[Alpha Mod] S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - Lost Alpha

[dezodor]

some new screens from today's test compile. it shows the overhauled and finished 1935 darkdolina level. currently, the level's size is equal to clear sky swamp size. there will be much to explore







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Deathdoor,

thanks for the links, i just noticed it. however we don't plan to add more vehicle, than it was planned. we try to keep the beta feeling (without the annoying beta bugs )



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ps: its possible that i wont be here all the time to bump the topic, and it might disappear. it does not mean that project is stopped, you can find us on moddb or on our homesite.

[McMick]

I'm looking forward to this mod, more than any other games I've heard of that are due out this year!

In a way, many of us have been waiting for this for 10 years, now!

[dezodor]

McMick,

thanks


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There was some update a few days ago, so here are some screens and videos:

screens: (10 new)
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - Lost Alpha Mod for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl Images - Mod DB

level footage video: (darkvalley, garbage, deadcity, cordon short video)
YouTube - S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - Lost Alpha (WIP)

sarcofag dx9 test video:
YouTube - S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - Lost Alpha Sarcophag Level

(this represents an old video and beta's features, which was shown in the "behind the game 4 - vehicles physics and dx9" video. for comparing, you will find the old video in this youtube video's info section)

[ForVengeance]

Probably a silly question but will any downloaded skins for SoC work in the lost alpha?

[Jarvis]

The Lost Alpha mod is being developed for SoC, so any skins that work for it, will also work with this mod.

[ForVengeance]

you sir have made my day. Totally downloading this in Dec., or whenever it may be released.

[McMick]

Let me start this reply by saying I speak only for myself and I realize there are many people looking forward to the release of this mod who will disagree with my views. But here are some issues I'd like to speak about:

I'd like to request that any texture replacements be optional wherever possible. Thus far I've tried several different texture mods and none have been very satisfying. Unless the originals can't be used for some technical reason (like an object that has no texture), new textures should not be mandatory. Can the installer have check boxes for that stuff?

I hope that the Priboi Story mod doesn't have too much influence on the development of this mod. While Priboi has plenty of merits and is a great mod on its own terms, it is significantly different from the stalker experience I'm hoping for in Lost Alpha. In particular I don't want to be able to carry around 50 gallon drum barrels, as this is unrealistic. Dragging them would be acceptable, though Also, the land in Priboi was lush and green but I don't think the lost alpha should be so green, as I think the deadness of the land in SHoC was actually a credit, not a liability. That said, I know that the greening of the Zone was part of the storyline in that mod.

Also, I don't know what the original intent was in old STALKER, but I really love having darker nights (like Weather Overhauled has an option for), as it makes things more creepy. Speaking of which, could you pre-mod the light_night.ltx (if it is used) to have a range of 48? It looks better that way because you don't see that boundary edge that extends to the left and right of the light's beam. Maybe that only happens with geforce cards, I don't know.

I vote for little to no head bobbing. I don't know if headbob was always part of the game, but in SHoC it is definitely too exaggerated. I really prefer none but I realize many people will disagree, and I can change it myself if I need to. But OL2.2 has it off by default, so there is a precedent.

I do like the idea of anamolies being hard to detect -- and some should perhaps be only found by running into them or having a good anamoly detector -- maybe these hard-to-detect anamolies can appear on levels approaching the NPP.

The economy in both the official game and every mod I've tried is really messed up, so if you guys could come up with a pricing strategy for items and weapons that somewhat approaches reality, that would be pretty nice.

One last thing, the HUD: can I have my stamina meter? Again, I don't know if old STALKER had one, and many people prefer not to have it, but I find it pretty useful myself. Also, can we have a way of seeing the specs of an item when it's clicked on in inventory? I don't know how, but some HUD mod I used did that, you'd click on say, armor and it would show you all of its stats in the middle section of the inventory screen, without having to wear it.

That's all I can think of right now Thanks for reading.

[Jarvis]

In complete agreement on the optional textures. Playing through Inferno at the moment - default user.ltx, Objects Dynamic Lighting, full sliders except grass density, and to be honest I just love the way it looks. Alright, there aren't any shiny edges radiating bloom, or brick walls I could sell as artwork, but it still looks fantastic.

Other than that, I'm easy. I'll play the mod through as is first, then if anything bugs me after, I'll go back and edit it.

[dezodor]

thanks for the posts.

about textures:

we don't plan to add much textures, only weapon textures from beta, because that makes the game more authentic, but that can be replaced easily. other than that, we will use vanilla game textures, so anyone can install anything they prefer to use.

about priboi and lost alpha... its 2different style. while priboi we tried to bring adventure type, where you need to spend hours on finding something, in lost alpha we present some mixture of old stalker storyline with our own ideas. i cant tell much, because we havent implemented it to the game, and i dont want to say anything about it, because we might change it many times until release let it be surprise.

weather is completely remade for static static lightnig, as you can see on the screens here, and on our moddb site, it enhances the graphics pretty well, giving more contrast, intensive colors and so on. however the static weather looks bad on dx9, so we will make dx9 weather, or license swo, haven't decided about it yet. player will be able to change dx8 or dx9 weather in console, if he missed it during installation.

about hud... stamina will be added back of course, but there will be option during install to make it visible or not.

[vengage]

cool can't wait to see it released
good luck guys