In Stalker 2, you will often face difficult decisions where lives hang in the balance. These choices can force you to side with one faction, knowing it may turn another against you. The Wishful Thinking mission is a prime example, putting you in a high-stakes scenario that requires tough calls.
In this guide, we will provide a detailed breakdown of the Wishful Thinking mission, including the critical decision of whether to side with the Noonstriders or the Ward faction.
How to Get the Wishful Thinking Mission in Stalker 2
You unlock the Wishful Thinking mission after completing the Forge of Progress main mission in Stalker 2. Both missions become available once you have reached the SIRCAA facility, located in the northeastern section of the game’s map.
The mission kicks off when Dr. Dalin contacts Skif shortly after being transported through a portal. He instructs Skif to meet him in the D1 Hall. As you make your way through the hall and approach the D2 room, a cutscene is triggered. This scene reveals a tense meeting between Dr. Dalin and Col. Korshunov.
During the encounter, Dr. Dalin tries to convince Skif to activate the Monolith using the alpha artifact. However, he tells him that the artifact is important for powering the generators as well and not just the Monolith. Col. Korshunov argues that his team is capable of handling the task, but Skif asserts that the artifact is his responsibility, making it clear that he will handle it himself.
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Interact with the Monolith
The next step requires you to interact with the Monolith, located on the lowest level of the facility. Here, you will encounter two shadowy figures. Interact with both of them—it does not matter in which order. Once you have done so, a third shadowy figure will appear.
Afterward, a cutscene will begin, pulling you into an illusion where you are ambushed by Col. Korshunov’s soldiers. You will be heavily outnumbered, and no matter how many enemies you defeat, more will keep spawning. The fight continues for a while until the illusion finally ends.
Once you are back in reality, head upstairs and talk to Dr. Dalin and Col. Korshunov. During the conversation, Skif confronts them, demanding to know whose memory he just witnessed in the Monolith Room.
Dr. Dalin explains that the alpha artifact successfully worked and that experiments on it can now proceed safely.
The discussion is abruptly cut short when Col. Korshunov instructs Skif to head to the Projection Room to meet with Agatha.
Should You Kill or Spare Professor Herman in Stalker 2
In the Projection Room, you will find Professor Herman tied to a chair, pleading with Skif to hear him out. Agatha accuses Herman of stealing scanners from SIRCAA, driven by jealousy toward Dr. Dalin. She also reveals that Faust was Herman’s co-conspirator, and together they murdered all witnesses to cover their tracks.
Agatha then puts Skif in a moral dilemma, asking him to decide Herman’s fate. She reminds Skif that Herman’s actions nearly got him killed as well. Handing Skif a pistol, she gives him the choice to either spare or execute Professor Herman.
A short timer appears on-screen, indicated by a decaying yellow line. If you do not make a decision before the timer runs out, Skif will automatically spare Herman. However, if you choose the option to kill him, Skif will shoot Herman in the head, ending his life instantly.
This choice has significant consequences. If Herman is killed, he will be completely removed from the storyline in Stalker 2, eliminating any potential interactions or narrative developments involving him. While the full extent of his role in the game is unclear, the story does hint at the benefits of showing mercy and sparing NPCs when given the chance.
Though Agatha paints Herman as a villain—one who may have conspired with Faust and wronged Skif—her version of events is just one perspective. There could be more to Herman’s story that has yet to unfold.
For this reason, we recommend sparing Professor Herman during the Wishful Thinking mission in Stalker 2. This approach leaves the door open for further character development and story revelations while avoiding unnecessary bloodshed.
When you spare him, Professor Herman will thank you and leave the room during the cutscene.
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Should You Side With Noonstriders or Ward in Stalker 2
No matter whether you choose to spare or kill Professor Herman, you will immediately face another pivotal decision: will you side with the Noonstriders or the Ward faction? This choice carries significant consequences and should align with your previous actions and allegiances.
This decision comes shortly after leaving the Projection Room, as Skif reaches Sgt. Mykhailov in the Cryptobiology Lab. There, you will find Dubny waiting near a vault door. Speak with Dubny and exhaust all his dialogue options. Eventually, he will ask you to choose a side: “I am with you” (Noonstriders) or “I am with the Ward”.
What if You Pick the Noonstriders Side
If you have not gone against the Noonstriders or have supported their goals so far, siding with them may feel like the natural choice. Picking this option aligns you with Dubny, the Noonstriders, and their vision for freedom and rebellion in the Zone. However, this decision will make the Ward faction, including Dr. Dalin and Col. Korshunov, your enemies.
Dubny and his allies will open fire on the Ward soldiers in the room, while Dubny urges you to head through the vault door. This path sets you against the Ward and onto a mission alongside the Noonstriders, and the Spark faction.
You will proceed through a long tunnel, eventually reaching Strider at the end. He will be placing charges on a vault door leading to the X11 room. After blowing the door open, Strider will charge inside, knock out Dr. Dalin, and attempt to seize the activated alpha artifact.
Siding with the Noonstriders begins the “To the Last Drop of Blood” main mission.
What Happens if You Pick the Ward Side
If you have been loyal to the Ward faction—such as turning over the Ward Sensors acquired from Squint to the Ward faction earlier in Stalker 2—this choice logically aligns with their promises of a secure future with food, shelter, and order. By siding with the Ward, you join Dr. Dalin, Col. Korshunov, and their vision for stability and science.
However, this choice immediately turns Dubny and the Noonstriders hostile. They will attack you and the Ward faction soldiers present in the room. After the skirmish, your objectives will shift to supporting the Ward in their pursuit of control.
This path starts the Law and Order main mission in Stalker 2, which tasks you with reaching the X11 sector via an elevator deeper within the SIRCAA facility.
House of Glass Achievement
After completing the Wishful Thinking mission in Stalker 2, you unlock the House of Glass achievement. You also get Coupons, which you usually get after completing missions. However, the amount of Coupons depends on your game difficulty level.
That is everything you need to know about the Wishful Thinking mission, killing or sparing Professor Herman, and whether should you side with the Noonstriders or Ward in Stalker 2. For more tips, I recommend you check out our Kill Shah or Roosevelt in King of the Hill Mission, How To Defeat Poltergeist Enemies, and All Main and Side Missions List in Stalker 2 guides.
Published: Nov 28, 2024 09:58 am