The Zone Is Open -- You Can Start Anywhere ZRP version 1.07 sports features that should prove extremely valuable to: Modders Folks upgrading from 1.0 to 1.0004 or later Folks afflicted with a game-stopping bug Folks desiring a new experience in the basic game Now you can equip yourself for any major point in the game and get all the objectives for that point. You can optionally jump to the associated level from the Cordon.* You can also quickly jump to level changers on each level, or special custom locations that you define. For the "free play" option: Give yourself all the objectives for the Final Level (or Free Play) at any time, and then enjoy the game with no pending objectives. Version 1.07 also permits starting with just a knife. See the Free Play Tweaks entry of the Tweaks Modifier configuration. You can also edit _dev.script and set add_nothing to true if you wish to avoid the Modifier. This is an on-going work, but you can get an idea of what is possible. You can now continue playing after you finish the game, even if you did not start a new game. If you start and finish with this version, you will be prompted to change levels after the "good" cutscene, so you can continue play. (You can also start a new game, select the "Final Level or Free Play" option and then jump to the final level, which will permit you to continue play after you finish the game.) If you are already running with STALKER patched to 1.0004 or later, you do NOT need to start a new game for the equipping feature and the intra-level jump feature, but you will need to start a new game to use the new Cordon teleports level jump feature. You can also continue play after the final level without starting a new game, although the convenient return teleport is missing; you will have to go back the way you came. This means that if you want to see the credits, you will need to select the Credits button from the main menu. Please note that you can still start the free play option at any time without starting a new game. *********************************************************** ALWAYS make a named save (ESC S is good) before doing any of the following, as it changes the game! *********************************************************** The ability to select a chapter in the STALKER SoC story (even changing to the corresponding level from the Cordon) and the ability to jump to select spots within each level are features added in version 1.05, with dialogs to support them. These dialogs are available from the main menu. Changing to any level can only be done while on the Cordon (Escape) level. But you can do this at any time in the game while visiting that level. ====================================== PART 1: EQUIPPING and CHANGING LEVELS ====================================== To equip Marked One for a certain point of progress (PoP) in the game, press ESC T (If you are already on the main menu in an active game, just press T.) You will see the dialog (graciously provided by TSL16b) for equipping and teleporting to a new level. If you are not on the Cordon level in this version, the "Equip only" checkbox will be checked already. You can then select an entry in the list, or press the key corresponding to that point of progress: G - Garbage A - Agroprom U - Agroprom Underground B - Bar, post Agroprom D - Dark Valley 8 - Lab X18 C - Cordon from Dark Valley, post X18 W - Wild Territory Y - Yantar 6 - Lab X16 L - Yantar Lower Level (Tunnels), post X16 M - Military Warehouses R - Red Forest 9 or 0 - Lab X19, AKA Brain Scorcher P - Pripyat N - Chernobyl NPP S - Chernobyl NPP Sarcophagus H - Monolith Control Center F - Final level or free play (all storyline objectives completed) Depending on the checkbox selections, this will a) give you the "keys", objectives and needed objects for the start of any of those locations, and/or b) change levels to the selected location. It is safe to repeat the selections or select them out of order, but the results might be unpredictable. The checkbox options allow you to equip yourself for a PoP without traveling there, or just change levels without changing your PoP. Each PoP is based on the normal progression in the game, as indicated by the order of selection list above. You can customize the loadout you receive; see the "Under the Covers" section below. *********************************************************** NOTE: While this works on some setups without problems, there may be conflicts with key assignments. There are several possible workarounds: You can use the mouse to perform the action instead of the hotkey. You can edit the _dev.script file to fix this to suit your needs. You can change your key assignment. (This is listed only for completeness.) *********************************************************** After you have acquired the desired PoP settings, you should examine your inventory and make adjustments ("Lock and load") as needed. For example, you might want to put the scope and grenade launcher on the rifle, or select a different primary weapon, as well as equip your belt. In later levels this is necessary because you will need to choose what to drop, as you will likely be overloaded if you don't modify your carrying capacity. Except for the Cordon jump, you will be prompted if you want to change levels. Selecting yes will load the new level. Selecting No will put you at the north end of the Cordon. (You can press ESC J S to get back to Sid's office.) Please note that you can mix and match. You can give yourself the PoP for Red Forest, but jump to the Bar instead. In some cases while trying to change levels, you might have to repeat the sequence if you didn't trigger the level changer's hit box collision detection. ======================================== PART 2: JUMPING to spots inside a level ======================================== To jump to another level changer or custom location on a level, press ESC J (If you are already on the main menu in an active game, just press J.) You can select one of the various set points on the level to jump to it. Generally, the defaults are the level changer "reject" spots (where you would wind up if you said "No" to the question "Move to next level?" Custom locations are in the _custom_zrp.script file which is not installed by default; see the "Under the Covers" section for details. =============== Free Play Stuff =============== A "free play" treat is in store if you use the "Final Level or Free Play" PoP and then jump to the Garbage or one of the other levels. As a natural result, there will be a mass migration of NPCs and mutants in some cases. You might want to quickly jump to a different location and let the creatures get to their destinations before returning. Some additional polishing may still be needed; please report any unusual issues you encounter. The game has a bit of a different flavor with characters assuming new roles in new locations... The passphrase is "There is no spoon." ================ Under the Covers ================ This stuff is supported by the following files in gamedata\scripts\: _z.script ui_main_menu.script ui_teleport_dialog.script ui_level_zip_dialog.script _dev.script optional\_custom_zrp.script <== must be copied to gamedata\scripts\ for use Note that some of these files in turn depend on other files, like those in gamedata\config\ui. Additional changes were made to all.spawn files and other config files to support the new level changers and to modify triggers for free play. You do not need the all.spawn for the "Part 2" intra-level jumps. The file _custom_zrp.script is the place to make changes to the special jump points within a level, and to change the loadouts, which you can edit to change your preferred loadout. You can give yourself whatever custom equipment you desire; see the use_my_special_loadout variable and the add_my_special_loadout() function. SPECIAL NOTE: Copy _custom_zrp.script from the gamedata\scripts\optional subdirectory to gamedata\scripts\ for use. This will permit you to keep your custom settings even if you install a newer version of the ZRP. You can output some position and direction info suitable for use with the custom jump locations by pressing P (for position) while at the main menu in a live game. This information is sent to your console/log file. It also adds a temporary entry to your Jump dialog. Required: _custom_zrp.script copied from the scripts\optional directory to scripts\. Take care with the info_portions. You should not modify them unless you are very familiar with them. There are new level changers added to the files alife_l01_escape.ltx and alife_l12_stancia_2.ltx, found in the decompiled all.spawn. This makes the Cordon level a bit heavier; some tweaking of your texture quality might be useful if you are close to the resource edge on that level. Modders and others: If you repeatedly find yourself starting a new game, you should rename gamedata\config\scripts\esc_trader.ltx.no_Sid_talk to esc_trader.ltx to skip Sid's opening monologue, and use the -nointro command line parameter on the shortcut you use to launch STALKER to skip the movie. ____________ *Requires new game. But hey, you can duplicate your existing game, pretty much.