Are the Stalker and novice difficulty settings actually a lot easier than veteran?

[Samwise]

I'm trying my best on veteran, i don't play this like cod or other run and gun games. I really try to use cover, and play it properly but i will just die all the time to the point of frustration. Veteran is way, way too hard for me. It took me 3 hours to beat eh sewer part leading to agroprom where i needed to steal a suitcase.

Firstly in the sewers i had to fight 10 or more soldiers with assault rifles. If the AI didn't glitch out i wouldn't have been able to do it. I only had bandit armor, and it took all my assault rifle ammo.

When i reached Military outpost where i had to steal the suitcase, i died literally 20 times or more, i stopped counting after 15, so i'm not sure.

Now, this was all on veteran. Is the stalker difficulty more balanced or will i just die from few shots like on Veteran? I'm planning on restarting from the beginning, but its pointless if i will just end up dying constantly and get stuck for hours.

[Insaniac]

Your armor is probably shredded. Did you make sure to aim for the head? That's essential.

[The Cunning Fox (raZoleg)]

Run up to them with the Sawed Off and BOOM... maslinu poymal... BOOM... ayy blyaa...aghkk......

Aim for the head. Use single shots, control your recoil, lean from cover, change position after a few shots, let them come to you - the AI is pretty dumb so just sit and wait.

Do not underestimate your pistol - a good shot to the head will do wonders even from PMm (unless they're in Exo or have army helmet).

Also, nade from cover. Throw a couple in there, they are like dirt in Stalker - everyone has them.

Use your cheeki, but don't forget to breeki.

[HeroesandvillainsOS]

*raises hand* I just admitted defeat and dropped the difficulty to Novice last night after the same sewer section actually. It's my first time and every encounter was taking me 7-10 tries.

Novice is much MUCH easier than Veteran (or the typically recommended difficulty, Master).

The comment above about gear is interesting. I haven't found a single piece of gear during my entire playthrough. And it's not like I'm skipping side missions or revealed stashes.

Am I missing a basic mechanic? How do you get new gear? And for that matter, I've heard I should have a scope by now. No weapons I've picked up have any attached. Am I fundamentally missing how to play this game?

[Draescan]

Originally posted by HeroesandvillainsOS:

*raises hand* I just admitted defeat and dropped the difficulty to Novice last night after the same sewer section actually. It's my first time and every encounter was taking me 7-10 tries.

Novice is much MUCH easier than Veteran (or the typically recommended difficulty, Master).

The comment above about gear is interesting. I haven't found a single piece of gear during my entire playthrough. And it's not like I'm skipping side missions or revealed stashes.

Am I missing a basic mechanic? How do you get new gear? And for that matter, I've heard I should have a scope by now. No weapons I've picked up have any attached. Am I fundamentally missing how to play this game?

If you're in the sewers you've already missed a stalker suit ( Possibly 2 if you make it to the research facility ) , a merc suit, and two or three bandit jackets ( I'm assuming you may have found one of these based on your post )

[HeroesandvillainsOS]

No! I have not seen a single set of gear or a single scope anywhere, at all. I honestly don't even know what it would look like.

For example, will gear and scopes be lootable from bodies? Will they only appear in stashes? Do you pick them up like you would any other item, such as vodka and bandages?

[Pèpè Silvia]

Originally posted by HeroesandvillainsOS:

No! I have not seen a single set of gear or a single scope anywhere, at all. I honestly don't even know what it would look like.

For example, will gear and scopes be lootable from bodies? Will they only appear in stashes? Do you pick them up like you would any other item, such as vodka and bandages?

They will randomly appear on NPC weapons, stashes, and traders; the exception being missions where you do sometimes get loot as a reward.

Do some side missions first to get some money/gear

[Draescan]

Originally posted by HeroesandvillainsOS:

No! I have not seen a single set of gear or a single scope anywhere, at all. I honestly don't even know what it would look like.

For example, will gear and scopes be lootable from bodies? Will they only appear in stashes? Do you pick them up like you would any other item, such as vodka and bandages?

Armor sets for the most part are just lying out in the open. There's a couple exceptions but house rule is they are in world items. You can't * without mods * loot armor off NPC's ( and I personally recommend not using a mod that makes this possible because you would quickly become filthy stinking rich thereby ruining the progression the game offers ) and weapon attachments are fairly rare. You can sometimes find NPC's with attachments but normally only well equipped stalkers , IE not bandits, with military grade up to date hardware will have attachments like optics and suppressors. There are a couple exceptions but once again, just a rule of thumb. Stashes CAN have both armor and attachments but stashes are pretty random for the most part so don't depend on them.

[Dimmer]

Theres one in the sewers, when you enter Strelok's stash, it will be in the wooden box on the right, below you. Theres another one at the beginning of the game, at the novice camp, in the far left building, on the roof.
You gotta walk around, explore, check stashes and just in general, be curious about the surroundings. Checking every body, every corner, every place will reward you greatly throughout the game. Just after talking to Wolf at the start of the game, you can have a mercinary suit, 2 pistols, 2 artifacts, tons of food, 440 ammo for PM, medkits, vodka.

[Thedutchjelle]

Originally posted by HeroesandvillainsOS:

No! I have not seen a single set of gear or a single scope anywhere, at all. I honestly don't even know what it would look like.

For example, will gear and scopes be lootable from bodies? Will they only appear in stashes? Do you pick them up like you would any other item, such as vodka and bandages?

Some loot you can find in stashes, other on corpses, but there's also a wide variety of stuff just laying out in the open. Most armor falls under this catagory, so you'll have to look closely to find it. If you want an easy one, go to Strelok's secret room in the Agroprom underground and look thoroughly in the corners near the direct left or right of the entrance/exit.

This goes for ammo to, some ammo stashes are not marked on your map and are simply hidden from sight. Try shooting the crates up in the tower-thing at the vehicle graveyard for instance ;)

Finally, scopes and weapon attachments can be found in stashes, but you can also take them off your assailants by picking up their gun and removing the scope (if they have one). If you MUST have a scope, there's a 100% scope change on the Mercs guarding Wild Territory.

[FlmaboJesus]

Lol i had to switch to novice from master cause I went to the last area (end game) with a practically ruined stalker suit and like 12 scientist medkits

[Oparator Stalker]

When you have on a outift, between level changes you may have to take the outfit off and put it back on. Even though it shows in the menu that you have it on. For some reason the game bug will have it off. Mainly if you are carrying more than one outfit or just picked up one. When you are carrying one, between level changes then the one you have on will be off, and if you pick up one then again it will all ways be off automaticly.. I use a personal mod, and I have set the keys so I had a external veiw between first person, second and third person veiw. And on third person veiw is how I came across this game bug... other than that, outfits are more so for looks than real protection.

Hope any of this helps..

[ProudTiger]

You have to be a very good cod player which I am definately not.

An open world but a very hard game similar to Battlefield where you get shot up and can't land a bullet in a million tries.

Not for me,I am too slow witted unfortunately.

:-(

God gives the fun to the smarties that's why I am not religious

[Vox]

A Merc suit is right at the start of the game...
Here's a bunch of maps that tell you where everything is in the game.
http://www.zsg.dk/Map_Interactive.php