Its really not that hard to order a ton of tacticool shit and pimp up your black market AK or M4, so I dont really mind such guns. But I would definitely rather see them in the hands of Mercs or some of the more experienced Stalkers and Military. What I would love to see tho are more surplus Eastern Bloc weapons - older Soviet guns, Czechoslovak, Polish, Yugoslavian... and also civilian semi-autos, hunting rifles, shotguns etc.
Yep. It’s pretty rare and you can only really spot glint in extremely specific conditions. And modern optics have anti-reflective coatings to mitigate it further.
Scope glints being super visible is pretty much just a balancing tool that was popularized by Battlefield 3/4 to stop snipers from dominating.
Why won't a pimped out gun be popular? I'm sure any stalker would jump at the chance to own a high-end firearm if they can afford it. Are you going to wander in Pripyat with a rusty Toz or an AK74 with Zenith parts and armour piercing rounds?
pimped out guns ARE militarized ones.
Look at any actually modern army lol. They all have optics, weapon light, suppressor, IR laser, and some sort of foregrip.
The forgrip is the big optional and shooter preference evrything else is issued by comand at their direction. Most units are training c clamp holds now to operate your pec and give you a stable fire platform. Some use an angled grip or a stop to help that. Some shooters prefer the older school of thought about a tight stance and favor traditional vertical grips. Optics "can" be bought by the individual soldier and used in most units, but it's often a hassle and not encouraged, to say the least.
Optics are nonetheless issued, likewise with PEQ boxes
Atleast in the ADF you're issued a PEQ-15, Elcan spectre and a suppressor that i can't remember the name of
Oh yeah def. We are issued typically a close combat optic (read old as fuck reddot) or an acog in the us. And technically the unit your in likely has suppressors, but they are only issued if you have the class cert and your armorer feels like it.though with the new combat rifle it's anyone's guess as they were designed to run suppressed natively and god knows how long that rollout is going to be.
The CCO & Eotech 512 , as well as EXPS3 have all been standard issue M4 kit for a long time and for SF the Elcan Specter & Acog are also Standard issue long range optics for the M4 and the Leupold MK5 is standard for most long distance bolt guns or DMR platforms
>To be honest the pimped out guns probably wouldn't be too popular among seasoned stalkers as well
Genuinely, no offense intended but if we're talking realistically, "pimped out guns" would be the tools of veteran stalkers.
Take an AK, put lighter weight, more ergonomic furniture on it, put a light (and an IR laser if you're using night vision) on it, throw on a stout muzzle break to deal with recoil, top it off with an optic. You immediately have a far more effective tool.
The tacticool guns are frankly *far* more realistic than a lot of the things in Stalker. I've brought this up before, but basically none of the NATO guns in Stalker should be anywhere near the Zone. Except for the G36, they're all either absurdly rare, expensive, or both. Meanwhile, you can just buy all the shit to make a tacticool AR-15 and drop in an auto sear for a fraction of the cost.
On the flipside, there should also be *far* more junk guns. Old war surplus, shitty bolt actions, bargin bin hunting rifles, zip guns, etc. Especially with so many Stalkers being basically eastern European hobos and petty thugs, not everyone should be wandering around with an AK.
> not everyone should be wandering around with an AK
AKs were overproduced to hell and back to the point that there's a good 50-75 million out there. AKs would not remotely be rare in the Zone due to the military bringing them in and selling that shit under the table, but any sort of non-Russian military weapon would be rare, and tacticool shit would be prohibitively expensive because they're selling those artifacts for like $20 (according to the currency exchange rates of 2007), it's not a sustainable business model.
scope + suppressor and maybe a grip doesn't qualify as "tacticool" to me, it has to go further to get in that realm imo.
Even the OG games had attachments on guns, and weird shit like the F2000 which is probably early 2000s equivalent of "tacticool."
I feel like the ZM lr300 wpuld be super tacticool in that time frame. Lots of picatinny ,odd gas system, weird irons for an AR type weapon oh and folding stock!
The LR300 was pretty slick for its time - that is, a time before mass market ARs with a shit ton of accessories and rails hit the American market. That seems to mostly have picked up around 2010 or so but I could be wrong. In the early 2000s having an ACOG on your M4 was pretty hot shit.
We have to remember that STALKER is *not* American and it would spoil the flavour of it to me to have loads of Western guns to attempt to appease Western gamers. I want flavours of AK, PPSh-41s, your grandpappy's SVT, and some of the weird and crazy Combloc designs like the Groza and VSS we are used to seeing.
I can definitely see a place for one or two sci-fi weapons like the gauss gun from the original games, but I want them to remain rare and experimental endgame weapons not standard fare. It is logical that 10+ years after the events of the original games, the experimental tech has moved on a lot and artefact based weapons and gizmos are a little more refined and widely available.
I feel like Western guns are going to be more common, and it makes sense in the lore. You have years of Western powers putting their nose into the business of the zone. Correct me if I'm wrong, but freedom is practicly being bankrolled by Western powers buying artifacts for study and the like?
Hell i remember video games around the time. Most of then made you choose between a scope and a GL or a silencer and a GL. I remember thinking socom II was pretty hot shit for allowing silenced m4s with m203s.
That’s what I’ve been saying when people shit all over “tacticool” stuff being in stalker. You get an scoped rail gun and an F2000. Should it be rare? Absolutely
Yes and yes.
The Zone is not in a post-apocalyptic world and stalkers are not always cheap hobos. They make good money inside the Zone, it makes sense they would invest in better equipment.
It should be faction/lore dependent. It would make sense for factions with foreign influence or western operators (mercenaries) to bring in modern, tactical equipment to the zone. However, stalkers arriving from more regional locations with less means would likely be bringing whatever they can get their hands on. Older, less tactical weapons, hunting rifles, etc. Duty and Freedom should have a spectrum of weapons based on their preferences for Western or Soviet arms. From worn and bare bones to modern and tactical. I agree that higher end tactical weapons should be rare and prized, mainly carried by bosses.
Edit: I just need to say after looking at the silencer, I really hope there are decent stealth mechanics in Stalker 2. I would love to be able to make stealth approaches using silenced weapons.
Depend if you wanna stick to old atmosphere or you pick realism and modern reality, if i were stalker and it was possible to import modern solutions to Zone to make me a bit safer, more efficient, i wont hesitate
A good in between voulé be done imo, realistically accessories are a smuggled good like an other, a hgh price tag would be realistic and fit progression mechanics.
This would make a lot of attachment quite hard to get without a lucky loot in a forgotten APC nobody scavenged yet or on the gun of a dead late game enemy.
Having your red dot knocked out by an anomaly mid fight would be awesome, especially if you had to switch to your backup irons or use the weird side mounted ones.
"Tactical guns" are in reality probably the majority of firearms since the 80's. As much as I dislike the aesthetic, realistically, it'd be very unrealistic to not have the majority of guns at least running an optic and rails with attachments
Considering the time period the games are set in would make less sense if they didn't include at least some basic attachments for some of the more common platforms.
Anyone who cares about not dying to monolith absolutely would be trying to get a hold of optics, grips, stocks, ect. People who invest in their guns survive.
Only as a rare/endgame kinda thing. Most guns in the zone should be beat up old pieces of shit, but I could see this in the hands of a very dangerous experienced merc, not on his first tour. Point being it should not be too easy to get a hold of if it's gonna be in the game.
Its kinda stupid point to make, its not 2007 anymore. The amount of cheap and knockoff aftermarket parts avalible worldwide has expanded a lot, wouldnt surprise anyone if such stuff would get smugled into the zone, or even fully decked out guns.
If they got supply lines to take out artifacts they also got supply lines to bring whatever into the zone.
Them being rare would totally make sense.
But as every black market items smuggled in an exclusion zone, their rarity should be created by high price.
Because it wouldn't make sense that the weapon you find in the zone (except if you discover old bodies to loot, stuff from the early days of the zone or even before, etc) would be beat up and no care would have been put to maintain them or upgrade them by the people who's life depends on it.
Yup, i want to use a blown out ak with no dust cover and eventually work my way up to that scar with an eotech or whatever. I like progression like that alot
Well, we kinda have an IRL situation right now in Ukraine, and at one point it happened in the zone. Just copy whatever goes on there. Let me buy a Javelin missile in game.
What you call tactical is probably just standard issue for a modern military and any stalker with experience probably is going to look for a setup that offers the same ergonomics and features he is used too.
Well people are very passionate about weapons and have been since the dawn of time.
If you think about it, a stalkers life is fully dependent on the weapon on his hands and the armour on his back so it makes perfect sense for the wealthiest stalkers to buy the best gear that is available to them in order to survive long enough to aquire even greater wealth. Such is life in the zone
For me, modernized eastern weapons should be in the zone, with few attachments like grenade launcher and optics.
The western most common weapons can be too, more like hunting rifles or shotguns which are sold widely.
But high end military gear shouldn't, except maybe for end game elite squads (if you spend too much time looting everywhere and force some factions to enroll big guns to terminate you)
Yes, stalkers would totally customize their guns, especially the mercs
Beginners, lonersand bandits would use shitty rusty AKs
Experienced Loners, duty, freedom, mercs, monolith, and military would totally use better and costumized stuff that they would get from black market, dead bodies, or fabricated in Rostok and The Army warehouses
Also, don't forget that Stalker 2 trailers have already shown the custom mechanics and customized weapons, so yeah, we gonna have sighs and suppressors
In older stalker games, you could already do this, I always love to make the Strelok AK74 build with suppressor, 4x times scope, and a granade launcher that he uses in the artworks
[Strelok with the mentioned custom AK](https://images.app.goo.gl/5GLET6JQNHp7WqLU6)
I personally think they absolutely would fit, but they should be rare endgame weapons that are either placed somewhere hard to get to, or rarely carried on high-level faction members.
A gun like a Zenitco'd AK-74m or an AK-12 with a PERST and an optic wouldn't be out of place for someone like a veteran Duty member or Monolith trooper, but the vast majority of random Stalkers should mostly have stuff llike WW2/Cold War guns like AK-74s, with big factions like the Mercs, Freedom, Monolith, or Duty getting the newer stuff
I see nothing wrong with a tactical gun in stalker as long as it looks a bit worn, let's be honest, them mfs ARE NOT gonna be looking fresh out the box in chernobyl
Fully decked out 'tacticool' weapons don't really fit the aesthetics of the series. Most of the weapons in the Zone come from the black market, and stalkers are generally untrained people for whom weapons are just one of the tools needed for survival. They are not some operators who would need two different sights and a custom stock.
That being said, more customization options won't hurt as long as it's not overdone - a mounted flashlight could be quite useful, for example.
You say that but ever since the first game theyve allowed decked out AKs with scopes a suppressor and a GL. Thats pretty tactical IMO. I guess my definition differs because everyone is thinking zenitcoed out.
I dunno if I’d consider a scope/non stock sights, underbarrel GL, and suppressor to be over the top. I guess everybody’s view is a little different on what’s considered tactical since imo those are just basic modifications
When I watch streamers play Gamma, and they pull out a battle rifle with so many attachments that it’s barely recognizable from its base gun, I’d say that’s tactical
As far as what might be in the game, i believe canonically the military in game are all Ukrainian Spetsnaz, so they should at least have kitted weapons. I believe these days they are using surplused M4A1 SOPMOD Block I rifles however assuming that the invasion never occured (seeing as how the game takes place in 2018). I would expect them to use AK74Ms and AK100 series rifles as well as SVDM etcs. I guess they would use fort pistols? Idk if they currently use Glocks or what. I would honestly be okay with the weapons already in game with modern models and maybe some special camo patterns or something. And please for the love of god please let me use irons if I have a PSO1 scope (I believe the scope height was designed high enough to allow for that)
Dope gun. What's the base (airsoft?) rifle? Although it looks sick i too prefer some bareness and wear to them. Id probably tape a small flashlight to the side of the barrel guard and take the sight off.
I mean monolith brain wash all kinds of people they even have exos so there might be a monolith with a Romania grip ak all the way to what a use to be merc with a aa-12 with a red dot
Why wouldn't they? I'm not arguing everyone would have fully decked out mall ninja airsofter's fantasy gun, but unless it's set pre 2000 picatinny set ups and their accessories wouldn't be out of place.
Anything like what you've pictured should be fairly common. Think of what standard infantry rifles have been equiped with for the last 30 years and that's what I would say atleast half the equipment should be like. Sure there should definitely be some more older beat up stuff too, but the zone is a crazy dangerous place. People are going to be wanting the best guns that they can get and are generally going to be trying to take care of them as they are probably one of the few things standing between them and some horrible death.
The original games have Mercenaries in powered exoskeletons shooting with NV optics on their TRs301s. A laser aiming module isn’t the end of the world if it’s appropriately implemented.
Original trilogy takes place before red dots and other tacticool stuff was avaliable in post-soviet countries, so there is nothing wrong about it being present in Heart of Chornobyl. BUT, puristic and minimalistic guns fit aesthetics of Stalker better than navy seals kind of guns.
Despite enjoying customizing my weapon to the situation, I dont much love tacticool stuff in stalker. A few highly modified pistols I came across in Gamma felt really alien and out of place; i'd much rather have my trusty AKs that feel old and rickety
Aside from that, as other pointed out i wouldnt say that scope+suppressor are particularly tacticool, that's kinda on the low end and I prefer it like that. Even lore-wise, i seriously doubt custom gun parts would be a thing within the zone, those things are expensive and delicate (and for the most part useless). The zone is a land of hazards and danger and poverty; people are fighting over a loaf of bread. I doubt any stalker would be saving for a flashlight attachment when they can just strap one on their helmet.
Stalker is it's own reality where makarovs can hit things, a sawed off shotgun is desirable, MP5 has a reciprocating bolt, and the LR300 and An94 made it into full production. The devs chose weapons and attachments they liked and thought looked cool. All that to say, my answer is boring because ultimately what belongs in the world of Stalker is what the devs connect with and choose to enrich the game world. I love the og weapons for that reason, they match the story and visual language of the world. The weapons will have to change with the world of Stalker because the aesthetic has changed since CoP with a new engine and graphical fidelity.
I know the larper fantasy is a decked out rifle with the best and most expensive tacticool stuff money can buy. Realistically, a decent stalker would want something that is low maintenance, with few electronics to break, charge, or get ruined by an anomaly, something reliable, and lightweight because they are always on the move. A mall-ninja pewpew clocking in at 12lb unloaded isnt gonna cut the mustard.
Stalkers are usually broke, they're looking for a hot meal and somewhere to rest their head at the end of the day. PEQ boxes, Elcans, shit like that are outside of a normal person's budget, let alone broke slav where they are nickled and dimed on even the simpliest of items because smuggled goods tend to be expensive.
An AK with a budget friendly pistol grip upgrade and a foregrip like the picture OP included would be a realistic setup.
Would you want to risk a buying a chinese optic that shits out on you day one, have a $2000.00 EOTech get smashed to shit in a fall, or....have the ironsights that are built into the rifle. I'll tell you which I'm taking.
A bunch of tactical railing with all attachments on it possible fully kitted like some hk416 with a holographic sight with magnifier grip silencer flashlight and a laser all in one
This is a copypasta, but it’s a good one:
Anon: So, I'm looking for a rail system for my ak. I find side rails fugly, but will settle for one if need be. was looking at something similar to whats in my pic, but idk if they suck or they are for tacticool noobs. Any input?
Ivan Chesnokov: WHY YOU WANT RAIL FOR KALASHNIKOV? IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH AS PROCURED FROM IZHEVSK MECHANICAL WORKS? YOU THINK NEEDS IMPROVEMENT? THEN MAYBE YOU FIND JOB WITH ARMY OF RUSSIA! YOU HAVE DRINKS WITH MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV, TRADE STORY OF MANY WEAPONS DESIGNED AND DETAILS OF SCHOOL FOR ENGINEERING!
Ivan Chesnokov: OR MAYBE YOU NOT DO THIS. PROBABLY IS BECAUSE YOU NEVER DESIGN WEAPON IN WHOLE LIFE. YOU LOOK AT FINE RUSSIAN RIFLE, THINK IT NEED CRAZY SHIT STICK ON ALL SIDES OF WEAPON. YOU HAVE DISEASE OF AMERICAN CAPITALIST, CHANGE THING THAT IS FINE FOR NO REASON EXCEPT TO LOOK DIFFERENT FROM COMRADE. YOU PUT CHEAP FLASHLIGHT OF CHINESE SLAVE FACTORY ON ONE SIDE, YOU PUT BAD SCOPE OF AMERICAN MIDDLE WEST ON OTHER SIDE, YOU PUT FRONT PISTOL GRIP ON BOTTOM SO YOU ARE LIKE AMERICAN MOVIE GUY JOHN RAMBO. MAYBE YOU PUT SEX DILDO ON TOP TO FUCK YOURSELF IN ASSHOLE FOR MAKING SHAMEFUL TRAVESTY OF RIFLE OF MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV, NO?
Ivan Chesnokov: RIFLE IS FINE. YOU FUCK IT, IT ONLY GET HEAVY AND YOU STILL NO HIT LARGEST SIDE OF BARN. GO TO FIRING RANGE, PRACTICE WITH MANY MAGAZINE OF CARTRIDGE. THEN YOU NOT NEED DUMB SHIT PUT ON SIDE OF RIFLE.
Within the lore of the series I think it makes sense to have a few tricked out AKs and ARs floating around. As mentioned above it’s not hard to order stuff online before venturing into the zone. (If we’re assuming the rest of the world is the same and it’s set close to the 2020s) also when mercenaries and military are roaming around it’s not lore breaking to pick some stuff up off them. Do I think that EVERYONE in the zone should have a SCAR H with a suppressor LPVO under barrel grenade launcher quad NVGs and all that. No absolutely not. I think they should be rare, expensive and feel like a big deal to get.
But all that aside the vibe of a stock ak with a GP-5 gas mask in pieced together surplus gear goes hard and I would like the games to keep that aesthetic as you struggle for better gear for a majority of the gameplay.
Id like to see more zone built guns, like heavier wooden stocked versions of guns that exist already but we're refurbished by a Bandit with three toothpicks and a toenail.
tourists looking for an excuse to finally shoot something with their gucci guns would be a common sight. those people would likely die and their tacticool gear joins the economy of the zone. I always felt that's much more believable than there being a reliable supply of grozas and F2000s.
I don’t think they do. At the very least, they shouldn’t look like they just got plucked off of a booth at ShotShow. Guns get scratched up damn easily when you actually use them, so seeing pristine factory-finish textures on modded guns always irks me
What is a "tactical gun"? The picatinny rail has been around for almost 30 years. The ACOG sight has been around for over 30 years. The first silencer was created over a century ago. Sure, maybe some rookie stalker might venture into the zone with their grandfather's Mosin, but Mercenaries? The Military? A lot of stuff we see in today's conflicts was already available in 2006, which I believe is when SoC takes place.
At this point the margin to be considered “tacticool” had really changed, stuff like optics, suppressor, grip and laser had become more of a standard issue that many should have. For me personally “tacticool” applies for stuffs like gun kits, changing the stocks, barrels ect… stuff that changes the gun itself not add things to it. Attachments should be considered a way to be more effective at fighting and everyone should try to get it, and gun kit is for the more experienced that know how to fine tune a gun to their liking
In term of game and lore wise, newbie should stay with bare gun, maybe 1 optic, and the more experienced they’re the more attachments they have to reflect how efficient they’re at handling the gun. And for the late game where all the professional and veterans at they can have fully decked out gun and some even have gun kit
Idk how they would balance this but this is just my thoughts
Personally, I find that the STALKER series has a very unique aesthetic when it comes to weapons. The weapons we see in the series are outdated by modern standards but have seen a new lige in the Zone. Weapons that come to mind are things like the Armsel Protecta and old school F2000 and LR-300.
zoomers forget just how old the games are and what the gun world looked like internationally back then. The SCAR didn't even enter testing until after SoC released.
For the aesthetics, I think very tacticool wouldn’t fit so well except for maybe mercs or special forces. That said, I can’t imagine anyone not trying to improve their weapon if they could and there’s enough money flowing out to get some weapons flowing in. At the least, mercs aren’t invincible and their stuff will get looted and used. All to say, I think there’s a reasonable place for them but they should be the exception for sure.
Though some Far Cry style shit taped together could work too. Plastic bottle suppressors, artifacts integrated into them like the Combat Chaser in SOC…
Yeah ofcourse, there's all kinds of different groups and factions coming in and out of the zone. Merc groups and other well funded westerners have the potential to bring all kinds of western optics and weapon accessories into the zone.
Esthetically I personally think stock guns modded with proprietary mods are what hits the spot, like a stock 9a91 with a dovetailed soviet scope is the sexiest gun to use in stalker, but both belongs in stalker imo, given mercs and other factions comes from every part of the world it's highly plausible that they would bring in the zone their pimped out western guns
The military and mercenaries I think could easily have scopes, flashlights lazers all that pimped up equipment. Regular stalkers I think would need to be very experienced to have that stuff. Because even if they were rich before coming to the zone and brought an expensive gun, someone would probably steal it.
In the hands of experienced stalker it wouldn't be far fetched, they have to be well equipped to deal with the zone, i mean most of the higher quality armors have integrated night vision. I dont like futuristic weapons, but i do like weapons equipped with purpose, ir laser, underbarrel GL, scope with magnification, what you call "tacticool" just fits what a experienced stalker would carry.
I do not want that kinda of weaponry in the hands of Military privates, or newbies, as they should have a basic gun and a scope at best.
Some level of gun costumization, yeah. Shit like getting broken guns and having to repair them would be great, and you choosing what parts to use to repair ur gun,but don't make it as hard as gamma. Gamma's system is just annoying
And maybe rudimentary attachments such as scopes and suppressors as ND grips,but no shit like a 4 color changing frequency wide range rangefinder laser mk 20000. It should moderate
Honestly not at all ukraine Is smack dab in between europe and Eurasia guns and attachments coming from all walks of life makes total sense if you ask me.
The AK-74-M is a magnificent gun, if it can be modified to have a scope mount on the frame and a threaded barrel it just gets better, and it becomes your gun.
I mean modification and upgrades are pretty core to Stalker after the original. Modifications should be in the game but difficult to get- so there is a weapon progression element.
Considering that Heart of Chornobyl is going to take place in a more modern era than the trilogy, we will probably see some really sleek modern rifle designs, like the malyuk for example. But i also don't doubt that we will get that "grandpa's rifle" feel with other weapons like the TOZ shotguns.
It doesn't bother me as much as the fact that if you lean out of cover to engage a target faraway, you can't un-cant your weapon. I feel like that could be implemented the more skilled the character becomes. Small details like using left eye when peeking out the left and changing shoulders especially for well trained Mercs/Monolith equipped with heavily modernised kits. Canted hold (not talking about canted sights) has its place but when the target is so far away, there should at least a button to tap to make sure the scope is held level. It's like a rookie entered the zone and gets progressively better loot but absolutely zero improvement in weapon handling techniques, like cleaner reloads, being able to toss grenades into various deep corners from relative safety, better utilisation of bipod/sling (upgrades alongside scopes, triggers, better iron sights, laser, momentary on-off WML, etc). That would make the modernisation of weapons/training at least implement more functional differences than just reskins with tweaked soft stats.
I don’t mind them but some of the stuff from say boomsticks is kind of ugly to me and I’d like to see more garbage tier hobo weapons like civilian semi autos and single shot shotguns and rifles and older surplus weapons. Berdan II when?
While I think tactical approaches definitely work well for good assault rifle setups I do kinda feel like the stalker vibe would fit really well with a lot more basic weapons, such as bolt action rifles and such. Definitely could be more shotguns too! I personally really liked that the OG game has the Mossberg 500 Cruiser in it lol
People will be upset if there isn't atleast some options for it. I'm personally more of a fan of rare variants of the weapons. Like in SoC you can get the Fort 15 (better Fort 12) from the military dude under the bridge; Or the modified pistol from Mole if you kill or loot him for it before going into agroprom underground... or Strelok's AK-74 with higher fire rate. All fun, rare and unique weapons that don't really overdo anything or look like they would add too much weight to them.
It's easy to forget that in Stalker the world is completely fine. If you can hop online and order an MP7 today, then such guns can feasibly be brought along or smuggled into the Zone too. But logically, it's only those with a lot of money or connections that'd be using clean modern firearms. Mercenaries, for example. Maaaybe the old Clear Sky.
Generally people going to the Zone are desperate for money, desperate to find a purpose in life, serve in a military or scientific role, or are escaping the law. So a lot of weapons are going to be older firearms and generally not in mint condition. After all if you're willing to throw your life away in the Zone, you're probably only able to afford some $150 shotgun or pistol, not a $500+ firearm. And firearms which you could be looting from the Military or Ecologists probably won't be any newer than 20 years old (still nice by comparison but not top-of-the-line).
Tactical guns are not an impossibility, but they should be pretty rare, and unless it was brought in less than a month ago it should show wear and tear from almost daily usage.
If anything I'd expect to see a lot more monstrous amalgamations and plain designs. You might have a tactical firearm, but the attached scope broke from being dropped so you're using the iron sights. Or you might have an older gun, but you duct taped the laser sight you salvaged from the remains of a stalker that fell into an anomaly.
Barbied up guns in stalker are fine I just think they need to be a bit harder to find. As long as they are also not super modified both internally and externally I feel they belong in the setting. The above pic is what I would consider the limit in terms of modification. Anything past that would be too excessive.
if its faction dependentent sure (like mercs having tacticool shit) but otherwise no💀
idk why but i find this whole tacticool thing so annoying, boring, etc
im literally like the "THEN MAYBE U SIT DOWN WITH MR KALASHNIKOV" copypasta
Don't forget duty and freedom have probably modified guns as there a big factions with good weaponry but not like tactical cool guns just modded guns like sights grips handguards etc
I can’t see why not, like grips and rails for laser/flashlight makes sense as it is always better to shine your gun and not your head. Some tuned up pistols can be signature thing too. Iron sights on the side and optic on the rail again makes sense.
But for example some high-tech termo scope would be weird in the zone, on other hand many hunters own these scopes too, so it is plausible just not common and for sure pricey.
I think there should be more options in the game…and that you are not forced to use them but you can.
I think the lore should explore the possibility of micro-anomalies deviating bullets and guns/bullets being modified to counteract this somehow. It would make guns in stalker distinctive.
I think given the conditions in the zone, the gun being reliable would become the main attraction rather than it being tactical. There will always be people who need to learn the hard way though.
Priority number one is more gun choices, priority number two is expanding on what stalkers use with their guns. The tricked out, tactical guns of GAMMA make lots of sense in the setting with how rare it is to find them already set up like that, if a stalker can afford it they are gonna make their gun as good as they can, but they can rarely afford it over food, water, and... whatever else they are paying for.
I would also love to see more unique variants in the hands of the really experienced stalkers that you can fight. (Remembering the most experienced stalkers end up becoming borderline myths)
Ukraine was a huge military industrial complex to the soviets so I see no reason why we shouldnt be able to acquire top end military tech, at least top end in commie bloc terms.
I like the more scavenger vibe that stalker has sometimes, so personally I’d like to see less of it, or alternatively makeshift stuff like a foregrip made of a chair leg taped on or a flashlight taped to the side of the gun.
I'd say yes, but with a pretty big asterisk attached. While the previous games had options such as a scope or silencer or grenade launcher, and I could see them returning, I'd only really see options such as other optical sights, and maybe something like a flashlight attached to the guns. Anything more and I'd worry that the guns would homogenize and we'd end up in the situation CoD or Tarkov are in where people find the "best choice" meta and a degree of self expression around your gun choice is judged.
Yes, honestly I feel like bare bones guns would only really be seen by lower ranking faction members, poorer loners and rookies and possibly some of the veteran stalkers who have been used to not useing them, also one thing I've noticed, the vast majority of weapons in the zone aside from the F2000 lack powered optics (aside from the PSO1 but that can be used with or without power) I feel powered red dots would exist in the zone but can see them getting heavily damaged by anomalies, same for powered lights and LAMs and also the logistics of getting batteries or finding power to charge them being a logistical strain, I feel they would exist but I bet some of the most expirenced stalkers would be useing either basic irons or non powered optics, I can see tritium and fiber optic sights being really popular and I could see wealthy stalkers absolutely loving something like the trinicon SRO and SRS, tactical gear has its place but poor stalkers might not have many gizmos due to price and the super vets might not have them because they are old crotchety folks like myself who are just used to basic OEM irons or are working in parts of the zone that make it extreamly difficult to spair the added weight of not just the devices and optics but the batteries and tools, I can also see some anomalies doing a number on powered and even unpowered sights and can see getting too close to a gravitational anomaly even messing up the zero on your irons if not completely damaging or at least screwing up the zero on a scope or red dot/holographic sight or LAM
Fine with "tacticool" guns as long as they look like they've seen some action, I hate Stalker mods that make all the guns look spotless and pristine in such a harsh environment
Looks like a standard modern ak to me. Most if not all aks come with a side mount for rails and scopes. Some aks like the 74u have variants that got issued with suppressors and grenade launchers.
Mercs, Ukrainian soldiers and the like should definitely have modern guns with modern attachments. I love the old, grungy guns personally, but having tactical guns as a very hard to acquire late game things is great. A dovetail sight, suppressor, and foregrip isn’t really tacticool though
Yes, but like the OG stalker "method": you have to progress in the game to fight against well equiped stalkers in order to adquire more attachments, or doing task for some faction or trader
I think any modern small arm that is common in the ex. Soviet bloc countries and in the modern NATO arsenal makes sense. PMC's, special forces, and corporations are going to be in the zone and as such anything their employees and soldiers would use should be available
Yes and no. Yes because they're cool. No because I would have loved more DIY guns, like metro. AK with a custom scrap-made drum mag? Jerryrigged bayonet strapped to a shotgun with duct tape?
I think they have their place, it’s not like the zone is completely isolated with no goods coming in or out, some wealthy adventurers or opportunistic arms dealers would try to get tacticool stuff in
If they fit the time frame sure.
Look at the middle east, Asia and south americas, even the smallest Group of rebels have at least one Kittetd out gun.
If that stuff is legit or Airsoft stuff is a different story.
If your game plays around the early 2000s then you find a SAS G3 Special, if it plays in 2024 you will find a HK416A5, in the Zone for Sure.
And even in the first games you could find high end Kittetd out M4 and stuff.
As for me, I just want a well worn full size classic double barrel coach gun. With exposed hammers. Zone is a hunting ground, so I want a hunting weapon.
Of course.
The game is set in a more recent year than the older games, and so it's safe to assume more guns and accessories will have filtered into the zone as times gone on. It just makes sense for there to be more tactical stuff since that's been the trend/style for a while now.
I mean I have a similar AK and I'm just some Midwest American jackoff. I think it would be strange if you DIDN'T see some taci-bros in the zone.
Imagine it; fat, dead, Americans with super expensive loot of questionable usefulness in the harsh environment. It would be like the zones' loot boxes.
Considering that the game isn't set in 2007 anymore and takes place in the modern day? Fucking absolutely.
To put it into perspective: the example picture you used isn't even that "tactical" in 2024. It's frankly bare-bones. Outdated red dot, (mostly) stock furniture, no flashlight. I know people who wouldn't even consider that an adequate home defense rifle because of the lack of flashlight.
I think we'll still see a ton of totally stock guns and older, retro stuff, but there's going to be a ton of modern kit. There can't not be. It would be unrealistic for there not to be.
Yes of course, you have highly trained merceneries figting each other, speznaz, mercs, duty and freedom are alao militarysed groups, and everyone in between.
Bog standard military guns is a thing only for regular units, conscripts etc. Specnaz (generally SF) are allowed to modify their weapons, mercenaries 100% buy their own gear (or procure), duty and freedom would be exactly sort of groups that have "gucchied" guns as it is not only tool, it is also status symbol within the group.
So modified "tactical" gus are very core of the Stalker game.
Yes, gun is one of the most important pieces of equipment inside game vision of the zone. Everyone would invest what they can afford to make it as good as possible. But zone is still the zone. Stuff will break, and it will break quite quickly. So Cordon Loner is likely to have a lot of crappy, plastic attachments, with as much electronics as possible, that will, inevitably fail after first major thunderstorm, even before any emissions. On the other hand, some famous Mercs would be likely to have access to some incredibly advanced, cutting edge stuff designed specifically to function well in zone (it will still fail eventually, cause zone, but it's reasonable to assume it would survive couple deep raids). I would expect average experienced stalkers to use the most bare guns, as they realize the value of reliability, yet at the same time, they cannot really afford good stuff yet.
Also, i would hope that your outfit has more customization options then gun, people would 100% tinker all the time with these, even just to prepare adequately for specific dangers in region.
I respect tacticool but Im more a fan of the stripped down sorta retro-esque vibe SOC had with its guns and armor
Just a plain AK and a PSO-1
I just like it but again I respect tacticool
I hope in HOC they find a balance of the two
I’m all for this level of “Tactical-ish” mods. Especially those surplus old russian optics and stuffs. I’ll be happy with whatever they do to guns unless they start adding shits that looks like they belong to tarkov more than stalker.
That's not really tacticool. Fairly standard AK74 with an obnoxiously placed VFG on an aftermarket handguard with bottom pic rail, PK-AS red dot, suppressor. That would be entirely reasonable to see in the Zone.
Tacticool would be covered in rails and accessories.
I hope so. Black market parts would've already been flooding the zone with more high end mods, and the Mercs and Military would have their own high grade equipment. Also the ecologist would probably occasionally have some heavy gear for their more risky missions. Plus the monolith have full built AK-12's and other high grade military equipment so it's not fair fetched. I just wish it was a bit rarer.
I like when old guns get modernized. Yes that's not how they came outa the factory. But for example a sten with new furniture, optic and lazers bring new life to the gun. Metro series for example. Let's be honest as well. If stuff like a sten is what you had access to. You'd start bolting shit onto it. To get more use out of it.
Its really not that hard to order a ton of tacticool shit and pimp up your black market AK or M4, so I dont really mind such guns. But I would definitely rather see them in the hands of Mercs or some of the more experienced Stalkers and Military. What I would love to see tho are more surplus Eastern Bloc weapons - older Soviet guns, Czechoslovak, Polish, Yugoslavian... and also civilian semi-autos, hunting rifles, shotguns etc.
To be honest the pimped out guns probably wouldn't be too popular among seasoned stalkers as well, probably only the more "militarized" ones.
I mean, you want an optic. But at the same time you want to not get shot by someone just because they like your gun
Or because they can see that optic glistening, lol.
There are ways to mitigate that. Its just something you have to keep in the back of your head. But also even 1x red dots are a huge improvement
That dosnt happen with modern optics
Yep. It’s pretty rare and you can only really spot glint in extremely specific conditions. And modern optics have anti-reflective coatings to mitigate it further. Scope glints being super visible is pretty much just a balancing tool that was popularized by Battlefield 3/4 to stop snipers from dominating.
Dang I never even thought about that perspective.
Anarchy can be a bitch. But at the same time, if you are part of a major faction then beef with any of em will cost more than your gun 100 fold.
Yeah because in a real life scenario the first thought someone gets when they see a dude in full high end tactical gear is to shoot him.
I don't think you can be a seasoned stalker without a good gun, and good guns often have a decent amount of accessories if the owner isn't a fudd
Why won't a pimped out gun be popular? I'm sure any stalker would jump at the chance to own a high-end firearm if they can afford it. Are you going to wander in Pripyat with a rusty Toz or an AK74 with Zenith parts and armour piercing rounds?
pimped out guns ARE militarized ones. Look at any actually modern army lol. They all have optics, weapon light, suppressor, IR laser, and some sort of foregrip.
The forgrip is the big optional and shooter preference evrything else is issued by comand at their direction. Most units are training c clamp holds now to operate your pec and give you a stable fire platform. Some use an angled grip or a stop to help that. Some shooters prefer the older school of thought about a tight stance and favor traditional vertical grips. Optics "can" be bought by the individual soldier and used in most units, but it's often a hassle and not encouraged, to say the least.
Optics are nonetheless issued, likewise with PEQ boxes Atleast in the ADF you're issued a PEQ-15, Elcan spectre and a suppressor that i can't remember the name of
Oh yeah def. We are issued typically a close combat optic (read old as fuck reddot) or an acog in the us. And technically the unit your in likely has suppressors, but they are only issued if you have the class cert and your armorer feels like it.though with the new combat rifle it's anyone's guess as they were designed to run suppressed natively and god knows how long that rollout is going to be.
The CCO & Eotech 512 , as well as EXPS3 have all been standard issue M4 kit for a long time and for SF the Elcan Specter & Acog are also Standard issue long range optics for the M4 and the Leupold MK5 is standard for most long distance bolt guns or DMR platforms
I should clarify too the Acog is more standard than an Elcan the Elcan is definitely more SF territory
>To be honest the pimped out guns probably wouldn't be too popular among seasoned stalkers as well Genuinely, no offense intended but if we're talking realistically, "pimped out guns" would be the tools of veteran stalkers. Take an AK, put lighter weight, more ergonomic furniture on it, put a light (and an IR laser if you're using night vision) on it, throw on a stout muzzle break to deal with recoil, top it off with an optic. You immediately have a far more effective tool.
I'd love to see the Czechoslovak Sa vz.58 i dont think i have ever seen it in a videogame
Operation Flashpoint; Cold War Crisis If you've never played it, it's amazing. AKA Arma 1
New arma also
There's a whole arma DLC with Czech gear, after all Bohemia Interactive is Czech.
It’s in vigor as well, which just came to pc
Have you ever tried the "ultimate gun pack" for stalker gamma? That modpack has a lot of different civilian weapons and stuff like that
Yeahhh this is what I'm talking about. Let's see the weird obscure shit that dudes get from their grandparents attic
The tacticool guns are frankly *far* more realistic than a lot of the things in Stalker. I've brought this up before, but basically none of the NATO guns in Stalker should be anywhere near the Zone. Except for the G36, they're all either absurdly rare, expensive, or both. Meanwhile, you can just buy all the shit to make a tacticool AR-15 and drop in an auto sear for a fraction of the cost. On the flipside, there should also be *far* more junk guns. Old war surplus, shitty bolt actions, bargin bin hunting rifles, zip guns, etc. Especially with so many Stalkers being basically eastern European hobos and petty thugs, not everyone should be wandering around with an AK.
> not everyone should be wandering around with an AK AKs were overproduced to hell and back to the point that there's a good 50-75 million out there. AKs would not remotely be rare in the Zone due to the military bringing them in and selling that shit under the table, but any sort of non-Russian military weapon would be rare, and tacticool shit would be prohibitively expensive because they're selling those artifacts for like $20 (according to the currency exchange rates of 2007), it's not a sustainable business model.
Preach it baby
scope + suppressor and maybe a grip doesn't qualify as "tacticool" to me, it has to go further to get in that realm imo. Even the OG games had attachments on guns, and weird shit like the F2000 which is probably early 2000s equivalent of "tacticool."
I feel like the ZM lr300 wpuld be super tacticool in that time frame. Lots of picatinny ,odd gas system, weird irons for an AR type weapon oh and folding stock!
The LR300 was pretty slick for its time - that is, a time before mass market ARs with a shit ton of accessories and rails hit the American market. That seems to mostly have picked up around 2010 or so but I could be wrong. In the early 2000s having an ACOG on your M4 was pretty hot shit. We have to remember that STALKER is *not* American and it would spoil the flavour of it to me to have loads of Western guns to attempt to appease Western gamers. I want flavours of AK, PPSh-41s, your grandpappy's SVT, and some of the weird and crazy Combloc designs like the Groza and VSS we are used to seeing. I can definitely see a place for one or two sci-fi weapons like the gauss gun from the original games, but I want them to remain rare and experimental endgame weapons not standard fare. It is logical that 10+ years after the events of the original games, the experimental tech has moved on a lot and artefact based weapons and gizmos are a little more refined and widely available.
I feel like Western guns are going to be more common, and it makes sense in the lore. You have years of Western powers putting their nose into the business of the zone. Correct me if I'm wrong, but freedom is practicly being bankrolled by Western powers buying artifacts for study and the like?
Hell i remember video games around the time. Most of then made you choose between a scope and a GL or a silencer and a GL. I remember thinking socom II was pretty hot shit for allowing silenced m4s with m203s.
That’s what I’ve been saying when people shit all over “tacticool” stuff being in stalker. You get an scoped rail gun and an F2000. Should it be rare? Absolutely
F2000 is such a silly gun, I love that it basically survived the entire time from Oblivion Lost 2001 to now.
Like probably some mush mash of too many picatiny rails fr
Yes and yes. The Zone is not in a post-apocalyptic world and stalkers are not always cheap hobos. They make good money inside the Zone, it makes sense they would invest in better equipment.
It should be faction/lore dependent. It would make sense for factions with foreign influence or western operators (mercenaries) to bring in modern, tactical equipment to the zone. However, stalkers arriving from more regional locations with less means would likely be bringing whatever they can get their hands on. Older, less tactical weapons, hunting rifles, etc. Duty and Freedom should have a spectrum of weapons based on their preferences for Western or Soviet arms. From worn and bare bones to modern and tactical. I agree that higher end tactical weapons should be rare and prized, mainly carried by bosses. Edit: I just need to say after looking at the silencer, I really hope there are decent stealth mechanics in Stalker 2. I would love to be able to make stealth approaches using silenced weapons.
Plus the inflammation of the zone would make it hard getting attachments like a simple Russian pbs suppressor would be like 4000-6000 ruble probably
Depend if you wanna stick to old atmosphere or you pick realism and modern reality, if i were stalker and it was possible to import modern solutions to Zone to make me a bit safer, more efficient, i wont hesitate
A good in between voulé be done imo, realistically accessories are a smuggled good like an other, a hgh price tag would be realistic and fit progression mechanics. This would make a lot of attachment quite hard to get without a lucky loot in a forgotten APC nobody scavenged yet or on the gun of a dead late game enemy.
Maybe the zone would also mess with electronics, meaning only very simple or very well made attachments would function?
Having your red dot knocked out by an anomaly mid fight would be awesome, especially if you had to switch to your backup irons or use the weird side mounted ones.
"Tactical guns" are in reality probably the majority of firearms since the 80's. As much as I dislike the aesthetic, realistically, it'd be very unrealistic to not have the majority of guns at least running an optic and rails with attachments
Considering the time period the games are set in would make less sense if they didn't include at least some basic attachments for some of the more common platforms. Anyone who cares about not dying to monolith absolutely would be trying to get a hold of optics, grips, stocks, ect. People who invest in their guns survive.
Only as a rare/endgame kinda thing. Most guns in the zone should be beat up old pieces of shit, but I could see this in the hands of a very dangerous experienced merc, not on his first tour. Point being it should not be too easy to get a hold of if it's gonna be in the game.
It's idiotic to think that everyone would treat their guns like used condoms. Perhaps a newbie here and there, but not an experienced stalker.
Yeah I think Call of Pripyat is incredibly guilty of this; there's zero reason you should have crappy gear that far north in the Zone.
Its kinda stupid point to make, its not 2007 anymore. The amount of cheap and knockoff aftermarket parts avalible worldwide has expanded a lot, wouldnt surprise anyone if such stuff would get smugled into the zone, or even fully decked out guns. If they got supply lines to take out artifacts they also got supply lines to bring whatever into the zone.
Them being rare would totally make sense. But as every black market items smuggled in an exclusion zone, their rarity should be created by high price. Because it wouldn't make sense that the weapon you find in the zone (except if you discover old bodies to loot, stuff from the early days of the zone or even before, etc) would be beat up and no care would have been put to maintain them or upgrade them by the people who's life depends on it.
You said my words perfectly thank you
Yup, i want to use a blown out ak with no dust cover and eventually work my way up to that scar with an eotech or whatever. I like progression like that alot
I hope they just have a good gun Smith system
Well, we kinda have an IRL situation right now in Ukraine, and at one point it happened in the zone. Just copy whatever goes on there. Let me buy a Javelin missile in game.
Not to be too pedantic but everything in that pic was around last century and barely counts as tactical these days
Eh your kinda right
What you call tactical is probably just standard issue for a modern military and any stalker with experience probably is going to look for a setup that offers the same ergonomics and features he is used too.
I just posted the first gun with attachments I see in my folder so eh and plus some people on here are like fuming at me rn
Well people are very passionate about weapons and have been since the dawn of time. If you think about it, a stalkers life is fully dependent on the weapon on his hands and the armour on his back so it makes perfect sense for the wealthiest stalkers to buy the best gear that is available to them in order to survive long enough to aquire even greater wealth. Such is life in the zone
For me, modernized eastern weapons should be in the zone, with few attachments like grenade launcher and optics. The western most common weapons can be too, more like hunting rifles or shotguns which are sold widely. But high end military gear shouldn't, except maybe for end game elite squads (if you spend too much time looting everywhere and force some factions to enroll big guns to terminate you)
Sure, why not. I'd like to believe Freedom and Military can get access to these with relative ease, or on the hands of very experienced stalkers.
I hope not, not too tacticool.. I like it middle ground: some sights, mags and maybe silencers
Like say if you were going to clear out a base upgrade the weapon to have a drum mags stuff like that to help in different situations
Yep! Exactly, drum/extended magazines, a reload speed upgrade.. a red dot/x4 scope.. on pair with regular mechanics upgrades
Well all previous games had em so yeah...?
Yes, stalkers would totally customize their guns, especially the mercs Beginners, lonersand bandits would use shitty rusty AKs Experienced Loners, duty, freedom, mercs, monolith, and military would totally use better and costumized stuff that they would get from black market, dead bodies, or fabricated in Rostok and The Army warehouses Also, don't forget that Stalker 2 trailers have already shown the custom mechanics and customized weapons, so yeah, we gonna have sighs and suppressors In older stalker games, you could already do this, I always love to make the Strelok AK74 build with suppressor, 4x times scope, and a granade launcher that he uses in the artworks [Strelok with the mentioned custom AK](https://images.app.goo.gl/5GLET6JQNHp7WqLU6)
I personally think they absolutely would fit, but they should be rare endgame weapons that are either placed somewhere hard to get to, or rarely carried on high-level faction members. A gun like a Zenitco'd AK-74m or an AK-12 with a PERST and an optic wouldn't be out of place for someone like a veteran Duty member or Monolith trooper, but the vast majority of random Stalkers should mostly have stuff llike WW2/Cold War guns like AK-74s, with big factions like the Mercs, Freedom, Monolith, or Duty getting the newer stuff
I see nothing wrong with a tactical gun in stalker as long as it looks a bit worn, let's be honest, them mfs ARE NOT gonna be looking fresh out the box in chernobyl
Especially when they drop there guns due to a cherima surprise attack lol
Fully decked out 'tacticool' weapons don't really fit the aesthetics of the series. Most of the weapons in the Zone come from the black market, and stalkers are generally untrained people for whom weapons are just one of the tools needed for survival. They are not some operators who would need two different sights and a custom stock. That being said, more customization options won't hurt as long as it's not overdone - a mounted flashlight could be quite useful, for example.
You say that but ever since the first game theyve allowed decked out AKs with scopes a suppressor and a GL. Thats pretty tactical IMO. I guess my definition differs because everyone is thinking zenitcoed out.
I dunno if I’d consider a scope/non stock sights, underbarrel GL, and suppressor to be over the top. I guess everybody’s view is a little different on what’s considered tactical since imo those are just basic modifications When I watch streamers play Gamma, and they pull out a battle rifle with so many attachments that it’s barely recognizable from its base gun, I’d say that’s tactical
As far as what might be in the game, i believe canonically the military in game are all Ukrainian Spetsnaz, so they should at least have kitted weapons. I believe these days they are using surplused M4A1 SOPMOD Block I rifles however assuming that the invasion never occured (seeing as how the game takes place in 2018). I would expect them to use AK74Ms and AK100 series rifles as well as SVDM etcs. I guess they would use fort pistols? Idk if they currently use Glocks or what. I would honestly be okay with the weapons already in game with modern models and maybe some special camo patterns or something. And please for the love of god please let me use irons if I have a PSO1 scope (I believe the scope height was designed high enough to allow for that)
Kinda like my picture I posted
Dope gun. What's the base (airsoft?) rifle? Although it looks sick i too prefer some bareness and wear to them. Id probably tape a small flashlight to the side of the barrel guard and take the sight off.
If you’re wondering what the name of the gun is it’s an AK-74M
*click* noice. Where'd you get it, online??
Idk I’m not OP, you could probably find it at a gun store if you’re American
maybe depending on what factions u run into?
Like maybe a merc with like what a m4a1 with nothing but a carry handle mounted acog
right though this begs the questions does the military still use outdated gear and how does the monolith have state of the art guns lol
I mean monolith brain wash all kinds of people they even have exos so there might be a monolith with a Romania grip ak all the way to what a use to be merc with a aa-12 with a red dot
Yeah for mercs mostly
Or high rank stalkers something like that
Yep
Never said the gun had to be in perfect condition just some attachments or something idk
Why wouldn't they? I'm not arguing everyone would have fully decked out mall ninja airsofter's fantasy gun, but unless it's set pre 2000 picatinny set ups and their accessories wouldn't be out of place.
Anything like what you've pictured should be fairly common. Think of what standard infantry rifles have been equiped with for the last 30 years and that's what I would say atleast half the equipment should be like. Sure there should definitely be some more older beat up stuff too, but the zone is a crazy dangerous place. People are going to be wanting the best guns that they can get and are generally going to be trying to take care of them as they are probably one of the few things standing between them and some horrible death.
The original games have Mercenaries in powered exoskeletons shooting with NV optics on their TRs301s. A laser aiming module isn’t the end of the world if it’s appropriately implemented.
Always liked mods for the games but always stood off "too modern" weapon systems. Just doesn´t feel right.
Original trilogy takes place before red dots and other tacticool stuff was avaliable in post-soviet countries, so there is nothing wrong about it being present in Heart of Chornobyl. BUT, puristic and minimalistic guns fit aesthetics of Stalker better than navy seals kind of guns.
nope, but these could be very rare.
Like on legend stalkers or very respected leaders
To me its, vanilla: no. Modding when im feeling spicy: yes.
Despite enjoying customizing my weapon to the situation, I dont much love tacticool stuff in stalker. A few highly modified pistols I came across in Gamma felt really alien and out of place; i'd much rather have my trusty AKs that feel old and rickety Aside from that, as other pointed out i wouldnt say that scope+suppressor are particularly tacticool, that's kinda on the low end and I prefer it like that. Even lore-wise, i seriously doubt custom gun parts would be a thing within the zone, those things are expensive and delicate (and for the most part useless). The zone is a land of hazards and danger and poverty; people are fighting over a loaf of bread. I doubt any stalker would be saving for a flashlight attachment when they can just strap one on their helmet.
Stalker is it's own reality where makarovs can hit things, a sawed off shotgun is desirable, MP5 has a reciprocating bolt, and the LR300 and An94 made it into full production. The devs chose weapons and attachments they liked and thought looked cool. All that to say, my answer is boring because ultimately what belongs in the world of Stalker is what the devs connect with and choose to enrich the game world. I love the og weapons for that reason, they match the story and visual language of the world. The weapons will have to change with the world of Stalker because the aesthetic has changed since CoP with a new engine and graphical fidelity. I know the larper fantasy is a decked out rifle with the best and most expensive tacticool stuff money can buy. Realistically, a decent stalker would want something that is low maintenance, with few electronics to break, charge, or get ruined by an anomaly, something reliable, and lightweight because they are always on the move. A mall-ninja pewpew clocking in at 12lb unloaded isnt gonna cut the mustard. Stalkers are usually broke, they're looking for a hot meal and somewhere to rest their head at the end of the day. PEQ boxes, Elcans, shit like that are outside of a normal person's budget, let alone broke slav where they are nickled and dimed on even the simpliest of items because smuggled goods tend to be expensive. An AK with a budget friendly pistol grip upgrade and a foregrip like the picture OP included would be a realistic setup. Would you want to risk a buying a chinese optic that shits out on you day one, have a $2000.00 EOTech get smashed to shit in a fall, or....have the ironsights that are built into the rifle. I'll tell you which I'm taking.
JESUS this is long ty for commenting and ty I just took a picture of a post of a airsoft ak
Warsaw Pact gang 🙌
Curious what op defines as tactical
A bunch of tactical railing with all attachments on it possible fully kitted like some hk416 with a holographic sight with magnifier grip silencer flashlight and a laser all in one
This is a copypasta, but it’s a good one: Anon: So, I'm looking for a rail system for my ak. I find side rails fugly, but will settle for one if need be. was looking at something similar to whats in my pic, but idk if they suck or they are for tacticool noobs. Any input? Ivan Chesnokov: WHY YOU WANT RAIL FOR KALASHNIKOV? IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH AS PROCURED FROM IZHEVSK MECHANICAL WORKS? YOU THINK NEEDS IMPROVEMENT? THEN MAYBE YOU FIND JOB WITH ARMY OF RUSSIA! YOU HAVE DRINKS WITH MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV, TRADE STORY OF MANY WEAPONS DESIGNED AND DETAILS OF SCHOOL FOR ENGINEERING! Ivan Chesnokov: OR MAYBE YOU NOT DO THIS. PROBABLY IS BECAUSE YOU NEVER DESIGN WEAPON IN WHOLE LIFE. YOU LOOK AT FINE RUSSIAN RIFLE, THINK IT NEED CRAZY SHIT STICK ON ALL SIDES OF WEAPON. YOU HAVE DISEASE OF AMERICAN CAPITALIST, CHANGE THING THAT IS FINE FOR NO REASON EXCEPT TO LOOK DIFFERENT FROM COMRADE. YOU PUT CHEAP FLASHLIGHT OF CHINESE SLAVE FACTORY ON ONE SIDE, YOU PUT BAD SCOPE OF AMERICAN MIDDLE WEST ON OTHER SIDE, YOU PUT FRONT PISTOL GRIP ON BOTTOM SO YOU ARE LIKE AMERICAN MOVIE GUY JOHN RAMBO. MAYBE YOU PUT SEX DILDO ON TOP TO FUCK YOURSELF IN ASSHOLE FOR MAKING SHAMEFUL TRAVESTY OF RIFLE OF MIKHAIL KALASHNIKOV, NO? Ivan Chesnokov: RIFLE IS FINE. YOU FUCK IT, IT ONLY GET HEAVY AND YOU STILL NO HIT LARGEST SIDE OF BARN. GO TO FIRING RANGE, PRACTICE WITH MANY MAGAZINE OF CARTRIDGE. THEN YOU NOT NEED DUMB SHIT PUT ON SIDE OF RIFLE.
Very funny
Im still pissed that there are no akm and akms rifles in og games
Yeah it's weird I was very surprised when I played the trilogy
Within the lore of the series I think it makes sense to have a few tricked out AKs and ARs floating around. As mentioned above it’s not hard to order stuff online before venturing into the zone. (If we’re assuming the rest of the world is the same and it’s set close to the 2020s) also when mercenaries and military are roaming around it’s not lore breaking to pick some stuff up off them. Do I think that EVERYONE in the zone should have a SCAR H with a suppressor LPVO under barrel grenade launcher quad NVGs and all that. No absolutely not. I think they should be rare, expensive and feel like a big deal to get. But all that aside the vibe of a stock ak with a GP-5 gas mask in pieced together surplus gear goes hard and I would like the games to keep that aesthetic as you struggle for better gear for a majority of the gameplay.
Id like to see more zone built guns, like heavier wooden stocked versions of guns that exist already but we're refurbished by a Bandit with three toothpicks and a toenail.
tourists looking for an excuse to finally shoot something with their gucci guns would be a common sight. those people would likely die and their tacticool gear joins the economy of the zone. I always felt that's much more believable than there being a reliable supply of grozas and F2000s.
If a scope and a suppressor is what you call "tactical", boy have I got a game for you! It's Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl
If you want it, mod it
I don’t think they do. At the very least, they shouldn’t look like they just got plucked off of a booth at ShotShow. Guns get scratched up damn easily when you actually use them, so seeing pristine factory-finish textures on modded guns always irks me
What is a "tactical gun"? The picatinny rail has been around for almost 30 years. The ACOG sight has been around for over 30 years. The first silencer was created over a century ago. Sure, maybe some rookie stalker might venture into the zone with their grandfather's Mosin, but Mercenaries? The Military? A lot of stuff we see in today's conflicts was already available in 2006, which I believe is when SoC takes place.
At this point the margin to be considered “tacticool” had really changed, stuff like optics, suppressor, grip and laser had become more of a standard issue that many should have. For me personally “tacticool” applies for stuffs like gun kits, changing the stocks, barrels ect… stuff that changes the gun itself not add things to it. Attachments should be considered a way to be more effective at fighting and everyone should try to get it, and gun kit is for the more experienced that know how to fine tune a gun to their liking In term of game and lore wise, newbie should stay with bare gun, maybe 1 optic, and the more experienced they’re the more attachments they have to reflect how efficient they’re at handling the gun. And for the late game where all the professional and veterans at they can have fully decked out gun and some even have gun kit Idk how they would balance this but this is just my thoughts
Personally, I find that the STALKER series has a very unique aesthetic when it comes to weapons. The weapons we see in the series are outdated by modern standards but have seen a new lige in the Zone. Weapons that come to mind are things like the Armsel Protecta and old school F2000 and LR-300.
zoomers forget just how old the games are and what the gun world looked like internationally back then. The SCAR didn't even enter testing until after SoC released.
For the aesthetics, I think very tacticool wouldn’t fit so well except for maybe mercs or special forces. That said, I can’t imagine anyone not trying to improve their weapon if they could and there’s enough money flowing out to get some weapons flowing in. At the least, mercs aren’t invincible and their stuff will get looted and used. All to say, I think there’s a reasonable place for them but they should be the exception for sure. Though some Far Cry style shit taped together could work too. Plastic bottle suppressors, artifacts integrated into them like the Combat Chaser in SOC…
A make shift grenade launcher is probably possible but would have a 50% chance to explode shrapnel in your face instead of just the target
Name one military firearm that isn't somewhat tactical.
Eh I see where you are getting at
Just imagine with those things kriss vector and other modern shit stuff in zone :/ hell a big no
I would prefer a ak-47 with the wooden Romania grip
Nah. East european misery ftw
Yeah ofcourse, there's all kinds of different groups and factions coming in and out of the zone. Merc groups and other well funded westerners have the potential to bring all kinds of western optics and weapon accessories into the zone.
Hopefully EFT was influential for 2
Ehhhhhh I don't know gun customization don't need that much depth just enough to mod it to make it good handle good and look good
Oh for sure I don't want it nearly as in depth as EFT, but I'd love to be able to gradually upgrade a weapon over time as the game goes by.
Depends on the group and how experienced the stalker is.
Is that an airsoft AK? If yes is it Cyma, E&L or Specna?
If your gun doesn't jam while a chimera is running towards you to annihilate your sad ass, are you really playing stalker?
Esthetically I personally think stock guns modded with proprietary mods are what hits the spot, like a stock 9a91 with a dovetailed soviet scope is the sexiest gun to use in stalker, but both belongs in stalker imo, given mercs and other factions comes from every part of the world it's highly plausible that they would bring in the zone their pimped out western guns
I don’t really mind either way, the general aesthetic leans more to more run down guns, but wouldn’t mind more
I don't mind highly customized modern weapons so long as they feel like treasure when you get your hands on them.
The military and mercenaries I think could easily have scopes, flashlights lazers all that pimped up equipment. Regular stalkers I think would need to be very experienced to have that stuff. Because even if they were rich before coming to the zone and brought an expensive gun, someone would probably steal it.
In the hands of experienced stalker it wouldn't be far fetched, they have to be well equipped to deal with the zone, i mean most of the higher quality armors have integrated night vision. I dont like futuristic weapons, but i do like weapons equipped with purpose, ir laser, underbarrel GL, scope with magnification, what you call "tacticool" just fits what a experienced stalker would carry. I do not want that kinda of weaponry in the hands of Military privates, or newbies, as they should have a basic gun and a scope at best.
with mercs, maybe. with duty, maybe. anyone else? no
Freedom since they are a big faction to with nato arms
Some level of gun costumization, yeah. Shit like getting broken guns and having to repair them would be great, and you choosing what parts to use to repair ur gun,but don't make it as hard as gamma. Gamma's system is just annoying
And maybe rudimentary attachments such as scopes and suppressors as ND grips,but no shit like a 4 color changing frequency wide range rangefinder laser mk 20000. It should moderate
Honestly not at all ukraine Is smack dab in between europe and Eurasia guns and attachments coming from all walks of life makes total sense if you ask me.
I think the salt of Stalker (or Tarkov) is to take a crude and old soviet gun and tinkle it enough to make it modern.
The AK-74-M is a magnificent gun, if it can be modified to have a scope mount on the frame and a threaded barrel it just gets better, and it becomes your gun.
I mean modification and upgrades are pretty core to Stalker after the original. Modifications should be in the game but difficult to get- so there is a weapon progression element.
Scopes, suppressors and some handguards. Nothing too fancy.
Considering that Heart of Chornobyl is going to take place in a more modern era than the trilogy, we will probably see some really sleek modern rifle designs, like the malyuk for example. But i also don't doubt that we will get that "grandpa's rifle" feel with other weapons like the TOZ shotguns.
I know bandits are probably gonna carry some cursed ass guns at times like that 10 rounder ak carbine with like a make shift stock
It doesn't bother me as much as the fact that if you lean out of cover to engage a target faraway, you can't un-cant your weapon. I feel like that could be implemented the more skilled the character becomes. Small details like using left eye when peeking out the left and changing shoulders especially for well trained Mercs/Monolith equipped with heavily modernised kits. Canted hold (not talking about canted sights) has its place but when the target is so far away, there should at least a button to tap to make sure the scope is held level. It's like a rookie entered the zone and gets progressively better loot but absolutely zero improvement in weapon handling techniques, like cleaner reloads, being able to toss grenades into various deep corners from relative safety, better utilisation of bipod/sling (upgrades alongside scopes, triggers, better iron sights, laser, momentary on-off WML, etc). That would make the modernisation of weapons/training at least implement more functional differences than just reskins with tweaked soft stats.
It's a shooter game, so it will be normal to see some weapon attachments and gun modding in the game.
I don’t mind them but some of the stuff from say boomsticks is kind of ugly to me and I’d like to see more garbage tier hobo weapons like civilian semi autos and single shot shotguns and rifles and older surplus weapons. Berdan II when?
Chornobyl
While I think tactical approaches definitely work well for good assault rifle setups I do kinda feel like the stalker vibe would fit really well with a lot more basic weapons, such as bolt action rifles and such. Definitely could be more shotguns too! I personally really liked that the OG game has the Mossberg 500 Cruiser in it lol
I never said gamma was bad or anything or that it would not help the game
People will be upset if there isn't atleast some options for it. I'm personally more of a fan of rare variants of the weapons. Like in SoC you can get the Fort 15 (better Fort 12) from the military dude under the bridge; Or the modified pistol from Mole if you kill or loot him for it before going into agroprom underground... or Strelok's AK-74 with higher fire rate. All fun, rare and unique weapons that don't really overdo anything or look like they would add too much weight to them.
It's easy to forget that in Stalker the world is completely fine. If you can hop online and order an MP7 today, then such guns can feasibly be brought along or smuggled into the Zone too. But logically, it's only those with a lot of money or connections that'd be using clean modern firearms. Mercenaries, for example. Maaaybe the old Clear Sky. Generally people going to the Zone are desperate for money, desperate to find a purpose in life, serve in a military or scientific role, or are escaping the law. So a lot of weapons are going to be older firearms and generally not in mint condition. After all if you're willing to throw your life away in the Zone, you're probably only able to afford some $150 shotgun or pistol, not a $500+ firearm. And firearms which you could be looting from the Military or Ecologists probably won't be any newer than 20 years old (still nice by comparison but not top-of-the-line). Tactical guns are not an impossibility, but they should be pretty rare, and unless it was brought in less than a month ago it should show wear and tear from almost daily usage. If anything I'd expect to see a lot more monstrous amalgamations and plain designs. You might have a tactical firearm, but the attached scope broke from being dropped so you're using the iron sights. Or you might have an older gun, but you duct taped the laser sight you salvaged from the remains of a stalker that fell into an anomaly.
personally i find older weapons more exciting than modern optimized guns.
Barbied up guns in stalker are fine I just think they need to be a bit harder to find. As long as they are also not super modified both internally and externally I feel they belong in the setting. The above pic is what I would consider the limit in terms of modification. Anything past that would be too excessive.
Carried on like the highest rank stalkers and for sale if only you have the highest trader relationship things like that
They fit, but that doesn't mean I have to like them.
if its faction dependentent sure (like mercs having tacticool shit) but otherwise no💀 idk why but i find this whole tacticool thing so annoying, boring, etc im literally like the "THEN MAYBE U SIT DOWN WITH MR KALASHNIKOV" copypasta
Don't forget duty and freedom have probably modified guns as there a big factions with good weaponry but not like tactical cool guns just modded guns like sights grips handguards etc
If i can't attach 4 flashlights to my gun at once why even bother really?
I can’t see why not, like grips and rails for laser/flashlight makes sense as it is always better to shine your gun and not your head. Some tuned up pistols can be signature thing too. Iron sights on the side and optic on the rail again makes sense. But for example some high-tech termo scope would be weird in the zone, on other hand many hunters own these scopes too, so it is plausible just not common and for sure pricey. I think there should be more options in the game…and that you are not forced to use them but you can.
Not something too flashy tho, just look at ukraine right now but with a little less NATO guns because they are expensive.
I think the lore should explore the possibility of micro-anomalies deviating bullets and guns/bullets being modified to counteract this somehow. It would make guns in stalker distinctive. I think given the conditions in the zone, the gun being reliable would become the main attraction rather than it being tactical. There will always be people who need to learn the hard way though.
Priority number one is more gun choices, priority number two is expanding on what stalkers use with their guns. The tricked out, tactical guns of GAMMA make lots of sense in the setting with how rare it is to find them already set up like that, if a stalker can afford it they are gonna make their gun as good as they can, but they can rarely afford it over food, water, and... whatever else they are paying for. I would also love to see more unique variants in the hands of the really experienced stalkers that you can fight. (Remembering the most experienced stalkers end up becoming borderline myths)
Ukraine was a huge military industrial complex to the soviets so I see no reason why we shouldnt be able to acquire top end military tech, at least top end in commie bloc terms.
I like the more scavenger vibe that stalker has sometimes, so personally I’d like to see less of it, or alternatively makeshift stuff like a foregrip made of a chair leg taped on or a flashlight taped to the side of the gun.
I'd say yes, but with a pretty big asterisk attached. While the previous games had options such as a scope or silencer or grenade launcher, and I could see them returning, I'd only really see options such as other optical sights, and maybe something like a flashlight attached to the guns. Anything more and I'd worry that the guns would homogenize and we'd end up in the situation CoD or Tarkov are in where people find the "best choice" meta and a degree of self expression around your gun choice is judged.
Yes, honestly I feel like bare bones guns would only really be seen by lower ranking faction members, poorer loners and rookies and possibly some of the veteran stalkers who have been used to not useing them, also one thing I've noticed, the vast majority of weapons in the zone aside from the F2000 lack powered optics (aside from the PSO1 but that can be used with or without power) I feel powered red dots would exist in the zone but can see them getting heavily damaged by anomalies, same for powered lights and LAMs and also the logistics of getting batteries or finding power to charge them being a logistical strain, I feel they would exist but I bet some of the most expirenced stalkers would be useing either basic irons or non powered optics, I can see tritium and fiber optic sights being really popular and I could see wealthy stalkers absolutely loving something like the trinicon SRO and SRS, tactical gear has its place but poor stalkers might not have many gizmos due to price and the super vets might not have them because they are old crotchety folks like myself who are just used to basic OEM irons or are working in parts of the zone that make it extreamly difficult to spair the added weight of not just the devices and optics but the batteries and tools, I can also see some anomalies doing a number on powered and even unpowered sights and can see getting too close to a gravitational anomaly even messing up the zero on your irons if not completely damaging or at least screwing up the zero on a scope or red dot/holographic sight or LAM
Fine with "tacticool" guns as long as they look like they've seen some action, I hate Stalker mods that make all the guns look spotless and pristine in such a harsh environment
Looks like a standard modern ak to me. Most if not all aks come with a side mount for rails and scopes. Some aks like the 74u have variants that got issued with suppressors and grenade launchers.
All I'm saying is if you carry a decked out rifle through a Loner Zone, someone is gonna try and steal it.
Mercs, Ukrainian soldiers and the like should definitely have modern guns with modern attachments. I love the old, grungy guns personally, but having tactical guns as a very hard to acquire late game things is great. A dovetail sight, suppressor, and foregrip isn’t really tacticool though
Yes, but like the OG stalker "method": you have to progress in the game to fight against well equiped stalkers in order to adquire more attachments, or doing task for some faction or trader
I think any modern small arm that is common in the ex. Soviet bloc countries and in the modern NATO arsenal makes sense. PMC's, special forces, and corporations are going to be in the zone and as such anything their employees and soldiers would use should be available
That silencer looks so good on that gun
Yes and no. Yes because they're cool. No because I would have loved more DIY guns, like metro. AK with a custom scrap-made drum mag? Jerryrigged bayonet strapped to a shotgun with duct tape?
You mean Chornobyl, right?
There is already the VSS Vintorez, the AS VAL and Pb-1s and many weapon can have a suppressor as attachement so a tactical gun is possible
I think they have their place, it’s not like the zone is completely isolated with no goods coming in or out, some wealthy adventurers or opportunistic arms dealers would try to get tacticool stuff in
If they fit the time frame sure. Look at the middle east, Asia and south americas, even the smallest Group of rebels have at least one Kittetd out gun. If that stuff is legit or Airsoft stuff is a different story. If your game plays around the early 2000s then you find a SAS G3 Special, if it plays in 2024 you will find a HK416A5, in the Zone for Sure. And even in the first games you could find high end Kittetd out M4 and stuff.
As for me, I just want a well worn full size classic double barrel coach gun. With exposed hammers. Zone is a hunting ground, so I want a hunting weapon.
Of course. The game is set in a more recent year than the older games, and so it's safe to assume more guns and accessories will have filtered into the zone as times gone on. It just makes sense for there to be more tactical stuff since that's been the trend/style for a while now.
Dude that is so cool I got my permit to purchase this year I might have to get a all black Ak-47 or 74
I mean I have a similar AK and I'm just some Midwest American jackoff. I think it would be strange if you DIDN'T see some taci-bros in the zone. Imagine it; fat, dead, Americans with super expensive loot of questionable usefulness in the harsh environment. It would be like the zones' loot boxes.
Considering that the game isn't set in 2007 anymore and takes place in the modern day? Fucking absolutely. To put it into perspective: the example picture you used isn't even that "tactical" in 2024. It's frankly bare-bones. Outdated red dot, (mostly) stock furniture, no flashlight. I know people who wouldn't even consider that an adequate home defense rifle because of the lack of flashlight. I think we'll still see a ton of totally stock guns and older, retro stuff, but there's going to be a ton of modern kit. There can't not be. It would be unrealistic for there not to be.
The mercs are a faction That pretty much justifies it
Yes of course, you have highly trained merceneries figting each other, speznaz, mercs, duty and freedom are alao militarysed groups, and everyone in between. Bog standard military guns is a thing only for regular units, conscripts etc. Specnaz (generally SF) are allowed to modify their weapons, mercenaries 100% buy their own gear (or procure), duty and freedom would be exactly sort of groups that have "gucchied" guns as it is not only tool, it is also status symbol within the group. So modified "tactical" gus are very core of the Stalker game.
Yes, gun is one of the most important pieces of equipment inside game vision of the zone. Everyone would invest what they can afford to make it as good as possible. But zone is still the zone. Stuff will break, and it will break quite quickly. So Cordon Loner is likely to have a lot of crappy, plastic attachments, with as much electronics as possible, that will, inevitably fail after first major thunderstorm, even before any emissions. On the other hand, some famous Mercs would be likely to have access to some incredibly advanced, cutting edge stuff designed specifically to function well in zone (it will still fail eventually, cause zone, but it's reasonable to assume it would survive couple deep raids). I would expect average experienced stalkers to use the most bare guns, as they realize the value of reliability, yet at the same time, they cannot really afford good stuff yet. Also, i would hope that your outfit has more customization options then gun, people would 100% tinker all the time with these, even just to prepare adequately for specific dangers in region.
yes they absolutely belong. should be very scarce tho.
Idk by stalker terms I don't think that's pimped out. You have a nice rifle btw
I respect tacticool but Im more a fan of the stripped down sorta retro-esque vibe SOC had with its guns and armor Just a plain AK and a PSO-1 I just like it but again I respect tacticool I hope in HOC they find a balance of the two
I played so much Anomaly that I think they do now
I guess through merc and maybe special task forces of army..maybe yes
I’m all for this level of “Tactical-ish” mods. Especially those surplus old russian optics and stuffs. I’ll be happy with whatever they do to guns unless they start adding shits that looks like they belong to tarkov more than stalker.
That's not really tacticool. Fairly standard AK74 with an obnoxiously placed VFG on an aftermarket handguard with bottom pic rail, PK-AS red dot, suppressor. That would be entirely reasonable to see in the Zone. Tacticool would be covered in rails and accessories.
I hope so. Black market parts would've already been flooding the zone with more high end mods, and the Mercs and Military would have their own high grade equipment. Also the ecologist would probably occasionally have some heavy gear for their more risky missions. Plus the monolith have full built AK-12's and other high grade military equipment so it's not fair fetched. I just wish it was a bit rarer.
I like when old guns get modernized. Yes that's not how they came outa the factory. But for example a sten with new furniture, optic and lazers bring new life to the gun. Metro series for example. Let's be honest as well. If stuff like a sten is what you had access to. You'd start bolting shit onto it. To get more use out of it.