Stalker

It is a dissemination of anomalous energy accompanied by low-intensity psi-radiation. Typically, emissions occur with varying frequency: from 3-4 days[cit. 1] to 2-3 months[cit. 2], but there have been periods when emissions were more frequent: two are known[cit. 3], one of which is the Great Emission.

Emissions may be “natural”, being a way of releasing the accumulated energy of the Zone

Controller. A rare mutant found close to the center of the Zone. Outwardly, it resembles a humanoid with a disproportionately enlarged head. It possesses advanced perception and the ability to control the behavior of less developed living beings. Mature specimens are capable of controlling even humans.

Jerkan. A small creature resembling a mutated rat. It always travels in packs, attacking the stalker from various directions. Due to its size, it is difficult to hit with automatic weapons.

Boar. Creatures similar in origin to the Flesh, but less severely affected by deforming mutations. These creatures have acquired terrifying forms and are considered more aggressive than their brethren.

Flesh. Pigs mutated beyond recognition. The least aggressive mutants in the Zone, they try to keep their distance from stalkers. They will attack only if you show aggression first, or if the creatures are grazing in large groups.

Burer. A mutant possessing telekinetic abilities. His primary power is considered to be the ability to throw various objects at players, including certain types of ammunition.

Pseudogiant. A huge and powerful mutant, one of the most dangerous and rare in the Zone. It deals damage to the stalker by slamming the ground. Damage can only be avoided with a well-timed jump.

Bloodsucker. An invisible predator, it attacks from ambush and deals damage exclusively in close combat. One of the most aggressive mutants in the Zone, it will always attack a human if spotted. It usually attacks from stealth, attempting to flank stalkers and suck their blood. There are several subspecies: the Underground Bloodsucker, the Swamp Thing, and the Night King.

Stalkers who explore the Zone alone. These are the majority, as group membership takes up precious time, thereby reducing earnings; furthermore, some are simply naturally inclined toward solitude and independence. Loners are initially neutral toward almost all other factions. Their main enemy is the bandits, who are always ready to ambush a newcomer or stalker returning with loot. The Loners respond with fire. Any contact usually ends in robbery or deception of the stalkers. In all games in the series, the bandits take hostages (Shustry, Pes, Mityai), and in ZP, they deceive Vano, causing him to owe money to the gangsters. However, it is known that the factions have entered into a neutral agreement on Skadovsk.

Regular army soldiers guard the approaches to the Zone's restricted area, patrolling the perimeter, shooting mutants, and capturing marauders. Army special forces are elite units. They are typically deployed to the Zone to conduct rescue and special operations. Almost all groups are at odds with the military: loners, bandits, renegades, and Svoboda, as they directly resist the authorities and are illegally present in prohibited territory. Relations with mercenaries are hostile, although sometimes the latter try to avoid touching the military during operations [cit. 6]. The military's number one enemy is Monolith. Duty and the military sometimes "cross paths," but they do not attack each other [cit. 7]. Finally, scientists, who are officially registered as individuals acting with the sanction of the Ukrainian government, are more likely to be protected than allies.

Criminal elements who come to the Zone for various reasons: to make money selling artifacts, to evade the law, or to buy or sell weapons. The Zone is home to many such elements, ranging from street urchins to serious criminals. Most of them are organized into gangs, although there is still no unified criminal organization in the Zone. They are a significant nuisance to ordinary stalkers. Not everyone is happy with the bandits' ways, so they have many enemies. The most powerful of them are the lone wolf gangs, "Duty," and "Freedom." They take hostages throughout the series, but the largest number is in the "TCh"—four, three of which are Duty members (Shustry, Bullet's Partner, Captured Duty member, and Sergei Lokhmaty). The "ChN" and "ZP" each have one hostage (Pyos, Mityai) and several captured lone wolf gangs in a concentration camp. However, sometimes they may not openly conflict with the lone wolf gang (Sultan's gang). Relations with the military are the same as on the mainland, although there is a known case of a major from the "Kordon" handing over free stalkers to a bandit concentration camp at the Dump [cit. 8]. Naturally, they are at odds with the "Monolith" group. During the gang war, the bandits' only true allies were the renegades.

The scientists' primary task is to study the Zone [cit. 1]. Despite their extensive knowledge, they are practically helpless in the field, so they engage in combat operations only in self-defense, entrusting security to the military or stalkers. They do not have a main base as such, but they have two mobile research laboratories. They only leave the laboratories when accompanied by guards. In the Zone, scientists are supported by the military [cit. 2] and "Duty" [cit. 3]; however, they cannot always arrive, so the scientists often turn to stalkers for help. They maintain business relations with them, despite their illegal presence in the Zone; the scientists pay well for high-quality work, and those stalkers whose cooperation has met all expectations are hired to work under contract and issued official passes to the Zone [cit. 4]; artifacts and mutant body parts are purchased at fairly high prices. They try to maintain friendly relations with everyone. This isn't always possible with bandits and mercenaries. When encountering any Monolith or zombie, they keep their weapons at the ready. They enjoy patronage from the military and the "Duty," who regularly supply the scientists with artifacts, mutant parts, and assist in escorting groups. However, they are not always able to provide assistance. Therefore, they are often forced to turn to ordinary stalkers, with whom they have close ties, for assistance, as they pay much more for tasks and goods than other traders. The "Freedom" CP readily agrees to hire the group's fighters to guard the laboratory.

A clearly paramilitary group distinguished by strict discipline: its members practically live by a charter. Only representatives of "Duty" do not trade the unique creations of the Zone with the outside world: according to rumors, all artifacts found by these people are handed over to scientists. Every Duty member considers protecting the world from the Zone's influence their primary goal. Most of the group's operations involve exterminating monsters, so Duty raids often relieve ordinary stalkers of many pressing problems. They have a long-standing and bitter feud with the "Freedom" group. "Duty" is a staunch opponent of the "Freedom" group, as their views are diametrically opposed. Bandits, mercenaries, renegades, and the "Monolith" group are also enemies of "Duty." Duty is partially composed of military personnel who deserted the regular army during the initial breakthrough into the Zone; therefore, the military and Duty members are expected to be hostile, although the relationship between "Duty" and the military is ambivalent. In the TC and CN, "Duty" fighters kill soldiers on the spot and are outraged by the behavior of the former command, which used them for its own selfish purposes. General Krylov of "Duty" is among them [cit. 6].

Those exposed to prolonged radiation from emitters on Yantar or in some other sectors. Careless stalkers quickly go mad, turning into wandering half-corpses. Many of them roam the Zone, some even reaching the perimeter. In any case, it's impossible to help them: the process of personality destruction is irreversible. Although zombified stalkers can still use their weapons, they are quite stupid. When encountered, they can be heard muttering fragments of phrases under their breath—which, however, are completely meaningless. Over time, zombified stalkers completely lose all their previous skills and turn into zombies. They are typically very aggressive and pose a serious threat in large groups.

A group that carries out contract killings and document retrieval; however, members are not above other work as well. It is the most mysterious and secretive group in the Zone, and many don't even believe in its existence. Some members regularly employ mercenaries: professionals in their field, they can quickly deal with any stalker and can even completely eliminate a small group. For their services, they apparently charge considerable sums in money or artifacts. The location of this group's base remains a mystery; it is apparently located somewhere deep within the Zone.

Life is a strange thing. We, no matter how you look at it, are the only ones who wish the Zone well and want to understand it for more than just our own gain. Freedom, government scientists—it's all bullshit. But what Murphy's Law? It wasn't them who were driven to the swamps, but us. The group doesn't try to sort things out with other factions. Clear Sky's main enemy is the renegades who interfere with its research. Naturally, the Clear Sky members won't find a warm welcome from bandits, much less the Monolithists, due to their absolute hostility toward everyone. They also feud with the military, although one of the side quests for retrieving items in the Swamps mentions that the group buys weapons from the military [cit. 8].

Former members of other gangs, representatives of the criminal underworld who have abandoned the ideals of their clans. Among them are also criminals who fled to the Zone, unwilling to hand over a percentage of the loot to the bandit leaders ("bosses") and who do not recognize the bandit rules ("concepts"). The group has no organized structure or leader as such, recruiting traitors and apostates from other groups. However, the renegades have partly adopted the traditions of the bandits, which is why, both in the Swamps and closer to the center of the Zone (Red Forest, Limansk), small detachments are commanded by a "boss"—an authority figure in the criminal underworld. Descriptions of the hiding places mention a certain "boss" named Kryuk, to whom the renegades pay a "cut." However, not all renegades are loyal to their leaders and are unwilling to pay them. Some try to hide part of the loot to avoid sharing it with the authorities [cit. 1]. A certain Gray is recruiting new fighters[cit. 2].

The Renegades rely solely on force: gathering in small groups, they hunt for easy prey, committing murder and robbery, primarily targeting young and inexperienced stalkers. Only the desire to survive forced them to temporarily unite against the Clear Sky group in 2011.

Relations between groups Almost all groups despise renegades, so they have many enemies. The Renegades are based on the outskirts of the Zone—in the Swamps. They are neutral toward bandits and scientists. They also maintain neutrality toward loners, which can be explained technically: at the Agroprom Research Institute, stalkers would simply kill the prisoners at the factory. In the Swamps, they waged war against Clear Sky for a while, after which they were driven from key positions by Clear Sky units supported by the mercenary Scar.

A group more reminiscent of a religious sect. Its members believe that an evolutionary crystal—the Monolith—of extraterrestrial origin rests in the Center of the Zone. Most stalkers despise the Monolith's adherents, considering them "mad." Since its formation, the group has hindered stalkers' advance toward the Center of the Zone, citing the latter's ill intentions toward the Monolith. Rumor has it that the Monolithists have a large base somewhere closer to the Center of the Zone, but its exact location is unknown to anyone except the group members themselves. The group, having concentrated its forces in the Center of the Zone, does not allow anyone to approach it and is fiercely hostile to representatives of all other groups. Monolithists are not susceptible to psi-radiation or emissions. They are taciturn, unwilling to communicate or compromise [cit. 1], and are distinguished by a fanatical devotion to a certain Monolith located in the Center of the Zone [cit. 2]. Worship of the Monolith has become mandatory for all members of the group, and they believe the Zone is alive [cit. 3]. Stalkers from other groups prefer to avoid encounters with these "fanatics," as they are often called [cit. 4], but the Monolithists' resistance to other stalkers' attempts to penetrate the Zone Center speaks to their strength, experience, and skill, and the possession of first-class equipment and a firm determination to prevent anyone from reaching the Zone Center allow them to maintain control over many territories for a long time.

The largest group[1], not counting the military. The main idea of ​​"Monolith" is based on a crystal of extraterrestrial origin, which they perceive as a local deity. Monolithists worship it and read prayers. The group's fighters also assemble hyperboloid structures from scrap materials, which serve as idols and, in turn, antenna-transmitters, which can be seen in Pripyat in the Cultural Center. Monolithists do not maintain relations with any of the other groups, but at the same time, one can see how neutral they are towards the zombified

"Freedom" is an anarchist stalker group. Their goal is to preserve the Zone as a free territory and resist the government's monopoly. According to Loki, "Freedom"'s elite consists of former hippies[cit. 1], despite the group's self-proclaimed anarchist nature. The group doesn't have a "rigid" hierarchy, but during operations, all fighters are required to obey their superiors[cit. 2]. Representatives of "Freedom" believe that the Zone cannot be defeated—it can and should be coexisted with. The Zone is an excellent opportunity for exploration and study, and it should not be military territory. "Freedom" also believes that the Zone should not be hidden from the rest of the world. Members of "Freedom" dream of "shaking up" people on the mainland so that they will learn the truth[cit. 3]. "Freedom", according to the group members themselves, also explores the Zone and its creations, for example, collecting data for research, taking measurements of background radiation, temperature, humidity, the presence of monsters and anomalies [cit. 4].

Svoboda members use their own slang, which consists of words borrowed from other languages, primarily Americanisms: "men" [cit. 5], "people" [cit. 6], etc. The group has its own suppliers [cit. 7]. Through these connections, Svoboda receives equipment, weapons, and gear. The emblems on their uniforms read "Will."

"Freedom" is in open conflict with the "Duty" faction, whose members believe the Zone must be destroyed to save the world. This war is the largest in the Zone. The group has access to the Zone's black market, from where they receive their weapons. Svoboda members are armed primarily with foreign weapons, but they also use domestically produced weapons, such as the Fora-12, AKM-74/2, and AKM-74/2U. One member (Kostyuk) also uses the Alavina self-propelled grenade launcher. Among the group's members are many snipers, who use SVDm-2 and SVUmk-2 automatic rifles. They also use captured weapons.

A swampy area that was difficult to access for a long time. According to stalkers from the Clear Sky group, even before the accident, this area was a plain with fields, villages, and farmsteads. During the construction of the hydroelectric dam, a miscalculation resulted in most of the area being flooded.

Pripyat is a significant location in "Shadow of Chernobyl." Access to the city for regular stalkers is blocked by psychotropic waves in the "Radar" location. The city itself, in the Energetik Cultural Center, houses the Monolith group's central base, with defensive and sniper positions scattered throughout the city.

After the Brain Scorcher was shut down, troops from the military and various stalker groups poured into the newly opened city, but due to conflicts between them and an unexpected release, Pripyat remained in the hands of the Monolith.

A mountainous area roughly divided into a forest and a military area housing a factory or research institute. The forested area includes a wooded area with huge boulders and a road, while the military area consists of a multi-story building, five antennas, a railway tunnel, and a pit, all enclosed by a brick wall lined with several observation towers. The area around the military area is blanketed by a psionic field generated by the antennas.

The location was populated primarily by Monolithists and zombies, with a psi-dog and a pseudo-giant encountered in the forest. Phantoms also appeared before the antennas were disabled. After the shutdown, skirmishes began between Duty and Freedom for territory.

An abandoned army base next to a crumbling village and a small swamp. The village is a rather creepy place: teeming with mutants, you can hardly count the bloodsuckers alone. Stalkers rarely venture here, more often than not giving it a wide berth. And anarchists from the "Freedom" group have established themselves on the military base's grounds. If you continue into the Zone from the base, you'll find yourself right next to the Brain Scorcher: it completely blocks the route to Pripyat and the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.

In 2011, these territories were no less dangerous to be in than they would be a year later. Numerous zombies and mutants, pockets of anomalies and radiation. A year after the mass stalker breakthrough to the Zone Center, fighters from the "Freedom" group, led by its third leader, Lukash, settled on the grounds of an old military unit.

At the Army Depots, at the fork in the road, you can see a signpost with signs. The signpost bears a signpost that reads "Dead City," as well as a signpost that says "Rio."

The northwestern road leading to the Dead City is blocked by a mercenary checkpoint, which once again proves that their main base is located there.

A little further south is the Bloodsucker Village. Nearby is an abandoned barn, which is present in the Black Sea but not in the Black Sea. Also, in the Black Sea, the Bloodsucker Village doesn't have any Zhiguli cars, but it does have plenty of Moskvichs and Zaporozhets cars. A rather rare artifact, the "Spring," can be found on the tower (only in the Black Sea).

At the northernmost point of the location is the Barrier checkpoint. Barrier soldiers regularly repel waves of mutants and Monolith fighters. At the southernmost point, near the base, is a farmstead. To the east is a radioactive lake with a house in the swamp, where a deranged stalker from the Freedom group has taken up residence.

One of the most bleak locations, the entire southern part of the valley is a dry lake basin. The bottom is swampy (but unlike the Swamps, the radiation levels are low) and overgrown with tall grass. The air is likely barely breathable. In the center of the basin is a scientific complex consisting of a bunker surrounded by a concrete fence. To the southwest lies a wrecked Mi-6 helicopter.

Two pipes emerge from the slope of the basin to the north and northeast. The northern one almost certainly served the plant, while the purpose of the northeastern one is unclear. The northeastern pipe leads to a small valley, in the middle of which lies a wrecked bus.

A dirt road goes around the basin from the northeast and leads north to the plant.

The factory grounds are heavily damaged, and the equipment has been removed or destroyed, making it impossible to determine what the plant actually produced. It consists of buildings surrounding a large courtyard. It's possible there were more structures before the Zone's emergence.

The basement of the central building houses the X-16 laboratory and a psi-installation. When activated, the area north of the basin becomes deadly to humans due to psi-radiation. Only zombies and snorks are found, inhabiting both the lake basin and the factory. The abundance of anthropomorphic mutants, coupled with the foul air and numerous corpses, creates Yantar's famously oppressive atmosphere. Interestingly, the ratio of these species varies greatly depending on the location: the eastern part of the basin is inhabited almost exclusively by zombies, while the western part, conversely, is dominated by snorks. Within the factory, snorks are found around the buildings, while zombies occupy the rest of the territory.

The "Duty" group occasionally sends patrols to guard the complex. The military protects the scientists exclusively using Mi-24 helicopters.

Part of the abandoned Rostok plant, Called the Wild Area, unlike the Bar, it's truly wild. The area is home to various mutants: jerboas, blind dogs, pseudo-dogs, snorks, and bloodsuckers. Anomalous activity is also very high—due to the man-made nature of the landscape and the abundance of abandoned buildings, the area is rich in anomalies such as "elektra," "kisel," and "frying," which in turn contribute to the generation of a large number of artifacts of electrical, chemical, and thermal nature. It's possible to find up to seven types of artifacts, including "Flash," "Slug," "Moonlight," "Sparkler," "Drops," "Film," and "Fireball." If you enter the location after midnight, you can find up to ten electrical artifacts. "Sparkler" artifacts are especially common.

The Wild Territory would be completely ignored by most stalkers if not for its strategic location: the shortest route from Bar to Lake Yantar, where the scientists' mobile laboratory is located, runs through the territory. This route isn't just used by free stalkers; bandits and mercenaries also set up ambushes here.

Because the Wilderness is relatively sparsely populated,

Before the accident, in '86, this was an industrial zone. Now, as you can imagine, all that remains are crumbling remains. Near the hangar, in the basement, you'll find the "100 Roentgen" bar: stalkers from all over the Zone gather there, and the local merchant works as a bartender, maintaining the premises, so to speak. Go there if you want to trade, socialize, or take on an interesting quest, and you'll also catch up on the latest news. There's also the Arena, where you can fight mutants[1] and earn money. Not far from the Arena is the Duty group's base. If you want to try joining Duty, go straight there; they'll tell you who to contact. This entire area is under Duty protection, so be careful, don't wave your weapon around unnecessarily, and if you shoot, our patrol will calm you down in no time.

It's always gloomy and foggy here, and it rains frequently. You can score some good artifacts in the Dark Valley, but you can also quickly end your life. There are many seasoned stalkers here—they've come for valuable artifacts; there are also bandits. You can search for the entrance to an underground laboratory located somewhere here, but no one has ever returned, and no one really knows what's hiding there.

The center of the location is the Agroprom factory building, located in close proximity to the railway tracks leading to the Dump. Here, in "Shadow of Chernobyl," the military ambush stalkers, and Marked One receives information from Mole about the location of Strelok's group's cache. In "Clear Sky," this area is a stalker haven, where Scar can trade, upgrade weapons, and help loners escape their misfortunes.

In the southwest lies the research building of the Agroprom Research Institute. For a time, it served as the main base of the Duty group in Clear Sky, and later as the home of a platoon of soldiers guarding classified documents in Shadow of Chernobyl. Despite its well-guarded perimeter, in Shadow of Chernobyl, this base has an entrance into the Agroprom basement, from which one can infiltrate this territory.

In the northwest, the player will find a small swamp, around which mutants like to roam.

The northeastern part of the location is the most abandoned in both games, but is of greater interest to stalkers in "Clear Sky." In "Shadow of Chernobyl," numerous artifacts can be found here, and almost the entire area is littered with gravitational anomalies, which, however, don't particularly bother the packs of dogs that inhabit it.

Initially, the Dump area was a flat plain surrounded by natural boundaries, but after the 1986 disaster, huge mounds of debris were piled up, transforming the terrain into a rugged landscape. The location's main artery is the road running from the Cordon to the Rostok plant. The location can be roughly divided into southern and northern halves, with the dividing line being an imaginary line from the railway tunnel to the depot. At the southernmost point of the location is a gate separating the Dump from the area beyond and an abandoned army convoy. Due to the high concentrations of iron and radiation, the piles of debris attract anomalies and stalkers.[1]

Zaton is a location in the game, a dried-up swampy bed of the Pripyat River.

The location is taken from reality. In addition to a huge number of empty ships, it features numerous anomalies, which is what attracts stalkers, not only to reach the center of the Zone.

The location's main population consists of stalkers and bandits, who periodically engage in combat outside the main Skadovsk camp, near which another stalker camp, Shevchenko, is located. A pair of mercenary groups are also concentrated in the location: Kryuk (waste processing plant) and Tesak (substation workshop), both directly linked to the Jackal.

It's full of mutants, particularly ravenous creatures, boars, dogs, and pseudo-dogs. In some quests, you'll encounter snorks, chimeras, bloodsuckers, jerboas, and more. Periodically (especially after emissions), you can see groups of zombified creatures.

This is the Zone's dressing room. An army cordon. It's relatively quiet, except for the occasional military fun, like running searches. Experienced stalkers are rare here; only newbies hang around, and some even stay forever, yeah... Right nearby, on a farm, there's a newbie camp nestled. Look: they know how to pull a trigger, too, so don't get too cocky. What else? Well, you won't find any good loot here. Beyond the road is some abandoned factory. To the north, beyond the railway embankment, are the remains of a farm, and to the south, a checkpoint. By the way, the soldiers have planted mines here and there, so be careful. There was also a bridge in the center, but it collapsed.