So another Steam sale is upon us, and new kids are once again planning to buy the STALKER trilogy's games and start spamming the endless "what order do I play them?" and "What mods do I need?" mantras.

So, here's the compact answer for you all, listen up and save this shit up:

1) Consult this Starting Guide,
then see the /vg/'s huge Stalker General for more tips and links: >>>/vg/stalker

2) Play in the release order. Start with no mods - only latest patch, OR get the full "Starter Pack" first; these contain bug-fixers and light visual mods that can help performance as well. Look up that Youtube tutorial video for installing them; also contains the latest DL links.

3) Leave big overhauls for later playthrougs. Avoid the "Complete" -mods.

4) Always play on MASTER difficulty for best realism and atmosphere, and disable crosshair.

5) Don't give up in the beginning! The starting gear sucks ass and first area is quite boring.