if you pin this comment the c-consciousness is real

I always imagined loners like union workers of the stalkers, they don't all have the same trade or interest most of the time and thus are largely alone but if something affects them all collectively they'll band together to address it

I consider them to be a 'faction' in the same way bandits outside of CS are a 'faction', and Mercs are a faction. A few loosely connected groups of people who roughly agree on where the limits are, and to avoid starting crap with each other for the most part, rallied behind a powerful economic/informational figure. For Loners, that's people like Beard, Barkeep and Sidorovich, for the Bandits, that was Borov, Sultan, etc. They don't have the closer bonds and structure that Clear Sky, Freedom, Duty, and the Military have.

Great summary. Personally, I'm not really sure if faction is a good term - I think loners represent one of the possible "occupations" in the Zone, but that doesn't mean that they are a proper faction. You don't really have to do much to join them - if you are in the Zone, you follow moral principles and don't behave like a bandit, and you are not a part of any ideological group - then you are a loner. It's not like with Duty or Freedom, who are actual factions, and you have to take certain steps in order to join them. Loners are more of a community.

The way I see it, Free Stalkers are a commune (or multiple communes) rather than a traditional faction. Yes, we often see them work in groups and follow similiar codes but different groups of loners don't seem to be connected. Free Stalkers also don't have a boss like the other factions do, only leaders of the small groups we encounter in the games.

They were always a faction. They have a man leading certain groups, most cases this being the trader, with squad or camp commander such as Wolf or Fanatic who are usually in charge of experienced stalkers who lead their crews of rookies and lesser experienced people. They show a proper military structure or at least something very similar to it.

This is a good video. When I first played SoC as a kid I didn't think the Loners were a faction. But CS and CoP showed me they were definitely a faction. Loners have all the functions of other factions, but they are heavily decentralized compared to other groups. I think it is this decentralization that makes people treat them as a non-faction.

You actually changed my mind, i never thought of loners as a whole faction, more like small groups of people that traded and did not shoot at eachother. Thank you for making this video.

I guess if you wanted to get pedantic its more of a community than a faction. People with similar goals grouping together to help achieve those individual goals

Time to watch

fun fact the book that stalker is roughly based on said that it was an unspoken rule to always take at least 3 men into the zone, two will do the deed and one watch over their shoulders

That's a fascinating idea, i never thought about it this way

Great videos, each time it makes me playing Stalker for a little ride :D Can't wait for your video on assaut rifle !!!

What's funny to is the fact that Loners in general operates a lot like an idialized anarchist society, none or completely descentralized leadership, small commuties that help each other and don't get envolved with the grander politics of the Zone and sometimes completely opposes the thought. This for me is why I always choose loners for a "anarchist" playthrough instead of Freedom. Freedom have anarchic ideals, Loners are anarchists. Funny ain't it?

Finally answer I've been waiting for

*I'm the only one who sees the similarities with the stalker code and Continental rules from the Jhon Wick saga if you kill another stalker you became automatically an Excomunicado with a price for your head .*

this is a wonderful way to put it.

Just discovered this channel after getting into another Gamma run. Really happy to see you are still posting new videos! liked and subbed. Loners are a interesting group because I imagine them coming from all walks of lives, older army veterans with nothing left lose in search of fortune, or even young local kids from Ukraine from poor villages in search of adventure, with nothing but a bottle of vodka, some cigarettes and their dads old hunting shotgun. I can imagine local groups of young kids 18-25 banding together with their childhood friends. What unites loners is they don't really have a ideology, they aren't some highly trained mercenaries, anarchists, scientists etc. They are just there to explore, make money, and that lack of ideology and lack of fanaticism bands people together to watch each others backs. Loners would understand other loners and what they are doing, seeing each other as just "normal" people, and probably look at some of the other factions as extremists.

Love your videos!

Only in SoC Loners/Stalkers do not appear like a proper Faction. They can be frequently seen wandering on their own, they have no base or unified leader.

Love your videos my dude, hope all is well and hope for more content

Awesome work. You make the best STALKER content on yt.

Every time you upload I want to badly for Stalker 2 to release soon with no further setbacks. I of course understand the brevity of the situation but I had just gone through my full 3 game vanilla then modded experience when Heart of Chernobol was info dropped. Fingers crossed we'll get an atleast country wide stalker chat so all the Dugout Demons can get together and perhaps cause a little Loner gang presense. Fingers crossed it comes soon my friends, the zone needs us and we need the zone. I'll be running around as VeloDawg so if by some chance you remember the name let me know and we'll get ourselves into some shenanigans. Much love to all, I hope we can all stay safe in these unsure times but I believe we could probably survive on stale bread and processed salami haunches.

Everything you said basically echoes how I've always viewed the Loners as a faction. Nice video!

In Gamma I always like to start with Loners, it feels like the easiest and friendliest faction, since the trilogy makes it so likeable

The best stalker content creator at it again!

I found it easier to group the loners in one cohesive unit if you percieve the Zone as a sovereign state independent of Ukraine and it's average citizen is a Loner. While they don't always directly work in tandem with each other and their goals and occupations within the zone vary from person to person they all coalesce to form a bizarre society. I also think they're hands down the most indispensable group of people out in the zone. Bandits need foolish rookies to rob. Scientists need pathfinders. Duty and Freedom vy for their allegiance, the military need smugglers and a reason for their funding and monolith always need more cannon fodder. They're in that weird position where they are simultaneously the most desired commodity and also the most likely to be taken advantage of or abused. Which gives them a fair amount in common with the average working man/taxpayer

Wow new information nicely explained

I would perfectly fit in within the loners or Freedom.

1:44 they are the best "faction"... im sure that friendly fire there was a fluke.... or a bandit in disguise. 1. Loners are bounty hunters; they will do X for Y, and are paid on delivery or proof of death in the case of assassinations. 2. this applies to the quest givers too, who are likely paying you to complete some of their work for them to get easy pay without risk. 3. free medical treatment means that guy can go die for you a 2nd time.

i think that loners are various factions because there are loner gruops. father valerian might have his own loner faction and so is strelok's gruop, some loners that are from a gruop may attack another loner gruop but not another loner gruop so they are neutral bettwen them??? also bandits is kinda something like that also

YES THANK YOU!!!! Ive always wanted to know this

I would really like a video like this one explaining mercenaries, how they are different groups with very different objectives like the ones in clear skies, their alliances with freedom, also explain who do you think gives them their western armor and weapons and while many people assume they are from the west, all of the mercs have eastern european names so it's very unlikely they are

Always a good video what a good stalker

I imagine they are a faction but one very different from the other traditional faction of the zone Since loners make up for the vast majority of population in the zone i think instead of having a traditional leadership system they have "clans" so while most would agree on certain parametters that make loners different than bandits, each clan/group would also have it's own ideas and leaders

love ur vids🗿🗿

Interesting study. Have you expanded on the iconography of patches? The Loner patch designates the community to be sure however I think the radiation symbol identifies the Zone as being the designate of their purpose apart from the code of conduct. The other faction patches designate a unit having ideology.

merci pour ta video prend soins de toi

Just in time for my grilled cheese breakfast

If you think about it, Freedom bears a strong resemblence to more authoritarian socialists/communists, and Free Stalkers bear a strong resemblence to libertarian socialists/anarchists.

i love ur videos

Good hunting Stalker !

Just more proof that the Merc Money Gang is the best faction in the Zone. Top notch video, as always 👍

Imo, it's the same status quo with most of the Mercs.

If you ask a Loner, no. If you ask a Bandit, yes.

I wish they attacked each other sometimes. It makes sense for them to be friendly or neutral towards each other, but seeing some of them fight would be very interesting. Like fallout where you come across rogue npcs fighting each other, though those are almost always scripted.

i love you so much bro

Could you please explain the story of Wolf. Why did he leave the rookie village in SoC ? Also after Fanatic takes over, why does the Marked One meet wolf near the Army Warehouses as an “ENEMY”? Been really confused about this

Loners were always my favorite faction. They're just often sitting at the campfires, telling stories about the zone, it's just the perfect vibe.

Hey it's my faction. I have their patch. Keep up the great work my friend

You should've defined what a faction is, being integrated into complex stalker society doesn't make them one in my opinion. Although it's worth pointing that the devs did change their name from "loners" to "free stalkers" (вольные сталкеры) in CoP

Loners are freelancers

they absolutely are but the name loners doesnt make a lick of sense since they are never alone plus most people refer to them as independent stalkers even in the ending of call of pripyat the narrator explicitly calls them like that.

Short answer: No Long answer: No, but they can make small, sub-factions like the ones Father Valerian and Strelok form, motivated by different goals.

You planning on making a video about the stalker 2 leaks and some of the frankly silly things they imply?

A group of individuals with shared interests and beliefs of independence and autonomy. Yes, that's the definition of a faction. A strange type of one though. Similar to a group who fights together for Anarchy.

They are basicly the a ''guild'' (in the medieval scence of the term)

Well, if renegade can be a faction then I suppose loner legitimately can 😂 and they are literally everywhere (cordon, darkscape, rostok, jupiter, zaton, outskirt, agropom...)

Interesting, it didn't even occur to me to think that the loners weren't a "real" faction because all evidence in the games shows them working together as a faction (as shown in the vid)

The only place we belong in is Monolith!

🗿🍷

Stalker 2 let's go!!°

Are you playing any mod recently

When will you post videos The stalker 2 I am waiting for you because I will testify only from you With love, your best fan

Interesting... 🤔, loners did become member for other factions as well. They more like adventure, no particular leader.

Do you think the Mercenaries are a real faction?

I see Loners as more of a brotherhood/gang, with unwritten rules that are mostly peaceful and no real leaders and just central figure/s.

In COP there is barely any difference between loners and bandits.

The loners are a faction like Bosnia is a country, bound by mutual agreement of not killing one another.

Before watching I would say yes. They are a faction like atheism is a religion in by that by defining what is based off what it isn't is it becomes that. They have a clear definition in that they are none of the other factions therefore they are their own distinct faction.

What happened to t 64 tank man they're dead ?

I would say Loners are almost a proper fraction

The most free faction in the zone just avoid bandits

ain't "stalker" the name for all tresspassers "loner" for neutral stalkers then "free stalkers" after loners unified as a faction during the faction wars for the most part they act as mercenaries that don't accept work that would cause distrust towards loners, the ones that do, get eliminated

Nope... Loner are just the one who serve for nothing, just live there