Since I have never played any of the games I have to ask: Is there a meaning to the order the artist draws them?
If I had to say it would be the order that the player would likely meet them.
In SoC and CoP you are a loner, in CS you are part of Clear Sky (and thus banished to the swamp). Typically the first factions you are up against are either the military or bandits. CoP, being the closest to a sandbox, is the most liberal with how things go. I never got past the early game for CS, but in SoC you would then run into Dutyr (since they control the gate to go deeper in the zone) and in the next zone, the Military Base, you run into Freedom. Chances are if this is true, then the Mercenaries are going to be next since they are camped out in Rostov proper. After that are Zombies, which aren't really a faction but unlucky stalkers that got scorched. You will then run into Ecologists next, who are the only faction everyone is at least neutral to (except Bandits). Then its the Monolith from there on out.
Since I have never played any of the games I have to ask: Is there a meaning to the order the artist draws them?
It's indeed close to order of appearance in SoC, but since this gallery shows all three games it's hard to tell certainly.
Saladofstones said:
In SoC and CoP you are a loner, in CS you are part of Clear Sky (and thus banished to the swamp).
In CS your are Merc and work for them out of your debt for saving your life. (Mercs are friendly by default) In CoP you play as undercover agent of Secret Service of Ukraine, who is in past was a seasoned stalker. (Military are friendly by default).
in CoP you are a member of the military but for all intents and purposes you are a loner. I think in CoP all factions (excluding monolith) are friendly by default but you quickly end up picking sides through normal gameplay. Hell, there are several merc groups that are non-hostile to you. I never got far in CS so I forgot that Scar was a merc. Scar I always pegged for being more or less a member of Clear Sky since you have no real affiliations as a merc.
Saladofstones said: Scar I always pegged for being more or less a member of Clear Sky since you have no real affiliations as a merc.
AFAIR throughout main quest Lebedev (head of Clear Sky faction) and a lot others are clearly refering to you as "Merc" of "Mercenary".(I may be wrong, played UA locale). Late in the game there's shootout in town against Monolith - that's where you catch up with Merc unit until you get to buried hospital.
Saladofstones said: Hell, there are several merc groups that are non-hostile to you.
In CoP Mercs are hostiles, just don't shoot you on sight (they warn you once). Only two instances where they are neutral are when they work at Scientist's bunker - first from game's start Black's squad guarding bunker (because Scientists are neutral to everyone), then their possible replacements Hathet's squad (that one from Zaton's workshop, who gives you a quest to gather food items). In free-play mode patrolling mercs will shoot on sight.
Saladofstones said: I think in CoP all factions (excluding monolith) are friendly by default but you quickly end up picking sides through normal gameplay.
Yeah, and then there's even neutral-to-friendly Monolith squad, of all people. Loner - that's your cover. CoP is rather cramped for that lot of factions (Yanov is prime example), so on meta level early game gives you opportunity to choose sides for merits and benefits or stay focused on the main quest and remain relatively neutral. By the lore - game takes place after recent "gold rush" to the unexplored places full with "harsh environments and brutal monsters" just by the end of SoC events, which may explain that few established safe places are truce zones and competing factions are forced to sit beside each other. A lot idle (base, fireplaces) voice lines are complaining or regretting coming in here, especially loners.
AFAIR throughout main quest Lebedev (head of Clear Sky faction) and a lot others are clearly refering to you as "Merc" of "Mercenary".(I may be wrong, played UA locale). Late in the game there's shootout in town against Monolith - that's where you catch up with Merc unit until you get to buried hospital.
In CoP Mercs are hostiles, just don't shoot you on sight (they warn you once). Only two instances where they are neutral are when they work at Scientist's bunker - first from game's start Black's squad guarding bunker (because Scientists are neutral to everyone), then their possible replacements Hathet's squad (that one from Zaton's workshop, who gives you a quest to gather food items). In free-play mode patrolling mercs will shoot on sight.
Yeah, and then there's even neutral-to-friendly Monolith squad, of all people. Loner - that's your cover. CoP is rather cramped for that lot of factions (Yanov is prime example), so on meta level early game gives you opportunity to choose sides for merits and benefits or stay focused on the main quest and remain relatively neutral. By the lore - game takes place after recent "gold rush" to the unexplored places full with "harsh environments and brutal monsters" just by the end of SoC events, which may explain that few established safe places are truce zones and competing factions are forced to sit beside each other. A lot idle (base, fireplaces) voice lines are complaining or regretting coming in here, especially loners.
Call of Pripyat was my favorite of the three, especially after the Misery mod upped the difficulty and added in so many new features. I wound up replaying the game for MONTHS.
STALKER is just amazing in how it's dominated our imaginations all these years.
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