STALKER 2 Patch 1.2: Over 1,700 Fixes and A-Life 2.0

GSC Game World, the developer behind *STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl*, has rolled out a significant update, Patch 1.2, which tackles an impressive 1,700 fixes and enhancements, with a focus on the A-Life 2.0 system. This patch is described by GSC as "a massive one," affecting all facets of the game, from balance and locations to quests, blockers, crashes, performance, and the much-discussed A-Life 2.0.

*STALKER 2* launched in November to a warm welcome on Steam, achieving 1 million sales, a testament to the Ukrainian studio's resilience amidst the challenges posed by Russia's invasion in 2022. However, the game was not without its issues, particularly with the A-Life 2.0 system, which had been a much-anticipated feature.

The A-Life system, a hallmark of the original *STALKER* game, simulates AI behavior across the game world, creating a dynamic and lifelike environment. GSC promised that A-Life 2.0 would enhance this to new heights, fostering unprecedented emergent gameplay. Yet, upon release, many players felt that A-Life 2.0 fell short of expectations, with some even doubting its presence in the game.

In response, GSC Game World has been diligently working to address these concerns. Following the initial steps taken with Patch 1.1 in December, Patch 1.2 is a further stride towards perfecting A-Life 2.0. Below, you can find the detailed patch notes for *STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl* update 1.2:

AI

• Fixed a bug with A-Life NPCs unable to properly approach corpses, now enabling them to pick up the best loot and weapons, and switch to more powerful arms.
• Improved corpse looting behavior for NPCs.
• Addressed issues preventing NPCs from looting body armor and helmets from corpses, and from looting corpses of NPCs from different factions.
• Enhanced NPC shooting accuracy, reconfigured bullet dispersion, and added randomization to accurate shots in bullet sprays.
• Reduced wall penetration from certain NPC weapons and improved stealth mechanics.
• Adjusted the time NPCs take to identify the player and fixed long-distance detection issues at the Malachite location.
• Enhanced mutant combat behavior, fixing issues like getting stuck during scripted combat or in the air during jumps.
• Fixed various mutant-specific issues, such as the Controller ability not working through grate doors, and added a roar ability for the Controller.
• Addressed numerous issues related to A-Life NPC behavior, including healing friendly NPCs, spawning corpses, and accessing quest locations.
• Fixed character absence that could lead to blockers, and resolved issues with endless spawning of military NPCs near Rookie Village.
• Improved animations for mutants and NPCs, including those stuck in doorways or during combat.

Balance

• Adjusted the anti-radiation effect of the Weird Water arch-artifact.
• Fixed grenade damage issues against the Burer's shield.
• Rebalanced the number of shots needed to kill Pseudodog summons and increased the frequency of Jump Attacks for Blind Dog mutants.
• Tweaked pistols and silencer attachments, and adjusted NPC spawn rates and armor configurations.
• Modified radiation damage based on accumulated rad-points and reduced early game spawn rates of NPCs with high-tier weaponry.
• Enhanced trading options at Hubs and made minor economy tweaks for repeatable missions on Veteran difficulty.

Optimization and Crashes

• Fixed FPS drops during the boss fight with Faust and performance issues related to closing the PDA or Pause Menu.
• Addressed memory leaks and over 100 crashes, including EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION errors.
• Improved performance by disabling navigation mesh rebuild properties and fixed input lag issues with VSync and FidelityFX Frame Interpolation.
• Added a framerate lock during pause and loading screens, and implemented other optimization tweaks.

Under the Hood

• Improved flashlight shadow casting on objects and fixed issues with NPC relationships and quest logic.
• Enhanced cutscene transitions and fixed various dialogue and quest-related bugs.
• Added custom Aim Assist logic for invisible targets and fixed issues with save backups and NPC animations.
• Implemented over 100 improvements in optimization, crashes, and under-the-hood enhancements.

Story

Main Story Line

• Fixed multiple issues affecting mission progression, NPC behavior, and dialogue in various missions such as Wishful Thinking, Three Captains, Visions of Truth, and more.
• Addressed problems with quest items despawning, NPC teleportation, and mission objectives not completing as intended.
• Improved AI behavior during boss fights and fixed various bugs related to specific mission stages and cutscenes.

Side Missions and Encounters

• Fixed issues allowing free use of the guide's services and hostile behavior of NPCs in car scam encounters.
• Addressed bugs preventing mission starts or completions, and improved open-world encounters and loot values.
• Fixed narrative inconsistencies and made level design improvements in various locations.

The Zone

Interactable Objects and Zone Experience

• Enhanced level design for interactive doors and destructible objects, and fixed issues with artifact and anomaly behavior.
• Addressed visual issues with artifact models and improved the mechanics of strafing jumps for artifacts.

Player Gear and Player State

• Fixed issues with character animations, grenade usage, and parkour mechanics.
• Addressed problems with NPC death animations, movement keybindings, and psy effect persistence.
• Made adjustments to player gear, including artifact slots and upgrade availability.

Player Guidance and Game Settings

• Fixed issues with map tooltips, gamepad controls, and HUD elements.
• Addressed visibility problems with ammo counters and firing modes, and improved user experience in the upgrade menu.
• Integrated Razer Chroma and Sensa effects, and added new key binding options.

Regions and Locations

• Fixed multiple issues with player and NPC navigation in various locations, including X-17 Lab and the Cooling Tower.
• Removed invalid artifact spawners, adjusted weather systems, and made visual and level design improvements across multiple regions.

Audio, Cutscenes, and VO

Cutscenes

• Fixed issues with elevator interactions, NPC model visibility, and haptic feedback in cutscenes.

Voiceover and Localization

• Improved facial animations for NPCs and fixed voiceover desync and localization issues.

Sound and Music

• Reworked sound effects for anomalies and weapons, fixed issues with mutant sounds, and improved audio environments across various locations.
• Added new music themes and fixed issues with missing or disappearing ambient sounds.

With these comprehensive updates, *STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl* continues to evolve, striving to meet the high expectations set by its predecessors and the community's feedback. GSC Game World remains committed to enhancing the player experience in this challenging and immersive world.