Proto:S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl/Build 788

Build 788 is a S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl prototype compiled on August 27th, 2001. This prototype is a non-controllable demo of a single level. With some hacking, it is possible to explore the level on-foot.

Disabling the Demo
By default, the game will play a demo that you can't control. However, there is a patch that disables the demo and allows you to walk around and explore.

This patch can be downloaded below:

Player Model
The game uses an improved version of the power armor-like model seen in Build 756. The model's textures are more detailed than the texture in 756, but the arms have no details on them.

No Console
Unlike previous and later prototypes, you cannot bring the console down. The key that would normally bring it up, ~, does nothing, and there doesn't seem to be a way to bind the ability to bring it down to a key.

Loading Screen


The loading screen shows the game's title on it that has a futuristic-looking doorway behind it.

Crosshair


There is a crosshair in the game, but it is disabled by default. To reactivate it, open up the file user.tlx with a word editor and look for the variable “hud_crosshair off” and change it to “hud_crosshair on”. To make the crosshair show how far you are from something in meters, find “hud_crosshair_dist off” and change it to “hud_crosshair_dist on”. Save, then run the game.

Demo
When you start the .exe without modifying anything, the game automatically plays a demo of a single level. The demo starts off with a view of a river that is in an canyon. The camera follows the river until it reaches a futuristic-looking bridge. The camera pans over the bridge, then starts looking under the bridge.

After the demo ends, it will restart.

On-Foot
Walking around on foot shows some areas the demo overlooks or does not show at all.

Dead Tree Path
The top of the right canyon wall has road with several dead trees littered here and there on the side of the road. After some walking, the road will suddenly end and there will be three large and live trees sitting in a small field. There is a noticeable level seam at the point where the road ends.

The Upper Elevator
The top of the left canyon wall has an elevator that goes between the top of the left canyon and the left dock underneath the bridge. If you try and hop on the elevator, you will stop, hover for a second above it, then fall through it. In order to actually get down, you need to walk down the rails the elevator uses.

Near the elevator are some futuristic-crates and clusters of what look like black cans. Both of these are scattered throughout the level.

Forest
Past the elevator on the top of the left canyon is a road that leads to an enclosed area with a lot of trees. The demo goes through here, but doesn't show that the area has some lights over it. The demo also doesn't show what the hole that the camera goes through looks like in the forest.

Under the Bridge
The area underneath the bridge has some interesting things that either aren't obvious from the demo or are overlooked by it.

First, there is an elevator that connects the two parts of the lower bridge area. Like the other elevator, you can't ride it. If you try and hop on, you'll stop before you touch the elevator, then fall underneath it.

There are several ladders mean to help you get back up to the docks if you fall into the river. However, the ladders don't work.

The right side of the lower bridge area has several crates and rocks sitting around.

Hall
The giant hall in the middle of the demo has some things that are overlooked during the presentation.

If you start the level on foot, the models for the door will never appear. You can still access the hall, but there is a gap between the dock and the hall you can fall into. A jump will clear it.

After entering the hall, go into one of the side paths shown in the demo, then go backwards. You'll see that the side paths suddenly cut off when they meet the door frame.

The hall and side paths suddenly end near the exit to the river. If walk off the edge of the hall or side path into the cave, you'll see that the hall area is actually above the cave. The area underneath the hall is not solid, so you can jump into the void if you like.

Water
You can walk on the water like Jesus. In addition, taking a peek at the lake/ocean beyond the bridge shows a lot of level seams in the lake/ocean.

Weapons


Normally, no weapons can be used because of the pre-recorded demo. However, if you disable the demo, the player will spawn in with a hidden minigun that can be fired. In order to make the minigun's model visible, open up the user.ltx file and look for the variable “hud_weapon off”. Change “off” to “on”, save and start the game. You can see the minigun.

The minigun has 10,000 rounds of ammo, fires 2,000 rounds per minute, and does 25 damage per bullet. There is a firing sounds for the weapon, but it is not used in-game.

Broken Zoom


Enabling the minigun model reveals that this prototype has a zoom option (hold down Control), but it is broken. When used, it will increase the weapon's FOV, but not actually zoom in your view.

Graphics
It seems this prototype stripped out nearly everyu graphic not essential to the demonstration level. However, there some interesting things hidden in it.

Terrain_1.tga


A map of the level's terrain can be found in the texture files.

Helicopter
There is a helicopter in the prototype, but it is only briefly seen. However, it has a different texture compared to the helicopter in Build 756. The Build 788 one is grey, while the 756 one is green.

Sounds
There are quite a few sounds that go unused in the prototype.

Minigun Firing Sound


There is a firing sound for the minigun, but it is never used in-game.

ambiance03.wav


This sounds like a machine humming.

portal01.wav


More machine humming sounds.

sfx_amb_wind_tat_a_loop.wav


Wind blowing.

suck1.ogg


Based on the name, its air being sucked into some place.

wind1.wav


More blowing wind.

x_bobber.ogg


Sounds like a futuristic machine that's on.

x_force1.ogg


Very quick futuristic machine humming.

x_force2.ogg


Same as x_force1.ogg