Weekly Report #121

29 Apr 2022Developer post

Source: Steam Community (opens in a new tab)

Hello Stalkers!

We hope you have fun with the new content we shared with you last week.

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1016800/view/3199253993188722560

We are especially curious to see how your bases with Blue Flames look like now. Also, don't forget to take a closer look at your companions (and opponents) in their new stylish masks.

Also let us know if you managed to find all the photos scattered around the Zone.

Today however, we'd like to take a closer look at the new weapon we've added to your arsenal: the crossbow, also known as the Silent Assassin. The weapon was teased by us many times, also as a part of our April Fool's joke. Today we will tell you what advantages and disadvantages the new toy has.

You don't need as many resources to craft a crossbow as in the case of a Blaster or Railgun, but you’ll still have to reckon with some ‘expense.’ However, at the end of the day, the balance will be positive anyway, because, unlike our BFG, the crossbow is an ideal ranged weapon for those who appreciate stealth elements in games.

First of all, there are a few questions you may ask. The first is: why the crossbow? As you probably know, Chernobylite was not supposed to be an action game, in which there is usually a huge arsenal of rifles, which are played very similarly. We wanted to limit the number of weapons, but make each one of them unique, characteristic and very customizable. Hence the crossbow - it perfectly fits the idea of a slow, strong and silent weapon, which was missing in our game’s arsenal. In addition, it seemed to have a great potential for crazy improvements.

The second question is, why didn't the crossbow appear in the game from the beginning? "You cut it out of the game because you wanted to get some extra cash from us hurr durr," the spiteful reply would be. The truth, however, is quite different. Chernobylite was created thanks to the efforts of a very small team, so every element of it was refined in the smallest detail. This was also the case with weapons. If we were to add more weapons to the game at once, it would be difficult to ensure their quality, as well as other elements of the game. More weapons mean a bigger game, so more things to test and less and less time to do it. And that means one thing - bugs…
Maybe the crossbow did come quite late, but we believe it was worth waiting for!

The crossbow is extremely quiet. A bolt fired from it pierces the body of one of the NAR soldiers will not alarm his companions, so you can camp in the bushes at will, waiting for the right occasion.

You just need to remember one thing: not to shoot the enemy, being aware that there is another patrol three steps away from him. They may not hear the gunshot, but they will rather notice a buddy falling face down on the ground with an arrow in his back.

The crossbow has basically one drawback: one shot and you must reload it immediately. Therefore, in the direct clashes with a group of opponents, we rather propose something more... dynamic.

Fortunately, the crossbow is a highly modifiable weapon. Therefore, there is nothing to stop you from transforming it into a tool which even William Tell would not be ashamed of...

...a real war machine, which can make quite a stir with one shot.

There is nothing else for us to do but wish you a good (silent) hunt! Did you try the crossbow yourselves? What do you think of it? Let us know in the comments!