What do you want to be included in the next versions of AMK Mod

[Lithe 0]

Let me begin by giving my thanks for creating this mod in the first place. The Stalker experience could hardly be better! But with the advent of Clear Sky close at hand, I have generated a list of ideas and thoughts that would be good to implement should the AMK team decide to pursue their mod with the new game. This is a complete list of my ideas relating to this to date, and should I get any more, will post them here. That is, if I can find the "Edit"button in russian ^.^

 

In my oppinion, the StalkerNET system is probably the single greatest idea you have implemented to date. It shows that things are really going on in the zone and that despite being a irradiated wasteland is the most living, breathing game world i've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. That with the enhanced A-Life really brings it out in this game. Although the blowout randomly juggling anomalies can screw it up for some stalkers, it's still a pretty good idea. I would improve Anomaly detection though, as it is a bit suspect. Also, I once was hiding out from a blowout in Bar, when Zhurik, the door guard (also known as the "I SAID COME IN, DON'T STAND THERE!" guy) was apaprently effected while inside by it, but that's not the problem I wanted to talk about. The problem was that someone said over StalkerNET a bit later that Zhurik's distress call set them into a trap. But I checked the Log and he made no such distress signal. Do not every message get through to the player for some reason? Is it a bug? It's not a really big thing, but I am just wondring what else i'm missing... Another problem with this new A-Life I notice is that Stakers who are a mile away or so when you do something will still hear and report it, or so I am told... How does this work exactly?

 

And what about using the StalkerNET yourself? Maybe to request services or so, like "Hey you, meet me here etc."? I'm not sure what for, but it would be interesting. See what could be done with it.

 

I love how you use the dynamic AI, but it still ahs much potential. For example, are Stalkers really aware of things they learn off StalkNET? I mean of other things. Like if dogs were reported in an area, would they avoid that area? Also, I think I should get recognition for my actions. I was recently in Pripyat singlehandedly taking on the Monolish hordes. One guy who was near me kept saying over StalkerNET, "I saw some Stalker, killed a few monolith." Again and again for about a half hour. I was puzzled. Not once did he say, "Wow, theres this one man army of a Stalker clearing Pripyat of Monolith freaks practically on his lonesome." I think other npcs should take note of the killcount you make and give a message informing others. Then you might get famous! Maybe when I return to Bar after that, people will cheer me and say, "Hey Marked One, Vodka on me!" or something like that. I like the fact that already people leave gifts for you at Barman, but it's very far and few-between. Quite rare when that happens... But it lends a dynamic storytelling element to it, no? I have this idea that ties into that, and the new Clear Sky faction system. Maybe, based on an NPCs actions in a cerain battle for territory, that NPC becomes famous and you hear about him. Completely dynamically, based on his actions during conflict. And then, when you ask a Stalker who nhas heard, "Anything new?" he will tell you certain NPC did this and that based entirely on dynamic news. It would be cool if this would have more far-reaching implicatins as well, because then the Zone would have an evolving history and specific names for people and dates and what not, but I can't expand on that right now. Maybe the opposite could happen too, where if you crouch behind a barrel all the time and fire what, six shots they will call you a coward and your reputation will go down.

 

And if i'm not mistaken, I saw a screenshot of people capturing a Bandit in clear sky, he had his hands in the air and everything. maybe this could be worked into a gameplay emchanic, possibly with less that lethal ammo if you want to take prisoners... Always interesting prospects.

 

One large idea that I have is Stalker convoys of up to two dozen people, moving into an area and clearing it with a purpose. You always see a few Duty in Dark Valley just sitting there on an expedition or whatever, but they are usually torn up by boars or the like. I like the fact that in present AMK people mvoe around, and army patrols do raids and stuff, but they don't actually make any agressive or purposeful action for an area or anything. I want to see bands of stalkers fighting for and eventually inhabiting an area of the Zone, say Dark Valley. The stalkers would drive the Bandits from their base and weed them out, then take up position inside the old factory that used to be Borov's hideout and inhabit it like say, the Bar. If this happens, this area of the zone gets somewhat 'domesticated' i.e. radiation fades a bit, anomalies lessen and it becomes more habitable. Maybe the guys would even send out people to clear any dangerous wildlife to make it true home sweet home. But then there might be contested areas. The bandits might want their base back and constantly attack that area in order to recapture it.

 

That brings me on to another idea. I think there would be these wandering stalkers of the Trader faction as possibly part of a detatchment. They would act and function like regular Stalkers but they would also have a lot of stuff to sell, repair gear and other useful things. They would often travel with one of the aforementioned convoys in order to possibly make a fortune deeper within the zone, where it is quite far from civilization. Say, one of these wandering merchants makes it to Pripyat, he and his escort clear the area of Monolith and he sets up shop in what previously was the Monolith church. He would act as a sort of focal point for that area. Stalkers would come in, rest around him, sell artifacts to him and what not, and the church becomes the bar of Pripyat in a sense. It would also encourage more Stalkers to come, as the patrols would keep the area relatively clear. Anyway, I think it would be good for both the dynamic element and to have a place to offload gear and repair stuff deeper in the zone.

 

Speaking of repair, I have some thoughs on that regard as well. Maybe one could work in a "Toolbox" item, would weigh maybe 5kg and you could use it to repair any equipment in the field. But to use it, you would need "Scrap", basically parts from broken stuff. Double click the toolbox in your inventory, and up pops a menu. You click, "Disassemble Weapon in Primary Slot" and you lose the AK47 and gain some scrap. Ofcourse, the ammount of scrap you get to work with depends on the quality of the weapon, and not to mention effectiveness and size. You're going to get a lot more scrap out of a RPG than an MP5 for example. Anyway, you should be able to use the toolbox to take apaprt any weapon in the field and use those parts to repair existing weapons you have. This is to foster that "Survivalist" feeling of using what is around you. Alternatively, there could be these "Field Repair Kits" that, much like medpacks, come in 3 varietys. Basic, Military and Advanced. These are disposable, one-use repair kits that come with the replacement parts so you use them and then discard them, again much like medkits.

 

I also like the Artifact transmutation system alot, but think this could be expanded. I'm not sure how Clear Sky's upgrade system is going to work but I think it could be incorporated into it anyway. Remember the story of the "Ghost" suit, that one who wares it never had to have a medkit because everyhting healed on him like on a dog? Says he found it in an anomaly. Well maybe there might be armor enhancement recipies, like maybe leaving your armor to soak in the energies of an anomaly for a while. It would come out a bit battered, but gain a new property. Ofcourse, weapons would not work the same way. The only thing that will be accomplished when throwing your gun into an anomaly is that it will bash the internal mechanisms at the very least. But the Combat Chaser in Stalker apparently has a bit of the Gravi artifact attached ot the barrel which makes it more damaging so I'd think Artifacts might be used to upgrade the weapons, at least in part. Maybe you could weave pieces of an artifact in with armor upgrading too. Did they say you could upgrade not just weapons but armor too or will that have to be modded in? Oh well... My idea for upgrades is that there would be items which you would find in the zone likea rmor paltes and what not or buy from rare traders that would be used to attack to your armor in the upgrades menu when you visit a Trader or mechanic to upgrade your gear. For example, armor plates to increase bulletproof cap.

 

The squad system in Clear Sky intrigues me, because you are apparently given teammates that take cover and everything which raises the idea of Stalker companions. Practically every other RPG has them, and Stalker is at least partly RPG... And maybe it might be possible to join or even lead one of those squads or expeditions, with squad command keys and eveything. But that wold all depend on how flexible Clear Sky really is. Like for example, do stalkers take cover, just any cover or are there preordained cover points and scipted battles where that happens? I was thinking in these terms because there might be a button which you press, and your character says something akin to "Take cover!" And your compatriots intelligently seek the nearest piece. And maybe another order which tells your squad to hunker down for the night. If it's around a campfire they might sit, play guitar, stand guard etc.

 

Also, I think the stealth component should be expanded in this mod, seeing as silencers did practically nothing in vanilla. Maybe some advanced suits that emphasize stealth, reducing the sound of your footsteps and visibility. Maybe there might even be upgrades to enhance stealth. And maybe a targetting sytsem could be grafted into your armor, where those boxes that appear when you view a npc over logn range with your binoculars that identify their alliegance? Those might be transplanted directly to your normal HUD.

 

Also, I have an idea for an exciting new quest or event. There is a special group of elite Stalkers that occasionally come into the zone. These are the supposedly secret-organization or govornment funded guys who come in from outside the zone loaded with the best/prototype equipment to complete some mysterious objective. These guys, they show up in these special suits and come with advanced weapons and give no regard to ordinary Stalkers much like mercs and gun them down, but if you manage to kill them, you get, among other things, a one of a kind weapon and suit. Might even work it in as a part of some quest, i.e. "Marked One, some pricks have come in with superheavy gear and are causing trouble all over the place. I need you to take them down." Not only would killing them gain you gratitude and respect from the rest of the stalker community (and any rewards thereof which it would entail) but, say, and advanced rifle or upgraded suit.

 

I'm sorry if this seems a disorganized mess, but i'm struggling to both remember it all and write it all down in a compelling fashion. it seems a bit like rambling, but please feel free to organize or add ideas of your own. Would someone, hopefully an admin please put up a stickied thread or something containing all the ideas communiy members have in a concise and simple listed format?

 

Overall, and in closing, I would like there to be more options selectable in the AMK install menu for example belt size etc and a chocie in that menu to enable or disable any addons you might include.