Hello, stalkers.
The story of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg continues. Yanov Station and the rest of the Jupiter area is in great danger, and the two primary culprits behind this have existed in the Zone for quite a while.
For some background, Yanov Station was the epicentre of a power struggle between Duty and Freedom. After some reluctant negotiation, both parties had come to an agreement to use Yanov Station as a neutral outpost, though both sides were still at odds in other areas of the Zone. If either party found their opposition away from Yanov Station, casualties were almost inevitable. This was back in 2012.
Sometime in 2015, following the events of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat, Freedom had gained control of Yanov Station and the surrounding Jupiter area, with Duty migrating their remaining troops down to the 100 Rads Bar. Since this time, the power struggle between the two had only grown to become even more severe than what it once was.
The year is now 2017. Only days after a reported massacre in Dead City, many mercenaries and other unidentified individuals were found to have been killed. Also, in an effort to maintain somewhat neutral relations with non-associated parties (namely the stalker population, also known as the "Loners"), a treaty was exchanged and signed between faction leaders of Duty and Freedom.
According to insiders' intel, this treaty details the risks of Duty launching a full-scale attack on Yanov Station and the Jupiter area as well as the risks of Freedom forcefully opposing Duty in this regard. Because of this, several other points were said to have also been brought to attention in this treaty.
THE "JUPITER TREATY":
While some interested parties have speculated over the contents of the treaty, it was assured by both Duty and Freedom that this "Jupiter Treaty" could be summarised by the following details:
1) Faction leaders affiliated with either Duty or Freedom, including members from either group, are not permitted to engage with members of the Ecologists group during any advancement/defensive measures taken on Yanov Station and the surrounding area of Jupiter. This extends to interfering with their bunker stationed in the Jupiter area. All scientific expeditions in this area have been postponed until combat operations in the Jupiter area between Duty and Freedom come to a halt.
2) Faction leaders affiliated with either Duty or Freedom, including members from either group, are not permitted to make use of any destructive weaponry or devices that have the potential to cause harm, no matter how significant, to unaffiliated parties unless they openly break the rules of this treaty.
It is supposedly common knowledge that no stalker outside of the Duty and Freedom groups have laid their eyes upon this document. This, however, largely remains unconfirmed. What is confirmed is that both Duty and Freedom are now pointing fingers (and their weapons) at each other following accusations that the opposing party has violated the treaty.
Once backed by reputable traders, neutral stalkers and even members of the Military, it is no secret that the supposed violation of this treaty will lead to a destructive war for territory between Duty and Freedom with high potential of causing mass collateral damage. Unfortunately for some (or fortunately, depending on who you're affiliated with), some stragglers have been identified in and around Jupiter. A long, bloody battle is inevitable at this point.
THE EXPANSION:
Players are now able to choose between joining up with Duty or Freedom in this upcoming expansion for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg. Furthermore, several groups of mercenaries had moved into the Jupiter area following the snowstorm and sudden drop in temperature, resulting in the few Bandit groups in the area being completely decimated. With Duty and Freedom approaching from either side of the battlefield, players can simply choose to hold their ground as a Mercenary if that's their cup of tea!
With the fog rolling in and the weather not getting any warmer, stalkers from either side of the conflict have started to arm themselves to the teeth. Expect to witness the use of a wide variety of sniper rifles, shotguns and more during a battle that'll affect Yanov Station and the area around it, for better or worse.
Courtesy of the World War II Weapons Pack, an addon for the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call of Chernobyl modification (for 1.4.22, addon available here), an assortment of new and existing weapons from this well-received addon are set to make an appearance. Turn the tide of battle with the Panzerschreck or pick off your enemies with help from the Winchester Model 70. Smoke out your enemies with a Stielhandgranate or keep things quiet with a Welrod pistol. The battlefield is your proverbial oyster!
Some bits and pieces have been hidden around the Jupiter area. Largely weapons and ammunition. These supply caches are dotted around and can be difficult to spot, though one can expect a worthwhile reward for collecting them all. From the marshes to the north down to the derelict Jupiter factory, it'll be a smart move to keep your eyes peeled for these deceiving little caches. There's only so much that one can get from looting the fallen.
A few fixes have been implemented here and there to keep the mod running smoothly. Actually, speaking of fixes...
THE 1.2 UPDATE:
The "Battle of Yanov" expansion for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg will be released on the 30/04/2024. On this same day, the 1.2 update for the base modification will also be released.
Both the expansion and the base modification will operate from their own separate gamedata folders, though only one of these can be played at a time from a single S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Chernobyl install.
Aside from numerous bug fixes and in-game adjustments, both of which do not aim to negatively affect the overall quality of the base modification or the expansion, a proper freezing mechanic has been implemented and will be released in both of the aforementioned iterations of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg.
While the radiation can be deadly, a stalker is also as good as dead if he can't keep himself protected from the cold...
While primitive on the surface, players will only freeze to death over time if they do not keep their armor or clothing equipped. Equipping any armor or clothing, regardless of its condition, will allow the player to stay warm. Players can also boost their health regeneration with the comfort of a hot water bottle, included as a standard on the field upon starting a new game.
While freezing to death is relatively difficult for players to do accidentally, it does add an additional layer of realism to S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg.
THE RELEASE DATE:
Expect full access to the "Battle of Yanov" expansion on the 30/04/2024, including the 1.2 update of the base modification for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg. Both of these will be available via separate downloads, with the 1.2 version of the base modification being available as its own all-in-one download (this includes the base modification, all of the fixes from 1.1 and the additional fixes from 1.2).
To finish off, I'd like to thank you so much for giving this article a read. I do hope you're just as excited as I am about the upcoming release of this S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg expansion and the 1.2 update for the base modification. Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions!
For those who wish to stay updated on S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Eisenkrieg, as well as my other works, I've left links down below to my YouTube channel and Twitter account. Feel free to stop by for a chat or ask me any questions that you guys may have.
- Modder's Playground YouTube: youtube.com/@moddersplayground
- Modder's Playground Twitter: twitter.com/ModdersPlaygro1
On that note, thank you all so much for stopping by. I'll be sure to see you all soon.
Much love, Jacob_MP.
