The Zone is constantly trying to put you through some kind of test. There's radiation, bleeding, and even mind-affecting stuff - it’s no playground! Most of these effects are not good at all, so you'll have to learn how to deal with them quickly if you don't want to increase the number on the death counter.
- Bleeding - When a character is wounded, they may start bleeding. Until you stop it, their health will steadily decrease.
You can stop the bleeding with a bandage or by contacting a medic. A bleeding indicator in the form of blood drops appears above the health bar. - Radiation is a quiet, ruthless killer. Ignore the crackle of a counter or a warning sign, walk near abandoned equipment, and your health begins to melt away. To remove the effects of radiation, use anti-rad, a scientific first aid kit, vodka, or consult a medic. The radiation exposure level indicator is shown on the HUD in the lower left corner, and you will also see it as a white noise visual effect.
- Hunger is a slow but steady enemy of every stalker. Without a snack, the character's endurance will recover more slowly. The hunger indicator appears above the health bar.
- Drowsiness - prolonged activity without rest exhausts the character, and this affects his physical abilities. The character sees worse, aims worse, and reloads weapons more slowly. You can regain your strength and get rid of the negative effects by having a good night's sleep on a bed in one of the hubs. A drowsiness indicator appears above the health bar.
- Alcohol intoxication - this effect can be both a friend and an enemy at the same time. When intoxicated, everything around you is a little blurry, movements become less precise, aiming is more difficult and walking upright is not so easy. But vodka in the Zone is not only for entertainment - it helps to reduce the impact of radiation.
The effect of intoxication itself decreases over time, and you can also reduce it by eating some food. - Psi-radiation attacks the character's consciousness. Auditory and visual hallucinations begin, which, however, can cause quite tangible physical damage, and then health begins to decline. To get rid of the effect of psi radiation, you need to leave the area of its action or use means of protection against it.
Effect indicators are your first clue that something is going wrong. When you are affected by one of these effects, the HUD shows special indicators or visuals to help you understand what is happening. For example, when you are intoxicated, the picture may blur, and when you are bleeding heavily, blood splashes will appear on the screen. Visual effects not only add to the atmosphere, but also allow you to understand what is happening and how the environment affects your state.