TBE on 1/2/2009 at 23:06
Clear Sky:
I'm really not enjoying running around in the swamp. I've found a couple Vipers, but no ammo. I've found a decent hunting shotgun, but 2 shots is really time consuming to reload all the time. Every now and then I get a call from halfway across the swamp to help people. I've tried my best, but it's just not fun. I'm just wondering when I can get to someplace more exciting, as this is just not fun.
In short:
1. There aren't any decent weapons to find.
2. There are no traders that I've found to buy my crap I find.
3. WHICH WAY SHOULD I GO!?!?!
Malleus on 2/2/2009 at 00:24
Stick to the Eeastern side of the map and work your way North. CS guys will follow - they start from the fisher's village (you start near here on your second trip to the swamps) and attack the old church, then the burnt village and then the machine yard (this is a route to the North of the fisher's village). Follow this direction and help the CS guys along the way.
Once you take the machine yard, the swamp calms down, and only the south camp remains (which is actually in the east but whatever). You have to take that and then you can move on to the cordon.
You have to go back to the CS camp to trade stuff - ask the guides (small upward pointing arrow icon on the map) to take you there.
As for the weapons, you have to work with the shotgun. Or, you may modify a Viper to take pistol ammo, then you'll have enough ammo for it. :)
(names of the locations might not be accurate, because I translated them back from the hungarian version)
TBE on 2/2/2009 at 04:07
Thanks for the pointers. I just used the guide to bring me back to the CS Base and sold some things I found. I read about the easter egg for the good detector in the tunnel, so I've found a couple of artifacts to sell. I'll try making my way to the north, but right now, I've got a couple things they want me to do, like secure paths into the swamp. So more questing awaits.
It just seems this S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is a lot harder than Chernobyl. I enjoyed SoC a lot more at the start. This one seems like it will get better when I get a better gun and more ammo.
Koki on 2/2/2009 at 06:46
If you're at the secure paths to the swamps stage, then the war is already over and they won't move their butts one inch out of already captured bases(Except capturing the "path to the swamps" of course).
As soon as the Machine Yard is captured, all of Clear Sky stops giving a damn about Renegades, even if they're holding entire map.
On the bright side, at this point you should be able to find some good weapons - just wait for the southern farmstead(which is the "path to the swamps") to be captured and then roll in and take the stuff, if you're lucky you can even find some AK-74s from fallen Clear Sky guys.
Personally I always stick with the combat shotgun, whatever it's name was, the one with 6-round magazine. Just stay away from the slugs, they're only remotely worth it if you do all accuracy upgrades.
mothra on 2/2/2009 at 15:00
try, explore, die, repeat - adapt. your mates are capable of clearing the whole swamp of their own, you don't have to help them but then you aint gettin' many rewards from ClearSky. So I usually just rush around the map for the first hour, trying to make as many missions as possible and leaving all the weapons behind, only stocking up on bandages (that you need ALOT in the beginning).
after that you can get your new gear (CS suit) and money from the base, return to the map, collect weapons and search for artifacts. you can stay there as long as you want before you get to the cordon and start the real adventure. get back to swamp a few times once you get better detectors to find a few rare artifacts. don't bother upgrading small weapons or bad suits, it's better to repair them and wait for some gifts from commanders for missions or some loot. then when you did a few missions in garbage already it's time to stock up and have a stash with backup handy. from your first seva-suit on and your first good gun (tr-31 upwards) it's getting easy.
try to have 2 suits ready for your missions:
seva for artifact hunting, some other for the shooting missions because although my seva suit had armor plating and stuff it broke down under fire pretty easily......or had to be repaired constantly
thing is, the upgrade system is pretty broken in CS, so I e.g. advise AGAINST using silencers 'cause they seem to break the characteristics of many guns.
and what he said. I always keep a shotgun(pump or rifle style) with normal, good, old munition for blasting wild animals/monsters.
