Is stealth/sniping as bad as they say?

[Blackhand Sam]

I've been looking forward to this game for ages because I loved the old Stalker games. But one of the key criticisms I'm seeing now is that because of the enemy combat AI, and the spawning mechanism which doesn't generate enemies until you're practically on top of them, trying to play stealth/sniper is all but pointless.

Is that true?

My preferred play style is stealth sniper. I like to see the targets a long way off, get a vantage point, and pick 'em off. I don't enjoy 100% run-and-gun, so if that's all this game offers, I'm not interested. At the least I'll wait a while until there's a steep Steam sale discount.

[TwinChops]

Yes, they can spot you trough walls even if you stand still not moving, and they know excactly where you are once you kill someone (alltough, i dont have a silencer for my sniper, but they know when i shoot them with my silenced pistol).

Also, all AI can see you trough a kilometer of jungle aswell, even tough you cant see them at all, i think that is the most annoying one for me, not beeing able to shoot back because you cant see them.

[Mentally Unstable]

From what I have seen thus far, even a silenced weapon alerts the entire group. It seems like when the game spawns a group, the group is considered as a single linked "entity" for the purpose of alerts.

[AllanWake™]

"My preferred play style is stealth sniper. I like to see the targets a long way off"

Lmao, did you play this game yet? or watched? Enemies spawn are like in Farcry or fallout 4, meaning; thy spawn 50m around you at certain random triggers. Aware, blasting and someone already pulled the pin.

There is not stealth or sniper gameplay, only scripted stealth and marksman gameplay. (marksman? yes, you shooting a long range weapon under fire at close range.... maybe medium aka. NPC spawn distance)

P.s. people that love shotguns or pistols will be compatible here the most.

[Blackhand Sam]

Originally posted by TwinChops:

Yes, they can spot you trough walls even if you stand still not moving, and they know excactly where you are once you kill someone (alltough, i dont have a silencer for my sniper, but they know when i shoot them with my silenced pistol).

Also, all AI can see you trough a kilometer of jungle aswell, even tough you cant see them at all, i think that is the most annoying one for me, not beeing able to shoot back because you cant see them.

Thanks. Similar to what I was reading in reviews as well.
Exactly the kind of AI that I hate in a game.
I guess I'll pass until they either fix those issues, or the game goes on sale cheap.
*sigh*

[IceFoxX]

The sneaking works. It has bugs, such as enemies being able to see through walls, but it still works. You can also take out enemies individually without alerting the group. With weapons, you need silencers or muzzle brakes so that the enemies can't locate you immediately.

[Econ]

It's not a run and gun game, for sure. It's like the original Stalker in that you want to use cover and try not to get shot. I rely quite a lot on breaking contact - moving out of line of sight and then surprising the AI when I re-engage.

The gun play reminds me a lot of the original Stalker. It's true, I'm not finding I can pick off lots of enemies unaware at range with stealth sniping like I can in Fallout 4 or Skyrim. But I am only 20 hours in and don't have a proper sniper rifle (with more than 10 bullets!). I wasn't stealth sniping in Stalker 1's early game either.

I stumbled into a fun firefight the other day, when three bandits turned on me unexpectedly at night. I fled, ducked behind a building and waited to ambush them, engaging them at very close range - 10 metres or so. It was pitch black but I could indirectly get an idea of the bandits' movements from their flashlights, so I could evade them by moving around cover (think the kitchen scene from Jurassic Park where the kids are hiding from raptors). I surprised the first, shooting him down, and another said "Oh god, he shot the boss!". I continued to play cat and mouse, hunting down the other two in similar stealthy fashion, surprising them both.

The spawning seems mainly an issue of re-spawns. I think locations do have initial enemies in that you can surprise and stealth snipe (although the first shot will normally alert the others). But once you've cleared a location, it can be irritating when the same enemies respawn almost under your nose.

[Bad Distraction Carnifex]

Originally posted by AllanWake™:

"My preferred play style is stealth sniper. I like to see the targets a long way off"

Lmao, did you play this game yet? or watched? Enemies spawn are like in Farcry or fallout 4, meaning; thy spawn 50m around you at certain random triggers. Aware, blasting and someone already pulled the pin.

There is not stealth or sniper gameplay, only scripted stealth and marksman gameplay. (marksman? yes, you shooting a long range weapon under fire at close range.... maybe medium aka. NPC spawn distance)

P.s. people that love shotguns or pistols will be compatible here the most.

Most of this is already fixable with mods but spawning npcs far enough away to snipe is a performance killer + you need a stealth mod to prevent npcs from detecting you improperly.

[AllanWake™]

Originally posted by Bad Distraction Carnifex:

Originally posted by AllanWake™:

"My preferred play style is stealth sniper. I like to see the targets a long way off"

Lmao, did you play this game yet? or watched? Enemies spawn are like in Farcry or fallout 4, meaning; thy spawn 50m around you at certain random triggers. Aware, blasting and someone already pulled the pin.

There is not stealth or sniper gameplay, only scripted stealth and marksman gameplay. (marksman? yes, you shooting a long range weapon under fire at close range.... maybe medium aka. NPC spawn distance)

P.s. people that love shotguns or pistols will be compatible here the most.

Most of this is already fixable with mods but spawning npcs far enough away to snipe is a performance killer + you need a stealth mod to prevent npcs from detecting you improperly.

i saw that bs, it aint not fix, it wont be for a long time. The AI is made like this from the core.

[lostsoul9999]

Originally posted by Blackhand Sam:

I've been looking forward to this game for ages because I loved the old Stalker games. But one of the key criticisms I'm seeing now is that because of the enemy combat AI, and the spawning mechanism which doesn't generate enemies until you're practically on top of them, trying to play stealth/sniper is all but pointless.

Is that true?

My preferred play style is stealth sniper. I like to see the targets a long way off, get a vantage point, and pick 'em off. I don't enjoy 100% run-and-gun, so if that's all this game offers, I'm not interested. At the least I'll wait a while until there's a steep Steam sale discount.

stealth is almost impossible, the AI doesnt spawn far enough for sniping to really work, AND they can see you through walls for some ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ reason, i'd recommend waiting like a year and coming back and seeing if the devs have changed anything if you want to play stealth

[lockwoodx]

Stealth works if you don't mind the surprise
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3371730509

[Foxrun]

Stealth works well until one of them spots you. Make sure to disable your light and crouch; preferably wait till night.

I’ve had ALOT of fun with sniping.

[AllanWake™]

Originally posted by LockwoodX:

Stealth works if you don't mind the surprise
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3371730509

Lol, i done a twofer but never saw a threefer.....

[Vardaark]

I've not really had problems with stealth beyond enemies who alert setting off the rest of them to come to my location even if I kill the alerted one before a shot goes off/they make a noise.

If I reposition they don't know where I am, and if I wait a while they eventually get bored. The only thing I can think of is that you're not moving far enough away and when they fan out to search for you they end up stumbling upon your location. (That or you're not turning your flashlight off)

It isn't a perfect system and definitely needs work, but its nowhere near as bad as you make it out to be.

[ulifox]

What stealth?

[Praesi]

In its current state, no Stealth is not possible.