Reactorside Picnic (Let's Play: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call of Pripyat)

[Archonic Energy]

Originally Posted by Fri

I know lp-ers live by eating comments, so I'm just here saying that I've just started reading this. dunno why not start sooner. I've kept hearing about this game, but also about its so called 'realistic OH MY GOD SOMETHING IS EATING MY BRAINS AND AND THE AIR AROUND ME IS BEING COMPACTED ENOUGH TO PEIRCE MY ARMOUR hard' and 'goddamn full of bugs' so never dared to try it. looks awesome, actually.

Fixed that for you...
Patch it up, and away you go. the bugs aren't that bad, it's the BUGS you should worry about!

[GolemsVoice]

I know lp-ers live by eating comments, so I'm just here saying that I've just started reading this. dunno why not start sooner.

First, thanks, I hope you like my LP. Second, this is the third part of the series, which is by far the most bug-free and polished game of the three. I think it goes Call of Pripyat > Shadow of Chernobyl > Clear Sky, but there are many many fan-made mods that dig out left-out content, fix bugs, or add their own material.

Also, this LP is played on the middle difficulty, I think (or the second highest?), and is generally more merciful than the first game. You can REPARI things, oh Zone!

[Fri]

By the way, you never tell the story on who is the main character and what's he doing here? From what pieces I can gather, he's some kind of military man on a secret mission?

[GolemsVoice]

Oh, I'm sorry, I thought I mentioned that somewhere.

Major Andrej "Red" Degtyarev is a member of the Ukrainian secret service that was ordered to investigate the crash of the five helicopters that were sent into the centre of the Zone after Strelok disabled the Brain Scorcher. They crashed despite being equpiied with the newest maps and anomaly detectors. And we'll soon learn why.
To that end, he was disguised as a Stalker and placed in the Zone. Really not much to tell here.

[Cristo Meyers]

Originally Posted by Fri

I know lp-ers live by eating comments, so I'm just here saying that I've just started reading this. dunno why not start sooner. I've kept hearing about this game, but also about its so called 'realistic hard' and 'goddamn full of bugs' so never dared to try it. looks awesome, actually.

Clear Sky is the one with the bad rep on bugs. Shadow and Call are both pretty good.

The difficulty can be a bit daunting, but I honestly never felt frustrated with it, despite dying probably well over 30 times when playing only one level higher than easiest. You have to be smart: use cover, grenades, conserve ammo, and know when to run. It's definitely a challenge, but I personally always felt it was rewarding.

[GolemsVoice]

Spoiler

After the Burer was dealt with, another building caught my eye. First, though, I'll look through this hothouse here.

My dedication is rewarded when I find a few rounds of ammo and grenades behind a desk.

That's the building. My map identifies it as the Pripyat Harbour. I'm curious what I'll find there.

At first, it's eerily quiet, but soon, the moaning of some Zombies fills the air. Zombies are a safe bet, there are few places where Zombies don't go. I put them out of their misery.
Just as braindead, but more alive, Monolith soldiers. The OTHER safe bet in Pripyat.

I put them out of their misery.

He didn't even know what hit him. And because it was my Gauss-Rifle that hit him, it HIT him.

A few quick shots for anyone out in the open, they didn't have much time to respond. But there must be more, my PDA says so. I'll have to hunt them down the old fashoined way, I fear.

In there, my Geiger counter almost broke. For a short moment, a picture of some kind of punishment cell/device flashed through my mind, but I put it aside quikcly. Where did that COME from?

Some strange mumbling filled the building. Is that praying?
[IMG]http://lh3.ggpht.com/_c4jhpE8dbs0/S7mvLO05KlI/AAAAAAAAAwQ/CIw2UODbFMM
/s800/ss_kilian_03-19-10_11-29-10_%28pripyat%29.jpg[/IMG]
This fellow kept rocking back and forth, hands before him, and mumbling something I couldn't, and didn't want to understand. even when I placed myself right before him, he didn't notice me. Either these people are even MORE crazy than the rest, or there actually is something to this Monolith mind-control.Either way, it scare the hell out of me. I kill him, and still feel dirty afterwards.
On one of the dead Monolithers, I find a PDA. It looks like it is a message from the Monolith, there's mention of "my children" and all this religious-type stuff. But it also mentions making stashes for "my children", marked with "the symbol" or somesuch. The only worthwile information.

The arrow says "Versteck", meaning "Stash"


The stashes are well-stocked. Batteries for the gauss-Gun (10 shot per battery) and a few military medkits. Nice.

Time to finsih the last resistance.

That's it for today, we're nearing the end of the game with great steps.

[GolemsVoice]

I'm sorry I have kept you waiting for so long, I hope there are still people left waiting. My real-life job is sucking my time, it is.

Anyway, here comes the next part:

Spoiler

With the little harbour cleared of all resistance, it's time to continue my exploration of this strange city.

Look at this! Were this any other big city, you might think it was a work of art from some of these modern-art types. Maybe I should wrap in in plastic?

Nah, better not. I might get burned. Or fall to my death, because I'm going to see if there's anything on top! Just like in my childhood. If my childhood had been a radioactive hell full of mutants. SO, not THIS different.
Sadly, the big ball of acid blocks my path, and he knows what he's doing.

Prometheus Cinema? Sounds interesting.

So far, so quiet. But I hear a fire burning, and some people talking.

It's Monolith again. No time to waste. They'll have to die. Consider this a repayment for my dead comrades.

Movie's over. Get out of your seats.

I've never been the type for classical music. The Monolithers aren't, too, since this room is empty. Or, rather, they weren't.

Like every good little tourist, here's something for mum at home.

Only few sites that I haven't explored. This is one of them.

Goddamn Burers. I HATE them. HATE hate them.

The feeling is mutual, however, so no problem here. No problem that a high-powered gun doesn't solve.

He was even guarding something! Calibration tools. Now I can make both Nitro AND Kardan happy!
On my way to the Kindergarden, I come across two Zombies. The spooky thing here is that they sat around a campfire, just liek real Stalkers.


Another fascinating thing is that Zombies seem to pick up weapons, so that this ex-private posessed quite the arsenal.

I guess there's no way around this, I have to enter the Kindergarden. Already I can feel my head aching, and my vision blurring. Better take some of these Psy-blockers I hoarded. Ah, slightly better.
My sensors 8and my achign head) tell me that somethign IS inside here. Only what?


Looks like I haven't been the first here.


Must have been beautiful once. Better take some more blockers. Ahhh.

Oh yeah,. another work of modern art. Or Monolith madness. Where's the difference? I'll blow it up. What ARE these antennas, exactly?
Wait, it there somebody knocking?

Yes, that's the source of the mysterious signal.
Imagine! In one of the closets in teh kitchen downstairs, I find a SOLDIER. At first I wanted to shoot him, since I couldn't believe that he was still alive, but he quickly spoke to me, and told me that he hid inside here from Zombies. Lucky bastard. This must have been hell for him, with that Poltergiest outside, that I killed earlier. I guide him back to our camp.

The next part is going to be the last, and I hope you'll stay tuned!

[Archonic Energy]

of course i'll be here..

i need to find out how it ends.

[SurlySeraph]

Standing by for awesome.

[GolemsVoice]

Aaaand her it comes! The grand finale of our long tour through the Zone!

Spoiler

Back at the Headquarter, Zulu hands me his extra-heavy machine-gun. Much as I love it Look at the damage!, and as much as I appreciate the gesture, I'm doing fine with my current gun. (by the way, can any of you gun-nuts confirm if the use the licensed names this time? It seemed to me like they did)


Our conversation is cut short when the radio operator tells me that there was another strange radio contact. Again, I#m sent to investigate this. I hope it has nothing to do with Monolith for once.

So, here should it be...

I search the area thoroughly, (good place for an ambush!), but find nothing.

Because I get told the signal has moved. Moved? Strange....

Up here somewhere? Nope, moved again. How can anyone get up and down from here without me noticing it?

Ah, well, these are outsider questions, not Zone questions.

Finally, I receive a message telling me to get back to the headquarter.

Alright.

Guess who's the source of the signal! Strelok!
Of all people who I expected, it's Strelok! We've got to talk... but just looking at the man gives me the creeps. He looks... tired. More than tired. Like... hard to describe... broken? Empty? Probably too harsh. Still, there's an uncomfortable air around him.
Strelok and I talk for a while, and he tells me that Guide, another of those legendary Stalker, let him here. He wants to cooperate with the Military,and I suppose he wants to get the hell out of here, and reckons the Military's got the best chances. But before he can delve deeper into his past, we are cut short by the alarm warning us from a Blowout. Major Kowalski tells us that after the Blowout is finished, we'll head out. Choppers are on their way.

Sitting here is tense, tense as always. Of course, nobody speaks.

Finally, we receive the message that the choppers are only a few minutes away.

This being the Zone, the next landing Zone is of course NOT in front of our little estate.

I guess the Monolith still have their heads down, so the Zone has to send other emissaries to persuade us to stay.

Our flight is frantic. We know that the helicopters really donÄt like to wait, and theres a big chance that the Freaks will arrive there before we do, and nobody wants this.

Shots fly through the air, as everyone dashes from cover to cover.



While I exchange backwardds shots with a band of Zombies, I think that we're actually lucky, since Zombies are little match for a military group. It's not like the Zone doesn't ahve worse in store. Still, Zombies are rare in Pripyat, and only drawn to certain locations. I can't help but shake the feeling that they are driven by some malevolent force. Makes me only get out of here more.


A quick stop, counting heads. Everyone made it, so far. Good!

And so the Monolith found us at last. Now it's the time they eat their own pills.

One last mad dash, and I'm free.
...
..
.

.
..
...

Stil, I can't help but feel changed. Touched.... I guess noone really leaves the Zone. Not folks like us. The Military, maybe. They were outsiders. Foreign objects. But folks like us, we never really leave....


What follows is a move that lists all that happens after I leave the Zone. Sadly, I couldn't capture it, and even more sadly, there's no English version available. I'll give you the gist.
Degtyarev is promoted. He asks to keep on working for the Ukrainian secret service, as a permanent observer, inside the Zone.
The information regarding the psychic projects alarm the Military. All record of the documents and laboratories is erased from military files, and all personel is ordered to make sure noone outside the Zone ever learns of the labs.
The Military begins to develop some prototypes from the documents on the Gauss rifle, but the expensive ammunition make mass production impossible. Still, research in this direction likely continues today.
With the Bandits driven out of the Skadowsk, Beard's bar prospers and becomes a major hub for Stalkers in the Zone. The destruction of the Bloodsucker lair also helps this.
The scientists reach fundamental breakthroughs thanks to their helpers, and the Ukrainian government grants additional funds.
Gari's tales of horror from Pripyat leads to the city becoming even morefeared. Stalkers avoid it, and it becomes even more of a ghost town.
The Stalker that found the Oasis becomes a legend among the Stalker community, but Bandits make use of this by telling people they would lead them there and then robbing them.
Mercenaries remain active throughout the Zone, and little information can be gained on them.
Janow station becomes ever more popular, since many dangerous mutants have been killed, and most of the anomalies mapped out.
Zulu returns to the main Duty base and leads a band of men into the heart of the Zone.
Wano becomes the leader of a group of scientists that research anomalies.
A strange group lead by someone called Strider establishes itself in the Zone. Rumours say they are ex-Monolith. Their motives remain unknown.
Lt. Sokolow continues to fly missions into the Zone. One day he is shot down but was found. after this he leaves the Military and joins a nonmilitary flying company.
A few Stalkers have to seek shelter inside Noah's ark during a Blowout. After the Blowout, the Ark is besieged by a hord of Snorks, but proves to be well defendable.
Kardan and Nitro team up to develop a car that can be safely used inside the Zone.
Strelok delivers the information he gained to the Ukrainian secret service. This leads to the founding of an institute for the research of the Zone, which Strelok becomes head of.
Major Kowalski has to answer for the failure of Operation Fairway, but the trail fails to find him guilty. He is honorably discharged from the Military.

Seem like I have done pretty well, didn't I?

So, that's it! I could have choosen to remain inside the Zone, which I did after loading again, sicne you don't get to see the ending if you stay.

Finished at last! I hope you all liked it! Overall, it has been an immensely fun game, beautiful in it's own way, and delightfully different. I'd recommend it to you any day, and I hope that some of you will pick up a copy (if you haven't already done so) and delve into this bizarre and alien place of wonders that the Zone is, and I also hope it was at least partially because of my LP.

Thank you all for reading this, and thank you for your interst and support!

[Cristo Meyers]

Certainly brings up some questions as to what the canon ending of SOC is...

Spoiler

Did Strelok end the Zone, or is the Good ending just the end of the scientists, not the Zone...

[Archonic Energy]

Originally Posted by GolemsVoice

Thank you all for reading this, and thank you for your interst and support!

No, thank you for spending the time to write this.

AE

[SurlySeraph]

Thanks! I hope you had as much fine writing this as I did reading it.

[GolemsVoice]

Oh yes, I did! Sham I didn't have the technology to make some videos, but you can't have everything, can you now?

Certainly brings up some questions as to what the canon ending of SOC is...

Spoiler

I think the canon ending is that Strelok ends the C-Consciouscness, causing a massive Blowout, but otherwise not really affecting the Zone. Kind of a dissapointment, I think.