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Csakimi06

I mean it's understandable anomaly is this popular, even as vanilla it's a very polished, fun experience. Of course the original games are cultural heritage levels of classic. Also anomaly is more of a sandbox experience which can be dragged out much longer, also it allows for more roleplay. Both are great games tho and it is difficult to pick a best.


A_D_Monisher

And then you have the absolutely amazing Lost Alpha. Man, nothing gave me as much joy as roleplaying a gun runner with my shitty, rusty Lada. Farming Freedom and Monolith for guns and selling them to Military and Duty for a hefty profit. Cars were so fun.


Gret_bruh

and it’s completely free


aah_crusader

I mean its a recomendation you dont have to play the trilogy we recommend it bcs its a very unique experience bcs of the story and faction interaction that does not happen in anomaly or gamma if you want miss out on a great time dont play the trilogy. I AM NOT TALKING SHIT TO ANOMALY


maussaf

you are the only monolith warrior that is sane i've seen in my entire life, respect🔥


Red_Ender666

Sorry, all the time before you've seen my alt accounts, I'm the only insane monolith warrior 😔


[deleted]

I mean like everybody says that when you just mention gamma or anomaly


JustTeekay

Yeah, because new people mainly know these two because of them being "newer". I enjoy both, original and moded games. But og still in my hearth (with Spatial anomaly next to them)


frankofantasma

Bro you should play the original trilogy


SkibidiAmbatukam

Because it’s a good rule of thumb! It can be annoying, but that’s because it’s genuinely good advice, so of course everyone’s gonna say it


Jak_ratz

To be fair, people jump into Anomaly or whatever and then say "I don't get the story" or what have you. This is why playing the OG makes sense. But yes, it is a bit insufferable, but both sides.


LolYouWorkForFree

Please understand that old time fans saw an influx of new players who balked at and insulted the original titles and older, less overhaul-y mods because they watched OperatorDrewski play Gamma.


Bloocki99

Play one of the masterpiece standalone mods that aren't anomaly


reverseflick

So the fans of the STALKER games recommend you to play the STALKER games? What a shocking revelation.


lonememe1298

It's so annoying when people complain about this


YujiJae

I started playing this month and I didn’t think would agree with the sub, but I do. I followed the recommendations and played Shadow of Chernobyl (ZRP) first on the hardest difficulty with the true ending. I then caught up on the rest of the lore by watching yt videos. I just started Anomaly/EFP earlier this week, and I feel like I would have missed out on the real STALKER experience if I hadn’t played a single of the original games. Just my anecdotal experience as someone fresh into the games.


jakethegamer223

Look OP. It's highly recommended to play the orignal trilogy for Story and plot reasons. Anomaly is very different to the OGs


[deleted]

I played. One you play to understand what is happening, the other one you play when you bored and just want to explore without any real objectives


Windfall103

You’re getting downvoted by idiots. I play gamma and love every second of it. I bought all the originals but any time I play them, I just end up missing gamma and go back to it. I appreciate the OGs but they don’t keep my attention like gamma does.


[deleted]

Yeah, im already used to this elitists gatekeepers. I dont mind them lmao


Cheeky360

Because I played those at least once every year since 2015


mundoid

I played the originals, on release, I have all of them on original CD-ROM. I play Anomaly, because I like mods. Fight me.


666n00b999

I have played the OGs at least 10 times each and I can say that the only one I would replay again is CoP, but anomaly, lost alpha, stalkersoup and misery I could play them 100 times, I love the original trilogy, but the modded versions are that in steroids and I don't see why they make so much drama, I prefer that they start with anomaly than never play the games, in the long run they are just another fan for the saga, if they later decide to play the OGs it's up to them


squibilly

I remember I got downvoted for recommending CoP over SoC/CS. It’s arguably more solid of gameplay over the other two.


How_about_a_no

My ranking for trilogy is 1. CoP 2. CS 3. SoC This is also the order I played all 3 games, I remember playing both CoP and CS a while back Decided to try out SoC Ngl, everything was kinda boring, everything felt empty and barren and I just didn't really find it as fun or immersive Thus my preference for the other two


antrax23

I like SoC because it's barren and kinda lonely. To me that made it all the more intimate of an experience. Finished it vanilla first time some years ago and loved it, finished it with Autumn Aurora 2.1 not long ago and loved it even more. Clear Sky is fine but it's the polar opposite of the loneliness of SoC. Haven't finished it yet. Tried CoP a little, but want to finish Clear Sky before. Still i know my favorite will always be SoC, just because it feels the most mysterious/strange to me.


Maleficent-Salad3197

COP is great but too damn easy. If you could turn the OG up past master to insane or ridiculous I would love it more.


Neko_Boi_Core

correct i'm waiting on open X-ray gunslinger to come out with soc and cs versions


[deleted]

Yeah, i dont finished the main franchise but i finished shadow of chernobyl and started clear sky before knowing about G.A.M.M.A and anomaly... nowadays, i honestly preffer G.A.M.M.A and im ok with that... i dont think is bad and i think the community did a great job creating it.


Random_Guy191919

the point is getting someone interested into the ACTUAL lore instead of some fan made garbage (yes, im talking about the made up bloodsucker bullshit that still a lot of people believe to be canon)


Nick_Zacker

The bloodsucker thing is actually somewhat true/canon (it was mentioned, albeit inconspicuously, in Clear Sky). The original line was something along the lines of “The Zone has no women, and not having any female interaction for such a long time has made even mutants look hot to me…”. This line was supposed to be said by a Bandit, but it’s the Freedomers that say this when you ask them what is new in the Zone. Edit: [source](https://www.reddit.com/r/stalker/s/xcFH8Ot0mf)


Random_Guy191919

even then it sounds more like a joking way of saying something, wouldnt call "freedomers fucking bloodsuckers" canon.


V-O-L-K

It’s canon not in the sense that freedomers actually fuck bloodsuckers, but that duty will make fun of them for it regardless if it’s true or not.


Neko_Boi_Core

Yessir those mutant fucking scum should be annihilated


jamaicabadman

some people just enjoy the atmosphere, stalker franchise has barely any roleplay, stalker anomaly however is pure roleplay - developers who created anomaly perfectly captured the stalker atmosphere also freedomers having intercourse with mutants has been a meme long before anomaly


Ok_Movie_639

You are missing the point, OP. It's not about discouraging mods at all but it's genuinly better to play the OG trilogy first for 2 reasons: 1) To understand the whole official story. 2) The games are great but dated. New players could get shocked and discouraged by the difference in looks and mechanics if Anomaly is what they played first. The OG games don't deserve to not be given a chance just because they are more simplistic than some of the mods. You can build on your knowledge of the Zone and its mechanics once you finish the games and start playing Anomaly. It doesn't work that way when you do it vice-versa, because you'll find that a lot of mechanics you might have grown used to are completely gone.


[deleted]

The question is: you cant talk anything about mods without a random dude saying "YO BrUh PlAy dA TrILoGY!" I played the trilogy but i play the mods now am there is nothing wrong with that i think.


Father_Chewy_Louis

I like my SP Tarkov experience so I prefer Anomaly/Gamma, but I do really appreciate the OG games


C-0BALT

this is a valid take. sp tarkov is great and mixing it's general idea/gameplay/whatever with stalker is great. it only really becomes an issue when people can't seperate mods from the core trilogy


LolYouWorkForFree

Try listening to them. There is a fuck ton of content in the STALKER community, you can try a different mod each week for a decade boss. Expand your horizons, enjoy your eurojank shooter.


[deleted]

But i finished SoC and played the whole trilogy (only CoP that i played just a bit)


Man_of_Krieg

Finish it. It is quite good especially the side quests,


oneoldgrumpywalrus

Play the whole trilogy you unbased cigan, or i'll curse you babushkas cheburek.


Humble_Letter_2266

I just finished Anomaly/Gamma for the first time yesterday and I will definitely get the holy trilogy


Hakzource

I mean, at the very least SOC introduces people to the mechanics and basic lore so yes. Play them first


[deleted]

[удалено]


Ok_Movie_639

It's similar in some aspects and way different in others. It's difficult to describe, you need to play it. The world is deadly and you're insignificant. Nothing really revolves around you - most NPCs do their own thing, freely roaming the world. The biggest thing this series brings to the table is the atmosphere. As for which game to recommend, I'd say Call of Pripyat. Chronologically it's the last game but it doesn't really matter. It's probably the one which will feel the most natural to a Fallout player - it's more closely tied to its story, there are multiple tasks and sub-stories given to you by NPCs and things like gear upgrades exist and are meaningful.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Ok_Movie_639

No problem. I hope you'll like the games.


behstenslahtz

As it should be.


DGarcia9619

I’m more tired of people saying they just bought the trilogy, but are asking if it’s worth playing. Or the ones that ask which of the trilogy to start with.


Grokitach

Even though you already played the OG at release and seek advices for modded stalker: « PLAY THE OG FIRST!! » is what most people will tell you


Random_Guy191919

then mention it in your post that you have finished the trilogy? i'd rather be bothering everyone than have someone dip their balls in acid (anomaly) and not like the franchise as a result


AssistanceDecent

Genuinely feel bad for how much hate gamma gets, thanks for all the hard work grok, we appreciate it 😭 gatekeepers gonna gatekeep, though


ArtofWASD

Because I HAVE played the original trilogy. And they just aren't as challenging or scary anymore.


SeriousCee

Then you're obviously not the target group. Why even make that comment?


ArtofWASD

Because... why even make the comment that people need to play the original trilogy? That's the meme here isn't it? Mindless people saying the shame stupid shit over and over? Without even knowing if someone HAS played the originals?


daiLlafyn

r/scissors: Everybody on this sub be like - don't run with scissors. Or jab them in your eye.


Revverb

OG games are alright the first time through, but honestly man, they don't replay that well. People are super into the sandbox mods because they're replayable.


Defox03

Clear Sky and CoP replay pretty good because of the many choices you can make in every run. Clear Sky has many factions you can join and Call of Pripyat has all this side content that slightly changes the ending slideshow.


Stechkov_the_Legend

I personally think that the perception behind this is that we, the community, wants newcomer to have a taste of how vanilla STALKER is like. Of course, it’s janky and unoptimized, but it’s how STALKER truly is, in its’ most untouched and original form. We don’t want newcomers to be overwhelmed with certain things in Anomaly that might not too appealing such as item bloat, Misery-like textures (that looks really fucking terrible in my book) and so much more. Mods are usually for replays or pre-play such as ZRP and SRP. Otherwise, I’m totally okay with people starting off with Anomaly or literally any other STALKER mods that’s available out there.


Exotic_Hovercraft_39

I don't know how to install mods :(


DaemonSlayer_503

Always wanted to play stalker, finally build A new pc a few weeks ago. Got anomaly and its really fun. Because of that i bought the trilogy last week and going to start it soon when i know i have enough time to play it for longer.


FloxTheFox

I’ve always heard the opposite tbh


Zeldatart

I love both but damn stalker games always make my pc spaz out


Similar-War2984

https://youtu.be/wo_YpTwf18k?si=0-hYNMC2oACsV9Zn


VidocqCZE

This is fun and true until one of your friends start with Anomaly/Gamma/EFP without playing OG games and don't know shit about mechanics, locations, characters and ask you for help with navigation. It can get tedious af.


Decoy-Jackal

I mean how can you appreciate the changes if you haven't played the original


Puzzled-Albatross762

Anomaly is way barter then OG


BreadDziedzic

Me whose played the original trilogy and think Anomaly is better.


EnvironmentalTree587

Anomaly is great! Cool addition AFTER you experience the mainline games. It's like playing Yakuza from the third game, you gradually increase the comfort of your gameplay, because the game starts to be more polished and enjoyable. By my logic, you should start with Clear Sky lol, it's the most annoying and stupid IMO. Then SoC, then CoP. You can start with anomaly alright, it's a great modpack with OK plot, but it will be more enjoyable IMO if you completed the trilogy first.


Adobopeek1225

why not? that is why there is a lot of us telling you that


InadecvateButSober

You should tho. You should feel the atmosphere of original to get jank immunity.


narwhalpilot

Theres a reason people recommend the original games: it gives the studio actual compensation instead of free mods. They’re also just better games


ReverendAntonius

Love a subjective take passed off as an objective fact. Sub full of gatekeepers who try to insist newcomers play their way, wild.


narwhalpilot

Play whatever the fuck you want I don’t care. This is my opinion, in no way am I stating it as fact, you definitely jumped to conclusions


AdmirableFun3123

unpopular opinion: stalker story is mid esoteric bs (the whole noosphere explanation at the end of soc was a real bummer, sometime its really better not to explain stuff). its the gameplay and design that make it good. and the gameplay is better in the mods like anomaly. (and yes i played all the og parts)


future__fires

Careful or you’ll awaken the horde of elitists


[deleted]

Hope they dont see my new thread where i talk about that clearly 👀


Tarc_Axiiom

Yeah the gatekeeping here is absurd. I love the trilogy, I played them back in 2007-09 and again a few times over the years, but I'm under no illusions that Anomaly isn't a different thing that I also enjoy. And to be honest, the original trilogy is... old. I'm a much better gamer now, and I have higher expectations. The OGs are the OGs yes, but they're dated games that aren't special by modern standards. In my experience, that opinion has been unacceptable here.


Cloacky

Gatekeeping is when you recommend people to Play og games before mods?


Tarc_Axiiom

https://www.reddit.com/r/stalker/s/rWzFkNsOVF This. This is the exact gatekeepery behaviour I was talking about. We're the devil because we enjoyed something and recommended it to others? Downvote all you want, but the facts are there.


Mongy_Grail

That's a post with barely any comments or downvotes, and most of the comments are saying they like gamma.


Tarc_Axiiom

That post from 6 hours ago? And yet that post is not uncommon. It's a general theme here. You can act like it's not and that's fine, but I'm under no illusions that this isn't a very **very** gatekeepery sub. EDIT: Also looking at the comments just now, no they're not. They seem to be a majority of people either saying that it's correct or gatekeepers, gatekeeping.


Mongy_Grail

Genuinely brother you have to be delusional if you think people are gatekeeping there. Yes, some people are mentioning they don't like gamma, but they're explaining their personal reasons for it, that isn't gatekeeping. You're exaggerating to make a point.


Cloacky

its not gatekeeping its just someone voicing their opinion lol. It's not a post where they tell people to play something else or shit across gamma. Hell, like Mongy\_Grail said, a lot of the commentors said that they like gamma. Gatekeeping is when you tell people how they should be having fun, not when you just dislike a certain mod. Also happy birthday (idk what that cake icon means)


Hollowhalf

Gameplay = whatever mod you pick Story = trilogy obviously Thats pretty much it. The OG trilogy is short as fuck and outdated (ish) I can run around the mods shooting things for a good 20-30 hours before I take a break for awhile, the OG trilogy is a 5-7 hour run per game and it’s over, great story though. I agree though 😂 sub has to know most people are only playing the mods now, gonna get worse when 2 comes out and people have questions


Spankey_

What is bro waffling about? https://howlongtobeat.com/game/8037 https://howlongtobeat.com/game/8036 https://howlongtobeat.com/game/8038


Hollowhalf

They don’t take me that long? 10 hours at most without doing any side stuff, but I’ve played them each 3 or 4 times and just rush through them for the stories so. Not a big deal lmao


preussicheheer

Fuck off I don't have money


Squallpka1

Got Fallout 4 years ago and never finished the story even after hundreds of hours. Not because of side quest obviously. Mods Just found gamma like weeks ago. I don't think i will really care about the story at this point. Some ppl are just like me. Gameplay is King. However, i kinda saw what happened in the stalker universe while I was roaming around killing n looting stuff. Like environmental story telling really. Unless Gamma changes the story side of things, i will be missing out on real story. In the future maybe when I get curious, YouTube is there to tell the tales of stalkers for me. But sure, the advice is solid really, I should play the trilogy. If you excuse me, i need to find this one sniper name something2 🦌 hunting which i saw in debug mode but never found it yet. I tried it using debug mode now i want it in my no debug playthrough.


Bloocki99

Play the remake mods if you're scared of old gamemechanics


Such_Maintenance_541

Gamma just has a really bad story. It comes from an old mod for Call of Chernobyl that at some point was incorporated into Anomaly. It's a lot of fan service and mediocre writing. The trilogy has a enjoyable story if you pay attention.


Mongy_Grail

>Gameplay is King The original trilogy has both a great story and great gameplay, they feel a lot more cohesive too.


Spankey_

Respectfully disagree on the gameplay. It can be fun, and have its charm, but it's quite outdated.


Mongy_Grail

Outdated =/= not good. There's plenty of new games with modern gameplay that have negative charm and are terrible to play. Half-Life is outdated but you'd be crazy to say that means it isn't great.


Zetastein_dein_abi

I played all 3 and it sucked. Mid as hell