'xrCore' build 1475, Jul 15 2003 — a build of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Oblivion Lost, created as a progress report for publisher THQ.

Description

The build includes 5 levels: Rostok Factory, Generators, Dead Lab, occ_part_jim and physic_test.

The ltx_save folder contains backup files fs.ltx and user.ltx, identical to the default ones. The savedgames and spawns folders contain files (a save and a spawn file) referencing a missing level called offline_test.

In system.ltx there are sections for Research organizations and unlockable Scientific discoveries: Organizations include:

• Agroprom Research Institute
• KGB: Special Purpose Forces;
• NASA: Scientific Laboratory;
• Japan Research Laboratories;
• USA Research Laboratories;
• Uzbekistan Research Laboratories;
• USSR Research Laboratories.

Among their research subjects:

• Surrealistic effect of magnet;
• Magnetic force field;
• Electro magnetic force;
• Magnetic battery;
• Weapon Vintorez with strong magnetic effects.

Versions

The build was distributed in two versions, both initially non-functional, differing mainly by the presence of a text file.

First version

The original archive intended for THQ: indicated by the folder name — !demo_B (THQ-1).

Second version

A repackaged archive provided to the Dezowave team — developers of the Lost Alpha mod.

• Contains the file !!!README!!!.txt.
• File modification times shifted by 2 hours.

Fix

Created by GSC Game World and distributed with the second version of the build, meant to make it runnable. The root folder contains bat-files for launching all levels except Rostok factory, a corrected user.ltx and !!!patch0!!!.txt. The gamedata folder contains two modified system.ltx files and the folders levels, meshes, and textures.

The first system.ltx only fixes a typo in the damage parameter in the m_stalker_demo section (the original missed the letter d, so the engine didn’t read it). The second file, system_fix.ltx, in addition to fixing damage, also replaces the parameters of stalkers, rats, chimera, and flesh with those of the crow. This version is used by lab1.bat to improve stability in Dead Lab.

The levels and textures folders contain files created between 'xrCore' build 1472, May 12 2003 and this build. The meshes folder contains models from 'xrCore' build 1510, Aug 19 2003. Some models are unused and unnecessary: kamaz.ogf, kamaz1.ogf, niva25_ik.ogf, dog_red.ogf, krovosos.ogf, stalker_exoskeleton.ogf, stalker_green.ogf, stalker_military.ogf. There is also niva25doors_ik.ogf, which breaks the vehicle.

Levels

Rostok Factory

A relatively small abandoned factory. At the start, there’s an administrative building with a checkpoint, followed by production halls and a vehicle tunnel. In the middle is an unfinished construction site, the rest filled with industrial and administrative buildings.

Generators

A barren landscape with dead vegetation, featuring six half-destroyed generators built around a small antenna, fenced with barbed wire. To the southwest lies a village and lake, to the southeast a military base. The player spawns near a Niva parked by the antenna.

Dead Lab

An abandoned lab with four floors. The first has a checkpoint and broken elevator. The second holds offices, service rooms, and archives. The third is filled with experimental rooms and equipment. The fourth is a large technical hall.

occ_part_jim

In this build, the level contains only three objects: a large building, a small building, and a metal structure.

physic_test

A test level for AI. It is a stone platform floating in the air, with a house in the center. Along the edges are walls of various shapes.
The build includes 7 variations with different contents:

• ai_test_flesh — with flesh;
• ai_test_himera — with chimera;
• ai_test_rats — with rats;
• ai_test_rats_flesh — with rats and flesh;
• ai_test_stalker — with one stalker;
• ai_test_stalkers — with two stalkers;
• physic_test — ragdoll physics test.

Gameplay

Weapons present include Fort-12, TOZ-34, AK74, FN2000, SVD, RPG7, RGD5, and for the first time, the knife. Enemies include stalkers, rats, and newly introduced flesh and chimera. Both new mutants lack standardized class types, resulting in unique behavior in this build. Anomalies include “Burnt Fuzz”, and for the first time the Magnet artifact appears.

Vehicles

The Niva’s doors and trunk now have physics. While driving, speed, transmission, and gear are displayed in the bottom-left.

Trading

The trader Toad can be found on Rostok Factory and Dead Lab. Interaction activates the prototype trading system, consisting of the trader’s greeting, player info (name, faction, rank, money, trader’s attitude), and the trade itself. After 20 seconds, trading ends. There is no dedicated trade menu, all info appears in the console. Since the feature wasn’t finished at compile time, buying/selling is impossible.

--TRADE::----------------------------------------------
--TRADE:: TRADE ACIVATED
--TRADE::----------------------------------------------
--TRADE:: - Hello, my name [actor0000]
--TRADE:: Wanna trade with me?
--TRADE:: - My name is [m_trader0000]
--TRADE:: [m_trader0000]: I know smth about you...
--TRADE:: [m_trader0000]: a. Your name is actor0000
--TRADE:: [m_trader0000]: b. You are a stalker
--TRADE:: [m_trader0000]: c. Your rank is VETERAN
--TRADE:: [m_trader0000]: d. You have 0 money
--TRADE:: [m_trader0000]: e. My attitude to you is POSITIVE
--TRADE:: [m_trader0000]: So, lets trade...
--TRADE:: [actor0000]: Trade stopped...
--TRADE:: [m_trader0000]: Trade stopped...

Log

Shortcomings

1. Rostok factory and Dead Lab are very unstable due to NPCs. Crashes occur from serialization errors (invalid inputs) and frame rate drops.
2. Vehicle cameras are misaligned: first-person too high, second-person too far left, third-person too far right.
3. Applying the fix replaces niva25doors_ik.ogf with the version from 'xrCore' build 1510, Aug 19 2003, causing the Niva’s wheels and doors to be positioned incorrectly (horizontally), making it undriveable.
4. Vehicle HUD constantly flickers.
5. Attempting to trade with a stalker instead of a trader causes a crash.

Features

• New commands added for second renderer R2: r2_aa, r2_aa_break, r2_aa_kernel, r2_aa_weight, r2_spot_unmask.
• In system.ltx, items now have inv_icon, inv_grid_width, and inv_grid_height. These define the inventory icon and its size, though the engine doesn’t use them yet since graphical inventory elements only appear in the next build.
• Vehicle drive_force reduced from 1000 to 730.
• Engine introduced a system for level transitions, though unused in gameplay^{[src 1]}.
• Switching between offline/online A-Life modes now includes anomalies^{[src 2]}.
• A-Life can now “kill” NPCs offline, using surgedeathprobability.dat. If a randomly generated floating-point number within 100 exceeds the pattern value, or if a random integer within 100 is less than the value, the NPC dies^{[src 3]}.

History

Compiled on July 15, 2003. At compile time, it was stored on GSC Game World servers in the !demo_xray folder, as seen in mdmp files.

First version

2003

On July 18, the build was sent to THQ as a progress report.

2005

GSC Game World provided Stalker-Portal.ru admin Leks with a screenshot of Rostok Factory. On December 31 (20:30), it was published in a New Year’s news post^{[ref 1]}.

2006

From February to April, GSC provided three more screenshots of Rostok factory and Dead Lab. On February 6 (2:20), the first was published^{[ref 2]}. On March 31 (19:17), the second^{[ref 3]}. On April 26 (2:01), the last (Dead Lab)^{[ref 4]}.

On May 16 (21:04), the !demo_B (THQ-1) folder was archived as STK2K3.7z.

On June 1 (7:04), Stalker-Portal.ru published^{[ref 5]} three more screenshots.

2011

On Feb 9, 2011, GAMEINATOR forums user Loxotron released this version in the vostnost.7z archive^{[note 1]}.

2021

On April 20, the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Wiki: Zone Chronicles VK group^{[ref 6]} the STK2K3.7z archive. It contained 'xrCore' build 1510, Aug 19 2003 and previously known builds, including 1475 (first version).

Second version

2008

GSC gave this build to Dezowave (developers of Lost Alpha). This is suggested by the signature in !!!README!!!.txt:

!!!!PRIVATE USE ONLY!!!!

---

GSC GAME WORLD 2003

The folder was renamed build 1475 and given an added !!!README!!!.txt. Since it was non-functional, a fix was created from other builds’ resources, making it able to run. The !!!patch0!!!.txt file has the same GSC signature, hinting they authored it.

2010

On Jan 25, Loxotron created a topic^{[ref 7]} on GAMEINATOR forums where he released the build with the fix and a short description.

Installation

1. Extract the folder with the build from the archive.
2. Install the fix.

Launch

• "ai_test_flesh.bat" — level "physic_test", version with Flesh
• "ai_test_himera.bat" — level "physic_test", version with Chimera
• "ai_test_rats.bat" — level "physic_test", version with Rats
• "ai_test_rats_flesh.bat" — level "physic_test", version with Rats and Flesh
• "ai_test_stalker.bat" — level "physic_test", version with one Stalker
• "ai_test_stalkers.bat" — level "physic_test", version with two Stalkers
• "physic_test.bat" — level "physic_test", version with Ragdoll physics test
• "generators.bat" — level Generators
• "occ_part_jim.bat" — level "occ_part_jim"
• "lab_1.bat" — level Dead Laboratory
• "run_labaratory_1.bat" — duplicate of "lab_1.bat" (with the installed patch it replaces "system.ltx" with "system_fix.ltx" for improved level stability)
• "run_alife.bat" — non-functional bat-file

Guides and fixes

Improving stability of Dead Laboratory

Use the command file "lab_1.bat"

Launching the Rostok level

Create a bat-file and copy the text below into it:

@xr_3da.exe -external -e -i -start server(rostok_offline/single/alife) client(localhost)

Restoring car usability

Replace the model "niva25doors_ik.ogf" with the one from the original build, in the folder "gamedata\meshes\vehicles\niva".

Gallery

References

Source:

Links:

Notes: