Topic: STALKER: Clear Sky - Update: The Complete Mod released (Reply 41)

[MysterD]

STALKER: Clear Sky is GSC's next STALKER game.

Clear Sky is a prequel to Shadow of Chernobyl, which will explain many of the origins of many of Shadow of Chernobyl's main characters and factions.

E3: New S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game revealed - first details
Wednesday 11-Jul-2007 9:00 AM Prequel S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky stalks out the Zone

GSC Game World's made no secret about the need to be prepared for new S.T.A.L.K.E.R. announcements, but news that a full new irradiated shooty adventure in the pipeline is set to release in the first half of 2008 will likely raise an eyebrow or two. It's back to the Zone as we meet and greet S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky.

Revealed in the latest edition of PC Zone magazine, Clear Sky is a prequel to Shadow of Chernobyl. Without giving away too many plot for fear of spouting spoilers, it fleshes out the origins of one of the main characters in the first game who, stepping into the boots of a stalker from a rival faction this time around, you're out to kill.

According to GSC, the Zone we stalked in Shadow of Chernobyl was one of relative peace - really? - but a year earlier when Clear Sky is set the environment is far more hostile. The developer describes the area as being "agitated", with anomalies "extremely active and the landscape is vastly different to what you've seen before."

"Even the air isn't as pure as in the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - with these 'spatial bubbles' which are like confusing Möbius rings that whole expeditions of Stalkers simply can't find a way out of.", says project lead Anton Bolshakov.

PC Zone explains that Clear Sky's game world consists for 50 percent new territory and 50 percent twisted renditions of what you've played before.

Sitting comfortably with the main storyline is an AI-driven stalker war. Players will be able to ally themselves with any of eight factions and work with them to seize control of important locations and ultimately assault enemy faction bases.

Even though you may think you're a stalker god, the factions think otherwise until you prove your worth. So, you start out as a rookie and have to climb up the ranks. At the top of the ladder you'll be handed missions more intrinsic to winning the war.

It's explained that players are not forced into joining factions, but apparently the destruction of one of the primary groups is necessary to open up the main 'path' to the heart of Clear Sky's main event.

On the fixing/tweaking side, work's being done on the interface and the PDA (they need it), with AI receiving a general overall buff too to boost immersion along with physics. New monsters are a definite, and GSC's even said to be slaving away to provide a DirectX 10 version of the game, although it's not promising this will actually materialise.

The first half of 2008 then. We'll have first screenshots shortly.

Further details on S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky, and exclusive screenshots, can be found in an extensive preview of the game in PC Zone magazine issue 184, which goes on sale on July 19.

[MysterD]

New website launched by GSC for STALKER: Clear Sky -- Click me!

This is the news of the new STALKER: Clear Sky and some of its game content, features, and story; from STALKER's main page -- click me!

News
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky. Official announcement.
11 July 2007

GSC Game World announces S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky for PC, the official prequel to the most atmospheric game of 2007 – Survival FPS S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl.

The story of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky brings the players one year prior to the events of the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game in 2011.

A group of stalkers has for the first time reached the very heart of the Zone – Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, and brings about a cataclysm on the brink of a catastrophe. An immense blowout of anomalous energy changes the Zone. There are no more reliable and relatively safe roads. The entire levels vanish in the outbursts of anomalies. Stalkers and even expeditions die or end up sealed on the lost territories. New areas, which remained unknown since the time of the Zone emergence, appear on the Zone map. The Zone continues to shake with blowouts. The Zone is unstable. The anomalous activity is at its maximum.

Changes of the Zone map known to stalkers shake the fragile balance of forces in the Zone. Among the groupings, there flare up hostilities for the new territories, artifact fields and spheres of influence. There are no more old enemies or friends – now everyone is for himself. The Factions War has started between the groupings.

The protagonist is a mercenary who appeared at the edge of the opposition between stalker factions, Strelok and even the Zone itself. The main character will have to play the key role in the events, which led to creation of the Zone up to the point from which the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game begins.

What’s waiting for stalkers in the opened depths of the Zone? Which new challenges bear in the new territories? Why blowouts continue shaking the Zone? Why did the Zone change? How to remove its instability? Which faction will take the upper hand in the clan opposition? Why did Strelok end up in the death truck? What happened to Strelok prior to that? Was there any other choice to make? These and many other questions will get answered in the official prequel S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky.

Experienced stalkers and newbies! Get ready for the new challenges in the exclusion zone in Q1 2008.

Game features:

    * Atmosphere of the Exclusion Zone
    * Research of new depths of the Zone – Red Forest, Limansk, Pripyat Undergrounds and more.
    * A-Life-driven War of the Factions
    * Possibility to play and lead any faction to victory
    * Advanced A-Life system
    * Varied behaviour of NPC stalkers in the A-Life world
    * Advanced spectacular storyline scenes
    * Improved AI of computer-controlled characters
    * Skirting around dynamic obstacles by NPCs
    * Use of grenades by NPCs
    * Fast Travel
    * Improved concept of detectors, artifacts and anomalies
    * New system of upgrades for weapons and armor
    * Weapons and armor repair
    * Reworked HUD and PDA
    * New version of the game engine - X-Ray 1.5.
    * DirectX 10 renderer
    * Improved DirectX 9 renderer - parallax bump, soft particles, depth of field, motion blur, eye adaptation effect.
    * Cutting-edge and detailed game graphics (normal map)
    * Inverse kinematics
    * New animation engine

[MysterD]

Impressions from Eurogamer on STALKER: Clear Sky

As we trundle into a busted up hospital that's subsiding as much as it's crumbling, our guide points out the heavy use of parallax mapping to give volume to brick surfaces, rusting metal and cracking tiles (the DX10 version will do superior displacement mapping instead), and says the game's done away with light-maps completely, so everything's dynamic. As we stare into a large hall with most of the roof blown out and balconies running around the walls about halfway up, gunfire from the opposing forces camped on either side pings off a rusting lamp, which swings back and forth from its lengthy cable fixture in response. The light from the muzzle flares strobe the enclosed upper levels for the duration of each clip, while the punctures in the ivy-clad rafters above sprinkle shadows across the surface of the dying metal as it swings. It all contributes to the atmosphere - a facet of Stalker we liked so much that we put it in italics about 18 times in our review of the first one.

Despite all this, the game's system requirements will be consistent with Shadow of Chernobyl, according to its developers. Which means that - yes! - you'll be fine to enjoy things like the increased use of physics, with wheelchairs tipping off balconies in confusion, boxes shattering under fire, and destructible environmental elements. And yes, your PC will continue to handle the scripted events, like the bit where your factional pals plant explosives at the foot of a wall and blow a hole in it to continue their progress, darting through the gap in swirls of plaster dust that shouldn't cost you any more frames than you ever lost anyway. That good old PC of yours, eh?

Click me for screens!

[MysterD]

G-Spot previewed this one

E3 07: S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky Hands-On
We hit sunny Santa Monica to get our hands on the next S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game.
By Andrew Park, GameSpot
Posted Jul 12, 2007 8:08 pm PT

SANTA MONICA, Calif.--Ducking out of the summer sun into one of the biggest video game press events of the season could net you hands-on time with the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. prequel, Clear Sky. It worked for us. The new game from GSC Game World will still take place in the "exclusion zone" outside of the irradiated ruins of Chernobyl after the fictitious second nuclear meltdown that occurred in the previous game, Shadow of Chernobyl. However, the prequel takes place about a year before the events in the previous game and puts you in the role of a totally different character, who may actually end up being an enemy to the protagonist of the original game.

Oh, so in Clear Sky, you might be the main enemy to Shadow's of Chernobyl's lead character??
Oooh, that's interesting!!!
I'm curious *Who* that might be!!!

In Clear Sky, you'll play as a mercenary who can work with any of the different factions of stalkers--the paramilitary scavengers who comb the wreckage of the exclusion zone in search of valuable, irradiated artifact items that can be sold for cold, hard cash. By allying with a specific faction, you can help that group complete the game by gathering the artifacts and fending off rival stalker factions and irradiated monsters. However, conditions were apparently different in the exclusion zone a year ago--radiation conditions were such that artifacts are invisible to the naked eye and can be found only with a detection gadget that must be held in hand at all times. This means that when you're close to finding an artifact, the biggest weapon you can carry will be a pistol in your other hand. If you're taking heavy fire and need to equip a two-handed weapon such as an assault rifle, you won't be able to find the item.

That's an interesting game mechanic....

We played through a brief, prebuilt mission specifically created for E3 in which we came charging through the Ukrainian wilderness to join a stalker squad camped out in a ruined two-story building that might've been a bathhouse. The new game will apparently feature an all-new texture engine built on DirectX 10 architecture, though we weren't able to see DirectX 10 code at this year's E3. Once we met up with the group, we had a chance to compare the original game's character models to the new game's models. The Clear Sky character models are far more detailed, with higher-resolution textures that render the rumpled cloth of the stalkers' bodysuits much more realistically.[/b

Cool.

We ran through part of the mission, which required us to weave through the bombed-out second floor to take out enemy stalkers who were entrenched behind various cover points, pinning down our allies. We ran up flights of stairs bounded by walls of shattered bath tiles, piles of bricks, and loose wooden crates to get the drop on our enemies by ducking beneath cover, leaning behind walls, and looking down the sights of our weapons to zoom in slightly on our foes. The game will model different physical properties for different surfaces in the world--some objects, such as crates, will be fully destructible by gunfire, which means that flimsy cover won't really be cover at all once heavy fire starts. We were given continuous mission updates as we picked off each enemy soldier to move on to the next one until we'd finally taken them out. There will probably be plenty of intense gunfights in the new game, just like in the original.

Sounds damn good to me.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky is apparently scheduled for release in the early part of 2008, though no North American publishing partner has been announced. Even though developer GSC Game World had worked with THQ on the original game, the studio is actively negotiating with a variety of partners to bring the game to market.

I wonder if THQ will publish again.....hmmmm.....

Regardless, I'm lookin' forward to STALKER: Clear Sky -- BIG TIME.

[Xessive]

Considering how long it took STALKER to see the light of day this is pretty fast!

I'm hoping Clear Sky will attract me more than Shadow of Chernobyl.

[MysterD]

Considering how long it took STALKER to see the light of day this is pretty fast!

I think developing the X-Ray Engine and its A-Life system, is what took them so long, if I remember. Plus, their scope was even huger than what the game came out to be, so they had to cut some content out.

I'm hoping Clear Sky will attract me more than Shadow of Chernobyl.

I'm hoping Clear Sky will build and expand upon Shadow and its strengths.

So far, I like what I've read about Clear Sky, in the previews and all...

[MysterD]

Official TRAILER for STALKER: Clear Sky w/ some in-game footage.

[MysterD]

New preview from GameSpy on this one.

Spiffy     
Open-ended S.T.A.L.K.E.R. gameplay retained; new levels; more weapon mod options; faster travel.    

Iffy
Not a huge step up graphically.

Okay.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl was a very ambitious and creative game. Its near-future, post-Chernobyl cataclysm setting was a welcome change of pace from other shooters and its storyline had a genuine sense of menace and mystery to it. Sadly, it suffered from some bugs and could be frustratingly difficult. Now GSC Game World is working on S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky, a prequel that takes place one year before the original game.

Hopefully, it'd be smooth and not riddled w/ too many bugs at all, right out the box.

From what we saw, Clear Sky doesn't look like it will be a huge departure from the first game. You'll play a stalker/mercenary character who is actually working against the character from the original. While you play you'll find out what happened to Strelok during his first trip to the Zone and discover why he ended up in the back of a death truck at the beginning of the first game.

Nice.

The prequel returns us to the same alternate reality where a second nuclear disaster has occurred at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. As before, many factions are at the location in search of powerful artifacts. You'll be able to choose from eight different factions during the game, who fight each other for territory, resources, and scientific points. If you gain more territory, you'll gain more faction members; if you gain more resources you'll get more cash. If you gain more scientific points, such as research centers, you'll get access to more tech items, and after you spend enough time with a faction, you'll eventually be able to go on raids against the main bases of other factions.

Sounds like more of what I liked about Shadow of Chernobyl.

We got to take a look at a new level called the Marshland. It was very flat, filled with mutated wildlife and other stalker factions. We watched as the main character and a squad of friendly stalkers took over a guard tower and captured it for their own uses. GSC Gameworld says that the AI is improved and will now make better use of cover and will likely have other optimizations. We also saw a new mutant creature called the Marsh Beast. This invisible creature will jump into a group of soldiers, grab one, and jump away with the hapless soldier in its arms. The effect is shocking and a small group of these can quickly turn a hunting party into disarray.

Oooh, that sounds cool!

Graphically Clear Sky is a slight improvement over the original game. Day and night transitions happen more naturally with the sun rising in the East and setting in the West and all the character models have lots of new animations. Volumetric lighting is another new feature and goes a long way to making the game look more modern. Beams of light will shine through tall grass and windows and shadows are much more realistic and detailed. Better depth-of-field effects are also in place and new weather effects make rainstorms look more realistic. These improvements help the game look better, albeit not a huge step up.

Nice.

One of the biggest complaints about the first S.T.A.L.K.E.R. was how much time you spent walking from place to place. This is being addressed in the prequel via special guides. These guides basically act as shortcuts. Think of them as teleporters and you'll have the right idea. Just go to them and you'll be able to go from one part of the world to another without having to walk it in real-time.

Sounds like this is a lot like the portals-thing that was used in say Divine Divinity.

Our time with Clear Sky was short, but from what we saw it looks like the developer has learned many lessons with its first game and is now planning to make a better title. We'll gladly make another foray into this strange and dangerous world and we're definitely looking forward to getting answers to all the questions the first game left unanswered. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky is scheduled to be released for the PC in spring 2008.

Cool.

[MysterD]

Original Post, Oct 8, 2007:
New interview from CVG on Clear Sky w/ GSC Game World's Anton Bolshakov

EDIT, 1/24/2008:
STALKER: Clear Sky will be sold at retail outlets AND digitally distributed on STEAM exclusively, upon its release.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky on S.T.E.A.M. [January 24, 2008, 3:01 pm ET] - Viewing Comments
Valve announces S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky will be digitally distributed exclusively via Steam worldwide, with the digital release of GSC Game World's first-person shooter prequel to coincide with its appearance on retail shelves. The announcement concludes saying S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky is currently slated for release later this year, so we've asked GSC Game World if this means the game will miss its announced Q1 2008 release date (story), but have not yet received a reply. Valve has put up a S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky Product Section on the Steam Website that features some new screenshots.

[MysterD]

Rumor: Spring 2007 release might get pushed back to August 31, 2007.

There will be an announcement about STALKER: Clear Sky later in the week, so we'll see if the rumor's true or not...

EDIT - March 27th, 2008:
Well, close enuff -- officially pushed back to August 27th.

[MysterD]

IGN Preview
IGN's latest STALKER: Clear Sky preview

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky Progress Report
Details on weapon modification, faction combat, and lots of direct-feed footage.
by Charles Onyett

US, June 4, 2008 - Many feared that S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl was lost to the wastes of gaming's great graveyard of unfinished products, but after nearly eight years, GSC Gameworld and THQ released the first-person shooter/role-playing hybrid in March of 2007. After hardly any delay at all, GSC is delivering a prequel of sorts with S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky, set to release worldwide on August 29 of this year. Publishing duties will no longer be handled by THQ, but instead by Deep Silver, a European publisher that's extending its range into North America. We recently got a chance to see the game running and talk with GSC's public relations director Oleg Yavorsky about the development and what's new.

Overall it seems Clear Sky will be more of the game GSC envisioned with Shadow of Chernobyl, with more emphasis on interactions with squads of NPCs, more developed role-playing and customization aspects, and, ideally, less bugs. The game shifts the setting one year behind the events of Shadow of Chernobyl and brings into the fold a slew of new characters, including a new protagonist.

Cool.

You'll be playing as a Stalker mercenary working against Strelok from the original game. Yavorsky said some of the story will focus on making sense of the first game's universe. "While there were many new thing introduced with the original game like Stalkers, anomalies, and artifacts, we felt like giving some other story which would explain those ideas better before doing a full-fledged sequel." Yavorsky went on to explain that Clear Sky would illuminate more of what happened to the first game's protagonist, including why he started out in the back of a death truck. So it seems, at least from what we've been told, that this game will fill in the gaps and provide a welcome sort of continuity to the strange and dangerous events surrounding the Exclusion Zone.

Cool. I always wondered why Strelok was thrown on the truck.

Because this game will hook directly into the beginning of Shadow of Chernobyl, there'll only be a single ending.

Even though I like multiple endings, this does make plenty of sense, since it hooks right into the opening of Shadow of Chernobyl.

Since it's set earlier in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. timeline, the Zone itself, an irradiated wasteland surrounding the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, isn't quite as desolate. Healthy trees bristle with foliage, green grass sways in the fields, the skies seems to be brighter, and overall the sections of the Zone we saw, which included new and reworked areas from Shadow of Chernobyl, had a more vibrant look and feel.

I really liked the desolate-ness of Chernobyl, so it'll be interesting to see how this one pans out w/out it being so desolate.

So why is the game called Clear Sky if it's still taking place within a deadly, albeit somewhat more verdant, environment? "First of all there is a new faction in the game called Clear Sky, a Stalker faction," said Yavorsky. "Secondly, it's a little bit ironic because the sky won't be that clear. There are a lot of fights and cataclysms happening." By cataclysms, Yavorsky is referring to massive surges of energy that occasionally swing across the landscape like fast-moving electrical cold fronts.

I see...

Things begin with your character waking up on a bench, surrounded by this new Clear Sky faction. You're situated in a new level called the marsh, a remote area filled with wildlife and stagnant pools, which also happens to be the largest level of any included in Stalker so far. Yavorsky claims the A-Life AI system that governs the behavior of the game's NPCs and often hideously mutated fauna has been significantly upgraded, with more conflict happening between factions and hostile wildlife whether you're there to witness it or not.

Nice.

Walking around in the initial Stalker base we got to see a bit of the interface, have a few conversations with NPCs, and check out how the new equipment modification system works. By visiting a mechanic you can repair your weapons and access what appears to be a much more in-depth weapon customization system than was in the first, allowing you to mix and match many numerous components instead of just a handful. Many times you'll have to do quests for the mechanic, finding information or other things necessary to perform specific upgrades. The same goes for armor, as you'll be able to attach boosts for resistances against the Zone's many dangerous elements like explosions, radiation, and chemicals.

Oooh, even more customizable on the weapons and armor -- nice.

The Clear Sky faction's goal is to find a way to stem the spread of the Zone and ultimately bring peace to the area through scientific research. Obviously, they're not all that successful given how the first game starts out, but you've got to admire their ideals. As you first set out with a group of scientists, you can blast away at roving mutated creatures or try to run on by. Later on you'll be able to participate in a much more involved faction system than was present in Shadow of Chernobyl. In Clear Sky you'll be able to actually join up with factions, rise in the ranks, and receive rewards and ultimately help them win the war that's raging across the Zone. There's actually an in-game menu that tracks how successful the factions in the game have been at taking over portions of the Zone, a process which continues even when you're not around.

That sounds really cool.

To help affect the Zone's balance of power, you'll take on quests from squad leaders and head out to capture territory. In the demo Yavorsky gave us, he went out to a watch tower with a squad of NPCs and eliminated all the enemy faction members occupying the structure. Once it was successfully taken over, your faction will permanently occupy the territory, at least until the resistance launches a counter-attack. "Sometimes [the faction soldiers] will hold the ground, sometimes they will go straight away to the next thing, and backup will be coming from the main base," said Yavorsky. "So as you get your faction stronger they will attract new squads into the faction. They have more resources to hire new guys and they will be better armed and equipped. The further you progress, the stronger is your faction." We're certainly interested in how cohesive and manageable this system is, and will have to wait until we get some extensive hands-on time with the title before we can say much more.

Sounds pretty cool to me.

Fans of the first game will be glad to know that doing these kinds of side quests for factions will have better rewards in Clear Sky, including money (the game will apparently have more things worth buying) and unique artifacts and weapons. Managing your inventory and equipment will take place through a user interface that for the most part looks the same as the last game's, though Yavorsky said a lot of it was still placeholder so there's no telling yet how it might look in the final version. You'll still get a PDA to track main and side quests and show the general layout of the Zone. What we saw looked very similar to the interface in Shadow of Chernobyl, but it too is still being worked on.

Okay.

While the Shadow of Chernobyl's graphics weren't exactly cutting-edge by the time the game finally released, they still had a distinct, memorable style. In Clear Sky, players should expect a dynamic day/night and weather cycles along with some better effects, according to Yavorsky. "We modified a lot in terms of graphics, starting from textures which have been thoroughly redrawn to models. We worked a lot on materials, normal mapping, bump mapping, all the lighting is calculated in real-time." Clear Sky will ship with DirectX 10 support that will allow for better lighting, surface moisture effects, and volumetric smoke that's affected by things moving in the environment like fans or character moving through.

Nice.

Beyond that, Yavorsky told us of how artifact collection has been switched around. In the first game, equipping artifacts was one of the ways you could customize your character with resistance against various damage types. These things sat within weird temporal distortions called anomalies scattered around the landscape which would blow out in twisters or explosions when disturbed, leaving behind the collectible artifact. GSC is adding a greater variety of these things in Clear Sky and though you can still only equip five at a time, they'll have more varied forms and, if you take the time to hunt down the rarer versions, more significantly affect your statistics.

GSC is making artifact collection a little more engaging by adding in an element of puzzle solving. You can still toss bolts around, but now the system of anomaly detection and detonation will involve the use of several kinds of detectors. In order to get the artifacts to appear, you'll need to successfully navigate through patterned constructs of anomalies, detonating them according to where the detector indicates the artifact is hidden. Things get a little more complicated when you have to consider the artifact will move between anomalies while in its invisible state and that there are three types of detectors.

To prevent players from just walking into any anomalous construct right from the beginning of the game, GSC says you'll need to make sure you have the right damage resistances on your armor to make it in. As would make sense, the more valuable artifacts are hidden within more complicated anomaly setups. "This thing is actually something which was supposed to be done with the first game," said Yavorsky. "The first idea was that Stalkers would go with detectors and would really explore an area to find those artifacts."

Makes sense.

As for the rest of the game, beyond the marsh you revisit the first level from Shadow of Chernobyl, which still has the starting town and Sidorovich's bunker, the place where you got your initial quests in the last game. Eventually you can even go back to the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, though there'll be other new zones scattered around. In terms of who you fight in addition to the other factions' humans are, of course, the mutants. For Clear Sky, there aren't many new monster types, though. In fact, according to Yavorsky, there's just one called a marsh beast, which is a variation of the cloaked abominations from the first game with tentacles around their mouths.

Damn, I was hoping there would be more various monster-types. There were some pretty slick monsters in Shadow of Chernobyl.

In case you're curious, there will still be a multiplayer component with Clear Sky for up to 32 players over LAN or online. Multiplayer will still function as a totally separate component. Also included in the single-player portion are mini-games like shooting down birds and another type of combat arena will divert the player's attention from side-quests and the primary quests. In terms of overall length, GSC is saying the game is around 20 hours long if you're concentrating mostly on primary missions.

Cool.

For now S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky is scheduled for PC only, but S.T.A.L.K.E.R. on consoles is a very real possibility, as GSC has development kits for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Nintendo Wii. Will the eventual true sequel to S.T.A.L.K.E.R.show up on consoles? "That's the plan," said Yavorski.

No surprise.

For more on Clear Sky, check out IGN UK's question and answer feature.

EDIT, 6-16-2008:
Eurogamer talks to GSC on STALKER: SoC and  STALKER: Clear Sky:
Eurogamer talks to GSC about STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl in retrospective look back at it.
AND also the upcoming STALKER: Clear Sky, of course.

[MysterD]

New trailer for Clear Sky, showing off the environment, atmosphere, effects, technology, and whatnot.

August 29th can't be here soon enough, dammit...

EDIT - July 11, 2008:
25 min gameplay vid from 1Up
An obvious SPOILER on how the game begins, if you watch this.
See the first 25 mins of STALKER: Clear Sky in action from Gamevideos.com/1up

1Up's 10-min opinion on the first 25 mins
Now, here's 1Up's take so far on the first 25 mins they seen of STALKER: Clear Sky:
Look here -- this goes on for like 10 mins or so.

[MysterD]

System Requirements for STALKER: Clear Sky officially released

System requirements for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky

On our Website you get the information about the hardware requirements. The requirements for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky are:

MINIMAL

    * Microsoft® Windows® 2000(SP4)/XP/Vista (SP1)
    * Intel Pentium 4 2.0 Ghz / AMD XP 2200+
    * 512 MB RAM
    * 10 GB free hard disc space
    * 128 MB DirectX® 8.0 compatible card / nVIDIA® GeForce™ 5700 / ATI Radeon® 9600
    * Keyboard, Mouse
    * LAN / Internet for Multiplayer

RECOMMENDED

    * Microsoft® Windows® XP/Vista (SP1)
    * Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 / AMD 64 X2 4200+
    * 1.5 GB RAM
    * 10 GB free hard disc space
    * 256 MB DirectX® 9.0c compatible card / nVIDIA® GeForce™ 8800 GT / ATI Radeon® HD 2900 XT
    * Keyboard, Mouse
    * LAN / Internet for Multiplayer

[MysterD]

GOLDEN!
Release date has been pushed back a little bit for a WORLDWIDE Release date of Sept 5th, 2008.

[MysterD]

All current copies of STALKER: Clear Sky got recalled from North American shelves, for the time being.
Rumor is copies of the game were distributed without CD keys, it has been reported.
So, the game will be delayed in the USA -- looks like until Sept. 15th now.

We don't know for sure if Steam will still get this one for digital release on Sept. 5th.

Europe is not affected here in this matter, so they'll okay.
Europe will still get it Sept. 5th.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky Delayed Again, Recalled from North American Retailers
by Chris Faylor Aug 29, 2008 4:57pm CST tags: S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky, Delay
The North American release of GSC Game World's S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky (PC) has been delayed "a few days" past the promised September 5 date, a representative from publisher Deep Silver confirmed with Shacknews today.

The slip stems from a manufacturing issue specific to the North American edition, with Deep Silver forced to recall all copies that have already shipped to stores. The issue is apparently a printing error that saw the game distributed without CD keys, according to Bluesnews.

This delay will "probably" push back the shooter prequel's impending release on Valve's digital distribution platform Steam, though direct confirmation has yet to arrive.

The game's European release on September 5 is not affected.

A new release date for North America is not yet available, though several online retailers have the title tentatively slated for September 15.

[MysterD]

REVIEWS:
Eurogamer gives it a 7.0 (out of 10)
IGN UK also gives it a 7.0 (out of 10)
6.8 from ComputerAndVideoGames

[MysterD]

Patch 1.01 released already for Clear Sky for retail-boxed and downloadable versions alike.

Both patches are around 58 MB.

The patch optimizes the performance of Clear Sky approximately 5 %. In addition to that the patch improves the overall stability of the game and fixes potential load/save issues. Further the balancing of the multiplayer mode has been changed.

[MysterD]

Reviews
B from 1Up
7.3 from StrategyInformer (out of 10)
7.3 from IGN USA
3.0 from Bit-Tech (out of 10) b/c of bugs, bugs, and more bugs

GameSpot's impressions before the review coming next week
Here's some of GameSpot's impressions on it, so far.
Full review for this due next week.

[MysterD]

Patch 1.5.04 released for Clear Sky.

NOTE: All saves from previous versions of the game are NOT compatible with new version.

Change Log for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky Patch 1.5.04

Added
- added stamina indicator to HUD.
- added ability to move ammo from the container to the inventory and back by double-clicking.
- added game autosave after intro cut scene.
- added items to secret locations in the Swamps level.
- added ability for the Duty technician to upgrade exoskeletons.
- added ability for the Freedom technician to upgrade AC-96/2.

Changed
- increase the amount of money the Bandit faction trader has.
- considerably increased the likelihood of getting a “return item” job at the Cordon, Agroprom and Military Warehouses.
- removed machine gunner and sniper invulnerability at the Deserted Hospital level.
- during emissions the player no longer loses control if he is in cover.
- increased monster vulnerability to grenades.
- fixed ammo and armor prices.

Fixed
- fixed error related to a large number of ammo in crates in camps, which caused a crash due to excessive identifiers.
- fixed error which damaged save game files after switching between them in the loading menu, which caused various random errors while playing.
- fixed error which caused the Bandit faction trader to take money from the player for completing the “Take over the flea market together with the bandits” job, instead of giving him money.
- fixed error which prevented the main mission from appearing in the Limansk level if the player entered it from the Red Forest level before completing the “Help Clear Sky capture the bridge” job.
- fixed error which caused the situation during the “Help Clear Sky capture the bridge” job to be saved incorrectly.
- fixed error which caused a crash during the conversation with the Freedom squad leader near the mercenary base.
- fixed an incorrect patrol route at the Military Warehouses level, which caused crashes.
- fixed error in the Freedom leader dialogue, which caused a crash if the player, having brought back the dead squad’s PDA, closed the dialogue window early and then reinitiated the dialogue.
- fixed error in the mugging scene which caused a crash.
- fixed error which caused the Freedom technician to not take his friend’s PDA on job completion.
- fixed error which prevented the “Talk to Wild Napr” job from being completed if the diggers had already been freed from the concentration camp.
- fixed error at the Cordon level which allowed the machine gun to continue firing, even after the machine gunner had been killed.
- fixed error which caused a crash at the entrance to the Dark Valley level.
- fixed error at the Dark Valley level which caused a crash if the tunnel at the mercenary base was blown up prematurely.
- fixed several random crash errors.
- fixed some errors in the Faction War.
- fixed error which caused squads to leave control points.
- fixed error which caused a crash when attempting to load the last saved game if there were no saved games.
- fixed error which caused a crash when attempting to throw away a weapon twice using the “Throw away weapon” button with an open inventory.
- fixed error which caused premature activation of level-to-level passages.
- fixed error which prevented the “Kill blind dogs” job from being completed if the digger killed the dogs himself.
- fixed error which made it possible to complete jobs to deliver items even if there weren’t as many items as needed, causing a crash.
- fixed error which caused a crash if all members of a squad which gave the player a job died.
- fixed frequent server and client crashes in the multiplayer.
- fixed error which caused weapon mods to disappear if weapons were left at a considerable distance away from the player.
- fixed error which prevented the message informing the player that he is leaving the crow shooting area from disappearing.
- fixed some errors related to emissions, including crash errors.

[MysterD]

More Reviews:
8.3 from Worthplaying (out of 10)
8.2 from Realgamer UK (out of 10)
8.0 from GamesRadar (out of 10)
7.5 from GamePlayer (out of 10)

[MysterD]

STALKER: Clear Sky is $30 at CC this week. So, I'mma buy this today -- like, in a little bit. I'll post reactions, impressions, and all that jazz later on today sometime.

[MysterD]

Wow @ the graphics. Just wow. They're very good on Full Dynamic Graphic Mode. Even more gorgeous, if you turn on Enhanced Full Dynamic Graphics mode -- which is what I have it on. I have most of the stuff on High (details, objects, etc etc). Draw distance is in the middle. Namely, I got AA and AF off. Running in 1024x768, always above 30 frames per sec (according to FRAPS) -- as long as Field of View is off. (Field of View on can be anywhere from 18 frames or above, is what I've experienced).

Crashes; had it crash twice. And that was with FRAPS running. Without running FRAPS, it ain't crashed on me yet.

So, here's my take -- you liked STALKER: Shadow, you'll probably like this. Unlike Shadow, which thrusts you into the action off the bat, Clear Sky takes a little bit of time to hold your hand and give you a short tutorial. Oh, then it thrusts you into the action -- and lots of it.

The action and bigger shootouts rock here. The Swamp was cool -- basically, two factions waging war here; from what I've seen, I think this is how most maps are set-up, with at least two factions fighting over turf all over the map. and you can help either. And, the AI, on their own, just goes to war with each other. So, often, they'll be shootouts and missions just popping up from out of nowhere -- even more so than the Shadow. They're often very big shootouts, too. So, you definitely want to loot bodies for equipment from the dead, since you're definitely going to need it -- especially health kits and even more so the bandages (b/c you'll need a few to stop bleeding).

You thought Shadow was tough? Ha! Clear Sky's AI's much rougher and tougher; it doesn't miss very much. And this is on STALKER difficulty (next to lowest). Shadow's STALKER difficulty was easier than this. Expect to die. A lot. Saving and quicksaving a lot is a must here.

Will give this more time and whatnot. Now, if I can through this area in Cordon where I keep getting sniped, I'll be alright...

[MysterD]

I don't know who plays the MP side of Clear Sky...
NEW Industrial Map for MP Mode Released by GSC (5 MB Download)

Miscellaneous
Multiplayer map industrial
industrial.

The map, called 'Industrial', is a compact location, designed for a team play of ideally 4x4, though technically allowing the usual up to 32 players online or over LAN.

Once downloaded, the map files are to be extracted into the "mp" folder of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky root directory (for instance "C:\Program Files\STALKER_Clear_Sky\mp"). Then you can play on the new map.
Note: If you are creating the server, make sure you reboot your computer after extracting the map files.

Download map (zip 5 Мb)

[MysterD]

7.0 from GameSpot on STALKER: Clear Sky

Kevin VanOrd like the game a lot, but complains about the game's bugs and difficulty.

[MysterD]

Clear Sky gets patched to 1.5.05.
Lots of fixes in this patch

Version 1.5.04 saved games will be compatible with patch 1.5.05.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky v1.5.05 fixes :

Game changes

- Fixed an error which prevented the guide from leading the player to the Cordon. This was caused by the fact that the autosave function failed to save all data, and once such a saved game was loaded, the game became impossible to complete. If this error occurred, it was necessary to restart the game from the beginning.
- Fixed a bug with secondary objectives (Deliver item), which caused the arrow to point to the wrong NPC after a save/load.
- Changed the reward for lowering the bridge in the Red Forest.
- Changed the reward for killing bandits at the Freedom base filling station.
- Fixed the Freedom technician’s dialogue. After accepting a secondary objective, it became impossible to undertake/complete objectives to find flash drives.
- Fixed an error, which caused the situation to be displayed incorrectly in the PDA Faction War section.
- Fixed an error, which caused the number of grenades for the grenade launcher attachment to be saved incorrectly following modifications.
- Fixed an error, which caused FPS to fall when the cursor was moved over headings on the PDA map.
- Fixed an error, which sometimes caused the game to crash to desktop when the game was saved during an NPC death animation sequence.
- Fixed an error, which caused carried weight to be calculated incorrectly when a suit was upgraded or artifacts attached.
- Fixed an error, which sometimes caused faction strength to be displayed incorrectly in the PDA statistics.
- Fixed an error, which caused the game to crash following the loading of a saved game due to incorrect saving of monster animations and armed NPC grenades.
- Fixed an error, which sometimes caused ammo to be displayed incorrectly after searching bodies.
- Fixed an error, which sometimes caused individual NPCs to be enemies, while the rest of their faction was neutral or friendly.
- Fixed several minor HUD, inventory, PDA and main menu errors.
- Minor rebalancing of trade and items that pop out of dead bodies.
- Fixed a problem, which allowed the player to leave the Zone in the water part of the game (first visit to the Swamps).
- Changed the process for rewards given for joining factions.
- Changed rewards for destroying faction bases.
- Fixed game crashes during conversations with enemy technicians.
- Added ability to upgrade GP 37 with the help of Freedom and Bandit technicians.

Multiplayer

- Added ability to ban and kick players from the game using their GUID (serial number), in addition to name and IP.
- Fixed several errors in multiplayer chat, including the fact that the following letters could not be entered in some circumstances: A, Z, X, C, V.
- Fixed a large number of various errors which caused client and server crashes in the multiplayer.
- Added IP filter (for games in certain subnets).

Fixed the following script crashes:

- smart_terrain.script:227: attempt to index local 'obj' (a nil value)
- smart_terrain.script:1003: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)
- sim_combat.script:950: attempt to index a nil value
- sim_board.script:688: attempt to index local 'obj' (a nil value)
- smart_terrain.script:288: attempt to call method 'clear_smart_terrain' (a nil value)
- bind_monster.script:72: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)
- xr_effects.script:1607: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value)
- ! [LUA][ERROR] ERROR: There is no task with entity_id(_g.script:973: bad argument 2 to 'format' (string expected, got nil))
- ! [LUA][ERROR] ERROR: error. val_smart_terrain_5_0_freedom_antenna(_g.script:973: bad argument 2 to 'format' (string expected, got nil))
- fixed crash (task_objects.script:2231: attempt to call global 'blowout_hit_with_pp_and_cam_effectors' (a nil value))
- fixed crash (ERROR: Invalid AI map at kamp point [mar_smart_terrain_6_8_kamp_1](_g.script:973: bad argument 2 to 'format' (string expected, got nil)))
- fixed crash (sim_combat.script:429: attempt to index local 'comander' (a nil value))
- fixed crash (task_objects.script:580: attempt to concatenate field 'id' (a nil value))

[MysterD]

Yahtzee put forth only a review that Yahtzee could come up with for STALKER: Clear Sky

[MysterD]

STALKER: Clear Sky Patch 1.5.06 released, which is around 54MB in size.

Some things added in this patch include new DX 10.1 support and pressing the space bar after you die loads your last save.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky V1.5.06 patch notes:

V1.5.06

Saved games:

- 1.5.04 and 1.5.05 saved games will be compatible with patch 1.5.06.

Game changes:

- Fixed an error when the wounded guide didn't want to lead the player anywhere.
- Increased the number of items for sell for the trader at the goods market.
- Added the possibility to upgrade SVDm 2 at Freedom's mechanic.
- Fixed game crash upon the attempt to speak with the wounded character.
- Fixed an error, which led to the blocking of the storyline quest completion at Yantar (the door to Sakharov's bunker couldn't be opened).
- Increased the amount of money of the bandits' trader.
- Fixed the displacement of the military warehouses on the PDA map.
- Added the possibility to load the last saved game by pressing space bar after the player's death.

Render improvements:

- Added DX10.1 support.
- Added MSAA for alpha-tested objects ("alpha-to-coverage" for DX10.0, custom "alpha-to-coverage" for DX10.1 for better performance, native DX10.1 implementation for better quality).
- Added new quality level for sun-shadows (ultra) for better picture quality.
- Added new min/max shadowmap technique (which takes advantage of DX10.1 when available) allows to speed up high quality sunshafts rendering for top video boards and high resolutions.
- Added high quality sunshafts acceleration for DX9 renderer.

Multiplayer:

- Fixed various game crashes of server and client sections.
- Added the detailed server's statistics.
- Changed the saving of the server online-dump (dump is saved to online_dump.ltx).
- Added the changing of keyboard layout by pressing LCtrl +LShift.

All other changes from earlier patches are also included.

[MysterD]

1.5.07 patch released

Here is the latest Patch for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky. There is a download for the digital version and the retail version. This update doesn’t have any compatibility problems with the previous patches 1.5.06, 1.5.05 and 1.5.04.

[MysterD]

Patch 1.5.08 released.

Patch 1.5.08

Patch v1.5.08 for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky improving both the download and retail versions of the game.

1.5.04 - 1.5.07 saved games will be compatible with patch 1.5.08.

Changes:
- Added the possibility for admins to take screenshots of a player's screen (as an anti-wallhack-cheats measure) by console commands (make_screenshot, screenshot_all).
- Fixed bug with banning the players.
- Fixed bug with saving the rank and money amount of the player upon the round restart (if the player deliberately closed the game process in the task manager, and then reconnected).
- Increased the stability of the network play.

[MysterD]

It's currently back-ordered on Best Buy.com, so you might wanna give your local Best Buy a call, if you're interested.

STALKER: Clear Sky (PC) is $9.99 at Best Buy.

[MysterD]

Patch 1.5.09 released -- get it here!

Notes from ActionTrip

v1.5.09 fixes:
# Improved integrated anti-cheating system to take screenshots from the player’s screen.
# Improved integrated anti-cheating system that allows the remote admins to track the modifications in network game parameters.
# Fixed bug with killing the player after respawn.
# Improved player-checking system upon connection.
# Fixed bug with RPG-7.
# Fixed bug in buy menu.
# Added new effect High Definition Ambient Occlusion.
# Increased the game stability.

# Changes of game balance in Multi-player:
    * Increased damage dealt by "Tunder С14", "SA Avalanche ".
    * Added possibility to attach scope to "SA Avalanche".
    * "UDP Compact" pistol now has an increased cartridge (12 bullets).

Saved games.
# 1.5.04 - 1.5.08 versions saved games will be compatible with 1.5.09.

[Quemaqua]

There are thirty posts in this thread, and only one of them isn't D.

[Xessive]

There are thirty posts in this thread, and only one of them isn't D.

Yeah, I had to break the monotony.

[iPPi]

What have you done!!!

[Pugnate]

hahahahaah wtf seriously.

[Xessive]

It is my only known weakness. I see a pattern I am compelled to break it. Add to that a pattern by MyD and you've effectively created guaranteed Xessive bait.

[Pugnate]

I just find it amazing that D went from reply#5 to reply#30 without care.

Que, I agree with ippi... you broke the 25 post pattern dude. Well, at least you let him have 25.

[MysterD]

I just find it amazing that D went from reply#5 to reply#30 without care.

Like that's anything new...

If I recall, we even had ONE THREAD where NOBODY EVER replied.

I think me and X pretty much carried most of the NWN2 + Expansions Threads as well, too...

[Xessive]

Yeah, that's true. MyD and I were the only ones even interested in the game, let alone playing it.

[MysterD]

Yeah, that's true. MyD and I were the only ones even interested in the game, let alone playing it.

At least those threads were not about this game.