STALKER series(6 posts)(6 posts)
CoP doesn't really need bugfixes, it's not broken like the other two games.
I don't actually know of any dedicated bugfix mods for CoP.
But I recon since you are likely a native speaker of Russian, you can check some Russian language forums, there are a some mods that were never translated into English.
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vorob
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Hi! I’m looking for a complete mod that fixes bugs and enhances graphics. It should be completed (no in-development stuff), cover whole game, not just some parts of it, and be compatible with gog release.
What can you say about http://www.moddb.com/mods/call-of-pripyat-complete
Thx!
What can you say about http://www.moddb.com/mods/call-of-pripyat-complete
Thx!
No posts in this topic were marked as the solution yet. If you can help, add your reply
AZaph_gog
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vorob: Hi! I’m looking for a complete mod that fixes bugs and enhances graphics. It should be completed (no in-development stuff), cover whole game, not just some parts of it, and be compatible with gog release.
What can you say about http://www.moddb.com/mods/call-of-pripyat-complete
Thx!
From what I know, call-of-pripyat-complete introduces more problems than it solves. It also uses really old versions of the graphical enhancement mods. You are better off installing either just Atmosfear and Absolute Nature, or install Arsenal Overhaul 3.1 which includes those graphical mods in specially adapted versions in the 'optional addons' folder. What can you say about http://www.moddb.com/mods/call-of-pripyat-complete
Thx!
CoP doesn't really need bugfixes, it's not broken like the other two games.
I don't actually know of any dedicated bugfix mods for CoP.
But I recon since you are likely a native speaker of Russian, you can check some Russian language forums, there are a some mods that were never translated into English.
Post edited January 13, 2018 by FLX83
vorob
vorob Sorry, data for given user is currently unavailable. Please, try again later. View profileView wishlistStart conversationInvite to friendsInvite to friendsAccept invitationAccept invitationPending invitation..User since {{ user.formattedDateUserJoined }} Friends since {{ user.formattedDateUserFriended }} Unblock chat User blocked This user's wishlist is not public.You can't chat with this user due to their or your privacy settings.You can't chat with this user because you have blocked him.You can't invite this user because you have blocked him.From Russian Federation
Thx, as i understand Atmosfear and Absolute Nature is one mod?
http://www.moddb.com/mods/atmosfear-for-call-of-pripyat/downloads
Sorry, AN4 is and add-on for atmosfear.. My god, why cant it be a single pack :)
http://www.moddb.com/mods/atmosfear-for-call-of-pripyat/downloads
Sorry, AN4 is and add-on for atmosfear.. My god, why cant it be a single pack :)
Post edited January 15, 2018 by vorob
vorob
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Thx again for these patches. Game looks really nice after them. Though i don't undestand how anmosfear + nature mode changed my interface..
I've got question, take a look at my load:
https://pp.userapi.com/c840124/v840124317/685bc/qXi400qTTxw.jpg
50% on CPU and 30% on GPU, but i only have 25 fps. Why?
I've got question, take a look at my load:
https://pp.userapi.com/c840124/v840124317/685bc/qXi400qTTxw.jpg
50% on CPU and 30% on GPU, but i only have 25 fps. Why?
AZaph_gog
AZaph_gog Sorry, data for given user is currently unavailable. Please, try again later. View profileView wishlistStart conversationInvite to friendsInvite to friendsAccept invitationAccept invitationPending invitation..User since {{ user.formattedDateUserJoined }} Friends since {{ user.formattedDateUserFriended }} Unblock chat User blocked This user's wishlist is not public.You can't chat with this user due to their or your privacy settings.You can't chat with this user because you have blocked him.You can't invite this user because you have blocked him.From United States
I'm glad you like them :-) Make sure to check out the Atmosfear options too (I think they only appear if you press Esc after loading a save, not from the main menu when you first get into the game)
As for the FPS issue:
First thing to try is to disable 'sun rays'
If that's not enough:
lower grass detail and shadow detail, and perhaps the HBAO or whatever it's called.
Oh and switch to DirectX10, it should be more stable and possibly faster, but you probably won't notice a visual difference.
If the game needs a long-ass time to load anything:
Make sure that Stalker COP does NOT run in Windows compatibility mode.
Also be aware that Stalker COP, even though it was released in 2010, still only uses one core. So even though you have 8 cores, Stalker is only using the one at 92% load.
It's also possible that you don't have enough VRAM (2 GB?), especially if you installed the high-res sky textures.
As for the FPS issue:
First thing to try is to disable 'sun rays'
If that's not enough:
lower grass detail and shadow detail, and perhaps the HBAO or whatever it's called.
Oh and switch to DirectX10, it should be more stable and possibly faster, but you probably won't notice a visual difference.
If the game needs a long-ass time to load anything:
Make sure that Stalker COP does NOT run in Windows compatibility mode.
Also be aware that Stalker COP, even though it was released in 2010, still only uses one core. So even though you have 8 cores, Stalker is only using the one at 92% load.
It's also possible that you don't have enough VRAM (2 GB?), especially if you installed the high-res sky textures.
Post edited January 17, 2018 by FLX83
vorob
vorob Sorry, data for given user is currently unavailable. Please, try again later. View profileView wishlistStart conversationInvite to friendsInvite to friendsAccept invitationAccept invitationPending invitation..User since {{ user.formattedDateUserJoined }} Friends since {{ user.formattedDateUserFriended }} Unblock chat User blocked This user's wishlist is not public.You can't chat with this user due to their or your privacy settings.You can't chat with this user because you have blocked him.You can't invite this user because you have blocked him.From Russian Federation
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STALKER series(6 posts)(6 posts)
(6 posts)
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Lost Alpha Developer's Cut
The original release of Lost Alpha in 2014 after the leaked beta was shaky. It was for the most part a buggy, unfinished mess of a game. Fast forward 3 years and some though, and the developer’s cut version of the game looks and plays quite a bit better. A lot of this is mainly down to mods, several of which are bundled with the officially supported Extended Pack, which adds new weapon models based off off STCoP and new NPC models as well as a whole host of others, most of which I can’t even remember.
The things that I found cringeworthy in the original LA are rectified in LA DC + EP. I can have Russian dialogue instead of English voice acting with dodgy accents, and you can now opt to have full body awareness too, so you’re not just a disembodied camera with arms. Vehicle handling and fuel efficiency has been fixed. And the game looks even prettier now than it did back then, with more realistic looking water. It’s still the best looking zone I’ve played in, and it might just be one of the best mods overall for the game, and the fact that it’s standalone just adds even more to its legitimate claim as one of the best stalker games around.
Some have criticised its story as straying too far afield from the original, and this may encourage others to rather try out other mods, some of which are also standalone, like Oblivion Lost Remake, which make use of the old build maps. I think if some mods were made to add some new side quests and even ones that are familiar from other Stalker mods, it might do some good instead of just embarking on the main storyline. Side quests tend to be quite few and repetitive at that.
Lost Alpha also has several graphics-related issues, some of which may be linked to shaders, and even though there are some easy yet temporary fixes, it would be great to get these bugs sorted out in future updates.
Old Good Stalker Evolution
This is yet another mod turned standalone game as of version 0.6.9.3. It is often regarded as merely a bugfixing mod, but it also adds a whole slew of features to the original game too, may of which can be tweaked from the included configuration launcher menu. So you can adjust the game to suit your play style.
It’s not the prettiest mod out there. It only really has some new character models. Besides that it’s kind of vanilla in the way it looks, although there have been a few changes in the 2.10 revised patch. It tends to focus more on gameplay, adding in some new quests. Not all of them are particularly well written, but they can lead to some interesting discoveries, like finding the cherubashaka – which is essentially a talking doll that has been left in an anomaly and can help you in specific quests in the zone.
Some regard such things as being rather silly, but other than that, it’s quite a polished stalker experience, though it still has a few bugs and crashes here and there. It’s still regarded as being one of the more stable mods available. It’s just a shame that the developers don’t plan on releasing new patches for it, although there is the Russian version 2.11 patch, or even the long awaited 2.12 patch that was talked about by one of the developers on the OGSE forum. One wonders if it’ll ever see the light of day though what with the team moving on to make OGSR.
SGM Lost Soul
This is one of the better mods for Call of Pripyat. It’s built upon the original SGM 2.2, which was criticised for its weak and inaccurate weapons, and overall average looks. Lost Soul includes Atmosfear 3, Absolute Nature 3, and has new an improved weapon animations and models.
The combat is supposedly a lot harder. My experience with it though is that it can be quite inconsistent. At some points, the game’s difficulty can be quite tough. At other points, the AI seems kind of stupid. I don’t know if this has anything to do with the AI patch that was released in 2017 as part of the repack edition of Lost Soul, but the mod was originally supposed to be a lot harder than that. At times this is still the case though. We’re talking one shot kills with a pistol – on the player, even with armour. This might seem a little cheap to some, which has had some avoid this mod entirely or stick with another version of SGM, of which there are several.
It’s a pretty good looking mod – I just wish that the NPC models were batter. They mostly just consist of pallete swaps, with different coloured outfits, but they still look blocky like in the original games. I still think it’s one of the better mods for CoP, because it adds maps from Clear Sky, like Cordon and Swamps/Marshes as well as others. In my opinion, most CoP mods can get rather boring, because they only really feature the same areas like Zaton and Jupiter.
Amnesia
This is one of the best looking mods I’ve seen for Shadow of Chernobyl. Besides the somewhat shaky launch, which has been rectified with patches, this mod is suprisingly well optimised. It runs well even on maximum graphical settings, which is unusual at least for me and my rig which, admittedly, certainly isn’t the best in the world. A lot of attention to detail has been applied, especially to structures and roads, and such, although the overall look and feel does look very good indeed. It uses Absolute Nature and Atmosfear.
The mod also has a collection of better looking NPC models, and new weapons by phorumer, the latter of which are included in the very impressive upcoming Shadow Of Chernobyl Redux mod. Some weapon models are from OWR 3.
Another thing that Amnesia does is it adds in new sounds as well as new music, both of which seem to fit the game nicely. Many of the ambient tracks are borrowed from various artists who have contributed to Cryo Chamber. This is something overlooked by most mods, which focus mainly on either looks or gameplay. This is mostly looks and sounds. The gameplay and storyline is pretty much the standard SoC experience. This might be a bit of a let down to some that want more out of their game, as there are no driveable vehicles like you would have in something like OGSE.
For a new mod out in 2017, it’s quite impressive. It’s just a shame that the developer doesn’t plan on releasing any new content or updates for it. It could have gone on to be even better. Clearly there are still issues with the game like CTD errors and things that affect gameplay like empty found stashes which does take away from the overall enjoyment and leaves a bitter taste in one's mouth -- that this is, and perhaps will remain an unfinished product.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl - PC
Fotograf
This is quite an old mod. That much is telling in that it requires players to downgrade to SoC v 1.0004. But there seems to be a somewhat renewed appreciation for it, particularly among stalker fans who are looking for a good story mod.
There even exists a merge mod, which adds a whole slew of new weapons from various mods like AMK, Autumn Aurora and others to the game.
It’s not very good looking, especially the surrounds in the game, but it does have some new maps and character models, along with completely new quests and storyline, and once you get further in to the mod you’ll realise that new gameplay mechanics are present as well. Like the mod’s name would suggest, your main task as a photographer is to take pictures in order to document the zone.
The one criticism I have of this mod is that it can be kind of confusing and hard to know where to go and what to do. This mod doesn’t really spoon feed you much, but luckily there is a whole guide out there available with the english translation, also included with the merge mod version.
Another thing that I take issue with is the use of sound. The insertion of random sound effects that certain intervals just feels jarring. It isn't blended in nicely into the background ambience like one is used to with most Stalker game and mods. And the voice acting seems to consist of either badly voiced original audio, or poor quality samples taken from SoC.
Call of Chernobyl
If a more freeplay stalker experience is what you’re after, you’d still be hard pressed to beat CoC. There are plenty of addons for it, so you can customise the look, sound and gameplay to your heart’s content. The upcoming version 1.5 boasts even more content, weapons, and you still have a total of 32 maps from every stalker release (SoC, CS, and CoP) to play around in.
It doesn’t however, cater much to those looking for a good story. It’s very much a sandbox experience, which does tend to bore some people looking for more depth to their game. Some have described it as being nothing more than a faction wars type mod, basically like Clear Sky, but on a much larger scale and built in the CoP engine.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call of Pripyat [Download]
Radiophobia
This is a quite promising new mod for Stalker: SoC. It looks pretty, it uses HD NPC models that were originally made for CoC, and it features a restored old storyline, but not the old build maps. It also has new weapons and and some impressive new particle effects, so that means lovely looking explosions and muzzle flash during combat.
In some ways it looks and sounds quite similar to Amnesia, and this should come as much of a surprise, as both have features from Autumn Aurora. It uses the same UI, has the same soundtrack, and it might be argued that if Amnesia were to be played with the dry nature addon, they would even look similar. Some argue that it is even as difficult as Amnesia, which is to say, moderate.
But Radiophobia differs in terms of gameplay and the weapon models are different from Amnesia too. Some have labelled it as looking and playing a bit like Misery, except it’s more forgiving. So if you want a Misery-esque experience but want it set in SoC and CS maps, and don’t want to play Call of Misery or Last Day, both of which are mods for Call of Chernobyl, which would otherwise cater to this desire apart from the absence of much in the way of story, then you might give Radiophobia a chance. It has the look and maybe even the feel without a lot of the suffering.
It might also be up your alley if you want an old storyline focused mod, without old build style gameplay that you would encounter in Lost Alpha and especially Oblivion Lost Remake.
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Posted by4 years ago
Archived
Stalker mods have really let the game grow over the years despite the developer's lack of presence. The mods that have come out of the scene have ranged from bug fixes to complete overhauls. In this post I'll list off mods I've either A) Played or B) Heard excellent things about.
A bit of a warning:
MOST MODS ARE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH EACH OTHER! Vanilla Stalker is buggy, some mods make it buggier. Prepare yourself for crashes and remind yourself to keep calm and cheeki breeki. Save Games usually are not compatible from mod to mod.
Installing Mods
Most mods (if a installer is not included) rely on dropping a 'gamedata' folder into your stalker directory. Uninstalling them is as simple as deleting this folder. Mods with installers will usually come with uninstallers.
Destiny 2 3rd seed of light without raid. If your game fails to start, do the following:
- Delete gamedata folder, try to start game. If it crashes:
- Verify game cache, try to start game. If it still crashes:
- Uninstall game and delete folder. This is your last resort and you probably will never have to do it.
Tips
- Make a copy of your vanilla game folder before modding and keep it around. Greeting card workshop. It's really convenient to delete a modded game folder and just bring over the vanilla game contents to get a fresh start. It's a huge time saver.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Lost Alpha Free Standalone Game
- Lost Alpha - Want to play Stalker for free? Well here's one way but it's more than that. It's a reimagining of SOC with everything from levels to interface. Story lines are altered and original concepts from SOC's development were reintroduced. Huge project and a great standalone game. Features - Downloads
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl (SOC)
The first in the series and what many will say is the best of the original three. Released in 2007 and while it brought many computers to their knees, this game was groundbreaking. The modding scene was (and still is) strong with this one.
Sep 8, 2010 - Also adds a number of expendable +750 XP boosters and +2 Combat Discipline boosters. Dawn of War II campaign wargear unlocker v1.01. Browse and play mods created for Dawn of War II: Retribution at Mod DB. This mod aims at modifying Dawn of War 2 Retribution to portray combat in a more. Tons of new units and wargear options for Space Marines and Chaos Marines,. I just wanted to remind everyone that that awesome cheat from the previous two DOW 2 titles (the one with cheatmenu.scar and such) works. Dawn of war 2 retribution wargear mod. Dec 10, 2017 - In steam go to Dawn Of War 2 Chaos Rising properties, and set. Just wanted to ask you if the mod you provided contains the 'Tomes'?
Bugfixing mods (aka mods that don't alter the vanilla game TOO much)
- The Zone Reclamation Project A community effort to fix everything broken with the game. Supposedly compatible with many other mods. Downloads - Features
- Old Good Stalker Evolution (OGSE) - This mod is specifically aimed towards bugfixing the vanilla game. Promises better performance and a very customizable experience. While this is mostly a stability mod, it adds various things like drivable vehicles, monsters, blowouts, and gun balancing. Features - Download
- Stalker Complete 2009 - The Complete series is one of the most well-known and popular mods though not all will agree with the decisions took in development for it. Included are new textures, sounds, music, weather, bug fixes, AI improvements, interface and more. Many reccommend it to first time Stalkers who want a more modern looking game without changing the vanilla gameplay too much. Some will bash it for having altered some difficulty settings and making the game 'easier' which is subjective and I don't have an issue with. NOTE Some redditors have pointed out this mod is rather outdated and is not the best to recommend to new players wanting a vanilla experience. Features - Download
Graphical Overhauls
This category can overlap with the bugfixing mods but most of these focus on amazing visuals instead of bugfixing
- Autumn Aurora 2 - One of my favorite mods for SHOC as it completely changes the look and feel of the already amazing atmosphere. New tree models, textures, weather, sounds, weapons, and music. It's hard to describe the pure beauty of this mod but trust me, it's gorgeous. Download - Features
- Dynamic Shaders - Newly released graphical engine overhaul which adds better lighting, dynamic textures, DOF, and other visual features. Downloads - Features
- Absolute Nature/Textures - Popular Texture pack incorporated into a lot of mods. Features - Downloads
Gameplay Overhauls
These mods change a lot. Most add many weapons while others change the element of gameplay.
- L.U.R.K. - This mod makes Stalker even harder. No minimap, limited ammo and a grueling environment. Recommended for experienced stalkers and TURN YOUR CROSSHAIR OFF! This mod makes you appreciate your pistol. New models, over 80 weapons, animations, ballistics, weather, interface, and overhauled stealth mechanics. Download - Features
- STALKERSOUP - One of the biggest community modpacks to date. Adds 30+ locations, 14+ monsters, 13 factions, insane amount of weapons, and plenty of new quests promising 200-300 hours of content. The feature list is too big to put here but trust me, it's huge. Creator is technobacon and the latest thread on Steam for it is over 1000 pages long. It even has its own Steam group. This is a huge mod, I can't stress that enough. Download - Features
- Stalker Joint Pak 2 (AKA Narodnaya Solyanka Cumulative Pack 2) - Have yet to try this but supposedly overpassing STALKERSOUP in features and size. Most of what I see is in Russian but I'm sure most people can figure out how to install it. Download - Features
- F.O.T.O.G.R.A.F. - Instead of shooting bullets you'll be shooting pictures as you document the zone. Very interesting concept. Thread with more information
- PRIBOI STORY - Adds a new story line and made from the same developers who eventually went to make one of the most popular mods of the 3rd installment, MISERY for Call of Pripyat. Tons of features and completely new experience for SOC. Features and Download
- Faction Wars - Brings Faction Wars to SOC. Factions will act independently and take over territory around the zone. Eventually turning into a warzone. Zone Wars was built on top of this so it may be more up to date. Features - Download
- Zone of Alienation - Thanks to /u/Neo_Gatsby for the mention.
- Oblivion Lost - thanks /u/swiftlysauce
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky
Second game in the series released in 2008. Very bad reception at first due to bugs and poor optimization. Modders have gave the game a little love over the years but it is still considered the red-headed stepchild of the series.
Vanilla Experience
- OGSM - Similar to OGSE and Complete, this mod aims to rebuild the vanilla experience while optimizing and adding a few features. Features - Downloads
- Sky Reclamation Project - Similar to ZRP for SOC, a community effort at fixing bugs. Still in development. Thread - Download
- Clear Sky Complete The next Complete mod, does similar things that Complete for SOC did.Features - Downloads
Graphical Overhauls
- Mystery - An attempt at bringing the look and feel of the popular Misery mod to COP. Features - Download
- Absolute Nature/Textures - Popular Texture pack incorporated into a lot of mods. Features - Downloads
Gameplay Overhauls
- The Faction War Mod - Adds the option of joining any faction from the start and performing random missions and tasks to gain reputation. Fantastic mod. Features - Downloads
- Arsenal Overhaul - One of my favorite mods for Clear Sky as it adds high quality weapons and animations to the game. This could be listed under Vanilla as well but it's a fantastic mod that adds a bunch of bugfixing, graphical features and new items. Features - Downloads
- Clear Sky Enhanced - Haven't tried this one but supposedly has a big mix of russian made mods translated to english. Features - Download
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call of Pripyat
Best Call Of Pripyat Mods 2018
Finally we get to my favorite in the series. Released in 2010 this game was applauded for being the most stable and optimized game in the series. It also has had huge modding support from the scene.
Vanilla Experience
- Complete - Yet another Complete mod for CoP. Does the same as the previous mods in the series. NOTE Supposedly unstable. Features - Downloads
Graphical Overhauls
- AtmosFear - One of the more popular weather mods for the series. Completely changes the feel of the world. Accurate sun positioning, longer nights with moon phases, new skyboxes, blowouts, fallouts, and psi storms. A must have mod that is usually included in other mods. Features - Downloads
- Absolute Nature/Textures - Popular Texture pack incorporated into a lot of mods. Features - Downloads
Gameplay Overhauls
- Misery - You can't hear people talk about Stalker mods without hearing about Misery. This mod completely overhauls the game into a grueling torture of difficulty and detail. Hundreds of new items, gun repair mechanics, in depth artifact mechanics, and more. This is NOT for the feint of heart, but many will argue it makes Stalker feel more like a Stalker game should feel. Unforgiving but rewarding. Features - Downloads - Armed Zone Addon
- Arsenal Overhaul - This mod adds tons of guns with excellent textures, sounds, and animations. Very vanilla experience but with more equipment. Highly recommended. Features - Downloads
- Shoker Weapon Mod - Tons of new guns (93 models), fantastic animations, weapon extensions, gear and more. Features - Downloads
- SGM aka Sigerous Mod - Haven't tried it but from the little I can find it seems to be a big overhaul. Features - Downloads
396 comments
GSC Game World's Stalker: Call of Pripyat, the series' third entry, is again difficult to define. While primarily a first-person shooter, it confidently spreads itself into RPG, immersive sim and survival horror territory—so consuming is its alternate timeline, post-apocalyptic world. With ABR's self-titled visual overhaul mod, the latter genre is brought to the fore with terrifying results.
If coming face-to-face with an irradiated, grunting Snork mutant wasn't always horrifying, doing so with this mod installed looks positively ghastly. Released earlier this month, here's ABR Mod's launch trailer. Go on, you first. I swear I'm right behind you:
On its ModDB page, creator ABR pays deference to a host of other projects before stressing ABR Mod is a faithful retelling of Call of Pripyat with modern visuals and patched bugs. In short: don't expect new quests, characters or enemies.
Do expect lovely weather conditions and the addition of night vision, though. And while Stalker boasts a wide variety of aesthetic-altering mods, ABR is the most sophisticated visual overhaul I've seen yet.
Here's some in-game footage of the journey between Jupiter and Pripyat:
More information on Stalker: Call of Pripyat's ABR Mod, including installation instructions, can be found via its ModDB page.
There are lots of survival games, but there are also lots of games which could be survival games with the right mods installed. Over the course of Survival Week we’ll highlight a few of those games and i) write a diary of our experience playing with it ii) explain how to do it yourself.
Evil is nothing if not thorough. Usually I prefer to hone my experience with a series of small mods – other entries in this week-long series will do just that – but no combo comes close to the scope of the most twisted survival retool yet hatched: MISERY.
What is it?
STALKER: Call of Pripyat is fun but muddled. As with all open-world epics it attempts to be a bit of everything – survival trappings exist but seem afraid of offending. To starve to death in Pripyat you need to put in the hours, stoutly ignoring flashing warnings and stacks of food until you drop dead of acute stupidity.
No more! MISERY gives you the irradiated hellscape you always dreamed of. Food is scarce, and tooltips report nutritional content in kcal. In addition to daily activities, anything which involves your metabolism (medicine, for instance) whittles away at your stamina regen, regen soft-capped at 33% of the norm.
Thirst is now a factor, as is sleep cycle. Power naps aren’t enough to stay alert; in the Zone you’ll need regular rest to remain on form. Don’t say MISERY doesn’t spoil us though – you come equipped with a free sleeping bag! Bear in mind that ‘sleeping rough’ and ‘human burrito’ are pretty much interchangeable.
How does it change the world?
Chernobyl is not the place to do your Duke of Edinburgh’s award. The environment is now incorrigibly hostile. The Zone’s Anomalies rock greater radii and eat flesh with gusto. These radioactive hotspots don’t feature in the tourist brochure.
Anything that moves, shoots or oozes is better equipped for combat. AI is sharper and more willing to cut you, and there are further changes which outdo your everyday evil: bloodsuckers and cat mutants.
Bloodsuckers are the base game’s betentacled stealth predators. You hear heavy breathing, you back the hell away. Except now they’re silent until they spring for your face with a scream. And there are frickin’ dozens of them. Bring your twitch reactions.
You think cats can be dicks? Imagine cat mutants. These are unique to MISERY, designed to keep you on edge while trekking. The bushes which obscure you from carnivores may also contain a feline who prefers his own company. It’s like a pick ‘n’ mix in which every fifth jelly bean is a really angry cat.
MISERY isn’t without mercy, and stealth has been reworked to compensate for the wildlife’s murderous tendencies. The emphasis is on careful movement and planning, not playing radioactive Rambo. It makes for a more tense time in the wasteland, shoving STALKER close to the border with survival horror.
We’d be raptured for real before I finished picking through this preposterous mod. If MISERY’s filthy sadism has caught your interest, its homepage gives the unabridged changes.
Call of Pripyat is £13 on Steam and a fiver on Amazon. MISERY transforms it into a misanthropic survival title better than many built for the purpose. Any fan of clinging to life by the fingernails ought to experience STALKER’s mutant strain.
Do I need anything special?
MISERY requires a clean Call of Pripyat installation. If you have history with the game, back up your saves. For Steam purchasers, they’re found here by default: C:Program Files (x86)SteamsteamappscommonStalker Call of Pripyat_appdata_savedgames
Clear all trace of STALKER from your drive, and install it afresh.
How do I set it up?
MISERY 2.1.1 is the latest iteration. Download it either from the official site or via ModDB . I prefer the second method – you’ll need an account, but the download will get done before the decade’s out.
If you can work a PC, you can install MISERY with ease. If you can’t work a PC, that raises awkward questions about RPS’ readership.
Extract the files you downloaded and run the .exe as an administrator. You’ll need to consider the experience you’re after, and the rig at your disposal. Call of Pripyat dates back to 2010, but MISERY can push any PC to its limits when prompted. Here are the key choices and my personal preferences:
USS Specialization
MISERY brings three classes of soldier to STALKER. Recon is a close-range fighter, Assaulter takes the middle ground, and the Sniper is in the next county. It’s worth reading up on their finer points, but your decision can be switched via the main menu.
MISERY brings three classes of soldier to STALKER. Recon is a close-range fighter, Assaulter takes the middle ground, and the Sniper is in the next county. It’s worth reading up on their finer points, but your decision can be switched via the main menu.
I picked Sniper, because I am camping scum.
Field of View
Increase. Increase! Playing on default is a powerful emetic. For 16:9 monitors, the modders recommend an FOV of 83. I’ve found this agreeable. Ninety produces clipping issues.
Increase. Increase! Playing on default is a powerful emetic. For 16:9 monitors, the modders recommend an FOV of 83. I’ve found this agreeable. Ninety produces clipping issues.
Switch Distance
This setting can claim the soul of your processor. It’s the distance at which AI is fully simulated; the higher the number, the more alive the world will be and the more steam will issue from your rig. I decided that my i5-3570 and GTX 780 Ti warranted the ‘enhanced’ setting. So far no screaming circuit boards.
This setting can claim the soul of your processor. It’s the distance at which AI is fully simulated; the higher the number, the more alive the world will be and the more steam will issue from your rig. I decided that my i5-3570 and GTX 780 Ti warranted the ‘enhanced’ setting. So far no screaming circuit boards.
Difficulty
Rookie or MISERY. Do the right thing.
Rookie or MISERY. Do the right thing.
Dark Mode
For the daft. Why wait to be parboiled by Anomalies when the sun does it just as good? In Dark Mode, daytime play is lethal. I’m both pleased and surprised to report self-loathing below the threshold necessary to install this variant.
For the daft. Why wait to be parboiled by Anomalies when the sun does it just as good? In Dark Mode, daytime play is lethal. I’m both pleased and surprised to report self-loathing below the threshold necessary to install this variant.
Last Words
To keep MISERY smiling, don’t launch it via Steam. Create a shortcut direct to the .exe and flag it to run as an admin each time.
Now to finish things off. Run the game, navigate to the options and then controls. Unbind quicksave. You heard me! Do it. What good is survival if you’ve got nothing to live for?
You can read more Survival Week articles over here.