Forums | MacLife

Stayed up to one o'clock in the morning last night.

The game IS pretty. Clear Sky set my computer for a higher setting that SHOC did, but still a bit lower because I'm probably not running DX 10. I noticed a bit of hesitation as as I moved about but that became less noticeable as I continued to play. I'm getting those highlight effects that I noted in those screenshots, but according to the video options, I'm missing out on some volumetrics.

The game starts out in a new training area of sorts (the Swamp) so you can get used to the new dynamic of working in cooperation with the other NPCs, a fact that I didn't understand because I went my old merry SHOC way running about and looting and trying to build up my cash reserves at the trader. I guess I'll figure it out now that I'm in the main part of the game, which apparently are most of the same areas that were in SHOC, but a less worn looking since this is a prequel. So far, though, less worn seems less detailed - less junk laying around.

They had a real nasty event - right as you step into Cordon, you have to run past a machine-gunner, which was made difficult for me since I was packing out as much loot as I could carry out of the Swamp and I had to dart to cover behind tree to rock and catch my breath. A newbie to STALKER would have had a very discouraging time with that bit and even I had to check a minimal early walkthrough on it (never really had to for SHOC). Incidentally, I uncovered information on getting some good stuff early in the game.

I'm already itching to mod this puppy. They've downgraded the capabilities of my favorite Winchester shotgun (which I was delighted to find early) and damn it's dark at night.

Last edited by user (2008-09-17 12:56 pm)

Oh, now this is pretty neat: People dressed up as stalkers on a Russian website.



I've started getting a few crashes. Most involved my mod folder, so I've been able to get around them by temporarily disabling it, but I had to give up last night. I've got some more ideas to try, though. It's interesting that some players are using the mod capability to actually fix the problem scripts in the game. I've heard that the game devs fired the production manager for releasing the game with so many bugs.

BSOD!

As to be expected, there's even more problems with the Vista users and their "advanced" graphics system.

DX10 woes.

Last edited by user (2008-09-19 2:45 pm)

Vista/DX10 uses a whole different driver model, audio stack etc. And leaked data from June (I think) showed NV had actually crept up to 48% of Vista crashes, equalling Intel and ATi combined.

(Hey, that Mod has a refreshing approach:

Nope, you post offensive crap and I'll step in.

This defense is not for the devs, it's for the users so I don't get so aggravated that I start busting some heads.

...and a sig that says Behave. Hmm... )

How do your visuals compare to this (just ran into it, that's all)?

One fun thing about the Freedom faction in CS: they're Rastafarians!

Well, to top off this thread, now that I've played through CS a couple of times and have returned to playing the Oblivion Lost mod on SHOC...

I would recommend Clear Sky only to someone who played and liked SHOC and was looking for just a bit more of that universe. It's an inferior game and it's likely to not see the major mod action that SHOC had. Here's hoping that GSC can come out with another great game before the end of the decade!