should i just play base game or should i download a mod to fix some issues?

Zone Reclamation Project (ZRP) is highly recommended. Lots of fixes and patches, as well as optional additional content.

That link seems broken. Any better place for it?

Just checked it and it works fine. It's the home site of the project, so it's the best place to download it.

If you're totally new to STALKER I'd recommend STALKER Complete. It's a bunch of graphical mods and gameplay tweaks and comes with an installer. Like most mods you'll need v1.005 though (GOG version is 1.006).

After that you can experiment with other mods like Autumn Aurora 2 or Oblivion Lost 3.1.

I agree with ZRP as well.
Minimum changes to vanilla yet fixes bugs quality of life changes (ie no drunken salior headbob every time you want to walk somewhere) and a few optional extras you can add or ignore as you like.

If you are done and ready to move on in the series, again with primarily bug changes and QoL

For Clear Sky SRP (Sky reclamation Project)
https://www.moddb.com/mods/srp

For Pripyat the Pripyat_Reclamation_Patch
https://www.moddb.com/mods/pripyat-reclamation-patch

In case someone has the same question in 2024 :D

I would higly recommend you follow this guide for the most optimal vanilla modding experience:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cN15EKNKGnI

I did it recently and it was so much better playing with the included mods in 2024!

Hey all,

Looking at this thread I am trying to figure out how have you managed to make mods work with the GOG version? It looks like any time I am adding "gamedata" folder into the installation folder (Or bin folder and adjust the "fsgame.ltx" file accordingly) and then changing the "game_data" variable to "true" - The game immediately crashes on launch =(


Edit:

I've done some digging into the crash file error log and found that the game crashes because it cannot find the following two lines in "system.ltx" :

#include "misc\amk_mod_outfits.ltx"
#include "creatures\vechicles.ltx"

Commenting these two out makes the game kind of start (With terrible resolution) but then it crashes again =(

I wonder if somebody can help me with a working "system.ltx" file?

Edit2:

So after some research I've found this post:

Steam guide

Following the guide I've extracted the files in my game and simply copied the system.ltx from my game and mods that are present only for my game at present and using that file seem to have made it all work as expected