Ahh, Stalker. I'm actually suffering a crushing case of writer's block about it right this very moment, as I've been asked to write a chapter for a college text on the game and it was due two weeks ago. 5,000 words in and it's a mess. Zone help me.

Xtal, like Gregg I've heard great things about the Oblivion Lost mod, but it never worked on my 64-bit system, so be aware. In general I'd recommend playing vanilla Stalker (but patched! for the love of god, patch the game) to start, and experiment with mods later. I'm currently using the L.U.R.K. mod, which adds a stealth system and other goodies.

With regards to tips, you're on your own Stalker.

That was cold, Gregg. Truly hardcore. [Image Can Not Be Found]

Tips... check your PDA often, and make sure that you review your notes. Stick to single-shot until you have lots of ammunition, as that stuff is gold early in the game. Consider double-crossing Nimble and keeping the improved armor for yourself.

There's a gap in the fence around the train tracks in the central Cordon, so you can head north without facing the military at the collapsed bridge until you're better armed. You can also dart through the tunnel to the west if your timing is impeccable, but those Electro anomalies will light you up if you're off.

Don't go into the Garbage without a semiautomatic and at least 100 rounds of ammunition. Carry a bottle of vodka at all times for emergency de-radiationing. Bread is the lightest food, so carry that and ditch the rest. Be sure to have a supply of energy drinks for when your stamina runs out. If you hear a loud roar, the direction you should run is "away." Snorks may have a silly name but they scare the shit out of me. If you scare easily it's wise to keep a shotgun on hand for close encounters. You can ditch the pistol once you have a reliable rifle; you'll never use it again.

Artifacts are a great way to make money early in the game, and investing in grenades and ammunition is always wise. Never fail to pick up a bandage off a corpse. That number underneath your map in the upper left is the number of living Stalkers in your immediate surroundings. Listen to your Geiger counter. Anomalies tend to be more visible at night. Most suits of armor have nightvision (default: N) though this is never advertised. Wild dogs get scared and run off if you shoot them, but are fearless in large packs. Try to help Wolf out with a few quests early on and you'll get good rewards.

And enjoy!

Xtal, I know Stalker had problems with Vista and 64-bit at release, but I think the patches have corrected it. Hopefully your experience is a little more stable now.

The first time I soiled myself while playing was in the tunnels under Agroprom. Gregg, Helmut, and others will probably remember what I'm referring to.

The advice about consistently checking your PDA is super-important. About, oh, 2/3 of the way through the game your PDA will register a quest that you might not get another alert for. It involves going back and meeting someone, a member of Strelok's gang who will direct you to another character. You cannot get a "good" ending unless you complete this, and follow that second character's instructions to the letter. If you don't care about good endings, you can safely skip it, but it also reveals some important storyline stuff.

Hunger's a factor, but Complete might have removed it. I recommend carrying only a little of the lightest food, because you find it on nearly every corpse. The hunger indicators you remember from Call of Pripyat are still there (unless, again, Complete removed hunger)

You'll have to get used to the interface if you're coming off Pripyat. By then the interface had been improved quite a bit. The first STALKER is a lot clumsier, and takes some getting used to.

As for Gregg shitting himself, well, it wouldn't surprise me. There are moments in that game that could scare the shit, physically, out of you - as in the shit says "screw this, dude, I'm outta here." And where does it have to go? YOUR PANTS. This is extra likely to happen if you have a cat that leaps up on the back of your chair during scary moments to alert you to the fact that she wants to be petted.

Armand - no, sleeping was added in Pripyat, though Complete and others add it. The dreams were part of the original plan for STALKER but removed due to scheduling issues.

There's a cut-through back to the Cordon from Dark Valley, but you only have reason to return there once or twice. I repeat: keep checking your PDA for a quest that's not otherwise mentioned. You CANNOT get a "good" (none of them are that good) ending without it. It will direct you to someone you've already met, who (if you're lucky) is still alive and will in turn direct you to a new member of Strelok's gang. This latter fellow will explain a lot.

The theme of STALKER, literarily, is that of a place becoming a thing... a living thing, that is self-aware and at times extremely angry. There's additional exposition in Clear Sky that helps clarify what the Zone is.