Choosing the best gear | Hints S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: CS Guide

Last update: 11 May 2016

Managing your equipment is a very important issue, especially since you won't collect experience points nor advance to higher levels. The first thing you should know about is that you can't carry an unlimited number of items. Instead, you'll have to notice that your main character can carry up to 50 kilogrammes of equipment. You can add a little more than that, however it's risky. If you exceed the limit by only a few kilogrammes, you'll result in your main character getting tired more often and you won't be allowed to sprint. If it's a bigger difference, your character won't be able to move, let alone explore the environment.

I would like to recommend you two possible behavior styles when it comes to choosing the equipment. The first idea is that you carry two light armors with you and fewer guns. The first armor should be used during the battles and the second one would increase your resistance to radiation or poison while exploring the Zone. If you're not feeling too comfortable with having only 1-2 guns in your inventory, you can consider choosing a second pattern. In this case you should have 2-4 guns with a sufficient amount of ammo for each weapon. The downside is that you can only have one good armor and you'll have to repair it as often as possible. This is a better choice is you prefer engaging your enemies in firefights, instead of spending free time roaming the environment or searching for artifacts.

Having two light armors is a good idea, especially if they have a different use.

You should know that the state of your equipment deteroriates when you use it. It's easier to notice when it comes to wearing armors, because you'll damage them with each time you take a hit. Oddly enough, you should be more worried about keeping your guns in good shape. The reason is simple - damaged weapon can stop firing from time to time and you'll have to reload it before you'll be allowed to continue shooting at enemy troops. I guess I don't have to tell you how important this is during a massive firefight. Thankfully, you can repair your weapons and this can only be done when you find a friendly character with proper skills. The most obvious choice here are the mechanics. There's at least one mechanic in each base. Sadly, it's going to cost you quite a lot of money to repair your equipment, but it's still cheaper than buying new weapon and easier than finding a replacement.

Mechanics not only can repair your equipment, but they can also upgrade it. You can ask a mechanic about his specialization or you can find out yourself by telling him to show you what types of upgrades are available for each element of your gear. Upgrades can be divided into two categories. The first category are weapon upgrades. You can decide to improve the precision of a gun, reduce the recoil (especially important when you're dealing with an assault rifle) or increase the size of a clip. The second group are armor upgrades. In this case you should invest in new bulletproof vests and increase the resistance to radiation. You can also consider adding at least one new slot for artifacts, but only if you have a lot of good ones in your possession.

You can always ask a mechanic to repair or upgrade your equipment. Most of the mechanics can be found inside large camps and bases.