[Release] S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg full release is now available! news

Greetings, stalkers!

It's finally here! July the 20th is finally upon us (unless it has already passed) and the plot shall finally go ahead... After many sleepless nights, game over screens and "cured" cases of frostbite, I'm finally able to make the full release of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg available for you all!

In today's article, I'll be going over a couple of key details that I've highlighted in my previous articles, alongside a few new things here and there. Feel free to check out the announcement of this mod's release date here if you're looking for more. Otherwise, we'll press on for now.

FOUR DYNAMIC CLASSES:

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg grants the player access to four different classes for each of the two primary faction choices, each coming with their own advantages and disadvantages. These weapon classes are also reflected through the presence of your allies as well as your sworn enemies.

ASSAULTER: Suitable for medium and long range combat encounters. These common grunts are often those who are dropped right into the heat of the battle, but that doesn't come without at least some benefits. Many assault rifles are versatile enough to be used under most combat scenarios.

- Advantages: Versatile weaponry. Reasonable mobility.

- Disadvantages: Repair equipment not accessible by default.

SPECIALIST: Suitable for close range combat encounters. Lightweight, cunning and able to swiftly dish out more lead than most. These guys thrive in getting up close and personal with the enemy. Submachine guns are their bread and butter, and their fire rate will ensure that they'll be home for dessert.

- Advantages: Excels in close range combat. Higher fire rate of weapons used. Excellent mobility. Repair equipment accessible by default.

- Disadvantages: Long range combat encounters are extremely risky. A frequently close proximity to enemies can be a danger to players.

HEAVY: Suitable for medium range combat encounters. Big, brutal and straightforward. Kills the enemy, and kills them now. Heavy units do not mess around. Sometimes, one has to take an overkill approach to getting the job done. Light machine guns, amongst others, are their specialty. They'll often accompany their weapon of choice with something extra, too.

- Advantages: Powerful weaponry. Spawns with an additional assault weapon by default. Repair equipment accessible by default.

- Disadvantages: Reduced mobility. Additional responsibility of maintaining multiple weapons on the battlefield.

SNIPER: Suitable for long range combat encounters. Silent and deadly, with a keen eye for detail, sniper units are able to use the element of surprise to their advantage. Once they have the enemy in their sights, a striking thunder will sweep across the land to signal another kill being added to their name.

- Advantages: Excels in long range combat. Excellent potential to kill with each shot fired. Able to ration ammo effectively due to the nature of issued weaponry.

- Disadvantages: Limited potential for close range combat encounters. Limited ammo capacity and rate of fire. Repair equipment not accessible by default.

Each of the four classes above are also accompanied by an additional option to explore the plot of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg in a "show, don't tell" fashion through the eyes of an experienced soldier. There's also a hidden surprise in the character creation screen that any CoC veteran shouldn't have any problems sussing out!

A NEW SOUNDTRACK:

Includes three variations of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg soundtrack used to present gameplay and cinematics of this mod in its promotional materials (i.e. the gameplay trailer).

- "Bells" - Slow synth notes accompanied by church bells. Used in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg by default as background music for the pause menu and the main menu.

- "Ominous" - A synth and drum beat accompanied by church bells.

- "Ominous Bells" - Slow synth notes accompanied by church bells, transitions to a synth and drum beat accompanied by church bells. Used in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg gameplay trailer. A combination of the above.

All three of these variations of the soundtrack can also be modded into your install of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg. Feel free to use any of these in your own projects, though I'd kindly request that any users leave a link back to this mod to keep others updated and in the know.

The full soundtrack for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg can be downloaded here.

A NEW CHANNEL UPDATE:

This brief section is related to my YouTube channel, so you're free to skip to the next section if you're just looking for info on S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg.

I haven't found anywhere worthy of me posting this news on, so I'll do it here. A new playlist has launched on my YouTube channel (available here). This playlist is called "Modder's Music", a collection of music tracks that I've had the pleasure of putting together myself for presenting upcoming and released modifications. All of the music in the section above, the full soundtrack for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg, is available in this playlist for any and all to check out.

Not to sell myself short, but anything in this playlist is just amateur stuff, so it's not like anything will be state-of-the-art or anything of the sort. I'd rather be honest about this than pretend it's something that it isn't.

The download link to all of the music I made for this mod, which consists of only the mod's soundtrack, can be found in the section above.

A DEVELOPING STORY:

In the original announcement article for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg (available here), I touch on the background story and past events that had led up to the current events of this mod taking place. It is here that I'd like to directly quote my previous explanation to give you all some context as to why these men are spilling their blood in battle. My brief explanation is as follows:

"Some strange sightings have been reported by stalkers and military operatives towards the western reaches of the Zone. Despite the numerous disappearances in and around the Red Forest in recent months, some stalkers were daring enough to seek out the cause of these strange sightings, only to be hindered by the harsh weather that has swept through the Chernobyl area in a matter of days.

Months prior, a cache of weapons was discovered deep in the Zone. While it is currently unclear as to where it is or why it exists, many stalkers were quick to arm themselves with their findings. Eventually, the Military have been able to catch onto this and have taken preventative measures to reduce (or, at best, eliminate) any potential for a full-blown faction war.

Sensing their vulnerability to the harsh winter temperatures, the Mercenaries were quick to migrate from the Dead City and spread their forces out across various camps that are dotted around the western borders of the Zone. Only a known few were unfortunate enough to lose their lives following this change in circumstances. Even so, some of the deceased still remain with some choice gear that is still ripe for the taking, should any stalkers be motivated to dig deeper for the spoils of the dead."

The year is 2017. We are no longer in the Second World War. The Second World War, to an extent, seems to have come to the Zone! Many more important details are yet to be revealed. Just keep in mind that whatever happens in the dark is bound to be drawn out into the light.

If you're interested in learning more about the lore around this mod, feel free to check out the two pieces of valuable intel that were recovered by military patrols across the western border of the Zone. See here for the Axis soldier's account and here for the experiences of two surviving Partisans.

OLD GUNS, NEW VICTIMS:

The aforementioned events have led to many stalkers getting their hands on some choice weaponry. Whether it's the Grease Gun, the Panzerschreck or the Volkssturmgewehr assault rifle, there's bound to be at least some bloodshed out on the battlefield! Courtesy of the many talented contributors to the World War II Weapons Pack addon (found here) for the award-winning S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Chernobyl modification (found here).

These World War II weapons reinforce the harsh, gritty theme that S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg aims to hold up for itself. It also serves somewhat as a commemoration to the millions of lives lost during the Second World War. Still, a mod like this may go unnoticed by most who've been touched by such a moving conflict in human history, though it still does its bit by keeping all of the details as accurate as humanly possible.

Aside from the Partisans and the Axis, there are some familiar faces that you'll be able to keep your crosshairs targeted at, so keep a keen eye out for them and don't be caught off guard!

ADDON SUPPORT:

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg now has its own addon support, meaning that users can post their own modifications in the addons section on this mod's page. No matter how small or large your changes may be, do not feel discouraged from posting your work here (or anywhere else, for that matter). We all have to start somewhere! For any posts for addons, I do kindly request that users exercise common sense and aim to practise good etiquette. In other words, please be respectful. Include installation instructions and state which version of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg your addon is compatible for. I'm also planning to chime in with some of my own addons for this mod, so stay tuned for those!

Before you go, I'd also like to clarify that S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg requires S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Chernobyl (1.4.22) to run. This applies to both the demo and the full release. Be sure to take a look at this tutorial on how to install this here for the mod itself and here for its latest patch (patch 1.4.22) if you haven't already (credits to TeamEPIC). I've taken great care to include installation instructions in all of the mods that I've had the pleasure of making and releasing, so there should be an extremely low likelihood that any confusion may arise (of course, there's no shame in asking for help).

For those who wish to stay updated on S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg, as well as my other works, I've left links down below to my YouTube channel and Twitter account. Feel free to stop by for a chat or ask me any questions that you guys may have.

- Modder's Playground YouTube: youtube.com/@moddersplayground

- Modder's Playground Twitter: twitter.com/ModdersPlaygro1

On that note, thank you all so much for stopping by. I'll be sure to see you all soon!

Love you all, Jacob_MP. xx

Disclaimer: None of the stuff in this article or this mod is tied to GSC Game World or the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. franchise in any way. This is just a fan-made modification made by one guy who has too much free time on his hands.