S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Announced, Could Ambush Multiple Platforms

[tsb247]

- Checkpoint based save system (I HATE those!!!!!!1!1!!!111!!)

wat

Oh, you mean a system where you can only save at certain points - not one that autosaves at reasonably placed intervals in addition to normal "anywhere goes" saving.

Gotcha.

Exactly. I can't stand it when they eliminate the standard user-defined saved game feature that has been standard on PC games for over a decade in favor of an, "Autosave when you cross 'x' point or trigger 'y' event," feature. I like being able to choose how I play and save however, and whenever I choose. That's all there is to it.

Console ports NEVER let the player save their progress how and when they choose with any real measure of freedom, and I HATE that!

 

[SenisterDenister]

Should've seen the mutliplatform announcement coming, I remember when Clear Sky was first announced GSC also said that they had acquired rights to publish a S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game on the 360.

 

[Kelethor]

This could be bad, very, very bad.

I really hope they dont feel the need to dumb it down for the console crowed. If they do dumb it down, the PC fans will reject them, the console crowed will love them, GSC sees that they got hell of a lot more money from consoles, abandons PC gamers. We the elite will then shed a tear for another fallen hero.

"The Elite". Right, cause nothing is better than perpetuating the stereotype that PC gamers are the bourgeois of the gaming world while we console peasants revel in a dumbed-down, worse version of the game. cause we'd totally be okay with that. cause ya know, were console peasants, and were fine with a dumb downed version of the product.

OT: Well, having played never played the first stalker for longer than 30 minutes, Im excited to see that they are considering a multi platform port. Just please, please, don't dumb it down for the console. we really aren't as thick as you all think we are.

 

[thethingthatlurks]

The easiest setting needs to be harder than the current Master setting, because anyone that plays it under Master anyway is a complete puss. I am curious how they [GSC] will be able to get A-Life onto a console without taxing the system too heavily since that system itself is a complete regional dynamic AI.

I want to have hope, but as long as its multiplatform that only means gameplay will be "streamlined" (dumbed down) and it will lose depth in not only story but would end up having to limit free play in order to keep the interest of a console audience.

EDIT:
The game's gunplay is fine, anyone that doesn't like it just can't get past the learning curve because of the fact that the guns use real bullet physics.

You've got a point there. The difficulty should remain where it is, and maybe make the console version of easy equivalent of hard on the PC. That ought to scare the undesirables off...

 

[Jared]

I would be totally down for multiplatform! Opens it up to a much wider market and lets people have a go, who, may not have had, or wanted to previously

 

[Sebenko]

This could be bad, very, very bad.

I really hope they dont feel the need to dumb it down for the console crowed. If they do dumb it down, the PC fans will reject them, the console crowed will love them, GSC sees that they got hell of a lot more money from consoles, abandons PC gamers. We the elite will then shed a tear for another fallen hero.

"The Elite". Right, cause nothing is better than perpetuating the stereotype that PC gamers are the bourgeois of the gaming world while we console peasants revel in a dumbed-down, worse version of the game. cause we'd totally be okay with that. cause ya know, were console peasants, and were fine with a dumb downed version of the product.

We are. We have cake. Haw Haw Haw!

But we "the elite" don't want you to have it (cake or Stalker) because console versions always end up dumbing down the PC version. Always. Seriously. This is, of course, not good for the image of console gamers in the eyes of Pc gamers.

 

[SenisterDenister]

I would be totally down for multiplatform! Opens it up to a much wider market and lets people have a go, who, may not have had, or wanted to previously

You clearly have not played any of the games to know what you're talking about. Go back to your JRPG, scooter.

 

[Kollega]

With all the hate against consoles flying around, it's easy to over look an important fact. That important fact is simple: the original STALKER is basically the Russian equivalent of Duke Nukem Forever in terms of development length. Rumor has it that without THQ's interference the game would NEVER be released. I wonder how long it's gonna take for them to make a sequel.

 

[mad825]

*sigh*
I guess now I've got another IP to catch up with.

anybody know how to complete a A-level course within a month?

 

[Rewold]

Maybe I'll try this game after it comes out. Always been a bit curious about this series but never actually played any of the games nor do I know anything about them.

 

[Sebenko]

With all the hate against consoles flying around, it's easy to over look an important fact. That important fact is simple: the original STALKER is basically the Russian version of Duke Nukem Forever in terms of development length. Rumor has it that without THQ's interference the game would NEVER be released. I wonder how long it's gonna take for them to make a sequel.

The managed two other games in a reasonable length. Maybe they'll have got the times down a little bit. There's probably a bit more pressure on them to release in good time, too.

 

[MattyDienhoff]

Another S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game? Awesome!

Multi-platform? Not so much, multi-platform FPSes tend to sacrifice depth and complexity for the sake of accessibility, usually to their detriment and I'm certain that would be true in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.'s case, the series wouldn't be the same without its harsh difficulty and strange blend of complexity and simplicity.

This reminds me of what happened to Operation Flashpoint. The first game was developed on the PC, and it was rough, tough and incredibly atmospheric despite being clumsy and complex in some ways. The cross-platform sequel, Dragon Rising, is probably better designed but feels... bland. It lost its spark. I hope that's not what happens to S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

 

[SenisterDenister]

With all the hate against consoles flying around, it's easy to over look an important fact. That important fact is simple: the original STALKER is basically the Russian version of Duke Nukem Forever in terms of development length. Rumor has it that without THQ's interference the game would NEVER be released. I wonder how long it's gonna take for them to make a sequel.

First of, they're Ukrainian, not Russian. Secondly, the game would have been released by 2008 whether or not THQ would have interfered, and after the release of the first game, the next two years had two more games come out vastly expanding gameplay and further delving into the setting. The game has been scheduled for 2012, and with GSC already having a sound footing in not only the game's setting, but through funding and everything else the game will be released on time.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 will probably be the closest thing that they were intending for their very first product.

 

[Kollega]

But we "the elite" don't want you to have it (cake or Stalker) because console versions always end up dumbing down the PC version. Always. Seriously. This is, of course, not good for the image of console gamers in the eyes of Pc gamers.

I am a PC gamer, always was, and i feel the need to ask you to do one simple thing: go jump off a bridge. You are a disgrace to all of us, console or PC owners. Can't we all just get along, without that unneccesary elitism?

EDIT: Okay, i apologize in advance, this was worded a bit more harshly than neccesary. But the point still stands - "all console players r dumb" is a cliche as trite as The Hitler Card, and simply not true.

 

[Kelethor]

This could be bad, very, very bad.

I really hope they dont feel the need to dumb it down for the console crowed. If they do dumb it down, the PC fans will reject them, the console crowed will love them, GSC sees that they got hell of a lot more money from consoles, abandons PC gamers. We the elite will then shed a tear for another fallen hero.

"The Elite". Right, cause nothing is better than perpetuating the stereotype that PC gamers are the bourgeois of the gaming world while we console peasants revel in a dumbed-down, worse version of the game. cause we'd totally be okay with that. cause ya know, were console peasants, and were fine with a dumb downed version of the product.

We are. We have cake. Haw Haw Haw!

But we "the elite" don't want you to have it (cake or Stalker) because console versions always end up dumbing down the PC version. Always. Seriously. This is, of course, not good for the image of console gamers in the eyes of Pc gamers.

So what your saying is, Console players deserve none of the fantastic games made for PC (Half life, Dragon Age, ETC) Because our pee sized brains and inability to comprehend anything more complex than "Use gun on Man" would make developers cringe at the idea of giving both a console gamer and a PC gamer the same game. This, needs to change. because if it doesn't developers will see that PC gamers hate the dumbed down version of the game, but the console fans are perfectly fine with it (some of us, IE me, will say that we don't need a dumbed down or lesser version of the game, but were the minority so who cares) and start developing worse games solely for the console. that way, they spend less time making a quality product, and more time raking in profits for console exclusive games. then, we both lose. Console gamers lose because were getting a poor quality version of the game, while the PC gamers get nothing at all. is that really what you want?

 

[Kollega]

First of, they're Ukrainian, not Russian.

In that particular case, i wasn't speaking of developers' country. I meant that it's an equivalent of DNF in the Russian market.

Secondly, the game would have been released by 2008 whether or not THQ would have interfered...

The fact that STALKER was infamous for being delayed still stands, i was just pointing that out. I don't really keep an eye on what people at GSC say, you understand...

 

[MattyDienhoff]

But we "the elite" don't want you to have it (cake or Stalker) because console versions always end up dumbing down the PC version. Always. Seriously. This is, of course, not good for the image of console gamers in the eyes of Pc gamers.

I am a PC gamer, always was, and i feel the need to ask you to do one simple thing: go jump off a bridge. You are a disgrace to all of us, console or PC owners. Can't we all just get along, without that unneccesary elitism?

In cases like this I just mentally replace the phrase "dumbing down" with the word "simplifying", because that's the reality of it as far as I'm concerned.

Mind you, there's nothing wrong with the fact that some games are simpler (in controls as well as features) than others. Games with simpler controls tend to play better on consoles, for obvious reasons. I'm just of the opinion that some games can't be simplified enough to make them suitable for consoles without diluting what makes them special, like in the Operation Flashpoint example I discussed a few posts up.