Howdy folks! Thanks for taking the time! I’d love to know what your favorite part of SoC was, where it ranks in the trilogy, and which area was the scariest for you? Thanks so much! All the best, Dog Dad
The first game in the series was definitely my favorite one. I can't quite put my finger on it but it's something about the atmosphere of SOC that still gripa me to this day. I remember playing it for the first time at 11 or q2 years old and needless to say I have never played anything like it. I remember a hude hyoe about it befire the release and I had to get it. Coming from COD 4 I expected something along that line but Stalker was as different as could be. It took my more than a year to beat because of the difficulty curve, lack of handholding, my English not being great at the time and mainly because I kept shitting my pants whenever a underground level presented itself. Agroprom had me shitting my pants but I managed to puah through it, lab X18 is where I really gut stuck out of pure fear. When I finally gathered to courage to push on, I had the most gaming memorable experience ever. I was so bummed out when I finished it with getting a bad ending but so eager to play through it all over again. The prequel and sequel can't mathch the original imo. Clear Sky was traight up broken and even though COP was the most polished, the maps and the atmosphere were just not up to par imo.
@@semird615 thank you so much for taking the time to write this! I absolutely agree, SoC was so different to what I was playing at the time, and something about derelict Soviet architecture gets to me.. Anyways, I feel you with the scaries ahaha I hate the labs, but I feel accomplished when they’re done. Hope all is well!
Oh my goodness you’re going to make me cry, thank you so much for writing this! I hope you enjoy it! It was a lot of fun to make : ) What are you playing tonight?
@@Dog.Dad.Studios some world of tanks because I can just play chilling, and take a break whenever I want without destroying games for others or being forced to play some "ultra sweaty competitive"
I'd like to know if I'm the only 19-year-old guy who thinks that these older games are better than the newer ones. I cannot believe that they don't get more recognition. It's good to see that there's someone who cares about them is willing to take the time to make the videos they deserve. Thank you for the video Dog Dad, not a second of your time making this video was wasted!
Viz! As always, thank you so much for taking the time to comment! It’s an interesting thought, how did you find the STALKER franchise at first? I think it’s one of those really great things about any media, is that it can resonate with so many walks of life, ages, backgrounds. In my opinion, STALKER did such a fantastic job at the world building and atmosphere, that it might stand the test of time. I hope that the new game will bring more people in, and the trilogy being on consoles was a great move. I hope you’re doing well, again thank you so much for watching my videos and then sharing your thoughts and opinions with me and the other folks : )!
@Dog.Dad.Studios The way I found the STALKER franchise goes somehow like that: A few years ago I was actively playing Clash Royale and I was a 2.6 main (yeah I was f2p so I had no choice). I always wanted to improve so I watched the best 2.6 players on UA-cam. One day one of these players streamed playing STALKER and it looked cool so I gave it try (which I did not regret).
I think the games need to catch up to the graphics tech. The crisis a lot of big studios fell into will likely force them to change or break apart, making way for good devs with higher potential.. like Larian, Harebrainedschemes, etc. Also, the new lowest common denominator is small children, which wasn't always the case. The market's gotten bigger and the variety in good and bad games is more apparent now.
5 year old me saw an ad for SoC and practically begged my dad to find it for me 😅 that was about 2 years before the game even released! I'm 24 now, if it wasn't for the Special Extras menu in Full Spectrum Warrior I probably would have never heard of this series.
I dont want to go the way "older is better" but it rly seems like it sometimes, just remember, that nowadays games take way more time, money and human work to make, and its hard to make something new in this way, if we won't talk about indie projects
If you want to do the fight in the Pripyat stadium dont go through the center part that triggers the cutscene. There are entrances to the left and right. Love the vid and hope to see more on CS and COP
Wait are you serious? Why would the design this like this??? I’m actually flabbergasted, I loved clearing out Monolith from the ministry of culture and to have that ending before the finale.. wow. I’m going back to my save ahaha. Any idea why they chose to do this? Or your own opinion? Thank you from the bottom of my heart for watching and taking the time to comment. Writing the script for Clear Sky and finishing up COP as we speak ( what a crazy difference in games, and not in a bad way). Hope all is well and I truly appreciate you!
Probably just rushed development but I personally think it adds charm. Found this randomly on one of my more recent playthroughs and for someone who had dug through every corner of the zone it was like christmas. Always glad to show love to another Stalker. Have you played through Anomaly/Gamma?
@@GmodGOD25 well thank you : ), yes I’ve played through GAMMA as loner and monolith. Both fantastic in their own ways. Thank you so much for taking the time to write this all : )!
@@Dog.Dad.Studios That it's not a complete insanity and nonsense, Roger D. Nelson runs the global consciousness project (google it), short version is that there's random number generators placed all across the world and major events that cause significant emotions in large groups of people influence the number generators, making the number sequence less random BEFORE the event takes place. Joe Scott made a video about it on UA-cam and explained it better. From my understanding, noosphere explains the theories of reincarnation or claims of some people who remember past lives etc
@@forestcampbell8962 sort of, the random number generators placed across the world synched before major events that caused extreme emotional responses in the population which makes it even weirder if it wasn't insane already Read about the global consciousness project
Ah! Thank you! What an amazing franchise, regardless of what comes November, I’m glad we share a passion! What faction is your favorite? Hope all is well!
Just got on ps5. Struggling along but enjoying my time. Fire fights are actually difficult and not in a bad way. Miss games being made with this much passion.
Take your time. Attempt as many missions as you can. Relish in the atmosphere and don’t forget to save scum to oblivion : ) Thanks for taking the time to comment! I agree wholeheartedly and very eagerly await the new game. Hope all is well!
re 25:15 and emission survival, there are technically "psy-emissions" separate from blowouts. Kruglov just jumped to conclusions, probably from panicking lol (I read maybe a difference from translation though?).They won't outright kill you just make brain feel really bad. Prolonged exposure can cause zombification though, hence x-16's "residents" who didn't have a way to protect their brain or get out when it was crippling them (or maybe fighting other factions). Also, shiny rock is best faction, and your absence at scheduled prayers has been noted. Please return or we will be forced to send "search" parties.
Okay thank you so so much! I truly appreciate you taking the time to write this! I think I say it in the video, but the retconning or changing of small things between games, I wasn’t sure ahah. Uhh I lost the voice! I can’t hear you mighty monolith! It must be the cell service! : ) All the best!
@@Dog.Dad.Studios Yup yup on the retcon stuff, I wasn't sure too cause it's been forever, but I looked it up after watching to see what was up. That's where I read that it might be from a translation difference vs actually misinterpreting the emission, which I could totally see. I appreciate you working on these videos as well! Excited for the next STALKER one personally heh. On the topic of STALKER though, if you haven't seen SOAD's animation for STALKER I'd highly recommend it. I feel it really encapsulates the "soul" of STALKER, and is otherwise good quality work heh. (I think it's called "Contract"?) Lastly, do not fret marked one. The Monolith dispatched a specialist team to your last known location. We will be bring you to eternal union soon ;]
Regarding the difficulty, there's a reddit post that explains it all, titled: "What do difficulties actually change in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games." Difficulty doesn't affect damage dealt.
Yeah! I think in the video I say that there is no damage change, and mutants take a lot of bullets, but that might be bias since you have bad weapons when facing dogs and the like early on, but late game you don’t see as many when you have the VSS. Thanks for taking the time!
For Clear Sky - the shooting has the issue where armour and penetration are better simulated but the weapon statistics are flat out not well thought out. It has a far better ballistics system but the weapons execution and balance is bad out of the gate. Still, aim for the head and upgrade weapons and use AP ammo and its fine (but you do need the upgrades).
@@Dog.Dad.Studios It is actually super weird because a simple notepad tweak to the weapons stats to make them MORE REALISTIC actually fixes like 75% of the issues. Try the Sky Reclamation Project and the optional improved ballistics pack.
@@OGLobotomy it’s coming soon! Definitely by the end of the year : ), I’m excited to play it after so long. And very excited to share my achievements. One of the few games I tried for them. Hope all is well, and have a great weekend!
I never finished the game because it scared me so much lol 😅, I’m not good with horror. But the setting and gameplay loop is so appealing I can’t help but dip my toes back into it just for the “vibe” of The Zone. It led me to read Roadside Picnic which it’s based off, and I’m really excited to see what the new game has to offer. I know it’s going to be buggy but I have zero doubt it’ll eventually become a timeless gem just like the original games. In interviews the developers made reference to Anomaly and Gamma several times, and have plans to make mod tools for the community. Who knows what the game will look like in another ten years?
HoC is really good! Rough around the edges but good. Thank you for sharing this with me! I hope my thoughts on the game made it a bit less scary : ) see you in the zone!
I am actually kinda curious what playing on Novice feels like. I've only ever played on Master and I kinda wonder if it changes the way the experience feels.
It was great, died so many times that I didn’t feel like I skipped the brutality of the game, but also felt like I could be Superman at least at some points
@@Dog.Dad.Studios might try it out for a quick run through the game. I remember being told the game was designed around Master and the other difficulties were added later so I ended up just going that way. I did end up using a grenade spam mod for Clear Sky though, the gunplay in that game feels souch worse.
@ yeah I talk about the gunplay in clear sky during the retrospective. That was one of the worse experiences even on novice. But trust me, you’ll die so much you won’t notice, it just makes me not have to hit f6 for quick save as often. Hope all is well!
Anyone who is interested in this game should play Stalker GAMMA or EFP which are modpacks. so many new features, graphics and new maps, turn this into a new game.
I would highly recommend playing the original trilogy first, then GAMMA; at least for me, it hits harder knowing what was there before, then once you do, you can play the Zone the way you want. But no gatekeeping, just my opinion. Hope all is well!
Howdy folks! Thanks for taking the time! I’d love to know what your favorite part of SoC was, where it ranks in the trilogy, and which area was the scariest for you? Thanks so much!
All the best,
Dog Dad
The first game in the series was definitely my favorite one. I can't quite put my finger on it but it's something about the atmosphere of SOC that still gripa me to this day. I remember playing it for the first time at 11 or q2 years old and needless to say I have never played anything like it. I remember a hude hyoe about it befire the release and I had to get it. Coming from COD 4 I expected something along that line but Stalker was as different as could be. It took my more than a year to beat because of the difficulty curve, lack of handholding, my English not being great at the time and mainly because I kept shitting my pants whenever a underground level presented itself. Agroprom had me shitting my pants but I managed to puah through it, lab X18 is where I really gut stuck out of pure fear. When I finally gathered to courage to push on, I had the most gaming memorable experience ever. I was so bummed out when I finished it with getting a bad ending but so eager to play through it all over again. The prequel and sequel can't mathch the original imo. Clear Sky was traight up broken and even though COP was the most polished, the maps and the atmosphere were just not up to par imo.
@@semird615 thank you so much for taking the time to write this!
I absolutely agree, SoC was so different to what I was playing at the time, and something about derelict Soviet architecture gets to me..
Anyways, I feel you with the scaries ahaha I hate the labs, but I feel accomplished when they’re done. Hope all is well!
- evening -> set
- red bull zero -> set
- time to listen to another Dog Dad's retrospective while enjoying some evening gaming -> yes
lets go
Oh my goodness you’re going to make me cry, thank you so much for writing this! I hope you enjoy it! It was a lot of fun to make : )
What are you playing tonight?
@@Dog.Dad.Studios some world of tanks because I can just play chilling, and take a break whenever I want without destroying games for others or being forced to play some "ultra sweaty competitive"
@@Karti200 love it! Hope you have an awesome time!
I'd like to know if I'm the only 19-year-old guy who thinks that these older games are better than the newer ones. I cannot believe that they don't get more recognition. It's good to see that there's someone who cares about them is willing to take the time to make the videos they deserve. Thank you for the video Dog Dad, not a second of your time making this video was wasted!
Viz! As always, thank you so much for taking the time to comment!
It’s an interesting thought, how did you find the STALKER franchise at first?
I think it’s one of those really great things about any media, is that it can resonate with so many walks of life, ages, backgrounds.
In my opinion, STALKER did such a fantastic job at the world building and atmosphere, that it might stand the test of time. I hope that the new game will bring more people in, and the trilogy being on consoles was a great move.
I hope you’re doing well, again thank you so much for watching my videos and then sharing your thoughts and opinions with me and the other folks : )!
@Dog.Dad.Studios The way I found the STALKER franchise goes somehow like that: A few years ago I was actively playing Clash Royale and I was a 2.6 main (yeah I was f2p so I had no choice). I always wanted to improve so I watched the best 2.6 players on UA-cam. One day one of these players streamed playing STALKER and it looked cool so I gave it try (which I did not regret).
I think the games need to catch up to the graphics tech. The crisis a lot of big studios fell into will likely force them to change or break apart, making way for good devs with higher potential.. like Larian, Harebrainedschemes, etc.
Also, the new lowest common denominator is small children, which wasn't always the case. The market's gotten bigger and the variety in good and bad games is more apparent now.
5 year old me saw an ad for SoC and practically begged my dad to find it for me 😅 that was about 2 years before the game even released! I'm 24 now, if it wasn't for the Special Extras menu in Full Spectrum Warrior I probably would have never heard of this series.
I dont want to go the way "older is better" but it rly seems like it sometimes, just remember, that nowadays games take way more time, money and human work to make, and its hard to make something new in this way, if we won't talk about indie projects
If you want to do the fight in the Pripyat stadium dont go through the center part that triggers the cutscene. There are entrances to the left and right. Love the vid and hope to see more on CS and COP
Wait are you serious? Why would the design this like this??? I’m actually flabbergasted, I loved clearing out Monolith from the ministry of culture and to have that ending before the finale.. wow. I’m going back to my save ahaha.
Any idea why they chose to do this? Or your own opinion?
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for watching and taking the time to comment. Writing the script for Clear Sky and finishing up COP as we speak ( what a crazy difference in games, and not in a bad way). Hope all is well and I truly appreciate you!
Probably just rushed development but I personally think it adds charm. Found this randomly on one of my more recent playthroughs and for someone who had dug through every corner of the zone it was like christmas.
Always glad to show love to another Stalker. Have you played through Anomaly/Gamma?
@@GmodGOD25 well thank you : ), yes I’ve played through GAMMA as loner and monolith. Both fantastic in their own ways.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write this all : )!
Starcraft and S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
You are a man of culture
I appreciate you : )
This game was insane and it got me deep into the noosphere theory which is a real research from the last century btw
What’s one of the most intriguing things you’ve learned while studying it?
@@Dog.Dad.Studios That it's not a complete insanity and nonsense, Roger D. Nelson runs the global consciousness project (google it), short version is that there's random number generators placed all across the world and major events that cause significant emotions in large groups of people influence the number generators, making the number sequence less random BEFORE the event takes place. Joe Scott made a video about it on UA-cam and explained it better.
From my understanding, noosphere explains the theories of reincarnation or claims of some people who remember past lives etc
Collective subconcious yeah?
@@forestcampbell8962 sort of, the random number generators placed across the world synched before major events that caused extreme emotional responses in the population which makes it even weirder if it wasn't insane already
Read about the global consciousness project
I'm a simple man, i see stalker, i give like and sub
Ah! Thank you! What an amazing franchise, regardless of what comes November, I’m glad we share a passion!
What faction is your favorite? Hope all is well!
Just got on ps5. Struggling along but enjoying my time. Fire fights are actually difficult and not in a bad way. Miss games being made with this much passion.
Take your time. Attempt as many missions as you can. Relish in the atmosphere and don’t forget to save scum to oblivion : )
Thanks for taking the time to comment! I agree wholeheartedly and very eagerly await the new game.
Hope all is well!
When I saw the door banging again, I legit did a danny devito head shake and said "nope". That door can remain closed lol
I hope you started blasting once the door was opened ahahah 😂
Great video. BTW there is a stash with the mercenary skin in Novice village at the very beginning
I vaguely remembered this, thank you for the next play through : )
re 25:15 and emission survival, there are technically "psy-emissions" separate from blowouts. Kruglov just jumped to conclusions, probably from panicking lol (I read maybe a difference from translation though?).They won't outright kill you just make brain feel really bad. Prolonged exposure can cause zombification though, hence x-16's "residents" who didn't have a way to protect their brain or get out when it was crippling them (or maybe fighting other factions).
Also, shiny rock is best faction, and your absence at scheduled prayers has been noted. Please return or we will be forced to send "search" parties.
Okay thank you so so much! I truly appreciate you taking the time to write this! I think I say it in the video, but the retconning or changing of small things between games, I wasn’t sure ahah.
Uhh I lost the voice! I can’t hear you mighty monolith! It must be the cell service! : )
All the best!
@@Dog.Dad.Studios Yup yup on the retcon stuff, I wasn't sure too cause it's been forever, but I looked it up after watching to see what was up. That's where I read that it might be from a translation difference vs actually misinterpreting the emission, which I could totally see.
I appreciate you working on these videos as well! Excited for the next STALKER one personally heh. On the topic of STALKER though, if you haven't seen SOAD's animation for STALKER I'd highly recommend it. I feel it really encapsulates the "soul" of STALKER, and is otherwise good quality work heh. (I think it's called "Contract"?)
Lastly, do not fret marked one. The Monolith dispatched a specialist team to your last known location. We will be bring you to eternal union soon ;]
Regarding the difficulty, there's a reddit post that explains it all, titled:
"What do difficulties actually change in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games."
Difficulty doesn't affect damage dealt.
Yeah! I think in the video I say that there is no damage change, and mutants take a lot of bullets, but that might be bias since you have bad weapons when facing dogs and the like early on, but late game you don’t see as many when you have the VSS.
Thanks for taking the time!
For Clear Sky - the shooting has the issue where armour and penetration are better simulated but the weapon statistics are flat out not well thought out. It has a far better ballistics system but the weapons execution and balance is bad out of the gate. Still, aim for the head and upgrade weapons and use AP ammo and its fine (but you do need the upgrades).
Oh I can’t wait to start writing the retrospective this week! Thank you for explaining this!
@@Dog.Dad.Studios It is actually super weird because a simple notepad tweak to the weapons stats to make them MORE REALISTIC actually fixes like 75% of the issues.
Try the Sky Reclamation Project and the optional improved ballistics pack.
love your channel man keep it up
I appreciate this so much, thank you for taking the time to write these kind words. I hope all is well with you : )!
@@Dog.Dad.Studios you too! and I'm waiting in anticipation for the starcraft 2 retrospective, cannot wait!
oh and warcraft 👀
@@OGLobotomy it’s coming soon! Definitely by the end of the year : ), I’m excited to play it after so long. And very excited to share my achievements. One of the few games I tried for them.
Hope all is well, and have a great weekend!
@@OGLobotomy Warcraft 3 is one of my favorites and absolutely coming as well. Only obstacle is time
I never finished the game because it scared me so much lol 😅, I’m not good with horror. But the setting and gameplay loop is so appealing I can’t help but dip my toes back into it just for the “vibe” of The Zone.
It led me to read Roadside Picnic which it’s based off, and I’m really excited to see what the new game has to offer. I know it’s going to be buggy but I have zero doubt it’ll eventually become a timeless gem just like the original games. In interviews the developers made reference to Anomaly and Gamma several times, and have plans to make mod tools for the community. Who knows what the game will look like in another ten years?
HoC is really good! Rough around the edges but good.
Thank you for sharing this with me! I hope my thoughts on the game made it a bit less scary : ) see you in the zone!
@ I just started the new game and already got jump scared by a bloodsucker I can’t catch a break with those guys lol 🫣.
Stalker mobile ( 3D java game ) is considered as canon as well . Action took place in 2008 and you play as Strelok
Ahahaha wow it’s like splinter cell with mobile games, 2000s were wild
@ Even better. Sam Fisher was simple 2D when Stalker was fully 3D . And animation was pretty much well done.
I am actually kinda curious what playing on Novice feels like. I've only ever played on Master and I kinda wonder if it changes the way the experience feels.
It was great, died so many times that I didn’t feel like I skipped the brutality of the game, but also felt like I could be Superman at least at some points
@@Dog.Dad.Studios might try it out for a quick run through the game. I remember being told the game was designed around Master and the other difficulties were added later so I ended up just going that way. I did end up using a grenade spam mod for Clear Sky though, the gunplay in that game feels souch worse.
@ yeah I talk about the gunplay in clear sky during the retrospective. That was one of the worse experiences even on novice. But trust me, you’ll die so much you won’t notice, it just makes me not have to hit f6 for quick save as often.
Hope all is well!
ive been wanting to get into the franchise but i am a sucker for physical media so i wanted to get them o disc rather than download
@@Nobody.exe50 highly recommend : ) and I still regret not saving the boxes of all my old games.
Hope all is well!
Anyone who is interested in this game should play Stalker GAMMA or EFP which are modpacks. so many new features, graphics and new maps, turn this into a new game.
I would highly recommend playing the original trilogy first, then GAMMA; at least for me, it hits harder knowing what was there before, then once you do, you can play the Zone the way you want. But no gatekeeping, just my opinion.
Hope all is well!