Scots Taffer on 25/8/2008 at 01:00
I've finally reached a point in STALKER that isn't familiar to me and I obviously need to think a little about the landscape of the place.
I'm going towards the psychic emission place or something (plot clarity wasn't one of their chief concerns obviously*) and came across a Duty outpost (those guys have cool suits) where they asked me to kill a sniper, which I did, then they asked me to attack the base, which I declined. Luckily as I had no real problem with Freedom, I got to wander around as these guys shot the shit out of each other and I strategically blew up barrels surrounded by people so I could steal their guns and so on yet still remained neutral.
Should I be choosing a side around this point? Is there a major strategic advantage to getting on the side of one of these groups? Is there a dominant force in an area which will make it hell if I ally now only to find myself having to slog through a million of them later? Any suggestions.
Anyway, I get a little further down the road and stumble across a "barrier" with Freedom and I help kill a bunch of other dudes, forget the name, but they weren't Duty. Unfortunately I reached the next level and found that I needed my hazard suit which was stashed half a fucking map away... so not sure exactly what I'm going to do now - can I just wear a few radiation dampening artifacts?
* On the subject of the total muddy plot, I've also got to say that I haven't understood any of the two cutscenes that violently interrupted play:
- a "blowout" occurred that changed that dude's suit to another colour (and had a hilarious little sequence where he's dying and I say "get up" and he jumps onto his feet again) meant what exactly?
- what the fuck was that flashback with the old man about, and did he call me strelok? I'm strelok? Is that a twist or something?
Jashin on 25/8/2008 at 01:12
Okay, so basically you're in the army warehouse/red forest area. If you (
http://stalker.heroesradio.com/OptionalMissions.php#Colonel_Petrenko) killed the freedomer at the gate, you can backtrack to the bar for an armor. Or maybe you have to get the quest first, I don't remember.
There's really no advantage to siding with either factions, there is advantage to not antagonize either however. There'll be a ton of both in and on route to Pripiyat. It's funny to be surrounded by friends and neutrals who aren't friendly or neutral to each other but you.
As for the plot, just keep playing.
TF on 25/8/2008 at 01:16
hell yea heroesradio is back up
mothra on 25/8/2008 at 09:29
radiation dampening artifacts don't lower radiation effects, they only make the time to heal from it shorter and make you use less Anti-Rad Drugs but you STILL will have to use them. so armor is the best protection. I would get it.
once you're in wild territory I would say you are half through the game :)
cool stuff ahead, you will see.
242 on 25/8/2008 at 09:45
Quote Posted by Scots Taffer
Should I be choosing a side around this point? Is there a major strategic advantage to getting on the side of one of these groups? Is there a dominant force in an area which will make it hell if I ally now only to find myself having to slog through a million of them later? Any suggestions.
As Jashin wrote you better to stay neutral. But you could choose to tip Lukash (leader of Freedom) Duty's presence and got quest to exterminate the Duty's outpost without any bad consequences. As General Voronin said, Skull and his group disobeyed the order and decided to attack Freedom base. So Dutiers don't care about fate of the group. But in the case you accepted the quest to kill other snipers and Lukash from the Skull's team, all other Freedomers would instantly become your enemies.
Quote:
Anyway, I get a little further down the road and stumble across a "barrier" with Freedom and I help kill a bunch of other dudes, forget the name, but they weren't Duty.
After that Lukash gives many side quests, so you may want to return to Freedom's base and do them, that is if you don't want to finish the game as soon as possible. General Voronin on Duty's base also has to offer many side quests.
Quote:
Unfortunately I reached the next level and found that I needed my hazard suit which was stashed half a fucking map away... so not sure exactly what I'm going to do now - can I just wear a few radiation dampening artifacts?
Further on you won't encounter any trader or quest giver so it's pretty much straight way to finish, even though not so short, and you won't be required to return to previous locations. So if you decided to not return, you need to take with you your best equipment. Take note that you'll encounter more than enough equipment ahead, so don't overload. The best suit is the military suit that costs 160.000. Take it. Take some rad kits and equip yourself with Crystal (-30 radiation, -18% endurance), bullet proof arts (Mama's beads, Night Stars) and an Endurance boost artifact (Moonshine is the best). Take whatever weapon you like the most.
Quote:
* On the subject of the total muddy plot, I've also got to say that I haven't understood any of the two cutscenes that violently interrupted play:
- a "blowout" occurred that changed that dude's suit to another colour (and had a hilarious little sequence where he's dying and I say "get up" and he jumps onto his feet again) meant what exactly?
- what the fuck was that flashback with the old man about, and did he call me strelok? I'm strelok? Is that a twist or something?It's up to you to decide :)
GRRRR on 25/8/2008 at 16:05
If you have Duty as enemy you loose the Bar Area as a hub and trading center which is bad. Which also means you got to fight your way thru each time if you wanna go back and forth between the starter and later areas which is bothersome. Also the scientists at Yantar should go hostile which means no trading there too. No good idea overall i think.
If you piss off Freedom you loose the army warehouses as hub and need to fight at the exit to Red Forest each time.
Plus, both factions will be in Red Forest and Prypiat later which means one more enemy in either case. So the only reason to really join one would be if you enjoy pointless warring because of vague ideals :laff:
BEAR on 25/8/2008 at 18:50
If I remember correctly, you can never really join any of the factions, you can do missions for them and buy a few things but thats about as far as it goes. I manged to be friendly with freedom and neutral with Duty somehow or another by doing some missions for duty and freedom but not the ones where you attack either faction.
This worked out well later when they got into huge firefights, sometimes freedom guys saved my ass and if nothing else you can always count on those guys to draw fire, if they aren't attacking you that is.
I also managed to ransack the freedom base and kill the leader without loosing my friendly status somehow. I think I did it with a grenade toss into the leaders room, tried it a bunch of times and it finally worked. Also let me rob their EQ room and kill their gunsmith guy and waltz out.
Duty is a little harder, if you want to take them its pretty much a slaughter (fun though)
