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S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl is a first-person shooter computer game by GSC Game World, published March 20, 2007 after 6 years of development. In S.T.A.L.K.E.R., the player assumes the identity of a "Stalker", an illegal explorer/artifact scavenger in "The Zone". "The Zone" is the location of an alternate reality version of the Chernobyl Power Plant after its second explosion, which contaminated the surrounding area with radiation and caused strange otherworldly changes in local fauna, flora and even the laws of physics.

 

Best bad ending time on Novice: 0:15:49 by Mirko Brown on 2011-05-13, done in 22 segments appended into 1 file.

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Author's comments:

Improvement time!
Well, where do i start. I hate writing comments, because i dont know what should i comment, especially in a
run which is only about 15min long. Guys like TheVoid or ExplodingCabbage seem to turn every commentary into
a novel. Ok maybe its because they run games, which got more stuff to mention. Stalker mostly running. Straight
forward, nothing else.
Ok, maybe you ask yourself why did you rerun this game? well, i wasnt happy with some spots in the old run and
with overall quality of run. At this point used a combination of the Windows Movie Maker and the DivX Converter.
All in all a bad combination. Arni-Chan was a 'bit' too complex. Shortly after the Stalker run appeared on SDA
i started to use Vdub and MeGui, which works good. The video quality is much better now and there is also an IQ
version of the run. My PC recived an update, so i was able to record with 1024x768 at 60fps, instead of 800x600
at 30 fps. The timing of the old run was a big mystery to me. I didnt found an answer, how you get a total time
of 17:18. These are the reasons, why i decided to rerun this game, after my plan to make a run on master failed
(mostly as a result of my bad planning).
I timed from the first frame, where you can see the gameworld, till the 'Move to next level?' screen pops up.
Everytime you enter a level, the game makes a autosave, so if you do each level in one segment there won't be a penalty.
I started run at the 25th January and finished it at 13th May. It took me so long, because i did a Mass Effect
during this time.

Crodon
I sold the leather jacket ,bought three medipacks and two energy drinks. With accepting the mission from the trader
you are able talk Wolf the leader of the Loner, who gives you some equipment. I left the bunker and head to village.
Next to the group, which sits on the ground lies a energy, which i picked up(It's free so i dont have to take care
about getting one more later). Wolf gives you a pistol and a knife. The knife is needed in Yantar. It's generally
useful, but the pistol isnt. You only need in once. After you talked to Wolf, climb up the ladder, move to the left
on the trim and jump on the roof. If you are on that roof, jump on the next roof. There is a hole in the roof, which
is near the exit on the village. There is a crate on the attic, which you only can destroy with a pistol. In the crate
is a Stalkersuit. Its only in the unpatched version there, in a patched version there is only a Mercenary suit. Then
jump over the fence, run to the wagon on the hill and pick up the medipack. Then i moved on passed the brige, which
is a extrem weird place. Sometimes you stand next to a military guy, who shoots a whole clip at you and doesnt hit you.
There are also situation, where they hit you when you are already far away. The end of the you just have to dodge
the bullets.
Time: 2:32;700 + 1 sec save penalty

Garbage
This one is quiet easy. The only problem is i cant use an energy drink here. Well, i could but this would mess up my
planning. Ok, planning is a bit exaggerated, but it would lead to a problem later. So a straight line is needed.
I also picked up the wrenched artifact, because it gives you some Rubel you need for the trader at the Yantar region.
One last thing to notice the anomaly near the end. I ran sometime into that damn thing.
Time: 1:05;983

Bar
Another easy one. I picked up the stuff from the dead guy next to the truck, just to sell it. Then i've tried to avoid
the roaming dogs and jumped on the small made out of soil, with steelstaves in it. From the wall i jump over the fence
and ran behind the buildings to the exit. So i entered the trigger from the wrong side.
Time: 0:52;333

Wild territory
Normally it would be an easy one, but something is wrong with this level. Roughly every second attempt of the level
ended in the area behind the fence. I recorded with fraps at 60 fps, but somehow the level runs at 120fps. When the
framerate drops, back to a normal level, it starts to get jerky again. It's another map, which needs to be done without
an energy drink. Also the truck climbing in the beginning is tricky, because if you lose too much stamina you'll have
to walk the last few meter and don't get below 57 sec.
Time: 0:56;800

Yantar
This is the first of two levels, where i've done something different. I split this part in 3 segments, because its
extremly random. You have to find 2 grenades, the scientist have to drop an artifact, and the trader have to sell
2 medipacks 4 Energydrinks and at least 180 bullets of 5.56x45 mm ammo. It also have to be well executed, so till
reach a good time, you have to spend a hell lot of tries.
I just visit Yantar to get the Psi-Emission protector. It makes the red forest part much easier. First i killed the
zombie outside of the bunker area. This zombie always dropped a TRs 301, which is a really decent assault rifle and
more important the zombie dropped a grenade. Then i directly went into the bunker, to trigger the scientist.
As soon you enter the bunker he walks to a spot near the wall. You can't use weapons in the bunker, so i went out again
and used the time the scientist needs to walk to his spot near the wall, to search for a second grenade, which i found
in a create. When the scientist is in position, throw a grenade at the wall and try to place the grenade near the wall
so the explosion kills the scientist. After i throw the grenade, i went inside and loot the dead scientist. He had a
aritfact, which is a fast way to get money. Then i talked to the professor, during this dialog you swap the pda from
the scientist for the Psi-Emission protector. I also bought some necessary stuff (I listed it above). After that i
left Yantar.
Time: 1:22;633 + 1 sec save penalty

Wild territory second pass
To be honest i dont know where the nearly 3 sec improvement come from, but i guess it's from a better execution.
Again a level, where you just need to run. The bridge is a problem, because there are several anomalies under it.
On novice they aren't a danger, but they can mess up your attempt. I picked up a fireball artifact. It has a nice
sideeffect. It reduces the radiation you take, if radiated it reduces the radiation till it's gone.
You also lose time, if you time cross the middle part, but luckily you need to cross it only once. The construction
site is normally a place for bandits, but somehow they werent there. The building with the high grass and a bloodsucker
is the first good reason for the fireball artifact. When you left that build there is a part, where the ground is broken.
There are some sharp edges and you suddenly stop running and lose time. The last real problem at this part is the guy
near the ladder. You need to kill him with a burst with some luck you get a headhot, otherwise he will shoot you in the
tunnel and you lose a lot of time.
Time: 1:17;133

Bar second pass
Run!
Time: 0:07;283

Army Warehouse
What a suprise, you only need to run through that level. Sounds boring? Well, it is. Oh and a small thing to notice
this level has alway a frame drop of roughly 10 fps for a sec or two. So you'll always notice a small lag. There is
not much to note about this level. Just that you have to avoid the anomalies at the beginning and that you always
need one energy drink.
Time: 1:05;683

Red Forest
More, running and no fighting. The outpost at the beginning is no big you just need to pass it, without getting hit by a
bullet. Then take the short way through the forest. There are two dangerous things about this 'shortcut'. One thing
is the sniper at beginning, when you enter the forest and the other thing are several anomalies (which contaminate
you quickly). After leaveing the forest through the fences, get back on the street, but keep some distance to group
between the concrete parts on the street.
In the Red Forest level is a barrier in front of the exit to Prypjat. You can disable it with following the normal
stroyline and visiting the X-18 labs. On novice it's only the small part at the end, when you are in this barrier
you' ll lose quiet a lot of health. There are several monoliths near the exit. It depends a lot on luck if you
reach the exit, or die.
Time: 1:31;617

Prypjat
Well, another level where you just have to run from A to B, but this time there are some differences. The most obvious one
is that you run through a city. Gameplay there are way more things you have to dodge, like your number 1 enemy the
kerbstone. It's the same route as in the last run. I used an energy drink here and i stopped the timing when the cutscene
starts. More to mention? NO! Next Level!
Time: 1:17;833

Chernobly NPP
Another level which involes a lot of running. At the pipeline on the leftside behind the burning helicopter, is a spot
with heavy radiantion. You have to avoid that one. Then you can switch to small way between the pipeline and the wall.
The chance you get hit there is rather low. When you pass the gate, you have to be faster then helicopter, otherwise
he will kill you. During the blowout you'll need to equip the fireball artifact, so the radition you take is limited and
decreases over during the time. The hardest part of the level is the end, where enter the NPP. It's pure luck, if they
hit you or not. Alternatively you can do it as in the old run, where you just wait next to the truck and one of the guys,
which are about to leave the NPP tries to shoot you with a Rocketlauncher. Since he is standting in the door, he hits the
and blows hisself and 3-4 other guys up.
Time: 1:30;250

Sarcophagus
The last level and its mostly fighting! Yeah, thats right. Its the level with the biggest improvement (42 sec, with out
the save penalty). The level with the most segments ( 7! ), and the hardest level. When you are running down the hallway, with
the spikes on the wall, you have to dodge the shots from the guy with the gaussrifle (He hides in the shadow at the end,
near the door.). Then enter the parallel corridor, shot the two guys there and dont get hit by the guy with the gaussrifle.
Follow the corridor and go through the door on the left. From this room you can shoot several guys in the big room next to
yours. The goal is to reduce the amount of enemies in the big room, so that you can pass it without dying.
Somehow there are now enemies in the corridor between the big room and the staircase, same goes for the area between
the top of the staircase and the entry to the reactor room. That is the reason why i picked up a grenade. The enmies
always try to get away from an explosion. The last thing to mention is the grenadejump. It's easy, but it depends on timing.
Just throw the grenade in the corner and jump shortly before the explosion.
Time: 1:58;000

Now, im finally done with that damn comments. I just read the comments again, and they are bad. Ok, not as bad as the
comments for the first run, but still. Several mistakes, weird sentence structure and other stuff, which make it not fun to
read. Why dont you correct it? Haha, no! The run is important, not the comments.

Thanks to:
- Teknikaali and jwrig2 for shortcuts and test runs
- SSDQ team for being awesome
- SDA team for creating a place for all kind of speedruns

That's it! Enjoy the Run!

PS: It's alreay on Youtube! HAHA, i was fast then you!

PPS: If you want to contact me go use the SDA Forum.

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