Lux's ways through the Zone

[LuxZg]

Hi everyone!
Here is a little place for my own "journal" of the current game, where I will write about things I learn and how I did them and all that.. Please - do comment, do ask if you want to know more, don't be shy.. and make this thread alive :)

For the start - a little "howto" guide of getting fully upgraded CS1 suite, AC96/2, and SEVA real soon in the game, and how to do it all in 4 game days, and before ever entering Agroprom

I have to mention few things though.. I use 1.5.07 patch of the game, and these mods:
- my map pack for PDA/minimap (to get around easily)
- Gnomus' scopes (cos they look so nice)
- having weapons in base camps (no forcing of holster anymore)
- having 50 bodies on the map as maximum, before they disappear (to have time to loot them all.. and the game looks a bit more realistic)
- 5-ton carry weight (yeah, HUGE cheat, so what ; makes my game faster and neater )
- bandages heal 20-30% of health (so I have only bandages on hotkey, and never use medkits)
- a little bit better headlamp
- Russian character names and Russian sounds
- ALL bullets have like half the piercing strength (so I can hide behind a tree or a case or a metal sheep without getting killed, seems right to me.. and make STALKER a more enjoyable game; I did not use this on the first game, but I do use it now)

OK, now that you know my "loadout" here is a bit about my gaming.. I've played CS first time using 1.5.04-1.5.05 patches, and had no strategy at all, and was just learning the new game system and all. I've finished that game with way more mods than I have in current game Than I had a pause (because of RL lack of time) and was reading GSC Game forums a lot.. So I started a new game armed with a lot more expirience, and some THEORIES. And so here I am, a few game-days later, with SEVA, CS1 and AC96, all fully upgraded, and I won't need a thing in my game anymore. EVER. Except repairing those 3, and looting the corpses/finding artifacts.

So here is how it started.. (I'll make one post for each part of the game so be patient )

[LuxZg]

First task - 6:53 AM, day 1 - Nice sunny morning in the Swamps, and my first real task, where I get to stretch my legs out of the base camp


First artifact - As soon as I've started I found a nice artifact, it was Jellyfish, antiradiation one. Will be handy in the start!


Faction wars at start - Clear Sky is very weak, and they will need some help


Machine yard - After some fighting around the Marshes, Clear Sky squad came to Machine yard, so I've helped them to the best of my abilities


Machine yard victory - we had minor losses, but the victory is at hand! Now only to secure the rest of roads to outside world


CS3a suite reward - since I had helped them take over Machine yard, and defend it as well, I got a nice suite as a reward


First night at CS base - since Renegades were now cornered to the north-north-east of the Swamps, there was some time to relax by the camp fire with my new Clear Sky friends


CS1 suite at trader - but I liked the suite that trader had on his shelves even more, so I've swaped CS3a for a much better CS1 suite


Veles detector - as I got some time I went North and took the Veles from the Cave


Side quests - though as the night passed I still had a lot of work to do; I had to return the PMm pistol, CS scout's PDA, Stone Flower artifact, and Akm 74/2U gun; ofcourse, I did some of the "ammo runs" as well, and bought all the stash info I could get, so I had plenty of things to do all night


Returning flashdrives - ofcourse, I needed all flashdrives found and returned, so I did that as soon as I had them all


Artifacts - while doing all these tasks, I've also had some time to search for artifacts, and it was easy with my new Veles


Artifacts at 4:46 AM - 5 artifacts so far, and it's still not 24h since the game started

And one more is here:


PB1s found - While I was doing the rounds I found my precious PB1s in one of the stashes; it's not much, but I like them a lot


Swamps at 6:40 in the morning - day one is over, and day 2 begins. Another sunny morning in Swamps, but this time I have much better suite and weapons


Side quests - Another side quest - Leather jacket


Artifacts - Sparkler and Fireball - and the final artifacts, this time it's Sparkler (again, kinda useless) and very nice Fireball (which I forgot all about, so it was picked up when I continued playing 4 days later)


I've saved and finished here on November 16th 2008. (real time). I had all main story and side tasks done, and all artifacts as well (well, except fireball which I forgot to pick up as I was getting sleepy, but that's just minor thing to do ). But that was it, weekend had gone by, and I was assuming I won't have time to play untill next weekend...

When I did get time to continue playing 4 days later (November 20th, real time) I kept doing rounds all around the Swamps, ammo rounds for money, killing Renegades a bit, finding stashes and selling everything I found (food&drinks to Cold the barman, weapons to Docent Suslov the trader, and medkits/bandages/antirads to ordinary Stalkers).. I did this for almost one whole game-day, and during that time barely anything happened (except finding that Fireball which I forgot). But one thing that did change was - I was earning some money..

CS1 suite upgraded 99% - as the day progressed I got enough money slowly to get all upgrades but the very last one


End of day 2 - This was during night, bit after 3:30AM on the end of the 2nd game-day. There was noone in Swamps except me and my Clear Sky friends, and I had zero failed tasks still. And a real nice, almost fully upgraded suite


At September 12th 2011, just before 4AM (game-time) I've saved my progress and that was it at that time.. Still not full 2 game-days in this new game.
It was November 20th 2008. (real time) and I wasn't going to play for a few more days, so the game had to wait a bit.. I was lucky that I had time to play that day at all, since it was middle of the week
But I knew that weekend will be here soon again, so I was preparing the strategies

[LuxZg]

I'll keep posting info as I get time to organize screenshots and write the text. But here are few links from GSC forum, where I wrote some stuff before.. These links contain info about rest of the Swamps, and important bits of the Cordon and Garbage.

There is a text about my next day in Swamps (with pictures linked!) here - the last post on the bottom of this page! It describes quick jump to Cordon to get money and AC96, and use the money to upgrade both CS1 suite and AC96/2 completely in CS base.

And there is a whole thread about how to get CS1+AC96+SEVA as soon as possible, and fully upgraded.. but this one is without pictures mostly: http://www.gsc-game.com/index.php?t=com ... &sec_id=20

You can find more info about getting SEVA (with pictures) here (last post of the page as well) and here (read the whole thread, there are lots of info and several pictures as well)

When I get time, all this info will be here, in the future posts, complete with the whole "pictorial" just like the post above which contains my first two game-days in Swamps. I just hope it won't take me a month to do it

Cya soon!

P.S. Oh, and I simply have to add this link about Major Khaletskiy getaway

[busetibi]

nice posts and story LuxZg keep them coming

[Nightwatch]

Yes, that's a very nice looking and informative thread, very neatly organized. It looks like it'll be one of the top sources for Clear Sky game gameplay and strategies. Keep it coming, nice job

[LuxZg]

Tnx guys

I'm planning to add second part tomorrow or during weekend, should cover next part of the game all the way untill I get SEVA completely upgraded. In the meantime, I've had enough time to do all the Dark Valley quests, side quests, and find all the artifacts, so that will be part 3. Unless I surprise myself and squize it in this weekend as well

[LuxZg]

OK, time to continue the travels..

I have originaly described this part on GSC forums, and have made a little slideshow with descriptions on Photobucket.
But here it goes again

We have finished last chapter on the Sep. 12th, 4AM, and since than till around 6AM nothing much happened, since there were no enemies (mutants or Renegades) whole night long, and all jobs and stashes were already collected and acomplished.

Around 6:25 AM - finaly some Renegades should be respawning soon


But there were so few of them, that my map was empty real soon once again


I've picked up few stashes and went to sell it all to CS trader; this Fora was most valuable item


At 9:50AM I had 2000RU more than 3.5 hours ago. I've decided this is simply not worth my time


So I was holding my new AC96/2 in a few moments - yup, say "Hi!" to military base in Cordon


It's not in the best shape, but this is good progress - it's just 10:52AM


Price to pay was that CS is no longer my faction, and no longer "green" with me


At 12:23AM it was just me and Military Machine Gunner left in the base. That's way better progress in just 2.5 hours than running around Swamps


Here is just a screen showing I have no faction relations with CS anymore


13:19 hours - I am back in Swamps with whooping 210kg load of ammo and weapons


Ofcourse - now I have to pay for transport services; luckily it costs very little to do so


First thing I had to do is check the prices. But upgrades still cost the same even if you're not faction member anymore. So this is VERY good!


Here is my old trader friend, and that's my new AC96/2 in my hands, with scope.


This gun is in perfect condition (found it on one of the dead military soldiers); and I have 601 normal rounds, and 104AP rounds (I had just 210 normal rounds before leaving to Cordon)


Here is my loot (in 2 parts); compare it to my screenshot from the morning that day, HUGE difference!


Selling this I don't need (weapons only!) I get a real nice 20.000RU. Again, remember those 2.000RU in the morning?


Sold food and some medicine as well, and now I have this in my inventory (oh, and 92.4kg less weight )


And now finaly my last upgrade on CS1 suite (not repaired in first 3 shots; repair in shot 4 was first repair of this suite ever in this game)


I still had money to repair AC96/2 (only 56RU) and upgrade it (goal is full accuracy); I got whole tier 1 upgraded with money I had left after upgrading/repairing suite!


New suite and new gun - I won't need anything else for a while


I scope my gun, and went for another hunting in Cordon


Btw, this is log file for those 6AM till I was finished upgrading suite and first part of rifle upgrades; took me less than 5 hours to do it, as it's just 14:30 in game time, same game-day!


At 16:26 I'm heading to Cordon once again. In the meantime I was doing some ammo rounds in Swamps, but I need more money and more ammo to finish the upgrades


And not too long after that.. here is the last upgrade (19:23)


Oh, and this is suite, fully repaired and upgraded, and with several artifacts; and my trusty PB1s that got me this far.. I probably won't need it anymore, but I'll keep it anyway (19:24)


Than I went for another round to Cordon. I stayed there for a while, but never moved out of Military base. Let me make that clear - I did leave Swamps, but untill this moment I still haven't gone further than Swamps/Cordon Tunnel and Cordon Military base
I did few ammo rounds in Swamps on my way back


...and sold a LOT of weapons to the CS trader.


After selling food and medkits (to barmen and stalkers), taking the rewards, and repairing equipment - I had 54.704RU, which is a fortune this early in the game! This will help a lot with getting SEVA in next chapter of my journey


And I was now ready to talk to Sidorovich


End of day 3, and it is 4AM in-game time once again. I have stop playing for that day, and I'll describe the rest in a new chapter.
(I know I've promised more, but had unexpected things to do this weekend, sorry ppl )

[Nightwatch]

Very well planned story telling You can throw a few pictures reflecting the events as well, they'd add even more dimension to the story. Keep it coming; waiting for the next episodes.

[Nightwatch]

As the last two posts are moved to be set as new topic (were unrelated to this thread), I need to insert audioave10's reply to LuxZg again here, which moved with his post. --Nightwatch

audiave10 replied on 05-August-2009:

LuxZg...very well done.