Jeez, is this game ever going to be released? It looks so ****ing awesome, Fallout meets HL2. I really hope it's polished like a proper AAA title and not clunky and awkward like most eastern european games.

 

French impressions video here.

Edited February 22, 200718 yr by Lare Kikkeli

Stalker got delayed?

****, forgot also there's a ****ing beta client! Multiplayer only i think. Too bad i hate hate hate fileplanet.

 

Beta.

Stalker got delayed?

 

 

Yeah, to march 23rd.

A Beta Client?!?!?

I still remember when this game was supposed to be released summer 2003.

The gun graphics aren't too hot and look like they belong in 2003

A recent issue of PC Zone said the graphics weren't half-bad, considering how long it's been in development.

The graphics seem good enough, and secondary to what interests me in this game.

Oh crap, I'm hyped to hell about this game already. That awesome french video REALLY didn't help me get back on earth either! I shouldn't have watched it!! AAIIEEH!

 

One thing that annoys me about this game is what those french dudes were discussing. You don't level up in the ordinary way in this game, using experience points and all that crap. The way you level up is by finding new weapons and equipment, which are pretty scarce. That's also one of the key design choices I've made for my own dream project too!! I can't believe these Russian guys stole my fabulous idea Still, it will be cool to see if it actually works in a game. The dangerous thing about such a "leveling" system is that if you find too good a weapon too early, you'll be too powerful too early and you'll feel like you've stagnated if you never find anything better than that weapon again. That happened to me in Silent Storm early on and it really takes away a lot of the fun in a game. Game balance really is vital. Also, there has to be a plethora of highly different weapons for this idea to work properly.

 

Anyhow, the delay was announced back in January so it's not really new news. Only a month to go!

Boo, I missed the Closed Beta.

Boo, I missed the Closed Beta.

I applied but I was not chosen. It doesn't bother me too much though, it was only the multiplayer parts they were (are?) beta testing.

 

And I can't believe they bothered to implement multiplayer but they didn't make a co-op mode! ARGH, STUPID RUSSIANS!

Stupid Game Designers Period!

 

 

Josh add Coop or I will hunt you down.

Coop Rox

FYI: GSC Game World is Ukrainian developer, not Russian.

You know.. everything east of Finland is Russia to me. Actually.. some parts of Finland are probably Russian too, now that I think about it.

Actually the only thing east to Finland is indeed Russia. Ukraine is far south.

Yeah, well people always called the Soviets "Russians" as well. Can't be too surprised I guess.

 

 

EDIT: Also, was that the original Diablo Town music playing at the beginning?

 

EDIT2: I'm not looking forward to those things at the end of the video.

Edited February 23, 200718 yr by alanschu

Cold war mindset : everything east of Germany is the ass end of Europe, possibly including Alaska.

The graphics seem good enough, and secondary to what interests me in this game.

I agree, and the graphics seemed pretty decent, anyway, but the gameplay is certainly very interesting ...

Oh crap, I'm hyped to hell about this game already. That awesome french video REALLY didn't help me get back on earth either! I shouldn't have watched it!! AAIIEEH!

 

One thing that annoys me about this game is what those french dudes were discussing. You don't level up in the ordinary way in this game, using experience points and all that crap. The way you level up is by finding new weapons and equipment, which are pretty scarce. That's also one of the key design choices I've made for my own dream project too!! I can't believe these Russian guys stole my fabulous idea Still, it will be cool to see if it actually works in a game. The dangerous thing about such a "leveling" system is that if you find too good a weapon too early, you'll be too powerful too early and you'll feel like you've stagnated if you never find anything better than that weapon again. That happened to me in Silent Storm early on and it really takes away a lot of the fun in a game. Game balance really is vital. Also, there has to be a plethora of highly different weapons for this idea to work properly.

To be fair, that has always been an integral part of RPGs ... after all, half the fun/benefit of higher levels is the ph@tl00t that you find/sell or buy.

A world without phat l00t would be an empty and sad world indeed.

130000gp for a suit of Epic Shadowdancer armour in HotU, for example ...

I've personally never been a fan of "fat loot". I think it's much more satisfying to get those incredibly rare upgrades from time to time. I loved how, if you were a thorough enough explorer, in Gothic 2 you could find all sorts of rare and unique weapons hidden around the world. That's what I want from a game.

 

I'm also sick and tired of having levels and experience that turns you from rat fodder to dragon slayer in a few levels. What the hell did you start out as, if a rat can beat the living crap out of you? And what are you at the end, when you can solo that 20 ton dragon? I vastly prefer systems where you start out as a human being and the "levels" (or whatever it is that makes you progress) make you better, but not super-human. More like a trained human. I'm hoping that's the feeling I'll get from STALKER.

Sure, levelling can and has been exaggerated to the point of ludicrousness ... except in ultra realistic super-games, like Deus Ex. '

S.t.a.l.k.e.r doesn't look too shabby actually