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 STALKER: Call of Pripyat is the 2010 sequel to 2007's STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl and its 2008 prequel, STALKER: Clear Sky. Shadow of Chernobyl kicked off the franchise with a loose adaptation of the Strugatsky brothers' classic Soviet-era sci-fi novel, Roadside Picnic, translating its alien artifacts and anomalies into a mythologized version of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, and putting the player in the control of a seemingly-unnamed Stalker as he tries to recover his identity and fulfill his mission of killing "Strelok". The game is a beloved piece of immersive FPS sci-horror jank, which we've tackled before, but there was plenty of room for improvement. Its following prequel, Clear Sky, was... not really that, incorporating several interesting gameplay innovations (reparable equipment, using trackers to find artifacts, faction wars, recurring emissions) into a woefully unfinished game that was needlessly frustrating and way-too prone to crashing. We did not tackle it, so I direct you to perochialjoe's archived LP of it, which thankfully holds up a lot better than the game itself. But this brings us to 2010 and SoC's first proper sequel, Call of Pripyat. All of the innovations of Clear Sky have been polished up with several more alongside them, including a much wider open world setting, stashes always being available at their locations, and anomalies made into whole landmarks. We're given a brand new mystery about the Ukranian military's recent failed investigation of the zone, starring the definitively-named Major Alexander Degtyarev, as he goes in undercover to figure out why all of their helicopters crashed without warning. And all of this plays out with everything good about the first two games, but none of the instability and crashing! I didn't need to download a single stability mod - only some higher-quality textures to make the LP look nicer. It's still the same awkwardly-voiced jank at the end of the day, but in a much more approachable and playable package. So join JigglyJacob, myself, and our shockingly handsome Major Degtyarev as we scour the zone for cash and prizes. (Do note that we began recording this LP after I'd come out as trans but before I'd started voice training, so my voice will start getting higher after part 5.) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  - Commentary Over Cutscenes - Cutscene-Friendly              - Commentary Over Cutscenes - Cutscene-Friendly  ----------------------------------------------------  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cooked Auto posted:https://i.imgur.com/zpOX2iq.mp4 ThornBrain fucked around with this message at 16:17 on Mar 4, 2024 |
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Dec 8, 2023 22:58
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| # ? May 7, 2024 19:38 |
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I'm not usually a fan of co-commentated video LP's, but you two have a pretty good rhythm going. I always felt like the carry cap was a bit restrictive in terms of actually having fun and experimenting, just enough to comfortably carry another primary weapon would've been nice, the default carry cap it makes it real hard to justify some of the more specialist weapons, so that's one of the things I personally always mod upwards a notch. And lmao that Crab bug. That had me coughing my lungs out from laughter.
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Dec 9, 2023 00:57
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Hey bro. I forgot they sent in a major for this thing. Which seems a bit excessive. Don't think I ever used the "fast travel" system, not sure if I even knew it was there. But it's been a while since I played this. You forgot to knife open the smaller crates in the room with the personal storage for extra supplies. Also impressed you got really lucky with the L85 this early. Cooked Auto fucked around with this message at 03:40 on Dec 9, 2023 |
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Dec 9, 2023 03:18
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Hah - hearing it briefly in the background when you were dealing with Beard - that accordion music (which I remembered as being 'Hail to the Bus driver') is actually a pretty old tune by the name of 'Oh du lieber Augustin'. Wasn't expecting THAT in this game.
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Dec 9, 2023 12:12
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Yeah, that's some crazy luck with the loot. My memory with Call of Pripyat is that usually you don't really get to start using NATO weapons until the mid-game, at least. Anyway, I haven't seen (basically) vanilla CoP in aaaages - in more recent years I've only played it with the Misery mod, and even more recently I've only played STALKER Anomaly and then STALKER Anomaly GAMMA. They add so much to the mechanics that the game is virtually unrecognisable. But yeah, CoP really is the STALKER game that doesn't need mods. It's good on its own. I just personally can't get enough STALKER, so I want ever more modded into it. Still though... I know it's iconic, but that English dub, oof. (SPILL DE BEENS) I couldn't go back to that after playing it with the Russian voices. (Also, congrats on coming out; that's awesome.  )
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Dec 10, 2023 03:13
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The last time I played CoP I just used a better weather mod and an expanded armory, from what I can remember at least.
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Dec 10, 2023 03:20
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If you thought I was a filthy lucker in part 1, wait until we actually go exploring.
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Dec 10, 2023 22:39
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 here Stalker.
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Dec 10, 2023 23:22
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Back when I played I found an interactive map for all the zones that I checked for stashes, because my completionist rear end demanded I didn't miss thing. https://cop.zsg.dk/Map_Interactive.php In regards to swapping the weapon calibre, I believe it's mainly so you can use a weapon you like even when the regular ammunition for it becomes scarce. Although I think only the Russian weapons can do the upgrade so there is probably a damage aspect to it as well.
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Dec 11, 2023 00:57
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It is weird to me to hear non-diegetic music in STALKER; I've always played with it turned off, because I'm an immersion nerd. And I mean always; I didn't even recognise the music when it came up in the video. There are some pretty good game soundtracks out there that I haven't heard much of, oddly enough because I like the games they're from so much.  (System Shock 2 and Fallout New Vegas spring to mind.)
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Dec 11, 2023 10:02
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The STALKER games are unique to me for how tense they manage to make overworld areas even in full daylight. Also gently caress Snorks, they creep me out so bad, I have no idea why.
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Dec 11, 2023 18:32
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With some cash and treasures in our pockets, it's time to make headway into our main mission of investigating the crashed helicopters, plus a sidequest that intersects with it quite nicely. And more cash and treasures.
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Dec 17, 2023 21:02
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...always more snorks... I think one thing that the Stalker games really need to make emissions more than just a background distraction is really just larger areas, because in CoP, for instance, you're never really on some sort of expeditions where you can't find cover or have to abort the run. With regards to thinks not being available, CoP does have a good few number of events where you need a key or a code from an NPC to access something.
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Dec 17, 2023 22:44
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As Cooked Auto said, the main use of changing caliber is to use a more readily available ammunition type. However, in the config file, 5.56 ammo has slightly lower air resistance than 5.45 (a whole 0.1 difference) and the base 5.56 ammo has a slightly better armor penetration value than the base 5.45 ammo; however the AP ammo variant for both has the same armor penetration value, so these differences are too minor to really care about and I only mention them just because I find it interesting they have a difference at all, as little as it is.
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Dec 18, 2023 01:57
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I figured there would be some difference between the two, just to make it worth using. Never figured the differences would that minor though.
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Dec 18, 2023 01:59
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Of note about the TRs301 you upgraded, it's one weapon that can be equipped with a scope: it's not part of the upgrade tree, it's a separate item you can mount on the gun. In CoP there are some weapons you cannot add any scope onto, some guns have an integrated scope like the IL86 you've been using, and then there are weapons that can mount a separate scope like the TRs301. There's only two types of scopes, the SUSAT for the TRs301 and two other NATO guns that can fit it, and the PSO-1 for four russian guns (with the AKM-74/2 being an outlier in that it requires an upgrade to be able to equip a scope); however this game also introduces variants of those two scopes that either differ in zoom level from the base model or have an integrated night vision system.
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Dec 18, 2023 02:58
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Enfield refers to the region with the same name in North London, where the Royal Small Arms Factory that designed and manufactured the L85 assault rifle was located. 
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Dec 18, 2023 23:30
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My favourite photo of Queen Elizabeth II is of her firing an L85. The British service rifle is kind of an odd choice for the setting. Maybe it was meant to indicate foreign mercenaries/opportunists coming into the zone (like in a gold-rush, but for artefacts), and bringing their weapons with them.
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Dec 19, 2023 04:14
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Feels like rule of cool was a big reason why. There wasn't that many bullpup rifles in service back then and it looks odd enough to really stand out from all the AK's you see early on.
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Dec 19, 2023 12:19
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Antistar01 posted:My favourite photo of Queen Elizabeth II is of her firing an L85. In SoC/CP, generally you'd find that Freedom used NATO/5.56 weapons while Duty used Warzaw Pact/7.62 weapons. I think part of it was simply to differentiate the two factions, but implicitly it also felt like the two factions got their funding/support from separate nation states who had different interests. Like if Freedom managed to be the ones in total control of the Zone, the US could send in some scientists and special forces to pick it dry of artifacts, and vice versa Russia if Duty took over. Really, even though there's a Mercenary faction, everyone in the Zone is a mercenary or opportunist of some sort, excepting the Monolith, who are forced to be there, the Scientists/Ecologists who show up to learn more and the Military who, until CoP, were largely just concerned with sitting at the edges and trying to (badly) keep others out but never really ventured in.
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Dec 19, 2023 12:26
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Come to think of it, there's cut content for Clear Sky where the UN would have had a presence in the Zone, via the "International Scientific Group" (ISG). STALKER Anomaly adds UNISG as a faction, and I think you can play as a member, along with an associated story. Not sure how much of that stuff was made up for Anomaly, vs taken from cut content.
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Dec 20, 2023 04:47
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Antistar01 posted:Come to think of it, there's cut content for Clear Sky where the UN would have had a presence in the Zone, via the "International Scientific Group" (ISG). I've been playing a lot of Anomaly since it was mentioned earlier, and I haven't come across them yet. I did randomly find the corpse of one of the cut Sin faction's members though.
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Dec 20, 2023 07:40
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ThornBrain posted:I've been playing a lot of Anomaly since it was mentioned earlier, and I haven't come across them yet. I did randomly find the corpse of one of the cut Sin faction's members though. I believe you have to finish the SIN story quest and then go back to Sidorovich and he'll give you some info about a signal which leads into a mission that unlocks them.
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Dec 20, 2023 10:55
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ThornBrain posted:I've been playing a lot of Anomaly since it was mentioned earlier, and I haven't come across them yet. I did randomly find the corpse of one of the cut Sin faction's members though. Oh, cool. Anomaly is great. Especially combined with the GAMMA mod pack, it's astonishingly good: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRDI798GSkE Anomaly certainly takes a bit to get set up and to get used to - and even more-so with GAMMA - but once you do, it's amazing. If you want a singleplayer first-person atmospheric immersive-sim detailed survival RPG thing, there's just... nothing better that I'm aware of.
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Dec 21, 2023 02:23
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Bloodsuckers cannot physics if you kill them while they're invisible, it seems.
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Dec 24, 2023 21:01
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There is also a button to change fire modes, so you don't have to accidentally slip into fully automatic when shooting. I did cringe a bit when you sold the TRS without removing the scope. Cooked Auto fucked around with this message at 23:02 on Dec 24, 2023 |
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Dec 24, 2023 22:51
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You know, I never tried it because I'm a coward, but after nerve gassing the bloodsucker lair, is there anything down there to loot?
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Dec 25, 2023 00:41
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I remember that the first time I played CoP, I shot Tremor when he pulled the gun too - but it was because I thought he was going to shoot me, not himself. Also I think another medic shows up to take Tremor's place at the Skadovsk, but I can't remember if that's vanilla or a mod-added thing. (If you're going to be playing with the Misery Mod or something similar, you are going to need there to be a doctor available there.) I tend to forget that the Chimera (and other mutants?) was new to CoP. There were a bunch of different mutants (including the Chimera) that were cut from the earlier games, but added back in via mods. Feels like they've always been there, to me. Nimble was the guy you rescue from bandits early on in Shadow of Chernobyl. I think in Clear Sky he's just kind of sleeping in a chair the whole time at one of the friendly bases? I don't know, I haven't played Clear Sky nearly as much as the other two games. PurpleXVI posted:You know, I never tried it because I'm a coward, but after nerve gassing the bloodsucker lair, is there anything down there to loot? I've never tried going into the lair after gassing it, because y'know... nerve gas. (Okay to be honest it's just never occurred to me to try.)
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Dec 27, 2023 10:29
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Are there any female models in this game
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Dec 31, 2023 00:44
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Only via mods I believe.
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Dec 31, 2023 01:33
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Nissin Cup Nudist posted:Are there any female models in this game But these are all mods.
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Dec 31, 2023 12:42
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Time for a new map and some new friends! This is the last of the first batch of videos we recorded, so prepare for a slight voice change next week.
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Dec 31, 2023 21:10
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Uhhh thats a graveyard, not a park fyi.
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Dec 31, 2023 22:59
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I usually go all-in on Freedom rather than Duty, but as far as I recall the rewards for either are more or less equivalent, and the most important part is going all in on one of the two factions, because otherwise you lock yourself out of one specific quest.
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Dec 31, 2023 23:05
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Using the Vintar, or VSS Vintorez as it's really called, in full auto is kind of a waste when it only has 10 rounds. Not sure if it even has that in real life or not.
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Jan 1, 2024 00:46
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Cooked Auto posted:Using the Vintar, or VSS Vintorez as it's really called, in full auto is kind of a waste when it only has 10 rounds. Not sure if it even has that in real life or not. From what I can dig up, it does actually have a full auto option, but the real version also fits 20-shot and 30-shot magazines.
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Jan 1, 2024 00:54
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The 30-round magazine is more a thing for its assault rifle version and it usually just uses the 10 or 20 magazines. Either way, definitely not a gun you want to use in fully automatic especially here with that tiny magazine.
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Jan 1, 2024 01:20
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Ok, so. The VSS Vintorez. It has indeed automatic fire but is usually equipped with a 10-rds magazine since it's designed as a special purposes covert sniper rifle. The 20 and 30-rds magazines are mainly for the assault rifle version, the AS Val (which is basically a VSS with a metal folding stock and a couple other minor changes), but if it can fit in the Val it can fit in the Vintorez. The Vintorez is a really interesting weapon: in addition to being capable of automatic fire, it is integrally suppressed (as in, the suppressor is also the barrel) and fires the beefy 9x39mm subsonic ammo. This ammo is designed to be subsonic (so it does not generate a sonic crack that supersonic ammo creates), while also being capable of punching through heavy body armor within its effective range and impart a lot of shock to the target; the downside is that being subsonic, it has a very short effective range due to the lower velocity (and being a pretty large round). This is fine for its intended role of urban warfare (where most engagements will take place pretty close) and for picking off sentries quietly. It's also a pretty expensive bullet to manufacture and as such the AS Val and other similar compact assault rifles chambered in 9x39 use variants that are cheaper though have somewhat less penetrating power. I find that in Call of Pripyat, it and the assault rifle variant (SA Avalanche in-game), are really good weapons to use since they have a high armor penetration value and deal pretty high damage (Tide in particular) at range while being capable of spraying down a single target up close in a pinch. The Thunder (aka the OTs-14 Groza) is also another good weapon that uses 9x39, and it has the advantage of having an integrated grenade launcher and larger ammo capacity, but cannot equip optics. And while I'm talking about guns, I might as well talk about the Eliminator (real life name: Armsel Protecta): in CoP it's a really solid shotgun thanks to its high capacity and rate of fire, as well as being capable of attaching a scope for more accurate shots using slug rounds. In real life, the Protecta is not actually capable of automatic fire since the revolver magazine is manually rotated by using the foregrip to twist the barrel, which activates a mechanism that turns the magazine so the next round is lined up with the bore, and the gasses generated by shooting it are exclusively used to eject the previously-spent cartridge. This is a simplified (and much faster to use) mechanism compared to its predecessor, the Striker, which has a spring-loaded clockwork mechanism for rotating the revolver magazine and spent shells have to be ejected manually one by one with an ejector rod and then new shells loaded while winding up the whole thing. Not the most practical weapon to reload in a combat situation
radintorov fucked around with this message at 02:12 on Jan 1, 2024 |
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Jan 1, 2024 02:09
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Well at least the game didn't give in to the Pancor Jackhammer meme.
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Jan 1, 2024 02:16
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| # ? May 7, 2024 19:38 |
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Oof, yeah; full-auto sniper rifle.  I think I remember that from your Shadow of Chernobyl LP too; not finding the fire mode toggle button for the duration. (And to be fair, I guess not many games let you toggle fire modes.)The hanging moss anomaly is called "Burnt Fuzz", and you can avoid them by crouching (maybe low-crouching) under them. I believe that building next to the cement factory can have stalkers from varying factions sitting on top of it (though again, this could be from mods) - I know I've had people shooting at me from the top of it. They can see you coming from a long way off up there. You can just follow Uncle Yar in that part of that mission and not aggro the zombies, though I guess it usually doesn't make too much difference.
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Jan 1, 2024 11:44
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