NEWSA+SIMBION_tweaked Support and Gameplay

[Kaidonni]

Arnie's DEAD!

What do I do? What do I do? Please tell me there's a way to, well, assign the arena missions to someone else, I don't want to have to keep reloading and the like...

EDIT: Okay, a bit dramatic, had a recent save. BUT, I don't want to find him dead just like that one day...

[fiznerpin1962]

Arnie dies a lot. goes with "the territory".

Me, I got worse problems. Get to the BS bunker just as a massive horror time hits. Get the door open, see all the "goodies", decide to wait until horror time subsides before going to collect them (so I can enjoy the moment).
Quicksave - go to catwalk to blast zombies on the ground. Get blindsided by a zombified stalker, no worries until I fall down the ladder 'cause I can't see for shit. Fall right into his firing weapon & die,

No worries 'cause I just quicksaved - except all the quicksave does is CTD!! I have to start over from the beginning of the level!! What a pain in the ass...

[Nightwatch]

Balious
Congratulations on your newly acquired Wide Screen/TV monitor. And thanks that you're kind enough to decide to test your monitor starting this mod.
Yes, we'd like to have some more pictures from you, particularly as you say that you already have them in stock. It'd be great if you could upload them somewhere when you found time.
While you've mentioned the blowouts, a quick reminder: Blowouts random, and are not exactly area specific, so it also depends on how fast you're playing the game. Before they can start you may pass a level or two. But if they start late, they'll pick up frequency later. But check that you're having (the initial starter/introductory weak) one in Cordon in 4 hours game time, then it's random. If you don't get that initial Cordon introductory blowout, then it may point to that you're having a cold game (means that STALKER has not fully initiated), just a few pointers.


Kaidonni
Great that you've found an earlier save and so saved Arnie as well. He is extremely strong, just a tiny step below being a God level immortal, which would look stupid in the game otherwise, anyway. "Never dying active characters," in my opinion are of a console game characteristic. No matter how powerful an NPC, they should still meet their maker if the opponents "punish" them enough. This is a very bloody game. So, it gives the player an incentive to try to save that NPC if they see him valuable enough for such an effort. Saves and Reloads are here to cater this for us, as you've just done it.



fiznerpin1962
edit:
I just saw your post right after posting mine, posts are coming fast.

First of all, congratulations are in order for your arriving the Red Forest with the 7 digit code and putting it in a "good use." However, it's a really bad luck that your "quicksave" got corrupted there and put your victorious situation in danger. too bad as it's avery difficult part of the game, and you had already passed it. Do you have a hard save rigth after you've cleared the last line of Monolith soldiers before the Sniper Bunker? It'd be great. I usually try not to save during a blowout, it's a very performance demanding time and I'm always afraid that a glitch can happen with saving process during that time. It's sometime better saving before the blowout, or if it has already hit it, ride it through.

[Wombat_70]

Damn.. got to Pripyat followed the guys down sniper alley hoping for action and what ??
nobody to shoot at, the street completely deserted, not one single soul to send to hell !!
Where's everybody gone, our guys are yelling (""left on the window, look right on the roof"")
I don't see any one!! then one APC across the street start shooting.

http://i43.tinypic.com/125gzfr.jpg

Then silence, we go around the corner still hoping for action, nothing, in front of the school, still nothing,
we proceed towards the underground car park, then I could see ALL our guys been lifted in the air by a
whirly wig(bad spelling )and their bones scattered every where, I couldn't bear it anymore
so I restarted the level 3 time to the very same result. For me sniper alley was the best part in v2.4 and
I miss that very much in Prypiat.

Should I let a few game days to pass before re-entering the level?? anybody experienced that sort of thing ??
Or shall I re-install a new gamedata folder and start all over again

[fiznerpin1962]

Me, with the performance I used to have (besides CTDs) in prypryat - I would almost welcome a ghost town @ sniper alley. Maybe it will pick up when you hit freeplay.

[Nightwatch]

Yes, Wombat_70, it's a problem seen with multi-core CPUs, mostly (and more dramatically evident) in Quad-Cores, but CoreDuos are not exempt either.
Delay issues with Dual Core CPUs are well documented in STALKER, such as stash boxe items spawn delays. Symptoms differ from system to system and in Extreme mode, Pripyat is now heavier than before as it was in 2.4. (other modes a bit heavier as well) But, considering that there is now also an additional mobile APC introduction into Pripyat entry, starting stage of the level requires even more CPU demand.
On my system, which is a Quad-Core, I've witnessed significant delays all over the game, not in Pripyat. But, as seen in the video, after I quicksaved and reloaded at the entry of the level it worked. (The 3.0 version, they come down from the roofs as seen)
However, I remember that I had to saved and reload a few times on some occasion. (I tried that area many times like I did with other levels)
(I believe my RAM performance is somehow reducing the impact of a multi-core CPU problem, as I have 4 Gig air cooled 8500 (running 2000+MHz) RAMs, a possible reason that I might've got away a bit easier than other instances.)

I would suggest that you try save and reload upon entry to Pripyat and try re-entering if still no response is received.

While I was here, I fired up the game and entered Pripyat (hence my delay in answer) using a save I made just before the Pripyat LC, the whole set up started after the quick-save reload. But it always happens like that with my quads all over the game anyway.
I am thinking to offer a (slightly) "lighter action in Pripyat entry" version, though not cutting down on the Monolith version, but possibly removing the APC (which is less dangerous than Monoliths anyway) as an alternative Pripyat version.

[fiznerpin1962]

AAAGGGH! turn the corner to go up the hill (by nano bunker) and....

XR_3DA.exe caused BREAKPOINT in module "C:\Program Files\THQ\S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - Shadow of Chernobyl\bin\xrCore.dll" at 001B:00587D15, xrDebug::backend()+165 byte(s)


over and over.... and over...

[Nightwatch]

Yeah, this is a fairly generic vanilla crash, regardless of Pure SoC or mods, or any US or other regions. A Google search will show hundreds of similar SoC reports on it.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q= ... =&aq=f&oq=

Suggestions and cures (depending on the relevancy of the cause) range from Creative drivers to registry ghosts and sudden changes that STALKER engine does on some dll files. It's been around since the first relase of SoC.

You have been at that same location before without this report, since then have installed any new software (drivers, etc) on your PC? Or, everthing the same. Any new adjustements on your PC set up?

You can reboot your PC (I guess you've already done this), try loading an earlier save on same level and other levels and try running a bit and see if it's repeating. If not then please retry with you current save after a reboot and see if it's repeating. On this specific crash, if it's repeating, best advise is seen to be the reinstallation of STALKER.

[fiznerpin1962]

Started auto save @ Yantar/BS changer (went to Sakarov with loot after shutting down the scorcher) - went half way to crash area- made hard save. Went a little further, another hard save. Then got to "area" & stopped moving while the game "hiccuped" until I was past. Ready to leave with decoder at this point.

[Nightwatch]

Great Very good handling of the situation.

[Balious]

Okay I managed to update my journal for those interested and here it is.

Part Two
Im back after a long run and hide against the helicopters:
http://i41.tinypic.com/4t7l06.jpg

Anyway where was I? Ah yes explaining the zone. How can one explain it without witnessing it for themselves? There are strange things here which can only be explained from seeing it yourself. Every creature here is part of nature and have routines just like us humans. Here is a Flesh I sneaked up on resting:
http://i42.tinypic.com/wbdqpt.jpg

The weather here is very strange as it occurs from thunder storms to rain to sunny days to something we call here a Blowout. A Blowout is a radioactive storm that’s deadly poison and could kill anyone that stays out in it. Most safe places are buildings with a secured roof undamaged roof but not all seem to work. The best place is to be underground while one is going on. Blowouts in Cordon seem quite weak but as you travel further north they get more deadly.

On to other news I had enter Agroprom to steal some documents from the Military. Risky yes but hey I am a wanted man and no matter where I go I will be in danger. I had arrived at the entrance scouting on how many troops were there:
http://i42.tinypic.com/21cci82.jpg

I couldn’t see many guards at the entrance but I did see one go off somewhere else maybe to have a smoke or have a secret stash who knows:
http://i42.tinypic.com/33et0tt.jpg

An unusual thing occurred during my time in Agroprom too. I had encountered a dead Merc most likely a scout for what may be a big raid on the Military base:
http://i41.tinypic.com/2n8pmoo.jpg

I hadn’t encountered any other Merc and didn’t think much else of it. So I entered the base and after a long fight against the Military with each one getting a bullet from my shotgun it was over:
http://i43.tinypic.com/25isutf.jpg

So I took the documents and headed straight back into Cordon before any more Military or even Mercs arrived. I now have to take the documents all the way to Bar which I believe is north of Garbage from what I been told by Sid. And so my long rest at the Entrance to Garbage waiting for the perfect moment to run all the way across. I was waiting and found out a few Dogs from Garbage trying to rush pass the outpost but they all end up dead:
http://i42.tinypic.com/25r2xhu.jpg

As I was resting for my march to the Bar I decided to get some information from the Loners around on the Barman and found out a few interesting things:
http://i42.tinypic.com/wjy8z.jpg

He may know a lot of things no other Loner may know. It was soon time to go so I end it here for now.


I have a few pictures in there as well.
Thanks Nightwatch I try and rest see if it happens and then I will rush Garbage straight to Bar and buy the proper equipment I need to deal with the mess I currently have in Garbage (the helicopter for those confused).

On those codes business. Anyone care to say what levels/areas they actually in? It seems they are a big problem to find or mainly 7 seems to be but in a obvious place from what some people have said. Of course im not asking for the actual location but more of a starting point of where they could be. And hopefully I won't be led on a wild goose chase of going everywhere trying to get on its trail.

[Grump642]

Damn.. got to Pripyat followed the guys down sniper alley hoping for action and what ??
nobody to shoot at, the street completely deserted, not one single soul to send to hell !!
Where's everybody gone, our guys are yelling (""left on the window, look right on the roof"")
I don't see any one!! then one APC across the street start shooting.

http://i43.tinypic.com/125gzfr.jpg

Then silence, we go around the corner still hoping for action, nothing, in front of the school, still nothing,
we proceed towards the underground car park, then I could see ALL our guys been lifted in the air by a
whirly wig(bad spelling )and their bones scattered every where, I couldn't bear it anymore
so I restarted the level 3 time to the very same result. For me sniper alley was the best part in v2.4 and
I miss that very much in Prypiat.

Should I let a few game days to pass before re-entering the level?? anybody experienced that sort of thing ??
Or shall I re-install a new gamedata folder and start all over again

Same thing happened to me. See my earlier posts. Picked up some after Underground Bunker, and after going to sell loot a couple of times, I came back and the "Sheet hit the fan!!" So don't give up, it will screw you yet!

[fiznerpin1962]

Same here. Things changed when I got to the secret room.

On another note, I have 5 words for the BS mega-horror time:

Holy:
http://i468.photobucket.com/albums/rr49 ... _radar.jpg

friggin:
http://i468.photobucket.com/albums/rr49 ... _radar.jpg

crap!:
http://i468.photobucket.com/albums/rr49 ... _radar.jpg

and....

Smile, bitch!:
http://i468.photobucket.com/albums/rr49 ... _radar.jpg

[Ultradad]

Hello there

Wiped the hard drive and put windows xp back on as i was bored and had nothing to do > After a few hrs messing around getting it the way i like it i decided to install my fave game and mod and see what it plays like on XP after playing on vista 64 past 2-3 weeks

Starting from begining again as i want to have a bash at getting to C-Con quicker than last time Sid did the usual speech and went outside to find someone in starter village all pimped out in a exo suite

http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr127/Ultradad2008/comingtobedeyes.jpg
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr127/Ultradad2008/niceexom8.jpg

Ran down the road to help out the injured guy and the helicopters move in to start aggravating me

http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr127/Ultradad2008/herewego.jpg

From here on i realy noticed a difference, its still dam hard but not quite as mental as my first run through. I actualy managed to do all wolfs quests and a few others while dodging the helicopters which was good fun . Only thing i didnt do was put extra mobs for blowouts and horror time in options , gonna do that when in freeplay .So apart from 2 quests in cordon not updating it went realy great with no crashes.Garbage went realy well but that helicopter is a complete b*****d, he hounded the crap outta me

http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr127/Ultradad2008/turnyourlightoffdude.jpg
http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr127/Ultradad2008/pigsattack.jpg

Agroprom went like a dream, mole didnt bug out and gave me the info on first run through . He went awol after i came outta the tunnel and found him attacking the bandits at carpark in gorden

http://i476.photobucket.com/albums/rr127/Ultradad2008/moleisgoingin.jpg

I am already to go into dark valley now. Maybe i have had that ultimate game start i have heard about when the planets line up and everything just works perfectly

[Wombat_70]

Thanks nightwatch and Grump642 for the info so this is due to my duo cpu
no performing well in Stalker, now I just have patient and wait for things to happens for me.

[Nightwatch]

Ultradad
You reverted from Vista 64 to XP? I had forgotten that you were running Vista 64. I wsa planning to go 64, but it seems increasingly not a good idea now at least as far as the gaming is concerned. And you've done this in order to have a better play with STALKER and this mod? That's a very big praise indeed.
BTW, very nice pictures, got the atmosphere very good, and the story of your new quest as well
So, you restarted. I hope you're right and that you've got, as you refer: "that ultimate game start i have heard about when the planets line up and everything just works perfectly." Hope so, too.

fiznerpin1962
Great zombi pictures, will easily warrant 18 cert in horror movies. Rain and sepia tone work very good, too.


Balious
Good to see that you're continuing after the initial testing of your new monitor. Greta story telling with very nice pictures indeed. You have certainly improved your pictures (catching the moment, and angles, etc) it's very obvious. Keep them coming, your corner in Players Corner willget richer by next week.


You're welcome Wombat_70 :mozilla_smile:

===================

Hey Guys,
As we all upgrade our systems over the time, with multi-processors, Vista, and on some cases with 64-bit OS, STALKER seems like not quite following with us, these spawn-delay problems at this or that extent are connected with these matters. Therefore, it's best to save and reload at the entry points of each level, and repeating this several times along the progress can help spawnings to heat up, as you guys point it out, too.
Thanks fiznerpin1962 and Grump642 for your notes on the spawns that gear up after a certain time lapse.

But, i think things will get better in near future, as MS is preparing some hotfixes and Windows 7 will be more accommodating all around as it seems.

Meanwhile, in a few weeks, I'm planning to offer a sort of an Option 2 "North-Walk" for Extreme mode, (just a working title, may change a bit) in which -if you wish- you can jump to Pripyat straight from Cordon and deal with the usual missions there, like everything that's currently required, then proceed to NPP and finish the game, and then return back to Pripyat to follow a backwards path towards Sid.
All missions will be operative as well but it'll be somewhat interestingly quirky maybe, also with rather independent attitude, as when you've come to AW for example, you'll still be asked the same missions.
One can use this opportunity to go to Pripyat directly if he wishes so to engage the Hot fighting climate there and in NPP and quickly coming back to Pripyat in Freeplay, either staying there or following a backwards path while not worrying about the sequence of the missions too much. A sort of smoking-hot entertainment. Those who wish to pursue the game may do so in the traditional path as well. Both paths are available; South-to-North or the other way around.
I'm thinking about some possibilities to quicken the spawns in Pripyat but re-tasking the way how the game engine speaks with the Cores (CPU) is way above my head, particularly we can't even read the engine yet. So, I might instead delay the start in Pripyat so that allowing more time for initial the spawns to come through on all CPUs alike. We'll see.

[audioave10]

That sounds good but without a good suit, I would think you could
not survive the radiation.
I've got a "hot" game going on Master with the increased spawns.
I'm running around like a little girl...LOL. Barely got Nimble back
and ALL the military came to visit me with evil deeds in their head.
I guess some vehicles will always float...
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f356/ ... -00_l0.jpg

[EggChen]

You reverted from Vista 64 to XP? I had forgotten that you were running Vista 64. I wsa planning to go 64, but it seems increasingly not a good idea now at least as far as the gaming is concerned.

I second that, not sure if it is Vista, 64bit or Quad core (or all three!!), but though NEWSA runs silky smooth, it is too unstable for me. I recommend if you do go 64bit, have an XP partition for NEWSA and the select few other programs that are not compatible yet. I will on my next rebuild.

Back on topic, GFWL and achievements may be much maligned, but one little achievement/target is all Ultradad needs to have a go at NEWSA again

I'll do an update at end of today, looks like fiz sprinted to the C-con, only stopping to kick ass and chew bubblegum.

NW - I'm going to give it another blast, will let you know

[Kaidonni]

I've decided to pack in Stalker for now...or forever. It seems there's always something getting on my nerves, getting in the way. If it isn't my ocd, it's the same exact weather everyday, weapons NOT degrading at all, or radiation not hurting me. It has to be something with reinstalling the game and mod and then using my previous saves. The same weather every single day can't be normal, and weapons that should degrade and are no longer degrading whatsoever also can't be normal. The radiation thing is definitely weird... There always seems to be something getting to me, and I really like this mod. I just can't contine, though. I can't restart...it could all happen again. And the only other mod I've ever liked was OL, but that has some shortcomings (economy messed up, no horror time, and so on). Plus I am just not going to let my ocd win, so sacrificing this game might be the only course of action. If I can't play the game without obsessing about other things, which will inevitably ruin my game, then no game...

EDIT: I don't know...I just need to vent. I really like this mod, but, like I said, my problems have just been building up. It's all the little things that I know should not be happening at all, the silly things that weren't before but all of a sudden have started to...I might try to reinstall Clear Sky and have a bit of fun at that, with a mod installed, just to give myself a rest. But only, I don't really want to, I like all the labs and undergrounds...