New Game Start – A free play mode attempt
Start a new game choosing location, loadout, faction, rank, money and more things from your election, reaching some kind of “free play” mode. Intro and tutorial will be skipped and main mission disabled.
This is intended to play a “new game” role-playing free play combined with overhaul mods like “Modular Hard Mode” or “Desolation”, accompanied by A-Life mods like “Shay’s Living Zone” or “A-Life Found A Way” and all the mods you want. As the game world is in the initial stage, you may encounter some closed doors/ways and some convenience tricks are used for being playable.
Depending on your faction relationship, you can play secondary (blue flag) missions, repeatable tasks/quests offered by some NPCs and exploring The Zone and its many unrevealed secrets, mysteries and details. Main mission is disabled by default. You can enable it again optionally. Faction system in STALKER 2 is too underdone, don’t have high expectations.
This is NOT intended for people that didn’t play the game before, even didn’t finish the main history mission. In fact, do not continue reading, could be a very very little spoilers about the factions.
I know there are still many downsides, but I want to publish a “first version” the best I can, like a “proof of concept” and seems how far we can reach. Also as a wake-up call for community collaboration, as I’m mostly a newbie modder and I’m blocked to progress in the mod features by concrete things.
The mod is still quite experimental. You could face strange things or have an “EXCEPTION_STACK_OVERFLOW” crash starting the new game in high-loaded mods configs, as this execute the new game in a not prevised way. Don’t worry, try again until works.
For me, it helps to press F11 to activate window mode just the time I create the new game. From there, all fine, back to full screen and play…
Also sometimes the new game doesn’t start well (I suppose by the script-finished quests) and some NPCs doesn’t get ready at all: guides for example. Loading the save fix this and does not happen too often, but I noted.
1. Actual features
Configurable start with faction, rank, logical location, characteristic loadout, money and some more optional things.
Playable presets for all factions (some more playable than another).
Playing as a faction is possible with faction relationship presets, with the faction relation values taken from the game initial stage.
Intros and main mission skipped.
Some factions without base have now a small base-location with trader and mechanic (trying to add guides and quest-givers).
Options for guides fast travel configuration (Yanov<->Pripyat always unlocked for being any playable).
Increased the repeatable tasks/quests type limit (from 3 to 4) and reduced its waiting time (from 24 h to 8 h).
2. Future features/plans
Try to add guides, medics and quest-givers for factions without access to them.
Open the damn Pripyat access/passage. I was really near, but blocked a lot of time by this feature.
Know to about get the closed “doors id” to try to open doors with commands (or even remove it) and open zones like Wild Island and bases for Ward and so.
Add the “personal orange stash” box in starting bases where is not.
Using factions with added traders, you receive a crash message when exiting the game. Idk…
Search and fix more “locked zones” or “closed doors/ways” caused by game stage (stage is the initial game start) and try to solve (some “guides” solution used now). Search and fix the “Zone” illogical things caused by this (waiting for feedback). Some NPCs are in a “different” position, but are functional.
Zalissya and Wild Island guide seems to be not activated at initial stage.
Add random starting time and weather for locations (within a range).
Try to disable the annoying PDA beeps when you receive the initial loadout items.
Refine or add more loadouts, locations and the added traders and mechanics (could be unbalanced or improved, added more in an experimental way – waiting for feedback).
Try to improve start process stability.
Investigate a way to change player rank without forcing it, for a natural progression feeling on “free play”. I thought
something like number of enemies killed, secondary tasks done or important POIs discovered.
Add more lore-background texts and so to starting presets. Could be done editing the “Skif note” and/or adding more elements. Would need “multi-language” and localization file editions, a bit annoying.
Wish: Add new quests and repeatable quests for factions, according to lore.
Wish: Try to remove the “ey, you’re a stalker called Skif” things. Very hard.
Wish: Faction relationship UI in PDA.
Wish: Faction war system and conquest movements (like in Call of Chernobyl mod derivates) and quests about that.
Wish: New factions from the STALKER worlds (Renegades and similar).
Wish: Launch presets integrated on game UI.
I need help with these topics. I’m mostly a “newbie” modder, so I need help. It’s a hard work with “trial-and-error”. Comments and so are open.
3. How to use?
The way to choose your desired configuration is dropping the pak files you want from mod zip file in your mods folder (normally “C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Stalker2\Saved\Config\Windows”).
Remember, you can interchange features with the “options” subfolder as your liking.
I think it’s pretty understandable. Presets are ready-to-go (configurable) and category-files have a number: choose only one each desired one. Base file must be always present.
And then, use the optional “Opt.” files you want. If you apply pak that overwrite the same files, the most finally loaded will prevail.
I made the mod for being “modular” in mind, to allow players doing the combination he wants. Also, this ensures more compatibility in possible new features, presets or so.
4. How it works?
When the new game starts, intros and the tutorial are skipped (based on “Skip Prologue” by Kiri). When the initial quest starts, the player is teleported, but the location is overwritten where you choose. Then, player receive a loadout (based on “Radium New Game” by Radium Team), also overwritten.
Also, some commands are applied via scripting (rank and money set-up) and many other files are overwritten by “paks” depending on your choices, like repeatable quests (based on “No timer and more random quests ” by vr), relations, guide changes (based on “All Guides Location Unlocked” by unknownStalker), new NPCs -traders/technicians- (discovered by “Desolation” by DeadlyStr1ke) and more (unlocked zones…).
Just started, you will receive a lot of annoying “PDA beeps” from the items added to your backpack, and things could take some seconds to load totally.
5. Contents and optional choices
Factions
Here is the faction list, that explain problems and information about it. Remember you can configure each preset to your liking changing the paks included in the “optional” folder (starting location, loadout, rank, money…). Some of them have extra pak files for configure in a more logical and playable context (new traders, guides options…).
Take in mind that faction system is too underdone in STALKER 2. You can encounter enemy faction members and squad spawns -very recommended A-Life mods for- and it’s fun, but no much more movements will happen, so you may be inspired for “role-play” some. Also, there are some kinds of “subfactions” and some “I don’t know” ones, so may be errors.
The base faction relationship applied is the default at game start (literally from a csv file in the game contents: Relations.csv).
In the future there are planned changes, like assimilate Monolith to Noon, for more interesting playthroughs. Will see.
Newbie
Status: Playable
– A newcomer in The Zone, with the default initial game Skif faction relations. Could be the first role-play suggestion 🙂
– Access to traders, technicians, guides and tasks. No nearly access to personal stash, but fairly accessible progressing.
Location: Permiter near west Rookie Village at Cordon (as this is the “default” faction relations from game, you could start in many other places).
Default loadout: Default-Basic: Debut suit, AK-74U, PTM pistol and Echo detector.
Loners
Status: Playable
– A more experienced and yet already member of Loners (many times also refered as “free stalkers”).
– Access to traders, technicians, guides and tasks. No nearly access to personal stash, but fairly accessible progressing.
Location: Rookie Village at Cordon, but as this is the “default” faction from original game, you could start in many other places (like Cordon-NearVillage or much norther…).
Default loadout: Default-Medium: Sunrise suit, PA-10 Gas mask, AKM-74S (with some extra AP ammo), M860 Cracker shotgun, UDP pistol, some grenades and Hilka detector.
Bandits
Status: Playable with downsides
– A neutral bandit surviving in Garbage.
– In Slag Heap you have access to traders, technicians, guides and tasks, but as there are many sub-bandits factions, maybe you will face problems of movement. Nearly access to personal stash.
– For make a more playable faction, you’re a “neutral bandit”, Loners (free stalkers, neutrals or whatever) are not your enemies.
Location: Slag Heap at Garbage.
Default loadout: Bandit-Medium: Armored Bandit Jacket, PA-7 Gas mask, AKM-74S (with some extra AP ammo), SPAS-14 shotgun (with sight), UDP pistol, some grenades and Hilka detector.
Freedom
Status: Playable
– A recruit of the faction.
– Access to traders, technicians, guides and tasks. Nearly access to personal stash.
– Remember that game history sets a truce with Duty.
– Seems working good, as you’re in your game faction base.
Location: Rostok barracks at Rostok (its base).
Default loadout: Freedom-Medium: PSZ-5V Guardian of Freedom suit, PA-10 Gas mask, AR416 (with some extra AP ammo and sight), M860 Cracker shotgun (with sight), UDP pistol, some grenades and Hilka detector.
Duty
Status: Playable
– A recruit of the faction.
– Access to traders, technicians, guides and tasks. Nearly access to personal stash.
– Remember that game history sets a truce with Freedom.
– Seems working good, as you’re in your game faction base.
Location: Duty base at Cement Factory (its base).
Default loadout: Duty-Medium: PSZ-5D Universal Protection suit, PA-10 Gas mask, AKM-74S (with some extra AP ammo and sight), M860 Cracker shotgun (with sight), UDP pistol, some grenades and Hilka detector.
Ecologists
Status: Playable with downsides
– A scientist investigating The Zone and searching for artifacts and anomalies.
– Access to traders, technicians, guides, tasks and personal stash. Relationship positive to “all scientists”, using its relationship values from the base game.
– Perfect base would be Malachite, but is surrounded by militaries, so I must change to Rostok for being playable.
Location: Bar at Rostok.
Default loadout: ClassArtifactHunter: SSP-99 Ecologist, M860 Cracker shotgun, Buket S-2, UDP pistol and Bear detector.
Noon
Status: Playable with problems and untested ways
– A recruit of the faction. You can’t remember clearly your past.
– Access to technician at base and trader in the “Quiet camp” (guide seems not be working – will see). I think that not tasks. Nearly access to personal stash.
– Remember, positive relations with Monolith, in future in think I will try to merge both factions.
– The “outside” door of Wild Island is closed, tried to open via command, but causes problems. You can get outside Wild Island (in the river trains), but I have not time to test if there are any way to access again to Wild Island.
Location: Base at Wild Island (its base).
Default loadout: Monolith-Medium: Zircon suit, PA-10 Gas mask, Kharod (with some extra AP ammo and sight), M860 Cracker shotgun, UDP pistol, some grenades and Hilka detector.
Monolith
Status: Playable with problems and untested ways
– A monolithian. Idi ko mne.
– As they have no NPC traders, I added a trader and technician in Sunny Kindergarten (must need rebalace for sure, just for the first version). This way you can “survive” selling and repairing. Must need rebalance. No access to personal stash for the moment.
– Still no luck to add a guide and a medic.
– If you reach Noon base (Quiet Camp for example) I think you’re ok.
– Relationship between Noon as allied, but as I said, in future best way is to “merge” both factions for free play.
– I tried to open the access from and to Pripyat, mostly near to achieve, but can’t get working. So I don’t know if you can go down in the map and back… I think there is a way in Yaniv… a fast solution will be add a guide to go Wild Island or to a second Monolith guide.
– Another reason to use MHM is because randomizes laying armors… you will understand when starting at Kindergarten. But its the best place.
Location: Sunny Kindergarten on Pripyat (nearest to being its base).
Default loadout: Monolith-Medium: Zircon suit, PA-10 Gas mask, Kharod (with some extra AP ammo and sight), M860 Cracker shotgun, UDP pistol, some grenades and Hilka detector.
Spark
Status: Playable with problems
– You’ve been recruited by Scar. Fight to reveal the secrets of The Zone!
– As they have no initial access to traders, technicians, guides and tasks I made one trader and mechanic (may need rebalance), at least for being playable.
– There are some “base options” but not in the initial game stage. So I just choose one place they’re ingame at Zaton. Orbita Station also could be a good base. And of course, Malachite, where many Sparks are roaming. But as is surrounded by militaries at start…
Location: Ranger Station at Zaton (one of its game bases).
Default loadout: Spark-Medium: PSZ-5I Hawk suit, PA-10 Gas mask, Kharod (with some extra AP ammo, sight and silencer), SPAS-14 shotgun, UDP pistol, some grenades and Hilka detector.
Ward
Status: Playable with downsides
– You’ve finished your training and recruited to The Zone by Ward.
– Despite there are some main bases for Ward, like Chemical Plant, I can’t set-up in one of the “nices”: are closed. I’m trying to “open door”. So, player will be a new soldier in Zalissya.
– You have access to low tier trader, technician and tasks. Also, to personal stash. Zalissya guide seems to be not working, will try to fix.
Location: CityHall at Zalissya (one of its game bases, low quality one).
Default loadout: Ward-Medium: PSZ-20W Conwoy suit, PA-7 Gas mask, GROM S-14 Groza (with some extra AP ammo and sight), M860 Cracker shotgun (with sight), UDP pistol, some grenades and Hilka detector.
Corps
Status: Playable with downsides
– A veteran stalker, you joined one of the Degtyarev’s groups.
– Access to traders, technicians and guides. Access to tasks in another locations. Access to personal stash.
– Corpus armors aren’t equipable for player.
– As for Monolith, I don’t know if you can reach south from Pripyat. Read Monolith desc for more info.
– In this case, you can out with the fast travel guide.
Location: Palace of Culture at Pripyat (its base).
Default loadout: Default-High: SEVA Suit, Dnipro (with some extra AP ammo and attachments), Saiga D-12 shotgun, Rhino pistol, some grenades and Bear detector.
Militaries (ISPF)
Status: Playable with problems
– You finished your training and entered into The Zone with the last reserve squads.
– As they have no NPC traders, I added a trader and technician in Sphere base of Lesser Zone. This way you can “survive” selling and repairing. Must need rebalance.
– I noted that some scripted squads still see you as enemy, despite the faction relations values. For example, at Lesser Zone Military South Checkpoint, the “sniper” in perimeter or the ones in the north Lesser Zone bridge (west small base).
Location: Sphere at Lesser Zone.
Default loadout: Military-Medium: PSZ-7 Military Body Armor, Ballistic Helmet, AKM-74S (with some extra AP ammo), M860 Cracker shotgun, UDP pistol, some grenades and Hilka detector.
Mercenaries
Status: Playable with downsides
– You, an ex-militar, flew here from your homeland with a good contract, hired by a mercenary group.
– As they have no NPC traders, I added a trader and a technician in Yantar. This way you can “survive” selling and repairing. Must need rebalance.
– No access to guides, tasks or personal stash.
– Base is in Yantar, I only see this faction spawning in two locations, this is the best imo.
Location: Tunnel under laker at Yantar (seems one of its bases on the game).
Default loadout: Mercenary-Medium: Mercenary suit, PA-7 Gas mask, AR416 (with some extra AP ammo and sight), M860 Cracker shotgun (with sight), UDP pistol, some grenades and Hilka detector.
Loadouts
Complete list of loadouts. Many of them needs rebalance, I know. Many factions have only a “medium” set, because you start without the main mission steps that provides you some goodies and items.
But maybe is “too high” or we need more “basic” ones, for all tastes. You can feedback about.
All: A bunch of basic consumables (medkits, bandages, some food and drinks, an antirad). A little rng on quantity you get.
Default Basic: Debut suit, AK-74U, PTM pistol and Echo detector.
Default Medium: Sunrise suit, PA-10 Gas mask, AKM-74S (with some extra AP ammo), M860 Cracker shotgun, UDP pistol, some grenades and Hilka detector.
Default High: SEVA Suit, Dnipro (with some extra AP ammo and attachments), Saiga D-12 shotgun, Rhino pistol, some grenades and Bear detector.
Bandit Medium: Armored Bandit Jacket, PA-7 Gas mask, AKM-74S (with some extra AP ammo), SPAS-14 shotgun (with sight), UDP pistol, some grenades and Hilka detector.
Freedom Medium: PSZ-5V Guardian of Freedom suit, PA-10 Gas mask, AR416 (with some extra AP ammo and sight), M860 Cracker shotgun (with sight), UDP pistol, some grenades and Hilka detector.
Duty Medium: PSZ-5D Universal Protection suit, PA-10 Gas mask, AKM-74S (with some extra AP ammo and sight), M860 Cracker shotgun (with sight), UDP pistol, some grenades and Hilka detector.
Monolith High: Corundum Suit, AS Lavina (with AP ammo and attachments), Saiga D-12 shotgun, Rhino pistol, grenades and Bear detector.
Monolith Medium: Zircon suit, PA-10 Gas mask, Kharod (with some extra AP ammo, sight and silencer), M860 Cracker shotgun, UDP pistol, some grenades and Hilka detector.
Spark Medium: PSZ-5I Hawk suit, PA-10 Gas mask, Kharod (with some extra AP ammo, sight and silencer), SPAS-14 shotgun, UDP pistol, some grenades and Hilka detector.
Ward Medium: PSZ-20W Conwoy suit, PA-7 Gas mask, GROM S-14 Groza (with some extra AP ammo and sight), M860 Cracker shotgun (with sight), UDP pistol, some grenades and Hilka detector.
Military Medium: PSZ-7 Military Body Armor, Ballistic Helmet, AKM-74S (with some extra AP ammo), M860 Cracker shotgun, UDP pistol, some grenades and Hilka detector.
Mercenary Medium: Mercenary suit, PA-7 Gas mask, AR416 (with some extra AP ammo and sight), M860 Cracker shotgun (with sight), UDP pistol, some grenades and Hilka detector.
Artifact Hunter: SSP-99 Ecologist, M860 Cracker shotgun, Buket S-2, UDP pistol and Bear detector.
Mutant Hunter: Marauder Suit, Ballistic Helmet, Saiga D-12 shotgun, Viper-5 SMG, Rhino pistol, some grenades and Echo detector.
Sniper Merc Assassin: Mercenary Suit, PA-10 Gas Mask, Mark 1 EMR (with some extra AP ammo and attachments), Viper-5 SMG silenced, UDP pistol silenced, any grenade and Hilka detector.
The other files
Money and rank
As its names says. These files set each option to the value indicated. More info about “rank” in “F.A.Q.” below.
For rank being more reasonable, I suggest mods like “Modular Hard Mode”, that adds variation to higher ranks.
Guides options
Remember that to unlock fast travel with guides, you must discover first the destination. Some faction starting presets have “no sense” to have an empty fast travel list, as you start inside the Zone, you may know some locations. For that cases, some destinations will be unlocked at first for your base-guide. These are included in each preset that needs.
Also, some other optional paks for different tastes (all destinations unlocked or only some unlocked). For example, the “Not all, but main bases enabled for all guides” option opens this travels: Rostok, Zalissya, Malachite, Slag Heap on Garbage, Sultansk on Zaton.
Faction bases
Some pak files to add new NPCs to the factions that needs these. For the moment, only trader and technician. As would be impossible to make a rational gameplay without access, at least, to get repairs and consumables. These are included in each preset that needs.
Enable main history
Maybe someone could found ok to play main history with another starting loadout or rank. For limitations, only set to two locations. With this pak, you will note that the main history mission “Behind Seven Seals” (the ask about Solder in Zalissya one) is active when starting.
No rank change on main missions (experimental)
As someone could use the previous option, maybe he/she wants to “keep fixed” the rank value, that changes through the main missions, explained why in “F.A.Q.” below. Optional and experimental (not tested, but may work) pak file.
Revert repeatable tasks and wait to vanilla game
As explained in F.A.Q. and features, I changed the number and wait time for these tasks. For someone doesn’t like, he/she can apply this to revert the change to vanilla values.
6. Frequently asked questions (F.A.Q.)
Why not a save file with spawned items and a teleported player?
Yeah, it’s an option, but this addon is mainly made for play with more mods that changes items and looting, that need a new generated game for the dynamic generators and other stuff. This ensures total compatibility, as is just a 100% clean new game.
Also, this way doesn’t need to mess up with overwriting or renaming save files and makes it easy to offer variations.
Why you added the pak file to change the player rank to “master” in the default config?
As “free play” is the objective, we must “unlock” all the Zone features, that you normally unlock progressing in certain points of the main history, that you’re not going to pass.
Rank (don’t be confused by the difficulty) controls many things like spawns types of enemies, items sold by traders or squad levels, so, is the only way for now to get an “unlocked Zone” from the beginning. Also, mods like “Modular Hard Mode” uses it for many features. Another reason to use mods like MHM is that it redone the NPC spwaning loadout type depending rank to something more varied and logic, important for this.
The good… and the bad. Beware, you must run if you have “bad luck in the randomized spawns”, now all unlocked and hard-real!
Anyway, you can set the rank as you want, but keep this in mind.
If anyone plays with the optional file that re-enable the main history mission, I also added an optional pak that locks the rank changes in that triggers certain points in it (experimental and not tested, but may work).
Why you increased the repeatable tasks/quests limit and reduced its waiting time?
The base mod changes the time (from 24 to 8 in game hours) that you must wait to “get” another task from NPCs that give repeatable quests. Also, increases the number of different style of them when it’s possible (from 3 to 4).
As “free play” is the objective, you may need things to do, more than roleing or secondary missions. This increases some of the opportunities to get money and increase faction relationships, while getting activities to do. In fact, it is a feature that I wish we could increase in the future.
What are the downsides?
The Zone will remain like in the game starting initial stage. This could produce some strange things and “locked” zones, that only “unlocks” progressing in the main history, that you won’t play. For example, access to some regions or closed doors to bases.
I included some “workarounds” for these problems (better or not, but a solution): you receive the “Lesser Zone North Gate Key” in all loadouts (to access Garbage) or guide fast travel between Pripyat<->Yaniv are enabled besides you’ve not discovered the places.
But there are much more things like that we may to solve (waiting for feedback).
Also, some NPCs are in a “different” position, maybe caused by the game stage (but are functional).
Is this compatible with X mod?
Depending the file choices, but mostly yes. The new NPCs added are done in the non-overwritting files way and the overwrited files aren’t normally used by another mods. I will elaborate this section later.
