S.T.A.L.K.E.R-Shadow of Chernobyl....

Has anyone been playing this? Because I need some help.

I've just recovered the X18 documents from the underground lab in the Dark Valley, but I'm stuck in the lab. There's something firey holding the door shut, and I can't find another way out....

Anyone have any ideas?

BTW: If you're not playing this game...try it. It's pretty cool.

EDIT: Sorry, it's on PC if that helps.

I can't seem to get into this game properly...the enemies can snipe you with pistols from 100m away and my guns take forever to kill them.

It's more like a first person RPG than the traditional FPS, I'm on the second level does it get any better?

If you've not long started it, then stop now, check what version it is and if it's not V1.0001 then DL the patch (just google it, there's loads of places that have it). Reason I say stop playing it is once it's been patched all your previous save files will just crash it.

It's a great game once you get into it, even it you do spend 15 minutes walking just to waste one guy.

It's quite interesting to read up on the history of it all. The Chernobyl disaster in '86 and a book called 'Roadside Picnic' by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. Although based 12 years before the disaster, they make numerous references to 'The Zone', 'Stalkers', and 'Artifacts'. The Zone is a real place, it's the 1,400 square mile area around Chernobyl NPP (which is still staffed to this day for the purpose of monitoring the leftover radioactive fuel) including Pripyat and the Red Forest. It's official name is The Zone of Alienation, although it's been given many other names such as The Chernobyl Zone, The 30KM Zone, The 19 mile Zone, and of course, simply The Zone. Many people illegally returned to Pripyat and the surrounding area, most of them elderly people who refused to leave thewir homes, sneaking past the 800 troop strong force that controls entry into the zone.

Right...OK then. Just to help out if anyone else has the problem of how to get out the lab...

I figured it out in a caffeine fulled 'Beruit Unload' into my surrounds. A few stray bullets hit the firey thing thats floating round. With that dead the door opens (after some cinematics set at the NPP).

Dead easy really. Just don't forget you have to shoot your way out....damn rusky soldiers!

Just had another go at it today, started to enjoy it a bit more now that there's more action going on. I'm finding it bloody difficult though, the AI is quite intelligent and always seems to get the jump on me

What's the go with the rocks and the money though, is there a shop or somewhere you can sell/buy stuff later on?

You can trade with just about anyone. Talk to them, then click 'Trade' at the bottom of the convo panel.

Oh and as soon as you have the chance to get your mits on a GR37 (something like that, in reality it's an H&K G36) grab it, it's pretty good, and far better than the AK and it's variants.

I'm fully into the game now, it's great

Although I'm a bit annoyed how with some missions you have to walk all the way back to the start just to collect your reward, that bloody takes ages.. unless there's something I don't know?