NonStop Arena v0.1.2
“Hello there, ladies and gentlemen! Welcome back to our never-ending season of never-ending fights! This time, for real!”
– Mavka, the Rostok Arena public announcer.
Have you ever felt that the Arena in Rostok is a missed opportunity in Stalker 2? Even though Mavka proudly announced and welcomed us to a “never-ending season of never-ending fights” when we jumped into the arena the very first time, once the side quest is finished, the arena is closed for good. Well, the Wish Granter has heard your prayers (and complaints) and brought you the true NON-STOP Arena!
Feature Highlights
– The mod reopens the Rostok Arena and brings you (currently) six unique fights against mutants or human enemies. More fights to come!
– You pay an entry fee of 1000 coupons to enter the arena. If you win, Arnie rewards you with 2000 coupons. If you lose, you get nothing.
– How would you lose, you ask? This mod introduces a new defeat mechanism: if you “die” in the arena, you lose the fight but will be “revived” by the doctor.
– This mod is my first attempt to create new “side quests” without the narrative tools. The arena is a more controllable environment for my experiments.
How do I start the non-stop arena?
Depending on whether you have finished the vanilla arena side quest “The Freedom Colosseum”:
– If you haven’t, you will need to complete it first. After beating the final round, leave Rostok and return, wait for one in-game hour, and then talk to Arnie. He should welcome you back to the arena.
– If you have, then you just need to go to Rostok (leave Rostok if you are currently in), wait for one in-game hour, and then talk to Arnie to sign up for the fights.
How does the non-stop arena work?
Arnie will ask whether you want to fight human opponents or mutants. Based on your choice, he will set up a match against a random group of enemies. When you visit Wheezer/Siplij to get equipped, you must pay an entry fee of 1000 coupons, in addition to handing over all your gear just like in the vanilla arena. If you win the fight, talk to Arnie afterward and he will reward you with 2000 coupons. If you lose the fight (i.e., die in the arena), you will receive no reward. Still, consider yourself lucky, because the doctor will patch you up for free.
In summary, +1000 coupons if you win and -1000 coupons if you lose. To keep the arena going and coupons coming, Arnie also put a NON STOP Limited Edition drink in your inventory before every fight, so make sure you drink it!
You won’t be alone in these fights, as they are quite challenging. In every fight, you will be accompanied by AI teammates. As usual, you can’t bring your own gear into the arena. Your equipment will be picked by Wheezer, accordingly. As Arnie always likes to say, this is to keep the fights “fair” and entertaining (mostly the latter, *ahem*).
What do you fight in the non-stop arena?
As mentioned, the fights are divided into mutant battles and human battles. If you choose to fight mutants, you may encounter:
– Boars and other “catch of the day”. Remember the first quest in Anomaly where you hunt boars with Fanatic? Yes, you’ll have a few loner friends helping you in this fight as well.
– Snorks and bloodsuckers. Ouch.
– A pseudogiant. Of course, Arnie won’t let you face it alone. He values your life, for you are his favorite arena fighter (and money maker, *ahem*).
If you choose to fight human enemies, you may be:
– Facing a group of ruthless mercenaries alongside your fellow loners.
– Taking on a gang of lowlife bandits in close quarters with your trusty shotgun.
– Tasked to eliminate a large horde of zombified stalkers with your mercenary squad (Umbrella Corps much?!). Yes, I did say human enemies, but nowhere did I say anything about their state of mind.
More fights to follow…
