STALCRAFT: X Plans Bigger North Rewards and Location-Based Protoartifacts
The planned rework also covers danger-based jackpots, a clearer repair model, and possible ruble compensation for old junk items.
STALCRAFT: X is planning a broad economy rework that should make dangerous northern activities pay better without flattening the game’s progression. The changes cover event rewards, caches, faction containers, protoartifacts, and gear repairs, with special attention on what players carry out of the Zone.
EXBO detailed the plan in a September 28 Steam announcement. No release date was provided, so the rework remains planned rather than live. EXBO also warned that some old junk items may be removed and compensated with rubles, with more information to come through its social media.
A September 27 teaser had only named the economy work alongside signal dungeons, rewards, and an event. The new announcement gives the first detailed look at how the changes will affect loot, progression, and repair costs.
Faction North rewards will carry more weight
Faction North event rewards are the main target. EXBO plans to add new items for sale and adjust existing loot with larger stack sizes, lower weight, and higher value. Inventory space should last longer, encumbrance should arrive later, and extracting with a full backpack should become more profitable.
Outpost rewards will also change, with items sold to Arsenal becoming easier to manage while the amount of Arsenal reputation available will remain roughly the same. Rewards from Abandoned Installation, Arthunters, and Scientists events will be reworked to better match the activities that provide them.
Caches and faction containers will get better returns
Caches in Faction North currently offer poor returns despite forcing players to put their weapons away in dangerous areas. The rework will increase their rewards and revise the contents so they take fewer inventory slots and weigh less.
A new jackpot mechanic will give caches and NPC events a chance to produce better results. The chance will rise with the danger of the location, with gold NPC events receiving particular attention.
Faction containers will lose some of their junk items, while their average income will increase. The South will receive its own loot-pool adjustments so its rewards better match the area’s challenge and do not overlap as much with northern rewards. Wild North loot will also receive smaller changes to maintain the progression from South to Faction North and then Wild North.
Rare protoartifacts will follow location-based progression
Protoartifacts currently offer almost the same farming rate in the South and North, leaving little reason to seek them in more dangerous territories. Location-based progression will make northern areas a more relevant source of rare protoartifacts, including exclusive and legendary-quality items.
The change is meant to give the northern Proto-Discharge Cluster and Anomalous Rift events a clearer purpose. EXBO said it will monitor protoartifact values closely so the new progression does not weaken the existing economy.
Gear repairs will use a clearer calculation
Repair costs are also being reviewed. Higher-rank armor can currently be cheaper to repair than lower-rank gear, equipment from the same tier can have very different costs, and weapons from the same tier can carry different operating costs based on caliber.
EXBO plans to review both cost and durability before creating a repair model based on gear type, tier, caliber, and other parameters. The stated goal is to make repairs behave more consistently, not simply remove more money from the economy.
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Stalzone
Developed by EXBO
