I think we need more guides per area

[Mutant Cowboy Turtle]

OK, so for me this game is easily an 8-9/10

That said, IMO, we need more guides in every area cos the constant running back and forth can get really REALLY tedious, especially considering that some areas lose their guides after certain events and other areas just straight up dont have guides(I am looking at you, Swamps, you suck)

Yes, this is something that has existed since the og games and in my opinion that sucked in them too and I have played them since they came out

Also, no, I dont think this is something A-Life can solve since running from one end of the zone to the other with random encounters is still running

So having several guides in one given area will solve the fast travel issue is an immersive and relatively non game breaking way in my opinion

[ImHelping]

Considering the overall size of the map, I could understand this desire compared to say, CoP running laps around a whole 'zone' before the sun goes down to loot every anomaly.

If anyone tells you "That isn't the stalker way, idiot!" they are lying to themselves.

[LadyVodka]

There just need to be a fast travel to every point you discovered.
Or some artifact that allows you to fast travel.

[Spiritfarer]

Swamps? You are on swamps and already tired of running? It'd be even better later. Swamps atleast have vibe of abandoned territory.

I'd say since we don't have wandering groups of stalkers and considering the overall size of the map it'd be good to just have a 3-5 static safe-zone spots in every location with bed, guide, and stalkers chilling nearby.
For now, cheat engine, speed x3-x6, works fine. Textures don't load as fast as you run tho.

[Spiritfarer]

Originally posted by LadyVodka:

There just need to be a fast travel to every point you discovered.
Or some artifact that allows you to fast travel.

that will break i M M MM M MMMM M M mersion, how dare you...

[LadyVodka]

Originally posted by Spiritfarer:

Originally posted by LadyVodka:

There just need to be a fast travel to every point you discovered.
Or some artifact that allows you to fast travel.

that will break i M M MM M MMMM M M mersion, how dare you...

What Immersion? There are like 7 mobs spawning in the next room right now.

[Feuver]

Guides should not be stuck inside hostile territory either. They're unaffiliated, they shouldn't refuse your business simply because you pissed the Wardens/Stalkers/Sparks off lol. Looking at you, chemical factory guide + shopkeep that are neutral and outside but "go into lockdown" the moment you get close to the base.

There's no reason for a guide not to be around Malachite or Zalissya or have like, huts/hangouts just outside major factions so they can guide everyone around the zone regardless of factions.

This issue is even more egregious considering how many mountains/rivers are in the way of your destination, requiring LOOOOOOOOONG and boring walks all around the terrain just to make it. Looking at you, northeast Zaton with your gigantic swamp that you could walk through in previous games but now can't. That and the river on the west/southwest of the map that makes sure you don't have any easy access from Radar/STC to Rostok.

[Spiritfarer]

Originally posted by LadyVodka:

Originally posted by Spiritfarer:

that will break i M M MM M MMMM M M mersion, how dare you...

What Immersion? There are like 7 mobs spawning in the next room right now.

idk what immersion everyone is talking about. I'm telling "500 backpacks stashes and safes with vodka ammo and heals are useless piece of ♥♥♥♥ because there is already vodka ammo and heals everywhere". Guy tells me "wtf are you speaking about, thats IMMERSIVE AF, thats the most useful things to have in stash in this situation". Yea, immersive. And piece of useless ♥♥♥♥, that demotivates player to explore PoIs for something cool.

[Feuver]

Originally posted by Spiritfarer:

Originally posted by LadyVodka:

What Immersion? There are like 7 mobs spawning in the next room right now.

idk what immersion everyone is talking about. I'm telling "500 backpacks stashes and safes with vodka ammo and heals are useless piece of ♥♥♥♥ because there is already vodka ammo and heals everywhere". Guy tells me "wtf are you speaking about, thats IMMERSIVE AF, thats the most useful things to have in stash in this situation". Yea, immersive. And piece of useless ♥♥♥♥, that demotivates player to explore PoIs for something cool.

I think the world design, level design, the sound design and the weather/mood is immersive and on point.

it's all the economy and broken spawner that makes it feel like a videogame and ruins it every 5 minutes.

[Spiritfarer]

Originally posted by Feuver:

Originally posted by Spiritfarer:

idk what immersion everyone is talking about. I'm telling "500 backpacks stashes and safes with vodka ammo and heals are useless piece of ♥♥♥♥ because there is already vodka ammo and heals everywhere". Guy tells me "wtf are you speaking about, thats IMMERSIVE AF, thats the most useful things to have in stash in this situation". Yea, immersive. And piece of useless ♥♥♥♥, that demotivates player to explore PoIs for something cool.

I think the world design, level design, the sound design and the weather/mood is immersive and on point.

it's all the economy and broken spawner that makes it feel like a videogame and ruins it every 5 minutes.

Idk. I like to loot things. Really, i 100%ed GoWs, looted every chest. But in GoW ragnarok when you loot chest, you loot either mats for upgrades, new skills, new armors, something cool/useful. In Metro Exodus, when you loot PoI, there is always something useful, Weapon, ammo, mats, attachments for weapon, and you don't skip things.
In Stalker i'm exploring things, there are heals, ammo, vodka, food in every building in every room, on every shelf. I'm climbing on some ♥♥♥♥, opening backpack, it contains vodka, ammo, food, heals. I'm opening a locked door, there is a safe, it contains vodka, heals, food, t2 ammo (wow). In 1 case of 20 maybe it'll contain a weapon (probably i don't even need it, only to sell). Idk. I feel like in CoP there was a point to loot every PoI. There were different things in different places. Or some guys with a story. In Stalker 2 i feel like there is a big map filled with randomly-generated /vodka-ammo-heals of random amount and fixed value/ containers. I'd prefer smaller map with some quality, than this big map with random generated quantity.

Weather is cool tho, these lightning strikes are awesome. And world is not bad, its just empty and full of auto-generated random generic loot. It'd better have stashes with some story that contains context-related content. But we have what we have. Every stalker, scientist, soldier, bandit, in every situation hide in his stash vodka, 10 bullets, heals and food. So immersive.

And agreed with your take about guides. Chemplant being locked for Scar's route is pure garbage, they must rethink it somehow or make a base for sparks somewhere in that area.

[Feuver]

Originally posted by Spiritfarer:

Idk. I like to loot things. Really, i 100%ed GoWs, looted every chest. But in GoW ragnarok when you loot chest, you loot either mats for upgrades, new skills, new armors, something cool/useful. In Metro Exodus, when you loot PoI, there is always something useful, Weapon, ammo, mats, attachments for weapon, and you don't skip things.

In Stalker i'm exploring things, there are heals, ammo, vodka, food in every building in every room, on every shelf. I'm climbing on some ♥♥♥♥, opening backpack, it contains vodka, ammo, food, heals. I'm opening a locked door, there is a safe, it contains vodka, heals, food, t2 ammo (wow). In 1 case of 20 maybe it'll contain a weapon (probably i don't even need it, only to sell). Idk. I feel like in CoP there was a point to loot every PoI. There were different things in different places. Or some guys with a story. In Stalker 2 i feel like there is a big map filled with randomly-generated /vodka-ammo-heals of random amount and fixed value/ containers. I'd prefer smaller map with some quality, than this big map with random generated quantity. [/quote]

Sounds to me like you'd have a lot more fun playing Anomaly/Gamma than Stalker then. Massive map, tons of ♥♥♥♥ to loot. even Base stalker games had pretty sparse loot, though still more than Stalker 2...

[ImHelping]

Never forget the painful economy lesson in many games that so many different franchise fans ignore.

"But I found so much loot! There was so much loot everywhere!" most of that is first time through only hand placed loot that never comes back.

Funny enough, the sort of person most mad about quest markers in games, is usually in the most denial that their "Loot everywhere" mindset is only true if you do nothing but mindlessly follow quest markers forwards so you don't deal with the reality of "Oh, no more free medkits and food stack by this anomaly the 2nd time searching it." etc.

Adjust for if your luck with animals and roadside anomalies is "seven dogs either reset to their positions, or they all perfectly weaved through a mix of fire and acid patches flawlessly welp this is why I keep my entire stockpile of SMG ammo in my pack"

[Spiritfarer]

Originally posted by Feuver:

Sounds to me like you'd have a lot more fun playing Anomaly/Gamma than Stalker then. Massive map, tons of ♥♥♥♥ to loot. even Base stalker games had pretty sparse loot, though still more than Stalker 2...

Its not really about tons of loot. Its more about quality of loot. I mean i'm running around, i have 20 orange heals, 20 bandages, enough food, vodka cost/weight efficiency is bad. Whats the point of looting stashes? Or safes? To 100% game? Not my style unlucky

[LadyVodka]

Originally posted by Feuver:

Originally posted by Spiritfarer:

idk what immersion everyone is talking about. I'm telling "500 backpacks stashes and safes with vodka ammo and heals are useless piece of ♥♥♥♥ because there is already vodka ammo and heals everywhere". Guy tells me "wtf are you speaking about, thats IMMERSIVE AF, thats the most useful things to have in stash in this situation". Yea, immersive. And piece of useless ♥♥♥♥, that demotivates player to explore PoIs for something cool.

I think the world design, level design, the sound design and the weather/mood is immersive and on point.

it's all the economy and broken spawner that makes it feel like a videogame and ruins it every 5 minutes.

yea its like they made this game together with Starfield.
Empty dead world of nothing.

[Mutant Cowboy Turtle]

Originally posted by Spiritfarer:

Originally posted by Feuver:

Sounds to me like you'd have a lot more fun playing Anomaly/Gamma than Stalker then. Massive map, tons of ♥♥♥♥ to loot. even Base stalker games had pretty sparse loot, though still more than Stalker 2...

Its not really about tons of loot. Its more about quality of loot. I mean i'm running around, i have 20 orange heals, 20 bandages, enough food, vodka cost/weight efficiency is bad. Whats the point of looting stashes? Or safes? To 100% game? Not my style unlucky

As far as I know stashes are for finding blueprints but generally the supplies themselves are useful

[Spiritfarer]

Originally posted by LadyVodka:

yea its like they made this game together with Starfield.
Empty dead world of nothing.

Well, atleast stalker has its vibes. Vibes were a top-top priority in development, i'm sure