07 November 2006 1714hrs

An interview with Anton Bolshakov recently says a lot and not very much. He is willing to surrender his car to fans if the game doesn't come out in Q1 2007. If its a crappy old Lada no one will care, and split up between, well... thousands of followers, this doesn't go too far. So, predictably no hard date for release.

It seems like, stuff that were rumours before are now facts, like no driving. I understand their justifications but find the huge playing area ideal for vehicles. If you want to drive around like an idiot then yes, you will find ourself taken out pretty quickly, but it shouldn't be dropped. Still, things like this, it appears they will still be "in" the game, and perhaps cheats will allow for them to surface.

It is a good idea to be able to play any given game on a lower spec machine, so the DX 8.0 is a good scheme but, my argument would then be, by the time it comes out, what about DX 10? So again, the whole idea of perfection before release is all fine and good but you will always need a upgrade, patches, a sequel. New technology is always coming out. By Q1 2007 there might be a few upset people unable to take full advantage of their latest and greatest gfx cards and processors. That being said, I'll be happy to know I'd only need a $1000 machine to get into playing S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

All in all we should be able to get our hands on more videos and other promotional material as the pre-release marketing campaign begins. That will include a MP demo.

If you would like to see the interview click below;

http://forum.v5g.de/showthread.php?t=5006

It was posted with the original source and translated by http://www.Oblivion-Lost.de

06 July 2006 2357hrs

Managed to get several new videos down via http://video.google.com and have the look at these .gvi files once the Google Video Player was installed. Unfortunately they're all in Russian expect for another which was in German. Anyone who might know a translation for the Stalker AI video, the Introduction or "Stalker running with DirectX 9" into English would be much appreciated. Perhaps just a thread discussing their content in English, especially the AI one.

Also got down the old Interview with Oleg (in English) and the Nvidia guy, Kieth Galocy. Being that the game was still called STALKER : Oblivion Lost it shows how dated it is. Still, though there was nothing new in the content there, was nice to see some new sequences of game action.

The weather here in Wellington, New Zealand (nope not Kansas, USA), is quote Stalkerish I can tell you. That miserable rain kinda weather.

http://video.google.com/videosearch?sourceid=gvc&q=S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

http://stalker.igromania.ru

Video Cards

Starting to think about putting together a machine in the coming months for a gaming platform to run S.T.A.L.K.E.R. one of those essential components is the video card. For a bottom of the rung deal to start with, not wishing to invest too much in the early stages, the Radeon 9600 Pro looks like the deal. Comes with DVI as a nice bonus... It just seems so unnatural to be proposing any sort of of Windoz type setup after finally coming back to MacOS. Still, also its not for another 9 months or more before this webmaster will seriously start to shake regarding the desperate need for a PC to run this highly anticipated game. 3 million polygons per frame at 60 frames per second... arrrrrrh. OC14 with BG15 grennnnade launcher... and suppressor... happiness.

I am supposing that in the months after release it will be time to invest in a Nvidia GeForce since this is what the boys at GSC Game World have worked the game around. In the meantime, in regards value for money and some serious fun, perhaps even for giving the unofficial 2215 Build a burl, the Radeon will do the trick just nicely. And quite frankly, the way the game market is at present, it is the only reason I'll splash out the cash. For a beta that is several years old, unofficial and riddled with bugs. So, that gives some idea of how long I've been hanging out for this game.

http://www.ascent.co.nz/ProductSpecification.aspx?ItemID=338635

Comments

I hope that the PDA system is intuitive and original, otherwise we simply have more cloning going on. But it will be a good way to record character history and to manipulate actions.

There are a few concerning things here, not least of which is the AL. So long as the scripted elements are for controlling the storyline, fine. If it puts the whole thing on rails, not good. If the AL we have come to expect is scarce, then this will simply become another HL2 or Doom3. It won't be any different, asides the setting. We didn't wait over 3 years for that. I didn't find the HL2 opponents either intelligent in their actions or challenging in combat. Scripting is ridiculous this far down the track.

Personally I'm up for as tactically realistic game as possible so the visibility and noise elements are wholly welcome. There will be no shouts of "camper!" when a sniper puts to good use his talents with that VSS and PSO-1. It has to be an intelligent game, otherwise I might as well just go off and play Doom3. Being shot hurts, and you best avoid it. No 100% health meaning you can take several bursts from a mini gun. Nope, its pink mist time, if the tr729.mpg file is anything to go by. One has to be very thankful for realistic, real world, true-to-life customisable weapons, but we knew this would be part of the game anyway. Nothing new there, but eagerly awaited nonetheless.

Too many loads is going to be a drag. No one wants this. It can really put the dampener on an otherwise brilliant game. I seriously hope GSC are looking into reducing this. If a game loses its flow then the player (who often isn't the most patient person in the world) may even abandon it for something that doesn't stall. Remember, in Q1 2007, there will be new competition out there and you can't have such a thing ruining an otherwise great game. HL2 and Doom3 have had their day. CGC / THQ have to concern themselves with elements like this to take on the new challengers. They can't simply rate themselves against the aforementioned.

If the vehicles are taken out then we have a problem with getting around such a vast area. They've already ditched the state of repair elements which is more than a bit of a shame. This means that if vehicles do remain, there will be no new features of gameplay which differentiate it with the likes of HL2. There will be no negatives for having mobility.

At the end of the day, if too many of the RPG elements are stripped away, the game will loose much of the potential that was to make it different from other FPS games. The Dealer, trading all make it a more believable world, interactive. I most certainly don't want another "shoot 'em up".

There are at least six another months before S.T.A.L.K.E.R. : Shadow of Chernobyl is released. We can only hope that it indeed is a game somewhat close to the sort of product we have been waiting so long for. To be truly unique in any design field one must come outside the norm, take risks, get outside their comfort zone. GSC Game World have shown us they can do it - I just hope they don't head back in...

You can see some attempted rumor busting at the following URL, though, you know what they say about the fat lady singing...

http://www.gsc-game.com/main.php?t=community&s=forums&s_game_type=xr&thm_page=1&thm_id=3522&sec_id=1#53590

28 June 2006 0813hrs

Short Story Update

Okay, after reviving some of my enthusiasm for the upcoming release, I have had the short story back out on the desktop. With that some ideas on detail where I'll go into the use of the PSO-1 scope's rangefinder and reticle. This has come from some ideas on ballistics that may or may not show up in the final game. It would be nice, in theory to have a system where realistic trajectories could be mapped, turned on or turned off (arcade mode). This would be a bonus for those who like combat simulation likes of Ghost Recon and those of the traditional arcade persuasion.

The PSO-1 Range Finder

Trust the Russians to come up with something very simple yet effective. How it works is, you estimate your range by lining up the horizontal line on the left range marker with the feet of of your target (standing) and it gives you their approximate range in metres from the vertical curvature. If they are prone or crouched there is a bit of guestimation. Imagine them standing if prone, double it if they're kneeling. Each chevron is equal to 250m, so you use your rangefinder data and transfer that. For a target at 250m or closer you use the top-most chevron, for 500m the second and so on... For points of distance in between simply cast your aim between the two relevant chevrons.

Have fun hitting the mark. Remember, you're on a two-way rifle range so its not going to be easy.

27 June 2006 0932hrs

Q1 2007 Release Date

After the best part of a year we are back. Things seem to be making real progress again after very little has been heard in real terms of seeing this game reach its fans. The last thing we need is news of another delay, but now it is official. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. : Shadow of Chernobyl is a Q1 2007 release date.

Build 2215 MP Beta

This 2004 unofficial and leaked multiplayer beta is rumoured to be about. Giving a bit of taste as to what to expect is about as far as it will go - the fans have been itching for something like this and perhaps it suggests that GSC Game World needed to get something out there, a demo or whatever, to satisfy the supporters out there - something to keep them happy until shipping. It doesn't appear that will be the case. So you end up with releases like this.

At the end of the day though, it will be the A-Life which sets this game apart. The graphics will be great to look at generating awesome effects, but it is the world that differentiate it from others. How do the NPCs behave, the creatures, within the world? We won't get this in a MP beta.

Being over 2 years old, this beta won't be anything like the final product visually but might give some idea on how the game might play in this mode on a LAN via older generation machines. Using DX8 and lacking the real resource hungry effects the focus on 2215 will simply be playability. And a demonstration of backwards compatibility drawing as many people into the game as possible. It would be nice to think you could join in on a game of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. without the need for the latest and greatest machine. A P3 600 with a mediocre 128Mb video card might even do it.

Developers Diary

Just to get up to speed there are a few things worth reading out there.

Interview with Oleg Yavorsky

http://www.firingsquad.com/games/stalker_interview/

You can find a video interview with Oleg at the following URL, detailing a game overview;

http://pdl.stream.aol.com/aol/us/aolgames/gamespot/action/stalkers/stalkers_pc31403_vi1_qt_dl.mov

Designer Diary #4

http://videogames.aol.com/videogame/stalker-shadow-of-chernobyl/762/game-previews?articleID=208905

17 May 2006

This is particularly interesting, and is one example where we can only hope that the promises produce results in the final product, but it is hard to expect.

"We've paid special attention to body physics, as well. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. has an advanced skeletal animation system that controls realistic body movements at a very high level of detail. Each human character in the game contains about 50 bones, all of which can be adjusted--right down to the pinky finger. Our engine defines human movement based on the maximum tensile strength of bones, joint stiffness, and weight, among other factors. All of this contributes to the way in which a body will react when it is falling or being shot. Watch for the way bullets will even leave trace holes in the bodies. Given this level of detail, we felt we would be remiss not to tie this in to the gameplay. For instance, if you're severely injured, you'll move more slowly. Hand injuries will cause tremors and difficulties when aiming; leg injuries will cause you to limp. It's a liberating experience to utilize physics in this way. We have even set the game so that different types of clothing and weaponry affect the way you'll be affected by gunfire or other factors.

"We have, for obvious reasons, given similar attention to the game's weapons--we're modeling the game's weapons after their real-world counterparts to enhance gameplay, so they don't feel like merely new skins. For example, we have modeled the approximate range of each weapon, but this is only the beginning of what the physics engine has allowed us to do. Some weapons will have greater penetration ability, while others will have modeled scatter ranges for burst shots. And virtually any type of weapon can be modified with laser sights, muzzles, or grenade launchers. Realism further dictates that weapons have limited life spans, misfire tendencies, and so on, so you'll often find that when visiting the game's illicit merchants to equip yourself, you'll get what you pay for. Add to this the inclusion of a fine assortment of bladed weapons, and it will be a long time before you get to see the full range of impact types a body can take."

Designer Diary #7

http://videogames.aol.com/videogame/stalker-shadow-of-chernobyl/762/game-previews?articleID=238372

This one goes into some details on Direct X 9 and what you can expect regarding the visuals, the eye candy. Again, it is from a month or two back.

Shadow of Chernobyl : Q & A

http://videogames.aol.com/videogame/stalker-shadow-of-chernobyl/762/game-previews?articleID=234550&page=1

11 July 2005 1120hrs

Further Confirmed Delays

From . Not very good news. Unfortunately a game will never be perfect, and now they will miss the Christmas market. Obviously the people at THQ have something up their sleeves. Because of further even further delays you do wonder if this game will ever make it out and onto the shelves.

The least they could do is provide fans with a limited playable demo to keep people interested, and provide their potential market with some demonstration of what to expect, actually in their hands.

<QUOTE>

As cpcat , moderator of the official Russian boards, could worm out of Anton Bolshakov (deputy director), S.T.A.L.K.E.R. will not hit shelves of games retailers in 2005.

"In two words, to sum up an ICQ chat: when the plot is fully implemented (it is being completed), the simulation will be finally tuned. This is what the team is doing right now.

The game will certainly not come out this year.

Look for the beginning of the wide advertising campaign, as it will mean half a year until the release."

In addition, several journalists, who maintain good relationships with publisher THQ , confirmed this information.

<END QUOTE>

Roadside Picnic

And "Roadside Picnic" is out of print, too. I was told to head back into the bookstore in six months and see if they've put it through the printers again, by then.

28 June 2005 1649hrs

Video Download Frenzy

Today, finding myself in at the local Internet Cafe for the third time this week due to a competition coming up, I ended up on a, as the title of this entry indicates, a video download frenzy. Somehow I managed to find a location where I could get the remaining videos I'd been hearing about down, without having to sign up and go through all that business. The only ones I could do so for was the Interviews. Unfortunately when I tried to register the system was playing up. Never mind, another day maybe.

It was good to see, even though some of the footage was repeated from previous videos. Found the video which confirms that the RG6 will feature. This is cool, but unfortunately the download had a sadder side. Remember this is opinion only, but there was a M134. That's a US made Mini gun for the uninitiated. Yes, so it felt bad that this weapon might just lead to some kind of Quake feast. It might be a way of attracting those players who wouldn't otherwise want to play a realistic FPS. The fact it is here is probably an indicator that it will feature in the final cut. But, I did find myself hoping it was just a mechanism for the programmers to work through the physics of multiple barrel impact, eg: for say... the Hind.

The Russian cyrillic was cool to see, as was the spinning weapons as they were selected by the player. The tactical map seemed to show some sort of waypoint system on the left hand side of the screen. And when the Hi Power was chosen I found myself hoping that under capacity it did in fact say 13 and not 20. Other than that, fun times in the Zone. Rock on. Oh for an official release date.

Now, is there any way I can get myself a GSC Game World T-Shirt down here in New Zealand?

26 June 2005 1442hrs

MP Video

After a few hours at a mate's place on broadband, I finally discovered the Multiplayer video. And what should I seen in it but a SA80. Optics as standard is good, but the reliability of this weapon is questionable, perhaps even after the British government spent 80 million pounds to remedy the problem. Like the issues with vehicles, I hope the developers have considered (and not abandoned) the concept for weapons as well. Remembering of course, that as a function of realism, particularly during MP, it is something that could be switched off. Time to reach for the AK, and find a scope. The graphic for the SA80 seemed to lack the mandatory rubber band or duct tape wrapped around the forestock.

It is difficult to tell if single shot and burst / auto will be distingished by simple aiming or not aiming of a given weapon (where the two modes are of course, possible) or if it will have to be a diliberate keystroke for modes of fire. I'll be happy either way, I'm just happy you can bring up your field sights, as it should be.

In the early stages of the video the stalker was firing a Makarov pistol and things seemed to either lag or simply freeze up momentarily. Other than that it progressed through smoothly. Just like the real thing, it doesn't pay to stay in one place for long unless you're sniping. And, if you're sniping, once you take that shot, move on. No one went prone, but then, it was mostly close quarters stuff.

Oh to have been in Russia for this.

Whether or not details like magazine capacities will be true to reality is unknown but I suspect they will be. Sorry, but being a firearms enthusiast means I'm a bit of a stickler on issues like this. Where others find it finicky, my views are that of the realist. In the Half Life 2 trailer we had a PDW with a 30 round magazine, then, in the release it was 45. Low and behold the weapon is a) not a SMG, and b) magazines come in 20 or 40 rounds. Its just me. There are plenty of options though, for harder parts of the game where additional firepower might be required, like for example, 40 rounders for the AK, intended for the RPK, or even 75 round drums. If you wanted to make things slightly harder, perhaps the Dealer could only get old 20 rounders for your LR300. Its all about a decent challenge and game balance. And making sure you change out behind cover... I have every faith the lads working on Stalker will do a fine job in this regard.

What is that soundtrack by the way?

Thanks to HaiwiiGamer.com for bringing this to us. It has been made up out of 16 seperate videos downloaded from http://www.oblivion-lost.com Its only 12Mb and expectantly a bit fuzzy on it but apprently there is a version over 100Mb which will (perhaps professional?) much higher in quality and resolution.

Also got down the last remaining graphics for the Weapons page, then getting home, realised I'd forgotten the all important KPV, which is mounted in the turret of the BTR70. Never mind. Murphy's Law.

A mate also presented me with the realisation that, although Stalker is to be released "when it is ready", and not before, it probably can't be realistically released until DX9.1 is released. C'mon, hurry up Microsoft!

24 June 2005 1134hrs

Here is hoping that today is the day stalkernz can be uploaded. If not today then the weekend.

Nope, no go. Orcon is changing out its hard drives. When they've finished there might be no more Freehosting service going on. We shall see. In any case I will be working alway on this as time permits and new things pop up, and it'll be uploaded as soon as it can be.

Short Story Update

I am currently working on a short story for the site. Character development is completed and we should be looking at about 12000 words all up. It will give me a chance to practice my writing skills while not having the pressure of any competition looming over my head. And its also exciting to work in someone else's world every now and then. It will also present an opportunity to explore one of my characters from my novel Trails to Glory as well. He is a middle aged former Spetsnaz soldier there, while in the Zone he's but 22 years of age and keener than even his youth can handle to aspire to the ranks of Special Forces.

22 May 2005 2205hrs

Development Discussion

After having a not so extensive session of FarCry with a mate, we discussed game design, our own work and the development of Stalker and other games soon to hit the shelves, like Battlefield II. There was a wonder if Stalker was simply a wish list. I have faith that it is not. Most of it will pertain to multiplayer.

Excessive Activity in the world. Soldiers, Stalker clans, anomalies, the need to deal with roleplaying elements, all comminates into a very active Zone. Some people may find this too much to deal with. The AI would need some ingenious engineering to keep things balanced depending on just how many players are in the Zone at one time.

Vehicle Limitations when you have so many different types, including bulldozers and tractors and a tank being displayed, yet to only be able to interact with four types of light vehicle, a truck and a BTR armoured personnel carrier is quite restrictive. People could become very frustrated with the state of repair issues with the vehicles, if these can not be turned off and on. Fine for SP, but in multiplayer it could become tedious to say the least.

Multiplayer Factors of play could put stresses on inherent strengths of Stalker where they could become weaknesses. It has been suggested that, in the MP mode, there might well be difficulties in the roleplaying side for many players. To enter into a firefight is one thing, being that it is classic FPS, while having to select weapons, for example, in a RPG format could instantly loose players to the game.
Atmosphere is very dark and some may find it disturbing to be playing in the Zone, a virtual world of an existing world with a difficult history. From a strictly playing point of view some may find it frustrating where there is excessive amounts of darkness to contend with, as some have with the likes of Doom3.

Mutants play a major role in the game of Stalker and with a great many forms of powers from manipulating physical objects, to turning invisible to messing with your mind as the Chernobyl Dog does, traditional FPS gamers might find this a bit over the top. That is, many players can handle an enemy with the same capacities as you have, firing weapons and taking cover, but when it comes to dealing with the mutants this is quite different. I would suspect that elements such as mutants would be able to be turned off in MP, or their effects perhaps. This would be no different to weapon limitations or maps without vehicles or such like. Stalker will simply allow for a great many more options and experiences in MP over existing FPS games.

Financial Considerations cast some worry as to the speculation of West funding East and that such an ambitious project may fall to the wayside simply from this aspect of development. It would be a sad day in the gaming community indeed, to hear that Stalker : Shadow of Chernobyl was no more.

Personally, I'm looking forward to it all. I just hope it can deliver. If so, I may never play another game again. Let us hope there are no more delays. It just has to be remembered that, not every game is for every gamer.

19 May 2005 1757hrs

What follows is the Direct X9.1 Video, having being put up on the Official Site, but in .avi format. Got a high res' version now. A must download for fans and those with a passing interest alike.

Just head off to http://www.stalker-game.com and look for the 15 May 2005 entry.

Commentary of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Project Lead/Lead Designer Andrew Prokhorov on ‘The toughest enemy' video.

The trailer shows an extract of one of the many variants of mission types from the game. The DX9 renderer is shown in all its beauty (although in the future we will show this functioning in full outdoors and in daytime). Lighting is all dynamic ­ even each blade of grass casts a shadow from any light source.

Combat AI is demonstrated - team actions, accurate reactions from the sounds of characters other beings, accurate reactions from the grenades as well as the AI ability to evade gun-fire and grenades, camping skills as well as ambush and group attack. We also show an example of one of the many types of anomaly that are randomly generated across the zone. This helps the gamer to understand the gameplay opportunities that they are afforded due to the nature of the anomaly, both in terms of detection and avoidance for their own survival, but also such as luring enemies into these energy disturbances for their own destruction., as well as the ultimate function of the anomaly which is to generate artefacts ­ the lifeblood of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. The anomaly shown in the trailer is a heat anomaly ­ a whirling area of air tearing everything to bits.

Finally, a note on the blood sequences. As you can see when the characters take a few serious hits they leave a trail of blood. As they attempt to flee from their pursuant this trail allows gamers to track them ­ a note of caution to anyone who thinks they've escaped!

I actually noticed the anomoly this time. The blood trail was an obvious one and its good to see it wasn't just for show. No mention of the tractor's (or other vehicles) interactity over and above those vehicles we know will be playable. The whole AI thing is going to make this the toughest, most realistic combat in FPS to date. Just wondering about that who range thing and ballistic physics.

Roadside Picnic

For those of you who are interested, the details for the book on which S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is loosely based is called "Roadside Picnic" and is by the Stugatsky brothers, Arkady and Boris. The details for it are below. The ISBN number will allow you to track it down quite sucessfully. Ordered it today through Dymocks.

Title : Roadside Picnic

Genre : Science Fiction

Authors : Arkady Stugatsky and Boris Stugatsky

Publisher : Gollancz

ISBN : 0 575 070 536

You can get it off Amazon at the link below;

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0575070536/qid=1116471380/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/103-8278044-4501444

17 May 2005 2127hrs

Weapons Video

With two ventures out of doors today, I was able to come back with all the remaining videos that I know to be out there promoting Stalker, including the Weapons video. The RPG7 is there which was a nice surprise. There is a Walther P99 in there but my thought is, why not a CZ100. More likely considering the location. We do have the Western influence coming through all the same. You were able to see the physics hard at work demonstrating the different effects various weapons have on their environments, and even a few grenades sending mutant beasts into the air. The 9mm is no serious man-stopper, even on old boxes, but out with the TOZ34 double barrel shotgun and, you can just imagine... The USP is there. Just hoping its a .45 ACP. We need all the help we can get going up against armoured soldiers and crazied zombie mutants. Can't wait. I would have thought the SOCOM might have been in there but not so. The barrel thread is the way to tell, intended to attach a suppressor.

Unfortuately when we see the PSO1 scope in use, only the top chevron on the reticle is used, so no ranging. Pity. In the video we have targets at multiple ranges and even numbers indicating range in metres but no elevation for the greater distances. Not sure if this too was pre-Alpha so you never do know. I've yet to lose hope. If my dreams are realised, shooting in a 20 knot crosswind will be hell on ballistics.

Got hold of several other videos, including the old Rag Doll one, and two showing early testing multi-player. Not the best quality but this is pre-Alpha stuff and its all part of the history of this great game.

14 October 2005 seems the earliest possible release date. To miss Christmas would be commerical suicide so we can at least be confident that we'll have that disk in our hands by year's end.

16 May 2005 2243hrs

The day really dragged. Made a few foul ups work wise. Hopefully the rest of the week will slowly improve. So I took some time off from reality and entered the Zone via Cystalline Siblings. Half way through and really enjoying the story. After hundreds of hours of editing your own work in a professional capacity, there is nothing quite like sinking into someone else's efforts. Especially quality stuff like this.

16 May 2005 0248hrs

Yes, you're right, I should be in bed. Signs of a committed fan once more. Committed, yes, possibly, if this game doesn't come out!

DX9.1 Firefight video

Asides from the resolution of this file, it was brillant. The lighting effects, the skins and textures, are all first rate here. No doubt they are being put through their paces on a high spec machine but it gives us the best possible idea of what is possible from the X-Ray engine. Nice, very nice indeed.

When the Stalker stumbles down after being taken out by the military guy, it seems that this was a case of the character interacting with the environment, the physics of stumbling on the drum, rather than simply falling to the ground because he was hit. I could be wrong but with all the previous presentations I would say this is a fair estimation. If this is the case then it is first rate attention to detail taking full advantage of the engine's capabilities.

We see our Stalker jumping in a old tractor. This may mean that, in the final release the capacity to man any vehicle we find in the playing area. I hope this isn't simply a teaser to take us off the scent. Just prior to getting on the tractor there was a bulldozer to be seen. Now, that would be my pick. I'll be thoroughly impressed if you can get into that. Sure, no weapons, but that blade could sure come in handy. And I won't say no to a tracked vehicle either.

That brings me to another point - will there be the effects of say, mud? Something like this might go a little too far in depth in regards gameplay but finding yourself stuck in a bog when you're crusin' along in your Niva would be just another dimension to the game. That being said, vehicles will already demonstrate more balance than the competition with concepts like state of repair and fuel being factored in.

You get to see the SPAS 12 assault shotgun in action. I'm wrapped about that. The more shotguns the better. Those little big eared rat things are going to be a problem, I can just see it now.

14 May 2005 1652hrs

Having downloaded and read some of the fan fiction from the Official site, I have become ever so slightly inspired by the stuff I've being looking over. So, in due course, even though the competition is over, there should be some form of a story up here in the not too distant future.

Going through some of the screenshots from GSC I'm a bit worried that, with regards the weapons' skins, some of them might be in "safe mode". Hopefully that will change, with the graphics reflecting the mode of fire the player has chosen for the weapon at any given time. It would be unfortunate too, if, for example, an AK didn't fire single shots as well as fully automatic. It frustrates me when games don't demonstrate the real capabilities of a weapon in play.

Link to stalkernz

Its early in the game but if you wish to link to stalkernz, you can use the button or banner below. Copy the code and download the images, then just upload them to your site's server.

<a href="http://afwweb.orcon.net.nz/stalkernz/site.html"><img src="stalkernz_button.jpg" alt="stalkernz" width="80" height="30" border="1"></a>

<a href="http://afwweb.orcon.net.nz/stalkernz/site.html"><img src="stalkernz_bigbanner.jpg" alt="stalkernz" width="300" height="77" border="1"></a>

19 April 2005 2132hrs

Showed a mate the videos from the upcoming Stalker and he was very impressed. Worrying just what sort of system one is going to need to run it but from those ever important lighting effects to the AI this game is sure to be right at the top of gaming evolution. The RPG elements are what I've been waiting for in a FPS for a long time. And, I think I've mentioned this before, but a game which does not have a focus in US Forces (as with Ghost Recon, Rogue Spear, Far Cry, America's Army... ) is quite a unique thing these days. To get something coming out of Russia is a dream come true. It must be that Russian blood... Yes, I can play with a OT-14. Though I would prefer the OTs-14 rather than the BG-15 version, but sometimes, you just need a grenade launcher. You still get a LR300 which is a product improved M16, and there is a F2000 there (FN) with a odd looking sight.

You can check it out by the link below;

http://www.gsc-game.com

03 Feburary 2005 0703hrs

It is official, sadly, but Stalker will now not be released in May 2005. I suppose if this means a better product, so be it. We have come to expect only the very best. Considering the expectations of your average gamer, the power thyey have on their desktop and the competition, GSC Game World are not taking any chances. I am positive that it will be a great experience for the faithful.

From the Official Site;

According to GSC's Oleg Yavorksy, GSC stated, "We're happy THQ has afforded us more time to work on this. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl is a huge, genre-defining game and we're going to make sure we release the game when it's reached our own very high standards, and those expected by our fans, and not before."

So there you have it. So, even when May finally comes around, there will still be some waiting...

21 November 2004 1803hrs

Half Life 2

Okay so HL2 is finally out and thanks to a mate I was able to have a quick look down at a local Internet Cafe. It feels very similiar to the original game but of course looks much better in many ways, particularly lighting. I played on 'normal' difficulty so perhaps I need to crank it up to seriously see the tactics of my opponents, the non-scripted capaciities of AI. Just that it came across as not so much team work going on but limited fire and movement, but more simply put, individuals firing and moving to cover and repeating the process without real teamwork. I have yet to pick up the MP7 (its a PDW and not an SMG fellas... marked difference between 4.6x30mm and 9x19mm) which I am looking forward to. Oh and of course, me being me, the SPAS (Special Purpose Assault Shotgun for the uninitiated ­ something decent to come out of Italy which doesn’t pertain to eating or drinking, and does pertain to warfighting J ). Will be good to get into it a bit more and really test the AI and see the physics hard at work. Anyone who thinks I have been working really hard over the last couple of years and thinks I deserve a new PC to play HalfLife 2 can make donations to Save the Animal Foundation - tax haven deductable... (haven? what's that about?)

When I think about it, watching the Stalker QT files again, I still have to say that I believe that will be the better game. Two factors which encourage me to say that is the fact it is based in Russia and thus features the language and weapons of that country, and secondly the trading, RPG elements whereby there is something to be gained by not taking the aggressive route in a FPS game. Also you can actually use the sights in Stalker , as you can in the likes of Viet Cong. Unfortunately you can't in HL2. I am wondering where things will with expansion as well. Will we get to play the part of the Combine? Barney again perhaps?

16 December 2004 1902hrs

GSC Game World have announced a Developer Chat for tomorrow. Just be aware that New Zealand is +1200 GMT. You can find out more at the link below;

http://stalker.myexp.de/en/index.php?site=chat.php

01 Novemeber 2004 1700hrs

The Picture Gallery at the Official Site has been updated with a few new pics. You can check it out at the link below;

http://www.stalker-game.com/index.php?t=gallery

Thoughts on Video 3

In stlkwlk3 we see empty cartridges ejecting from the OT14 to the left hand side. Not a pleasent experience for the user of a bullpup rifle. No doubt this will be fixed before release. Bullet penetration demonstrates that, finally, the right sort of cover must be used to gain optimum cover. In DX9.1 Firefight we see our Stalker shooting through an adjustant wall in order to hit an opponent, and to good effect I might add. Nice tactics, that, thanks to this element in the physics engine, can be played out. It is things like this that will make Stalker a thinking player's game. If you're thinking Quake or Unreal, you're in the wrong place. It is unlikely that GSC will present weapon malfuctions as is depicted in America's Army, but vehicles being run down and needing to be fuelled up will certainly add an interesting dimension to the game. Potentially frustrating, but realistic.

01 August 2004 2032hrs

Of course, this stuff hasn't happened yet but it fills in a gap or two eh.

First off, we'd like to see some Wallpapers coming in. E-mail them to us and we'll post them for the fans to download. Once we have a dozen or so we'll thumbnail them and get them up, with full credits to the artists, and contact details at the artist's request.

31 July 2004 Can't find my watch...

Here is a photo of the lads... Well done on kicking serious arse even before the game has been released. It is a real refreshing thing to see a FPS coming out of Eastern Europe and there is something to be said for the extremes the crew has gone to, to bring us all in the PC gaming community a top gaming experience.

Sadly, it does look like a Q1 2005 and certainly not September this year. Even Christmas would be rushing it, especially if some of the Single Player stuff isn't completed yet. Still, as with any good games, they're not rushed, and there are certainly less patches as a result. No one wants a Windows type scenerio that's for sure. People are making comparsions to the HL2 situation. At least the source code hasn't been pinched.

Forum on Christmas release

25 July 2004 0851hrs

This site is currently under development, as of about nowish. It is a unofficial site based in New Zealand for fans of the up coming FPS game, Stalker, being developed in the Russian city of Kiev, just down the road from the site of the 1986 nuclear accident, Chernobyl. From the original title of Stalker : Obilivion Lost, it is now known as Stalker : Shadow of Chernobyl. You can head off to the Official Site below;

http://www.stalker-game.com

Otherwise you can simply click on the Flash Animation button which features at the top of each page.

If you have a reasonable speed coonection getting down the videos is well worth it and gives great insight into the game and what the developers are hoping to achieve, particularly over existing games out there. Very promising stuff indeed. The game world is quite literally taken from the terrain of the outlying areas, and metre by metre it has been reproduced digitally by the mappers. Another words, if you've been to the site you will recognise the terrain in the game as you play. Videoing the environment was a painstaking task as, for expectant health reasons, the developers could only remain in the area for very short periods of time on each visit. Click on the link below to find out more about the accident. It is certainly a good source of information for those interested in the background and the history.

http://www.chernobyl.info

Below is a picture of what the game box might just look like in these coming weeks when the game is due for world wide release. Sure I'd love to see a Mac version but it can't be realistically expected.