While 0.17 attempts to be save-compatible, starting a New Game is highly recommended to see the new faction spawn logic in action.
The 0.17 update is highly specialized. Players should be aware of a few technical "Stalkerisms" before diving back into the Pripyat outskirts: Back to Freedom 0.17 Update Only.zip
This update addresses several "crash-to-desktop" (CTD) triggers found in version 0.16 during heavy combat sequences. While 0
When prompted, select "Yes to All" to replace the old 0.16 files. While 0.17 attempts to be save-compatible