like 'is clear sky crap?').

And mini-mods for Clear Sky are starting to appear. So, by the time you will get your hands on your copy of Clear Sky, you should have all the information you need to play.

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Map list:

 

marsh

Marsh (swamp).

 

escape

Cordon.

 

garbage

Garbage.

 

darkvalley

Dark Valley.

 

agroprom.

Institute.

 

agroprom_underground

Institute Dungeons.

 

yantar

Yantar.

 

red_forest

Red Forest.

 

military

Military Warehouses.

 

limansk

Limansk.

 

hospital

Hospital.

 

stancia_2

Chernobyl NPP.

 

All that's left of Pripyat Dungeons (it has been cut out):

[level22]

name = katacomb

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i swear there was supposed to be another level but that one was cut too.

Pripyat Dungeons

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Are there any plans at all for an update to Clear Sky? Also, is it good? Does it keep the original feel of Stalker? And is there no area that serves as Bar? I'm glad Limansk made it in though...

Well, opinions about Clear Sky differ greatly. Some people who liked original Stalker hated it, some liked both and some hated both. As for me, the game is good if I forget about little bugs here and there (there aren't much of them with me, I never had a CTD yet). But the first patch fixes many issues and I'm sure new ones will keep coming.

There is a bar in every faction's HQ.

People say Limansk is one of the best places in the game (even those who hated the rest of the game said Limansk saved it).

 

animations, additions, four new levels,faction wars. etc....

Don't forget the graphics engine update - believe me, it does look good (I'm running on DX10 high). Not Crysis of course, but I'd give it 9\10 for what comes up on my screen. However, it's not optimized very good (patch improves the situation a bit, but GSC still need to work on that and I know they are). If your PC is older than a year and it was Hi-End at the time you got it, you won't get good performance on DX10 maximum settings. I only got mine three months ago (Core2Duo e8400 @3.0ghz, 4gb ram, GF 9600gt 1gb) and I switched from maximum down to high because it was lagging a bit. There isn't much of a difference in graphics between maximum and high on DX10.

Hope my posts are understandable.

 

Also, I forgot to add: hunting for artefacts is really interesting now. You have to get your detector out (and ensure it is a decent model), get right inside an anomaly field (loads of anomalies near each other, each field has an area of about 3x3 metres, highly radioactive), make sure you don't get fried by radiation and anomalies, grab the actual artefact (not that easy to find at all sometimes) and jump out of the field without getting killed (anomalies don't like it when you steal an artefact from them) and drink lots of vodka to get the radiation out . Awesome. GSC gets a ten out of ten on that one.

Also, the nights are really dark and scary now... Be sure to have your flashlight ready. But it won't always help you. He-he...

Feel free to ask more questions, I'm happy to answer.

[Vizzy 1]

how is the weapon/armor upgrade system?

aside from magazine capacity, caliber change, barrel modification,weight. what else can you do?

Upgrade system works well, you always want to 'get just that little upgrade' for your gun, meaning that you keep fiddling with it until you run out of money. Now that's another thing: in original Stalker SHOC you could end up a millionaire by the end of the game. In Clear Sky it's completely different: you never have a completely satisfying amount of money. In my opinion it's better and more realistic because stalkers should always be in need, otherwise what's the reason for them to stay in the Zone?

You can increase the shooting rate, decrease the kick-back, increase the accuracy and improve reliability. It might not be everything as you need to find upgrade data yourself (usually on flash-disks), so that's all I have so far. I havn't got any armour upgrades yet

UPD: If anyone wants some screenshots, feel free to ask for them

[Vizzy 1]

I run SHOC on the same settings as Sasha and get almost as good performance. I too am curious about the upgrade system, as well as how regular mods might work with CS.

There are already good mods for CS (sleep, Pollux, weapons etc.) What is the release date in the 'civilized world'? 29th of August? 5th of September? Please tell me as I need to prepare good mods for you guys to start playing with them right away (trust me, some mods are 'must have').

 

I am kinda disappointed about not all of the new areas having made it in. Bar wouldn't likely exist yet, I can understand that. Bar & Wild Territory was basically just Rostok split in two, but no Rostok at all? How'd they make such a big gap?

Through other areas...

And Limansk was basically Dead City, right? I can understand why that place might be killer in more ways than one, as its been highly anticipated.

Limansk is more or less based on the Dead City that was cut out of the original Stalker. That's not official information, of course, but it is kind of obvious.

 

Also, I was speaking to some NPCs in the Bar, when I noticed that one made a reference to the Confederates. This surprised me. Possible proof that they weren't just supposed to be in CS, but SHOC too. However, I dont see the Confederates listed in their official site, either. Didn't make the cut again?

I don't who the COnfederates are, to be honest... Might be that they're called differently in the Russian version.

You reminded me of something though - here is a list of all factions you can join (in no particular order) with their HQ location:

 

Clear Sky (scientists\ecologists) - Marsh

Renegates (a clan of bandits) - Swamps (marsh)

Duty (you know who they are) - Institute

Freedom (you know who they are) - Dark Valley ("Would ya like some weed, maaan? I can feel your positive vibrations" )

Loners (free stalkers) - Cordon (escape) - I am one of them

Bandits (you know who they are) - Garbage

 

There are mercenaries, Monolith order members and others, but you can't join them and they don't take part in the faction war.

Regarding to the faction war - it demonstrates A-life simulation system at its best - three times during my gameplay my faction members have taken an important location with me being on the other map busy with something else. If you help your faction in the war, you get rewards (money, weapons etc.). IF you don't... Well, you don't get anything but if you completely forget the faction you've joined it might start getting worse. So it is good if pop in your HQ and get some tasks some time. You don't have to, though.

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because they want someone to find the most obvious bugs before they release the international version?

We think so

Oh, and by the way, according to Wikipedia the release date is September 6.

Unlucky

 

why the bar and wild territory was removed?

GSC said that was because according to the storyline there was still much radiation and anomalies in that area or something likу that. Whatever.

 

and yeah getting money in SHOC was easy. and AMK mod makes it even easier. by the time i get to x16 i have 3.5 mill.

It's not like that in CS at all

 

Also, just how different does CS feel as compared to SHOC?

Better in my opinion

 

Why did people hate it?

It was mostly fans of the Stalker idea who did because they didn't get their Stalker again. If you forget about the Stalker that GSC was promising in 2004-2005, you will like CS. I liked CS.

 

Are there more ways to get from palce to place?

Yes. And not only different exits from maps but also there is a system of guides who can provide 'teleportation' to far away places.

 

And yes, guys, don't read the reviews on the game or bad opinions of other people before you play yourselves. Because I started reading reviews and posts that thrashed CS and I realized I started hating it even before I got my hands on it. But now when I actually have it I think it's a good game.

And about the game being overcrowded - don't forget that Stalker is an FPS, not an RPG or a quest. And believe me, there are places where you will be left alone.

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Some screenshots (more are coming)

 

Hunting for artefacts

 

1. Getting closer to the anomaly field to understand where exactly the artefact is (that's where a detector comes in handy)

 

2. Closer (don't forget to use bolts!)...

 

3. Got it!

 

Sorry there is no screenshot showing me actually grabbing the artefact but it was kind of running away from me so I didn't really think about making one.

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Wait, the max weight limit is 80 Kg? Are there any mods that decrease this? Even 50 Kg seems a bit too much for a survival fpsrpg.

Nice screens though. I especially love the new inventory screen.

No, that's a mod. Vanilla weight limit is 60 The icons are modded and transparency of the inventory screen is a mod as well. I will release all the mods I'm using just before you guys get Clear Sky.

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so what mods did you do too the ak and colt?

You mean upgrades?

The colt was pre-modded when I found it but for the Kalaishnikov I reduced the kick-back, weight, increased the amount of ammo in the magazine, added something to improve the convenience, improved preciseness, increased the speed of bullets (forgot the word for that) and added a cradle (or whatever it is) for a scope. I think that's it

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now convenience? i dont get that one.

Makes it more comfortable to use

 

how much weight was reduced for the ak? ak74 empty weighs 3.10kg.

-15% I think.

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Can you post a screenshot of the entire Zone from the Map in your PDA? Then, break it down per section to show us any places of interest/transition points etc...?

Ok, I'll do that a bit later

 

Some more screenshots now:

Rain

 

 

 

 

Also, my advice to you: help randomers if they're asking for it! They could be very generous sometimes, for example a group of stalkers gave me this:

Not a bad armour I'd say!

[Vizzy 1]

lovin the inventory shots. now my russian is crap, what are those blue icons below the stalker suit stats?

oh and did you find artifacts in stashes?

The blue icons are armour upgrades.

I'm afraid you can't get artefacts from stashes as that would ruin the new artefact hunting system.

 

Why do so many people dislike Clear Sky again?

 

...Anyway, sounds very epic. Can't wait to get it.

 

My question: Are there any new weapons or mutants? (other then the cutomizable weapons and Swamp Sucker)

Don't listen to people who dislike CS. Just play it yourself and make up your own opinion about it. That's what I did

There are new weapons - TOZ (was in AMK Mod, a double-barreled shotgun), shotgun (I think it's new), PKM (Kalashnikov's machinegun, an insane weapon ). That's not all of them, only the ones that are on the top of my mind. But unfortunately, there aren't any new monsters apart from the Swamp Sucker which is just a bloodsucker.