Helpful hints and tips for playing S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - Shadows of Chernobyl

Hi guys,

Here are some helpful hints and tips to enhance your gaming experience whilst playing the awesome game S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - Shadows of Chernobyl

First things first:
Install the latest patch immediately after installing the game.
The patches fix some major problems so it’s essential you install them.
DO NOT install the patch AFTER you start playing – you will lose all your save games.

There is a data unpacker available off the internet. DO NOT use it to unpack the gamedata files; it actually slows the game down if you unpack them. They are best left compressed.

HANDY WEBSITES:

Gamespot Game Guide A good walkthrough with pictures.

File Front For all your wonderful modding needs.

IGN Walkthrough Another walkthrough.

IGN FAQ: Locations of Weapons and Artefacts Exactly what it says on the tin.

MODS:

There are huge amounts of mods out there already. This game deserves it. A lot of them are pish however. But there are some fantastic mods out there that really enhance the game.

Initially the mods will create a new folder, called gamedata. As you add more mods, some of the files in this folder will be overwritten. Depending on the mod, it is a wise idea to make a backup beforehand.

Some of the mods cause severe instability and the game crashes immediately. I found the transport mod, the repair mod and the Faiakes mod also caused stalker to crash.

1. The HUD and BLOOD mod (Stable.)
   This GREATLY improves the HUD and drastically reduces the enormous crosshairs.
   It also gives you lots more blood.
   I HIGHLY recommend using this mod from the word GO.
   
   
2. Additional addons mod (Stable.)
   This mod allows you to add silencers, scopes and grenade launchers to more weapons. Something that you should be able to do anyway.
   
   
3. The endurance mod (Stable.)
   This mod allows you to carry more, but doesn’t go over the top. It gives you a 150kg to play with, which is much better than the initial 50kg.
   If you stay under your weight limit, you won’t get tired so quickly.
   The energy drinks scattered around the place bring your sprint bar back to full.
   
   
4. The transport mod (Sometimes dodgy)
   This allows you to drive vehicles around the place. This can be very handy later on, but takes away from the game initially.
   This game is very much like Operation Flashpoint so you sometimes have to run very long distances to get anywhere!
   Later on you will pick up certain artefacts that give you an endurance boost, allowing you to sprint without getting tired.
   
   
5. Viper Sub-machine gun in pistol slot (Stable.)
   This is a bloody handy mod!!
   There’s no denying the pistols are shit in STALKER. Some are a waste of time and others are drastically over-balanced. (The Beretta is way too powerful so grab it if you find it!)
   This mod allows you to add the Viper sub-machine gun to your pistol slot. This is handy for a while as you can carry a lot of ammunition for this little puppy but it's isn't very powerful so you'll probably ditch it after a 1/3 of the game for the Beretta or the Deagle.

HINTS:

• SAVE OFTEN!!!!
• F6 is quicksave, F7 is quickload.
• Save whenever you move to a new map for the first time. This will give you a save for each different zone you can overwrite as you progress through the game.
• You will be doing A LOT of moving back and forth. You should have saves such as: Cordon, Garbage, Rostok, The_Bar, etc after a while. Use underscores as spaces don't seem to work.
• Approach Stalkers without your weapons drawn (press the relevant weapon button to holster it) and they will be friendlier towards you. Believe me, you’ll get sick of them saying “arujio brow!
• / and * on the numpad adjust the rate of time. i.e.: pressing * will increase time.
• Keep the bandages and med kits bound close to your usual buttons – you will use them both a lot! Bandages and military med kits stop bleeding; normal red med kits do not.
• This is handy when you want to get some more ammo from a trader but have to wait for the next day for it to spawn again.
• If you stay under your weight limit, you won’t get tired so quickly.
• The energy drinks bring your sprint bar back to full.
• If you get hit whilst sprinting, just press the sprint button again and you will then start sprinting again.
• Don’t forget to eat! I mean in the game world as well as in this one.

TIPS:

Merc Suit:

Description:
Probably the best armour you will get until you reach the bar unless you camp the trader for a Stalker suit. In any case it will help you tremendously early on as armour is really the deciding factor when it comes to combat.

Location:
It is hidden in a breakable crate in the newbie camp where you start out your adventures. To get to it however, you need to climb the ladder behind "Wolf", the character that gives you a pistol and knife for your very first mission. Don't climb inside the attic of the building however, use the small ledge to get around TO THE LEFT and on top of the roof, from there you need to make a running jump to the next house in line – usually straight ahead of you when you get on the roof.

The crate is visible through one of the holes in the roof of this building, and although you cannot enter the attic here you can still break the crate and grab its contents. QUICK SAVE before you try and break the box as there is a chance that the armour will be pushed out of your reach by the crate debris.

Cordon - Rail Bridge detour:

Description:
Rather than having to fight your way through the troops under the bridge (6 of them!!) or risk electrifying yourself going through the tunnel to the left. There is actually a way to go OVER the bridge. If you move towards the bridge on the right side you will see that there is a slight gap between the bridge and the train carriages. This allows you to run over the top of the barrier without engaging the troops. You may get shot at.

Silencer:

Description:
Exactly what it says on the tin. This gives you a FREE silencer that can be transferred between most of the weapons in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
It doesn’t degrade with use either. But, I found the silencer doesn’t improve accuracy like the ones in Counter Strike … odd.

Location:
It is located under a plank in the truck at the end of the Garbage scrap yard, where Bes and the other stalkers are. You have to perform a sprint jump to get into the back of the truck.
Break open the box and there you go. You should be able to add this to any weapon.
But! Don’t grab it until you have helped Bes.

Other than these helpful hints, it is best to explore the maps and find out where things spawn.

There are plenty of “stashes” – some of which are spawned with gear when you kill people and some that you can use to store gear. Most of the time there will be a stash near the edge of each area of The Zone.

Good luck, and good hunting S.T.A.L.K.E.R.