How much will I miss if I start STALKER with CoP. Is it really

SoC is the gold standard for STALKER, but CoP is far more stable in its vanilla form. Story-wise you wouldn't miss much/anything.

The weapon repair/upgrades are pretty cool in Pripyat but I prefer Shadow of Chernobyl. Much interesting atmosphere, story, and the zombies are actually threatening. Got pretty sick of visiting the same 3 areas in CoP and the final area was pretty dull. Also fuck that Left 4 Dead part in the game.

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>>384822135
You will miss the BEST and most IMPORTANT STALKER game. CoP is very underwhelming and assumes you already know your shit & way around the Zone.

Seriously, start with SoC.

Consult this Starting Guide,
then see the /vg/'s huge Stalker General for more tips and links: >>>/vg/stalker

Play in the release order. Start with no mods - only latest patch, OR get the full "Starter Pack" first; these contain bug-fixers and light visual mods that can help performance as well.
Leave big overhauls for later playthrougs. Avoid the "Complete" -mods. Always play on MASTER difficulty for best realism and atmosphere, and disable crosshair.

Don't give up in the beginning! The starting gear sucks ass and first area can be a bit boring.

>>384822305
>but CoP is far more stable in its vanilla form.
if you only refer to the pure v1.0 of SoC, then sure.
However, the game got 6 major patches after the release, all which made the game smooth and enjoyable long ago. And if you still want more insurances, just grab the ZRP mod on top.

CoP is the casual version of SoC so go for it

>>384822927
>CoP is the casual version of SoC so go for it
besides using the same engine, assets and shit, that couldn't be further from the truth. SoC feels and plays very different in a way from CoP, and I do greatl prefer the SoC's pacing, style and challenge.

Why do people not like Clear Sky compared to SoC and CoP?

>>384822135
>Is it really that much better to start with SoC?
It is.
It's the only game to even TRY and teach you the basics. In general though, the games are very anti-handholding; you know how people praise BotW for allowing you to run straight to the last boss if you wanna? Well, STALKER allows something very similar too, but it too makes sure that not too many rookies will even get close to final areas with that poorfag hobo-gear you start with.

On top of that, SoC has easily the best story, best and most memorable set pieces and main-missions, and it feels least "cartoony" in a sense.
Patched vanillas are fine. Starter-packs are even better. Don't use anything too big on first run, or else you may face various problems.

>going back to uni
>somehow an obstacle
Nigga you serious? I played the MOST of vidya in my life when I was still a student! No, I didn't fail or drop out.

Stalkers are best enjoyed slow, with patience

>>384823323
When it released, it was even MORE broken and rushed than SoC in 1.0 state. Which was preeetty bad already.
Because of this, most big modders just went back to SoC, and by the time CS started to be in OK state, CoP was already on its way.

tl;dr: a decade old first impressions and memes are still living strong, because internet does not forget. I almost prefer CS over CoP nowadays, with SoC still being my fav.

>>384823684
>I played the MOST of vidya in my life when I was a student!
Yes but I want to TRY to have a social life this year.

Keyword try

>>384823069
yes there's definitely no fast travel, repairing of weapons, way easier to get artifacts and therefore money, getting better weapons quicker, etc in CoP. i must be wrong

>missing repairs in SoC
Just don't be too attached and pick up shit the enemies drop. There is literally an endless supply of Warsaw Pact and NATO weapons and their respective ammo from enemies. Suits become redundant because damage types don't matter on Master difficulty.