Starting A New Game

Before starting a new game in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chornobyl - Enhanced Edition, access the game options menu to adjust settings. Note that Progression and Game Difficulty can only be changed during gameplay, not before starting.

Under the Visual > Advanced settings, turn Stalkers Can Use Headlamps to ON. This affects non-player characters (NPCs), allowing them to use headlamps at night, which helps identify their location and orientation, and also aids companions in lighting your path.

Under the Control > General settings, turn Hold (ALT) Button For Disassembly to ON. This requires holding the ALT key to confirm item disassembly, preventing accidental destruction of valuable gear.

Under Control > Keybinds, assign keys for Next / Previous Firing Modes to cycle through weapon firing options (fully automatic, 3-round burst, or single shot) on the fly.

Assign a key for Grenade Quick-Throw. Pressing this key will immediately switch to your grenade and throw it, bypassing manual steps and animations. The game will automatically switch back to your previously held weapon.

Assign a hotkey (e.g., the 8 key) for the Geiger Counter. Pressing this key will display radiation levels in your vicinity or your current radiation poisoning. Use SHIFT + hotkey (e.g., SHIFT + 8) to switch between these modes. The Geiger Counter requires batteries to function.

Under Gameplay > General, turn Goodwill Notifications to ON. This provides alerts when your standing with any faction changes, eliminating the need to check your PDA (Personal Data Assistant) constantly.

Set Maximum Tasks Per NPC (non-player character — anyone the game controls, not you) to 3. This allows you to accept multiple randomized mini-quests from an NPC, decline unwanted ones, and potentially receive higher rewards as each quest has its own payout.

Under Gameplay > Progression Difficulty, adjust Minimum Item Condition For Sale. This setting influences the game's economy by affecting the condition of items you can sell, discouraging making excessive money early by selling looted weapons and armor.

Under Gameplay > Progression Difficulty, set Artefact Respawn (be brought back to life at a checkpoint after death) Chance. A value around 0.35 is recommended, balancing the likelihood of new artefacts spawning in Anomalous Fields after emissions (weather events that purge the Zone) with the frequency of emissions (typically every 1-2 days). Higher values can lead to millions of roubles from artefacts.

Under Gameplay > Gameplay Difficulty, adjust Player Protection. Setting this to Average is recommended for new players, as the Zone is intended to be challenging. 'Poor' is considered too difficult for uncertain players.

Under Gameplay > Gameplay Difficulty, set Enemy Dispersion Base and Factor to 0.5. This reduces the chance of being hit by distant enemies with shotguns but allows higher-ranking enemies in dangerous areas to still pose a significant threat.

Ensure Anomaly Detector Sound is enabled, especially if you run frequently. This provides audio warnings for nearby minor anomalies, which are often difficult to see.

Under The Zone > General, set Exclusion Radius to 100 (the maximum). This prevents enemies (human or mutants) from spawning too close to you, which can be game-breaking.

Under The Zone > Events, ensure Enable Emissions / Psi Storms is set to ON. These weather events are fatal if caught in them but refresh the Zone, cause new artefacts to spawn, and are a primary argument for their activation.