Welcome to STALKER! Which GAME and MOD should you Play?

Summary

The video script addresses common questions from newcomers to the 'S.T.A.L.K.E.R.' gaming universe, discussing the best starting point and the role of mods. It provides a brief history of the series, explains the different types of mods, and the evolution of the modding scene with 'Call of Chernobyl' and 'Anomaly'. The narrator suggests playing the original trilogy with minimal mods for the authentic experience before exploring the extensive modding options, emphasizing the importance of a welcoming community for new players as 'S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2' approaches.

Takeaways

• 🎮 The script discusses the complexities of starting with the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game series, especially for newcomers faced with the original trilogy and numerous mods.
• 🕵️ The original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. trilogy consists of 'Shadow of Chernobyl', 'Clear Sky', and 'Call of Pripyat', each with its unique story and gameplay elements.
• 🛠️ Mods for the games can be categorized into three types: bug fixes and improvements, new content additions, and standalone mods that offer entirely new stories and experiences.
• 🌟 'Call of Chernobyl' was a significant shift in the modding scene, as it aimed to combine the levels of the three games into a single open-world experience.
• 🔥 'Misery' was a highly influential mod for 'Call of Pripyat', known for its challenging survival experience and new features.
• 🌱 'Anomaly' is a standalone mod that doesn't require the original games, offering a modernized S.T.A.L.K.E.R. experience with extensive customization through add-ons.
• 🔄 'Escape from Pripyat' and 'Gamma' are mod packs built on 'Anomaly', each offering a different focus—'Escape' on gunplay realism and 'Gamma' on survival and crafting.
• 📚 The script emphasizes the importance of playing the original games to understand the lore and character development, which enriches the experience of later mods.
• 🌐 The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. community is diverse, with Western and non-Western segments, and the script calls for a welcoming and inclusive attitude towards new players.
• 🎉 The channel introduces its first sponsor, 'Raid: Shadow Legends', a mobile game with collectible characters and various game modes.
• 🔗 The video script provides links in the description for further exploration of mods and the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. community.

Q & A

What is the general consensus on starting with the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games or jumping straight into the mods?

There is no definitive answer; it depends on personal preference. Some purists recommend playing the original games in order to appreciate the lore and character development, while others may prefer the modern experience offered by mods like Anomaly and its modpacks.

What are the three original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games and in which order should they be played?

The three original games are 'S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl,' 'S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky,' and 'S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat.' They should be played in the order of their release to follow the story and development of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. universe.

What is the role of mods in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series?

Mods serve three main purposes: fixing bugs and crashes to improve the original games' experience, adding new content such as weapons and items while staying true to the original story, and creating standalone mods that offer entirely new stories and experiences within the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. universe.

What is 'Call of Chernobyl' and how did it change the modding scene for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.?

'Call of Chernobyl' aimed to port all levels of the three original games into the latest X-Ray engine, creating a unified open-world experience. It became a sandbox for modders to create add-ons, weapon packs, and quests, and served as a foundation for other mods, significantly impacting the modding community.

What is 'Anomaly' and how does it differ from the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games?

'Anomaly' is a free standalone mod that doesn't require the original games to run. It offers improved gameplay and gunplay but lacks the story, lore, and character development found in the original trilogy, focusing more on providing a modern S.T.A.L.K.E.R. experience.

What are 'modpacks' in the context of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and what role do they play?

Modpacks are collections of mods and add-ons fine-tuned to work together, enhancing the base game experience. They can be tailored to different aspects of the game, such as gunplay realism in 'Escape from Pripyat' or survival and exploration in 'Gamma'.

Why is the community's response to newcomers important, especially with the anticipation of 'S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2'?

A welcoming and informative community is crucial for the growth and health of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. fandom. With 'S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2' on the horizon, attracting and retaining new players will become increasingly important, and the community's response can significantly influence this.

What advice would be given to a newcomer named 'Igor' who is starting in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. universe?

Igor should play the original three games to understand the lore and character stories, then try 'Anomaly' and its modpacks for a modern experience. Exploring other mods, especially story-driven ones, is also recommended to fully appreciate the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. universe.

What is 'Raid: Shadow Legends' and how does it relate to the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. community?

'Raid: Shadow Legends' is a mobile game that sponsored the video. It is a collectible character game with over 600 Champions, various game modes, and a new Sylvan faction. The sponsorship signifies the channel's growth and the community's expanding interests.

How can newcomers get involved with the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. community and find support?

Newcomers can join the community through platforms like Reddit and Discord, where they can ask questions and seek advice. They should also watch videos and read guides that provide insights into the games and mods, and be open to the diverse experiences the community offers.

Outlines

00:00

🤔 Navigating the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Universe for Newcomers

This paragraph discusses the common questions and confusions faced by newcomers to the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game series, particularly regarding where to start and whether to use mods. It highlights the community's mixed response to new players and the presence of 'gatekeeping' by veterans. The speaker suggests that the community could better support new players, using the hypothetical friend 'Igor' as a way to guide the discussion on the best approach to entering the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. universe. Additionally, the paragraph introduces the first sponsor of the channel, Raid: Shadow Legends, a mobile game that offers a collectible character experience with high-quality graphics and various game modes.

05:02

📚 A Brief History of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Games and Modding

This paragraph provides an overview of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game series and the evolution of its modding community. It categorizes mods into three types: those that fix bugs and crashes, those that add new content while staying true to the original games, and standalone mods that offer entirely new stories and experiences. The paragraph explains how the modding scene transformed with the release of 'Call of Chernobyl,' which aimed to combine the levels of the three original games into a single open-world experience. It also discusses the progression from mods like 'Misery' to 'Call of Misery,' 'Last Day,' and eventually 'Anomaly,' which became a standalone experience with its own extensive modding community. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of understanding the history to make informed decisions about gameplay and modding.

10:04

🛠️ Customizing the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Experience

The final paragraph addresses the question of what a newcomer, represented by 'Igor,' should do to have the best experience with S.T.A.L.K.E.R. It suggests that there is no 'wrong' way to engage with the games and that players should enjoy them as they wish. The speaker proposes a balanced approach, recommending playing the original three games with mods that enhance the experience without drastically altering it. They mention specific mods like ZRP, SRP, and OGSR, and suggest that playing the original games provides necessary lore and context for the more modern mods and modpacks like 'Anomaly.' The paragraph concludes by encouraging players to explore the rich variety of mods available, including those that focus on storytelling, and to enjoy the games and the passionate community that surrounds them.

Keywords

💡S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is a series of first-person shooter survival horror video games set in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. The series is known for its immersive atmosphere, complex storylines, and the freedom it offers to players to explore a vast open world. In the video, the host discusses the series' history and the extensive modding community that has evolved around it, emphasizing the importance of understanding the games' background to appreciate the mods fully.

💡Shadow of Chernobyl

Shadow of Chernobyl is the first game in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series and is considered by many as the best in terms of story and atmosphere. It sets the foundation for the entire S.T.A.L.K.E.R. universe. The video mentions that while the game might seem outdated, it is crucial for understanding the lore and is recommended as a starting point for new players.

💡Mods

Mods, short for modifications, are alterations made to video games by fans or third parties to change or add to the game's content. In the context of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series, mods are a significant aspect, with the video discussing various types of mods, from bug fixes to entirely new stories and gameplay elements, and their impact on the player experience.

💡Call of Pripyat

Call of Pripyat is the third game in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series and is noted for its polished gameplay and gunplay mechanics. The video mentions it as a game that is often recommended for new players, especially when combined with certain mods, to enhance the experience while staying true to the original game's spirit.

💡Anomaly

Anomaly is a standalone mod for the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series that doesn't require the original games to run. It is built on a newer engine and offers a modernized experience but lacks the original games' story and character development. The video discusses Anomaly as a popular choice for players seeking a more contemporary experience within the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. universe.

💡Mod Packs

Mod Packs are collections of mods that work together to enhance a game in specific ways. The video talks about mod packs like Escape from Pripyat and Gamma, which are built on top of Anomaly and offer tailored experiences, such as improved gunplay or a focus on survival and exploration.

💡Community

The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. community is a group of dedicated fans who create and share mods, discuss the games, and help newcomers. The video addresses the community's response to new players, mentioning some gatekeeping behavior and the importance of a welcoming attitude as the community grows with the anticipation of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2.

💡Gatekeeping

Gatekeeping refers to the act of restricting access to a community or its benefits, often by setting strict criteria for participation. In the video, the host expresses concern about gatekeeping in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. community, where veterans may discourage new players from exploring the game in ways that differ from their own preferences.

💡Lore

Lore refers to the accumulated stories and information about a fictional world, in this case, the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. universe. The video emphasizes the importance of understanding the lore for a richer experience, especially when playing mods that build upon the original games' stories.

💡Raid: Shadow Legends

Raid: Shadow Legends is a mobile game that sponsored the video. It is a collectible role-playing game featuring over 600 champions with unique traits and skills. The video briefly introduces the game and its features, such as dungeon runs, campaigns, and PVP matches, as well as exclusive rewards for Amazon Prime members.

💡Stalker 2

Stalker 2 refers to the upcoming sequel in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series. The video mentions it as a significant event on the horizon for the community, implying that it will likely attract even more new players and further discussions about the best ways to experience the series.

Highlights

The channel welcomes its first sponsor, Raid Shadow Legends, a mobile game with high-quality graphics and smooth performance.

Raid Shadow Legends offers over 600 unique champions with various skills for team building and different game modes.

The video discusses the influx of new players to the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. community and the challenges of gatekeeping by veterans.

The importance of community response to newcomers and the need for a more inclusive approach is emphasized.

A hypothetical friend, Igor, is introduced to guide viewers on how to start with the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. universe.

The video provides a brief history of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games, starting with Shadow of Chernobyl, Clear Sky, and Call of Pripyat.

Mods are categorized into three types: bug fixes, new content additions, and standalone mods with new stories.

Call of Chernobyl aimed to port all levels of the original games into a single open-world experience.

Misery was a popular mod for Call of Pripyat, known for its challenging and immersive survival experience.

Call of Misery and Last Day were iterations of Misery, improving and rebalancing the mod for a new engine.

Anomaly is a free standalone mod that doesn't require the original games and is popular for its gameplay and customization.

Anomaly mod packs, such as Escape from Pripyat and Gamma, offer different focuses like gunplay realism and survival exploration.

The video suggests starting with the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games for lore and character development before moving to mods.

Mods like ZRP, SRP, and Cutoff are recommended for enhancing the original games without straying too far from the original experience.

The importance of playing the original games to understand the mechanics and lore before jumping into mods like Anomaly is highlighted.

The video encourages exploring story-driven mods that Anomaly might overshadow, especially in the Western community.

The channel aims to shine a light on story-driven mods and the importance of a healthy community for welcoming new players.

Transcripts

I'm new to stalker which game should I

try first do I really need to play the

original Three games shadow of chernoby

looks outdated can I start with Call Of

prepaid should I use mods yes which ones

is it okay to start with anomaly I've

heard anomaly is all you need and what

about Gamma can I just play gamma what's

the difference with escape from prepaid

by the way you see where this is going

this is some of the most common

questions I get asked on this channel

and seen some big YouTubers Shine the

spotlight on stalker and Gamma in

particular the community the Reddit the

discords everywhere has been flooded

with newcomers asking these questions to

Fair it's pretty understandable the

crazy amount of mods available for this

game is actually impressive anybody

completely new to the stoker universe

will get lost in the middle of all this

but the point I'm trying to make here is

that the community response to all these

has been a little bit disappointing if

you want my opinion I've seen a lot of

strong arguments held by Veterans of the

game and unfortunately a lot of

gatekeeping I understand that this

happens every time you have a big influx

of new players arriving in a relatively

small community but I think we can do

better than that if this was a big test

before circuit 2 releases to see how the

community handles new players we're kind

of failing it so let's pretend that we

have a friend who's getting started into

the Starkey Universe let's let's call

him Igor Igor has no idea where to start

I'm gonna try to answer in this video

what's the best advice we can give Igor

to make sure he can fully enjoy these

amazing games and the community as a

whole let let's dive into some stalker

history and try to answer all these

questions right but before we start I

would like to welcome the very first

sponsor on this channel which is pretty

exciting raid Shadow Legends I'm really

not big on mobile games to be perfectly

transparent so I had no idea what to

expect when I installed it for the first

time and I liked my mobile games exactly

the same way I enjoy stalker played on a

10 year old potato and I must say I was

surprised how smoothly everything was

running and the quality of the graphics

this is the perfect game if you like to

collect different characters and make

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600 Champions that all have unique

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campaigns pedals and PVP matches these

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drawers especially hardening and Gala as

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game braid also has a full lineup of

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pass where you can get your hands on

some of the most powerful gear ever

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the game okay let's go back to Igor the

best we can do is go back in time and

have a quick overview of the storker

games and modding history to clear up a

little bit of all the confusion so

everything obviously started with the

original Three games in order of release

shadow of Chernobyl considered by far

the best one in terms of story and

atmosphere and setting up the whole

stolklorean universe followed by clear

sky a little bit of the Lamb duck of the

series I personally enjoy it a lot and

think it brings a lot of new interesting

Concepts and it is overall enjoyable to

play but I will agree that it's a bit of

a mess and the weakest of the three for

sure and then you have Call of pripyat

by far the most polished especially in

terms of gameplay and Gunplay with a

pretty decent story okay pretty easy to

follow so far right let's start making

things more complicated than talk about

mods please note that I'm not gonna do

them in chronological order and it's

gonna make things even more complicated

so I think we can Define three

categories of mods for each game you

have first the modes that aimed to fix

bugs crashes and added a ton of fixes to

the game to make them more enjoyable but

staying true to the vanilla version of

each game and closest to the real

experience as it was intended then you

have the mods that added new content

generally more guns more items improve

the graphics the textures and added a

lot of quality of life elements

generally including all the bug fixes of

the mods I previously talked about these

mods stayed true to the original story

and questlines and whole feeling of the

game they just add a lot more content on

top of it the final category we could

call it the Standalone mods they offer a

completely new story in questline new

characters new items New Mutants like

pretty much everything it's basically a

brand new story in the universe of the

original game some of them are are

absolutely amazing by the way but we'll

get back to those later so up until this

point you had the three original game

and their respective modes but the whole

modding scene changed when call of

Chernobyl was released in a sense the

idea was simple but brilliant porting

all the levels of the three games in the

latest x-ray engine and turning them

into a big stalker open world call of

Chernobyl was meant to be a modding

resource first but it was released as a

standalone sandbox as well for people to

play around windows on freely if they

wanted to and it's exactly what happened

code of Chernobyl became its own game in

a way with the community starting to

build add-ons weapon packs quests and

pretty much everything you can imagine

for it and it also got used as its

primary goal a resource to build other

mods upon at the time there was a very

popular mod for color of pripyat called

Misery everybody that was here at the

time know how big of a deal misery was

I'm not gonna do a full dragon of it but

it shaped a lot of what the stalker

modding Community is today it's added a

ton of new features to the game and was

based on the ID to provide an extremely

hard Challenge and survival experience

to the player so the next big step

became to bring misery to call of

Chernobyl under the very fitting name

call of misery then after that came last

day an updated rebalanced full of new

features version of call of misery and

it's on last day according to a newer

64-bit engine and made extremely modable

and configurable that the anomaly we all

know today was built and I'm of course

keeping dozens of other mods along the

way but it shows how stalker modding

history really developed like a tree

branching a little bit in every

direction and the strong branches

carrying a lot of smaller ones with them

anomaly being a free Standalone that

didn't need the three original games to

run became one of the most popular mods

with hundreds of add-ons that people

could pick and install to have exactly

the experience they wanted it has great

gameplay and Gunplay but it goes without

saying that it lacks by Design all the

story lore and character development of

the original Three games and here we

arrive at today's state of stalker

modding with what we call the mud packs

basically anomaly with a giant

fine-tuned and perfectly tailored amount

of add-ons built on top of it escape

from pripyat is one of the big ones and

as the name implies it's a reference to

tarkov it's a Modpack mainly tailored

towards improving the Gunplay of anomaly

and it's where it shines making

gunfights as realistic and immersive as

possible with a ton of other features of

course and more recently cam gamma which

in a sense is the same thing more than

300 add-ons fine tunes to work perfectly

together gamma being much more oriented

towards survival exploration and

crafting than efp it has a very

different vision of the game in terms of

economy and trading to be fair there are

so many changes made specifically for

gamma to give you a specific experience

of stalker I see it as being much more

than just a lot of add-ons bundled

together that's the reason in a lot of

my previous videos I refer to gamma as a

mod not a mod pack as I think it's a

specific vision of the game and how it

should be played rather than just

Improvement on anomaly but I digress now

let's get back to the big question

because in the middle of all this

rambling we forgot about Igor knowing a

little bit more of the stalker and

modding history what should Igor do to

have the best experience well I think

the most important thing to start with

is that it doesn't really matter there's

no such thing as the wrong experience

and people should be able to enjoy the

game however they want a purist will

tell you to read the book watch the

movie play all three games in

chronological order unmody of course

because pain and frustration is part of

the stalker experience and any other way

of doing is wrong and not being a true

story killer and I'm not exaggerating

I've seen this take held many times by

veterans on the opposite side of the

spectrum some people are not interested

in the greater Narrative of stalker the

story the lore they don't want to play

the original games because old and just

one of three large open survival shooter

with endless replayability and

customization and will jump straight to

anomali and its modpacks and that's

perfectly fine too my personal opinion

and I can say most regular and

reasonable stalker fans will have the

same one or more or less the same one

lies in the middle of these two extremes

and it's pretty much as follows play the

original Three games it's important

use mods to make the experience more

enjoyable but try not to stray too far

from the vanilla experience just use

mods that fix bugs crashes and glitches

namely use zrp for shot of Chernobyl SRP

for clear sky and to be fair cutoff

prepaid can be played just fine without

any modes some people will tell you to

push the envelope a bit further with

mods like ogsr no or GSE that is a

remaster of shadow of Chernobyl with

extra content an updated experience of

the original if you want while staying

true to its spirit it's fine too but I'm

not gonna dive too deep in all the

options I'm just gonna leave all the

links in the description and you can see

through all this by yourself the point

here is that even if your final goal is

to have the most modern stalker

experience and to play anomaly and its

mod packs and only anomaly having played

the three original games will provide

you with all the lore building and

character stories that will make all the

modes you play after that much more

meaningful it will also be an

introduction to all the items and base

mechanics of stalker because jumping

straight into anomaly will leave you

lost with a ton of answered questions

about how anything works pretty much

it's gonna be very confusing and all of

this is ignoring the fact of course that

the three original games especially with

a bit of modding are absolutely amazing

and a great experience by themselves all

the modes you can experience after that

are just a cherry on top so yeah play

the three original games then play

anomaly and its mod packs then look into

the hundreds of other amazing mods a lot

of them are completely story driven that

anomaly tends to overshadow especially

in the Western Community oh yeah because

I didn't even talk about how we

technically have two stalker communities

the Western English-speaking one being

just one small part of the whole story

but that will be something for an the

video so yeah look into all the story

driven mods that exist too I'm slowly

trying to shine the light on them on

this channel and overall just enjoy

yourself these are amazing games that

have an amazing and very dedicated

community that can be a little bit

intense at times and especially with

stalker 2 at the Horizon welcoming new

players and growing in a healthy way is

going to become even more important okay

guys thanks for watching thanks for raid

for sponsoring this video it probably

doesn't mean much for most people but

this channel has been a passion project

for a while and it's been like so much

work having like a first sponsor

actually means a lot anyways yeah Josh

thank you guys for being here and I'll

see you in the next one

[Music]

thank you