S.T.A.L.K.E.R. In 2004?

Mad Max RW · Post by **Mad Max RW** » Thu May 22, 2003 7:58 pm

<strong>[ -> N/A]</strong>

<html><body><P>Fan site <A HREF=http://www.oblivion-lost.com/ target=_blank>Oblivion-Lost</A> spotted on THQ’s <A HREF=http://www.thq.de/html/misc/release.html target=_blank>release list</A> the current date to expect S.T.A.L.K.E.R. to hit stores. It is no longer late 4th Quarter 2003 mentioned a number of times in the past. According to THQ (the publisher) S.T.A.L.K.E.R. will not be in stores until September 2004. Sounds ridiculous if you ask me. The guys at <A HREF=http://www.oblivion-lost.com/ target=_blank>Oblivion-Lost</A> are on it and will soon find out if this is a mistake or the real deal.</P></body></html>

Mad Max RW · Post by **Mad Max RW** » Thu May 22, 2003 8:03 pm

Given how far along they are in development, and competition like Doom 3, Half Life 2, and whatever, missing the 4th Q 2003 release could kill Stalker. Unless all those games flop miserably they will have more than enough time to form solid communities and nothing will touch them. It's all a matter of losing interest.

swordinstone · Post by **swordinstone** » Thu May 22, 2003 8:20 pm

I wouldnt be suprised if it gets pushed back a little, but that does sound extreme.

Spazmo · Post by **Spazmo** » Thu May 22, 2003 9:17 pm

On the plus side, this gives me time to get a PC that can run this beast properly.

Bridgeburner · Post by **Bridgeburner** » Thu May 22, 2003 9:38 pm

bummer man. maybe it works positive because by the time STALKER comes everyone probably finished doom3 and halflife2 and in their hunger for new a new FPS they'll all buy STALKER and there will be world peace.

Red · Post by **Red** » Thu May 22, 2003 10:42 pm

All these three games are games I'd get given I had a high end system, which I don't.

Although I think I'll wait for more previews about HL2 as I'm not too hot about the current screenshots...

EvoG · Post by **EvoG** » Thu May 22, 2003 10:49 pm

Wait...Red, you're kidding right? The screenshots, the movies AND the fact that its the Half Life series makes it a known commodity. Where's the ambivalance from? I'm sure you're intrigued yet at the same time you're not sure about HL2?

Keep in mind I'm just asking, more for the fact that I'm blown away by what I've seen. I've played and developed on all of the major engines to come down the pipe and I'm AMAZED at what the Source engine can do. Also, the first Half Life was an incredible game and was one of the very few games I ever played more than once.

So what is it exactly that I and a lot of other people see that you don't?

Later Red

EvoG · Post by **EvoG** » Thu May 22, 2003 10:53 pm

Oh, and though the game may be less 'pretty' than on a high-end system, Valve claims the scalability of their engine is solid enough that it will run on lower end machines...and you being a programmer, I'm gonna guess that though you may not have bleeding edge, I'm sure your machine is quite good, and definitely better than what they claim is the low end HL2 will run on.

Cheers

Red · Post by **Red** » Thu May 22, 2003 10:58 pm

This programmer's out of funds being studying right now

.

P3-600 on bx mobo w/ gf2mx. Though I have 758megs of ram!

Well, I didn't see the movie yet I'll look out for it. The thing is that the screenies DO look good 3d wise. They look great. But through the shots I've seen it seems as if the the ambiance so well created in the first HL is lost... I might very well be wrong as I didn't even see that many screens...

[edit] After looking at some more screenshots at http://www.halflife2.net now, I'm not all that impressed either. Mayhap it'll change with the movies. The physics might be interesting since the screenshots can't exactly render that...[/edit]

EvoG · Post by **EvoG** » Thu May 22, 2003 11:08 pm

Hmmm...maybe you're exporsure to HL2 is just poor. Go to my "Half Life 2 pwnz the E3" thread in 'General' and have a gander. There are links to the movies, and if nothing else, a link to a bunch of screens grabbed from said movie.

I'll say now that if and when you see all the media for HL2, and are still not impressed, I'll be hard pressed to believe you.

Later

Mad Max RW · Post by **Mad Max RW** » Thu May 22, 2003 11:40 pm

HL2 may look pretty and everything, but if it's linear and guides you through hundreds of scripted events I'll probably ignore the game when it comes out.

Red · Post by **Red** » Thu May 22, 2003 11:51 pm

Personally in FPSs I look for technical prowess... Either some new 3D effects never seen before in real-time, or for some whacky mechanics like nice physics models, nice AI and funky 3rd stuff like quaternion interpolation. It's the only thing that's interesting to my eye really, though an involved storyline always helps (as otherwise the only thing notable of HL were the nice decals, although they did a good job with load times - albeit that's more a small-level trick then an engine trick).

EvoG · Post by **EvoG** » Thu May 22, 2003 11:52 pm

Yeah sure you will

Listen, if you're not a fan of FPS's, and I mean this in a nice way, but why bother posting? My opinion would be worth nothing if I went to an RTS forum and said "Rise of Nations looks shitty, I'll pass", since I don't play RTS's. See my point? If you have no experience playing FPS's and enjoying them, then you really have no substantive opinion. If you DO play them and enjoy them, and you say you're gonna 'pass on HL2', I'd think you were smoking something.

BTW, maybe we shouldn't have hijacked this thread as its a STALKER thread, so, I'll add that I hope those boys do a good job on the gameplay as they already have solidifed the look of the game, and its quite pretty. Since it looks to be that the hardest part is more or less out of the way ( graphics engine and art assets ), spending a year to provide gameplay should be more than enough time. As I understood it though, Stalker as it stands is a really elaborate tech demo ( graphics and physics ), which would explain WHY they need a whole year for gameplay.

Cheers

Red · Post by **Red** » Thu May 22, 2003 11:59 pm

Well, it's not I don't like FPSs, it's more that they don't like me... By not giving me anything of depth to do in the game I grow tired of them rather quickly - as an example here I'll use Deus Ex which I've never finished... Once all the tricks are found and you've finished the game, the only thing left is usually multiplayer (if it's even featured though nowadays SP seems to have become the option...) Being that I have no more time to "practice" FPSs to get good at them (at something else then computer opponents), I don't get enthralled with FPSs as much as I used to.

This does apply to STALKER too

And as I mentioned, I was always and still am a fan of the engines.

EvoG · Post by **EvoG** » Fri May 23, 2003 12:07 am

Hehe, sorry Red, I neglected to include my 'pointer'...I was aiming my last comment at MadMax.

Though, I guess my argument could still apply...

Did you check out that thread?

Cheers

Red · Post by **Red** » Fri May 23, 2003 12:17 am

Yeah, I'll posts my likes and dislikes once I'm done with the movie download and have watched it. Might give another perpective.

Offhand (from screenshosts),
likes - Seperate eyes, facial control over mouth movements, trees, lots of polies for buildings - though really that's standard for today's engines. They're nice though, but that's more because of the artists then anything else.
dislikes - Shadow and dynamic light engine, lack of splines, could use a bit more polies for important chracters, blood splatters (in the air, the decals are fine).

Megatron · Post by **Megatron** » Fri May 23, 2003 12:45 am

This is a fps forum?

A whole year delayed? Have you joined the project Steve?

Red · Post by **Red** » Fri May 23, 2003 12:55 am

OK, after seeing the movies I'm convinved... SEE? Told you I needed to see them!

It pwned me g00d.

[edit]One thing though is that I find it annoying that there seem to be cannon fodder cratures and really strong creatures... I hope they have some other creatures in between[/edit]

Mr Carrot · Post by **Mr Carrot** » Fri May 23, 2003 1:31 am

I think a lot of people dont realise the HL2 engine is made for large outside areas with lots of enemies thus cant look as prety as doom 3, that said even in the screens it looks more "real" then the unreal warfare engine.

Silver · Post by **Silver** » Fri May 23, 2003 1:32 am

Mad Max RW wrote:HL2 may look pretty and everything, but if it's linear and guides you through hundreds of scripted events I'll probably ignore the game when it comes out.

Well to be honest, I downloaded a 506 meg movie showing the E3 presentation. Scripting was very scarce, entitities, friendly and enemy react according to your actions, not wheter you enter zone 'x' or pass XYZ bla bla...

Anyways, back to Stalker, I already knew this would happen, more then likely it will end up in the middle' - Jan / Feb 2k4.