let's talk about what's wrong with this game and why won't it have a bigger player game base

[RoyalSamCZ]

today I read somewhere that the developers would like the game community to grow so let's count the minuses why it will never grow much: 1.there are one hundred percent more anomalies than in other stalker games and they are not visible and that is the main problem 2. the game is full of cheaters 3. it would be nice if there was a teleport between the discovered bases because this is terrible 4. you need to have the previous gear to unlock the next one which is also pretty crap sorry but it is 5. in a normal stalker game all you need is money for buying new weapons and gear and they say they still want to increase the difficulty, so gg now it's just a running simulator and no one needs to play it

[Ridji]

Another noob tears.

[Belmont]

Anyone saying skill issue is going against the entire point of the post and the actual goal of the devs. The devs stated that they are holding content back *because* they want a larger portion of both players AND players at end game to release said content, or the content won't work properly.

Fostering this whole gatekeeping odd "skill issue" mentality is literally driving players away. Some of the ideas have merit and deserve discussion.

Fast travel for instance, I don't see any reason there can't be Guide NPC's that you pay to fast travel you to different locations. Would help regulate the in-game economy of the normal earned currency. Guides exist in Stalker, and *have* existed at least in name and lore purpose since Shadow of Chernobyl. The character literally named GUIDE was crucial to even getting the best ending. Fast Travel wouldn't ruin the game, if it was done *right*. That's the purpose of actually bringing discussion to the table.

Gear progression needs to be looked at. That's the nature of a constantly evolving MMO of ANY genre. To suggest otherwise is mind boggling.

Some people need to get off their high horse when it comes to actually having debate and discussion about certain things and stop defending bad design... and yes, the over-spam of anomolies that you can barely see even when paying attention IS an issue. None of the other Stalker games were so spam happy with anomalies like Stalcraft is.

Everyone understands the game is meant to be harsh and unforgiving, but harsh and unforgiving doesn't mean it gets a pass on odd, bad, or outright just awful game design decisions that hinder player growth.

Or you know, let it ride and watch as the playercount stays stagnant or starts dropping, and kiss future support goodbye when the game goes the way of all the other harsher PVP focused type games.

There's always a middle ground to keep the core spirit of design, and improve.

[PurpleBatDragon]

You CAN get new gear with only materials & money, you just have to scroll through the trade "offers". This game definitely needs a UI tutorial. I went my first 10 hours without realizing assault rifles weren't the only weapons to buy, lol.

For the anomalies, they're not usually very hard to see (for me), but the game IS missing the beeping alert you get when near one in the original games. But with how many there are, I imagine it'd be going off constantly. Idk, I think they keep the game from being a walking sim like most MMOs.

[RoyalSamCZ]

İlk olarak Belmont tarafından gönderildi:

Anyone saying skill issue is going against the entire point of the post and the actual goal of the devs. The devs stated that they are holding content back *because* they want a larger portion of both players AND players at end game to release said content, or the content won't work properly.

Fostering this whole gatekeeping odd "skill issue" mentality is literally driving players away. Some of the ideas have merit and deserve discussion.

Fast travel for instance, I don't see any reason there can't be Guide NPC's that you pay to fast travel you to different locations. Would help regulate the in-game economy of the normal earned currency. Guides exist in Stalker, and *have* existed at least in name and lore purpose since Shadow of Chernobyl. The character literally named GUIDE was crucial to even getting the best ending. Fast Travel wouldn't ruin the game, if it was done *right*. That's the purpose of actually bringing discussion to the table.

Gear progression needs to be looked at. That's the nature of a constantly evolving MMO of ANY genre. To suggest otherwise is mind boggling.

Some people need to get off their high horse when it comes to actually having debate and discussion about certain things and stop defending bad design... and yes, the over-spam of anomolies that you can barely see even when paying attention IS an issue. None of the other Stalker games were so spam happy with anomalies like Stalcraft is.

Everyone understands the game is meant to be harsh and unforgiving, but harsh and unforgiving doesn't mean it gets a pass on odd, bad, or outright just awful game design decisions that hinder player growth.

Or you know, let it ride and watch as the playercount stays stagnant or starts dropping, and kiss future support goodbye when the game goes the way of all the other harsher PVP focused type games.

There's always a middle ground to keep the core spirit of design, and improve.

I totally agree with this

[RoyalSamCZ]

[

İlk olarak PurpleBatDragon tarafından gönderildi:

You CAN get new gear with only materials & money, you just have to scroll through the trade "offers". This game definitely needs a UI tutorial. I went my first 10 hours without realizing assault rifles weren't the only weapons to buy, lol.

For the anomalies, they're not usually very hard to see (for me), but the game IS missing the beeping alert you get when near one in the original games. But with how many there are, I imagine it'd be going off constantly. Idk, I think they keep the game from being a walking sim like most MMOs.

but is a walking simulator, you go to, for example, dark valley, there you will be killed by a player or by an anomaly that you did not see, did not hear, tear you to pieces and then run for 10 minutes from spawn from the cordon to be killed by another player or the same anomaly and you will lose cartridges and first aid kits, which will also delay you when you have to buy new ones

[RoyalSamCZ]

İlk olarak Howard tarafından gönderildi:

İlk olarak RoyalSamCZ tarafından gönderildi:

today I read somewhere that the developers would like the game community to grow so let's count the minuses why it will never grow much: 1.there are one hundred percent more anomalies than in other stalker games and they are not visible and that is the main problem 2. the game is full of cheaters 3. it would be nice if there was a teleport between the discovered bases because this is terrible 4. you need to have the previous gear to unlock the next one which is also pretty crap sorry but it is 5. in a normal stalker game all you need is money for buying new weapons and gear and they say they still want to increase the difficulty, so gg now it's just a running simulator and no one needs to play it

This game = Running for 3 km and dying with all your loot on the way to or from an objective simulator, and the parkour q pressing my hand hurts man my hand ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ hurts...

it is exactly as you write

[PurpleBatDragon]

İlk olarak RoyalSamCZ tarafından gönderildi:

İlk olarak PurpleBatDragon tarafından gönderildi:

You CAN get new gear with only materials & money, you just have to scroll through the trade "offers". This game definitely needs a UI tutorial. I went my first 10 hours without realizing assault rifles weren't the only weapons to buy, lol.

For the anomalies, they're not usually very hard to see (for me), but the game IS missing the beeping alert you get when near one in the original games. But with how many there are, I imagine it'd be going off constantly. Idk, I think they keep the game from being a walking sim like most MMOs.

but is a walking simulator, you go to, for example, dark valley, there you will be killed by a player or by an anomaly that you did not see, did not hear, tear you to pieces and then run for 10 minutes from spawn from the cordon to be killed by another player or the same anomaly and you will lose cartridges and first aid kits, which will also delay you when you have to buy new ones

That's another good point; resupplying is tedious and redundant. I get that the game is based off Stalker and a little bit of Tarkov, but the MMO economy makes sure that the player is flooded with money, ammo, and healing items. There aren't even enough survival elements to make use of most of the items, like food & drugs. Having to restock every time you die just wastes time, as does stockpiling extra items that you have to keep because selling them isn't possible for some reason.

Seriously, I've picked up so much bread and half broken steel plates, let me sell them instead of organizing them in my storage! Otherwise I'm going to stop looting in a LOOTER SHOOTER.

I was about to say "what if they made money harder to get" with the thought that it would make everything from questing to looting more worth the time, but then dying to anomalies and PvP constantly would bankrupt people and make the game unplayable.

[Aziroth]

İlk olarak Vanguard tarafından gönderildi:

2. I've played 100 hours and I haven't seen a cheater or speedhacker yet

Any time i see someone say the "ive played x amount of hours and ive never seen a hacker" narrative I automatically know the game is absolutely rife with hackers. So you just proved that this game is without a doubt full of them.

[Akameka]

Seriously, I've picked up so much bread and half broken steel plates, let me sell them instead of organizing them in my storage! Otherwise I'm going to stop looting in a LOOTER SHOOTER.

Huh, or maybe just don't pick it up, or thow it when you realise it's sitting in your inventory ?
Why do you keep cheap and easy to get items which currently have no in game use ? And what's the use of an half broken steel plate btw, apart from weigthing you down and getting you killed because it broke when you were in a pinch ?

Part of a looter is to identify what is usefull from the trash. Do you pick up all white gear on diablo/borderlands or a 30lbs pot with a value of 5gold in Skyrim ? It's the same here.

[MrAxebane]

İlk olarak Aziroth tarafından gönderildi:

İlk olarak Vanguard tarafından gönderildi:

2. I've played 100 hours and I haven't seen a cheater or speedhacker yet

Any time i see someone say the "ive played x amount of hours and ive never seen a hacker" narrative I automatically know the game is absolutely rife with hackers. So you just proved that this game is without a doubt full of them.

I've done PvE, PvP, farmed, played solo, played in parties, and I have never encountered a player moving faster than allowed (speedhacking) or aiming faster than humanly possible (aimbotting).

Hell, the NPC enemies have faster reaction times than the player's I've fought! For real!

It's interesting though. Every complaint I've seen on this forum about so-called cheating is from someone who doesn't understand how the game works

"Some guy killed me before I could even react!"
^--- This kind of person doesn't understand that the player who is more aware of their surroundings is the one who will most likely get the first shot. And the player who get's the first shot in PvP usually wins the fight.

"Some guy knew where I was even though I was behind a bush and tall grass!!"
^--- This kind of person doesn't seem to know that you can look in any direction and press TAB to spot an enemy, even if that enemy is behind a bush, you will still spot them and then you know where they are for several seconds.

"Some guy killed 4 people single-handedly!"
^--- This kind of person doesn't realize they and their 3 friends were probably gunned down because they ran right down the road and didn't even try to spread out. An average skilled player can definitely kill 4 other players if those player are oblivious and all cluster together as they travel through a region.

The only evidence of cheating I have seen was not in-game. It was on youtube when that one guy recording a cheater who was streaming. From what I understand, that cheater and the people who also downloaded the same cheat have all been banned by now.

Bye buy cheaters!

Now I'll go back to enjoying the game, and understanding how it works so that I can survive longer in an open world PvP experience.

[snoopydog12SharpShooterCav10SC]

I am sorry to hear you are going through a rough time on this game., I know people are saying its a skill issie. I hate to say it, but, I agree on that, I played the stalker series since steam, xbox 360. I know one thing or two about stalker, its hard, unforgiivng, just like dayz. I play dayz, I uninstalled it cause it was giving me trouble with mods. I dislike PVP elements, being honest, I am more like your PVE type of guy. I enjoy playing other games besides steam. I play roblox, a childhood video game favorite. I play xbox series x games. Call of duty, I also preo-ordered the newest stalker game, stalker, 2, december 2023 is release date. I';ll be 24 when the game releases. Its hard to believe, I am 23 right now, I had a birthday 11/28. I was born on 2000. I am currently 23. I enjoy all types of video games, feel free to add me on steam. Also guys, take it easy on this person, all they did was state their opinion. Feel free to add me on steam, discord, and in game stalcraft.

My discord username is

DarthVaderGE1822#2141

If you play xbox.

my gamer tag is

PortRaccoon4390

My steam Is, well, right here.

JoshuaPaulBlackerby.

Have a wonderful day and take care.

:)

[Joikax]

İlk olarak Howard tarafından gönderildi:

You need all these garbage grind items as well as the previous item from an entirely different place that you now have to manually walk all the way back to just to get a ♥♥♥♥ item to upgrade at the base you left.

You have different offers you can take within the crafting window. For most weapons and items you don't have to walk back and craft the previous itteration, you can buy it directly using solelly bartering items from the zone you find yourself in, but that costs more of those.

Up to you if you wish to grind a little bit more of current mats and skip the trip to get the previous item in a branch or not; But you don't have to go back if you don't want to.

[Bran1986]

İlk olarak Joikax tarafından gönderildi:

The only times I've felt like I've progressed meaningfully in the game and also gathered a significant enough amount of mats were and are preciselly when all the bandits are sleeping at very late hours.

Playing during daytime is just asking to deal with checkpoint campers and hordes of bandits at the dump impeding any sort of progress. Not to mention other stalkers going from cache spot to cache spot cleaning Dark Valley but that's to be expected.



Just earlier yesterday and last night I played from about 6PM to 6 AM (yea it's unhealthy, sue me). From that evening all the way to 1 AM I managed to successfully extract and stash a grand total of maybe 15 metal wires from the Dark Valley (3 caches) even though I was pretty much hard grinding that DV instance for hours. Between having the spawns cleaned from other stalkers and groups of bandits PvPing near the checkpoint from DV to Cordon everytime I'd come back with a haul I achieved almost nothing during those 7 hours of playtime.

Past 1 AM the bandits were gone from the checkpoints and stalker numbers also died down a bit, enough to actually allow me to get caches almost from spot to spot. I must have grabbed like 150+ wires afterwards because I've crafted everything I'd need metal wires for at this point, finally, and even went on to craft things I don't need yet, getting some duplicates for branching later on, and other stuff.

That felt so good I decided to finally go in hard on the dump expecting fierce pvp as usual but nah, actually it was cool seeing so many stalkers there for once even if the odd bandit still crossed my sights from time to time and got themselves shot. Went on to almost comfortably gather well over 150 crappite, mold and a whole bunch of copper wires from caches there too. I also finally managed to explore and get a better feel for the map zone itself and its many dangers and hot spots.
Man that felt so good (yes I'll say that again)... finally I could upgrade all the crap I had unlocked like a whole week or two ago. I've been lvl4 at cordon base for who knows how long and I was still using the first gear you craft there with seeds and roots. I hadn't even met Junkman yet until last night.
(This exploration part is something STALKER fans like myself love, and I think it's one of the strong points of Stalcraft aswell, but unfortunatelly the incessant and needlessly intrusive PvP hampers it severelly)

Finally I was also able and willing to continue the story. Met junkman, did his quest for the metal detector (better than the crafted one I was using), did the missing strike team quest there too, now I need to go to DV and kill the Beast but I'm leaving that for the next session. I even got daring enough to finally also set foot in Agroprom but I didn't dare stay for long.

5 hours where I could finally explore and progress meaningfully compared to what I had experienced since launch without completelly getting rid of the PvP aspect, just toned down enough to where it wasn't intrusive.





If this all sounds cringy it's because it is, cringy because of how hard something so mundane feels for the average player; Yet by virtue of that, also feeling amazing when they are finally let free to explore and experience Stalcraft beyond its oppressive PvP gankfests.

...And I'm not even at the Bar yet so I can just about predict, based on posts from other players here, how far I'll reach before stopping... assuming I don't stop playing earlier.

The MMO part is both one the best aspects of Stalcraft but also one of the worst if not the worst. Uncontrolled PvP and instances packed with players seemingly unbalanced in faction numbers not only ruin the atmosphere but also put a stop to both player progression and the desire to continue playing for longer periods of time and consecutivelly on the daily.


Stalcraft is something trully special indeed, but is currently a diamond in the rough.

I work late so I get on in the early morning hours and this is my experience as well. Except tonight trying to deliver a package to Junkman, I got to the door to turn in a quest and was killed, went back to get my bag and someone took it, ran into the same bandit, killed him, only to see at least 3 more camping the door. I don't know how anyone can sit there for hours on end in the same place, just killing people coming or going and gaining next to nothing for it. These are the same people that will complain they are bored but somehow could camp a bridge for 12 hours a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ day as entertainment.

[Akameka]

I work late so I get on in the early morning hours and this is my experience as well. Except tonight trying to deliver a package to Junkman, I got to the door to turn in a quest and was killed, went back to get my bag and someone took it, ran into the same bandit, killed him, only to see at least 3 more camping the door. I don't know how anyone can sit there for hours on end in the same place, just killing people coming or going and gaining next to nothing for it. These are the same people that will complain they are bored but somehow could camp a bridge for 12 hours a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ day as entertainment.

Let me tell you, it's not a bandit problem. Stalkers also hardcamp choke points. So Stalkers, please stop being hyprocrites. I don't care who started first, the fact is you're also camping so at least assume it. Hard camping is cancer, whatever the faction and whatever the game.

[Joikax]

İlk olarak Akameka tarafından gönderildi:

Let me tell you, it's not a bandit problem. Stalkers also hardcamp choke points. So Stalkers, please stop being hyprocrites. I don't care who started first, the fact is you're also camping so at least assume it. Hard camping is cancer, whatever the faction and whatever the game.

When you get beat up in school by a bully you don't suddenly accuse his friends of being bullies too when they weren't even there.

This line of thinking is petty. There will always be annoying players on both sides of any given game but using generalizations to escalate the problem and justify engaging in those very same actions is what likelly drove so many players away already.