Perhaps In 2.5, A Detail Guide to Mods w/Steam? (Long) Thread - Super Mod Pack 2.4 for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl

Hello SMP Mod team, first of all, I'd like to say wonderful job on the mod. I previously used Complete 2009, and while it too was great, this just trumps it in content and visual experience.

My issue is the difficulty and vagueness of installing the "Optional Addon" pack that's about 250MB and a seperate DL. When I got it, I read through it and was surprised at the additional, say, left out content that could have been present in SMP but I found was not. Whether it was due to difficulty or personal preference, I don't know, but as a first time STALKER mod-user there was little to no explanation.

Now I consider myself pretty proficient when it comes to using mods and games. I modded Oblivion to hell and back, using tons of different mods that vaguely worked together, and (while this may not have any meaning to you if you never played modded Oblivion) I used Wrye Bash for rather than the more simplistic OBMM. Why do I tell you this? Just a bit of insight that I more than less know my way around modding and eventually learning how to make it work. Just using guides I find to get things moving, unfortunately there was a complete lack of guides for Steam modding/Installation.

What I got from the gist of it was that I use the Steam Unpacker on a DB file in the Root STALKER, and then I kind of floundered. I tried to discern what it was asking but the wording (perhaps English was not their first language?) confused me. I understand the SMP team does not write these, but perhaps you could indulge on the specifics of how it works for Steam?

I really only say this as I feel the mod could be much more immersive and gripping with some -at least I thought- essential mods absent from the pack. Namely the Headbob, Tracer, and Alt. Knife mods that really got you "into" the game.

I'm not asking for you guys to take some time out of the pack to write out a detailed thing in this thread, but rather write it out in one of the Rich Text Files that explains the mod. Perhaps with pictures that detail locations and such. While I'm used to crashing due to mod incompatibility/misplacement, I was surprised to find myself Blue Screen twice when attempting to use some of the additional mods. It can't be my computer as I has sufficent RAM, two ATi 5970's, and a 3.8GHZ Quad Processor.

In closing, wonderful work on the pack guys, but I just feel a bit more detail could have been added on the topic of Steam mods, or perhaps just add the less specific "Optional Addons" to the main pack. I was honestly surprised something as "simple"(read:commonly found in most games) as Headbob/Depth of Field/Motionblur was missing from the main pack. Without making this to lengthy, just wanted to say my two cents and opinions on the pack. Good job SMP team.

EpsilonELM wrote: Hello SMP Mod team, first of all, I'd like to say wonderful job on the mod. I previously used Complete 2009, and while it too was great, this just trumps it in content and visual experience.

Thanks.

EpsilonELM wrote: My issue is the difficulty and vagueness of installing the "Optional Addon" pack that's about 250MB and a seperate DL. When I got it, I read through it and was surprised at the additional, say, left out content that could have been present in SMP but I found was not. Whether it was due to difficulty or personal preference, I don't know, but as a first time STALKER mod-user there was little to no explanation.

Optional Addon pack was stuff to make SmP more customizable per player request. Some like features A but not feature B.. We tried to offer these. And some of these addons can cause more issues than vanilla SmP. So adding them effected the game story or stability.

EpsilonELM wrote: Now I consider myself pretty proficient when it comes to using mods and games. I modded Oblivion to hell and back, using tons of different mods that vaguely worked together, and (while this may not have any meaning to you if you never played modded Oblivion) I used Wrye Bash for rather than the more simplistic OBMM. Why do I tell you this? Just a bit of insight that I more than less know my way around modding and eventually learning how to make it work. Just using guides I find to get things moving, unfortunately there was a complete lack of guides for Steam modding/Installation.

I'm not a fan of steam. I don't like programs that enforce DRMs to enjoy games. Thats the new Fad for these uber corperations to blame pirates and there ilk on greed etc. But hey. I've ask fan's who have experience with Steam to help write stuff up and I would add it to the Readme.. but most of the fan stay quiet or don't know or care not. So I apologizes if there is lacking steam instructions. I won't apologize for my feeling towards them. When stalker SHOC came out there was no steam.. Steam support came much later.

EpsilonELM wrote: What I got from the gist of it was that I use the Steam Unpacker on a DB file in the Root STALKER, and then I kind of floundered. I tried to discern what it was asking but the wording (perhaps English was not their first language?) confused me. I understand the SMP team does not write these, but perhaps you could indulge on the specifics of how it works for Steam?

I can't help you on this.

EpsilonELM wrote: I really only say this as I feel the mod could be much more immersive and gripping with some -at least I thought- essential mods absent from the pack. Namely the Headbob, Tracer, and Alt. Knife mods that really got you "into" the game.

Head bob caused a sound issue with weather effects like rain. If you had surround sound you can hear the problem. Tracers where in. Certain ammo had the options of showing it. Takes alot of work editing all those ammo types to fire tracers.. And SmP has alot of ammo. Alot. Knife mod I like to use.. I found it cooler looking than vanilla. But I like giving players options. Thats What SmP is about.

EpsilonELM wrote: I'm not asking for you guys to take some time out of the pack to write out a detailed thing in this thread, but rather write it out in one of the Rich Text Files that explains the mod. Perhaps with pictures that detail locations and such. While I'm used to crashing due to mod incompatibility/misplacement, I was surprised to find myself Blue Screen twice when attempting to use some of the additional mods. It can't be my computer as I has sufficent RAM, two ATi 5970's, and a 3.8GHZ Quad Processor.

Reason for SmP? Easy.. Many years ago before all the Supermods except for AMK Priboli etc. There wasn't any real English mod and those that where available where only mini mods or individual mods.. So players from the rest of the world had to figure out how to merge them into there own game. Most can't or don't have the time. Some time later I joined with Kanyhalos who helped with Oblivion Lost mod. I felt this one had the same ideals I envisioned in STALKER. Back then it was the new thing and according to the Russians the english version mod of AMK.. but cheapened... For me it was the start. When Kany left. I tried merging other mods. Being not good scripter it was alot of trial and error and I ask for help. Back then I didn't get much answers. Since the russian mod teams are more advanced and ahead of us I was feed up and wanted to change that. So I asked Stalker fans "Do you want and improved Mod of OL? Or a supermod. I had possitive feedback. So it began.. Then Boinkmakr came and dropped his worked which was almost as identical as mine.. I had Argus textures and he had Arsenal weapons properly merged. Where I was still working on it at the time. WE joined forces. and Supermod Pack was born. Ever since then more and more people joined to help give abit of themselves to SmP.. Fans too. Even rival modders helped or used our stuff. Which we improved and enhanced. Alot of mini mods that are available out them we just use them into one Supermod and let the players or modders choose how they want to customize there own game.

EpsilonELM wrote: In closing, wonderful work on the pack guys, but I just feel a bit more detail could have been added on the topic of Steam mods, or perhaps just add the less specific "Optional Addons" to the main pack. I was honestly surprised something as "simple"(read:commonly found in most games) as Headbob/Depth of Field/Motionblur was missing from the main pack. Without making this to lengthy, just wanted to say my two cents and opinions on the pack. Good job SMP team.

Steam isn't my thing.. For the other items its about options and back then we didn't have a good scripter who could make those and option ingame.. so we had to do it the old fashion way drag and drop it. Supermod Pack v2.5 will have many of these features option choice in game. We have SmP option menu so you can choose your features.

SmP v2.5 Is the end for Shadows Of Chernobyl game.. SmP 3.0 will be running in Call of Pripyat game.. After I'm back from my long needed vacations.

Thanks

WH