[Update] S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg - Mod Release Date + Extra Details news

Hello, stalkers.

After my analysis of the evidence that I had gathered in my previous articles (see here for the Axis soldier account, here for the Partisans' experiences and here for the initial mod announcement), I've come upon some more information on the upcoming S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg modification.

I am pleased to release another exciting update for you all on the topic of my upcoming mod, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg. What would be a better way to start off a mod update article than with a gameplay trailer?

Perhaps a heap of artifacts would suffice? Maybe a lifetime supply of Cossacks vodka?

Whatever you fancy, I'm sure it'll go well with what I'm about to get into in today's update. So, what's new? Let's get started!

A NEW PHASE SYSTEM:

Since the initial announcement of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg, I have been delving deep into this mod, testing everything from its scripts and models, to checking through its sounds and analysing how the in-game textures look. For every moment I've worked on this mod, I've often been asking myself "what could be done better?" or "how can I add this feature?" while documenting the development of this mod to the best of my ability. Over time, I've been able to line up a couple of things over some key dates prior to (and during) this mod's release.

- Phase One (30/05/2023): Release of the gameplay trailer for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg (shown above). Also marks the point where I am able to share everything in this article with you guys. A variety of things such as the upcoming demo, the full release and several in-game design choices will be highlighted here for you all.

- Phase Two (20/06/2023): Demo will be released. Gives players a taste of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg and what is to come. Demo will be released one month before launch.

- Phase Three (20/07/2023): The full release for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg (detailed below). All design documents will also be released where possible.

I'm very excited to share more info on this mod with you all. We're off to a great start, so let's strap on our boots, grab our guns and get down to business!

AN UPCOMING DEMO:

After some time since I had first revealed this mod, I put some time aside to put together a small demo of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg for you all. In this demo, players will have the opportunity to test out a handpicked selection of deadly weapons, get a feel for what combat is like on either side of the battle and have a brief look at how the class system is set out.

Currently, only the Assaulter class for both the Partisans and the Axis is available to play in the demo, with all four classes for each side (Assaulter, Specialist, Heavy and Sniper) being made available in the full release of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg. This demo will also serve as a lightweight resource for newcomers to check out what's in store, as it cuts out all of the extra meaty bits to preserve the mod's setting and the gunplay. On top of that, no significant story elements will make it into the demo, so there'd be no chance of anyone spoiling the story for themselves if they're only looking to check out how the mod plays out at its core.

A CUSTOM SOUNDTRACK:

Alongside the full release, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg will also come with its own soundtrack that can be downloaded separately. While it is used in-game by default, two additional alternate versions of this soundtrack (alongside the original) can be added into the game via the gamedata files that come in this package. All three versions of the soundtrack build upon each other, so you'd most likely get a feel for how they sound from listening to one or two of them at least.

Downloading the soundtrack is purely optional and will remain on the S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg downloads page from the mod's release date (20/07/2023). You guys are free to use it in your own work, though I'd be pleased if you were able to leave a link back to this mod to keep others in the know. You're also free to pop me a message with a link to what you've worked on, too (might need a new PDA after this).

The version of the soundtrack featured in the gameplay trailer above is the official S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg soundtrack named "Ominous Bells", albeit a condensed version of the full soundtrack. All versions of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg soundtrack are inspired by my many hours (yes, hours) of listening to the ambient soundtracks and combat music of the three original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games, especially those featured in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky.

While it's certainly nothing complicated, the soundtrack for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg can make for a nice change from the usual ambient music that we're all used to across the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games, though it's not like the latter doesn't already create a dark, gloomy atmosphere for the Zone.

SOME EXTRA GOODIES:

To show my many thanks to those who have downloaded the S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg demo, I'll be including a few extra goodies to go along with it. This will include four S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg desktop wallpapers (compatible with 1280x720 and 1920x1080 resolutions), an exclusive skin pack for your weapons (compatible with the S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg demo and full release, also includes backups of the original textures), some additional development screenshots and a S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg themed printable A4 journal that you can use to document your experiences on the battlefield! Now that I think of it, I haven't been able to pinpoint the location of any working printers here in the Zone...

The exclusive skin pack that will come with the demo also pays homage to one of my past mods, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Universal Golden Weapons. This mod, available here, allows players to give any of their in-game weapons a shiny golden texture. It's compatible with all three of the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games and includes resources that allow users to make their own golden textures from the comfort of their own modding workspace!

All of this content will be available early for those who download the S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg demo. Future downloads of the demo will still include all of the aforementioned goodies for those who simply want to take a peek into what cold and chilling fate awaits them on the battlefield.

INCREASED STABILITY AND FIXES:

Since my previous update, I've been testing S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg over and over again. My findings were somewhat challenging to overcome at best, especially as I was aiming to implement a fine balance between fun and realism (which can be difficult without going to one of these extremes). The hardcore aspect of urban warfare (namely snipers that can kill players with a single shot, pistols that can quickly whittle away at your health, etc.) will remain present and optional, whereas the casual side of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg (as the alternative) will also take the stage for those who simply want to jump right into the sandbox and get dirty. Think of the difference between Novice and Master difficulty in the three original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games.

At present, I'd like to go over a few things that I've been able to fix during testing since my initial announcement of this mod:

- Ragdoll Physics: This is a big one. In the three original S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: games, the ragdoll physics were exaggerated at times, namely with the in-game weapons and the level of power that they are depicted to be capable of with each shot. As a practical test for yourself, try loading up one of these three games and take out any ranged weapon in your inventory. From here, walk up to the closest NPC that you can shoot and unload your magazine into his head. As straightforward as it sounds, there are instances where the stalker you just shot may be flung backwards as if the bullet had not lodged itself into his body or travelled through his brain (excuse me for being vulgar). Well, that'd likely be the case unless you had the bright idea of using the Bulldog 6 (a.k.a. the RG-6). In contrast, shooting an enemy in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg will cause them to immediately drop to the floor upon death. This is not me trying to discredit the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. trilogy of games in any way, but it is something that I did want to point out. Death animations were considered for NPCs at one point during the development of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg, though they were prone to causing glitches in the enemies' ragdoll physics that were amusing at times; I was mostly able to observe targets flying away in the opposite direction when being shot at with more powerful weapons like the Kar98k and the Gewehr 43. This no longer happens during combat.

- Players' Armor and Health: Another big one, even bigger than the ragdoll physics (though debatable). Maintaining your health is the ultimate number one rule and failing to do so may have dire consequences. In S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg, that couldn't be any closer to reality. As this mod is portrayed as taking place during the harsh winter months, I found it fitting to implement a system where one must keep their armor on if they want to survive. Failing to keep your armor on will eventually cause one to freeze to death. The player's declining health (while not wearing any armor) can be countered by equipping a suit or clothing. In this case, players will always spawn with something to wear as to not tie them into a loop of constantly freezing to death, but this touch of realism certainly adds to the atmosphere. Compare this to a much more famous example; the Grand Theft Auto games. If one was to take out their gun and shoot at any NPCs they lay their eyes on, the in-game world will respond to this by granting the player with a wanted level, with some cases of the player even being faced with retaliation from the very same in-game characters they have decided to open fire on. While developing a mechanic that allows players to freeze to death in the cold isn't as complex as putting together a wanted level system in an open world game, the extra attention to detail can certainly work if it's in the right place. In short, I didn't want to make a mod that took place during the winter that didn't give players the opportunity to freeze to death if they wanted to do so.

- Story Refinements: Without going into specifics and spoiling things, some changes to the in-game scripts were made. Simple things like making sure NPCs spawned correctly (living or dead), making sure quest items are available to the player, etc. Of course, anyone is more than welcome to brush it off, grab their gun and jump right into the action, but I'm sure many would agree when I say it's important to give at least some context on why both warring factions are ruthlessly fighting for territory. During testing, I also went into the mod to specifically make sure that it recognises when the player is and isn't taking part in uncovering its story. I'm pleased to say that it's currently all in working order!

- Weapon Balance: Some changes have been made to the weapons featured in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg, namely the one-shot kill potential of the sniper rifles, battle rifles and shotguns. It's no secret that this can work for and against players (unless, in the latter's case, if you're playing on Casual Mode), but a quick and easy kill with a powerful rifle is all the more satisfying. All three of the aforementioned weapon types have been tested in-game to ensure that they almost always kill targets in a single shot, though each of these weapon types inherit their own costs in the heat of battle. Sniper rifles may not be the best option in combat over shorter ranges and shotguns may not favour the player at all over long distances. Battle rifles (i.e. the SVT-40) will come somewhere in-between these two, leaning more towards sniper rifles in this regard. Such measures have also been put in place to prevent NPCs from becoming bullet sponges, which I'm sure is a massive relief to those who've played their fair share of first person shooter titles (the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games have to be my favourites, though our lively modding community keeps on giving).

- Text Strings: A major detail, especially concerning the character creation screen (elaborated upon below) and other info shown for in-game items and NPCs. A few fixes were implemented for class info on the character creation screen and other minor changes were made to text strings that are linked to in-game items. A fine little detail I've added is the player's ability to see their PDA in their inventory, along with some minor background information about it. I always found it odd that in the original three S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games, players were unable to see their PDA in their inventory even though it was an in-game item that their character had on their person all the time. The same goes for players having the ability to use their bare fists (and examine them via their inventory), though that's just me opening up a whole new kettle of irradiated fish right then and there.

- Character Creation: Inherited from S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Chernobyl (available here). While both mods are certainly not boasting a character creation sequence that rivals the Elder Scrolls (or any other examples, if anyone has any), it still gets the job done. Some tweaks have since been made after it was implemented in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg. For instance, the two new factions (the Axis and the Partisans) have been added along with a neat little surprise in the character creation screen for the attentive few. Any S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Chernobyl veterans out there should be able to help others out with that. I also made sure that the text shown with each available class gives an accurate description of what they're suitable for, all of which are accompanied by an appropriate loadout to allow players to fulfil their chosen role in battle.

- Sound Design: A few neat and interesting tricks were used to create the setting and atmosphere of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg. This is especially the case in its overall sound design. A lot of the ambient sounds have been muted to make gameplay feel a lot more believable and less likely to disrupt players' immersion after hearing the same few ambient sounds play in the background of their game. Ambient music was kept in the mod, but can be muted in the settings (as per usual) if the player wishes to do so. Furthermore, having ambient sounds and music muted can assure players that every single sound they hear from then onwards was made by an NPC or some other entity (like an anomaly, for instance).

- Singleplayer/Multiplayer Discussion: S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg has been developed as a singleplayer experience, inspired by the ongoing battles depicted within the game worlds brought about by the Call of Duty games (the classic ones) and other shooters that have evolved since the early 2000s. However, I do understand that many may also be craving a multiplayer World War II experience. While it is not on the current agenda on my end to implement such a feature during development or for the upcoming release of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg, I do welcome anyone's efforts to have a crack at making an online iteration of this mod. Who knows? I might take a look at it. On the other hand, there is a World War II mod under development by a talented modder named Rammaken; it's called War Regiment and it uses the X-Ray Engine, just like all three of the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games, though War Regiment doesn't take place in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. universe, unlike S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg. I've left a link to this mod's page here for those who'd like to check it out (War Regiment isn't my mod nor am I working on it, it's by a modder named Rammaken). I don't usually aim to endorse other mods in these kinds of articles (as much as I'd love to), I do feel that it's an exceptional piece of work that's bound to be a hit once it releases.

Now that I've finally overcome my "slight" tangent, let's close off this article on a high note!

MORE NEWS TO COME:

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. Still, there's no shame in leaving a comment here or dropping me a message if things go south. Whether it's a swarm of angry mutants or a CTD (crash to desktop) dampening your day, we're still around to provide assistance when needed. Rest assured that I've tested S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg more times than... well, something a stalker might do many times. If you run into any bugs, let me know and I'll do my best to squash 'em for you!

I've also added a couple of new screenshots of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg here for those who want to take a quick look at them.

To finish off, I'd like to thank you so much for giving this article a read. I do hope I've answered any questions regarding the development and upcoming release of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg. If not, feel free to get in touch!

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.

Much love, Jacob_MP.

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.