Emissions are a catastrophic event in game. Much like in Atmosfear and OGSE, they come in waves and each wave can have devastating effects.

The initial emission reveals itself via disturbing cloud formations in the sky and the sudden absence of 'natural' sounds. Crows stop cawing, any natural ambience is muted. Assuming the player doesn't pick up on this, strong winds then pick up and eventually the earth shakes with a tremor. This is the time to get into cover as the sky darkens and the clouds take on a hellish hue.

Any mechanical klaxons in the area are screaming a warning. A short while later the initial wave hits and this has much the effect of an EMP. all electronic devices are shut down or behave erratically. The pda ceases to function, as does any night vision devices. Gieger counters fail spectacularly, screaming a constant warning. All static lights within a level that have an electrical source (that is, are not fire or gas powered) cease to function, meaning that in some cases you can be thrown into complete darkness particularly in underground levels where the lighting of emissions can not be seen. Due to the shielding effect of being underground, lights are more likely to flicker erratically rather than completely die, showing that while it is safe, the emission is so catastrophic it even has effects underground.

Radios will not function at all, either dying completely or playing discordant static.

Electronic targeting systems, such as in btrs will fail, being unable to distinguish friend from foe assuming they can either fire at all.

Exoskeletons will function at a limited rate. Any additional weight lifting capacity may be limited, and with certain more advanced models even more concerning effects may take place, such as assisted movement ceasing to function, causing the exoskeleton to lock the player in place until it is removed. The prototype automedic will also malfunction, confusing rapidly changing vital signs with its fried logic to administer possibly lethal drug combinations.

Being in certain vehicles (mainly larger ones, such as a btr) will act as a cage, allowing the player to survive.

The first 'death wave' follows soon and and is preceded by a cloud that sweeps over the Zone reducing visibility immensely. If Stalkers are not in somewhere solid by now they will probably not make it. Depending on a few factors, Stalkers and players alike may be instantly killed if caught in the shockwave or zombified.

These waves repeat several times, each accompanied with even more severe ambient effects.

Underground emissions will be subject to severe earthquake effects each time a wave hits.

During this period mutants tend to go insane and will attack anything they can, even each other. Only two factions are relatively immune to emissions. One is the Zombified faction, which much like mutants tend to attack anything, even each other (it's not uncommon in areas surrounding the scorcher to find piles of zombified bodies where they turn on each other) and the Monolith who seemingly have no ill effects, but tend to go into a ritualistic trance when an emission is raging.

The period immediately following emission is usually characterised with dark, rainy weather and the occasional storm. The worst after effect is 'psychic sickness', an adapted and modified Horror time from OGSE.

During this period, assuming it happens, the Zone is bathed in psychic aftershocks that effect every single stalker. Stalkers themselves are less self preserving and will not fight at maximum efficiency, even if they choose to fight at all. They will not dodge grenades effectively, and will not engage in long distance combat. Weak willed Stalkers may even break down and kill themselves.

On the player there is a constant psy health draining effect that is largely countered by vodka, and presence of other Stalkers will also slow down the drain. Being within range of neutral or friendly Stalkers will reduce the effects by half, and combined with vodka will even have a positive effect.

Low psychic health will have variable effects on the player, depending on their story progression and how low it is, ranging from low level hallucinations (inspired largely by the 'shadow people' phenomena) to complex hallucinations with a perceived physical effect (such as being 'shot' by a gauss rifle or even receiving messages from an unknown pursuer)

Certain electronic devices will operate strangely, such as false alarms reported in motion sensors and radios being unable to pick up on regular signals.

There is a small chance, depending on the strength of emissions (largely based on distance to the source) of this period being more intense with Zone wide phenomena such as more aggressive mutants actively hunting Stalkers.

A zombified player is largely immune to emissions and psychic sickness but will notice different effects such as hostility from other zombies and even mutants that would otherwise ignore them..