How's everyone feeling about the emissions?

[Hazzmat]

Original prompt:
Low key im a bit upset by the visual choices for the emissions in stalker 2. I've noticed that since 1.0.2. and 1.0.3. the atmospheric thunderstorms since Zalissya have disappeared? ive also had an issue with the audio/visual cues for storms and emissions being too similar. In CoP there was a beautiful Aurora effect to the storm that inspired artwork of stalkers just staring up and accepting fate; it was a semi cosmic if not deathly experience. In CS there was this fear inducing psi effect of double vision that inspired pants sh11ting runs for cover while struggling to see straight. Stalker 2 emission just seem loud and red, while i appreciate that canonically they emanate from the CNPP and the cloud effects are neat; they just seem noisy and red compared to the cascading aurora of CoP. Even in CoP an emission happened once every 48 to 78 in game hours; same is somewhat the case for S2 HoC but they differ in announcement. CoP if you paid attention to the sky box patterns you would have a 10 second warning for an emission. S2 seems to have difficulty making their emission iconic or imprinting. Anyone have thoughts? agreements, disagreements? how would you imagine an emission in 2024 graphics?

Post edit: TLDR. id like better zone weather/ emission variability.

Not TLDR: for those interested.
i always wondered what it would be like if the emissions varied. A aurora dual vision Psi blowout electrical storm, a wind gravitational air/fluid derecho shock-wave blowout, a radial poison mircoburst acid rain blowout, and the standard fiery meteor radiological blowout. I think beyond the natural mirco-climates of Ukraine would it be cool if this zone also had its own micro-climate of Noosphere blowout variability? just as the zone manifests itself in anomalies wouldn't it be canonically neat if even blowout/emissions themselves showed this anomalous elemental variability just as the anomalies themselves? i think it would be incredible for world building and lore to not only have the microcosm of anomalous elements (psi, thermal, chemical, electrical, gravitational) but also the synthesis of their artifacts coinciding with the most recent anomalous element blowout. it breaks my heart that the noosphere resides within or above the atmosphere/ionosphere yet atmospheric science and meteorology is NEVER mentioned in regard to how it theoretically interacts despite these spheres being the main bridge pathway between noosphere and the bio/lithosphere of the zone.

what if even the emission element types had a class of rarity in and of their own class? just as the artifacts themselves have commonality/rarity so too could the variable 'weather' of the elements of the noosphere discharges. a common radio/thermal emission, an uncommon acid rain, a rare gravitational radial derecho, and a legendary PSI electro storm blowout/emission. and each one can increase the chance of certain artifact spawn rates

[Yellowjacket]

usual im sitting in a house or bunker while the emission happening. so i dont care about the visual.

the sound is amazing so far, im back in 2007 and i love it

[lnomsim]

I mostly I agree with what you said and have the same impression.
It was underwhelming to just see the sky turn red and a thunderstorm.

I miss the aurora, it felt like the sky was on fire.

Now, it just look like someone drank too much bloodymary and and couldn't shoot straight when hitting the toilets.

[Hazzmat]

Originally posted by Yellowjacket:

usual im sitting in a house or bunker while the emission happening. so i dont care about the visual.

the sound is amazing so far, im back in 2007 and i love it

okay fair but but i do care about the visual that's what the discussion is about, i do run for cover but when i was in garbage i climbed to where Richter was and just waited to see if there was somethin special... was quite underwhelmed. i want to know what people would like to see if it WAS more than just running for cover like in CoP

[deathelm]

I love them when they work. Nothing is as frustrating as trying to get into shelter and some idiot npc is stuck in the doorway. Or a shelter icon leads you to a locked door.

Rest of the time it feels like a mutant fallout rad storm.

[Hazzmat]

Originally posted by deathelm:

I love them when they work. Nothing is as frustrating as trying to get into shelter and some idiot npc is stuck in the doorway. Or a shelter icon leads you to a locked door.

Rest of the time it feels like a mutant fallout rad storm.

yeah i completely agree about that locked door biz, frustratingly i assume not all doors are unlock-able in this game. the helicopter base in burnt forest doesn't even seem to have an entrance at all but the game registers it as the nearest shelter. the backtrack i did on that was unfortunate. having a few more caves out in the boonies of the zone would mitigate this issue.

[-GK- Paladin]

I agree, the one in CoP was beautiful, but that might not be what impression the devs wanted. This one gives an "I'm angry and am going to destroy you!" vibe, might be more what the developers were thinking of with the "angry red" effect it does.

[Spiritfarer]

not enough "storm" thing in an emission. It should be more windy and trees shaking and something like that idk. I felt like i'm just watching at red sky with scary sounds, but visual was not scary at all. Just a red sky

[Hazzmat]

Originally posted by -GK- Paladin:

I agree, the one in CoP was beautiful, but that might not be what impression the devs wanted. This one gives an "I'm angry and am going to destroy you!" vibe, might be more what the developers were thinking of with the "angry red" effect it does.

interesting. if that is the goal what then would up the fear factor? because if that is their angle "angry & red" i think adding more intracloud lightning like in the Anomaly MOD of psi-storms would certainly up the fear/cataclysmic factor of emissions. do you think feeling "fear/panic/scramble" is an important feature of an emission or nah?

[Hazzmat]

100% agree. i would love to see more intracloud lightning

[Andy Mil]

The world turn red and bugged stalker stuck outside died. Emission worked

[HiggsLP]

Dunno, wasnt any time to watch around in swamps chased by different things, the emission was impressive and memorable...
95% of the timenplayers are sitting in bunker also, so waster resource.
The aftermath in lightning storm with wind and everything is also cool.

From beauty side ive so many SS lurking around in moonlight shadows inside the warehouses. Not to mention swamps in sunsets etc...

[Hazzmat]

Originally posted by HiggsLP:

Dunno, wasnt any time to watch around in swamps chased by different things, the emission was impressive and memorable...
95% of the timenplayers are sitting in bunker also, so waster resource.
The aftermath in lightning storm with wind and everything is also cool.

From beauty side ive so many SS lurking around in moonlight shadows inside the warehouses. Not to mention swamps in sunsets etc...

SS lurking? ward? Bloodsuckers? wym?

[Hazzmat]

Originally posted by Anny:

The world turn red and bugged stalker stuck outside died. Emission worked

i guess but like, you could say the same thing about a poorly implemented bloodsucker "a-posing octofreak charged at my like a Nextbot PNG. stalker dead. bloodsuckers worked" just because it worked in a 1+1=2 way doesn't make it impressive or fun,

[-GK- Paladin]

Originally posted by Hazzmat:

Originally posted by -GK- Paladin:

I agree, the one in CoP was beautiful, but that might not be what impression the devs wanted. This one gives an "I'm angry and am going to destroy you!" vibe, might be more what the developers were thinking of with the "angry red" effect it does.

interesting. if that is the goal what then would up the fear factor? because if that is their angle "angry & red" i think adding more intracloud lightning like in the Anomaly MOD of psi-storms would certainly up the fear/cataclysmic factor of emissions. do you think feeling "fear/panic/scramble" is an important feature of an emission or nah?

There is some fear factor, if you don't reach a shelter soon enough, you start to take damage, which increases the longer you are out in the emission. Not only that, but any gear you got equipped takes huge damage until it is completely wrecked. So incentive is to keep gear in one piece if nothing else x)

[Hazzmat]

Originally posted by Tilen:

I have an issue with thunder in general.

First of all, I don’t think I’ve seen lightning strike at night. The defining moment in the series for me was seeing a thunderstorm at night in CoP.

Second, the thunderbolts sound much too shallow. They sound like whips, for lack of a better word. A thunder strike should be very heavy on bass. A thunder strike shakes windows. This is very disappointing and I wish it would be changed.

hit the nail on the head with that one. ive seen some night storms but as soon as you leave zalyssia or garbage its like the weather just flat out stops! absolutely tragic. a lot of the lightning seems underwhelming. also i need to know from the Devs if the burnt forest is supposed to have constant bolts from the blue! seriously its like min going nuts. i do appreciate that the trees will burn when struck but lightning behaves weird in the burnt forest region.