OGSE 0.6.9.3 announcement news - Old Good STALKER Evolution mod for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl

Keep in mind that this information is not final, so it's subject to change by the time of the mod official release.

Windows XP - at least 3 GB of RAM
Windows 7 x64 - at least 4 GB of RAM

Stable operation of the mod for configurations with Windows XP and less than 3 GB of RAM, as well as Windows 7 x86 with ANY amount of RAM is IMPOSSIBLE, so technical support aren't covering such configurations; 90% of all the problems and CTDs on such configurations are associated with a lack of memory. It is well known and repeatedly confirmed by testing the mod in the development process. So after 0.6.9.3 will be released, please, make sure that your system meets the mod requirements to the amount of memory before reporting some problem. Windows 8 performance testing has not taken place yet, but in general terms the memory requirements of Windows 8 are similar to her predecessor, Windows 7.

System requirements below are estimated under original game's graphic effects set at maximum. With total turn-off of all additional effects video card requirements comply with the original game using full dynamic lighting (R2 render). While working on the 0693 static render (R1) WAS COMPLETELY REMOVED, so now game always starts in the dynamic lighting mode. Note that playing with additional effects requires a graphics card of modern architecture with lots of shader processors.

Attention! The following system requirements are a rough estimate, and may be somewhat overstated. Closer to the release date we'll perform benchmarking on specific test configurations and report on the obtained results.

To play without additional rendering effects or on the minimum settings of additional effects in resolutions up to 1440x900: Intel Core i3-4130 or AMD FX-4100 (or A10-6800K)
To play on minimum or medium settings of additional effects in resolutions up to 1440x900: Intel Core i3- 4130 or AMD FX-4100 (or A10-6800K)
To play on medium or high settings of additional effects in resolutions up to 1440x900: Intel Core i5-3570K or AMD FX-8320
To play on high settings of additional effects in resolutions up to Full HD and higher: Intel Core i7-4770 or AMD FX-8350

To play without additional rendering effects or on the minimum settings of additional effects in resolutions up to 1440x900: AMD Radeon HD3850 or nVidia GeForce 9600GT
To play on minimum or medium settings of additional effects in resolutions up to 1440x900: AMD Radeon HD4870 or nVidia GeForce GTX 260
To play on medium or high settings of additional effects in resolutions up to 1440x900: AMD Radeon HD5870 or nVidia GeForce GTX 480
To play on high settings of additional effects in resolutions up to Full HD and higher: AMD Radeon HD7970 or GeForce GTX 670

Note that powerful graphics cards require powerful processors, so the combination of powerful graphics card suitable for playing at high settings with low-end processor suitable only for playing on low settings will create a bottleneck for performance and you can play comfortably on this combination only on settings, for which your processor is suitable, that is, on low settings. In addition, in any case you can customize the advanced graphics settings of the game individually to best fit for your system, turning on or off any effects (all settings are now provided with clear descriptions of their impact on image quality and performance), so the system requirements are approximate.

12 GB total for the original game and installed modification.

- Microsoft Visual C + + 2005 redist;
- Microsoft. NET Framework 3.51 redist;
- DirectX 9 June 2010 redist.

Note: All this effects don't require any DirectX 10 or DirectX 11 support by hardware, it's all simple old good DirectX 9.

- Shadow of the player (full dynamic shadows from all light sources, not fake ones as on the static render)
- Bloodmarks of the bullet hits on the bodies of humans and monsters.
- Ability to adjust the density and range of grass rendering.
- Ability to turn on shadows cast by grass.

- Antialiasing. Two types are available - FXAA (Fast Approximate AntiAliasing) and SMAA (Subpixel Morphological AntiAliasing), first is faster, second is higher quality, both can significantly improve the image quality.

- Correct shadows cast by trees and landscape from the sun, with a length corresponding to the actual angle of sunlight.
- Volumetric light rays onto the dust particles in the air (aka godrays), you can choose two types: from Crysis or from STALKER: Clear Sky. The second option seems more reliable, but also has a greater performance hit.

- Soft water edges - now the water at the edge of lakes and swamps does not look like rough plane.

- Soft particles - particle effects such as smoke, dust, fog, etc. now have no sharp edges that manifest themselves in particle interaction with the geometry of level.

- Soft shadow edges.
- Global illumination - a technology that allows the calculation of objects luminosity with account of their mutual shading and shadows from small geometry details. Creates a more plausible picture of lighting with penumbras. Two different algorithms are available, SSDO and HBAO.
- Improved surfaces detalization using the Steep parallax mapping algorithm. This algorithm uses ray tracing to calculate bumps instead of height maps, which gives a more realistic and qualitative effect.
- The effects of eyes focusing and the depth of the scene when aiming, reloading and looking at close and distant objects.
- Lamps glows (flares).
- Dirt on the lens.

- Raindrops on helmet or mask glass of the player.
- Dynamic puddles from the rain.

- Wet surfaces during rain.

- Volumetric lights for some lamps.

- Plausible reflection on the water and wet pavement.
- Volumetric fog.
- The increase in the sharpness of the image.
- Real collimator sights on the weapons, with self-luminous aiming mark visible in any light conditions.
- The effects of being under water (work in progress)

- In scripting system we've implemented the unique debugging system for catching script binders deadlocks, which completely eliminates situations with a-life hanging and provides detailed information on the sequence of a module failures and calls in them, that allows us to quickly troubleshoot any problems.
- Liquidation of the original bug with armor bullet protection inoperability. Due to this bug in the original game armor did not give any ballistic protection at all, and even worse, with higher armor's bullet protection, more damage is dealt to the player from firearms.
- We've made entirely new, unique storage system for in-game data and variables, which provides virtually unlimited storage space that allows developers to not cross the limits when creating a lot of quests.
- Redesigned and improved system of widescreen support for game interface - no more stretching textures, UI elements, etc.
- Fixed original game CTDs with e_parent && e_entity error logs, when you kill an NPC in the process of reloading his weapon.
- Added an infrastructure to equip weapons with interchangeable scopes, underbarrel shotguns and other equipment. Unfortunately, we were not able to integrate appropriately such weapons of sane quality within a reasonable time in the game, but the entire system is fully available for use by developers of mod's additions.
- Huge refactoring and optimization of the script code (a critical places was completely rewritten), which resulted in even greater operating stability than in version 0.6.9.2.
- The engine is completely self-contained and DRM-free, but the original game files are still needed for the mod.
- The new system of quick and stored timers.
- Automatic connection of scripting modules with error handling.
- Introduced new handy tools for development and testing - the in-game debugging information collection system, the editor of shapes, etc.
- Completely reworked netpackets system, easy to use and secure.
- Fully corrected all the possible problems with the states manager that caused NPC to hang when changing behavioral patterns.
- All AI behavior schemes were modified, improved, and all possible conflicts between them were eliminated.
- Implemented unique armor effects, not working in the original game, such as wound healing, hemostasis, hunger, fatigue.
- Implemented exoskeletons worn over the armor, they can be put on almost any armor except scientific suits (air regeneration system on theirs back prevents this) and heavy military armor (too bulky).

- Fixed bug with incorrect change of protagonist's visual.
- Night vision goggles (NVG) are now wearable equipment and sold separately from the armor.
- Implemented the thermal imagery device.

- Implemented separate slots for all equipment (knife, detector, biosensors, helmet or mask, NVG).

- Advanced light sources, including outdoor lighting lamps and spotlights with the possibility of scripting control (on / off by schedule, etc.).
- Fixed original game's bug with impossibility to switch type of grenades you are holding.
- Fix original game's bug with NPCs falling in a state of panic, from which they can't get out (in situations of weapon loss for example).
- Interception of keyboard keys - now any Scripting action can be assigned to any key that allows you to conveniently control any appliances, devices and instruments. Widely used in our modification.
- Central unified convenient script spawn base.
- A new engine weather system randomizing weather cycles (still in progress).
- Revised weapons manager.
- Revised and fixed the NPCs danger reaction system, eliminated problems of the original game with oversized reaction to insignificant risk and self-scaring, followed by a prolonged search for the source of danger. Implemented a reaction to the discovery of friendly NPCs corpses.

- Added a lot of unique hand-made quests. Many new devices and items are used in these quests, including readable books, safes with rotating knob locks, appliances, jukebox, etc.
- Supplemented and extended storyline.
- Added guides to move quickly through already visited locations.
- Adapted module of offline a-life from AMK (optional and can be switched off) with generated news based on the offline events.
- Modified and improved the NPCs and companion outfit change scheme.
- Redesigned anomalies traversal algorithm using double restriction-scripted logic. Dynamic anomalies spawn system made to eliminate the anomalies on fixed routes of quest characters and in transition zones.
- Changed the sleep system, its interface and scripting part. You cannot sleep under the rain, you need to be in shelter. Sleeping in the open area in the absence of a friendly NPC or companion nearby may end fatally in an attack on a sleeping protagonist.
- Implemented the control system of population in the Zone, uncontrolled endless respawn is now impossible.
- Seriously modified cars, its physics, interface and interaction with them. Now it is necessary to refuel them, camera angles are corrected, the grass on the locations no longer passes through the car model, and not displayed in its interior. Also, you can ride in the car with a companion.
- Redesigned controlled APC, its control and guidance system. When riding on it with a companion he can help fire the guns, taking over the management and guidance of the shooting. It is also possible to sleep and wait for a blow-out to pass inside the APC.
- During the blow-out, all the electronics are shutting down, including night vision goggles and electronics of APC.
- Refined effects of monsters on protagonist.
- Hand-held machine guns and portable machine gun turrets (you can take a stationary machine gun with you, install it and fire).
- New biosensors system no more requires user to wear on a belt decaying parts of corpses - all recognition patterns are now added by a firmware packages.
- Mini games with quest characters.
- New autodoc with graphical interface, and charging cartridges instead of using drugs from player's inventory.
- A new system of dynamic campfires, reacts the same way to the NPCs and to the protagonist.

- Implemented effects of critical hits for the main character - player can drop the weapon from the hands, can take heavy headshots etc. (this option can be disabled).
- The effects of burning of NPCs and monsters when you are using a flamethrower on them, new realistic flame effects for flamethrower, the usage of a flamethrower by the companion and NPCs.
- Revised slow treatment module and effects of addiction to the action of drugs, implemented new drugs.
- Improved system of shelters from the emission, an icon appears while you in the shelter.
- Redesigned minigun, its model, sounds, animation, etc. Pre-roll of barrels works now.
- Random awards for typical quests with the ability to choose your reward.
- Randomly filling stashes.
- A new revised blow-out (work in progress).
- Redesigned scheme of looting the bodies with new animations and comments on the death.
- New version of the "Companions" scheme - it's improved and carefully modified. With a companion, you can now easily and conveniently, without delay, move between locations, ride in the car, and there is a selector of weapon type implemented. Companions are now provided with improved scripting combat intelligence, and better fighting with experience grows.

- Improved the protagonist's zombied state.
- Improved camps scheme so now NPCs do not fight for a place near the fire, etc.
- New scripting combat AI to replace original AI - with maneuvering, different behaviors, using shelters and arranging ambushes. With the growing complexity proportional to the experience of NPCs.

- All locations redesigned - we've corrected all of the remainder of the original unfinished geometry, added a new, expanded locations, equipped them with three-dimensional panoramas around (it creates the effect of an infinite world), completely redone AI-Net on the locations, corrected all the holes in it and its multiple overlays (sandwiches) in some places.
- Added new locations with the population and quests.

At this point in the development these parts of modification remain requiring finishing:
- Some quests
- Some additions of storyline
- The weather system (engine part)
- Wildlife on locations (will be made after the completion of quests)
- Balance of prices and assortments of traders