Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl:
First ignore most of the patches on the d2d page. Download and install the game. Then install the 1.0001 patch off the D2D patches page (lower lefthand frame). Ignore the 1.0001 - 1.0006 patch, it borks your game. Instead go to fileplanet and get the 1.0005 patch (1.0006 is a multiplayer patch, I dunno how to get a working 1.0006 for digital distribute and don't care).
http://www.fileplanet.com/180143/180000/fileinfo/STALKER:-Shadow-of-Chernobyl-Patch-1.0005-[Digital-Distribution]
Make sure it's the DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION patch or it'll bork your game. Install patchez. Then, before you bother, go and get Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl Complete 2009 mod, which makes a ton of UI, HUD, and graphics improvements to the game, kicking it from Halflife graphics to Oblivion.
ElArabDeMagnifico: Baha! There's the culprit!
ElArabDeMagnifico: Float 32 mod
ElArabDeMagnifico: I uninstalled it, then reinstalled complete 09
TsunamiWombat: ?
TsunamiWombat: Float 32?
ElArabDeMagnifico: Float 32 is an old one
ElArabDeMagnifico: redid some shaders, and improved performance and framerate by about...
ElArabDeMagnifico: 30-40%
TsunamiWombat: Ah
TsunamiWombat: well you don't need that naugh do you
TsunamiWombat: Since 09 uses that mod
TsunamiWombat: er
TsunamiWombat: since it redoes the data folder
TsunamiWombat: that probably is the problem
TsunamiWombat: since float 32 would be modifying the original data
TsunamiWombat: it wouldn't compute with the new shader information in 09
ElArabDeMagnifico: ok loading times are insane but I think it's because everyone IM'ed me at once during loading
ElArabDeMagnifico: and also
ElArabDeMagnifico: HOLY FUCKMOTHERING OMFG!
ElArabDeMagnifico: this is gorgeous
TsunamiWombat: yeah
TsunamiWombat: It takes it from Halflife to Oblivion
ElArabDeMagnifico: even the UI is awesome
TsunamiWombat: mhm
ElArabDeMagnifico: oh hey
ElArabDeMagnifico: the sleeping mod is in this
TsunamiWombat: yeah
TsunamiWombat: though i've yet to been required to sleep
ElArabDeMagnifico: wow dude even the artifacts look different, this is excellent
TsunamiWombat: I have haqd to eat
ElArabDeMagnifico: Yeah you even have to eat in the original
TsunamiWombat: and there's this weight limit'
TsunamiWombat: I dunno if that was in vanilla
TsunamiWombat: though you can only haul like 60 kg's of gear now
TsunamiWombat: or your energy burns 2x as fast, and decreases while walking
ElArabDeMagnifico: You could only haul 50 in vanilla IIRC
ElArabDeMagnifico: what about all my endurance artifacts?
ElArabDeMagnifico: I mean, I can run FOREVER with those on
TsunamiWombat: uhh dunno, maybe it's related to needing to sleep
ElArabDeMagnifico: while I was carrying 3 suits of armor and two guns lol
TsunamiWombat: i've only done it once
TsunamiWombat: keep in mind
TsunamiWombat: I have a shit ton of ammo
TsunamiWombat: and 3 guns
TsunamiWombat: 1 pistol 1 sawedoff and an ak47 su
ElArabDeMagnifico: Go find electric artifacts
ElArabDeMagnifico: like flash, moonlight, and sparkler
TsunamiWombat: I just started the game man
ElArabDeMagnifico: those make ya run forever
TsunamiWombat: Just got to Garbage
ElArabDeMagnifico: yeah I know
ElArabDeMagnifico: perfect, you can find electric anomalies soon
ElArabDeMagnifico: My advice is to ditch the sawn off if you are using the AK the most
TsunamiWombat: I only have like 100 rounds of AK Ammo
TsunamiWombat: and 300 shotgun
ElArabDeMagnifico: haha yeah
ElArabDeMagnifico: hold on a sec
ElArabDeMagnifico: let me find you a repair mod
ElArabDeMagnifico: barkeep and sidrovich can repair your equpiment
TsunamiWombat: guns are plentiful like the rain
TsunamiWombat: why use a repair mod?
ElArabDeMagnifico: because you want a gun in good condition so it's accurate
TsunamiWombat: My real limiter with now is Ammo
TsunamiWombat: but I killed those military dicks by the bridge
TsunamiWombat: so I took THEIR guns and ammo
TsunamiWombat: hence the AK47su
ElArabDeMagnifico: yeah, then repair it and your AK74 su (or is it 47?) will be much more accurate
ElArabDeMagnifico: and also
ElArabDeMagnifico: ARMOR
ElArabDeMagnifico: armor is very hard to find a spare of
TsunamiWombat: it's the SU
TsunamiWombat: it's the sub machinegun one
TsunamiWombat: you can tell because of the shortened profile and elongated sickle clip
ElArabDeMagnifico: yeah but read the name for me
ElArabDeMagnifico: does it say 47 or 74?
TsunamiWombat: uhh.. i'd hav e to check
ElArabDeMagnifico: oh yeah
ElArabDeMagnifico: you aren't in game
ElArabDeMagnifico: hurr durr
ElArabDeMagnifico: (to me, not you)
ElArabDeMagnifico: OMG
ElArabDeMagnifico: I just zoomed in with my rifle
ElArabDeMagnifico: and I just noticed the new scope
ElArabDeMagnifico: Dude, thanks for telling me about this mod
http://www.moddb.com/mods/stalker-complete-2009/news/stalker-complete-2009-release
Install this mod by unzipping it with winrar, then cut paste the contents to your base Stalker folder, ala program files/THQ/Stalker - Shadow of Chernobyl. Replace all files. Also read the readme file if you wish to take step 3 and do some optional tinkering to max your graphical pleasure, like so
3. In the "user.ltx" file change gloss factor to 2.5:
r2_gloss_factor 2.5
- to find "user.ltx", XP users go to:
"C:/Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\stalker-shoc\user.ltx"
- Vista/Win7 users just type "stalker-shoc" in Windows Explorer search or go to:
"C:\Users\Public\Documents\stalker-shoc\user.ltx"
- Steam users go to "steam\steamapps\common\stalker shadow of chernobyl\_appdata_" if I'm not mistaken.
The 3rd step is optional but recommended, since textures were designed with those settings. Make sure you backup your original "user.ltx" before making changes.
Then update this mod by downloading the Patch
http://www.moddb.com/mods/stalker-complete-2009/downloads/stalker-complete-2009
By repeating the above process- unzip, cut paste, replace all. Launch the game and enjoy. oh yes, Enjoy.
PS: Steam is better.
