Are you still waiting for Lost Alpha? (STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl)
The official release date of Lost Alpha has become known - the third quarter of 2012.All previous dates were dubious and were given a little "from the bulldozer" - the developers could not estimate how long they would have to spend to complete work on the addon. The new date was calculated carefully and most likely Lost Alpha will be released on time.
It should be added that for the first time the release date of Lost Alpha appeared on moddb. Dezodor previously wrote that no LA release date can be official if it is not specified on moddb.
The Dezowave team needs to finish the plot, add the remaining secondary quests and catch bugs along the way. Then work on localization will begin.
There is information that Lost Alpha will be sold together with GSC at a minimal price. Nothing else is known about this. I just informed that no one would be shocked by this news in the future. I have a theory on this, but Dezodor asked not to be worth a conspiracy theory so clarification will wait.
Spoiler
The Dez0Wave development team is working on bringing back the very stalker we've been waiting for. The locations that were cut from the original will be completely restored, many amazing gameplay features that, for some unknown reason, never reached the player, will be returned. But that's not all. The developers will bring a lot of their own, which will make the game the way many want to see it.
Development began back in 2008. During all this time, the developers have done a great job. Every day the addon is growing, acquiring new features, and very soon everyone will be able to enjoy an unforgettable trip to that very zone!
Lost Alpha official website
http://lost-alpha.com/
Vadiman26
I respect OGSE - but after the release of build 0.6.9.2, it seems 3 years have passed, if not more - I go there once every half a year and nothing changes. There were only a couple of rebuilds. There were also anticipations of the team that in December 2010 a fundamentally new assembly 0.7 will be released - now 0.6.9.3 looms vaguely - with eggs licked like a cat's assembly 0.6.9.2 R2 And I want something new - global.
I mean new big projects. The last comparatively worthwhile one was Secret Trails-2. The rest with the game of balance and weapons do not interest me. Mods for CoP and CS - do not cling for some reason.
Ural 666
As far as I know, the release of version 0.7 has been postponed in fog, since there is a lot of work on it, it is going slowly. But in the "troika" (0.6.9.3) will not only be rebalanced, there will be new locations, a lot of quests, characters and other goodies. Have you seen the video about partners, or about the redesigned AI? These guys know how to make a stalker interesting, I think it makes sense to follow their brainchild. The only thing I don't like is their dislike for Western weapons, armored suits and other "cool" ones. No matter how they simplify the equipment, chasing realism (
An interesting video telling about the builds and chips cut from the final part of the s.t.a.l.k.e.
(Part3)
(Part2)
(Part1)
More than a week ago, Loxotron (one of the developers of Lost Alpha) wrote about the freeze of the project without discussing it with the rest of the developers.
In fact, the problem was only in the fragmentation of the team and the lack of free time for the chief programmer. At the time of the posting of the freeze message, 2 (or even 3) developers were working on the project.
After some time, Dezodor commented on the situation. He wrote:
The project will not be closed or frozen until we finish it. We've always had problems, and who doesn't? Our main programmer is unavailable for important reasons, and we have engine glitches. Other developers do not know when the programmer will return or will return at all. Such a story. For now, we'll be working on other things.
A post from Loxotron mentioned the possibility of a beta release in August.
Vintari wrote:
Well, if we fix all the bugs soon, then maybe our "beta" will mean a full game but with fewer fts. Or there will be all the features, we just don't know yet.
All cards are ready and available for play. The storyline is ready. We just need to test further and fix errors. To do this, we need to fix big bugs. This is where we are now.
LiquidBronze:
It is true that nowadays many of us are busy in real life, etc. and because of this, less time is spent on developing LA. I myself will continue to work on all the voices, I don't like leaving anything unfinished. I do not want to draw conclusions at the moment, many of us continue to work while others cannot do so at the moment.
I asked a few questions about the development progress and got the following answer:
1) All levels have a storyline.
2) A lot of secondary quests have been done.
3) Freeplay is ready, many freeplay quests have been done, it is possible that freeplay will be refined.
4) What features can be cut is still unknown.
PS It is too early to draw conclusions. You need to wait until the team gets together - after all, graduation and early summer, many cannot work on a project at such a time and development slows down!
I'm looking forward to it. Almost from the very announcement. I watched gameplay videos from the developers - they [videos] are awesome.
I'm waiting. The hope for the revival of that very "Stalker" is still alive. In addition, the release is very soon, if you do without transfers.
The official release date of Lost Alpha has become known - the third quarter of 2012.
Which quarter is already underway? Third! Any news about the release?
On the official ModDb.com page, there was a mention of September 28 as the final release date, which reassured many fans. However, very little time has passed, and the possibility of the modification release on time has already been questioned: the user of the GameRu.net forum - Loxotron, famous for "draining" the early assemblies of the "stalker", announced another postponement of the date due to the "dampness" of some components of the project. Later he was joined by the head of the "Dez0Wave Team" itself.
so while in flight = (but sooner or later it will still come out =)
However, the new FAQ, recently posted by the developers, does not allow you to just forget about the project, because the information it carries is really capable of interest. So, having sifted out a bunch of garbage, you can find out that "LA" is still a separate game, and not a modification in the usual sense and is based on the unreleased patch version 1.0007. Interestingly, the game will remain free and possibly available on Steam.
It's not a sin to wait a little longer to get the project polished to a shine.
RESPEKTROMETR, hmm, the idea with steam and a separate game is not bad.
Monolithian Charon completely agree.
I already forgot about this project.
In general, it would be great if the mod came out in the fall as Black Mesa. The games are all the same.
We have a lot of news today. The rumors about the transfer are unfortunately true. We regret this decision, but let us spell out our motives.
There are several factors that we have taken into consideration. The main reason: the game engine has been updated, and it doesn't look like we will have time to fix all the glitches in two months in a game that we have been making for almost five years. We underestimated the complexity of the project and didn't know it would take us that long ...
The release date (Q3 2012) that you saw on ModDB was set in January after we posted the 2012 New Year video. It is our mistake that we assumed the date was not right and couldn't keep up the pace.
If we talk about a dream game, our dream, we cannot allow gamers to hide in our files. We focused on fixing all possible errors, and with the help of professional stalker amateurs, now we can test almost everything ... But it takes time. Our "baguette" and swap folder are used more daily than the Moscow-Washington hotline during the Cold War.
Also we have long been cooperating with GSC. They helped us a lot. We listen to their advice and constructive criticism. they have more experience in game development than we do. We even received exclusive, unpublished content from them, which we were later able to give to mod developers to help them create mods for this mystical game. Our cooperation has borne fruit, and if everything remains so, then in the future we will have the game we dreamed of.
We would like to tell you more things that happened to us, or what features we added to the game, but now we cannot do it. We can say that we managed to force the engine to use multiple processor cores. It is very difficult not to talk about other factors that caused the transfer. Believe me, we have a very good reason, which we will talk about as soon as we can. Let the dust settle, then we, and of course, you will be the happiest stalkers in the world.
Updated FAQ The
updated FAQ contains answers to interesting questions.
Q: What are the system requirements for LA?
A: Well, you definitely need a more powerful PC than for PM.
From myself:
You can estimate that this machine will pull LA to R1 at maximum settings:
CPU: preferably 2 cores. The more cores the better. It is mainly the frequency of individual cores that affects performance.
Video card: if it pulls PM on static with a high FPS (60), then it should pull LA, but with a lower FPS.
RAM: there is no guarantee that 2 GB will be enough to play at maximum settings without crashes in the largest locations. If anything, you can lower the quality of the textures.
If you have more than 2 GB of RAM, then for WinXP 32 you need to unlock the ability to use more than 2 GB of memory for one process. WinXP 32bit supports 3.25GB in total.
If there are crashes with the "out of memory" log, then before starting LA you need to turn off as many programs as possible.
The main, but easily solvable problem for weak video cards on R1 in LA will be the increased grass density.
Perhaps, if there is not enough processor power, it will be useful to transfer all background processes to one core, and give LA to all other cores. (It is done through the task manager)
I can't say anything about R2 - there is not enough information for analysis.
Q: Will you make LA on the ZP engine?
Oh no. LA is based on the PM engine, which makes it truly atmospheric and memorable.
Q: Do you use any resources of the RFP?
A: Maybe several models, textures, etc. No more.
Q: What about the storyline? She's ready?
A: Yes, I'm ready. We started implementing it in early January 2011.
Q: What can you say about LA?
A: LA won't change the world, but it brought smiles to the faces of our fans.
Q: Will you add freeplay?
Oh yeah. After completing the story, you can go back and complete the side quests, which will appear in the "to do list" only after the ending.
Q: Do you need beta testers by any chance?
A: We choose beta testers carefully. You do not need to write to us - we will find you!
Q: Will you release a beta version of LA?
Oh no. We don't want to release incomplete projects. And please don't ask - it won't change anything.
Q: I can't make mods, but I still want to help you. What can I do?
A: You can make a donation. Everyone who makes a donation can send us a description of the character with a name, a short biography and a list of equipment that the donor wants to see in the game. Donors will also be listed in the credits. We have webmoney and paypal accounts. For more detailed information write to us PM or E-Mail.
Q: Will you add any secrets to the game?
Oh yeah. If you've played Surf Story, you know we love secrets
Q: What about physics?
A: It will be "more realistic" with a ragdoll from the old builds. However, what cannot be fixed will not be fixed. Don't think that we are going to rewrite the engine.
Q: Can we kill crows?
Oh yeah.
Q: Will the HUD be from PM?
A: We want to style it like the old one.
Q: Will you replace the flashlight?
Oh no. He's good the way he is. However, you will need to hang it on your belt for it to work, and it will need batteries.
Q: Will you remake the global map?
Oh yes of course. But let's not talk about that until the release.
Q: Have you left any PM levels?
A: Amber PM, but changed it a lot, and of course the laboratory under it (X-16)
Q: How do you make a dream? Through a sleeping bag or inventory?
A: There will be sleeping bags as a quick, convenient and much more realistic option than a button. There will of course be "sleep zones", which means you can only sleep in safe places.
Q: Will you add Argus's Panoramic Mod?
A: The creator of the Atmosfear mod (Cromm Cruac) has joined us to make R2 the perfect weather. So you can expect some really good panoramas, but only on R2.
Q: Will you do a PDA chat like build 1935?
A: Yes, for more information watch our videos here or on youtube
Q: Will you make a new weapon?
Oh yeah. We'll add 3 new barrels, 3 homemade small pistols, and an old AK-74 and possibly an old FN-2000, just for nostalgia.
Q: Will you make faction wars?
A: No, it was not planned.
Q: Will there be new factions?
A: "Sin" or dark stalkers. They are needed for the plot, and of course they were planned in the old stalker.
Q: Will you add bullet decals (holes) to the bodies?
Oh yeah.
Q: What about car doors?
A: They are great - you can open and close them as you like. You can also use the trunk of cars to keep your goods there.
Q: Will you make a weapon upgrade system like in CHN?
A: Our upgrade system is based on the CHN-ZP version, which you can see in action in one of the three "Alpha Formats".
Q: Do you need detectors to search for artifacts?
A: There will be detectors, but they will only help to get into anomalous zones.
Q: How much will LA weigh?
A: Currently 13-14 GB. We deleted all unnecessary PM files, the rest is needed. And LA will come as a nice installer so you don't have to edit / combine / move anything, just install and play. The game will be packed in X-RAY DB archives - this helps to reduce the size and is more convenient to work with. But don't worry - all available DB unpackers will be able to unpack them. The game will be packed in a 7z zip archive, so the packed size is about 4.7GB (2012.05.15.)
Q: What about the seasons in the game?
A: Summer. But this does not mean that all levels will be with green vegetation. There will be dry levels, as well as beautiful overgrown, green areas.
Q: If new builds appear on the network, what will you do?
A: GSC removed all old builds, but before that we had the opportunity to check them out. GSC allowed one person from our team to gradually merge them to fans to support modding on Stalker. So we can say with confidence that there are no more builds that can be dangerous for our project. And since all the "oldies" were released, any modder can try to make his own dream game. Of course, new content is more interesting than old content made by other people.
Q: Have you returned the rats?
A: Yes, they look pretty funny. And since we have rats, then we changed the name of the breed of rodent to "rat wolf", because it fits perfectly. They are big rats and they are really aggressive.
Q: Will you bring back the old mutants?
Oh yeah. All you can find in PM resources, plus a green dwarf and a few homemade "swamp beasts" that are based on a visible poltergeist form. We have other new monsters in the pipeline, but we cannot promise that they will be ready before release.
Q: What patch do I need?
A: LA is based on a beta patch called 1.0007. Its release did not take place, but we had the opportunity to get it and refine it. The engine is now completely improved, it works better than ever. This means that you do not need the PM patches for the LA, since it is now an independent (but free) game.
Q: How will this work with the Steam version of PM?
A: You can add LA to Steam if you like. But since LA is a standalone game, you don't need PM to run it.
Q: Will there be military patrols?
Oh yeah. They often test known paths, but there is no need to be hostile to them. You can remain neutral if you follow their rules. Later in the story, you can even cooperate with them in some tasks.
Q: Will you add a yellow dwarf?
A: We tried, but the guy who worked on it left us long ago, and the midget was not finished. We can add the model to LA if we can contact Nova to send it to us.
Q: What about weapon ballistics?
A: Ballistics have not changed. With the upgrade system, you can now upgrade your weapons.
Q: Will you add Outliers and what will they look like?
A: There will be random Emissions, which is now common in modern mods. You can hide from them in special hideouts, which you can see on the map when the fun begins. They won't give 100% protection, but you can easily survive. NPCs will also go to the hideout if they find one. If not, they will run around in panic or attack another hideout. Birds will fall (like in Priboi Story), animals will go crazy and start attacking camps ... If you go underground, you will still feel the Burst, which we call "underground Burst". You already saw this in Priboi Story. We can't say anything more. It is flawless as it is.
Q: What type of HUD will you use?
A: The HUD is constantly changing. We cannot say which will be the last one. You can see the newest and probably the release HUD in the screenshots.
Q: Will NPCs bypass anomalies?
A: They will try, but everyone makes mistakes, so there is a high probability that some NPCs will get stuck in anomalies and die.
Q: Will NPCs try to bypass dynamic (physical) objects?
A: All dynamic objects are visible to the AI, but why would they bypass a wooden box, for example? They'll just push him away, just like you. The dynamic objects are not very heavy, so they won't interfere with the movement of the NPC (apart from a few doors)
Q: Will you bring back some of the stalker cut animations?
A: Yes, but only those that fit the gameplay and look acceptable. We've also done TONS of new animations.
Q: Will you bring back the round scope?
Oh yeah. But it can be turned off in the console if one prefers the standard cross or dot.
Q: Did Sidorovich stay in the game?
A: Of course yes. He's part of the story.
Q: What textures will be used in LA?
A: We will only use the required textures for the levels, which are currently 1 GB. We also use weapon textures and many of the NPC monster textures from builds. It's all. The player will be able to use his favorite texture mod. We don't want to force someone to use our loved one. And in this way we can get rid of unnecessary "gigs".
Q: What about the weather?
A: We will be using sky textures and unused ones from PM. We made a new weather system. If the player uses R2, the game will automatically load dynamic weather like Atmosfear, which also has the old "skies" from the stalker. If the player is playing on r1, the old build-style weather will load. Of course the player will be able to bypass this and select the weather via the console.
Q: What weapon textures do you use?
ABOUT? We use weapon textures from old builds and our own. We're not going to add mods to replace weapon textures - players can do that.
Q: How about the Russian version of LA?
A: When all the dialogues and stories are ready, we will start looking for help to translate LA into Russian. At the moment it looks like we won't be able to translate LA into Russian before release. In the worst case, a quality translation will be released with subsequent patches.
Q: What about graphics?
A: The R1 has been tweaked and improved, but nothing major - it already looks flawless. R2 has also undergone some changes, but we don't want to show it yet. All we can say is that it will be a great surprise!
Q: Will you be using the Dead City from build 1935?
Oh no. We use our own, the development of which we started in April 2008 and finished in September 2009. We will add a few additions about the development stages, and easter eggs.
Q: Will you make new levels that were not in Stalker?
A: There will be many new territories that we have done ourselves or with the help of GSC.
Q: Will there be wooded areas and heaps of debris on the Radar level?
A: Both Look at our screenshots (on Moddb)
Q: What Amber will you use?
A: From build 1935 with a bunch of changes. For starters, revised geometry, added water and new vegetation, bunkers to enter and a whole bunch of other stuff.
Q: What about Dark Hollow?
A: One for our best levels. It's huge, maybe too big, but the engine handles it easily. We have already shown this level. There is a large mine, several villages, a bus stop and long, long roads.
Q: The Chernobyl nuclear power plant is now one large location, or did you cut it?
A: One big location with a bunch of changes. We're sure the players will love it.
Q: What about joining factions?
A: I can't say anything about this. We don't want to reveal the plot.
Q: Will you add cars?
Oh yeah. You will need to buy them from merchants. Forget about accidentally running vehicles in the game. It's not realistic at all. If there was one working car, the bandits would have already taken it.
Q: Will you make a trunk and gasoline for the cars?
Oh yeah. We did it a long time ago, while working on Priboi Story.
Q: Where will the faction bases be?
A: We cannot share such secrets.
Q: Will you bring back the wiggle of the weapon like in CN?
Oh yeah. it's already done. You can see him in the 2012 New Year video.
Q: What about ambient sounds?
A: We use a lot of cut or unused sounds from the final game or older builds. They will help recreate the old atmosphere in the gaming world.
Q: What about the main menu? Have you made a new one?
A: It's the same as in 2005 builds with minor changes. You can see it in our last video about Dead City on youtube or moddb
Q: May I ask you to add some mod to LA?
A: You can ... But we said many times - we do not want it Simply because many requests do not fit the atmosphere we want to create, or we do not find the request interesting. Let us deliver our pearl just the way we want it
I've been waiting for this fucking mod for JVA YEARS. But alas. A year ago, somewhere I read a confession of one of the so-called developers that there was no mod. It's just that the PYSY was bashing them for stirring up the interest of the fans, feeding them screenshots and videos, as well as sworn promises that, they say, "just about, as soon as, and immediately." And now that Grigorovich has sold the rights and canceled the development of the second part, it is simply stupid to wait for manna from heaven. I anticipate a bunch of minuses and the righteous anger of fanboys, but for what I bought, for what I sell. It just boiled. How can you deceive people so brazenly?
Here's the news. I'm not sure if this can be considered a proof, but the very fact of its existence leads to sad thoughts.
http://stalker-gsc.ru/publ/slukh_ili_pravda_informacija_pro/2-1-0-4390