User:Skaraks



"War makes murderers out of otherwise decent people. All wars, and all decent people."

- Benjamin Ferencz

Time Traveler
"After playing Lost Alpha repeatedly, the game takes on a mine field like quality. Where considerations are given to whether or not unknown, unseen events have been triggered forever changing the missions ahead."

- Skaraks

 So You Know : There are some spoilers in the following information. Am trying to make them vague to not steal away from your game play experience. Which immho is why we're here, to wrest as much from the game as we're wanting to take away. Additionally, this is being added to my profile page and not as a separate wiki item because I truly not interested in influencing others game play as it might. If you're reading this it's because you found it and are interested in the matter.

Why STALKER-LA is one of the finest games of all time is each time through it's nuances make it a differing challenge. Any time interest lag, changing up play style and re-orging sequence resulted in stimulating game play and intersting results. Thinking about how the game is approached and underlying objectives, ones you as a player bring to your game, cause a varied response from the code. Feel sorry for Dez for getting screwed over financially, but winds blow according to no mans order. What he lost in his pockets was gained in global fame. Most all strive to acquire what is needed in the immediate future. Notoriety and fame knock rarely, often are not recognized and their sidekick's name is loss. Venture to guess not many of our names will be remembered once mortal coils are slaked off. Certainly not like Dezowave.

Onward....

This following bit is being added to provide newer players of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Lost Alpha an insight on what makes it the compelling game it is and an idea on how to make it from start to finish without having to back track days or weeks to over come a poorly made decision. Having been in that position more than once is a major factor behind the game play method adopted.

Have just completed the game and have begun another round, must be the fifth or sixth time. My first few attempts focused not so much on getting to the end of the game, but rather how to make it through the tasks presented and avoid the buzz-kill of having to redo a large portion of the game or even restart it from scratch.

But restarting from scratch isn't a bad thing. In the current iteration, worked through to the Dark Valley missions, realized something was amiss, plowed it under and started again. Found the game played better and hit a groove where it all seemed to be pulling with me instead of against.

By that I mean, given the immense number of options presented, a lot of which can be declined (such as clearing out the BloodSucker nest in the Dark Valley building) and many done repeatedly (Barkeep has this thing about Bandits). As the Marked One you decide what level of difficulty you choose to play at:
 * Taking it easy, doing the base minimum;
 * Getting more involved, repeating enjoyable tasks (seems I just can't get my fill of shooting Bandits) and extending game play, stretching out the duration;
 * Complete immersion, killing everything that shows up in red on the map (as well as all the critters) and accepting every task and mission presented (as many times as possible).

Difficulty Levels
The game can be played on four (4) 'difficulty' levels, 'Novice, Veteran, Stalker & Master'. There doesn't appear to be a significant difference between the levels. Can't truly speak to playing at Novice level. Related information indicates differences in the accuracy and power of the weapons. The higher the difficulty level the tighter the accuracy rate. Veteran level is a lot of fun.

When playing on Master difficulty, weapons recovered from NPC's typically contain no ammo. At Stalker difficulty level, considerably more ammo found was.

Game Saves
Due to the number of options presented during game play, making regular saves allows places in time to be revisited and other options selected. Autosave is periodically over written as well as when traveling between areas. The same applies to Quicksave. Neither the  'Auto or  'Quick save methods offer a suitable means of returning to an earlier point in the game.

Using  'Save' from the main menu allows earlier points in the game to be revisit and find it's best used if following a pattern. Doing a Save as you enter a new area will allow you return to that point. Due to the number of game crashes experienced while moving from one area to an adjacent area, a Save was done before the move was attempted. Doing so removes the  'Auto'  or  'Quick' issues.

Method 1
Have played around with a few different naming patterns. Currently using one based on the in game date, location and time as it provides a chronological track as the game progresses. Marked One wakes up in the Cordon on 1 July 2012, at about 7:30am. First save was made and named, '1-7cor752'. Moved into the Garbage about 24 hours later and named the transition. '2-7gar709'. Between area transitions Quicksave is used. With a very good understanding of the game, areas and tasks, this is good method. Though it lacks the close attention to details available in the next method.

Method 2
When first starting to play STALKER Lost Alpha a mission number based naming pattern was used (01cor1abcdef) as shifting back in the game time line was often needed. It allows returning to an earlier point without having to replay large segments of the game. It permitted problem sections to be redone as needed/wanted (cuz' ya'kno, sometimes the way it played out wasn't satisfactory and other times it was so much fun it has to be repeated). The pattern is broken into four (4) parts. The first part representing the mission. Where '01' represents the first mission accepted. The second part, 'cor' provides the current area. The third part, '1' representing the first leg of the mission (limited to '1234567890') as the mission can be segmented into ten or less segments or legs. The fourth trailing part, 'abcdef', are used as needed for saves at critical points. This pattern of naming worked very well when moving back to an earlier time was needed to make changes in the way the challenge or mission were needed. When loading to an earlier point the naming pattern helped to trigger memories of location and events. for those new to the game, it affords a precise control when recovering to an earlier point and eliminates having to replay large uneventful sections.
 * Sub-Note to Method 2 - In the past two games started the method has been revised to a date-time-location format, (25-07_0534_che, dd-mm_hhmm_loc), with the occasional brief note.  It's working well.

When it's All a Blur
If you happen to encounter situations in game where things are not happening as they should. Repeatable quests not working as they should, not being able to navigate properly, mission can not be completed, functions not acting as they should. If you encounter a span of (in game) time where no progress can be made.

There is a possibility of having reached an impasse. Keep in mind, the game was released before being completed. It happens. When it does: Start the game over from the beginning. To some this might seem an unappetizing option, but after playing the game through several times, finding no two times identical, the option is far less problematic than one might think. Have resolved myself to not being being offered the opportunity to open Petrenko's safe in the 100 Rads Bar in the Great Metal Factory every time I play through. Which is especially aggravating as I hadn't figured out how to work the safe combination feature the one time (Petrenko) gave me the combination. From dialog with others, have come to believe this is itself is one of the better features about the game. So, like the software programmers used to say, "That's not a Bug, it's a Feature" .

There is an additional advantage to playing through the game several times. Each time the knowledge and skills gained from previous attempts makes it far easier to progress through each set of challenges at a higher level of proficiency.

Trading & Upgrading Weapons
Okay, what's a dutiful Stalker to do while wondering about the Zone but try to figure out how to best pay for the Dacha on the Black Sea or Caspian. Or maybe just revel in some capitalist piggy, lord of warfare, weapons hording, ' Before long they start sifting through the finer points of selling the weapons they constantly running across. Should they sell the weapons to passing travelers or save them up and sell them to the Traders? If selling to the Traders, would repairing or upgrading the weapon increase the sale price? One sad realization the Stalker might make is that some weapons can not be repaired nor can they be upgraded.

The following references weapon upgrades and trades with Ivancov and Petrenko in Great Metal Factory. On other words, this information is valid during the early days of the game. Trades and Upgrades done through other traders in other locations will differ. The same is true for what traders are going to pay once you progress deep into the game.

The base question asked was, 'If a weapon in excellent condition, were upgraded with the lowest priced upgrade available. Would the weapons increased value be worth cost of the upgrade?'

Low end example:

 * In excellent condition a PB1s without an upgrade has a sale price of 630RU.
 * The cost of the upgrade is 210RU.
 * The upgraded PB1s has a sale price of 850RU.
 * The cost of the upgrade (210) minus the sale price (850) is 640RU.
 * Meaning an additional 10RU was realized on the sale.

High end example:

 * In excellent condition a GP 37 without an upgrade has a sale price of 4,253RU.
 * The cost of the upgrade is 3,500RU.
 * The upgraded GP 37 has a sale price of 21,000RU.
 * The cost of the upgrade (3,500) minus the sale price (21,000) is 17,500RU.
 * Meaning an additional 13,247RU was realized on the sale.

Upgrading for Profit
In time the Stalker concludes the only weapons increasing in value (after being upgraded to the 'lowest' upgrade available) are:
 * PB1s (10RU)
 * Fort-12Mk2/Fora-12 (13RU)
 * TRs 301 (92RU)
 * SGI 5k (2,302RU)
 * VLA (3,013RU)
 * Tunder S14 (4,904RU)
 * SVUmk2 (7,091RU)
 * SVDm-2 (12,512RU)
 * GP 37 (13,247RU)
 * FT 200M (13,991RU)

Information on the Hunting Rifle and Vintar BC were not available at that point and will be added to this information when obtained.

Upgrading for Performance vs Upgrading for Profit
The Black Kite is an example of a unique weapon that when upgraded, loses value. It may be sold to scientists for 4955RU. If upgraded to the Single relapsing module (960RU) or the Extended magazine (1020RU) any of the merchants will pay 2500RU.

Repairing vs Upgrading
As each Stalker playing v1.3003 learns through trading and upgrading weapons, any damaged weapon returns to excellent condition when upgraded even if only to the lowest option. The same does not apply in v1.4004. So upgrading a weapon no longer includes reconditioning.

Easiest way to figure this out, and each needs to if wanting to fully leverage assets, is to find a Trader/Tech and run tests.

A benchmark used is having enough fuel, weapons and ammo to allow concentration on getting from Pripyat to birds chirping with out having to worry about commerce. To solely dedicate attention to game action.

War Mongering Arms dealer aka Capitalist Piggy Play
If wondering around dressed up like a bandit one might consider possibilities of recouping inventory off soon to be deceased clientele. Why shouldn't a Stalker double down? Though it might be looked upon by the Zones glowing gods as a low, underhanded method only practiced by weak kneed, hollow chested, money grubbing, western leaning opportunists, chances are it will prompt further work on future releases. I ask you, how can that be a bad thing?

Extrapolating out the cost of fuel, drive time and other factors, carrying this over to allies encountered along the way, Surprising how many Rubles can be earned in honest fair trade. Some of the Duty and Freedom guys carry around pretty thick wads of cash. Do'kno, they may be short on Kevlar and if they end up in Valhalla suckling beer from the giant goat teat, their fallen bodies my still be carrying things already profited from.

FreePlay
Once the game has been played to it's conclusion, game play may continued in FreePlay mode. If inclined to do so there are a few factors to take into consideration before moving from the Generators to the underground lab.
 * Though this counteracts other players experiences. I left a vehicle loaded down with everything acquired at the lab entrance and once completing the game, it disappeared. Don't know if it was destroyed in the end game process or if spirited away to an unknown location. Don't intend to take the time to make that determination. If any reading this are inclined to test this out, drop me a note and tell me what you've found.
 * (version specific to v1.3003) About 'Arnie' and the gear he offers: On the way back through Pripyat City, Arnie and his bodyguard Zhorik Stalker are present. No on screen notification about him being in the area was presented.

Awards and Medals
Congratulations. Liquidator award received on the 12th February 2016. For heavy contributing to the wiki.

Handed over by MindFreak1987™ 18:05, February 12, 2016 (UTC) The Founder of the Lost Alpha Wiki.

The Liquidator medal is the highest honorary title on the Lost Alpha wiki.

Cheers.

(TOPICENDEDHERE-More to follow)