Change log

02/08/2023

StalkerZ 2.4 Change-log

We are excited to announce our 2.4 release of StalkerZ. The server is now up and unlocked with the map update.

This release includes the Army Warehouses and Dead City map update that has been worked on by our partners, as well as the complete revamp of various locations and addition of many new POIs, including custom mapping.

We know now it is common to wipe with map updates, however we are not wiping.

We believe that a wipe on role-play servers only serves a purpose of clearing up the economy because of mistakes from the development team or if there is a massive revamp. Within role-play servers, the goal is to keep the server and the gameplay flowing unless we are completely revamping the economy from scratch. We believe that the economy is in a good place and we can moderate it accordingly, and there are a lot of money sinks and gear sinks that keeps people engaged. Therefore, that's why we decided not to wipe for the map update and the foreseeable future.

Instead, the approach that we take on the server is to consistently add content, areas and adjust places where you don't notice it at first, but small changes eventually pile up and keep a steady flow of upholding a good economy.

Moving on, apart from the map update, there are a lot of new areas that needed certain economical adjustments, mutant spawns, anomalies and so on. Therefore you will see these areas full of life. The goal is to have players travelling around the map as much as they can rather than being stuck at Rookie Village.

The goal of StalkerZ will always be to prioritize role-play and ensure that players aren't stuck in the south for days before they can progress. The further North you go, the harder the server gets, however the risk equals the reward. Skill and roleplay is what matters on this gameplay.

The sentiment our team shares is that grinding and server wipes is not what keeps people around on role-play servers. Here’s what we have done:

1. We have ensured that the risk equals the reward by adding an additional stash system that you will notice within far northern locations and so on. This will always be work in progress.

2. All vendors have been getting balanced accordingly throughout these past few months, in terms of public vendors, faction vendors and the secret trader.

3. Numerous quality of life changes, including the increase of crafting items in certain areas.

4. A clothing overhaul economy whereas we are pushing players to look more like STALKERs.

5. Addition of further business opportunities available for players. If you have a concept and IC development behind it, make a ticket and let's talk about it.

6. Custom mapping in order to bring life to areas. We will always ensure that where we feel there are gaps, we will fix them. This also includes choke points to increase interactions according to players. If these chokepoints end up getting old, they will be adjusted accordingly / removed and new paths will be created. The Zone is a never ending maze that changes, right?

7. Introduction of Psy Dogs. This was a mutant that was missed from the Zone and it has recently been fixed.

8. Addition of new guns. We will constantly add new guns as we have some very talented people here.

9. Ambience overhaul.

10. Difficulty adjustments in certain areas that lacked difficulty.

11. Numerous bug fixes that allowed players to exploit certain areas.

12. Smuggler adjustments, gave factions the ability to allow players to smuggle items through role-play.

13. Addition of further custom high tier areas and re-structure of the gameplay of those areas, such as our dollar store version of Red Forest and the CNPP.

14. And much more, secret areas, puzzles for players to solve and so on. There are some areas that have been not explored for 5 months now. Get to work!

15. Providing all the content from StalkerZ modpack, such as special weapons and so on, that hasn't been used for years to the players. Gate-keeping content behind events isn't the philosophy of this server.

16. Constant work to fix all bugs that were introduced with the DayZ update, however, there are certain mods that aren't controlled by us.

17. Ensured that all custom mapping broken by the map update has been fixed, and re-introduced and re-adjusted.

18. Purchased a realistic flight simulation model for the helicopters which will balance them, as well as provide us with further configurations to work with.

So far we have also been successful in enforcing a role-play over rule-play mindset. We have prevented ticket wars, constantly have worked with factions and players and we will ensure that this server continues to transition into a more STALKER role-play orientated server where VR chat and rule-play is eliminated from the roots. In addition, equality isn't what we strive for, some factions will have advantages and disadvantages, counters, some factions will be stronger lore wise and so on. You need to use your imagination and creativity to defeat certain factions, or perhaps do IC politics. Same goes for loners, role-play your way out of situations.

Death is much more common because the economy allows it to be common. Read my pinned message in server feedback about dying.

Needless to say, we constantly add content to the server and update things in the background in order to ensure a good player experience. We do not leave the server be and wait for each update. Updates are pushed out every day between restarts and adjustments to the point many of you don't even notice it, which is why the server continues to be enganging and enjoyable.

The feedback channel is looked at every day, every single thing you guys say in the feedback channel is read. Same for the suggestions. There are many changes being done in the background to keep the economy flowing and it will continue to be this way, in order to ensure that you guys never get bored around here.

In regards to events, the philosophy that we apply is to try our hardest to ensure that the player doesn't realize they are part of an event. We have achieved this and have got factions and people involved in interesting situations where you don't even realize you are part of an event. StalkerZ's gameplay is focused around the players, and events are there in order to spice the role-play up from time to time, as we want the gameplay loop to be fun. And we have achieved this.

We will continue to improve and maintain the server as long as the passion from the community is there to play and enjoy the server. The philosophy that we apply is relying on the content that we can add, the role-play over rule-play and preventing people from feeling like they walk on eggshells before shooting or robbing someone.

Needless to say, I am pleased to say that the server is in a very good spot in terms of the economy, gameplay loop, factions and I have to thank all of you for your participation and individual efforts.

Thank you for the time you spend on the server, and I sincerely hope that you continue enjoying your time into what has been built here by all of us, including yourselves.