L.U.R.K. (SoC mod) - by clearing
Vivian on 2/10/2009 at 12:06
Looks nice, is fun - the extra weapons are actually worth having, they either make the game-world more convincing (various army types carry different versions of the AK etc) or are genuinely useful (full-auto pistol, I love you). One thing thought - wtf is the point of putting ammo and medkits on your belt?
Koki on 2/10/2009 at 12:16
Quote Posted by duckman
The weapons aren't as accurate meaning headshots are harder to get at the start.
lol, even LESS accurate than OL?
Wormrat on 2/10/2009 at 16:12
I think he means the Oblivion Lost mod, not Vanilla. In OL, some of the guns are laser-precise on the first shot.
Koki on 2/10/2009 at 19:20
They should be.
Wormrat on 2/10/2009 at 20:25
Yeah, but there's no sight sway or 3D sights, so what you end up with is ridiculously accurate "flick" shots. That, and Stalker's AI doesn't seem prepared to deal with long-range engagements. Even if you're out in the open, it's easy to snipe people in OL with an unscoped rifle as long as you're far enough away--they basically have no chance of hitting you, unless you're really slow.
This is all off-topic, though, and the spread in Vanilla is far too much regardless. I think I'll try L.U.R.K. this weekend and see how they managed it.
Wormrat on 5/10/2009 at 18:02
I've played up to the Red Forest. Some comments:
First of all, though the textures are darker and browner overall, I think the lighting is more natural and brighter than Vanilla or most other mods. I'm used to Stalker having very dark shadows around trees and such, but LURK has more realistic contrast.
The flashlight is broad and extends considerably farther than Vanilla, but it doesn't "cut through" the darkness anymore. Instead, it gently illuminates anything within the cone--it feels more like setting the ambient light to a low level than actually using a flashlight. It didn't bother me too much, but it can be annoying when trying to find small objects on the ground at night, since the dirt barely lights up at all. The excellent night vision effect in Stalker Complete is sadly absent--it's just Vanilla NV.
The aiming reticle functions more like one you would find in Rainbow Six or similar "tactical" shooters. There's a BIG spread when you're moving, and it contracts much slower than Vanilla, though this depends on the "handling" of the gun. The reticle doesn't always seem to accurately indicate bullet spread, though, especially when in motion. I also noticed that the relative accuracy of the guns doesn't always match their inventory stats--the size of the reticle did seem to be a better indicator in those cases (NOTE: I've never used the Arsenal mod before, so maybe this is a well-known issue). Either the weapons do more damage or you just land more hits due to accuracy, but dropping enemies is less frustrating than Vanilla, for sure. You can actually pistol the bandits at the car park without standing right next to them.
Something that confused me at first is the fact that you can't pick up any armor other than leather/bandit jackets. The in-game models still look like stalker suits, merc suits, or whatever, but when you pick them you just get a leather jacket in your inventory. This is part of the economy balance. The only way to get better armor is to buy it from a trader at a high price, after which it basically never degrades. Although I'm a fan of any change that makes money more useful, this can cause you to get screwed on some of the quest rewards.
Some comparisons with Stalker Complete 2009:
Complete is superior in overall appearance. Not only are most of the textures better, but everything in Complete is tastefully chosen and integrated for a consistent look (with the exception of that ugly tiling on the asphalt). LURK is nice, but goes overboard with the shaders, and some of the textures look out of place (e.g. the concrete).
LURK caused a significantly greater decrease in FPS. I could give a hardware breakdown if anyone really cares, but suffice it to say that I was getting about half of my usual framerate indoors (e.g. the Agroprom underground). I assume this is due to the aforementioned shader overload (turning off some of the Sky4CE options helped a lot), but I've never had worse frame rates indoors than outdoors before.
LURK currently suffers from lack of polish, but hey, it's an RC. The Vanilla weapon stats in Complete really annoyed me by the end, and LURK's definitely a winner in terms of diverse A-Life and surprising encounters. I also enjoyed the more "hardcore" changes, such as removal of the mini-map and the 35kg weight limit. I'm having a ton of fun with it so far, and I'll definitely keep an eye on it in the future.
EDIT: I have to mention this: LURK's snork sounds are awesome. The snorks give out these anguished groans that really match their tortured appearance. Oh, and bloodsuckers are much harder to kill, though not as bad as in AMK. But going toe to toe and trying to unload a magazine into them is usually suicide.
EDIT EDIT: Forgot to mention stability issues. 1.005 has always been pretty stable for me. I think I had two crashes for my entire playthrough of Complete, but LURK has already frozen a couple times and crashed a couple more. Nothing too frustrating, though.
EDIT EDIT EDIT: The stealth! Yeah, it works okay for the most part (dark nights + flashlight off + silenced headshots = great fun), but you do get the occasional blind enemy. Still preferable to the omniscient search routines in Vanilla.
EDIT x4: Despite the performance hit, it did seem like the claims of optimization were true. Noticeably less stuttering.
Immacolata on 12/10/2009 at 05:41
I'm giving STALKER a go with the Complete mod - and I noticed about the weapons. What would be the best combo if I want the visuals of Complete but a little more interesting weapon experience? Im not about to go mix up LURK and Complete :)
EDIT: OMG I've been here for more than 10 years O.o
Wormrat on 14/10/2009 at 22:59
It's not like LURK is ugly or anything. It's a close second in overall appearance, and excels in some areas. I think the lighting and weather are better, for example. My preference for Complete is mostly due to consistently high-quality textures (e.g. the dirt) and some unique effects like the glossy sheen on wet surfaces and the improved nightvision.
Your taste may not match mine. Compare for yourself:
(
http://img200.imageshack.us/slideshow/webplayer.php?id=comp1y.jpg)
They're both fantastic-looking, and in terms of actual play mechanics, LURK wins hands down.
Koki on 15/10/2009 at 06:04
And AMK/OL are miles ahead anyway.
Why do you people even bother with these silly little mods?
Wormrat on 15/10/2009 at 06:44
"Little," lol. Yeah, it's not like LURK completely changed the stealth system or anything, or shares any of the same features as AMK/OL. :rolleyes:
I actually haven't tried AMK, though I've experienced most of its features through OL and the Super Mod Pack. OL is a joke when it comes to difficulty and balance. I like precise, powerful weapons, but when you can carry hundreds of rounds for multiple guns and a dozen+ medkits... yeah. Oh, and the overpowered artifacts. And let's not forget the spawning--throwing a gang of enemies into a level and calling that "A-Life," well...
AMK sounds much better in this regard, and I'll be trying it after I finish my SMP game, but the impression I get is that both are "kitchen sink" mods. Judging from my recent playthrough, LURK takes a more considered approach, with more "tactical" firefights and a better survival feel. Some of us like our mods well-designed instead of merely feature-laden. Maybe AMK takes the crown after all, but I'll have to see.
Stalker Complete, though... yeah, that one's all about the looks.
