Repairs Thread - MISERY mod for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat

Question: Why do repair kits have a limited number of uses? I think it would be easier for the player to grasp and manage if the repair kits themselves were an unlimited use set of tools, but required materials to use. I don't doubt that this approach has been considered. What's the reasoning behind not doing things this way? From what's being said about the next release with expanded functionality for harvesting mutant materials and spare parts, it makes even more sense to me.

I just started getting into the mod, and I absolutely love it. I'm just having trouble grasping this one aspect of gameplay.

Repair kits contain both tools which wear over time, and consumables like oils, and spare parts which get used up. They are much more economical than having a mechanic do the repairs for you. Essentially, anything that will make the game or survival in the zone easier has a cost. The greater the benefit, the greater the cost. Tool kits are portable which bears both a premium price and weight penalty.

Over time, you will discover that between looting bodies and finding stashes you can survive and accumulate a tidy sum if you simply prioritize what you buy and use what you find to best advantage. Sell what you must to survive, especially early in the game, but strategic stashing of items you find that have no immediate use will reduce your carry weight and save you money later on when you don't need to buy those things again.

Later in the game, I use repair kits and materials found to bring fair condition weapons up to pristine condition to sell for a premium. I save those specific to my chosen primary/secondary weapons and armor but use the rest up making loot even more valuable.

Actually, main reason why repair kits have limited usage is overall gamebalance. It is possible to create kits to have unlimited usage, with using only spare parts, oil and similar (bonus items) as spent items trough repairs economy might be even a harsher than already is. However it might become tedious to repair some weapon trough 10-15 repeated repairs instead of just 2-3 repairs trough repair kits that gives larger percent of repaired condition.

Other gamebalance reason is to "force" player to make trips more often across dangerous parts of map between quest objective/hunting ground and safe base.
When you are out of supplies you will have to get to the base to sell junk and buy suplies and make needed repairs.

Upcoming Misery 2.2. will bring some more repair choices and make whole gameplay more interesting. Not easier, not harder, but more interesting to play.

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I brought this up, because I feel like it's the opposite. Nothing can be repaired without a repair kit, and they provide the bulk of utility in this game mechanic. All other materials are optional (not to be mistaken for trivial). When these repair kits are also very limited use, it creates a choke point in the game balance. They must be very expensive and low probability to find as loot. This results in a single game mechanic having disproportionate influence on the difficulty in the beginning of the game, due to a very high barrier to entry in order to begin engaging in this important mechanic at all. Gear is highly influential to income, and the need to upkeep means income also limits gear. So the balance is a steep climb and then plateau.

If the meta-logic separated materials and tools, making both required elements for this mechanic and spreading out the value, then the barrier to entry lowers, while also making it easier to balance a more consistent level of effort and difficulty required throughout the game. On the surface, it would appear to reduce the overall difficulty, by making it easier to upkeep everything while just foraging out in the field. But that's only if the implementation doesn't take into account the amount of effort required to scavenge the exact materials required at any given time, and if repairs require a decent passage of time (similar to the application of some other items where the screen blacks out for a bit and time passes), then the player is forced to find a safe place to do this anyway.

It's confusing to me, because the framework for materials interacting with tools is already there. It's just not currently balanced this way, as far as I can tell.

But yes, I am very much looking forward to Misery 2.2, because it looks like it might be doing what I'm talking about to an extent.

Edited by: SalmonGod

It is the matter of perception really.

There are quite few players are comfortable with current repairing system, there are these who are not used to it. At beginning of the game repair kit is beyond player's pay grade for the challenge, but also keep in mind playing through half of the story line with half broken Ak is quite doable. There are videos with players made to pripyat with Ak with condition already in red. To them it's just more challenge that way and more realistic to have weapon that do jam in the field, not everybody can afford trolling with pristine condition weapon in such harsh place. Repair kit isn't design for players to make money in the early stage of game, everything cost money and the only way to make money is able to take from the outside world.

No, gear isn't the key to higher income, able to carry more valuable loots to the base and able to sell most of them is the key to higher income. In my countless hours in the game, I have never bought any repair kit from traders. Always got enough coins to pay for repair if needed, or loot kit to repair what's important. Also I have found repair animation is unnecessarily long and tedious, so I am try to avoid if possible.

Same here, I have only bought one a couple times to bring one of my most preferred weapons up to snuff if I stumble upon it looting someone in the early game.

Alright. I'm not meaning to raise a big fuss about it. I was just curious what the comments would be. I'm still new to the mod, and I don't doubt that it's still perfectly playable and awesome. So far it's seriously the most impressive mod I've seen, which is a big compliment for a Stalker mod.

It does seem strange though that for such an interesting mechanic that provides so much extra depth, the response from very experienced players is that they try to avoid it. There are discussions on the GSC forum back in 2010 where I was making the case that high level gear is too easily taken for granted to make the mid-late game smooth sailing, and what's needed is for that gear to require maintenance through the use of scavenged materials. To hear that such a system is now present, but you're better off avoiding it and paying the trader to repair your stuff as before is kind of disheartening. But I will continue on and see how it plays out for me.

I don't know anyone who pays the mechanic to do anything other than piddling minor repairs (which are cheaper then buying a minor repair item you might need more in the field) and upgrades. I fix everything myself, almost always with stuff I've already found. The repair system is much more varied and robust for 2.2. It's simply that if you are not playing for the first time, you know what kind of stuff you will eventually loot and what's worth fixing vs. selling off. Buying one big kit that will get your condition percentage up to the level that other found materials can finish the job is more cost effective than paying someone else to do it. Some guys will use a weapon until it just won't work anymore and then drop it and move on. I keep all my gear at 100% all the time, can't stand any weapon jams. But then, I'm retired military. Worn or below 100% condition weapons don't just jam, though. They become less accurate, armor less effective. You really do suffer consequences if you abuse your gear. You can see this by hovering over identical items one at 70-80% and one pristine. The effectiveness bars will show you the difference.

Discussion is good, and we like to know how others see things too. As long as you are not negligent with your weapon or abusing your armor by taking it where it isn't suited (like non-ecologist armor in fire or ecologist armor in a firefight) they usually remain in the easily repairable state and the large kits are not required. It's finding your dream shotgun or other favorite weapon in very worn, but repairable condition where those are presently essential unless you are willing to pay a mechanic to repair a weapon you won't be able to buy for a while yet. Misery gives you an amazing variety of choices.

Exactly it's matter of choice. If I am need of high condition weapon/armor and I happen to have a kit handy I will use them. I simply don't like the animations and time consuming self repairs, since I got the coins and know how to get more easy enough, I choose not to repair stuff on the field.

You will find out the mod is interesting enough the repair is only one aspect of it. After I put on my ninja suit I have developed complete set of new playing style, out of necessity. In my game NPC will have hard time acquire me as target, but the mutants (From jasper's modified mutant relations) will sniff me out half mile out and deliver almost instant death if I got cornered. This mod will grand you many other experiences so you will realize repair will be way down the list of worries when you set your foot out the door.

the only kits I usually buy is the general cleaning kit with works at 65% condition, since to repair some low condition weapons you would need 2 fixing kits instead of 1 fixing and 1 cleaning. Remember that beard / hawaiian pays most for kits not weapons vendor as you might think. also its way cheaper to buy complete sets then just with one or two uses left.

Most kits can be found in stashes so by the time you reach jupiter you should have a nice base to fix up any weapon which you might fancy. later on I try to have most weapons I use 3x, one stashed in every map.

To safe money especially in early game you should always use light fixing things (up to 85% or so) when you can to save money. Its also handy to always have a basic sewing kit or the like with you, it weighs less then a clip of ammo and can be handy on longer trips. especially recon will appreciate it.

€:
if you play with TaZ, the new weapons can be repaired with all kits. this means you can use handgun and shotgun fixing kits as well, which are otherwise pretty useless.
Also I think only in TaZ you can repair a weapon using the same weapon (you need 2x the same weapon) for 22%, which is by far the most.
Otherwise you should use weapon spare parts which are cheap to buy, or hunter kits (7%) which are commonly carried by veteran duty's.

Edited by: Keksfront