Brontoforumus Archive

Game Boards => Gaming Discussion => Topic started by: Bal on August 12, 2008, 10:17:54 AM

Title: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on August 12, 2008, 10:17:54 AM
The new Boomer model makes me even more excited for Left 4 Dead (http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t280/left4dead411/screenshots/official-boomer.jpg). That is one vile motherfucker.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on October 08, 2008, 06:04:16 PM
The only game I'm excited for is L4D.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: MadMAxJr on October 08, 2008, 07:10:17 PM
I am so glad we have Steam this day in age.  I had overlooked Left 4 Dead, but it wont matter because I will be able to push a button and it will magically teleport into my PC.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on October 22, 2008, 04:49:43 AM
I've been looking forward to Left4Dead since sometime before the Orange Box came out. Well done co-op is probably my favorite multiplayer mode in any genre I can think of, and L4D looks to bring that Valve polish to the concept. Can't fucking wait.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Cannon on October 31, 2008, 08:11:02 PM
Left 4 Dead

(http://i630.photobucket.com/albums/uu23/Bon_Bon_2009/scruffy-1.jpg) Just reading the Wikipedia entry shows me little ways that Survivor players can mess things up ("problems" being they fall to the Director's drones before I get to them), but Lawd does it sound meaty. Infected aggro sounds... Vaguely cute. The Tank seems designed to keep the game going more than anything, so I don't know if it'll be my favorite role, should I get an X-Box 360 or better PC. I could be an all right Smoker, I think. I'd need to work at being a funny Hunter.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bongo Bill on October 31, 2008, 08:38:53 PM
If I wait several months before I buy Left 4 Dead, is it likely that I won't be able to find anyone to play with me?
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Cannon on October 31, 2008, 09:11:47 PM
If the game is good and doesn't require some kind of paid account, then just ask around. Stragglers inevitably remain after the initial predatory rush of the collective nerd herd has mashed the proverbial Funkotronians to death. I can at least say that I'll probably get access to the title the same time as you, and I have to play this one because of some geeky, instinctual draw.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Detonator on October 31, 2008, 11:36:28 PM
This won't be released proper for a few weeks, but theres a multiplayer demo for preorderers starting November 6 (http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3170986).

I look forward to the possibility of being sick of this game before it's released, but being a Valve title this seems unlikely.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Defenestration on October 31, 2008, 11:39:48 PM
This game is going to be the shit.

For the record, the opening cinematic came out recently, and it only further cements this into my "MUST BUY" pile.

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/42271.html?r=1
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on October 31, 2008, 11:46:26 PM
It'll be fun to try to run this on my single fucking core shit machine cocks.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Norondor on November 01, 2008, 02:31:34 AM
SOMEONE

BUY ME A COPY OF THIS FUCKING GAME
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Alex on November 01, 2008, 02:58:35 AM
I'm really glad they changed Zoe's model.  She looked as fucking ugly as Chell does at first.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Niku on November 01, 2008, 06:30:58 AM
thx for reminding me to preorder
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Niku on November 06, 2008, 09:16:27 AM
DEMO = PLAYED.  It's rad.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Catloaf on November 06, 2008, 10:00:37 AM
 :sadpanda:
Damn it Valve!!!  I tried to preoder it 10 times last week (as well as buy Fallout3) and they wouldn't accept any of my credit cards!!!

I wanna play the demo too!!!
:sadpanda:

Note: Saturn has complained to them.  So we're on our way to a solution.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Niku on November 06, 2008, 10:39:03 AM
Expert mode is amazing.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on November 06, 2008, 11:52:48 AM
This game is motherfucking outstanding
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on November 06, 2008, 04:19:49 PM
This game is motherfucking outstanding

x1000

except that the fucking matchmaking system is a load of balls right now.  it seriously automatched me to a passworded server earlier.

anyway the demo is amazing and the AI director is fantastic at surprising your ass.

however, going through just two stages and then having to stop is like getting a blowjob and then he stops and says "hang on there are too many dicks in my ass" and you're like "OH GOD DAMN IT"

also you can't beat off because your hands are tied behind your back
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Norondor on November 06, 2008, 04:20:43 PM
GIVE ME 50 DOLLARS YOU ASSHOLES
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Detonator on November 06, 2008, 05:42:44 PM
Shit, this is like, super awesome.

Can't wait to try it WITH FRIEND
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Detonator on November 06, 2008, 08:40:34 PM
Looks like they just patched it.

Fixed several issues with matchmaking and password protected servers
Tuned matchmaking to provide better search results
Fixed bug where servers could stay reserved by matchmaking forever
Performance optimizations and fixes to networking layer
Fixed issue where game could cause Steam executable to use too much CPU
Fixed music resetting when changing video settings
Fixed some issues with not being able to chat and/or connect to other users

Gonna try it now, hope it works.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on November 06, 2008, 10:04:25 PM
TAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANK!!
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Detonator on November 06, 2008, 10:09:33 PM
TAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANK!!

 :enraged: :gasp: :omg: :goggles: :scanners:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on November 06, 2008, 10:29:09 PM
The intensity this game brings to the table is unbelievable. We stopped playing half an hour ago and I still haven't come down off the adrenalin. The demo only contains the first two maps (of five) of the first (of five) campaigns in the final product. I cannot fucking wait.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bongo Bill on November 07, 2008, 08:30:21 AM
Word on the street is you can still put "openserverbrowser" in the console and get a normal-style server browser.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on November 07, 2008, 10:28:16 AM
That is so, but it's hardly an acceptable fix.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Sharkey on November 11, 2008, 02:57:59 AM
I was just messing with the review build for the last six hours or so, and it inspired me to write kind of a rant (http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8941059&publicUserId=5048614).

New Games! New Games!
New Games Journalism! HO!
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bongo Bill on November 11, 2008, 02:11:03 PM
So I'm downloading the demo. 6.4 days left!

kill me now

Wait, is that the ETA for the game itself or just the download?
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Guild on November 11, 2008, 02:34:51 PM
In your article you say you love/hate/are ambivalent toward zombies.

I concur.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on November 11, 2008, 02:40:29 PM
Quote
Everyone beyond that gets filed under "that thing what takes the garbage away" or "those human-resembling fuckers who don't know to stand to the right on an escalator so people with shit to do can keep moving." Wouldn't it be grand if I could just shoot all of you in the head with a thirty-aught-six whenever you get in the way?

I'd be hesitant to publish things like this.  Tends to make people think that, you know, you want to run around shooting people.

The rest is... inspiring?
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Guild on November 11, 2008, 02:51:03 PM
...but he probably DOES. For that matter, who here doesn't?

I'm aware that I'm unhelpful.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on November 11, 2008, 03:14:09 PM
Listen, man.  Everybody wants to run around and shoot people.  In the heart.  Flay off their skin.  Drag them into the street.  Bathe naked in their blood.  Masturbate with a cheese grater.  Screaming with laughter all the while.

But we don't talk about it.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Guild on November 11, 2008, 03:23:32 PM
Agreed, sans cheese grater. I use a mallet.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on November 11, 2008, 03:24:13 PM
So I'm downloading the demo. 6.4 days left!

kill me now

Wait, is that the ETA for the game itself or just the download?

The demo will expire when the game is released. That's why there's that days amount.

I'm going to try it because the gameplay really, really interests me, but I can't commit a buy yet because frankly I loathe zombie games/movies/books/radio plays/operas. It'll need to be awesome enough to counteract its setting.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Detonator on November 11, 2008, 09:15:35 PM
Quote
Everyone beyond that gets filed under "that thing what takes the garbage away" or "those human-resembling fuckers who don't know to stand to the right on an escalator so people with shit to do can keep moving." Wouldn't it be grand if I could just shoot all of you in the head with a thirty-aught-six whenever you get in the way?

I'd be hesitant to publish things like this.  Tends to make people think that, you know, you want to run around shooting people.

The rest is... inspiring?

I'd agree if this were a 1up feature, but it's just part of his blog, and who cares what anyone writes on their blog?  I'm too happy to see it actually updated to complain about it, even if he talked about killing me personally.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Detonator on November 11, 2008, 11:38:00 PM
I'm going to try it because the gameplay really, really interests me, but I can't commit a buy yet because frankly I loathe zombie games/movies/books/radio plays/operas. It'll need to be awesome enough to counteract its setting.

::(:  I dunno, the gameplay seems to be pretty zombie-centric, I don't see how that could counteract your ridiculous zombie prejudice at all.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on November 12, 2008, 04:13:55 AM
What the hell. I love this game. How did that happen.

Next thing you know I'm going to drink beer and smoke pot and move in with a guy named Sparkles Blue.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Defenestration on November 12, 2008, 11:15:45 AM
Out of sheer curiosity, I checked out the 360 demo too. It looks so much worse. I was surprised at how badly it looked in comparison. I might check out the PS3 version as well.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on November 12, 2008, 01:19:08 PM
Alright, this is basically "Leeroy Jenkins: The Game". That said, I still love it. I just spent like two hours unsuccessfully trying to beat Expert with random people and I'm still not sick of it. There were always at least two hordes and two bosses in the first building and we were lucky if we even made it out in the streets.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bongo Bill on November 12, 2008, 07:03:03 PM
Well, the demo has sold me the game.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Detonator on November 12, 2008, 07:14:32 PM
Alright, this is basically "Leeroy Jenkins: The Game".

...

...we were lucky if we even made it out in the streets.

I think I see the problem here.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Defenestration on November 12, 2008, 07:21:15 PM
I played with my raidfag WoW friends earlier today with svcheats on. We turned it on Expert, and then adjusted the Zombie spawn rate to 300 (default is 30 on Expert). There was literally a horde every 30 feet.

Took 3 tries and having everyone start with Automatic Shotguns, but we made it through beginning to end of the demo. (Well, we would have, but our host spawned 6 witches in the last room because it was hilarious) But seriously, playing Leeroy is guaranteed death on any difficulty above Normal.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Royal☭ on November 12, 2008, 08:04:01 PM
This game is amazing.  I have deleted "Zombie Panic! Source" from my games list because frankly it is horse turd compared to Left 4 Dead!
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on November 12, 2008, 08:07:51 PM
Thanks to Eric Wolpaw and his team writing this thing too, the wall scrawl in this game is hysterically funny. Example of a written conversation on a wall:

"WE ARE THE REAL MONSTERS

you are the real MORON
That's the ZOMBIES idiot
Have you been outside, JACKASS?!
I hope you are DEAD now. "

I think my favorite part of this game is just how amazing and spot on the zombie animations are. The way they run, the way they come around corners, the way they die. It's all perfect, and makes it completely believable that they have no desire other than to see you dead.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bongo Bill on November 12, 2008, 08:21:19 PM
Thanks to Eric Wolpaw and his team writing this thing too, the wall scrawl in this game is hysterically funny. Example of a written conversation on a wall:

"WE ARE THE REAL MONSTERS

you are the real MORON
That's the ZOMBIES idiot
Have you been outside, JACKASS?!
I hope you are DEAD now. "

Doesn't it say "i miss the internet" right below that?
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on November 12, 2008, 09:23:17 PM
Yes
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Defenestration on November 13, 2008, 05:02:53 PM
(http://fightingamphibians.com/tf2/src/122625790291.jpg)

You have no idea how much I want that to not just be satire and be in fact something in the pipes.

I would buy all 18. And the 2fort Playset.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on November 13, 2008, 05:07:59 PM
Quote
Collect all 10

What?!
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Defenestration on November 13, 2008, 05:14:36 PM
My guess would be the Civilian class they keep hinting at. Alternatively, the 2nd and 3nd level Sentry in one pack. The Engineer's bubble would be PRETTY tight with all that crap in it
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Dogstar on November 13, 2008, 05:36:16 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl3SBLAeayQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sI-G1R_C9g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb3vOj9PsOA


Left 4 Dead makes me happy in the pants.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on November 13, 2008, 05:43:33 PM
Last night we jumped down from the first safehouse into a horde, a boomer, a hunter, and a smoker. The boomer spawned two more hordes. It was fucking awesome.

EDIT: Those guys are playing on coward mode, Dogstar. Real men play Expert.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Defenestration on November 13, 2008, 06:02:50 PM
EDIT: Those guys are playing on coward mode, Dogstar. Real men play Expert.
QFFT
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on November 13, 2008, 09:43:10 PM
Gameplay from the Death Toll campaign (http://www.g4tv.com/trailers/videos/34879/Left_4_Dead_Mission_2_DirectFeed_Gameplay_Footage_X360.html). It's on coward mode, with bots only, but it shows a decent portion of the first map. I can't wait.

Pre-loading is now available on Steam for those of you that pre-ordered.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bongo Bill on November 13, 2008, 10:41:26 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9l7VWgknA-M
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Royal☭ on November 14, 2008, 07:43:25 AM
So Fry's is going to be selling this for only $40.  What a bargain!
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: MadMAxJr on November 14, 2008, 08:10:07 AM
You failed, the Zombies have taken our intelligence.

Alternatively, I would like to see a mod that lets you play TF2 against the zombies.  Bonus for actual TF2 zombies to fight against.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: PhoenixUltima on November 14, 2008, 09:11:51 AM
om nom nom nom
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Metal Slime on November 14, 2008, 11:12:18 AM
Pyro is all you need. ::D:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Zach on November 14, 2008, 05:35:43 PM
 :slow:

Ohgod. Zombies everywhere! Not enough bullets! Taaaaaaaaank!
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Alex on November 14, 2008, 06:25:13 PM
EDIT: Those guys are playing on coward mode, Dogstar. Real men play Expert.
QFFT

Even though I'm all about difficulty in games, I still play this on Normal because FPS difficulty just means 'you take more and deal less damage'.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: on November 14, 2008, 06:26:58 PM
My guess would be the Civilian class they keep hinting at. Alternatively, the 2nd and 3nd level Sentry in one pack. The Engineer's bubble would be PRETTY tight with all that crap in it

The Announcer?
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Cannon on November 14, 2008, 06:29:09 PM
Even though I'm all about difficulty in games, I still play this on Normal because FPS difficulty just means 'you take more and deal less damage'.

...I know they're all sprinty, but I'd be very disappointed if higher difficulties somehow made the Zombie Weakness less effectual. It also handily solves an ammo shortage. I haven't played the game. I'm just sorta' thinking out loud, here.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Royal☭ on November 14, 2008, 06:30:49 PM
Difficulty in Left 4 Dead actually increases the size and number of the zombie hordes, as well as spawning more of the boss zombies.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on November 15, 2008, 08:19:22 PM
1 shotgun round kills at least 1 zombie.  This never changes.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on November 15, 2008, 08:25:56 PM
The damage of the enemies does go up, but so does the number of enemies, and the viciousness of the AI Director. As for "boo hoo a zombie hits for 20 damage on expert" guess what, if someone in a psychotic rage swung at you with no regard for their own safety, they would do really serious damage.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on November 15, 2008, 10:42:50 PM
Are our first runs of the maps going to be on Advanced, or are we going to go right for Expert?
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: MadMAxJr on November 15, 2008, 11:26:08 PM
How many guys can play together at once in this?
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Saturn on November 15, 2008, 11:30:16 PM
4 on normal,  8 on versus.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on November 16, 2008, 06:48:41 AM
I love playing on expert because I get killed by all of my teammates at the worst possible moments. Shotgunning zombies that are attacking another person is not a good idea.  ::(:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on November 16, 2008, 06:50:49 PM
Short guide to identifying sound cues (http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/genmessage.php?board=937406&topic=46614505)

OMG I just linked a gameFAQs message board thread.

Much of the stuff there is simple to figure out on your own, but I found it interesting that you can apparently tell which way a horde is going to come from by paying attention to whether their theme plays normally or with its notes in reverse order. If you mind the instruments you can even tell the size of the mob and determine if you'll need to spend molotovs or pipe bombs before the first zombie even shows up.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Metal Slime on November 16, 2008, 07:04:48 PM
Remember, cocktailing your feet is fun if your desperate.

YOU CAN'T EAT ME IF I'M ON FIRE.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on November 16, 2008, 07:15:36 PM
If someone decides to startle the witch on purpose, it might be better to just help the witch put the guy out of his misery.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on November 17, 2008, 03:03:17 PM
I think I know why I like this game. Somehow, Valve has transplanted the spirit of classic arcade 4-player beat'em-ups into a modern FPS. It's almost the offspring of an unholy union between the old Capcom D&D brawlers or TMNT or X-Men, and Half-Life 2. Of course we've yet to see if that feel is kept throughout the full game but the potential is definitely there.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: MadMAxJr on November 17, 2008, 03:15:19 PM
So it needs a quarter-drop sound every time you start a game?
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on November 17, 2008, 03:23:14 PM
That and a score counter. Zombie, 50 pts. Hunter, Boomer, Smoker, 250 pts. Tank, 1000 pts. Witch, 1000pts, but if she kills anyone she's only worth 100.

You don't even need to mod in the assholes who eat the pizza with their life bar full, they're already in there.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Mothra on November 17, 2008, 03:33:33 PM
If someone decides to startle the witch on purpose, it might be better to just help the witch put the guy out of his misery.

I completely thought I could take her. I mean she's like 70 pounds!
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: MadMAxJr on November 17, 2008, 05:53:01 PM
Preloading.  I haven't looked at the game beyond the TF2 map version and the picture of the omega fat zombie.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: MadMAxJr on November 17, 2008, 10:43:05 PM
I am horrible at this game.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Detonator on November 17, 2008, 11:09:50 PM
I am horrible at this game.

It's hard to get better when you quit.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Detonator on November 17, 2008, 11:28:16 PM
The "Zombie Genocidest" achievement requires 53,595 kills: one more than the Dead Rising "Zombie Genocider" achievement.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on November 17, 2008, 11:52:35 PM
This game is the most fun that I have ever had, ever.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on November 18, 2008, 12:39:09 AM
Everybody was zombie fighting, those guys were fast as lightning
In fact it was a little bit fright'ning, but they fought with expert timing

There was funky zombie men from funky zombie town
They were trapping when up, they were trapping when down
It's an ancient voodoo art, and everybody knew their part
For my friend, ain't you a stiff, then I'm shootin' from the hip

Everybody was zombie fighting, those guys were fast as lightning
In fact it was a little bit fright'ning, but they fought with expert timing

There was funky Boomer Jim and little Smoker John
He said, here comes the big tank, let's get it on
We took the gun and made a stand, started striking with the hand
A sudden motion made me stiff, now we're into a braindead trip

Everybody was zombie fighting, those kids were fast as lightning
In fact it was a little bit fright'ning, but they did it with expert timing

(in other words this game is awesome)
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on November 18, 2008, 03:53:23 AM
We've completed three out of the four Campaigns in campaign mode now (on Advanced, Expert in retail is, uh, no), and I have to say, jesus motherfucking christ on the burning wrecking of a plane, this game is outrageously fun. The rescue events are out of this world, with my favorite so far probably coming from Dead Air, which I would not want to spoil. It's almost too much to stand.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on November 18, 2008, 04:34:33 AM
FRONDLY TIPS

#1: If you're surrounded by zombies, and you want your teammates to shoot them, crouch.

#2: If a nearby teammate is being licked by a Smoker, don't just follow the tongue and try to kill it.  You can free your teammate by hitting him with a melee attack (these attacks do not deal any damage to teammates).  Make a decision: if you can see the Smoker, and your friend isn't close by, shoot it; otherwise, consider whacking your friend instead.

#3: If you have to walk in front of people to get a shot at the zombies, let your team know so, and frigging crouch.

#4: Always watch every direction.  Zombies can come from almost any direction at any time.  If you hear the horde's song, a strategically placed molotov can be the difference between victory and defeat.

#5: Know what's going on.  Discuss how you're going to use pain pills and med kits, figure out who should cover what direction, and stay close to your teammates in case they (or you) need a rescue.

#5.a: One decent system: Pick a partner, and decide which of you will lead, and which if you will follow.  Wingmen need to watch their leader's backs and never seperate from them for more than a second.

#6: Check every room.  You never know where the AI Director is putting stuff.

#7: Use quiet moments.  Heal up, reload everything, check side rooms for supplies, and discuss plans for proceeding.  Don't just rush toward the next fight.

#7.a: That said, don't linger in one spot too long.  The AI Director doesn't wait around for you to be ready; it will continue to throw shit at you.

#8: Keep your weapons full.  Always, always, always.

#8.a: Your shotgun will continue reloading, even if you're using your melee attack to push zombies away.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: MadMAxJr on November 18, 2008, 07:17:58 AM
I am horrible at this game.

It's hard to get better when you quit.

Work starts at 7:30, 1 AM was pushing it for me.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on November 18, 2008, 07:36:43 AM
FRONDLY TIPS
#8.a: ALL WEAPONS will continue reloading, even if you're using your melee attack to push zombies away.

Number one protip.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bongo Bill on November 18, 2008, 04:58:45 PM
The demo convinced us all that this game would easy. We were misled.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Defenestration on November 18, 2008, 04:59:38 PM
Now that I'm back home from a long day, who's up for some pwning?
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: MadMAxJr on November 18, 2008, 09:45:39 PM
If you get to be the tank on the first stage of No Mercy, be sure to go punch cars at the survivors.  It is the best thing ever.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Misha on November 18, 2008, 10:14:42 PM
xbox version being limited to two player splitscreen makes me  :sadpanda:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on November 19, 2008, 03:14:10 AM
Playing a little bit on my own (that is, outside friends only groups) has highlighted to me that, much like TF2, a bad team makes for a bad experience, and unfortunately even one bad player can make for a real detriment. It hurts the game slightly, but it's easily solved, and it's still the best multiplayer game I have played since the TF2 launched, and probably in the top five of all time.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on November 19, 2008, 04:43:20 AM
Played some Versus on a team with friends against a team of pubbies last night.  Unfortunately, didn't get much time as the infected, because they were terrible at sticking together and cooperating, and got fucked sideways.

Similar problem in a friends-only game in which, on the Hospital level of No Mercy, we got a Tank at the very beginning, who busted into the safe room (along with a boomer and a pair of hunters, incl me) and nearly killed everybody.  Three survived, but were attacked by respawning infected (incl another boomer, who is part and parcel to every successful attack on the survivors, no lie) and finished off before they could finish healing themselves and get out (for whatever reason, they left the door open).  That team got a score of 0 for the level.  Simply by exiting the safe room safely, my team won the round.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: MadMAxJr on November 19, 2008, 07:02:14 AM
Single Player is fine and dandy except for two little things.  Bots don't use explosives or placed miniguns.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on November 19, 2008, 09:59:17 AM
The explosives thing does suck, especially in places like the end of Death Toll where the game puts a crapload of molotovs and pipes within arm's reach because it knows you'll need them. But I don't mind manning the minigun every time; the bots are much better at covering your ass than most random players you'll meet.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on November 19, 2008, 10:02:30 AM
That's almost as dumb as playing single player in the first place.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on November 19, 2008, 10:14:00 AM
I played single player once on each campaign because it puts me in total control of the pace, and lets me explore, soak in the atmosphere, and examine the details in the world at my leisure. It's probably not something that I'll do again, because that's really not what the game is about, but I did enjoy my sp runs for what they were.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: MadMAxJr on November 19, 2008, 10:16:40 AM
The bots are a bit more cooperative than pubs however.

I rather enjoyed the fact we left the pubbie behind to die on that one map last night.  "Don't heal him.  Leave him."

He did keep the big horde off of us for a bit!
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Norondor on November 19, 2008, 02:54:53 PM
Playing a little bit on my own (that is, outside friends only groups) has highlighted to me that, much like TF2, a bad team makes for a bad experience, and unfortunately even one bad player can make for a real detriment.

HI STEVE WAY TO WALK OFF ON YOUR OWN/GRAB THE WRONG WEAPON/SHOOT THE WITCH WHEN SHE WASN'T IN THE WAY

FUCK YOU CRACKER
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bongo Bill on November 19, 2008, 04:41:29 PM
I still haven't survived any rescue map. I try to get to the safe spot - I'm not hanging around the safe area like a megaderp - but even my best first-person-shootin' is never enough to get me there, and I get knocked down and swarmed by fifty tanks.

Once I died ten feet away from the helicopter at the end of No Mercy. We were playing with a group of three; I think only the AI character made it out alive that time.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on November 19, 2008, 04:55:44 PM
I've made it all but twice. Once it was Versus and Kazz smokered me, and another time I was five feet away from the helicopter when a friend shot me in the fucking back that swine.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on November 19, 2008, 08:40:50 PM
Heh, I just got steamrolled on Versus. The other guys obviously had it going on, and comms on my team were basically nonexistent for some reason, unfortunately. Plus it turns out I'm a terrible infected, though that was my first time.

That said, I did learn that the barn at the end of Blood Harvest seems ridiculously easy to defend, at least compared to the farm house. You can only get in through the ladder or the hole in the roof, and there's an ammo pile. The only way we ever got someone out of there was with a lucky smoker grab; even the tanks couldn't crack the place. There's probably something I'm missing...
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on November 20, 2008, 06:24:38 PM
There might not always be an ammo pile up there.  The AI Director is funky with that stuff.

Does anybody prefer the tier 1 shotgun?  The autoshotgun is awesome, but the first one is really not as good as the uzi.  The uzi has better range, better fire rate (obviously), a nice big clip, and is easier to reload and continue firing.  I don't even think the pump shotgun has a vast damage improvement over the uzi, at least for normal zombies.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Royal☭ on November 20, 2008, 06:32:41 PM
It does however have spread.  I've taken out groups of zombies in one shot with the shotgun, and it one hit kills everything if you're smart enough to aim above the wasteline, sunshine.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Defenestration on November 20, 2008, 06:55:32 PM
Pump shotgun over Uzi, Assault rifle over Auto shotty for me. Sure, the auto shotty is superior when you're getting clawed from every side, but I prefer not to let myself be put in that situation. And you can totally squeeze off single shots and pop some heads from medium distance, as well with the obvious benefits of a spray of bullets. But if two other people take the rifle, I take the auto-shotty. It's good to have variety.

As for the first tier... Shotgun, totally. I'd rather kill three zombies with a single shell than 3/4 of a clip of the Uzi in the same situation. I always run out of ammo with the Uzi, and the pump shotgun is totally more effective.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Romosome on November 20, 2008, 07:26:36 PM
I'm a bit confused from what I've heard.  Is there some crazy mode where the Director is a player, or is it always AI?
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on November 20, 2008, 08:01:13 PM
The Director is always AI, but in Versus mode, you decide where you spawn.  The Director guides us and loves us.  The Director giveth and the Director taketh away.  All Hail the Director.

Anyway, the pump shotgun kills zombies in one hit at close range.  You know, in the Danger Zone.  The Uzi has a decent chance to kill them in under three bullets at medium range.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on November 20, 2008, 08:13:12 PM
I like the tier 1 shotgun because I got my pistol for mid-to-long range. The uzi is okay but I often run out of ammo for it, plus it's terrible at long range; I usually only get it if no one else does.

And as far as I'm concerned the only tier 2 weapon is the hunting rifle. The autoshotgun and the assault rifle are in a strange, alien "tier 1.5". (Though they usually are better in finales.)
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: James Edward Smith on November 20, 2008, 08:25:19 PM
One major hint that most people don't seem to know is that if a hunter leaps at you before you can grease him and he's for sure going to hit you, it's a better idea to try and melee him just before he makes contact than to try and blast him. Even the shotguns have a big chance to not kill him with one shot while he's leaping and they don't stop the leap, so he'll still incapacitate you. Where as, if you land a melee swat on him as he closes, you'll cancel the leap and leave him stumbling around as confused dogmeat for a few seconds and can easily pop him with more than enough shots from anything to kill him.

If he's actually an other player, feel free to finish him off with more melee hits for extra showboating purposes.

"Yeah, that's right, you stupid skater lookin' asshole. You ain't nothing!"
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Detonator on November 20, 2008, 08:37:09 PM
Zed has an awesome accent  :wuv:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on November 20, 2008, 08:47:32 PM
That's... good to hear!  ::D:

In my head I speak perfect, unaccented English, but when it comes out my mouth, I'm like, what the hell is that? At least I seem to be understandable, which is somewhat surprising to me because I basically never get to speak any English to anyone, ever.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on November 20, 2008, 09:50:43 PM
Perfectly understandable, and perfectly adorable.

The reason I dislike the tier 1 shotgun is that I don't like having to take a second between shots.  Often, you don't have that kind of time on your hands.  I need something faster than the pistol if I'm going to get horded.

The tier 1 shotgun is probably a bit better for the bosses, but I refuse to believe it's better for the tank.  You need to be close to your target to get the shotgun's full potential, and being close to the tank is Inadvisable.  Plus, the shots are infrequent and the reload time is enormous.  Spraying it with a constant stream of uzi bullets makes more sense to me.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Norondor on November 20, 2008, 09:54:14 PM
In defiance of the logic learned during my thousands of plays of Zombie Quest 4: Leon's Big Adventure, the shotgun is not for mobs of zombies, but rather for big ones. The pump shotgun is good enough to kill hunters and smokers at medium/close range before they can do real damage and, more to the point, the auto shotgun actually does appreciable damage to the tank, unlike the assault rifle, which takes way, way, way too long. At the end-of-level "tankbuster" rankings it's always the ones with the auto shotgun who have over 2k damage done.

That said, i really like the sniper rifle. It's probably the worst weapon for late-game hordes and i never take it in the finale -- though if you get a long hallway where the horde's coming straight at you, the amazing damage and material penetration of the rifle can let you take out 5-6 enemies in one shot -- but it is a fantastic solution to groups of distant enemies, allows assault rifle-wielders to save their ammo on generic zombies in parking lots and such, and lets you deal with smokers, hunters (assuming you can see them before they pounce) and, most importantly, poorly-placed witches. Without a sniper rifle, a witch in front of the safehouse door is some serious shit, and someone basically will have to draw the short straw and just get stomped; WITH a sniper rifle in the group, witches don't usually get to do any damage at all.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on November 20, 2008, 09:59:48 PM
So what's the best tier 2 mix?

I'd say two ARs, an autoshotgun, and a sniper, and then when you get to the finale, switch the sniper for another shotty.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on November 20, 2008, 10:14:39 PM
Yeah, that's probably the best. Snipers are almost completely redundant with one another; there's not much two snipers can do that one really good sniper can't.

In the finale, one of the shotgun guys needs to man the minigun (if minigun there is), because he only has to let go of the artillery when he's got to literally knock zombies off his back.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Defenestration on November 20, 2008, 10:21:30 PM
One thing I was curious about. Anyone get the achievement for 1 shotting a witch yet? I came up from a good distance with the sniper rifle and got a nice clean headshot while she was crying, but she only got up and charged and then died.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on November 20, 2008, 10:27:13 PM
You need to finish her with a headshot, not necessarily 1-shot her. I got it earlier today; I ran up right next to one, lined up my crosshairs while she was getting up to stare at me, and shot her twice in the head with... I think it was the autoshotgun. Might have been the hunter rifle, I can't remember. Either one should do it, though it might take a few tries.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on November 20, 2008, 10:49:14 PM
In the finale, one of the shotgun guys needs to man the minigun (if minigun there is), because he only has to let go of the artillery when he's got to literally knock zombies off his back.

I actually think an AR guy should use the minigun, because the shotguns are better at knocking away groups from him.

The minigun is overrated, in my opinion.  Especially at the end of No Mercy; very few zombies come from the helipad.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Norondor on November 20, 2008, 11:11:46 PM
AR Is The Better Anti-Horde Weapon

(the caps mean that this is true)

(you can't have another opinion unless you like wrong opinions)
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on November 20, 2008, 11:15:23 PM
Frankly, I think the hunting rifle is the best anti-zombie weapon!  When you used it and when ZedPower used it, each of you racked up 50% more zombie kills than the next guy on the list.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Norondor on November 20, 2008, 11:18:40 PM
Pure luck. I was on the minigun one time and took out two gas cans at the church, and at the church i swapped the rifle for the AR!
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on November 20, 2008, 11:44:49 PM
In the finale, one of the shotgun guys needs to man the minigun (if minigun there is), because he only has to let go of the artillery when he's got to literally knock zombies off his back.

I actually think an AR guy should use the minigun, because the shotguns are better at knocking away groups from him.

The minigun is overrated, in my opinion.  Especially at the end of No Mercy; very few zombies come from the helipad.

Well, I feel safer with people firing at my surroundings with the AR than with the shotgun...  But there's huge variance according to individual skill with weapons and such. It's pretty much impossible to make a plan that'll account for every situation.

It's just like the minigun's usefulness, actually. Sometimes every zombie comes in just out of its field of fire, or on the wrong side entirely. Sometimes they keep showing up in front, and get mowed down in droves. Depends entirely on how much of a bastard the director is at the time.

As for the hunter rifle's deadliness, it's because it's one shot one kill, at any range, with a decent rate of fire, and when fired in crowds a single bullet can take out like 3-5 zombies. With 15 shots in a clip, at a conservative 2 or 3 victims per shot, you can easily rack in 30-45 kills in a big mob before having to reload. Add in all the occasions for mass long-distance sniping the game throws at you (airport main hall ftw), and you got the kill count explained.

On the other hand, barring headshots, the AR needs 2 or 3 bullets to take a single zombie out (I think?); on a full clip you'll get about 20-25 kills.

That said, a sniper might thin out a horde faster than a guy with the assault rifle, but the linear nature of his weapon means that the zombies he doesn't instantly kill are not hindered in the least and can close distance uncontested. Shotguns and assault rifles are still required to apply stopping power laterally and keep the entire frontline from regressing.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bongo Bill on November 21, 2008, 12:27:43 AM
I like to take the sniper rifle and kill fifteen or twenty zombies in the area we're about to storm.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on November 21, 2008, 12:32:41 AM
Oh, you know, another FRONDLY TIP:

#9. If there are a bunch of idle zombies ahead, puking and stumbling and milling around, don't waste your ammunition: pick them off with your pistols.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on November 21, 2008, 02:14:32 AM
The auto-shotgun is by far the best crowd control weapon, capable of killing zombies ten at a time when they're clumped up together, and it's definitely the best tank killer as well, followed by the hunting rifle, and then the AR. The best weapon layout for the finale is usually either two each of the AR and the auto-shotty, or three ARs and one auto-shotty for cleaning up close in. It just depends on the design of the area, and how much close in fighting you expect to do.

That said though, don't be afraid to switch it up. If you've been using an AR, and suddenly a tank spawns, or things are getting rough in melee, grabbing that auto-shotty isn't just a good idea, it's actually faster than reloading.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on November 21, 2008, 05:10:33 AM
I think we should address the topic of formations and roles.  People tend to bugger off, and frankly the partner system still leaves them vulnerable.  All four people should be reasonably close at all times; I know that makes them vulnerable to Boomers, but an intelligent squad can overcome the occasional vomit (ie Don't Fucking Shoot Them).

I think the healthiest guy should always be in the lead, first of all, and if anybody in the squad is firing a gun, he should be crouched.  The lead guy should probably have one of the ARs and his primary focus should be taking care of boomers.  Nobody in the group should shoot a boomer except for the leader.  He's the most likely to get vomitted on.  Whether it happens or not, he has to beat the boomer back and take him out and everybody else should avoid him when that's happening.  The zombies are all going to go straight for him; instead of hanging out near him, it's better to set up angles so that the zombies run right across your field of fire.

Behind him should be two guys, one with a sniper rifle and one with a shotgun.  The shotgun guy should protect the group from hunters; usually, in a big fight, if someone gets huntered, everybody turns and tries to help.  This is noble, but in a large fight, the zombie horde is the real threat and requires due attention if anybody's going to make it any further.  Therefore, this is the guy people should call if anybody's been tackled.  He should always be close enough to help.  As for the Sniper guy, he should be watching for smokers and setting up witch kills (if necessary).  I don't know much about the Hunting Rifle's capabilities so I will leave further pontification up to Noro and Zed.

The last guy should have a AR and needs to watch the rear like he's an ass inspector.  The AI Director LOVES throwing shit behind everybody, and Versus opponents find great pleasure in sneaking up from an unexpected angle.  The last guy should be expecting all of those angles.  He should also be in charge of pipe bombs, molotovs, gas can/propane tank traps, etc.

As always, if you're under attack, crouch.  And even if you're not, it's a decent idea.  If you're safe, the guy ahead of you should crouch so that you have a good angle over him.

Of course, these are just general guidelines, and in the real game people aren't going to be super-organized (for instance, when the Tank spawns, this rulebook goes right out the window).  But it's worthy food for thought.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Norondor on November 21, 2008, 05:51:13 AM
Rifle guy needs to be able to break from the group when convenient and may want to take point on corners leading into parking lots, hallways and other areas with a long field of fire and, probably, a few zombies milling around. Similar to the shotgun, the rifle has a ludicrous amount of ammo -- a full 11 clips, all told -- and it never, ever gets used up, while AR Jackson can easily run himself out if he feels like heatshotting enemies in the distance. Rifles can easily clear out stragglers, and if a horde spawns in a hallway, they can save the AR guy a lot of fucking ammo which may be dearly needed in the event that a boomer gets lucky or someone panics and shoots one right up close.

Agree with having a sharpshooter in the rear, mostly for smokers. AR or rifle can perform this role well -- AR will do better against unexpected hordes* and rifle can one-shot a smoker with a hit anywhere on its body, assuming they themselves aren't snagged before they can get a shot off.

Also, might want to have rifle guy set off traps, due to infinite material penetration (oncoming zombies can gum up the works if you use an AR to try and shoot a gas can, but that does not really happen with the rifle) and the fact that, really, they can just wait with the scope until a good shot presents itself.


*unexpected being the key word: the rifle CANNOT be used while moving. the second you move faster than a crawl, your accuracy goes right out the window and you may as well be shooting blanks.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: MadMAxJr on November 21, 2008, 07:31:19 AM
On the No Mercy final map, if you're going to hole up on the rooftop of the radio building, for the love of everything you consider holy, please have someone watching the stairs that go up the back.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on November 21, 2008, 07:35:15 AM
Of course. Someone should be watching everywhere.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: James Edward Smith on November 21, 2008, 09:56:34 AM
To clear up an earlier point, the minigun is far from useless, it's just very easily fucked over by the randomness and not so randomness of the AI director. We were doing Dead Air last night and I was manning it to pretty good effect. If hordes spawn behind the fuel truck, or far to the right, then obviously, it's worthless for those spawns, but when they come from either side of the pit, you can mow down dozens of zombies with a single burst and the thing never runs out of ammo.

It's capability for slaughter of hordes and boss zombies alike under the right circumstances is not to be ignored. You just have to be able to identify when you should go grab it, and when you should let go so you can assist in firing in a direction that it doesn't cover. You also need to be able to anticipate threat locations as quickly as possible so you can get it spun up.


People need to call when they are throwing something. I've had too many times where I throw a pipe bomb and just before it leaves my hand I see a flaming bottle just leave someone else's hand.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on November 21, 2008, 10:58:30 AM
Agree with having a sharpshooter in the rear, mostly for smokers. AR or rifle can perform this role well -- AR will do better against unexpected hordes* and rifle can one-shot a smoker with a hit anywhere on its body, assuming they themselves aren't snagged before they can get a shot off.

Agreed. That said, the hunting rifle is best in the back if the team is in narrow corridors. If the team is in an open area, an AR guy is more useful. It would probably pay off if the riflemen can coordinate and switch places accordingly.

And of course, the worst place for a sniper to be is anywhere in the middle of the group, if only because the hunting rifle has by far the ugliest potential for friendly fire. Sure, a shotgun's spread will clip one of your mates every once in a while, but the hr will pierce a hundred zombies, two doors and a wall to headshot a friend. There are few feelings worse than being zoomed in to take a shot at a distant smoker or whatever, and then having another survivor's back literally fill your entire scope at the very instant you pull the trigger.

In fact, if you see a sniper who's not moving, give him a clear line of fire. There's a perfectly straight death line extending from the tip of his gun to the end of his field of vision and there's a good chance he can't see you at all unless you're literally crossing it. Think of the hunter rifle as projecting an invisible laser that will probably take out a chunk of your health bar if you touch it.

Well, that's kind of an exaggeration. And of course I'm not saying it's entirely or always your fault if I do shoot you. But still. Sniper gets to be in front, 'cause he can't see shit. Even firing over a crouched buddy is a risky venture while zoomed in. If you want to get a piece of the frontline, stay by my side, or shoot over my head.

And if I'm lagging behind or getting separated, don't be afraid to tell me. I don't always notice people moving on ahead; reduced situational awareness is one of the prices I pay for all the kills. Heh, remember when we were going down into the airport main hall? You guys were setting up shop at the top of the escalators, while I found myself tooling about on the ground floor wondering where everybody was, and I had to walk through like a million burning gas tanks to get back to you. So yeah, that was pretty much entirely my fault.

On an unrelated subject: taking out sitting witches. If you can organize at all, you never want anyone to have to shoot at her as she's moving across their field of vision. I think the best setup is to form on the sides of the sniper, who gets the first shot. That way everyone gets to focus fire on her as she more or less beelines for the sniper, instead of having to sweep their aim and trying to keep up with her.

Like this:

Code: [Select]
Shot Rifl Snip Rifl


            ^
            |
           |
           |
          |
          |
          |
          |
        Witch

rather than something like

Code: [Select]
          Snip


Rifl        ^
            |
Shot       |
          |
          |
Rifl      |
          |
          |
        Witch
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: MadMAxJr on November 21, 2008, 11:54:51 AM
Watch out for teams you know jumped from hardcore TF2 to L4D.

Code: [Select]
Z    Snip Snip Snip Snip    Z
 Z                                         Z
    Z                                  Z
                ^
         Z      |
               |             Z
               |      Z
       Z      |
            |            Z
          |
          |
        Witch
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: MadMAxJr on November 22, 2008, 04:24:46 PM
Finally got around to doing Dead Air (Yes, on single player, taunt if you must.)

The machine gun on the last part was actually well placed.  I adored how half the zombies run right through the fire in the pit in front of the gun.  The only zombies that came up from behind the truck were the boss zombies.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on November 23, 2008, 12:26:39 PM
There's something I've never seen mentioned anywhere, so I don't know if it's common knowledge or legitimately obscure... Either way: tank projectiles can be destroyed in mid-air. I don't know if it can be done with hand-held weapons (doubtful), but I do it with the minigun all the time. You have to aim for the chunk as soon as it "spawns", and it still flies some distance beween breaking apart, but it's not hard to do if you're at long enough range. If you know the tank's aiming at you from reasonably far away, it's probably a better idea to just keep firing rather than leave the minigun and run for cover. That way you can resume your lead-spewing as fast as possible.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Catloaf on November 23, 2008, 01:33:13 PM
I just bought it from BestBuy, as Steam refuses to let be buy anything from them (they say it's the credit card's fault, the credit card company says it's steam's) 24 motherfucking failed attempts to purchase since October!!! :rage:

YOU OWE ME AT LEAST $10 BUCKS STEAM!!! :angry: :profit: :angry: I TRIED TO PREORDER AND YOU WOULDN'T LET ME!  I TRIED TO BUY IT WHEN IT CAME OUT AND YOU WOULDN'T LET ME! WHY DON'T YOU WANT MY MONEY DIRECTLY!?! 


... There should be an angry Jew emote for irritating money situations.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Burrito Al Pastor on November 23, 2008, 01:42:44 PM
Use your credit card to buy a Visa gift card.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Saturn on November 23, 2008, 05:23:43 PM
Watch out for teams you know jumped from hardcore TF2 to L4D.

when i play tf2 its more like this (pretend the zombies are demomen and the witch is a spy)
Code: [Select]
Z    Snip Snip Snip     Z
 Z                                         Z
    Z                                  Z
                ^
         Z      |
               |             Z
               |     MSat Z
       Z      |
            |            Z
          |
          |
        Witch
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on November 23, 2008, 07:54:09 PM
I only wanted to help you.  :nyoro~n:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Catloaf on November 23, 2008, 08:30:14 PM
One Single player match I played, Louis was given SUPER AI.  He killed basically all the hunters, boomers and smokers before any human player would've been able to see them (other side of wall/thick layers of leaves) and then was absolutely useless as the rest of them were on the Tanks, which apparently, on single player, ONLY target you.  He then gets on the boat and sits there as Me and the idiot AIs are killed by Horde, a Tank, and several Boomers and Hunters.

I hate him now.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Saturn on November 23, 2008, 11:01:45 PM
<Louis> HA HA THE BLACK GUY DIDN'T DIE.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on November 24, 2008, 10:44:34 AM
Best way to get rid of the Witch is to run up to her with the auto-shotgun and shoot her in the face a lot of times.

This also works on hunters, smokers, boomers, tanks, normal zombies, and teammates.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on November 24, 2008, 10:46:49 AM
 You have much to teach us, sir.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Defenestration on November 24, 2008, 11:22:17 AM
I need to figure out what time you guys play so I can get in a game or two.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Metal Slime on November 24, 2008, 02:49:33 PM
I've fallen in love with the rifle. I don't get too many good chances to take down a tough zombie with a scope, but against tanks and zombie swarms in narrow hallways I AM A GOD.  :lol:

On a side note I seem to be pretty darn good at not hitting people with friendly fire. Finished two campaigns with my friendly fire score being the lowest by far.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on November 24, 2008, 02:58:11 PM
My typical friendly fire experience:

OMG distant spore cloud
zoomzoomzoom
shoot
hit smoker
shoot
hit smoker
shoot
bill wanders into my line of sight while trying to convince zoey he can do the macarena
hit bill
"FUCK!"
smoker explodes
repeat 10x per campaign
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on November 24, 2008, 08:16:19 PM
Heh, I can't believe how much of a stooge I've been tonight. I'm sorry for shooting you like a million times, Saturn.

Especially in the office. :nyoro~n:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Catloaf on November 24, 2008, 08:19:24 PM
On a side note I seem to be pretty darn good at not hitting people with friendly fire. Finished two campaigns with my friendly fire score being the lowest by far.

I always end up with kinda high, especially when I get barfed on.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: MadMAxJr on December 03, 2008, 07:51:38 AM
L4D Movie posters (http://store.valvesoftware.com/productshowcase/productshowcase_L4D-MoviePosterPack.html) up for sale.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Arc on December 22, 2008, 03:05:19 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X4RKn6Bhsc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7_jAyWsm-w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW8tE93Vx8Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRv01TZMu0Y

:oh: Gentlemen, just exactly what have you been playing here?
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on December 23, 2008, 11:46:40 AM
 :perfect:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on December 23, 2008, 02:02:33 PM
Hey guys I've got this game and I want to play it all day long tomorrow because my family does Christmasy stuff on Christmas.

Ok maybe some Team Fortress 2 but mostly Left 4 Dead!
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on December 23, 2008, 02:31:31 PM
Ok
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: James Edward Smith on December 23, 2008, 03:48:32 PM
Yeah, sure.  (http://i630.photobucket.com/albums/uu23/Bon_Bon_2009/scruffy-1.jpg)
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on December 23, 2008, 04:00:14 PM
Sure.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on December 23, 2008, 04:37:35 PM
i prefer the variety of versus (aka "correct") mode though

of course we would have to play dead air and death toll on campaign though
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on December 23, 2008, 06:27:10 PM
Smoker sniper is the mother fucking best.  :pimp:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on December 23, 2008, 11:21:44 PM
In my first campaign I did three notably fantastic things.

1) I kited a Tank successfully. My tank-killer ranking was like 3200 damage done to the next guy with maybe 400 at most. I was in a warehouse and ran the fucker down two outta three aisles while emptying an auto-shotty and dual pistols into him.

2) I got that achievement for insta-gibbing a witch. We were in the sewer and she is pointblank in our only path. Being at about 30 health and having the auto-shotty, I bravely volunteer to eat her fury. Three shots later, I am a King.

3) I will cease to be a king on the climax of No Mercy when the first thing that happens is that a Smoker drags me off the roof, to the roof across from a fucking molotov impact, and helps me get maimed by 20+ zombies.

BUT MY FRIENDS HELP ME

And a hunter pins me down for another horde gang bang!

This was only normal difficulty and my friends were fantastic, though, so I survived. I did go from like.. 300 "On the Ground" health to fucking 60, though. I had to limp after a tank to help drop him.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on December 23, 2008, 11:26:18 PM
You also set off the car alarm near the gas station. I was lol'ing.

I found out I really like the sniper rifle.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on December 24, 2008, 12:41:38 AM
Normal difficulty is for fucking girls. We're manning you up tomorrow, Doom
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Saturn on December 24, 2008, 12:47:40 AM
YOU'LL GET HIT BY HUNTERS FOR 45 HP A SWIPE AND LIKE IT.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on December 24, 2008, 12:51:02 AM
I've never, even when we played the Demo, been on anything but Advanced.

Advanced is more fun because it's harder.  When the game is easy it is very boring.

I think Normal should be Easy, Advanced should be Normal, and that there should be a new difficulty level between Advanced and Expert because Expert adds things like "if you shoot a teammate, that teammate dies."
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on December 24, 2008, 12:57:37 AM
Take Doom to Blood Harvest on Expert if I don't do it first.  :goodnews:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on December 24, 2008, 01:01:30 AM
Take Doom to the woods and shoot him.  :lol:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on December 24, 2008, 01:33:53 AM
Take Doom to the cornfield and use him as bait.   :>_>:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on December 24, 2008, 01:37:53 AM
As zombie attractors go, the only difference between people and pipe-bombs is the source of the blood explosion.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on December 24, 2008, 06:43:53 AM
So I hear this story that Bal and Sieg rage-quit a Versus game because of closet-hiding on Map 4 of No Mercy, during the elevator sequence?

Everybody hides in that closet.  It's the best way past that elevator rush.  The special infected really just have to wait it out.  Yes, it's stupid, but it's part of the game.  Valve may fix it, but who knows.  And seriously, they go straight from there up to an extremely vulnerable area, in that scaffoldy bit toward the end.  You can't even claim it's unfair, because both teams can do it when they're survivors.

I'm disappointed that you guys aren't into Versus.  It is the most fun I've ever had in a videogame.  I hope you'll stop QQing and then we will play together.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on December 24, 2008, 08:51:10 AM
The transition from that closet to the elevator is pretty perilous too. I've seen that hiding a boomer inside the elevator and using the new swarming mass that he'll create to block the entrance is great. The hunters can then face fuck two survivors in addition to a smoker pulling a straggler in the back.




Oh yeah, add me to Steam anyone is interested in playing. Wiseman is the tag name.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Niku on December 24, 2008, 09:27:31 AM
I'm disappointed that you guys aren't into Versus.  It is the most fun I've ever had in a videogame.  I hope you'll stop QQing and then we will play together.

Who the fuck isn't into Versus?

If I didn't play WoW so much I would probably be playing Versus all the goddamn time.  I don't even know what the other two campaigns are like I love Versus so much.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on December 24, 2008, 11:18:45 AM
Some people get very frustrated in competitive environments.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on December 24, 2008, 11:34:01 AM
I'm just using Campaign to learn.

Only thing I hated about initial forays into Vs was getting Hunter eight times in a row.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on December 24, 2008, 11:37:44 AM
I love versus, but when you get the tank, and they just hide under the stairs from him, totally invulnerable, well fuck that, and them.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: MadMAxJr on December 24, 2008, 11:38:46 AM
As a tank, always punch things that have tires.  They usually move.  No Mercy, stage one, apparently you can punch the car so that it blocks the alley, permanantly.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on December 24, 2008, 11:44:20 AM
A lot of people complain that the Hunter is useless.  While it's true that the Hunter isn't capable of much on his own, he is a really intended as a distraction and a deterrent.  The mere existence of the Hunter is enough to keep people from going off on their own.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Catloaf on December 24, 2008, 12:20:28 PM
Versus is the best mode.  But it was even better when you could have have the difficulty setting on EXTREME!!! so no one ever got to the safe points and you could easily see the difference in success in how far each team got before they died horribly.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: yyler on December 24, 2008, 01:11:32 PM
I like versus a lot, but as far as I can tell the best strategy for the survivors is RUN REALLY FAST THROUGH EVERYTHING and unfortunately I am never on a team where everyone knows that. Against good Infected, you just can't sit around and wait for them to attack you. You have to sprint.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on December 24, 2008, 01:37:15 PM
I disagree.  Every team I've ever seen that has tried to run through the level has gotten their shit kicked in when they round a corner, get boomed on, hunters pop out, smoker isolates one, etc.

As long as everybody stays close the whole time, the specials are no threat at all.  People should be patient.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Catloaf on December 24, 2008, 01:52:04 PM
I like versus a lot, but as far as I can tell the best strategy for the survivors is RUN REALLY FAST THROUGH EVERYTHING and unfortunately I am never on a team where everyone knows that. Against good Infected, you just can't sit around and wait for them to attack you. You have to sprint.

Yep, Run like hell and stick together.  If one person is a slow idiot, either they're or you're fucked and suddenly I'm forced todouble back, pick you up, and get killed while you alone barely make it solely because you hoarded all the goddamn healing items and never helped the team you GODDAMN USELESS FUCKWAD!

...

The problem with being slow and deliberate in my experience, it that the special zombies realize that you're doing this and all ambush you at once at a strategic point--wiping you all out in one fell swoop.  This is even more hilarious/frustrating when a Tank is involved
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Norondor on December 24, 2008, 03:17:06 PM
I just plain hate versus. If you ever see me playing versus it's Meadowtron.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on December 24, 2008, 07:07:40 PM
There's a reason there are two hunter slots and only a single slot for Smoker/Boomer. But double pouncing two players with double hunters is fantastic fun.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Saturn on December 24, 2008, 08:06:50 PM
it doesn't help that the smoker is fucking useless right now.
also MELEE SPAM :MENDOZAAAAA: :MENDOZAAAAA: :MENDOZAAAAA: :MENDOZAAAAA: :MENDOZAAAAA: :MENDOZAAAAA: :MENDOZAAAAA: :MENDOZAAAAA: :MENDOZAAAAA: :MENDOZAAAAA:

I loved expert versus, the survivors would almost never make it so the game became some sort of zombie football thing.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: James Edward Smith on December 24, 2008, 08:27:57 PM
I love versus, but when you get the tank, and they just hide under the stairs from him, totally invulnerable, well fuck that, and them.

I dunno why Bal and Seig got so pissed about that.

Bal, the thing about hiding under the stairs is that to do it, you have to hide under the stairs and the thing about hiding under the stairs is that you are under the stairs and not getting any closer to the safe room.

Yeah, the tank can't get you (which I'm not actually sure of because I think you can still throw rocks down there that will hit) but so what, you can still just stand at the top of the stairs with the survivors in sight, not losing any tank control since you can still see the survivors and not losing any health since they can't shoot you through the stairs.

If I'm wrong and they can shoot up through the stairs and hit you, then you can be damned sure that tank rocks will go clean through the same holes since they have a tendancy to not really clip on anything but straight up walls. You just have to be patient and smart enough to not run into the opposing team's out-stretched fist.

Of course all of this doesn't even mention the very valid point that Kazz brought up that both teams play the same level with the same tank spawn points, so both teams can do the same thing thus really removing any unfair aspect from the equation.

Malvado put it well when he told me, "It's really no different than finding a really good spot for a turret in TF2. It doesn't single handedly win you the game unless the other team is too impatient to think about how to logically counter it. It's like when TF2 first came out, people just ran around like idiots but after some time had gone by, people refined their playing styles."

I can't say I've yet to defeat it, but I think even the closet scam is counterable if you can just get coordinated with your fellow infected the same way you have to when you're the ones with the guns. There's enough waves of hordes that you can get a boomer, smoker, and two hunters up at the same time and really try to blind and separate the bastards in a consolidated manner that might get the job done if you can pull it off.

But then as mentioned before, they gotta come out of the closet some time. Even George Takei did finally and he was really in there. :imagination:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Saturn on December 24, 2008, 09:03:03 PM


Of course all of this doesn't even mention the very valid point that Kazz brought up that both teams play the same level with the same tank spawn points,

:wrong:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Catloaf on December 24, 2008, 09:10:23 PM


Of course all of this doesn't even mention the very valid point that Kazz brought up that both teams play the same level with the same tank spawn points,

:wrong:
:wrong: (http://i630.photobucket.com/albums/uu23/Bon_Bon_2009/scruffy-1.jpg)

I've played times where the other team got a Tank each round and my team got it once, in the middle of fucking nowhere, while all of their tanks spawned right on top of us.  They also got the better weapons when we didn't.  And more healing items.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: yyler on December 24, 2008, 11:39:44 PM
I disagree.  Every team I've ever seen that has tried to run through the level has gotten their shit kicked in when they round a corner, get boomed on, hunters pop out, smoker isolates one, etc.

As long as everybody stays close the whole time, the specials are no threat at all.  People should be patient.
This may be true, but like Catloaf says, if you wait around you are just giving the Infected more chances to attack. Even on Expert this isn't a big deal, but against a real person this is a monstrous advantage, pun intended. This is why at the end of No Mercy you just double use the radio and hope for the best. Expert mode is nothing compared to a smart player who can lead a team of Infected well.

If, you know, the general playerbase was intelligent, I'd probably enjoy this game. As it stands, I really hate it, so if you ever see norondor playing it isn't me or him.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: James Edward Smith on December 24, 2008, 11:42:41 PM


Of course all of this doesn't even mention the very valid point that Kazz brought up that both teams play the same level with the same tank spawn points,

:wrong:
:wrong: (http://i630.photobucket.com/albums/uu23/Bon_Bon_2009/scruffy-1.jpg)

I've played times where the other team got a Tank each round and my team got it once, in the middle of fucking nowhere, while all of their tanks spawned right on top of us.  They also got the better weapons when we didn't.  And more healing items.

Oh, guess that's all dynamic then.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on December 25, 2008, 12:54:35 AM
Man, all you guys are big whiners.

I can't believe anybody would actually legitimately bitch about "melee spam."

Also I didn't say that the tanks spawn in the same spot.  I don't think I even mentioned tanks.

It upsets me that so many of my friends here hate playing with or against other people.  gb2peggle.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on December 25, 2008, 12:56:14 AM
Oh yeah, and 2 hunters at a time is not a hard and fast rule. (http://kazz.rooms.cwal.net/l4d_3hunters.jpg)

That's the second time I've seen that.

By the way, the guy who isn't tackled actually saved us and we made it to the finale (when everybody ran in different directions from the first tank and we wiped.  And I was laughing my ass off because I don't take games super serial.)
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on December 25, 2008, 01:58:25 AM
It's not about taking it seriously. At the point where the survivors become invulnerable due to some obviously unintended trick of geometry my fun level drops to zero instantly, and I no longer want to play, therefore I don't.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Norondor on December 25, 2008, 02:08:07 AM
I don't hate vs. multiplayer. I love TF2. I LOVE TF2. I was playing some just a minute ago! You know why TF2 is better than L4D?

-you can pick your class, rather than being automatically assigned to the scout every time and then, once an hour, the heavy

-the team sizes are big enough to support one or even two people who have no idea what they are doing, allowing you to have fun without having people stack teams
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Saturn on December 25, 2008, 02:12:17 AM
when it gets to the point that the reaction to any zombie horde is "RUN INTO CLOSET, MASH Q+MOUSE 2. (this is what i mean by melee spam, the abuse of a bug to melee FAR FASTER THAN INTENDED, and remember that when a zombie-player gets meleed he loses control for a few seconds and cant see shit)
shit gets stupid.


smoker at the moment is TF2 spy minus the cloak/backstab/gun plus a giant fartcloud that does nothing (giving the fartcloud a DOT could actually fix the fucking closet problem)

Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on December 25, 2008, 02:19:58 AM
It's not about taking it seriously. At the point where the survivors become invulnerable due to some obviously unintended trick of geometry my fun level drops to zero instantly, and I no longer want to play, therefore I don't.

because you never, ever switch to survivors and can never, ever use that yourself.

these glitches are self-balancing until Valve fixes the actual problem.

but i can't save your fun level, i suppose.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: yyler on December 25, 2008, 02:36:10 AM
I can't really speak for Bal, but taking advantage of something stupid like that to win isn't very fun, whether it's a simple exploit or one that does take skill to do. These glitches aren't self balancing.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on December 25, 2008, 02:45:35 AM
It's not like the entire level is an enormous geometry exploit and the survivors can never leave.

And besides, the tank isn't going to die if he doesn't attack the survivors.  Control will switch between the infected players, but unless they actually want to sit under the stairs FOREVER until the entire other team leaves, they can't win that way.

But I'm done arguing here because you all hate versus anyway.  Personally I think it's a brilliant piece of design and it may be imperfect in spots but on the whole it's the most fun I've ever had.

Of course, I'm speaking as someone who was addicted to the Garry's Mod and CounterStrike zombie mod servers, as well as the Zombie Master mod.  It's kind of my thing, I guess.  Ranking just below 1 on 1 sniper duels.

(a brief reminder that Pod is going to be the best game ever)
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: yyler on December 25, 2008, 03:14:07 AM
When the stupid stuff is fixed I probably won't hate the game anymore.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on December 25, 2008, 11:07:04 AM
Oh yeah, and 2 hunters at a time is not a hard and fast rule. (http://kazz.rooms.cwal.net/l4d_3hunters.jpg)

That's the second time I've seen that.

By the way, the guy who isn't tackled actually saved us and we made it to the finale (when everybody ran in different directions from the first tank and we wiped.  And I was laughing my ass off because I don't take games super serial.)

Interesting.  :wat:

I love versus, because the waiting game is in the zombies favor. Wait under the stairs, wait in the closet. The moment you leave, hell is upon you.  :fukit:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on December 25, 2008, 12:09:31 PM
The infected aren't supposed to be the equal of the survivors.  Not even close.  You're just controlling the various tests of their teamwork.  Every survivor team should pass.  If they don't, it's their fault, not really the fault of the infected.  The infected team will always do the same things, more or less.  Survivors should always make it if they have any idea what they're doing.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on December 25, 2008, 12:36:47 PM
It may be self-balancing to a degree, although the random nature of the spawns makes it somewhat less so, hiding in a closet, or under the stairs, is not my idea of fun. I do like versus mode, a lot actually, which is why these exploits irritate me so much.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on December 25, 2008, 12:52:21 PM
You know, these closets and stuff, they're totally gay. Legitimate at the moment, I have to admit, but gay. First time a guy told me to hide under the stairs in the boathouse, I was all "what, how can this even work", and then I was all "what the fuck, it worked, that's so gay". That wasn't even in versus.

I've kind of come to accept it, mostly because you'd be hard pressed to find people who won't do it. But I want to be forced to move as the frontline shifts, I want to prevent zombies from climbing on my rooftop from five different directions, I want to use pipe bombs because I have to, I want to run out into a mob to melee a dude who just got tongued then pounced, and I want to get nervous because the only molotov we have left is on the bottom floor. But I can't have any of that, because everyone else is being all gay in the freaking closet and if I don't obey the homosexual agenda I'll be taken out like a chump in five seconds.

So yeah. It works. But it's gay.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Saturn on December 25, 2008, 12:56:09 PM
the survivor strategy is "SIT IN CLOSET FLAILING AWAY UNTIL SOMEONE ON ZOMBIETEAM GETS FED UP AND RAGEQUITS"
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on December 25, 2008, 03:28:37 PM
Quote
smoker at the moment is TF2 spy minus the cloak/backstab/gun plus a giant fartcloud that does nothing (giving the fartcloud a DOT could actually fix the fucking closet problem)

Spies are intended to work alone but can capitalize on excellent team work.

Smokers should never work alone. Even if you're just counting circumstance as your partner.

Idly wondering why these closets can't be defeated by one good boomer. I'm thinking of the No Mercy hospital elevator. Can't he just spawn to the side, hug the corner and be on top of the survivors? Go ahead, shoot him.

"But they melee."

So sneak in during a horde rush. I double dare four auto-shotguns to not kill a guy who detonates to two pistol shots.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on December 25, 2008, 03:35:12 PM
Nobody has recounted it yet so I will!

Me Bal Sieg and Wiseman embarked upon truly epic Advanced Campaigns last night.

Highlight Reel:

-In No Mercy, a Tank spawned near the gas station/lift and was behind a Police Car. As we all worked at zombies and got ready to fall back, he punted the car... and just watched it go. Seriously, he idled.

As the thing gracefully spun twice in the air, crushed two of us on impact, slid along the wall and landed on the other two. A perfect strike.

-In a later level, I believe from Safe Room to Alley to Pizza Parlor(Or the same level?!), a tank spawned and chased us back out the Pizza Parlor into the alley.

He punted a dumpster down the alley and Incapacitated three of us. This left Bal to be thoroughly thrashed, alone.

-The finale of No Mercy. By this point(my second day of owning the game), I am seriously growing to dread No Mercy's Finale. This was the third time I was Smokered off the Roof into a horde, freed of the Smoker, pinned by a Hunter and finished off.

But to up the ante, everybody pulled through on three men, survived both tanks and the entire finale.. until the copter landed.

They rushed.

The first thing to happen was a hunter grabbing Wiseman. He was pulled under and there were so many zombies that Bal couldn't auto-shotgun the Hunter at all, and he was in bad shape as is. Limpin'!

Sieg is following and trying to help, but there's just TOO MANY GOD DAMN! Bal and Sieg head up the ramp, Bal limping away with all his gritty Bill resolve.. when he's smokered to a lower level. He's ten feet from the copter and he's smokered. Tragically, he could've saved himself but he was locked in the auto-shotty's insanely long reload check.

Sieg was the only survivor. In Memory of Wiseman, doomykins and Bal.

-We headed off to Dead Air and at that finale, guess what happened. A tank!

He threw a stone at the minigun, knocking me away.

He punted a trailer, which flew OVER the minigun and KO'd Bal as he tried to hop off the fuel truck.

He threw a second stone at the minigun, KOing me!

And then he just beat everybody to death...

Christ. Over the course of two tries as I held the minigun, I got hunter'd at least five times. Those fuckers really had the mini locked down.

I love this game so much.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on December 25, 2008, 05:45:37 PM
So I protected Geo and Doom from a tank. Last stretch on a bridge towards a safe house. Geo and Doom both have critical HP with Bal and I running ahead. I turn around, chuck my gas can onto the bridge, place a bullet in it, and set the entire width of the bridge on fire so Geo+Doom can't go on with us.

TRAITOROUS!?  :lol:

Nay! For a tank came ambling off towards us, allowing Bal and I to safely deal with it while the fires burned.

 :perfect:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on December 25, 2008, 06:45:12 PM
Doom: Of course the Boomer can vomit or explode on the Survivors while they're in the closet, but it doesn't matter, because they're in the closet.  During the event, the zombies are already rushing through the door trying to get to them, and the survivors are all firing in the same direction, wasting absolutely everything.  Nothing can get close.  There's no angle for the smoker to drag anyone out, either.  The only way that I can think of that the closet could be defeated, and this is purely theoretical, is if the Hunter managed to tackle someone while they were reloading or otherwise distracted, and since everybody's so close together the entire party gets Hunter-staggered (there is a brief stun on nearby Survivors when one gets Huntered), during which a second Hunter tackles someone else, and then a Smoker drags a third person out and the Boomer blows chunks on everybody just for good measure.  This is purely theoretical and requires tremendous teamwork and timing, but it's a worth a shot.  Otherwise, just wait for them to leave the closet and go up to the really, really vulnerable bit of the map after the elevator.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Saturn on December 25, 2008, 06:55:36 PM
protip: players toungue'd/Hunter'd TAKE NO friendly fire damage

also, FF doesn't occur if the projectile has gone through a wall.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Misha on December 25, 2008, 07:47:10 PM
I foolishly got l4d for the xbox so I haven't played any versus but can't the zombies just seige until they players run out of ammo?
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on December 25, 2008, 07:53:43 PM
It would take a truly fantastic string of Boomers to even remotely endanger ammo capabilities in any single situation.

That being said, flooding a closet to try and drain them for the long run is valid.

Though with random item distribution, they could always just step out of the elevator and onto an ammo dump.

The Infected have to consider the long term. In general, damage done is as good as scoring points.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: James Edward Smith on December 25, 2008, 07:55:43 PM
Dual pistols never run out of ammo and are just as effective as any other weapon while in the closet.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bongo Bill on December 26, 2008, 12:48:44 AM
Any time I play Advanced, I find we keep getting wiped out and I call for a vote to reduce the difficulty to Normal, but nobody else goes with it, but then we get wiped out five more times, and then I call another vote, and everybody goes for it.

When you play with Bongo Bill, you play with a person who is not good at games. I know what difficulty level is best for a group that suffers under this handicap.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on December 26, 2008, 07:42:48 AM
I've never wiped out more than twice on Advanced, I don't think.  Rule Number One is that you should be close enough to caress everybody else's ass at all times.  (Rule Number Two is to do so.)
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on December 26, 2008, 09:29:11 AM
Aw, jesus, I thought they were doing it just because I was Zoey.  :ohshi~:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Rico on December 26, 2008, 10:12:39 AM
LFD bought on sale, will probably bother to install it from Steam tonight.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: stump sock on December 27, 2008, 11:11:12 AM
Here's what I don't get.  Why do the infected box the survivors into the Mercy elevator with the generator?  It just makes the closet even harder to defeat.  Also, how do you get out of there?  The only way I've seen so far is to throw a pipe bomb at the generator.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Defenestration on December 27, 2008, 02:39:42 PM
For the record, I was letting a friend borrow my Steam account to try and convince him to get Left 4 Dead while I was getting to 80 in WoW. My account has been re-commandeered, and I will be open to a game any time!
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: James Edward Smith on December 27, 2008, 06:05:16 PM
Whelp, I just got AKIMBO ASSASSIN and STAND TALL on the same runthrough of Death Toll on advanced. So yeah, advanced is not that hard. We even had this really crap guy playing Louis but he gave me a lot of opportunities to farm the heal a teamate achievement which I completed in that same run as well.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Norondor on December 27, 2008, 07:43:50 PM
Canadian is debit to team
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on December 27, 2008, 07:54:30 PM
I'll take somebody who can aim and time pistol reloads over a dude who doesn't know how to crouch and insists on hanging out with me when I've got the auto-shotty. Was a great Death Toll advanced otherwise(not the same as Geo's.)
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: James Edward Smith on December 27, 2008, 10:07:35 PM
Yeah, I don't get Noro's comment. I'm a debit to team because I rock out with dual elites and never got knocked down while healing people a lot?

:shrug:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on December 28, 2008, 07:20:33 AM
Played Death Toll Advance with full Amazing Friends/LB.

Never incap'd until the finale.

When I'm Boomer'd/Hunter'd.

At the docks.

As the boat pulls up.

For my only incapacitate.

That nobody can save me from.

S.. so close to "Standing Tall"    :MENDOZAAAAA:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on December 28, 2008, 08:00:40 AM
I think it was  :perfect: when I threw the molly to help stop the horde, and you got engulfed in it as well while incapacitated.

 :glee:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on December 28, 2008, 10:05:47 PM
So a tale of woe and crying.

Advanced on Blood Harvest, we're one guy down. Doomy and I are watching the military APC roll up and another guy is on the bottom level, watching it roll up.

We jump down as the APC pulls up and starts to lower its door to allow us to come on. When the door is almost touching the ground, I jump, thinking I'll get it.

Nay.  ::(:

I shoot off skyward to the right and land about 50 feet from the APC.  (http://i630.photobucket.com/albums/uu23/Bon_Bon_2009/scruffy-1.jpg)

The distant howls of zombies are no longer so distant.  :ohshi~:

At 15 health, I don't stand much chance. OR DO I!?  :lol:

While this is going on, the useless 3rd wheel dies to zombies, and Doom jumps into the APC.

And I die.  :whoops:

Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on December 28, 2008, 10:06:59 PM
Actually the useless third wheel was beaten to death by the tank! Me and ThoughtBandit pretty clearly got into the truck, but he was hunter'd OUT of it and the game waited for you both to incap before letting me roll out with plenty of leg room...


 :perfect:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on December 28, 2008, 10:08:13 PM
I can't hear you over the sound of zombie noming.  :THATWAY:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on December 29, 2008, 08:20:11 PM
ZOMBIE COLLABORATOR STRIKES AGAIN!!!
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on December 30, 2008, 06:16:07 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93IOL_pYkp4&feature=channel_page (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93IOL_pYkp4&feature=channel_page)

 :happy:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Saturn on December 31, 2008, 02:15:40 AM
 Valve forgets about Microsoft's incredibly slow Cert process for 360 games, plans on SIMULTANEOUS UPDATES  (http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/56541) :humpf: :humpf: :humpf: :humpf: :humpf: :humpf: :humpf: :humpf: :humpf: :humpf: :humpf: :humpf: :humpf:

so we'll see a fucking fix to meleespam in approximately 2020
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on December 31, 2008, 04:21:44 AM
More likely to release for PC early than to delay. They know where their real market is
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: PhilosopherDirtbike on December 31, 2008, 04:56:43 PM
So, I  want to pick up this game and play, and I can find the system requirements easily enough, but I would like to know how well it really works in practice from those who have played the demo and what have you here? I ask because my computer meets and in some cases exceeds the requirements for TF2 but the game still runs like crud for the better part of the time, loading slow, and going choppy if things get too hectic so is it like that? Is it worse? I'd hate to drop fifty dollars on this game if I am just gonna have to shelf it until I can scrounge up the money to upgrade my PC.

As it stands, I do meet minimum requirements, for the most part.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on December 31, 2008, 08:06:36 PM
What's your RAM at broseph?

My TF2 performance became pretty "high-end" just bumping up to 2GB from 1. I run L4D just fine and it doesn't even give me the usual Motherboard sound issues. Skipping occurs but no crashes at all.. from that particular issue. But hey, Steam engine.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: PhilosopherDirtbike on December 31, 2008, 08:34:48 PM
I meet the minimum requirements of 512 ( :facepalm: ). It was great about six years ago when I bought the computer but it looks like this is a good time to save up for an upgrade, eh? At least my card is good for it.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on January 01, 2009, 01:57:09 AM
I meet the minimum requirements of 512 ( :facepalm: ). It was great about six years ago when I bought the computer but it looks like this is a good time to save up for an upgrade, eh? At least my card is good for it.

512 is not good times for you.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Royal☭ on January 01, 2009, 03:39:18 PM
These days 2gigs of RAM is less than a meal at Chili's, so it's the easiest way to increase performance in games.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on January 04, 2009, 03:22:17 PM
Easy Mode Single Player run of No Mercy for pain-in-the-ass or detriment-to-team achievements.

Got Safety First(AI never hits you or each other!) and Stand Tall(unintentional, unmanly.)

... Used dual pistols the entire time and then used the fucking minigun on the finale.  :facepalm:

Also a witch. On top of the ladder.  ::(:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Catloaf on January 04, 2009, 04:45:44 PM
Yeah, I've tried to get "Sneak past all witches" on easy mode before, but EVERY FUCKING TIME they spawn in places where they are in all practical senses, unavoidable.  Like right behind the door when you exit the subway.  Or, next to the safe room.

That, or the AI startles them.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on January 04, 2009, 04:53:27 PM
I had a witch in the power-generator/raising door room that the AI avoided, but they couldn't handle following my sprint up the ladders. Le Sigh.

I also would've dug "Don't heal yourself", but the AI let a smoker + 3 zombies beat me from 100 to 31 health(ON EASY!) and then forced me to accept their heal.

... We could always buddy up and do it together as friends. If you guys can stomach an easy rush.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on January 04, 2009, 05:02:56 PM
I could stomach it.  :sadpanda:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on January 04, 2009, 05:08:07 PM
Haha, I might do it, just once. I don't think I've ever made an Easy run. Considering how easy Normal is, it must be hilarious.

Got Safety First(AI never hits you or each other!)

I think the AI can hit you, it just can't actually hurt you. I'm pretty sure it shoots me in the back all the time, because my view gets knocked around a bit for no reason every once in a while during firefights.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on January 04, 2009, 05:08:44 PM
One Pistol Shot = One Dead Zambie.

Hordes are a bit of a joke. I don't think the tank can take more than 8 shotgun shells.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Catloaf on January 04, 2009, 05:10:13 PM
I can too.  For some reason, it stays playable for me.... I think it's the extra Tanks.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on January 04, 2009, 05:53:55 PM
Quote
I think the AI can hit you, it just can't actually hurt you. I'm pretty sure it shoots me in the back all the time, because my view gets knocked around a bit for no reason every once in a while during firefights.

I was trying to get Akimbo Assassin, and my goons had Shotgun/Rifle/Sniper so I made a point to never fire if I could see them and to just spam melee. While crouching. I played like it was my first time. The shotgun guy seemed capable of peeling individual zombies off my ass without scuffing my outfit.

... We also didn't get the Boomer achievement despite never being hit by bile. Boooo.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on January 04, 2009, 08:12:39 PM
Pugging VS Mode is terrible!

We get a tank, he incaps somebody... and then tries to beat them to death!

What's he got to say? "It just sorta happened!" You accidentally broke your left hand and had no choice but to keep clicking with your right??????????????????????

I can forgive the new, but this shit from dudes barking commands and demanding justification every time my boomer spawn looks like it may be even remotely behind the survivors...

Also not only do I want to farm achievements but I want to start beating Expert mode campaigns.  :nyoro~n:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on January 06, 2009, 07:41:08 AM
I'm now kicking anyone who does the Kenshiro melee spam.  :fukit:

Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on January 06, 2009, 11:48:51 AM
Expert No Mercy down with Bal/Norondor/Doom/Wiseman team.

Wiseman only man to receive achievement credit because server is load of shit.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: MadMAxJr on January 07, 2009, 08:27:40 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMqPG4S80bo&eurl=http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/01/02/macho-man-randy-savage-mod-for-left-4-dead/&feature=player_embedded

Macho madness mod.  (You need sound for this.)
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on January 07, 2009, 09:43:27 AM
Horrifying.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: PhilosopherDirtbike on January 07, 2009, 11:32:53 PM
Wow, I am really going to have to remember to pick up that mod when I do play this. That is just spectacular. Shame you probably can't alter the zombie models that easily.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on January 12, 2009, 08:21:06 PM
Valve forgets about Microsoft's incredibly slow Cert process for 360 games, plans on SIMULTANEOUS UPDATES  (http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/56541)

so we'll see a fucking fix to meleespam in approximately 2020

Quote from: http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=784064
The PC and 360 will be patched independently not sure where people picked up that exploit/bug fixing was tied together. Only the DLC will be simultaneous. The problem on the PC side was a few large bugs affected other systems that we were going to rewrite on the pc so we ended up waiting to fix a whole class of bugs instead of just individual bugs. The patch should be out this week.

 :perfect:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on January 12, 2009, 08:21:44 PM
yay, people will play versus again
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Saturn on January 12, 2009, 08:49:30 PM
too bad it will probably fix the THROW OXYGEN TANK AT SOMEONE IN ELEVATOR, WATCH THEM FALL THROUGH FLOOR bug
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on January 14, 2009, 10:47:20 AM
too bad it will probably fix the THROW OXYGEN TANK AT SOMEONE IN ELEVATOR, WATCH THEM FALL THROUGH FLOOR bug

Damnit, I thought me and one other person knew about that bug. Damn damn damn.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Saturn on January 14, 2009, 07:45:42 PM
 SMOKER NO LONGER USELESS SACK OF MEAT  (http://store.steampowered.com/news/2162/)
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on January 15, 2009, 11:12:36 AM
So I downloaded the patch and updated and every time I enter first person view(enter a match or campaign) my L4D immediately closes!

Have tried all the common sense crap. Time to browse the Valve forums...
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on January 15, 2009, 11:18:32 AM
Apparently this is a huge widespread problem so I guess I just won't play L4D for an undetermined amount of Valve Time.  ::(:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on January 15, 2009, 11:22:56 AM
Quote
Based on the minidumps we've received through steam, we've identified a crash that is affecting some systems with ATI video cards. We're testing a fix now. This is probably the crash affecting most users in this thread (previous generation ATI card experiencing a crash right when the game starts). Assuming the testing is successful we'll have an update out shortly to address the crash.

yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: MadMAxJr on January 15, 2009, 11:43:57 AM
I swear, sometimes Valve acts like they genuinely care about their customers...  Maybe this will catch on!
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on January 15, 2009, 11:46:33 AM
Comcast could take some lessons.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Burrito Al Pastor on January 23, 2009, 10:33:25 PM
I would like to play this game with three other likeminded people!
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on January 23, 2009, 10:34:21 PM
I want to get back to beating shit on Expert.

Maybe the terrible public servers chosen by the terrible lobby system won't crash and I can actually get achievement credit too. It is a wonder to dream! :cake:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on January 23, 2009, 10:58:17 PM
I want to get back to beating shit on Expert.

Maybe the terrible public servers chosen by the terrible lobby system won't crash and I can actually get achievement credit too. It is a wonder to dream! :cake:

Sorry, boss, busy stompin'
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on January 24, 2009, 07:56:44 PM
Doom, my brother + Veldt arn't terrible players. We can do Expert with them when Bal/Nor arn't around!
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Arc on February 02, 2009, 08:39:32 PM
(http://i358.photobucket.com/albums/oo22/driftycity/boomervalentine.jpg)

moar (http://forums.penny-arcade.com/showthread.php?t=80038)
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on February 02, 2009, 11:05:09 PM
All brilliant, though notably lacking an "I don't hate YOU <3" from Francis.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on February 03, 2009, 04:32:34 PM
next time I play Hunter I am going to scream TICKLE FIGHT
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on March 05, 2009, 09:49:06 AM
Breaking news! Microsoft officially Valve's bitch: Left 4 Dead DLC free for everyone (http://pc.ign.com/articles/959/959549p1.html).

 :perfect:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on March 05, 2009, 10:13:17 AM
Most important line in that terribly-written article:

Quote
Valve will also release the SDK for the PC version

 :victory:

Zombie mods for CS and other games formed this entire genre; it's going to be a fucking blast to get this engine into the hands of those guys.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: MadMAxJr on March 05, 2009, 10:15:31 AM
Come on Fortress 4 Dead.....
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Arc on March 05, 2009, 10:20:46 AM
'Sup.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47c7u8FyFR0
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: yyler on March 05, 2009, 10:29:20 AM
Most important line in that terribly-written article:
No, the best thing is about the new Survival mode:

Quote
We're told it's even possible to get two tanks at the same time, a prospect that seems both ludicrously unfair and hilarious at the same time.

If I used graphic emoticons, I'd be using all the :D D: :D D: :D ones and then GAME OVER about forty times
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on March 05, 2009, 10:35:03 AM
That happens in finales all the time, though.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on March 05, 2009, 10:36:25 AM
Two seconds before you get on a boat. If you wanna break ten minutes, I think you'll have to actually kill both. :HUGE:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: yyler on March 05, 2009, 10:37:24 AM
Yeah but it doesn't happen alongside at least 2 or 3 of every other special infected!

P A R T Y   T I M E
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on March 05, 2009, 10:50:17 AM
ok ok, i give

unlimited creative freedom pales in comparison to two tanks
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: jsnlxndrlv on March 05, 2009, 11:21:26 AM
Now if only Microhard would let 'em put up the TF2 class updates for free.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bongo Bill on March 05, 2009, 04:08:33 PM
I bet two Tanks can play volleyball with any Survivor.

I give it... three days after the release of the SDK until somebody releases one of: Ravenholm, something stolen from a Resident Evil game, a mall.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on March 05, 2009, 04:58:48 PM
There's already a full campaign being worked up based on the Crossroads Mall from Dawn of the Dead. In fact, it won players choice for best upcoming mod of the year on ModDB. I don't really think it earns that much accolade, but people are certainly excited for it.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Koah on March 05, 2009, 05:01:38 PM
I give it... three days after the release of the SDK until somebody releases one of: Ravenholm,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEzwP29FvSc

something stolen from a Resident Evil game,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvYtD-QpgvI

a mall.

There's already a full campaign being worked up based on the Crossroads Mall from Dawn of the Dead. In fact, it won players choice for best upcoming mod of the year on ModDB. I don't really think it earns that much accolade, but people are certainly excited for it.

IN-DEEEEED

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpAhJ0q9SIw
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Saturn on March 05, 2009, 05:02:31 PM
I'm just afraid that people will STILL PLAY NOTHING BUT NO MERCY on versus.

No Mercy is the goddamn DE_DUST of L4D.



But what i really want to see is a RETURN OF THE DEAD based campaign.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Niku on March 05, 2009, 05:32:41 PM
yeah yeah, we all love quigley's tits.

I want to see a combination of The Ship and Left 4 Dead.  All the fiddly little Simsy bits that keep you moving around and finding food and whatnot, while say, trapped in a mall against unending hordes.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Burrito Al Pastor on March 05, 2009, 07:14:14 PM
I'm very excited about the SDK, becuase there are two things that I need:

1) World War Z maps. Battle of Yonkers, anybody?

2) Space Hulk mod. Four Terminators, unlimited genestealers, and occasionally a zoanthrope or even a carnifex.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Alex on March 05, 2009, 07:22:51 PM
After my experience with Versus in Blood Harvest, I can definitely see why No Mercy is preferred over it.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Spikey on March 11, 2009, 06:26:40 PM
New patch is out.
Quote
[-]March 11, 2009 - Left 4 Dead Update Released

Updates to Left 4 Dead have been released. The updates will be applied automatically when your Steam client is restarted. The specific changes include:

Versus Mode Changes


Tank melee attack can now hit multiple Survivors in one swing

Fixed Tank punch being able to hit targets behind walls

Fixes to 'Tank parking'. The Tank will now run back and attack the Survivors if he becomes AI due to two players expiring the frustration meter

Fixed a case where a Tank frustration meter could run out right as he was in his death animation and he would come back to life

Fixed a case where the Tank was moving too slowly while crouching and being shot

Tanks now have the possibility of spawning in a slightly different position for the first and second teams

The order that the teams play as Survivors is now determined by which team has the higher overall score. The winning team will play as Survivors first

The Smoker tongue can now target and grab victims through common infected

Increased the cone in which a Smoker can grab a target

The Witch no longer cuts Smoker tongues in a radius around her

Boomers that explode in mid-air will now hit Survivors directly below them with Bile

Reduced the damage that burning Hunters do to pounced victims

Adjusted the time at which players take over from bots to avoid 5 seconds of the bot standing idle while the player finishes connecting.

Fixed some cases where versus score was not being recalculated properly. It is no longer beneficial to pass pills between players at the end of the round or heal other players and then shoot them

Fixed a case where it was possible to spectate an AI infected and hit +use to take them over


Server Changes

Added convar sv_gametype that allows server operators to limit the types of games that will start on their server. Default value is 'coop,versus'. Can be changed to just 'coop' or just 'versus' to limit to those game types


General changes

Fixed a case where players would join as a dead Survivor when a living Survivor was still available

Fixed a case where restarting a level due to the team dying would give more than the max primary ammo on restart

Fixed the speaking icon showing up on the local player during level transition if voice_vox was set to 1

The scoreboard now shows the numeric value of a player's ping


GameUI

Quick match will now try to match to any campaign. Removed the preference to match to games according to the player progressing through all campaigns

Games in a finale are now joinable via the Friends and Steam Group games list


Sounds like good stuff.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on March 30, 2009, 07:11:17 PM
KICKED FROM A VERSUS GAME BECAUSE APPARENTLY I TAKE THE FUN OUT OF IT

BEING GOOD AT A GAME SUCKS SOMETIMES

 :lol:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: MadMAxJr on April 06, 2009, 08:25:06 AM
Awesome L4D fan photography (http://www.flickr.com/photos/36582447@N08/sets/72157615721718519/detail/).
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Royal☭ on April 06, 2009, 03:52:37 PM
Oh god the abuses of HDR.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on April 21, 2009, 03:06:33 PM
Holy fuck Survival mode is fun.  :goodnews:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on April 21, 2009, 03:09:21 PM
OS hard drive just had to fucking die this week. I'll pierce the heavens with my rage. Or just play it on this computer here that's not as good, but perfectly competent.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on April 21, 2009, 07:10:43 PM
OS hard drive just had to fucking die this week. I'll pierce the heavens with my rage. Or just play it on this computer here that's not as good, but perfectly competent.

Which I have now done. Survival mode is motherfucking terrifying and amazing. It's like that feeling in campaign or versus where everything has gone to hell, but all the god damned time. The best we were able to accomplish was a silver medal on the farm house on Blood Harvest.

Still need to try out the new versus versions of Death Toll and Dead Air.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on April 21, 2009, 09:33:22 PM
Best I could manage with my brother + two pubbies was a silver medal on the Street Level on Death Toll.

I need to try the new versus as well.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on April 21, 2009, 09:38:18 PM
Just finished a full round of versus on Dead Air. Much of it is a bit unfair to the infected. Just too open.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Saturn on April 22, 2009, 02:46:18 AM
wasn't versus supposed to be EASIER for the infected?


what ever happened to that?
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on April 22, 2009, 08:37:19 AM
wasn't versus supposed to be EASIER for the infected?


what ever happened to that?

are you retarded?

the infected are not meant to win a versus round.  they're meant to impede the progress of the survivors as well as they can.

a total survivor failure results in a tremendous point penalty.  a good survivor team should always make it, albiet in haggard shape.

i can't imagine how bad the game would be if the infected were supposed to win every round of versus.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Norondor on April 22, 2009, 09:28:29 AM
they, uh. kinda are. depends on skill of both teams as survivor and infected, and all that, but typically it's assumed the survivors will all eat it before making it to the saferoom.

Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on April 22, 2009, 09:30:09 AM
Depends on the Director and skill level of the teams.

But I think it is generally assumed that if the teams are of equal skill and communicating, all the infected can really do is slow down the survivors and make them lose points.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on April 22, 2009, 09:33:10 AM
Nah, I think the infected have a slight edge to winning overall thanks to the presence of human intelligence, but the survivors are presented as absolute juggernauts compared to anything but a tank.

I think that four specials communicating and coordinating is far more effective than even the worst RNG catastrophes of a campaign run. Like, I'd rate Human-controlled special infected as about a half-step over anything from Expert.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on April 22, 2009, 09:44:58 AM
The infected are much better balanced against the survivors than before, it's just the nature of the Dead Air map that the Survivors have the advantage for much of it.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on April 22, 2009, 11:48:39 AM
(http://doom.pyoko.org/BESTWFEVER/BESTWFEVER11.jpg)

DO YOU THINK YOU ARE GOOD AT LEFT 4 DEAD?

Is Expert Mode boring you with it's need to check your targets?! Are you slam-dunking through hard modes so fast that your cock distorts into a caricature of Rocky Balboa?!

(http://doom.pyoko.org/L4DSurvival1.jpg)

SURVIVAL MODE IS FOR YOU!

Survival mode is fantastic! While they added the other two campaigns to Versus Mode, Survival Mode is actually like secretly adding five more maps to the mix!

THAT'S SEVEN MAPS! THAT IS MORE THAN THREE TIMES WHAT YOU EXPECTED GOD DAMN THERE ARE SO MANY MAPS YOUR EYES WILL BULGE

(http://doom.pyoko.org/L4DSurvival2.png)

The only proper recourse in such a situation is to stare at Valve, jaw agape, and utter your pure disbelief!

Valve! You.. you... DOUBLE CATROGRAPHERS!

And that's not all! These maps are fucking hard core! Just when you think being personally mauled by four hunters isn't enough, a trio of smokers picks your party apart as you struggle to reload your guns and to find ammo!

Sometimes the maps are covered in explosives! You'll need them, you coward! The only thing zombies fear more than bullets is combustion, which is why they always come running when they can pinpoint a car!

Me and Wiseman tried Survival Mode out and it made the hair on my chest braid into viking war twists! I shat an anvil when TWO tanks showed up at the 6 minute mark to let us know their utter indignation at anyone taking a Silver medal!

(http://doom.pyoko.org/L4DSurvival4.jpg)(http://doom.pyoko.org/L4DSurvival5.jpg)

Then we tried a new map and we noticed that there were like 30 environmental explosives! So Wiseman and two pubs decide to pile them up in a corner!

AND THEN WISEMAN SAT ON THE PILE WITH HIS DAINTY SNIPER RIFLE!

I LIT THAT SUCKER UP LIKE THE FOURTH OF JULY! EVERYONE'S CLIENT SHUDDERED IN SHEER DISBELIEF AT HOW MANY EXPLOSIVES WERE UNLEASHED! I COULD ONLY SEE A WALL OF ORANGE WHERE MY BEST FRIEND USED TO BE!

(http://doom.pyoko.org/L4DSurvival3.jpg)
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on April 22, 2009, 11:54:30 AM
Tanks in Survival mode are about as hard to kill as tanks in normal mode. Unfortunately there are never less than eight of them.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Norondor on April 22, 2009, 12:46:55 PM
sniper is debit to fuckin' team
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on April 22, 2009, 07:49:06 PM
sniper is credit to fuckin' team in the hospital elevator stage
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on April 22, 2009, 08:59:41 PM
We got a gold medal with three shotguns and an AR on the hospital stage. I just wish this game had readily available replays.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Saturn on April 23, 2009, 12:04:25 AM
sniper is debit to fuckin' team

Fucking sniper rifle is only good if someone can  A: aim and B: FUCKING PRIORITIZE TARGETS

Uzi always sucks though.

i just wish that the shotgun wasn't THE only weapon that gets used in versus.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on April 23, 2009, 04:04:04 AM
I gotta tell you, with 4 autoshotguns in Survival mode, if the tank doesn't get the drop on you, he will last three seconds.  If everybody puts all the fire they can on him immediately, he's 100% done.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on April 23, 2009, 04:55:09 AM
How the hell do you handle the four-to-ten Smokers in a row that show up in the bronze-to-silver stretch?
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on April 23, 2009, 05:13:59 AM
You gotta have Moxie.

Moxie Lite!
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on April 23, 2009, 07:18:47 AM
At that point Doom, you just expect to have one-three people pulled, which makes it more important to have a responsabilabuddy at all times!


 :itsmagic:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on April 23, 2009, 09:11:02 AM
You have to just be super careful about lines of sight, and make smoker killing top priority.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Rico on April 23, 2009, 03:37:23 PM
Also have a second group of survivors around the corner for Time Lapse.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: SCD on April 30, 2009, 09:20:07 PM
Ah,

L4D is free today on steam

interesting..
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Niku on May 01, 2009, 10:43:48 AM
Also $24 this weekend. (http://store.steampowered.com/news/2465/)
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on May 01, 2009, 04:00:45 PM
Everybody's got an individual stats page now! (http://www.l4d.com/blog/post.php?id=2460) Turns out my most used level 1 weapon is the pistol, with 52% of my kills in that level. (My most used level 2 is the hunting rifle, no surprise there.)

It's pretty fascinating how my headshot percentage is higher with the uzi and assault rifle than with the other weapons. I really do consistently aim for center mass; most of my headshots are accidental and caused by these guns' wider spread at long range. Ehhh, still works for me.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Brentai on May 01, 2009, 04:38:38 PM
So I'm trying it.  The very first time I used a molotov I threw it up at a hole in the ceiling to take out whatever the hell was up there.  It earned me some achievement called "101 Cremations".  "Cool," I thought.

Quote
101 Cremations
Set 101 Infected on fire.

:OoO: What the hell was up there?

How the fuck do you deal with those witches?  Apparently you're supposed to Solid Snake your way past them but every time I see one it's in the middle of a 2-man wide hallway with no alternative routes.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bongo Bill on May 01, 2009, 05:42:15 PM
Typically you're supposed to go around, but the Director isn't always good about placing 'em somewhere you can do that. However, a hunting rifle headshot will kill one on the lower difficulty levels without waking it up.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Scarmiglione on May 01, 2009, 05:44:44 PM
You can also kill them with a couple well placed shotgun shells before they turn around if you run up to them.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Norondor on May 01, 2009, 05:50:25 PM
How the fuck do you deal with those witches?

panic

Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Brentai on May 01, 2009, 06:20:25 PM
I managed to bag one with the Witchhunter achievement, but that's because I had my autoshotty right up on its brain and it was going for some other damn fool.  Every other time I tried to take it out cleanly it was like "*BA-You are incapacited!"
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on May 01, 2009, 06:57:26 PM
Conventional "Witch is in our way" protocol is to elect a runner (Must be over 35% health and have assault rifle/hunting rifle) who will startle the witch while your everyone-else(presumably with shotguns and assault rifles) tries to mow her down.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on May 01, 2009, 07:02:24 PM
My Left 4 Dead stats are completely, insanely inaccurate.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Catloaf on May 01, 2009, 07:11:05 PM
As are mine.  They are accurate about the games I've played since they implemented the stats, but horribly inaccurate overall.  In fact, it says Saturn and I have only played 8 games, and have never once survived the finally.

EDIT: wait, no they're inaccurate on everything.  They think I have 100% pistol accuracy.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Saturn on May 01, 2009, 09:13:32 PM
i saw my brother trying to get into a survival match in something other than last stand, which appears to be as hard as getting into a versus match on something other than no mercy.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on May 01, 2009, 09:21:55 PM
11/16 Gold medals. Last Stand is definitely the hardest map, with basically the only option being a series of risky retreats, haven't even managed a Silver there yet, and I've given it a good number of tries.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on May 01, 2009, 09:28:47 PM
No, we've earned 7 minutes there, but for whatever reason the game didn't give us the Silver we deserve.

I'll be home tomorrow.  Hope to make good runs at the last 5.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on May 01, 2009, 09:30:15 PM
Me too. That place in intense as hell, but some of those minute 3 deaths can be pretty dispiriting.

I had forgotten about that medal bug. Very irritating.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Brentai on May 01, 2009, 10:13:15 PM
So... am I playing this game wrong, or is there something wrong with me?

It's not bad.  It's definitely not bad.

But it's... I dunno... lacking in depth?

I mean, you got your zombies, and you got your special zombies, and once you know exactly what to do about each of them, you don't have much of a problem.  It's all about knowing the moves and being ready to do them, and occasionally combine them, and be aware of what the other three guys on your team are doing.

I mean, I was just in a game with three other guys who had played the exact same number of times as me - twice - and we waltzed our way through Dead Air or whatever with hardly any difficulties at all.  The challenge level was only Normal, but still.

I understand that the game is more or less designed to be like that, and that it gets harder as you kick its ass more.  But eeeeeeh.

Going through this thread all the rest of y'all seemed to think it was an instant flavah hit, so I'm inclined to think that if I don't like it already, I may honestly just not like it.  Just another Chrono Trigger I guess.  Dunno.  Have about 10 more hours to decide.  Might not sleep tonight.

Anyway, if you guys have any how-to-have-fun in L4D tips to help bring me around, lemme know please.  I love the idea and want to flip this fucking rock over and find the damn magic that everyone else has found.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Detonator on May 01, 2009, 10:16:53 PM
NORMAL IS SMALL TIME
(http://i512.photobucket.com/albums/t322/DetonatorNova/leon.png)
PLAY ON EXPERT
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: yyler on May 01, 2009, 10:19:12 PM
Kill your friends

Spam the laugh command
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on May 01, 2009, 10:44:15 PM
I think everyone in this thread could solo normal mode for the most part.

Try it on Expert and see what you get.

If you're like me, or Doom, you'll find that fire is a lovely thing to use against zombies. Or zombie sympathizers.  :smile:

Edit: Its also more fun to play with people you know, because its doubly funny to laugh at them the next day when you cleverly incap them.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Arc on May 01, 2009, 10:47:35 PM
So... am I playing this game wrong, or is there something wrong with me?

(http://i630.photobucket.com/albums/uu23/Bon_Bon_2009/scruffy-1.jpg)

Played the campaigns on single player and some co-op upon the original release, and tried out versus with this recent trial.

I was back to KA-BOOMing within twenty minutes.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Brentai on May 01, 2009, 11:11:51 PM
I will admit that it's nice to feel like An Hero reviving your entire team in Versus Mode while waiting for the boat at the end of Dead Toll, or whatever the hell is the one with the boat.

Of course, about 2 minutes later there were so many trash mobs up our asses that it came down to "Is Brentai reloading when the Hunter spawns?  y/n"  (y)
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Detonator on May 01, 2009, 11:43:47 PM
Note: The slogan of the game is not "It's the zombie apocalypse.  Play alone."
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Catloaf on May 01, 2009, 11:56:32 PM
Re:my first evening playing survival mode
I really got sick of being the last one alive, killing a smoker, only to get caught by another smoker right behind the fucker, then jumped by a hunter.  Happened 5 fucking times, once there were 2 fucking tanks there too!

And I now hate HATE HATE last stand!  I want to fucking play blood harvest! but Noooo~ Not one fucker would join me, and if I managed to find a server playing something else; they'd switch to it after at most 2 short rounds.

And you guys wouldn't let me play with you. :sadpanda:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Brentai on May 02, 2009, 12:09:57 AM
Versus Mode

Play alone."

I'm going to assume these posts were not meant to be sequential.

Despite that, I am playing on solo, just to see the maps.  I figured if I picked Easy I could pretty much run through it and occasionally shoot a zombie.  And for the most part I was right.  Untiiiiiiiiiil...

:humpf: Hello, I am yet another Tank.
(http://i630.photobucket.com/albums/uu23/Bon_Bon_2009/scruffy-1.jpg) QUICK, EVERYBODY JUMP INTO THE PATH OF THE FLYING CAR.
:painful: I... okay.  Well it's still easy mode, I can probably solo a tank without even taking a...
:evil: Hey, yeah, I forgot to give you any warning signals that there was a hunter around too.  Except for the fact that he just pinned you.
:painful: ...huh.
:gameover:

I'm not going to stop playing over shit like that (I mean I AM dicking around in Solo) but it's certainly not helping the cause of endearment.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on May 02, 2009, 12:38:18 AM
Campaign:

Normal mode is a tutorial, Advanced is the median, and Expert is the actual zombie apocalypse.

Versus:

Good team means fun, bad team means boring. So a Valve vs action game.

Survival:

This is the "Oh fuck" moments from the game, for ten solid minutes you hope. Normally it is less time than that.

In my experience this game is better the more challenging it is.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Brentai on May 02, 2009, 05:54:30 AM
Yeah, going to have to agree with you guys that Advanced is pretty much Normal difficulty.  Weird curve.

Playing it FO REALS had its moments, but it still feels a lot more like a Source mod than a game on its own.  Something you fuck with until the novelty wears off.  It's almost damn certain that they'll end up stuffing it in with Episode 3 and the Portal prequel later anyway so I'll be happy when that happens.

EDIT: And I just now figured out why Versus mode bothered me so much... it punishes you for playing well.  Because let's all be honest, the real fun of Versus mode is playing the zombies, and the better team will naturally spend much more time as the Survivors (they'll hold out longer as Survivor and end rounds where they're not much more quickly.)  I think in a 2 hour game I spent maybe 5 minutes tops as a Lickitung.

EDIT EDIT: And then there's the flipside to when you DO get to play as monstars for any appreciable period which is YOU ARE LOSING.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Arc on May 02, 2009, 08:36:23 AM
During my solitary Versus match, the initial survivors didn't even move off the roof.

Two minutes as Hunter, 18 minutes as The Man With The Machine Gun.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: James Edward Smith on May 02, 2009, 10:08:17 AM
I don't really like L4D very much. It's a sort of slick package for what it is, but to be honest, a more polished version of Sven Coop would have been a much better game.

Other than his incessant Chrono Trigger hate*, I have to agree with Brentai. The game doesn't strike me as anything better than a free mod. Yes it has way more polish than one of those would have, but in terms of the actual lasting value of the gameplay and overall concept of the game itself, the game is really gutless. I mean, it's basically about as deep as The Hidden with 2 more modes.

If the campaign mode had some sort of actual progression to it or if the overall game itself just had ANY additional game play mechanics to it other than shoot everything all of the time, I would feel a lot better about my purchase of the game. But as it stands, if I could ask for my money back, I would. The teamwork aspect of the game is cool and very well thought out but it doesn't magically make it an engaging game, it just makes it a game that isn't very good and is even less good if you aren't playing with people that you know over ventrilo.

L4D LOOKS really great in terms of its lighting and character animations but it really needed to have more gameplay aspects to it like more clever foraging for supplies aspects or barricading of buildings and construction of barriers, just something to spice it up. Bill, Zoey, Louis, Frankie, Hoodie, Smokey, Fatty, Hulky, Bitchy, I love you all, but your game gets very repetitive very quickly and it's just not worth 40+ bucks, I'm sorry.

*Brent, would you stop going on about how 10+ years after the fact, you played the apex of 16-bit era JRPGs, a genre that anyone with half a brain now realizes was way shittier than we realized at the time, and acting like because you're unimpressed by it you're too cool for school or something? Yeah, guess what, Street Fighter 2 doesn't impress me one bit either because I didn't play it when it was new and original. OOoooooh! :hurr:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Brentai on May 02, 2009, 03:57:55 PM
*Brent, would you stop going on about how 10+ years after the fact, you played the apex of 16-bit era JRPGs, a genre that anyone with half a brain now realizes was way shittier than we realized at the time, and acting like because you're unimpressed by it you're too cool for school or something? Yeah, guess what, Street Fighter 2 doesn't impress me one bit either because I didn't play it when it was new and original. OOoooooh! :hurr:

...uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.  That's a good point, man, except for the little fact that it's not at all what happened.  I got Chrono Trigger for Christmas that year, after hunting up and fucking down for it in every game store and Blockbuster in Las Vegas, because all my friends (yes, on both sides) wouldn't shut up about it.  Then I played it, found it too fucking easy and boring and didn't like any of the characters but Lucca, and made the mistake of saying so.  Then I caught a bunch of stupid crap for it for years am still catching a bunch of stupid crap for it, apparently.

I only bring it up all the time because it's a game that's unilaterally loved by everyone but me, often to the point of angry misinformed rants about it.

But as it stands, if I could ask for my money back, I would.

Now there's an argument for brick-and-morter game trading that nobody's brought up.  If I had had any common sense at the time I'd've taken the copy of Force Unleashed Wii I got for Christmas this year* to the nearest Best Buy or something and said "This game has gambooya, let me trade it."  If they had just bought me a Steam license, I'd be plain fucked.


* Santa, you are just the cause of all my gaming problems.  Including my gaming problem.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Arc on May 02, 2009, 04:14:53 PM
Then I played it, found it too fucking easy and boring and didn't like any of the characters but Lucca, and made the mistake of saying so. 

(http://i358.photobucket.com/albums/oo22/driftycity/231_FFFfffFff.gif)

I will see you ruined, sir. Ruined.

...

Now spend some of those pyos already so that I may have something to ruin.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Saturn on May 02, 2009, 04:18:53 PM
I kinda hope the SDK release will help the modding community fix some of the problems (of course things like NO ONE USES ANYTHING BUT THE SHOTGUNS, VERSUS PLAGUED BY RAGEQUITTERS and of course PLAYING AS INFECTED IS LIKE HITTING YOUR DICK WITH A HAMMER)would probably have to be fixed by valve
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on May 02, 2009, 04:24:59 PM
I'm actually really happy with where the special infected are right now. They've buffed them quite a bit since release.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Saturn on May 02, 2009, 04:30:26 PM
it just feels so Sisyphean to me, you jump/tongue them, you do about 4 damage, you get grazed by a shotgun pellet and die, AND THEN THEY FIND MORE MEDPACKS.


I miss expert versus.

Expert versus was a blast just because it was so rare for survivors to actually make it, causing the game to be TRY TO GET 6 MORE FEET THAN THE OTHER GUYS.


Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Brentai on May 02, 2009, 04:32:27 PM
That is something I noticed, yeah.  No matter how much you fucked up those guys it seemed like they'd always be green again 30 seconds later.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on May 02, 2009, 07:13:26 PM
I love just about everything about L4D, but after playing like 100 hours of it when it first came out, I didn't see much reason to go back until the new stuff came out.  Now that Versus has been fixed up a bit and had more released for it and that Survival mode is out, I'm back to playing it all the time again.

I can understand why someone wouldn't like it, though.  But I have never, ever played a game below Advanced difficulty, so I don't even know what Normal plays like.  The game has to be dangerous to be exciting.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Saturn on May 02, 2009, 07:19:31 PM
Idea: some sort of skill ranking system so i dont get stuck with team "UZI IS THE BEST WEAPON IN THE GAME" again
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on May 02, 2009, 07:21:56 PM
 :fuckyou:

That'd punish me for punishing those people.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on May 02, 2009, 07:27:53 PM
In the same breath Mr Saturn declares that shotgun spam is for faggots and that uzi use is for failures.

How about a server for weapontards to play on together so they can all go Pistol - > Assault Rifles EVERYTIME?

Like seriously I don't give a flying fuck if we have three dudes with hunting rifles if they can aim.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Brentai on May 02, 2009, 07:59:33 PM
Fuck anyone who takes pistol.  Seriously.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Saturn on May 02, 2009, 08:50:40 PM
it wasn't  uzi use that bugged me, it was people NOT CHANGING TO THE TIER 2 WEAPON.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: James Edward Smith on May 02, 2009, 09:48:08 PM
Uhm, you always have pistols by default and you should use them when the situation does not call for primary weapons in order to conserve ammo. What are you guys talking about? Playing the game badly apparently.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Brentai on May 02, 2009, 09:57:29 PM
No way, melee is way better.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on May 02, 2009, 09:58:06 PM
I'm talkin' about dudes who get really mad whenever people choose weapons that are not perfectly optimized to winning the game. Every game mode = Survival????
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Brentai on May 02, 2009, 10:13:28 PM
Only if you're doing it right, apparently.

What I don't understand about Versus is, how come zombies lose so much?  It would only take the slightest amount of coordination to have the two Hunters and the Smoker attack at once, thereby leaving only one survivor still moving.  And that guy is pretty much toast, even if the Barfer hasn't been doing his job.

I'll grant that I was mostly dicking around instead of trying to win, but I imagine some people take it seriously.  Or... probably not.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on May 02, 2009, 10:22:42 PM
A skilled and coordinated Infected team will do exactly that. I've had rounds where we got a spawn of three hunters and a smoker, and it turned out exactly as well as it possibly could have.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: yyler on May 02, 2009, 10:34:27 PM
Play with your friends in versus, or don't play at all. People are morons. It will not be fun playing with them.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Catloaf on May 05, 2009, 02:57:27 PM
What happens when you play campaign on easy or normal.
(http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q78/Catloaf/4104416.jpg)
(http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q78/Catloaf/4096510.jpg)
And this is why Versus mode isn't as fun as it should be.  I want to be able to control one!
(http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q78/Catloaf/4044512.jpg)
(http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q78/Catloaf/3598210.jpg)
(http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q78/Catloaf/3058424.jpg)
(http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q78/Catloaf/4062590.jpg)
It would also be hilariously frustrating if she showed up in Survival mode.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on May 05, 2009, 05:47:24 PM
One witch would be a good challenge for the nine minute mark, like the double tank at 5:30.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on May 05, 2009, 06:48:04 PM
But where would you put her?  Like, next to the ammo?
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on May 05, 2009, 06:49:19 PM
Just have her automatically activate. She just runs in, probably incapacitates someone, then runs off.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Brentai on May 05, 2009, 08:06:57 PM
If you spawn her in some wide open space where nobody is looking at the moment she'll probably get pinged at some point in the confusion and start coming.  You need to have some time where she's crying because that's the only really intense part of the Witch; once you've already pissed her off she's not much different from a broken zombie.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on May 06, 2009, 12:46:24 AM
This is what one of those well coordinated teams looks like

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo3w2gDsw1Y
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on May 06, 2009, 01:25:30 AM
They made that look so easy.

To be perfectly honest, it really should be, if the team is communicating even half that well.

Unfortunately, most of you guys hate Versus, so...
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Brentai on May 06, 2009, 08:36:27 AM
Well, immediately winning every round does sort of take the challenge out of it.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Crouton on May 06, 2009, 02:32:29 PM
That's what everybody tries to do on the NM finale, and all it takes is 1 Molotov to ruin it.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Catloaf on May 06, 2009, 02:48:31 PM
That's what everybody tries to do on the NM finale, and all it takes is 1 Molotov to ruin it.
How does that work?  That just means the Hunters have to jump further which does more damage to the survivors right off the bat, and holds them in the goddamn fire so they can't be rescued.  And the distance doesn't make up for the fact that there's still the moment right off the ladder where you can't fire your weapons.  And if there's multiple smokers then there really is no effective way to use a Molotov.


PAGE BREAKS!!!! :enraged:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on May 06, 2009, 03:19:53 PM
Crouton is too cool for school and wants us to know it.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Crouton on May 06, 2009, 05:48:18 PM
Well I don't like to brag... wait, yes I do. :perfect:

But seriously, I haven't seen a survivor team fall for that in-game in like forever.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on May 06, 2009, 05:54:29 PM
That trick in particular is very common, but I've seen the same thing performed elsewhere. I just posted it as a ready example of the kind of coordination that had been mentioned earlier.

Getting the three hunter/one smoker combo is fairly rare, and even when it does happen most teams aren't aware enough of their fellows to capitalize on it before one of them dies and comes back as a boomer.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on May 27, 2009, 01:53:23 PM
Was playing versus on the Deathtoll map. It was the 2nd level where you're going through sewers. I become the tank as soon as they exit the door. They go into one of the tunnels and stop at the exit of the tunnel, that looks over the circular cat walk that looks over the lower floor.

I run up behind and with a single punch, incap all four.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFtw7qW7Vcw

God I love this game.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on June 01, 2009, 02:30:07 PM
Best Left 4 Dead 2 preview yet (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/06/01/left-4-dead-2-exclusive-rps-preview/). There's also an audio interview with the lead designer on the same site. I was dubious at first, but this project sounds fucking huge.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: yyler on June 01, 2009, 02:40:32 PM
It sounds FUCKING AMAZING, is what. Really like the thing about going through a maze of cars

D:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Alex on June 01, 2009, 02:51:31 PM
Quote from: News
NO MORE CORNER PHALANXING!  NO MORE CORNER PHALANXING!  NO MORE CORNER PHALANXING!

Sounds like the best improvement to Versus since melee stamina.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Defenestration on June 01, 2009, 03:03:46 PM
I was pleased with that as well. I remain amazed that Valve of all people did so much in such a short amount of time.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Niku on June 01, 2009, 03:36:12 PM
new tank had better be some kind of mutant alligator
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on June 01, 2009, 07:06:51 PM
New zombies in general. Disappointed that new bosses were never patched in.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on June 01, 2009, 07:14:14 PM
There are confirmed to be new Specials. The only one we have details on is the Charger, who is kind of a half mutated tank looking guy with one huge arm and one withered arm who just charges straight into the group. He disorients you, like a boomer going off, and does damage. If he catches you alone he'll grab you with his giant arm and start pounding you into the ground until a teammate saves you. They are also introducing a concept they call "special common" infected, the only one of which we have details on is the hazmat suited infected. They are immune to fire, and take slightly more damage to kill.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on June 01, 2009, 07:16:10 PM
Imagining a scene where you have to go through a gym full of burly man zombies with impressive moustaches.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on June 01, 2009, 07:24:31 PM
There's also a new, more robust damage model. You can blow the arm off a zombie and it will keep coming for awhile. It's still a mortal wound, and it will bleed out, but you can seriously maim them and they'll keep coming for a few seconds longer than you'd think based on L4D. Additionally, the damage modeling is visibly more detailed. Hit someone in the fact with an axe, and their face will tear right off, and they'll start bleeding all down their front. Hit them in the legs and you can chop them right off and they'll start crawling at you, etc. The zombies aren't that much more durable, and a wound like that will kill them still, they just have to bleed out, and have no idea that they are, so they'll keep coming.

It looks really god damn brutal in motion.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Catloaf on June 01, 2009, 08:58:43 PM
I just saw the trailer.  The Charger makes me think of a retarded farm hand with a serious chronic masturbation problem.

Seriously, he's got a lumpy birth-defect type head and overalls with one broken strap.  And a gigantic fucking arm;  The size of the rest of him. 

Looks fucking awesome.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on June 02, 2009, 08:27:14 AM
I'm pretty sure I first heard of the Charger when it was an idea some random dude posted on the steam forums. :pop:

I've half a mind to dig up the actual thread but eh.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on June 02, 2009, 08:39:14 AM
(http://kazz.rooms.cwal.net/charger.jpg) confirmed for L4D2
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on June 02, 2009, 08:49:59 AM
Michael Weston vs Zombies.

 :perfect:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Niku on June 15, 2009, 09:01:22 PM
we should get a roll call of who would actually want to play L4D whenever TF2 is lacking the numbers.  I always forget how fun it can be with friends
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on June 15, 2009, 09:13:12 PM
FUCK YEAR!

I miss Expert runs.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on June 19, 2009, 07:55:45 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSSXDKWo9sY&feature=related
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Brentai on June 19, 2009, 08:10:37 PM
Nice idea, but he's not really recognizable without the pompadour.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on September 30, 2009, 11:12:48 AM
Oh hey, there's a new official campaign (http://www.l4d.com/crashcourse/). Well, mini-campaign; it's two levels, about an hour's worth if you don't suck. Good stuff though. It's really more of the same but the maps do have a different feel to them.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Alex on September 30, 2009, 10:11:18 PM
My experience with Crash Course:

* Alex hears a witch, turns off the flashlight and continues onward.
* Witch is right next to the panic event, in this case, a howitzer.
* Alex fires the howitzer, totally misses the witch, but also startles her!
<Alex> :ohshi~:
* Howitzer blows up the barricade and sends a car flying that crushes the witch.
<Alex> :OoO: ...  :8D: :victory: :hi5:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on October 28, 2009, 06:05:00 PM
So, Left 4 Dead 2. It's... Left 4 Dead 2!

New stuff I've noticed:
-OMG daylight.
-The Charger is a single-dose tank; he's not robust by any means but he's basically a bowling ball.
-The Spitter's not too much of an annoyance, and she's more or less harmless in open spaces. She's clearly there to prevent camping.
-The Jockey's an obnoxious little bastard, effectively kind of a melee-range smoker, though more focused on driving you into trouble than just separating you from your team.
-The Witch walks around now. I don't know if she's harder to neuter than she used to be, I haven't tried to crown her yet.
-The melee weapons are pretty much an instant kill bash that can hurt your friends. Aso they replace your pistol. They come in handy but it's kind of a tough sell. I've only used the frying pan and the machete yet and haven't found much of a difference between them.
-There's an adrenalin shot that goes in the pill slot. It makes you reload and bash faster, maybe run faster too.
-There's a defibrillator that goes in the medpack slot. It's supposed to revive dead teammates but I haven't used it yet. Incidentally, I haven't seen many closets around.
-You can get a canister of boomer bile in your grenade slot. It summons a horde wherever you throw it; it feels like the antlion pheropods in Half-Life. I'm not sure why anyone would pick that over a pipebomb, though maybe it's effective against tanks and witches.
-There's a new magnum pistol but I haven't used it much.
-There's a new basic shotgun. Not sure how different it is from the old one (which is still around, like the other L4D1 guns.) There's also an AK and a new autoshotty.
-Guns have way less ammo now. The starting shotgun only has 50-something reserve shots. They're also placed in less contrived locations, i.e. not just plainly lying around on inexplicable tables. I found myself switching guns more often; the game tends to get you to pick up new weapons rather than give you ammo refills.
-Zombies are more varied and colorful in general.
-SWAT zombies wear bulletproof vests. They're kind of a bitch to kill and they resist melee weapons.
-Pipebomb explosions now shower ragdolls all over the place. :D

All in all I'm looking forward to the full release. It's really more of the same, but with new flavors. And the music is awesome. I don't think I can overemphasize this. It is incredibly flavorful. The original seems almost generic in comparison.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on October 30, 2009, 03:47:04 PM
-Alright, melee weapons are really effective after all. I wouldn't want to be in a game where everyone has one, but they're a viable choice. Plus they're freaking everywhere. It's like you can't walk ten feet in New Orleans without tripping on a frying pan or a guitar.
-The magnum only has eight shots but it's much, much stronger; it almost feels like a miniature hunting rifle. That said, if I'm carrying a shotgun, I'd rather dual-wield the regular pistols instead. It seems harder to find a second pistol though; you're not guaranteed to be dual-wielding by the end of level 2 like in the original.
-The two new assault rifles are both three-round-burst deals. They don't feel like they have as much punch as the old full auto rifle, but they are a lot easier to keep on target when holding down the trigger and don't run out of ammo as fast. The combat rifle is good at a distance but the AK is strictly short-to-mid range.
-Apparently the old hunting rifle is tier 1 now. Its tier 2 equivalent has 30 shots and remains reasonably accurate when moving. To me, it's like they took THE BEST WEAPON IN THE GAAAAME, doubled its magazine and removed its only weakness. It's crazy good, I love it.
-Boomer bile cans are okay after all; the effect lasts quite a long time and are a good distraction if you need to get away from somewhere quickly. That said, they must be used carefully, since they basically put extra zombies in the area and don't kill any of them.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bleck on October 30, 2009, 03:59:53 PM
I've found the Boomer Bile to be most useful against Tanks - the subsequent Horde muddles it's movement, making it an easy target for a while.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on October 30, 2009, 04:04:33 PM
I just realized that after four runs I haven't even seen a tank yet. Hmm.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bleck on October 30, 2009, 05:27:16 PM
Unfortunately, the Tank is now fully aware that four incapped Survivors is better than one dead one.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on October 30, 2009, 07:59:43 PM
Unfortunately, the Tank is now fully aware that four incapped Survivors is better than one dead one.

Played the demo yesterday with my brothers + friend.

Love that the tank doesn't just sit their pounding on someone now. Means I don't have to run up and melee his back and hope I'm fast at back pedaling that he is at turning around.

First impressions of the new infected

Jockey: I guess he's supposed to work in tandem with other infected, much like the smoker. His high pitched laughter really makes me frantic in trying to find him.

Charger: The only zombie that has been truly terrifying. "Oh god, I'll just hop over the table and.. OH GOD HE BUST THROUGH THE TABLE!" He makes me panic every time.

Spitter: I can't wait to play one in Versus, personally. Her initial AoE size really surprised me.

I haven't really played around with the new melee weapons. Saw my brothers decapitating zombies with a guitar though.

New magnum is sexy.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Saturn on October 30, 2009, 10:43:50 PM
i hear the charger is FASTER THAN KENYANS
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on October 31, 2009, 04:36:06 AM
Kenyans = Old and busted
Jamaicans = New hotness
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on October 31, 2009, 06:06:35 AM
So I still had my idea that chargers = not too tough at one time. I was in the grassy park, and I see a charger coming straight at me from way across the biggest open space in the area. I'm all "nice try, fatty", point my MAC-10 at it, and just shoot, fully expecting to put him down before he even got anywhere close to me.

No dice. He was shoving my face in the dirt before I even got to the bottom of my magazine.

In other news, boy are the bots retarded in the "shut down the alarm" event. They keep getting distracted by the infected, like they have no concept of just running for it. I usually just pop some adrenaline and make a dash for the switch alone, which is fucking suicidal but dang I'm not waiting around for these retards to catch up.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on October 31, 2009, 06:10:27 AM
When we were playing three humans and a bot on expert mode, the three humans popped adrenaline and ran for it. The bot stayed behind shooting shit. Naturally, we thought the bot was doomed, but we threw a single boomer bomb to the side to give us more time.

Somehow at the end, the bot was alive with 20 health.  :?:

Guess three of 'em makes them die?
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bleck on October 31, 2009, 09:05:45 AM
I usually just pop some adrenaline and make a dash for the switch alone, which is fucking suicidal

But that's what you're supposed to do! Standing around waiting for the zombies to stop spawning - which they won't until the alarm is off - is a dumb idea.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on October 31, 2009, 11:35:08 AM
No, yeah, I mean... That is what I'm supposed to do, but certainly not alone. Even when I do get to the switch, the time it takes for the retardobots to catch up is enough for any special infected to slip a roofie in my drink and convince me to go back to their apartment with them.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bleck on October 31, 2009, 11:38:35 AM
Left 4 Dead 3 Special Infected: The Raper
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on November 05, 2009, 11:20:22 AM
I've been trying a few user-made campaigns lately. At first I was afraid it'd be like snorting Comet to get a cocaine fix, but so far it's not so bad.

7 Hours Later (http://l4dmaps.com/details.php?file=2003) has a couple of okay spots but it has way too much forested canyon in it and is about half an hour too long. Wouldn't play again.

Cape Murder (http://l4dmaps.com/details.php?file=2221)'s final level looks unique and is a lot of fun; the rest of it's not too shabby either, especially in a couple of small town sequences. It gets marked down for a long and confusing multi-level corridor bit but I would play it again.

Coal'd Blood (http://l4dmaps.com/details.php?file=1547) (gah!) is my favorite so far. It's an underground mining complex in the side of a huge cliff, and it's got a really good atmosphere to it; it's not about tiny cramped caves as much as it is about winding paths in huge rooms and chasms. It makes great use of space and elevation.

Death Stop (http://l4dmaps.com/details.php?file=2906#screenvideo)'s a little generic but it does have a couple of clever surprises, and the truck stop finale is pretty good. (Except for how the bots don't seem too keen on boarding the rescue vehicle, and said vehicle will run you over instead of pushing you.)

I still have a few on my plate. Here's to hoping it'll last me for the next two weeks.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Saturn on November 07, 2009, 12:17:32 AM
played the demo.

Spit does a wee bit too  much damage, Jockey is a class A dickbutt.

and i may have gotten a little too much enjoyment from throwing it on easy and going MACHETE ONLY

made me finally get off the fence and buy it
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: McDohl on November 07, 2009, 01:06:08 AM
You got blood/guts/boomer puke on my knoife, mate.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on November 07, 2009, 10:11:25 AM
The worst thing about the jockey is how you're not completely helpless when he's on you. If you get pounced or tongued, it sucks, but in a way it becomes somebody else's problem; you're removed from the equation entirely. It's almost like a little break. But the jockey? Nope, he puts you in OHSHITOHSHITOHSHIT mode and you need to struggle and help save yourself before you get fucked up more. He's mostly in charge, and you can't win by yourself, but you still gotta make him work for it.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Saturn on November 07, 2009, 07:30:09 PM
the military sniper rifle is a goddamn death cannon.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on November 07, 2009, 07:50:24 PM
The Spitter should be really dangerous.  He's a one-man counter to closeting.

However, his damage IS very high.  Like, really really high.  I think it should accelerate; start with a small but significant amount of health loss, but after a second the damage rate doubles, then a little later it quadruples, and by then you are dead sir.

It might already work this way; if so, it should work this way slightly slower.

Let me reiterate that I love the Spitter and if he stays this dangerous then I won't complain.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Defenestration on November 07, 2009, 08:00:04 PM
The Spitter ... He's ... his
:OoO:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bleck on November 07, 2009, 08:06:12 PM
I've never really been bothered by the Spitter, which I assume is because I understand that if I don't closet in places, I can very easily walk off of the goo.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Saturn on November 07, 2009, 08:37:48 PM
I've never really been bothered by the Spitter, which I assume is because I understand that if I don't closet in places, I can very easily walk off of the goo.

if you are in orange/red hp or otherwise slowed down you are gonna get fucked

a hunter/charger/smoker grabbing you in the goo is a death sentence
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Brentai on November 07, 2009, 10:56:41 PM
Tried the demo out of some sort of obligatory feeling aaaand yeah it's probably pretty great if you liked the original.  The zombies are zombier, the weapons are shootier, the personalities are more personable, the specials are douchier, and the penalties for fucking up are more penalizing.  I still think it's missing whatever spark is needed to make it interesting without three other people you specifically know and a bottle of tequila though.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Norondor on November 07, 2009, 10:59:39 PM
well that's just the way of things.

i saw you playing, maybe i should have barged in and beat you with a frying pan to make the experience complete?
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Alex on November 16, 2009, 11:45:35 PM
I'm finally getting around to trying those custom campaigns Zed posted, starting with 7 Days Later (in lieu of not having money to spend on L4D2).  I don't know if I'm just lucky or I'm being set up with the first witch, but it sure feels like the latter.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on November 17, 2009, 01:24:12 AM
It's totally a trap. A propane tank explosion will stun a witch for a couple of seconds but it's definitely not going to one-shot her.

Right now I'm taking a break from trying to beat L4D2's first campaign's second level on Advanced in single player after like five unsuccessful attempts. Man these bots are dumb. We're at the beginning safe house. There are four medpacks. Two bots pick one. Another picks one, and uses it, so there's one left. I'm nearly at full health and I'm carring a box of explosive rounds (which take the place of a medpack!). Logically the bot who just used a pack should pick up the remaining one, but no, he won't.

The level is legitimately difficult though, so I can't blame it all on the AI. It's indoors, mostly big open areas with lots of clutter, and it's dark. Really dark. It feels much darker than any area in the first game.

In any case I'm probably going to start over on Normal. That, or stay on Advanced but pick up some human comrades, which seems the better idea.

In other news, holy shit the grenade launcher is nuts. The TF2 demoman is launching firecrackers by comparison. It feels like you're throwing propane tanks that detonate on impact. The friendly fire is kind of brutal though; I'm not sure it's going to be much use on Expert.

The chainsaw is crazy fun, it's the equivalent of putting up a wall of death in front of you, but its limited fuel introduces the idea that you might actually run out of offensive options completely. Though that's not so bad since melee weapons seem fairly common so far.

What else, what else... The laser sight is good, basically a straight upgrade item, but I find its best purpose is that it lets you see where everyone is pointing their guns.

The incendiary and explosive ammo don't seem like a huge deal so far, but every bit helps I suppose. Thinking back on it I'd rather take a medpack though.

Entertainingly enough, the first "oh shit!" moment happens seconds into the game. [spoiler]You pick up your medpack, you get your choice of extra pistol or melee weapon, and you get your... err... Uh-oh. Nope, no tier 1 weapons here![/spoiler]
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on November 17, 2009, 02:06:14 AM
I've only played a bit of Scavenge and the commentary run through The Parish (highly recommend the commentary as always), aside from my time spent with the demo. Scavenger mode neatly fits into that competitive niche that was missing from L4D1, that being the quick game. The mode is split into rounds where each team is scored 1 to 1 on how many gas cans they manage to get into the McGuffin as their run on the survivors. The structure can be one round, best of three, or best of five. After the first benchmark is set by the first team to play as survivors the survivors automatically win, and end the round, but beating the score of the other team within the same round. So if you shut out in the other team as infected in round 2, you only have to score one gas can to take the round and move on to the next one, rather than forcing you to play to the death.

The new specials are a blast to play. I think I particularly enjoy the charger. His play style is kind of like a one shot tank. You have this tremendously disruptive charge, and then start pounding on your chosen target, but you can't just man handle the whole team like the tank can. The spitter plays a lot like the smoker, waiting for the right time to drop that pool of acid, which does not fuck around by the way. The jockey is just a bastard. You wouldn't think the little shit  could even get that close to you, and then next thing you know he's dragging you around a corner, right into some waiting friends of his, or into some fucking fire, or some other god awful fate you never saw coming.

Experience so far: Fuck yeah.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on November 17, 2009, 02:41:40 AM
The range on the charger and jockey grabs is kind of nutty. The jockey can be bashed (or slashed) mid-leap à la hunter, but the timing is difficult. Also, the special infected grabs seem to bypass an active chainsaw so it can't be relied on to shield you at all (which is fair I suppose).

Errata: That was level 3 I was stuck on, and emptying the chainsaw leaves you with a basic pistol.

Aaaaand normal is still pretty easy.

Experience so far: Fuck yeah.

 (http://i630.photobucket.com/albums/uu23/Bon_Bon_2009/scruffy-1.jpg)
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on November 17, 2009, 03:23:46 AM
single player

 :wat:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on November 17, 2009, 03:25:27 AM
Just played through the first campaign with Kazz and a couple pugs and holy fucking shit. I thought the gauntlet crescendos were crazy, but there are ones that emulate Scavenge mode apparently, and they are crazy as fuck.

Highlight of the game so far: Smashing through a horde of zombies in a 1970's era stock car.  
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Alex on November 17, 2009, 04:08:01 AM
It's totally a trap. A propane tank explosion will stun a witch for a couple of seconds but it's definitely not going to one-shot her.

I thought about it for a minute and decided 'Why not?' then made the witch chase me until the bots killed her.

Quick Edit: Only got around to doing 7 Hours Later and Cape Murder.  7HL does feel like it drags on a little too long for my liking while CM was pretty damn fun and very well designed from my own perspective.  I always like when there's no suspiciously spacious hallways in buildings because it feels like an actual person might've built it for non-zombie apocalypse activities.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on November 17, 2009, 04:11:06 AM
single player

 :wat:

I wanted to try the new weapons and see the levels at my own pace without having to deal with some spaztards rushing ahead and grabbing all the grenade launchers and chainsaws. Now that I've seen what I wanted to see and tried what I wanted to try I'll enjoy the real game more, spaztards and all. Can't be worse than those fucking bots.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on November 17, 2009, 01:29:48 PM
Oh man is Realism mode fun/scary.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on November 17, 2009, 06:17:12 PM
I'm still not a huge fan of the old assault rifle (it's not awful but everything it does I'd rather do with something else), but the AK and combat rifle are growing on me. I especially like the AK's single-shot capability; combined with its high per-round damage, it makes it feel extremely efficient. Range is a problem but I got a pistol for that. It's almost like a precise shotgun with a huge clip that can instantly go full-auto for several seconds.

The combat rifle has all the automatic long-range benefits of the assault rifle, but the burst fire makes me feel totally in control. It's not as good in short-range crowd management, but in that case I'd much rather have an autoshotty. Or a crowbar.

The sniper rifle still feels godly. It's basically tier 3. I can't believe they made it that good. With a laser sight on you can use it to snipe on the run, and special ammo seems like it lasts forever if you're smart about it.

The magnum's so strong and the reload is so short I don't know why anyone would pick dual pistols over it. For my money, it's hard to beat eight-shot-eight-kills with infinite ammo. I suppose I just have a preference for precise high-damage weapons over the spray-and-pray type. (Which is weird because I'd rather play the Heavy than the Sniper. Hmm.)
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on November 17, 2009, 06:36:20 PM
Just finished Hard Rain. Holy shit have they out done themselves with the quality of scary shit that can happen.

It reminds me of the idea Bal had a while back. Have an ice stage, with zombies popping out of the snow.

Cept replace the snow with impossible to see through rain.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Saturn on November 17, 2009, 07:31:05 PM
FUCK CLOWNS

also i swear to god the AI is even DUMBER.  (HURR MUST CLIMB LADDER TO MELEE TONGUED SURVIVOR INSTEAD OF SHOOTING SMOKER) (HURR I'M TOO CLOSE TO THE ACID  SO I GOTTA STOP HELPING YOU UP/HEALING)
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Norondor on November 17, 2009, 08:29:54 PM
Bal you should get on because then we could play, think about it that way.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Saturn on November 17, 2009, 08:30:45 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqyNS7ZdY1A
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on November 17, 2009, 09:05:49 PM
 :lol:

...

 :facepalm:

They seriously feel like a step down. The environments are more complex than in the first game, but sometimes there's just no excuse for the stupid shit they do (or don't do).

In other news, the finale for Dark Carnival is [spoiler]fucking metal[/spoiler]. If they keep getting more awesome, I fully expect the end of the Parish to make me pass out like a schoolgirl at an Elvis concert.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Brentai on November 17, 2009, 09:11:13 PM
Pretty sure they're exactly the same, which means they're more broken now that the game's been switched up.  Why would they even bother recoding a feature that's basically only good for dicking around to get a feel for the maps?
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on November 18, 2009, 01:10:36 AM
What's a bot? Anyway, Noro, I'd love to do that, and with others as well, but my sleep is all crazy right now.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Norondor on November 18, 2009, 02:33:25 AM
On the "AI is babies" note, it's quite impossible to finish The Parish without human assistance.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Saturn on November 18, 2009, 03:15:17 AM
i dont think i've actually heard the charger's "lurking around" noises, he just COMES OUTTA NOWHERE AND BEATS THE FUCK OUTTA YOU

also the pubs on versus are retarded as ever "OH NO THAT GUY GOT FORCED TO PLAY AS THE BOT WITH NO HP AND GOT DOWNED, VOTE KICK VOTE KICK VOTE KICK"

or the even more annoying "HURR HE DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO PLAY THE NEW INFECTED, KICK HIM"

and i really think valve should force any server that you can be placed on via matchmaking to be FREE OF STUPID SERVER PLUG INS
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on November 18, 2009, 08:42:34 AM
The Parish finale does not fuck around, it is true.

The Charger's lurking noises are low toned animal like grunts with hints of muttering and occasional growls to make him stand out more. The coming out of nowhere thing is just a function of his charge having about the same range as a smoker tongue.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on November 18, 2009, 08:44:36 AM
I tested to see if pre-charging up the chainsaw and letting one ram into me would kill it.

I was incapped.  :nyoro~n:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on November 18, 2009, 08:49:30 AM
The other nice thing about the charger is that his normal melee attack is about twice as strong as a hunter's.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on November 18, 2009, 09:22:22 AM
Not sure if its an error or not, but has anyone else noticed that when a Charger charges into a group and knocks everyone else back, they don't stop stumbling until their back hits something? Even if that something is say, 10 feet away.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on November 18, 2009, 10:35:00 AM
Pretty sure that's intentional. I mean, I'm sure there's an upper limit on how far you'll stumble, but the charge is supposed to scatter you many times more than the hunter pounce, for instance. It's meant to be the ultimate disorganizer when used just right. Truly terrifying on The Parish finale.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Catloaf on November 18, 2009, 10:58:57 AM
A Hunter, Spitter, and Charger(or good smoker) all attacking at once in a small room when there are already a fuckton of normal infected equals at least one of the survivors is now dead. ::(:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on November 18, 2009, 11:45:32 AM
Most dangerous special infected is the jockey. When used properly, he's like an infinite smoker, dragging you farther and farther away. All it takes is a few seconds of distraction from the rest of the survivors, and you can drop him off a balcony and have him around the corner and still going. Get some interference from the other infected directed at the remaining survivors at it's a guaranteed kill. I'm seen some truly horrendous shit happen to jockey victims.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on November 18, 2009, 12:31:49 PM
True story.

Was playing on Hard Rain last night with my brothers, and a jockey grabs onto one while we're running across the sugar mill. Drops him down and winds him through a bunch of Witches. We try to pick it off from our upper level, but we end up hitting a Witch.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Sharkey on November 18, 2009, 05:19:23 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IKOe1aOHyI
:racist:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Brentai on November 18, 2009, 08:54:16 PM
I'm guessing Coach's habit of compulsively reading everything he sees is supposed to be because he's one of those adult-educated types, so is it intentional that he fucks up reading that sign or what?
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on November 18, 2009, 10:26:48 PM
On the "AI is babies" note, it's quite impossible to finish The Parish without human assistance.

Impossible? No. Asinine? Yes. I just did it, it took me four tries. (On Normal.)

First time around I died ten feet from the choppa. Had I not made it that far I would not have tried again.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Norondor on November 18, 2009, 11:20:00 PM
I really like when survivors fall off the narrow walkways, or off the tanker truck with the ladder, or when at the end they just lose their shit and stay on the bridge no matter what while a tank punts me into the ocean.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Saturn on November 18, 2009, 11:54:45 PM
they just dont seem to "get" the JESUS FUCK RUN events

also, anyone up for a gnome run tomorrow?
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: yyler on November 19, 2009, 12:05:43 AM
one time a charger was attacking me, and one of the bots ran up with a shotgun, switched to katana, and slashed

but there were zombies behind him so he couldnt get close enough, and just attacked the air in front of the charger until the other two robots killed the zombies on bot #1. then he killed the charger.

right before the charger, i had healed from ~10 to 80 hp. after the charger, i had 16 hp. fucking useless bots.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on November 19, 2009, 12:34:51 AM
You know, now that I think about it, I realize that I was slightly disappointed by the finale for Hard Rain because it felt kind of like the end of Death Stop (http://l4dmaps.com/details.php?file=2906#screenvideo) but not as good. This sounds like an insane thing to say for some reason.

It might also be because with the video settings I had, I couldn't see the rain at all. It was like a harsh windstorm with all the rain happening someplace else.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on November 19, 2009, 01:00:25 AM
Oh snap: http://www.midnight-riders.com/ (http://www.midnight-riders.com/)

The domain is actually owned by Valve. (http://www.networksolutions.com/whois-search/midnight-riders.com)

People on the gamefaqs forum think that this might be a DLC campaign featuring the band, but, you know. Gamefaqs forum.

Still. "Coming Soon?"
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Saturn on November 19, 2009, 02:32:07 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mg2BEzkCUgE

GODDAMN YOU JIMMY GIBBS JR.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on November 19, 2009, 05:25:57 AM
You know, now that I think about it, I realize that I was slightly disappointed by the finale for Hard Rain because it felt kind of like the end of Death Stop (http://l4dmaps.com/details.php?file=2906#screenvideo) but not as good. This sounds like an insane thing to say for some reason.

It might also be because with the video settings I had, I couldn't see the rain at all. It was like a harsh windstorm with all the rain happening someplace else.

Think its your video settings. Or maybe it just felt harder to me because of how frightening the storm made things.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Sharkey on November 19, 2009, 10:17:49 AM
On the "AI is babies" note, it's quite impossible to finish The Parish without human assistance.

Impossible? No. Asinine? Yes. I just did it, it took me four tries. (On Normal.)

First time around I died ten feet from the choppa. Had I not made it that far I would not have tried again.

I never managed it. At one point I did get inside the chopper myself, hoping that they'd either catch up or just die for fuck's sake. Eventually they managed to get themselves croaked, but by then I'd been knocked down inside the thing. The endgame cinematic started, but froze up just as the bridge started to blow and I found myself at the beginning of the level. Apparently being in there on your back does count as a win, but it still calls a game over if everyone's incapped, even if the cut scene is going.

Fucking bots.  :MENDOZAAAAA:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on November 19, 2009, 03:15:31 PM
I've never had this problem, having never played with bots in either game.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Norondor on November 19, 2009, 03:32:01 PM
Alas, sometimes your friends are a bunch of THOROUGHLY USELESS LAYABOUTS and SLEEP IN UNTIL 5 IN THE AFTERNOON and FUCK YOU GUYS
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on November 19, 2009, 03:46:55 PM
Also Bal has never had the misfortune of having a player quit midgame. Oh, blessed one, how God smiles on thee! Savor thy mirth! Savor it for those to whom it is denied!

Think its your video settings. Or maybe it just felt harder to me because of how frightening the storm made things.

It turns out shaders must be set to high or very high to see rain! I had to lower my resolution to 1024x768, but at least I can now turn up the other settings.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on November 19, 2009, 04:02:27 PM
No, obviously people drop or go idle, but in those situations it's usually brief, and not a problem.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on November 19, 2009, 04:32:52 PM
We basically all agree that single player is for goofing around; the bots' primarily role is as understudies. The problem is much magnified in SP, of course, but even in their intended role they are not merely boring to play with, they are occasionally idiotic and frustrating, and therefore deserve criticism.

Besides, it's not like there's much reason to complain in this game to begin with; if I didn't have that to bitch about I'd be spending the entire day touching myself over how wonderful everything is. Have some mercy, will you?
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on November 19, 2009, 04:54:32 PM
Today I stood in a corridor with a revved up chainsaw as a horde spawned into me. Nothing can make me unhappy with this game anymore.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bleck on November 19, 2009, 09:19:45 PM
Today I played with bots and they were all incapacitated by one spitter shot.

Then I played again with lives dudes and this happened;

Dude: guys come this way the chopper is on this side I've done this before

Bleck: Okay, cool. (bleck has never played this campaign)

Three Minutes Later

Dude: were the fucks the chopper

Bleck: ...oh, look. It's on the other bloody side.

Dude: wat the fuck ths game is retarded

Bleck:  :MENDOZAAAAA:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on November 19, 2009, 09:43:04 PM
Sucks Bleck. D: I generally don't trust pugs.

So tonight my brother and I jokingly started playing realism normal mode on Dark Carnival. I turned tips on, and found out that zombies don't die unless they're completely destroyed or head shot. Well, that's cool, I generally go for head shots when I can.

So it is just him and I for the first level. Friend logs on and joins us. Ok, we'll do this with a bot. Get to the Coaster part and keep getting fucked. Eldest brother joins, and we finally manage to get past it only because we're gifted with a chainsaw. That same run, I was still Smoker'd off the side and killed.

So, the penultimate level has you in an event where you fight in a narrow corridor against an endless wave of zombies. You have to hack, cleave, shoot through an endless horde. Which is fun. But after the 7th fucking time, we had to say fuck it and set it to easy. There is no fucking way to do that without 4 pipe bombs or a chainsaw, or ungodly aim with four shotties.

We manage to barely complete it, then finish the final with normal mode back on.

Realism is a lot of fun, but it is definitely no joke.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Norondor on November 20, 2009, 12:16:12 AM
Bal, Kazz and i could barely finish that on advance. That corridor separates the men from the boys, i tell you what.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Saturn on November 20, 2009, 01:30:04 PM

Dude: were the fucks the chopper

Bleck: ...oh, look. It's on the other bloody side.

Dude: wat the fuck ths game is retarded

Bleck:  :MENDOZAAAAA:

the chopper can land on either side.
the ai director is a dick.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: on November 20, 2009, 03:31:03 PM
Today I played with bots and they were all incapacitated by one spitter shot.

Then I played again with lives dudes and this happened;

Dude: guys come this way the chopper is on this side I've done this before

Bleck: Okay, cool. (bleck has never played this campaign)

Three Minutes Later

Dude: were the fucks the chopper

Bleck: ...oh, look. It's on the other bloody side.

Dude: wat the fuck ths game is retarded

Bleck:  :MENDOZAAAAA:

WHY DID IT TAKE ME THIS LONG TO REALIZE YOU WERE THE SAME ONE IN OCR
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bleck on November 20, 2009, 03:32:00 PM
Who knows!
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Saturn on November 21, 2009, 09:23:28 PM
I AM A GNOMESAVER

Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on December 07, 2009, 10:16:54 PM
As of tonight, I've survived every campaign on Advanced with teams of randoms, from lobby to credits. That's probably not a huge accomplishment, but sometimes it felt like one.

It's good to play with friends, but there's something special about going through with a bunch of strangers. There are bad apples and bottom-of-the-barrel incompetents, but sometimes you get to that spot where the other guys aren't perfect, but you can tell everyone's doing their best, and you get to learn how they're playing and how you can work together. That's where I feel the game is best.

I just finished trying to do the bridge finale about ten times. People came and went, but there was that one guy that stuck around until we finally beat it. It became obvious after a while that neither of us was going to quit before the other, so there was a weird sort of camaraderie going on. And when Coach was picking Nick off the ground and telling him to hang on, that they were going to make it, it felt like it wasn't just the voice actors delivering canned lines, you know? It felt like he was saying the things I wanted to say, in a way approaching the way I wanted to say them.

Man, I need to go to bed.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on December 07, 2009, 10:53:17 PM
That bridge finale is a beast. I like how after the first tank the horde never stops spawning.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: yyler on December 08, 2009, 12:07:56 AM
It does stop, at certain invisible points. Maybe less points depending on the Director or difficulty. Just stay on top of cars, it's easy.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Saturn on December 08, 2009, 08:28:15 AM
yeah the BEAT BRIDGE IN HOWEVER MANY MINUTES acheivement is actually easy if everyone knows what they are doing
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on December 08, 2009, 02:16:57 PM
If you keep moving forward from that point onward the zombies spawn continually, and then of course once you approach the helicopter there's a whole fresh spawn complete with tank.

For the record, I never play on anything lower than advanced.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on December 10, 2009, 04:06:50 PM
Jesus christ, get a mature rating already, Australia, this is ridiculous

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OH7QCtuaXgI
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on December 14, 2009, 05:00:27 PM
Thrills! Chills! Pills! (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/12/14/theyre-baaaaack-team-l4d-meets-team-l4d2/)
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on December 26, 2009, 06:54:24 PM
Seasons Greetings from the Midnight Riders

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrZdvW6BBkc&feature=player_embedded
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on December 26, 2009, 10:30:31 PM
Alright got to play through some L4D2 without a headache.

Holy Fuck what a great game. Such a step up in quality that it makes L4D1 look like a paid beta.

Also enjoyed myself immensely more once I got a handle on weapons of choice: Sniper Rifle + Magnum.

So I have L4D2 and I enjoy competent play with competent dudes.

Realism is the best mode.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on December 26, 2009, 10:57:02 PM
Alright got to play through some L4D2 without a headache.

Holy Fuck what a great game. Such a step up in quality that it makes L4D1 look like a paid beta.

Also enjoyed myself immensely more once I got a handle on weapons of choice: Sniper Rifle + Magnum.

So I have L4D2 and I enjoy competent play with competent dudes.

Realism is the only mode worth playing.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on December 29, 2009, 03:42:37 PM
t king klown

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkmB2fOj4DI
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on December 29, 2009, 10:36:01 PM
Quote from: steam
Wiseman: ahahah
Wiseman: ROOOOOBOOOOT HOUUUUUUSSSSEEE
doomykins: >:O
Wiseman: aahahah
Wiseman: Oh god
Wiseman: I forgot what I did exactly
doomykins: ok
doomykins: we're on the finale of swamp fever
doomykins: near the machine gun nest
doomykins: I get incapped because fucking tanks
doomykins: good pubbie helps me up
doomykins: there are two god damn tanks
doomykins: and they need to be lit on fire
doomykins: I get hit by a thrown rock(but still up)
doomykins: when a molotov lands and puts me down
doomykins: at the same time that everybody vacates the second floor
Wiseman: oh yeah
doomykins: and you spend the whole time assuring me it's cool, you got a defib
doomykins: oh hey there's the boat

 :whoops:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Defenestration on January 02, 2010, 05:07:39 PM
So I finally managed to get L4D2, but now my 3 buddies that I planned on playing it with are engrossed with Dragon age. Frankly so am I, but I am so incredibly hyped for this game I want to do the campaigns RIGHT NOW THIS SECOND, not after I finish Dragon Age! And most certainly before I get dragged into versus.

So basically, I'm looking for 3 other dudes that want to shot sum heads with me, because AI is dumb! (Advanced or up preferrably!) Anyone interested?
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on January 02, 2010, 05:21:06 PM
Sure, I was itching to go through the game again myself.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on January 02, 2010, 06:56:31 PM
Sounds like fun.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on January 02, 2010, 06:57:19 PM
And you'll have my axe!
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on January 02, 2010, 06:58:19 PM
And you'll have my axe! [spoiler]in your back[/spoiler]

 :nyoro~n:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Defenestration on January 02, 2010, 07:30:14 PM
Awesome, how's tomorrow sound I guess?
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Norondor on January 02, 2010, 08:46:34 PM
I would be down
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on January 02, 2010, 08:53:07 PM
I would be down as soon as right now.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Defenestration on January 02, 2010, 11:26:35 PM
Man, I am looking forward to Dark Carnival whenever. That was some high class awesome. I was not expecting shit to get real so quickly; starting out with an escape from a blazing inferno of a building is fantastic.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on January 03, 2010, 08:11:33 AM
Shit just gets better. :3
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Defenestration on January 04, 2010, 09:38:18 PM
Two tanks. @_@
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: King Klown on January 04, 2010, 10:03:18 PM
Two tanks, one Defenestration.com
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: NexAdruin on January 04, 2010, 10:11:27 PM
My favorite campaign is Hard Rain, but chapter 1 of Dead Center is just plain awesome. The Parish's finale was awful the first couple of times I played, but that's because I suck at this game.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on January 04, 2010, 10:34:08 PM
The bridge is really the kind of "final boss" experience that was missing from L4D1.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on January 05, 2010, 08:57:03 AM
I'd like to play with some people who know how to play some time. Even though I am new to all of the maps, I can do better than the 11 year olds screaming commands at the rest of the group.

Fuck you, 11 year old. You ran halfway through the level back to the saferoom when everyone else died. I'm glad the tank chased you in there. :;-(:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on January 05, 2010, 09:04:36 AM
Steam whisper me and I am usually up for it.

Just.. just don't abandon me. :;_;:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bleck on January 05, 2010, 12:43:22 PM
I consider myself a good zombie shooter! I will support you 'till the end
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on January 14, 2010, 10:39:56 PM
General Interest post seeking dudes who do not dissolve into mewling, sobbing babies when they lose a single stage of VS mode.

Me and Wiseman are up ins.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: NexAdruin on January 14, 2010, 10:43:09 PM
I'll play if anybody needs. I'm not much better than the AI though, on higher difficulties. I also tend to get more pissed off at this game than I do at Team Fortress 2, for those of you that have played with me on Shadow Moses.

Edit: To clarify, it isn't just the losing that pisses me off about this game. It's the getting surrounded and suddenly not being able to move at all.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Joxam on January 14, 2010, 10:44:16 PM
I will, and you all know I can lose ALL NIGHT LONG and still be pretty happy about it.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Niku on January 14, 2010, 10:46:11 PM
I have L4D2 thanks to outstanding members of the field of excellence, so I'd like to get up ins some time.  :3  When I am not working eternal dumb shifts, anyway.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Defenestration on January 14, 2010, 10:48:33 PM
I HATE babies!

If I'm not away on steam, I'd love some full up in-house versus whenever I am paying attention!

Edit: To clarify, it isn't just the losing that pisses me off about this game. It's the getting surrounded and suddenly not being able to move at all.
See, when zombies punch you, you got to punch them back!
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on January 14, 2010, 10:57:17 PM
If you have a lot of trouble with regular zombies surrounding and stopping you, learn to use a melee weapon and opt for it over even the Magnum(!!!!). Slash, 180 Heavy-Style, Slash. It's really tightened up my Survivor game.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Norondor on January 14, 2010, 10:58:52 PM
Hella yes i will play VS with you kids.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bleck on January 15, 2010, 09:13:07 AM
I love VS and will play the VS
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on January 15, 2010, 09:27:09 AM
I will shoot my zombified friends with some non-zombie friends.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: McDohl on January 15, 2010, 07:42:15 PM
I've never played Versus.  I'd like to play Versus.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on January 16, 2010, 01:22:11 PM
Time to take you fellas into the corn field for a lesson
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: McDohl on January 16, 2010, 02:08:56 PM
I'm only barely aware of the mechanics of the game.  I accidentally shoot a Witch, and everyone on my team starts to yell at me about how I'm terrible.

I've barely played this game, so forgive me for not knowing this game like TF2 or some shit.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Norondor on January 16, 2010, 02:14:38 PM
was bal on your team

you should just ignore bal for the first week you play anything
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on January 16, 2010, 02:39:41 PM
it was me but it was more like he was standing on a roof and shooting stuff at random after us asking him to drop down 5 times in a row

sorry mcdohl

the drop-down is one of the most basic tenets of safety
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Joxam on January 16, 2010, 02:43:32 PM
Yeah, bal was mean to me in tf2 and it made me sad. I think he's just an asshole, personally...

I spy check him, and he obviously thinks I spychecked him too long, he yells at me over voice, "I'm not a fuckin' spy, put your medi-gun on and heal me. Stop being a dumb-ass."
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: McDohl on January 16, 2010, 03:01:38 PM
See, nobody called for me to drop down out of that thing.  It wasn't until after I had hit the witch.  Unless I was just off in la-la land, which I won't discount.

And later, I thought I could get up the ladder despite all the goo that was around it.

Bah.  Versus mode is for people who like to be dicks to other people.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Defenestration on January 16, 2010, 03:18:55 PM
See, nobody called for me to drop down out of that thing.  It wasn't until after I had hit the witch.  Unless I was just off in la-la land, which I won't discount.

And later, I thought I could get up the ladder despite all the goo that was around it.

The goo thing is misleading, and understandable. If you're standing on a table over a puddle, you're fine. But with ladders, stairs, and ramps, the behavior is a bit weirder.

Bah.  Versus mode is for people who like to be dicks to other people.
This I will have to disagree with. Only about as much as TF2 is about being dicks to people wearing different colored uniforms.

Left 4 Dead is, at it's core, knowing when and when not to shoot. Friendly fire does make it a lot different than most action games today. You have to pay attention to not shoot your teammates in the middle of hordes of humanoid zombies, not to shoot the boomer when it's next to you or anyone else, and to make DAMN sure that you are shooting a generic zombie and not a very similar looking wandering witch.

I just don't think you should be so upset about those two incidents when you're just learning the game. I mean, I had people yelling at me for being terrible when I started playing L4D1 too, and I did horrible things like not punch a hunter off of someone standing in front of me and wake up witches and jump off the roof of Mercy Hospital by accident. There's only one way to learn, and that's to get out there and finish that shit up!
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: NexAdruin on January 16, 2010, 03:48:23 PM
After all the shit witches gave me in L4D1, I have found nothing quite as satisfying in L4D2 as taking a chainsaw to one and killing it instantly.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on January 16, 2010, 03:59:35 PM
Yeah, bal was mean to me in tf2 and it made me sad. I think he's just an asshole, personally...

I spy check him, and he obviously thinks I spychecked him too long, he yells at me over voice, "I'm not a fuckin' spy, put your medi-gun on and heal me. Stop being a dumb-ass."

I don't remember this, but it probably happened. I only hope that in the following months you learned that 30 seconds is too long for a spy check.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on January 16, 2010, 04:11:19 PM
L4D versus mode is serious business. Don't take it personally if someone yells at you.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Rico on January 16, 2010, 04:20:35 PM
If Bal is mean to you, you are:
A) His friend, and should therefore know to take it in stride
B) Legitimately awful at what you are currently doing (and probably continuing to do it after he has offered advice nicely two or three times)

B is the reason I laugh pretty heartily at Bal's reputation as worst human being on the planet.  I wouldn't even put him in the top 5 voiceragers.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on January 16, 2010, 04:42:34 PM
You don't understand, Rico, it's my selfishness that drives people away
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on January 16, 2010, 07:22:56 PM
Yeah ironically as fun as L4D is, VS mode and Advanced Realism or Expert(Vanilla or Realism) is when everybody has to really sit down and become a serious bad-ass to pull it off.

Luckily L4D2 is a good game and there tends to be amazing fun to be had while doing such a thing.

I've definitely never felt as tense and pressured to perform in any game ever made as these modes. Or as satisfied to pull it off.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on January 17, 2010, 07:12:06 PM
That was a good round.

We should try to get some in-house Scavenge going. Full campaigns are a little exhausting, but the bite sized chunks offered by scavenge, and the ability to switch maps constantly, should make for a bit of a different experience.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: NexAdruin on January 17, 2010, 07:37:10 PM
Full campaigns are a little exhausting,

There is a way to import L4D1 maps (i.e. Crash Course) onto L4D2.
http://www.l4dmods.com
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on January 17, 2010, 09:50:41 PM
Not really the point at all.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: NexAdruin on January 17, 2010, 09:52:32 PM
I understand you want to play scavenge for a change, I'm just saying you can get shorter campaigns to work if you really feel the regular-sized ones to be too tiresome. That is, in fact, the point of Crash Course.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: MadMAxJr on January 18, 2010, 09:19:25 AM
I am still new to L4D2.

Holy shit do I ever hate Hard Rain.

Relevant:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1uVi41I1oc
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on January 18, 2010, 09:25:34 AM
MAH FRIENDS CALL ME COACH

FOOTBALL

YEAH

I HOPE MINE'S A FOOTBALL

HE WANTS SOME GOOD OL' FASHIONED COLA
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: NexAdruin on January 18, 2010, 11:03:21 AM
Holy shit do I ever hate Hard Rain.

D: But that's my favorite one!
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: yyler on January 18, 2010, 12:56:53 PM
Hard Rain is the best map in both games
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: NexAdruin on January 18, 2010, 02:01:13 PM
Hard Rain puts a couple of good twists on what otherwise would be goddamn boring maps. Needing to conserve health packs is great, as is the rain mechanic. Not to mention the rain in this game is simply beautiful, even with zombie limbs flying through it.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on January 18, 2010, 02:39:07 PM
Hard rain is an incredible map. Max is drunk.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: MadMAxJr on January 18, 2010, 03:28:06 PM
Oh don't get me wrong, it's fantastic.   What I should be saying is I'm BAD at it.  Mind you I have played it a total of 1.5 times.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Niku on January 19, 2010, 11:04:25 PM
Where the hell did my achievements go?    ::(:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Joxam on January 19, 2010, 11:30:05 PM
YOU LEFT THEM BEHIND, ALONG WITH GNOME CHOMPSKI!!!!


:sadpanda:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Defenestration on January 19, 2010, 11:57:20 PM
SPEAKING OF GNOMES...

Me being the achievement whore I am, I decided to talk to a few people about doing a Rescue run. However, no one is a bad enough dude to try other than me! Apparently everyone gets the achievement even if they aren't carrying the gnome, so it will still be a lot more efficient (and fun!) if we work together. So goes the theory!
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on January 20, 2010, 08:58:37 AM
I got the gnome earlier this week, and helped a team of randoms get it yesterday, and I still wouldn't mind doing it again because Dark Carnival is that good.

I'm just gonna cross my fingers and hope I'll be awake when you guys are playing for once. :painful:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Defenestration on January 20, 2010, 10:13:39 PM
Scavenge is the funnest fun that ever funned
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Niku on January 20, 2010, 10:15:05 PM
i did feel bad for the last lingering human player who was left after our total shutout victories

but not bad enough to not deliver the rage quit inducing pounce
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on January 20, 2010, 10:16:14 PM
We totally kicked ass. It was funny our first round of Scavenge because it was four of us versus Bleck and some pubbies.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Niku on January 20, 2010, 10:22:19 PM
Poor Bleck.  Never 4get.  ;_;
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Defenestration on January 21, 2010, 12:10:34 AM
Team Smilefenesiku is clearly a force to be reckoned with. (I have no idea how to put Bleck in that)
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: MadMAxJr on January 21, 2010, 06:39:54 AM
Man.  Last level of dead center.  Boomer pukes me, while the horde is coming another boomer wanders out and when I finally get through that, a Charger gets the drop on me taking me away from the car.

So it's generally a good idea to run around the mall, getting the gas cans and throwing them over the rail near the car, right?
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on January 21, 2010, 08:08:47 AM
Dead Center finale sucks if you are playing with pubbies. They will usually shoot the gas cans and get incapped at the same time leaving you and some other guy to run up to the third floor/run to the car and save them.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Norondor on January 21, 2010, 08:26:25 AM
yeah. i often end up splitting groups in half, with 2 on the ground and 2 climbing and tossing down. when a big horde comes, all bets are off. and needless to say, it helps a lot not to have too many shotguns in the group (then again, this is generally true, since their damage vs. tanks got nerfed hard).
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on January 21, 2010, 08:30:24 AM
Quote
(then again, this is generally true, since their damage vs. tanks got nerfed hard).

Oh Hell, like I needed any more confirmation to learn to aim better. Military Combat Rifle and Military Sniper Rifle for life, dawg.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Niku on January 21, 2010, 09:01:14 AM
"I don't want to be a dick, but maybe we don't need a sniper rifle."

 :rage:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on January 21, 2010, 09:23:30 AM
DOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on January 21, 2010, 10:44:29 AM
That was what, our 5th Concert Gates Gauntlet wipe?  :happy: I really just meant that we were dying because we weren't shootin' well enough and it's easier to blind-fire with an assault rifle than to actually sniper in a crescendo gauntlet.

Hopped aboard the Cheesy-Easy Mode Express to knock out a few "detriment to team" achievements. Gong Show, Dismemberment Plan(The Grenade Launcher is super fun but it's hard to justify using it re: actually being able to reliably help others. Grenade Launcher/Melee is begging for trouble), Confederacy of Crunches, Robbed Zombie. I also got the Gnome one but I'm up for helping other dudes get it, I'd just rather not burden a bro with my own Gnome needs. Or have a heart attack when we drop the gnome in the last two stages after I've spent the first two stages not shooting stuff.

Apparently Strength in Numbers requires very specifically using a "Play a Team Game" option. Huh.

Level a Charge seems to be impossible bullshit or reserved for the impossibly lucky. I've never actually seen a charger batted out of his charge. I assume you side-step and hit him in a 90 degree turn ala Niku-Face-Stabbing-Spy.

Heartwarmer.. man, I dunno. Hey guys, do you mind if I go throw my life away? Maybe I can cheese it by playing alone and killing the other 3 bots with my own gun before reviving one.

Bridge over Trebled(3 minute Parish finale) seems damn near impossible without 4 humans. Maybe we could try to get that together? Set it to easy, just sprint across the bridge? As long as you juke the tank, he won't catch up to you. And well, if you get hit, at least the three of us will finish the run. Maybe you'll even get credit!

Wing and a Prayer seems cheeseable on Easy Mode, but it's a tense bitch of a thing. I still took two hits just playing Captain Melee standing on the wing in Easy Mode.

Beat the Rush.. eh, maybe we can take turns on that? One dude is faux-useless until we nail a Bronze.

The rest are just natural Vs and Scavenge play.

Oh, and us manning up and beating shit on Expert. To quote Niku: "I think we should move up to Expert before we move up to Realism." Hell Year.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: yyler on January 21, 2010, 01:31:01 PM
I contend, actually, that if you aren't using the magnum and the military sniper rifle, you are doing it wrong. The only reason to change primary weapons is to get the grenade launcher.

Having a laser sight on the military rifle is godly. You have almost 100% accuracy while running.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Norondor on January 21, 2010, 01:33:39 PM
i am a huge fan of automatic weapons myself. That and the spas-12.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: MadMAxJr on January 21, 2010, 01:38:03 PM
Why is there no wrench?  Seriously, one sentry could fix half this zombie problem.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Joxam on January 21, 2010, 01:51:40 PM
I like the SMGs.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on January 21, 2010, 02:10:55 PM
The AK with the laser sight is number one death machine. AK and fire ax for life.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Norondor on January 21, 2010, 02:45:21 PM
yes yes yes yes yes

yes yes yes yes yes
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on January 21, 2010, 02:46:40 PM
The AK with the laser sight is number one death machine. AK and fire ax for life.

(http://i630.photobucket.com/albums/uu23/Bon_Bon_2009/scruffy-1.jpg), though I like the machete more. It feels snappier. The slower rate of fire on the AK is actually kind of a bonus; if you're careful with how you sweep your line of fire you get way more carnage per magazine than with the other assault rifles, even without taking into account the AK's innate punch. And the extra control is more than worth the accuracy loss, which is almost negligible with the laser sight. It's good for everything except special infected at extreme range.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: NexAdruin on January 21, 2010, 02:46:48 PM
Doom says a lot of stuff here.

I got Bridge Over Trebled Slaughter with one other human on easy. When the tank spawns (it'll happen as you are passing an 18-wheeler type truck with an ammo dump) you can just run past it. If you do this, there won't be a 2nd tank (this is my experience, at least). If someone gets incapped, leave them. Everyone gets it as long as the finale ends in less than three minutes. This finale doesn't require much teamwork anyway, as special infected don't happen very often. You should try to stay together just in case, but under no circumstances should you turn around to help someone.

If you're trying to do Wing and a Prayer on the wing of the airplane, then you're insane. Stay inside the passenger area after opening the door. There's a seating aisle that you can get into and just crouch down. Have someone that already has the achievement (Hello) standing in front of you with a melee weapon. While you're doing this, make yourself useful by shooting out the window behind you to get infected coming in on the wing.

I can help with Beat the Rush, but you pretty much have that one down- take turns. The important thing is not to get incapped, since you'll probably accidentally fire your magical pistol as you go down.

I know how ironic it is that I'm giving you advice here, but I have all these achievements and these methods are what worked for me. I'd be happy to help get any of them (and any others) as long as I'm not, like, doing schoolwork (so, not tonight).

On a related note, I'd be glad to help anyone who needs to get Guardin' Gnome. I can carry it around since that'd be more useful than me trying to help fight. Find me on steam when I'm not busy and we'll set this up.

Also, I don't know how any of you use the sniper rifles ever. Auto-Shotgun in L4D1 (although I still go M16 because it's more satisfying to spray bullets everywhere), FN SCAR (I don't know what the in-game name of it is) in L4D2. The SCAR (aka burst rifle) is accurate enough to pull off 100% headshots at non-insane (and yet safe) distances while running, and is my favorite weapon to use across The Bridge. I've never used the Magnum, because when the horde comes I want something that is going to either be fast or kill a lot of things at once. Dual pistols are fast, and the melee weapons are both.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on January 21, 2010, 03:08:29 PM
Quote
If you're trying to do Wing and a Prayer on the wing of the airplane, then you're insane.

It was Easy Difficulty + I only got tapped by common infected twice because I let them get me from out of line of sight.

I guess I am too used to 4 humans squatting in the actual plane and getting immediately Spitter + Charger'd and oops I guess somebody threw a molotov into the middle of us, I hope the one guy that isn't incapped has perfect accuracy.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: NexAdruin on January 21, 2010, 03:13:38 PM
See, I wouldn't know about that, because I don't play on the higher difficulties. Nothing like it has ever happened to me on easy or normal, though.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Niku on January 26, 2010, 09:36:09 PM
BRIDGE OVER TREBELED SLAUGHTER
BRIDGE OVER TREBELED SLAUGHTER
BRIDGE OVER TREBELED SLAUGHTER
BRIDGE OVER TREBELED SLAUGHTER
BRIDGE OVER TREBELED SLAUGHTER
BRIDGE OVER TREBELED SLAUGHTER
BRIDGE OVER TREBELED SLAUGHTER
BRIDGE OVER TREBELED SLAUGHTER
BRIDGE OVER TREBELED SLAUGHTER
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Alex on January 26, 2010, 10:29:17 PM
Level a Charge seems to be impossible bullshit or reserved for the impossibly lucky. I've never actually seen a charger batted out of his charge. I assume you side-step and hit him in a 90 degree turn ala Niku-Face-Stabbing-Spy.

I got entirely lucky when I got at as the AI had JUST hit the charge button when I stuck it down with the crowbar.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on January 31, 2010, 08:40:55 PM
Got Level A Charge by crouching next to a doorway, channeling my ancestor's fury into my Ninja Sword, and swinging when I heard him bellow because naturally he was aiming for Niku. Yeaaaaaah.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Niku on January 31, 2010, 08:43:47 PM
I made it a quarter of the way solo through Dark Carnival stage four on Expert with nary a scratch after killing the three dead weight losers who had been holding me back.

then i ran around a corner into a tank.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: NexAdruin on January 31, 2010, 08:50:45 PM
Got Level A Charge by crouching next to a doorway, channeling my ancestor's fury into my Ninja Sword, and swinging when I heard him bellow because naturally he was aiming for Niku. Yeaaaaaah.

Nice job you lucky bastard.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Joxam on February 01, 2010, 12:00:23 AM
I made it a quarter of the way solo through Dark Carnival stage four on Expert with nary a scratch after killing the three dead weight losers who had been holding me back.

then i ran around a corner into a tank.

Niku you fucking tosser!!!
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: on February 01, 2010, 04:19:18 AM
I have to wonder what compels me to just charge a tank with my melee weapon each time, especially when one shows up in Hard Rain when you're crossing the vat-things.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Niku on February 01, 2010, 09:31:40 AM
You love the delicious taste of tank burgers.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Royal☭ on February 09, 2010, 11:13:10 PM
So I got to play some Left 4 Friend today!  It is lots of fun!  Then on Dark Carnival my game started going all glitchy, so we had to call it a night.

I know why, too.  Turns out I have backups scheduled at 12:30!  ha ha.. oohh..
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on February 10, 2010, 08:56:47 AM
Gnome Chompski nooooooooooooo
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on February 10, 2010, 09:11:16 AM
Even though it took us an hour to get through the gauntlet, it felt good to be the first one in the saferoom when we finally made it, being black and white with like 15 health left.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on February 10, 2010, 03:27:12 PM
That particular gauntlet is one of the most intense video game experiences I have ever had. Every. Single. Time.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: on February 10, 2010, 03:35:44 PM
So the mechanic where voice chat is fucked during Hard Rain's storms is cool for the first few seconds, and suddenly not cool when you're trying to scream that the other 3 members of your team are about to run face first into a witch.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Alex on February 10, 2010, 03:55:04 PM
Worse when you get dumped onto a laggy server.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Defenestration on February 11, 2010, 12:20:52 AM
So the mechanic where voice chat is fucked during Hard Rain's storms is cool for the first few seconds, and suddenly not cool when you're trying to scream that the other 3 members of your team are about to run face first into a witch.
...What? This is WHY it is cool.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Alex on February 11, 2010, 02:24:47 AM
I do agree that the mechanic is absolutely amazing.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Royal☭ on February 11, 2010, 10:34:45 AM
So last night, Niku, Smiler, Doom and I were having a bitch of a time on the swamp map, so we decided to try some versus.  After a revolving door of derps and jerks in the lobby, we eventually got a team of some clan members and two random people together for Dark Carnival.

The first stage went good for us, as we nearly made it to the safe house.  I was stopped at the top of the hill by a smoker, and a well placed charger stopped the other 3 right outside the safe house.  So when it came our turn, we were having difficulty pinning them in the motel, but managed to stop to of them at the top of the hill with a hunter and a smoker, while Smiler and Doom rode them as jockeys at the bottom.  First round, goes to us!

In the second act, we were doing fine up until the point a tank appeared and incapacitated Smiler by the water slide.  So naturally Doom and I rush to his aid, jumping off a building and breaking our legs in a most heroic manner.  When you go from playing TF2 to L4D, it can be disorienting when you can't jump off buildings.  Niku died a ignominious death somewhere else.  Now it was our turn to show these guys what for!

And they curb stomped us!  Getting a bunch of medpacks, shutting down Smiler as the tank and basically sticking and not letting us near them.  Even our Boomer vomit only managed to get 3 or 4 zombies to attack them.  It would have been the most embarrassing event of the night if they hadn't gone and done it on the Tunnel of Love section as well!  They shut us out twice!

So we decide to Rambo through the Tunnel of Love!  We make it only about halfway before we are obliterated.  So on the fourth attack, we decide we have to get our shit together.

We wait around awhile (these guys took forever in the safe house), and I was a Smoker, Smiler was a Hunter, Niku was a Jockey and Doom was a Spitter.  I fuck up at first as they come out of the safehouse, unable to hit any of them with my tongue, and it looks like we're in for a repeat of the last map.  When suddenly Smiler lands a lucky pounce on a straggling human, who is promptly abandoned by his teammates.  Then Niku grabs one of the other guys while I simultaneous pick up a third with my tongue.  Niku manages to take the guy for quite a ride, actually, while Doom sprays the last guy with acid.  They didn't even get 25% through the map before we completely shut them down.  It was incredible.

Then all but one guy rage quit.  Guess the game is no fun when your opponents put up a fight!
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Niku on February 11, 2010, 05:10:26 PM
Hey, I was the one who Jockeyed the dude off of the hill during round 1.  CREDIT DUE.

Also you forgot the end of the coaster level when I charge-bowled all four of them when they opened the safehouse door to let the straggler in.  Sure it didn't win the map, BUT GOD, SATISFACTION.

also i died to the tank on the roof due to two of my team members mysteriously leaping off a roof and incapping themselves

So last night, Niku, Smiler, Doom and I were having a bitch of a time on the swamp map, so we decided to try some versus.

For what it's worth, I have more fun running into a brick wall over and over again on Expert Campaign than I have ever had on any other difficulty level.  Even Advanced just doesn't get you to take the zombies as a REAL threat nearly enough.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on February 11, 2010, 06:02:36 PM
 (http://i630.photobucket.com/albums/uu23/Bon_Bon_2009/scruffy-1.jpg)
Hordes on advanced are only a threat when other shit is going down, like if a random Charger bowls through everyone and a horde shows up before you can free whoever got grabbed. But on expert they do enough damage to be a standalone threat at least on par with the specials, and you can't just shrug off 3-4 hits per rush anymore.

Similarly, uncommon infected are pretty much only a significant factor on expert too. On advanced and easier they're so fragile they might as well just be skin swaps.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Saturn on February 11, 2010, 07:26:49 PM
Screenshots of The crossing have popped up on the interwebs.

of note, the scrapped "survivor" zombie seems to be actually used now, and HEAVY MACHINE GUN
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on February 11, 2010, 07:44:01 PM
After having a great night last night, the server decided that we weren't allowed to have a boomer tonight.

Basically every time we hit 2-4 people with bile, no horde spawned.

Uhhhhhhhhh wow. So all we have to do is wipe the enemy team without the best source of chaos and confusion in the game.

 :barf: First time in a long time I've actually hated playing the game.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Royal☭ on February 11, 2010, 07:59:23 PM
Yeah, that was all kinds of fucked up.  During the last leg of Dead Center, they basically ran around the mall with absolutely no zombies.  When we spawned, zombies everywhere.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Defenestration on February 11, 2010, 09:56:59 PM
I've seen as a horde spawn with as few as one zombie, but I've never seen *nothing* result. I'm almost wondering if that's just some server mod built in to make boomers useless to troll people.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on February 11, 2010, 10:04:41 PM
When we got boomered we had hoards attacking us. It was some crazy RNG shit.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Royal☭ on February 12, 2010, 08:48:27 AM
The sad part about this is, when the horde does bother to show up to our infected rounds, we are nothing short of avatars of pure chaos.  That team last night wasn't even very good; they constantly refused to check their backs often split up or left stragglers behind.  It's just that, no matter how bad a team is, they always have an advantage over 4 special infected alone.

I definitely want to play this hardcore tonight.  I feel we must win Versus.  Win it for all Brontannia!
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Royal☭ on February 12, 2010, 11:15:13 AM
Only guy to get knocked down once and only use one medpack?  BETTER KICK HIM.


To all the useless pubbies,::fuckyou:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Niku on February 12, 2010, 11:27:57 AM
You missed one of the best parts of last night when I got a PM from you asking if it was possible to kick people, followed by a VOTE TO KICK _____ and _____ saying "what?  why?" instantly before being kicked for you.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Royal☭ on February 12, 2010, 11:32:25 AM
Why did you kick two people for me?


Also are you giving me grief for wanting to rejoin the game I was playing before my internet went all fritzy?
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Niku on February 12, 2010, 11:47:23 AM
no I was saying his befuddlement was hilarious

kicking pubbies is just plain fun!
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on February 12, 2010, 08:38:07 PM
So out of ten total stages (5 us, 5 them), the enemy survivor team got two entire stages(3 and 4) with minimal infected spawns. Including the entire first half of the third stage having no more than four zombies.

this sure is fucking fun you guys  :endit:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: NexAdruin on February 12, 2010, 09:55:30 PM
Is there a reason hordes spawn before you open the door in the 3rd chapter of Dead Center?
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Saturn on February 13, 2010, 07:19:15 PM
because the AI director tends to be a bit retarded.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on February 15, 2010, 07:15:51 PM
Charge directly into survivors three times, bounce off them as though hitting debris.

Where the fuck is my toggle for Jockey only
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on February 15, 2010, 07:20:55 PM
In contrast, every time I got Jockey a dude would be plucked from right next to his comrades and taken for a 10 second ride behind cover and heee heee heee yeeeeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaw
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Niku on February 15, 2010, 07:23:41 PM
charger is basically the worst special infected forever

the times when you get an incredibly amazing charge are not balanced out by the hundred other times some stupid bullshit ruins it for you
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Saturn on February 15, 2010, 07:34:44 PM
charger is basically the worst special infected forever

the times when you get an incredibly amazing charge are not balanced out by the hundred other times some stupid bullshit ruins it for you

i find the boomer almost as bad because of how hordes are rendered mostly useless by melee weapons.

OH NO A HORDE, HOLD M1 AND MAYBE SPIN AROUND.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on February 15, 2010, 07:53:28 PM
Blind + Horde is the best time in the entire game for every other infected to shine, though. If you are solo-booming, you doin' it wrong.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Royal☭ on February 15, 2010, 08:13:56 PM
Charger is good if you can find that rare group that likes to bunch up and is stupid.  But the amount of times my well-timed charge is ruined by some guy stepping one foot to the left just kind of ruins it.  Valve needs to extend the Charger's grab just a bit so that as long as you're tapping someone you can grab them.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on February 16, 2010, 02:08:21 AM
None of the infected with the exception of the tank is supposed to be any use alone. You don't just boom one guy and wait for the horde to kill them, or even boom everyone and wait for the horde to kill them. You boom say two guys, and then pounce a guy who isn't blinded, and charge one of the blinded guys so he's a mile a way and getting beat to shit, and then jockey the last not-blind person while everyone is running around panicked and drag him to the moon.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: NexAdruin on February 16, 2010, 12:54:13 PM
Woah! Bal, it's almost as if you mean to say that Left 4 Dead is about team work, even when you're the bad guys!

Who'd have thunk it?
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Norondor on February 16, 2010, 02:35:59 PM
well, the general methods in versus are the same, but as Infected you end up laughing a lot when things work out for you.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on February 16, 2010, 03:05:05 PM
As opposed to the survivors, who are filled with a mixture of tense excitement and relief.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Norondor on February 16, 2010, 07:10:53 PM
yeah, that's why i like it. As Survivor team you're constantly going "thank fuck that Hunter was bad!" and as Infected you're just doing your best troll-face 24/7.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Royal☭ on February 21, 2010, 08:57:43 PM
FOOOOOOTBAAAALLLLL


Man


Tonight was like the best night!  It's even in VS when the other team is made up of people for whom there shall come a pounding.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on February 21, 2010, 09:01:18 PM
Drunk Soup is the best thing ever. I missed hearing you yell out stuff, but I enjoyed killing you all.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Royal☭ on February 21, 2010, 09:15:20 PM
Nex and Mocto didn't seem as amused by my rambling but man fuck them.  Noro is cool, we tight.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Royal☭ on February 21, 2010, 09:40:05 PM
Also I felt bad.  Niku, Doom, Smiler and I were going to do an expert campaign.  But then Max joined.  And I felt bad for guilting him and then he left.  So we made it versus and that was hella fun!  GOOD NIGHT, EVERYONE.

I still liked chargin' Norondor onto the second level.  Even though as survivor I was next to useless.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: NexAdruin on February 21, 2010, 09:53:05 PM
I didn't know what to make of it. I came in late and didn't know what was going on. Plus, I was trying very hard not to die instantly.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: McDohl on February 21, 2010, 10:00:43 PM
God, who was it that CHARGED off the side of the building completely uselessly?  Because that was hilarious.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Niku on February 21, 2010, 10:34:55 PM
that was me.  except if I had clicked the button a second earlier, I would have taken Doom out the window with me.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on February 22, 2010, 08:32:34 AM
Hello I am just going to throw this up as if I were talking to myself. If you think it applies to you, blush really hard and then go practice and get over it. I just thought that anyone feeling new should benefit from two games worth of observed patterns and tics.


Survivor Etiquette

When in doubt, blow away Common Infected that are surrounding a friend as quickly as you can.

Any damage done to an incapped player will reset the "Help Them Up" timer. Any damage done to the Helper will not. They must be forcefully moved(attacked by SI, explosions, even a Boomer burst will do it.)

Expert Caveat: You must have doubt because friendly fire and 20 HP whacks are as bad as each other. But you will not play Expert if you can't aim, so.

Melee Expert Caveat: I've noticed that accidental melee swings are far less dangerous than accidental gun shots. Feel free to sweep one side(180 degrees) of him with an axe.


Gun Etiquette

Practice the Sniper Rifle extensively in easier difficulties or relaxed settings. Otherwise, get an Assault Rifle. The M6 in particular is almost perfectly accurate when stationary.

The AK is stronger than the M6. The M6 is the most accurate. The Short-Burst Army Rifle is an averaged choice.

Laser Sights do not benefit the Combat Shotgun, as it is intentionally made for wide shots. More than one Combat Shotgun may be a liability on higher difficulties.

The Grenade Launcher is not worth it at all if you are in any way remotely serious. Super Pros may be able to swing it just to show off!

Explosive Ammo is a colossal liability on Expert Mode.

Incendiary Ammo is always fantastic, but observe a difference in effect on targets. A Common Infected ignited will automatically die, lose it's hit-box and stop attacking anything. A Special Infected will persist unaffected with a DoT. The Tank will acquire a minor DoT that WILL wear off before it dies.


Grenades

Announce grenade intentions slightly before you do them to avoid redundant throws from multiple Survivors.

It is better to toss a grenade preemptively then to incap with it in your dipshit hand.

The Molotov produces an area of instant death to Common Infected. It is very hard to produce a "useless" molotov spread unless you misjudge which direction a Horde is attacking from. Special Infected burn until dead but are not impeded in function. The Tank will die in 30 seconds if hit by a molotov and does not require any further assistance in killing it. If a Tank is hit by a molotov, prioritize not being hit over shooting it.

Advanced Molotov Technique: If you are surrounded by CI and your friends aren't nearby, you can throw a molotov at your feet. It will instantly remove every nearby CI's hitbox and allow you to run, hopefully before the fire damage finishes what they started.

The Pipebomb will "wake up" Common Infected that are "asleep" and primarily attract Common Infected that are already active. In other words, Pipebombs work best when dealing with an active horde and are often disappointing when tossed into a new area "full" of sleeping CI. They will become aroused, take too long to reach it and come to a halt half-way towards it, falling back to "sleep" mode.

Pipebombs will not compete with nearby Biled survivors and often will not distract CI actively attacking a Survivor.

The Bilebomb provides the absolute longest distraction possible. Bilebombs will not compete cleanly with actual Biled survivors. Bilebombs will distract the Tank but this is sub-par compared to a Molotov and clean kiting. Bilebomb zombies gather into a tight cluster that can be easily gunned down, or even melee swept. If you forget about them, they will not forget about you when the bomb effect wears off.


Refining Aim

Always check your shots. There is no reason to ever shoot a man intentionally if you are not on realism. Spinning around to deal with a sudden situation and catching a guy in gunfire is OK. Hitting a dude because your shotgun or assault rifle sprays is OK. Putting three Sniper Rounds into a guy for walking into a door behind you is not cool. Putting a single slug into a guy's back because he is going to melee your trash zombies is not cool.

If you are on Expert, you check your shots because Friendly Fire is serious. If you are not on Expert, you check your shots because the Common Infected aren't so dangerous that you don't need to!

If a guy is REALLY firing(or hosing an area/horde rush), do not run in front of him except for the most dire of circumstances(shoving non-Charger SI, surviving a tough gauntlet, grabbing must-use bomb, etc.) It is not his fault if the second 10 of those 40 AK rounds hit you because you thought he was just pretending to shoot. He got the spot, he should be crouching, shoot over his head or side-by-side.

If you are on Advanced or Expert, you must prioritize crouching when possible if you know there are people behind you. If you are causing people to break the above rules, you are being a tool on point and may want to consider a lot of practice crouch-walking.

If you are incapped, you cannot friendly fire your teammates.


Point Conduct

Point is traditionally the target of most AI controlled Special Infected. You know the risks when you put on the Rambo Bandanna.

Point should readily attract trash attention and kill most garbage infected. Every one behind Point should not let zombies hit him from behind. He covers the front, you cover the sides, you cover his back.

Expert Point: Two guys with at least one melee and one shotgun, favor crouching over not crouching, the two behind should not be humping you but should hover close by. Maximum emphasis on not shooting your load over killing trash.


Health Conduct

If you get up from an incap and are Black and White, alert your friends. They can't tell unless they pay attention to the pick-up voice clip.

First Aid Kits are prioritized to "Black and White" Survivors.

You may plan around Defib use to subvert the above rule.

Use First Aid Kits as a preventative measure, not a repairing measure. You WILL be attacked within 20 seconds. Doubly important in Vs.

Pills give 50 temp HP. Adrenaline gives 25 temp HP.

Adrenaline lets you do anything with a "Time Meter" twice as fast. This is meaningful to recover from Tank near-wipes and similar multi-incap situations. It is even possible to help someone up while kiting a tank with practice.

Pills are the better choice if you are not familiar with or do not intend to specifically use Adrenaline. Adrenaline can make your controls feel "too lucid", and removes your ability to hear. Think of it as being unfamiliar with the Scout's excess speed.

Always communicate with your friends to plan around keeping alive. Again, heal before shit hits the fan, not during.


Common Infected

The easiest way to learn to deal with Common Infected is to practice with a Melee Weapon and a reliable "Primary Support" gun, i.e. Assault Rifle. Get used to taking a swing to kill everything in front of you and slightly to the sides, turning broadly, and sweeping again. Within 2-3 swings, you should clear any layer of zombies surrounding you.

Any Common Infected that strikes you will slow you down. As few as two can bring you to an effective halt.

Common Infected do 20 HP a swing on Expert. Any other difficulty it is wildly less. In VS, it is barely 2 HP a swing.

VS Priority is never being surrounded as a single person.

Expert Priority is destroying every Infected before it gets close enough to swing.

If you enter a new area and you see a bunch of idle zombies, these are usually Trash. They are distinct from Common Infected in that they are even easier to kill as they gradually "wake up", and cause a lot of cock-fighting where people hit each other trying to pad their scores.

Cleave a straight line through to a defensible point, keep an eye out for Special Infected, and clean out any stragglers that rush you from behind.

If you come to a halt in a defensible point and form a firing squad, be ready to temporarily reverse Point roles. Whoever is in front relative to the advancing commons crouches. Crouch in front, shoot overhead from the rear.

Do not ignore Common Infected. They become the most dangerous enemy in Expert and you are developing bad habits.

Do not ignore Common Infected hitting your friends. As long as you won't go ballistic and spray them with friendly fire, there is no reason not to help them clear off.

Common Infected should ideally be slain before they can begin melee swing animations, as 50% of these animations do not favor you hitting them before they hit you.

Do not stand near any spot where Common Infected can become "stuck", particularly above or below you. They can begin swinging automatically without animation.

Common Infected have their own sounds. Get used to them. You can become aware of when they've noticed you and "woken up." They will run at you shortly. You should be able to hear footsteps coming up behind you often. As in TF2 Heavy Play, you should have your mouse tuned to 180 effortlessly and deliver at least a shove.

Common Infected take a ridiculous number of shoves to kill. You can one-shot Trash(unaware, "asleep" CI) from behind, but this isn't L4D1 so don't bother.

When Common Infected die, they will not obstruct movement. Be sure you are not being hit from behind.


Special Infected

Survivors

Anyone actively being Special'd by a Special Infected is immune to friendly fire. Go fucking nuts on guys being crushed, pinned, choked and riden until they are freed.

The Charger cannot be shoved. Kill him with Guns or Melee.

Move horizontally away from a charge. Do not try to shoot him out of it "before" he gets to you.

Do not stand in spit to help someone up. Spit spreads from the impact spot. Get well clear of the area. When a Spitter dies, it produces a baby spot. If you melee a Spitter, keep moving away from the corpse.

The Jockey can be Shoved out of a ride, same as a Hunter pin.

The Boomer is not a race. If the Boomer has puked and missed his puke, he wants to hug you before you shoot him. You are not doing anyone a favor by making his dream come true. Shove him and immediately hit him. Prepare to be covered anyway.

Shove Smoker Victims if you cannot immediately take out the Smoker. Do not intentionally shoot at the tongue if a good shove is available.

Sniping a Smoker with the Uzi takes an unusually long time and the Shove is usually preferable if possible.

If a Smoker tongues you at point blank on level terrain, you may be able to shove him.

Shove Hunters if close. Shoot Hunters if not close. Stopping the Hunter's Pin is priority. When a Hunter pins a victim, he will shred them from full to incap to dead at the fastest possible rate. In comparison, a Smoker will do the same half as fast, a Charger will do the same a bit slower, and a Jockey will break off his ride at the Incap.

You cannot intentionally win a Melee "Race" against a pouncing Hunter or charging Charger. If it's in your hands and it's down to the second, by all means try, but do not bait such situations with false bravado.


Vs

The Charger is split between Offense and Support. If there is no chaos, he is a decent choice for starting it. If there is chaos, he is ideal for removing a green survivor from his friends. Especially if they must travel to that friend.

Remember that you charge until you would otherwise stop. The Charger is a very effective reverse Smoker for distancing Survivors.

It is better to charge at point-blank than to try and aim "Miracle" Charges that make you feel good.

The Spitter cannot move for a few seconds after spitting. This is why you "suddenly" die after your first spit. Practice spitting from hard to see spots or odd angles. It is worth dying to land a crucial spit. The Spitter is not made for Dick-Punching and recharges faster than the Boomer. It is better to stay alive and continually provide spit. Or in other words, do not suicide even against alert Survivors, but spit until it sticks.

The Jockey is almost entirely support. He works best in removing someone when everything else is going wrong(Tank attack, recovering an Incap, Boomer attack.)

If you ride a Survivor closer to the end of a level, they will get points until they incap. Don't let this stop you from taking an opportunity to get a good ride, though. Just be aware that if you have a choice of forward or back, you want to go back.

The Boomer's Puke is effectively melee range. His Death Boom is ridiculously wide and often bends space and time around terrain. The Puke is far less forgiving for anything being in the way.

The Boomer's Puke SWEEPS. It is a continuous stream, albeit a 1-2 second long one. If you are in melee range of two Survivors who are 90 degrees apart, tag one and swivel your mouse! You just might hit the other!

The Boomer is the most common wipe starter. He is best used in "Lose-Lose" scenarios. Sharp corners, dropping onto the ground, etc. Ideally, a Boomer should be seen as he's puking on someone and not before he is in melee range. Beware of walls that Survivors may shoot through.

For The Boomer, It is possible to cross a clear expanse of open air and reach melee, but do not assume you are meant to.

The Smoker is almost entirely support. He has a better chance of tagging and harassing stragglers and surviving than most. This is best done from behind.

The Hunter works best as support but may function as offense. His offense relies on being good enough to land damaging pounces or on being sly enough to inflict hits before he is killed. Pouncing a single Survivor when all three will kill you before damage occurs is a waste.


Killing Survivors

Any Survivor who is skilled with the Sniper Rifle will be a curse unto your Zombie House. Yes, they CAN aim that fast and reliably across open space.

The Special Infected must work as a team. Spawning one at a time and seeing if you can hurt somebody is a slow but steady loss. Coordinate multi-faceted attacks every chance you can.

When you attack is often defined by role and situation. In various situations, any Special Infected can begin chaos. In practical play, it is usually up to the Boomer and sometimes the Charger or Spitter to get things rolling. Most other SI will be instantly killed if identified, and usually instantly killed when immobilized in their Special Animation upon a victim.

Several levels are long enough that you will have multiple opportunities to produce a perfect incap. Patience is generally rewarded. When in doubt, wait for a Horde. Suicidal or Lone Dog behavior results in perpetually being a man down due to that 20 second respawn.

What makes the Boomer function so well as chaos starter is that biled Survivors cannot see the "shoot this red blob here to save your friend" outlines at all.

Coordinate, Coordinate, Coordinate.

Hunters, Jockeys, Chargers and Smokers can interrupt each other(though they will usually only bone the Smoker.) This is why you coordinate. It is better to call for a Jockey to finish a Survivor off than to apologize for breaking a perfectly fatal tongue.

It is better to lose Tank control to frustration than to play a bad Tank. But typically you are not afforded much chance to practice, so this only applies if you find yourself in a truly insurmountable situation.



Tank Conduct

If the Tank is lit on fire by a Molotov, he will automatically die within 30 seconds. All you have to do is kite him. He does not need to be shot to speed up the process, he cannot out-run a Survivor above 40 HP, and his rocks are not magical homing projectiles. Let him burn out. The only exception is if he actually submerges himself and puts the fire out, which is a super rare thing short of habitual Swamp Fever play.

The Tank moves slightly slower than a non-limping survivor.  This can be further abused by proper kiting. Forcing the Tank to go around things in wide corners or to constantly change height levels will slow it further.

When the Tank throws a rock, either take cover(and stand a bit behind that cover so as to not test how accurate the impact physics feel like being) or be prepared to dodge. An AI Tank will track you until the very second it actually throws the rock. Once the rock is thrown, it is a straight line projectile. You will get hit if you try to run or strafe the entire time. Sudden changes in direction should do the trick, ideally when the rock is thrown.

If you are not limping, there is no reason to be hit by a Tank short of getting stuck on terrain or bad luck in trying to gun it down without a Molotov.


The Witch

Day Witches have a hilariously small aggro radius, but wide patrols.

You cannot crown the Witch on any difficulty above normal.
You cannot crown the Witch on any difficulty above normal.
You cannot crown the Witch on any difficulty above normal.
You cannot crown the Witch on any difficulty above normal.
You cannot crown the Witch on any difficulty above normal.

If you are not playing VS, avoiding the Witch is the default plan.

If the Witch cannot be avoided and you are not on Expert(or have a Defib), have your weakest member provoke it.

Be aware that if the Witch is provoked and THEN lit on fire by a different source, it may incap the different source instead.

Lighting the Witch on fire can help with a clean kill but is not necessary, particularly if the Survivors are competent in aim.

In a VS situation, the Witch is a highly interesting variable that the Special Infected should capitalize upon immediately, because the best Survivor etiquette is to get as far away from it as possible. Do not assume you will not be carried back to her if at all possible.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Niku on February 22, 2010, 09:05:15 AM
The only correction I can think of off hand is that you can tell when your friend is black and white if you're nearby them when they recover.  Listen to their sound clips, and you'll know the ones that mean they're on the verge of death.  If they don't start using a medpack, then use yours on them to save them from their own stupidity.  It's not like you're finishing the round if they don't call out when they're about to die anyway.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on February 22, 2010, 09:10:10 AM
Oh yeah, true. But in general, sound clips won't play every time anyway. Communication is ridiculously key. There have also been way too many times when we've noticed that somebody died when they should have incapped and they didn't feel like asking for the last medkit, I guess!

Also applies to calling out when you're under SI attack. Sometimes GET IT OFF ME AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA doesn't play?!
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Niku on February 22, 2010, 09:29:59 AM
oh right also

THE TANK MUSIC CUE IS SUPER LOUD AND OBVIOUS

IF YOU HEAR IT AND ARE AT LIMP DAMAGE, HEAL FUCKING IMMEDIATELY UNLESS YOU HAVE NO ITEMS, BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT HAVE THE CHANCE ONCE THE TANK ENGAGES THE GROUP
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on February 22, 2010, 09:30:43 AM
I will be so happy if even one green-health person stops trying to rambo the Tank once we've already lit it on fire.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Saturn on February 22, 2010, 10:19:23 AM
i do not know if this is still the case in L4D2, but in 1 setting the tank ablaze increased his speed (except in versus) but you could counter said increase by shooting at him.

regardless, if you cant shoot safely DONT.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Niku on February 22, 2010, 08:57:58 PM
ARTILLERY TANK
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on February 22, 2010, 09:00:50 PM
Now tonight was a night! Full In-House VS on Dark Carnival.

A friend of a friend got invited, just some dude right. First round, he demonstrates that he likes to run ahead to the safe-room and abandon every one of his teammates. Fine, whatever, we all can't be perfect.

Second round(Carousel to Safe-Room Gauntlet) he does it again. He sprints to the safe-room while his teammates are being mobbed by commons and sniped by specials. We yell at him that we're behind.

Awww man and it starts. He tells us we're too damn slow. We get into it with him that he needs to stop separating from the group. Then he starts the "bluh bluh I'll play bad for you noobs" shit, so I yell at him.

So he gets louder. So I get louder. Apologies for me being a real loud prick, but well... I can't back down from another douche. It's like territorial predators and shit, man.

Ahh man, so we both hate each other and now he's like BLUH BLUH YOU FAGGOTS YOU PUSSIES. Keep talking, man, keep talking.

We do our Infected round.

Next survivor round... me and Niku shotgun mafia execute his dumbass.

So he gets all quiet. He types.

"fine."

"do what you want."

"i'll still occupy this slot."

I DON'T THINK SO, TIM.

VOTE-KICK

aaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahaha. Then we got Norondor and we rocked the house and THROW ROCKS, KICK DOUCHES, LEFT 4 FRIEND, THE LIFE.

:3 I got the first Tank on the Dark Carni finale.. climbed to the top of the stage, and pitched rocks at the Survivors using the bleachers strategy. I'd like to think they were entirely unaware of my location until that first rock hit. I think at least four rocks hit! Oh man, it's true, the advice I got was golden. Artillery Tank is the tits.

Also, I'd like to think the teams were kinda reasonable and even tonight! Good sign!
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bleck on February 22, 2010, 09:03:08 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2f_bWs5A1s is the best Tank music.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: McDohl on February 22, 2010, 09:06:25 PM
Maybe one of these nights, I'll manage to go an entire night without improperly killing a Boomer.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on February 22, 2010, 09:18:52 PM
MELEE BOOMER, THEN SHOOT

After a while McDohl learned to not get our entired team boomed, so he is learning. But until he learns, he will be a huge liability. ::(:

It was obvious how the match was going to go, but at least it wasn't our team being stomped to death. We had fun.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Niku on February 22, 2010, 09:49:11 PM
See, the actual score in L4D2 VS is about as relevant as the score at the top of the board in TF2.  I mean yeah, you win overall, great, but it's really about every individual match, and the rounds all felt pretty great tonight!
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: on February 22, 2010, 11:54:23 PM
Sorry I couldn't play tonight! I am pleased that you thought to invite me!

I will try to get my homework done in a more orderly fashion.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: on February 23, 2010, 03:26:06 AM
Huh. Glitches abound on a Hard Rain run with a friend new to the game. First, one of the NPCs startled the witch...who promptly ran around in the middle of a horde, hitting no one, for a few minutes...and then promptly ran upwards and then STRAIGHT Through all the scenery. ANd then the music stopped.

Later on, a tank was spotted before the music started on top of the pipes in Episode 3. I scream TANK! and the music starts.

And...it...vanishes?

It appears on a rooftop, half stuck in a wall, several buildings away. It's picked off hilariously easy.

And on the way to the boat when it came, I got stuck in the ground.

How very, very bizzare.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Defenestration on February 23, 2010, 03:59:09 AM
An AI Tank will track you until the very second it actually throws the rock. Once the rock is thrown, it is a straight line projectile.
My own observations in L4D2 have shown there is most definitely an arc on boulders. Use a tank on the Rock Show finale and throw a few at least half the distance of the stadium and it's very apparent.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on February 23, 2010, 07:18:08 AM
The AI tank throws rocks in an arc. It's just that they have laser precision so you never really notice.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on February 23, 2010, 07:41:48 AM
The AI tank is no berserker. He is an engine of destruction combined with a ballistics computer.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Niku on February 23, 2010, 08:29:31 AM
Yeah, I saw an AI Tank moving to throw a boulder at me, turned and began running to the left while at green health, and he lead me so that the boulder smacked right into me.  I hate you, Expert Tank.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Royal☭ on February 23, 2010, 09:31:28 AM
Yeah, AI Tank is a cheating bitch.

Also, last night featured all special infected hitting the survivors to the ground over and over again right at the safe room door for about 5 minutes.  It was totally epic, as just as one would be helped up, a well timed spitter blast would knock down the other.  A steady combination of chargers, smokers, jockeys and spitters managed to keep them all from entering the door, before they eventually left Niku for dead and closed the door.  It was incredible.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Niku on February 23, 2010, 09:41:05 AM
entirely because byah! was a douchebag, too.  doom forgot to mention the screaming match going on during that part where he was dicking around constantly and making actually picking everybody up basically impossible, nevermind that the situation never would have happened if he hadn't run ahead and gotten jockeyed.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on February 23, 2010, 12:49:08 PM
If you want to hear me call you a retard and get authentically pissed, watch me and an incap get attacked seven times in a row without actually covering us.

But yeah I'm glad that night ended so well after me and Niku took out the trash.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on February 23, 2010, 09:31:31 PM
They call me King Jockey on account a' the time I rode a feller back to his safe-room and other such miraculous rides.

There should be a life-time ride time achievement that awards a tiny cowboy hat.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Defenestration on February 24, 2010, 10:48:16 PM
I wish I wasn't busy when games were happening :(
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: MadMAxJr on February 25, 2010, 07:52:55 PM
Thanks for the invite Smiler.

I think I finally had one decent tank run!  I am still really bad at Charger and Hunter.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on February 25, 2010, 07:59:31 PM
Pretty much all of the infected take a lot of getting used to. Nice tank though.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bleck on February 26, 2010, 07:55:10 AM
I think Tank might be the easiest to play. All you have to do is run around and punch things, and you don't have to worry about dying in one hit!
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Niku on February 26, 2010, 08:33:22 AM
Which also makes it the most frustrating if you don't actually accomplish anything.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: MadMAxJr on February 26, 2010, 09:41:40 AM
So is there any point to throwing rocks?
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Niku on February 26, 2010, 10:10:03 AM
If you can actually hit with them, then that person will be open to the full fury of your fantastic fists.  It's really best when used in wide open areas if you think you can get the shot off and the survivors are all at decent enough health that they're just going to keep kiting you.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on February 26, 2010, 10:15:34 AM
In most cases the rock is useless. It leaves you sitting around for survivors to pelt you with bullets. I guess I underestimate rocks a lot though because it seems like most people don't know how to dodge them! It's pretty easy: hide behind a tree, or practically anything that isn't usually destructible. A door won't save you, but a park bench will.

Or circle strafe. Whichever floats your boat.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on February 26, 2010, 10:19:01 AM
Oh and I forgot ALL YOU CHUMPS GOT LEFT 4 DEAD BY FOOTBALL YEAH!




Edit: I am installing the shit out of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIb-u4gg4u8
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on February 26, 2010, 12:20:07 PM
Chuck rocks to force stand-offs or to prevent yourself from being kited.

If you are between the survivors and their path of advancement in a one-way tunnel sort of way, you can just set up shop and chuck rocks down the tunnel at any one who pokes their head out. Call for your friends to go to work. Gorilla in and mop them up when something sticks, or hit them with another rock when they're a lot more stationary.

If you can pull off a Surprise Rock, then by all means. Top of the Stage, Dark Carnival Finale for life, yo.

Obviously, if you identify a guy who can't dodge a rock to save his life, hey, free incap.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: NexAdruin on February 26, 2010, 09:39:03 PM
Today while playing the chapter of Swamp Fever where you have to lower a bridge between two shacks I got a continuous horde that followed us to the safe room. In Dead Center's 3rd chapter we got a continuous horde that lasted the entire playtime and we died just outside the safe house, where we found a tank waiting for us. In the finale of Dead Center, we got a Jimmy Gibbs zombie which is incredibly rare and has the HP of a tank. All of this on normal.

Good times.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Torgo on February 26, 2010, 11:16:12 PM
So has everyone pretty much moved onto L4D2 at this point?  I only have the original and I ain't payin' full price for the sequel when I know I can get it for at least half off when it inevitably goes on sale.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: NexAdruin on February 27, 2010, 09:38:31 AM
So has everyone pretty much moved onto L4D2 at this point?  I only have the original and I ain't payin' full price for the sequel when I know I can get it for at least half off when it inevitably goes on sale.

Wait for a sale (I saw it for $30 once already, so this isn't outside the realm of possibility). In the meantime, I'll play L4D1 with you every now and then if you'd like. My steam name is [GHS]NexAdruin.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: McDohl on March 01, 2010, 07:40:15 PM
7...fucking...points.

I blame niku for crashing his game and making us lose.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Niku on March 01, 2010, 07:58:29 PM
I blame McDohl for not being man enough to be as good as two players in my brief absence.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Cannon on March 04, 2010, 07:55:16 PM
It turns out a Charger can fly, if it believes in itself.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on March 04, 2010, 09:36:15 PM
I have to high-five Niku for incapping a dude by falling onto him.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: McDohl on March 05, 2010, 05:30:43 AM
It's amazing!  When I'm not on a team with Saxton Hale, I get to be the tanks! :whoops:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: McDohl on March 05, 2010, 08:10:04 AM
Also, hats off to Doom last night.  Epic charge at the start of the tunnel of love.  Smashed in to me and bowled the other three over. :oh: :painful:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Cannon on March 05, 2010, 06:35:58 PM
It's amazing!  When I'm not on a team with Saxton Hale, I get to be the tanks! :whoops:

I do believe that's just the AI Director realizing you're honked off, McDohl. He wants you to have Fun, in the end. Awww.

I say this without sass, however. Playing Infected in Vs. is basically Trolling with Mutants: The Video Game. So yeah, it's going to be a few more games before I can get schooled like a man. I assure you this is true of every online game I play which I am terrible at (psst! It's pretty much all of them!).

Getting Boomed while on my back, though? Still utterly hilarious. Throw some Spitter acid on me next time, and you'll kill me with laughter as I die in-game. No more Cannon for you, Survivor team! You are cut off!

Who was the Hunter that was foiling my amazing melee skills by, oh, running in a broad circle over and over? You're not helping my frail gamer ego.

I am quite fond of Ellis. I'm sure that living in a North Carolinian mountain town does not factor into this at all.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on March 09, 2010, 07:08:33 PM
Once again I am the Footballest.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Cannon on March 10, 2010, 07:48:38 PM
I am Niku's best friend, it seems.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on March 10, 2010, 07:51:16 PM
Sorry, but U FOOTBALLIN' AWFUL.

No hard feelings though.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Cannon on March 10, 2010, 07:55:41 PM
Thanks for "being nice," regardless. I'm sure Niku can appreciate it, by extension.

So yeah, we got to the chopper this time. Guess who didn't make it, Brontoforums?



Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on March 10, 2010, 08:11:59 PM
Guess who didn't get to the chopper because he wanted to be a hero and FUMBLED! Well, at least you saved Niku for us.

(http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/2909/mgs3ed01.jpg)
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: EvaKisu on March 10, 2010, 08:19:52 PM
I had fun, my first kill, or more so.. first attack as a hunter, and I kill! Glorious.


Sorry it had to be you though, Niku. No hard feelings. : )
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Niku on March 10, 2010, 09:08:15 PM
Thanks for "being nice," regardless. I'm sure Niku can appreciate it, by extension.

So yeah, we got to the chopper this time. Guess who didn't make it, Brontoforums?

Someday, you will learn that when I start screaming to be saved, you simply run.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Joxam on March 11, 2010, 10:07:11 AM
I got to tank twice last night! Twice!
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Cannon on March 11, 2010, 04:37:33 PM
Last night was the first time that I was a Tank. Grunting "Cannon smash!" turns out to be satisfying as well as predictable!

I think I had my best Boomer ambush then, too, even if it was just one Survivor that got coated. I can puke from windows better if I try.

Someday, you will learn that when I start screaming to be saved, you simply run.

I'll also learn that the job of a Spitter isn't to kill Jockeys mid-ride. Or... At all.

I wasn't aware that the game's title was the object when we play Survivors! Silly, stupid me! Next game of Versus, I'll just ragequit in the form of a self-inflicted grenade round or pipe bomb.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on March 11, 2010, 04:52:15 PM
No no no. When we play FOOTBALL, you better play FOOTBALL, or else you will be Left 4 Dead.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Cannon on March 11, 2010, 06:18:53 PM
Now I'm just confused.

Anyway, that was the most fun I ever had being punched off a third floor balcony.

"Up the stairs. C'mon, up. Go, go, g-DOWN THE STAIRS. DOWN."
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Royal☭ on March 11, 2010, 07:03:02 PM
Such a satisfying punch, too.   Sent you flying, I nearly died laughing.

My skills at tank have changed the lament from "Oh, Saxton Hale is the tank again!" to "YES, SAXTON IS GOD TANK" and then everyone dies.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Royal☭ on March 13, 2010, 12:40:56 PM
Most Epic Victory:

While winning the third round of Dead Center so hard, we managed to make the guy hosting the server RAGE QUIT while we were 5 feet from the safe room, which resulted in everyone being kicked to lobby!  RAGE CRASH!
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Niku on March 15, 2010, 07:17:47 PM
There is only one true Football.

Yeah.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on March 16, 2010, 10:50:07 AM
Dream Team will commit Football in all Expert Campaigns! YEAH!
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on March 17, 2010, 06:13:13 PM
So it turns out that Footballing every level as Survivors is fool-proof wins in VS.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Joxam on March 19, 2010, 03:38:07 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SXNaCe6NZE&feature=grec
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on March 19, 2010, 06:43:43 AM
It's nice, but I am going to make the RIGHT version, that has the beginning of the song. What kind of dick does that?
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on March 20, 2010, 06:55:24 PM
One of the original survivors is supposed to die in The Passing. I'm betting on Louis.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: patito on March 20, 2010, 07:03:07 PM
it will be Bill and he will pass on to the TF2 Valhalla and becomes the civilian.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Cannon on March 22, 2010, 05:22:52 PM
hay guys wats

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45fOEXRC-Y4
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on March 23, 2010, 03:12:46 PM
L4D2 is on sale for 25 bucks until Thursday. Seeing as how I bought it during the Christmas sale for about 34, it's a pretty good deal.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Royal☭ on March 29, 2010, 06:16:58 PM
FOOTBALL can finish 2 complete versus rounds in an hour.  Plus, it sorts out the wheat from the chafe.  Team Hale had a pubbie who was down with the football!  Team Doom had a guy who bitched about how "Doom was retarded" and finally raged when I started calling him BONER MAN.

This is why American football is best!
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on April 16, 2010, 08:34:47 PM
The Passing next week.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on April 16, 2010, 08:51:17 PM
"Next week."
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on April 17, 2010, 09:16:59 AM
Nothing inconsistent found when consulting known Valve Time (http://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Valve_Time) anomalies.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: McDohl on April 17, 2010, 09:50:15 PM
That last round of Dead Center was pretty fantastic.  :whoops:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: EvaKisu on April 17, 2010, 09:53:01 PM
You freaking person. That's all.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: NexAdruin on April 17, 2010, 09:53:29 PM
That entire campaign went poorly for you guys. I was joined by a PRO GAMER DUDE and two silent people and at least half your team was drunk. It was fun, though.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: McDohl on April 17, 2010, 09:55:23 PM
I loved the end.  "SAXTON HALE, I'M HELPING YOU UP! *thwack thwack thwack*

<Charger> WRUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH
<McDohl> Hey mr charger!  I'm gonna be your friend!  Let me bash you in the face!
<Charger> WRURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGHH
*Charger incapacitated TyrMcDohl
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: EvaKisu on April 17, 2010, 09:55:45 PM
hah, yeah.   the last round.. I think we just gave up. Hence the beating each other.

YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE.
 :hellamad:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: NexAdruin on April 17, 2010, 09:58:37 PM
My favorite part was when I got an achievement for pounding Eva into the ground forever while McDohl stood next to us healing.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: McDohl on April 17, 2010, 10:00:36 PM
Then I killed you, and pounded Eva in to the floor some more before helping her up. 
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bleck on April 17, 2010, 11:39:57 PM
I got an achievement for pounding Eva into the ground forever while McDohl stood next to us

Sounds like my kind of game. :suave:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kayin on April 18, 2010, 12:39:56 AM
If this was the actual game I'd play it!
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Royal☭ on April 22, 2010, 07:47:16 AM
Goddamn Valve time.  I want The Passing to be downloaded by the time I get home!  Goddamn this slight inconvenience for free things!
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on April 22, 2010, 08:58:57 AM
I HATE YOUR VEST!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSZTI4W8xts
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: NexAdruin on April 22, 2010, 01:39:31 PM
I sure do love these 16KB/s download speeds...
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on April 22, 2010, 02:08:04 PM
Change your download location. I'm getting 250kbps right now.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: NexAdruin on April 22, 2010, 03:33:49 PM
It sped up after a little while.

I like The Passing a lot. Better version of The Bridge, and good use of weather effects etc. Not real happy with who they picked to kill off, but whatever.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bongo Bill on April 22, 2010, 04:00:45 PM
I picked this up because it is available for $cheap. I will probably play campaigns only on Pussy and Ultra Pussy difficulty levels.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Doom on April 22, 2010, 05:06:27 PM
That was kind of the worst narrative I've ever seen.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on April 22, 2010, 05:09:46 PM
Heh, fuck you guys, go start the generator.

*Start the generator*

Okay guys take this car, bye.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Royal☭ on April 22, 2010, 05:11:25 PM
Turns out my jerk friends are jerks.    ::(:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on April 22, 2010, 05:12:46 PM
Sorry, but when you yell ZAMBIES and then leave for like an hour we are going to start without you.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Royal☭ on April 22, 2010, 05:49:56 PM
FOOTB-


That was over quick.  Kind of disappointing.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on April 22, 2010, 05:51:14 PM
I am the MVP.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on April 22, 2010, 07:45:26 PM
Salvage event is hard.

Also, they didn't "pick" someone to kill, the voice actor declined to return.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on April 22, 2010, 08:15:01 PM
I finished it on single player, normal. I'd have played online on advanced but my frame rate is so bad that playing with other people more or less qualifies as a dick move.

So yeah, I probably would have enjoyed it more had it not been a slideshow, but it's still more of the same. I did like [spoiler]the bride[/spoiler] though, that was kind of a cool moment.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: NexAdruin on April 22, 2010, 08:22:02 PM
Salvage event is hard.

Also, they didn't "pick" someone to kill, the voice actor declined to return.

Yeah I've heard a lot of rumors about Jim French, including that he was arrested for armed robbery.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on April 22, 2010, 08:36:33 PM
Salvage event is hard.

Also, they didn't "pick" someone to kill, the voice actor declined to return.

Yeah I've heard a lot of rumors about Jim French, including that he was arrested for armed robbery.

I could have sworn I heard he died.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: patito on April 22, 2010, 08:39:03 PM
Rumor clarified after over 100 hours on the l4d forums. (http://sleekupload.com/uploads/5/boss_1.jpg)
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: patito on April 22, 2010, 08:40:38 PM
On the other hand I'm just so glad that he decided to join in on the boycott of l4d2.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on April 22, 2010, 09:26:35 PM
The canon explanation for the survivor's death will be that no one from L4D1 knows how to use a defib.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kayin on April 22, 2010, 09:31:35 PM
Today I finally deleted local content. Don't need new updates taking away even more harddrive space.

Rocco's Russian Teen Test 3, here I come!

edit: I think what this really means is I need a secondary harddrive.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bleck on April 22, 2010, 11:25:16 PM
no toilet is safe from toilet pooping dave
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bongo Bill on April 23, 2010, 12:25:45 AM
So I'm getting the Source engine stutter bug really bad.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on April 23, 2010, 12:34:05 AM
Valve has commented that that's just an unavoidable side effect of how they pipeline sound and video. Are you running a multi-core processor? That seems to help. I honestly don't remember the last time it happened to me. I don't think L4D, either game, has ever done it to me.

Is it during the game, during loading, during framerate drops?
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: on April 23, 2010, 12:40:57 AM
The cannon explanation for the survivor's death will be that no one from L4D1 knows how to use a defib.
:rage:

Quote from: Some transformers thing
Cannons should not be confused with:

    * Canon, the story material which is considered to affect the overall continuity.

    * Canon, the story material which is considered to affect the overall continuity.

    * Canon, the story material which is considered to affect the overall continuity.

    * CANON AND CANNON ARE DIFFERENT FREAKING WORDS, AND IF YOU TELL US ABOUT HOW SOME STORY IS "NOT CANNON" ONE MORE TIME, WE WILL MURDER YOU.
    * With a CANNON.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bongo Bill on April 23, 2010, 02:26:13 AM
Valve has commented that that's just an unavoidable side effect of how they pipeline sound and video. Are you running a multi-core processor? That seems to help. I honestly don't remember the last time it happened to me. I don't think L4D, either game, has ever done it to me.

Is it during the game, during loading, during framerate drops?

I've got a quad-core CPU, yeah. It's during gameplay, and it's quite annoying because it happens when there's the most time-sensitive things going on. Maybe it'd help if I ran it fullscreen instead of windowed...?
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Royal☭ on April 23, 2010, 05:44:13 AM
On reflection, my disappointment with this level comes from expecting it to be like the Ravenholme levels from Half-Life 2.  The way Valve was playing up the two survivor teams meeting, it really felt like the two would be working together, with the players navigating the map while the other team showed up to help out occasionally.  Instead the scenario involves finding the longest way to get over the bridge because the original survivors are dicks.

Also drives me nuts that the map seems to take place after Dead Center or not at all, instead of continuing with what happened after the Parish.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on April 23, 2010, 06:19:50 AM
:rage:

Oh no I accidentally tapped n twice now Lyrai will never talk to me again.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Niku on April 23, 2010, 07:22:27 AM
but thou must
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on April 23, 2010, 10:07:55 AM
It was known from the very beginning that it would take place between Dead Centre and Dark Carnival.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: NexAdruin on April 23, 2010, 02:06:37 PM
There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of room left for anything after The Parish. Helicopter crash has been done not once, but twice now. Also, The Passing is just Left 4 Dead 2's Crash Course, so like Crash Course it's going to come between campaigns 1 and 2.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: NexAdruin on April 24, 2010, 07:15:08 AM
Can someone tell me why I'm going to have to wait weeks just to get around to my favorite mutations? If the game mode works, why not just let everyone play it whenever they want?
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on April 24, 2010, 07:27:25 AM
To keep the game fresh. If you let everyone get what they want, they will try all of the modes and get tired of them, or they will just stick to the one they like. It'd also spread out the playerbase more, making it even harder to play maps that not many people play.

I wish versus realism would stay like this forever. Our perfected football technique can trump any team that actually cares about one another.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Royal☭ on April 24, 2010, 09:35:03 AM
Yeah, seriously.  For whatever reason, FOOTBALL just succeeds at versus realism in a way that regular teamwork doesn't.  Was fucking perfect when Smiler managed to knock Rochelle into the ocean last night, followed by all of us taking them down.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on April 24, 2010, 09:51:23 AM
Oh shit, that was the best part. I was expecting a good ole' fashioned invisible wall, but nope! Rochelle got to have a nice swim.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Defenestration on April 24, 2010, 09:35:59 PM
There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of room left for anything after The Parish. Helicopter crash has been done not once, but twice now. Also, The Passing is just Left 4 Dead 2's Crash Course, so like Crash Course it's going to come between campaigns 1 and 2.
There's always the escape from the military facility for carriers after being poked and prodded like lab rats and they AIN'T TAKING IT NO MORE
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: NexAdruin on April 25, 2010, 05:08:07 AM
There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of room left for anything after The Parish. Helicopter crash has been done not once, but twice now. Also, The Passing is just Left 4 Dead 2's Crash Course, so like Crash Course it's going to come between campaigns 1 and 2.
There's always the escape from the military facility for carriers after being poked and prodded like lab rats and they AIN'T TAKING IT NO MORE

That would work if this wasn't a game about surviving the Zompacolypse. Left 4 Dead wouldn't work well if there were actual people shooting back at you. Besides, Valve is trying to keep the story in Left 4 Dead to a minimum (or at least they were; lately it seems like story is becoming a bigger focus).
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: on April 25, 2010, 05:29:42 AM
They always wanted the story to be told piecemeal to you.

We just have more of it now, and the pieces being revealed to us connect a lot of things, so those seem bigger by comparison.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Ziiro on April 26, 2010, 09:16:06 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_p5nlXPFFhI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_p5nlXPFFhI)
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bleck on April 26, 2010, 10:38:56 PM
I can't wait for someone to figure out how I can make this the actual game.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: NexAdruin on April 30, 2010, 12:08:33 PM
The latest poll on L4D2 asks if they should make Realism VS a permanently available game mode, since everyone seemed to love it so much last week. To vote yes, click "Blog Post" in the main menu and the poll buttons will be on the right hand side of the screen.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Royal☭ on April 30, 2010, 04:05:49 PM
Also the new mutation is Football
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: NexAdruin on April 30, 2010, 04:24:32 PM
So, I get to the end of The Passing, chapter 2. Everyone's dead but me. I'm down to twenty health. I make it right inside the safe room...




And there's a motherfucking Jockey waiting for me.

Fuck this mutation.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Büge on May 07, 2010, 10:02:21 AM
:;_;:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on May 07, 2010, 02:09:27 PM
Football mode added to L4D2 forever.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: NexAdruin on May 07, 2010, 03:18:21 PM
Football mode added to L4D2 forever.

by Football mode he means Realism VS. Bleed Out, which also encourages FOOTBALL, is still a mutation.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Royal☭ on May 07, 2010, 03:35:57 PM
Bleed Out was so terrible.  The new one is kind of eh.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: NexAdruin on May 07, 2010, 03:59:43 PM
I don't like the new one because I played one round and my team was absolutely horrible.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: NexAdruin on May 14, 2010, 12:43:04 PM
The new mutation is football in that you have to carry a gnome throughout.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: McDohl on May 14, 2010, 06:59:36 PM
Dead Center.

Crowned the Witch.

ON ECKSBAWKS.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: McDohl on May 15, 2010, 03:43:18 PM
Cannon and I played Dark Carnival today.

The game seemed to love giving us Witches, we had one on every stage except the finale.

I MURDERED THEM ALL. :glee:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: NexAdruin on May 15, 2010, 03:47:13 PM
The first time my friend played Left 4 Dead was No Mercy on easy.

Eight witches in five chapters.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Royal☭ on May 16, 2010, 07:05:58 PM
Ha ha, Valve is crafty.  BEST mutation gets put in as real game mode, followed by them repeating one of the last 3 shitty game modes.  We were promised chain saw fight, when will we get chainsaw fight?
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: NexAdruin on May 16, 2010, 07:13:05 PM
I wish you guys played L4D2 as often as ShMo got started up.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Cannon on May 16, 2010, 07:43:42 PM
I'm pretty sure that Kayin would have an aneurysm, though.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: NexAdruin on May 16, 2010, 07:55:02 PM
Most of the Left 4 Dead bros have been pretty infrequent on ShMo anyway.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: NexAdruin on May 16, 2010, 08:33:06 PM
Custom Map Time!

Left 4 Dead 1 Survival:
Dismember the Alamo (http://www.l4dmaps.com/details.php?file=3008) - This is an amazing map and I wish a Left 4 Dead 2 version would be released. It's really easy to last a long time because the map is large and the horde spreads out instead of focusing entirely on the survivors, but it's still really fun to play.
Helm's Deep (http://www.l4dmaps.com/details.php?file=1274) - Absolutely enormous map. Whoever made this has too much time on their hands. Fun to play around on, though. Doesn't feel like Left 4 Dead.

Left 4 Dead 2 Survival:
Resort to Violence (http://www.l4dmaps.com/details.php?file=4314) - Hotel-type resort area. It's alright, but not amazing or anything. Does not feel like Left 4 Dead.
Le Village 2 (http://www.l4dmaps.com/details.php?file=3679) - This map is beautiful, but it is poorly optimized and needs more weapons. Most of the space goes unused.
Back to Blood Harvest (http://www.l4dmaps.com/details.php?file=3947) - Two new maps + Last Stand with L4D2 weapons.*
Tears From Heaven (http://www.l4dmaps.com/details.php?file=4578) - Like Le Village 2, but a little bit better. Has a lot of stuff that seems randomly placed but makes for varied gameplay.
*One of the maps is a remake of the farmhouse finale wherein you wait for six minutes to unlock a gas can to pour into a generator to ride an elevator up to a platform. You can't get down from the platform once you go up, and you can use any gas can to activate the generator.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: McDohl on May 21, 2010, 08:56:54 PM
Amazing games tonight on Versus.

Envy was a heroic hunter, I got in a few beautiful booms, and our pubbie buddy who's become ONE OF US shot a few amazing smokes.

I've never been on a team before that had as much synergy as we had tonight.

My favorite moment

Dead Center, final stage.  There's a charger behind us before we get on the elevator, and we manage to close the elevator before he can get to us.

SORRY.  THIS ONE'S FULL, YOU CAN GET THE NEXT ONE.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Cannon on May 21, 2010, 09:12:11 PM
I know it's kind of like a rite of passage in regards to Dead Center, but... You did charge a dude right through a window. It should be an achievement in and of itself, still... LET THE DATE BE MARKED.

As for teamwork?

(http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u47/aratiel/powerrangers-pteradactyl.jpg)

Looks like that kaiju needs to be covered in corrosive saliva!
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: NexAdruin on May 25, 2010, 08:22:23 PM
I love servers that have mods like taking pills while you are on the ground and invisible jockeys etc¡*

*¡ is a punctuation mark meaning "this sentence is meant in a sarcastic manner!"
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on May 31, 2010, 06:25:57 AM
We had a good run of the Parish finale where I was sitting in the chopper laughing at Soup for dying when a charger runs into the chopper and murders me.

KARMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!   :MENDOZAAAAA:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: NexAdruin on June 04, 2010, 02:44:19 PM
L4D2 Last Man On Earth - Wicked Witches (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9vnOev4T6Q#ws)

Also, chainsaws.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Ziiro on June 04, 2010, 03:13:37 PM
Wait... [spoiler]What killed him? Was it the witch or something in that room?[/spoiler] :wat:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: NexAdruin on June 04, 2010, 03:49:11 PM
The witch. He didn't jump through the window fast enough.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bongo Bill on June 04, 2010, 08:52:48 PM
A fan-made campaign, I Hate Mountains (http://www.ihatemountains.com/), for L4D1 and 2.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on June 05, 2010, 07:51:40 PM
RIP Saxton Hale. Too bad he died on the helicopter.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Royal☭ on June 05, 2010, 07:54:09 PM
That was some wicked kung-fu treachery.

Also on Thursday Valve added the best game mode possible.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Smiler on June 07, 2010, 07:20:56 PM
That was a great run I had. I was so lonely inside the helicopter because Soup is SO SLOW
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Ziiro on September 14, 2010, 02:59:20 PM
Left 4 Dead Comic (http://www.l4d.com/comic/)

Pretty incredible. I can't wait for the rest.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on October 05, 2010, 10:53:25 AM
The Sacrifice has launched, along with the last part of the comic wherein we discover that Bill is the best character just like I always said (http://www.l4d.com/sacrifice/index.html#main_scroll/)

Also all iterations of Left 4 Dead 1 and 2 are 66% off.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on October 06, 2010, 06:22:34 AM
Just played through The Sacrifice. The last map is the same as the last map of The Passing, but you come at it from a different direction, and it's earlier in the day. Not sure how I feel about that. I guess the old survivors are still waiting for it to be safe to take their boat through. Great campaign nonetheless. Next up is to play improved No Mercy.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on October 06, 2010, 12:37:53 PM
No Mercy's pretty much the same as far as I've seen, except for the main building of the finale. The ground floor is empty except for the radio, the back staircase is now outdoors, the supply stash is on the the roof, and the second story "shed" is entirely gone. It's a whole lot more exposed and there are no closets anymore; IMO it's what it should have been all along.

The L4D2 equipment is good to have without being game-breaking. It feels like it's always been there. And there are fireproof zombies and construction worker zombies in appropriate areas.

Looking back, the biggest gameplay difference between the two games may very well be the Spitter. All the parts where I've suddenly, viscerally realized "this ain't L4D1 anymore" were moments where we were trying to hold a corridor or other such chokepoint and suddenly found ourselves knee deep in goo.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on October 06, 2010, 01:21:41 PM
Sounds like the VS version of the No Mercy rooftop that always existed.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: François on October 06, 2010, 02:37:21 PM
...guess I haven't played VS there then. :whoops:
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Royal☭ on October 06, 2010, 06:21:07 PM
Also I am dumbstruck at how "Everybody is a tank" ends up being a totally terrible mutation.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on October 07, 2010, 04:21:50 AM
I'm not terribly surprised. It might be fun for the tanks for a little bit, but being/fighting the tank is a huge crescendo/crisis event in the game most of the time, and just having it happen all the time cheapens it.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Royal☭ on October 07, 2010, 04:25:33 AM
It's not that.  It's actually worse for the tanks, because you don't get to pick where you spawn from.  So if you spawn ahead of the survivors, you get a chance to fight them.  If you spawn behind them, the tank run speed is slow enough that it's impossible to catch up with them unless they hit an even that stops them.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: NexAdruin on October 10, 2010, 04:53:23 AM
So now that No Mercy is officially ported to Left 4 Dead 2, and there are unofficial ports of every other Left 4 Dead campaign, and both games are the same price, why would anyone buy Left 4 Dead 1?

Are the system reqs even higher for L4D2?
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Niku on October 10, 2010, 05:27:27 AM
Because L4D1 cast > L4D2 cast, though both have their charms.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Royal☭ on October 10, 2010, 05:38:05 AM
Well, L4D has Bill and L4D2 has Ellis, so it's hard to judge either way, really.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: NexAdruin on October 10, 2010, 06:03:39 AM
L4D2 now has both casts, and I'm sure within a month there will be a mod to unlock Bill&Co. for the other campaigns.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on October 10, 2010, 08:03:25 AM
Finally my RochellexFrancis fanfic can become real.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: NexAdruin on October 10, 2010, 09:24:19 AM
Wasn't it already? I thought she had a crush on him during The Passing.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on October 10, 2010, 09:48:21 AM
No, they just bonded over hating things.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Bal on October 15, 2010, 03:21:52 PM
Finally played through No Mercy in L4D2. It's still the same great campaign, but things like the charger in the construction area, and the spitter in general really change up your tactics. It's pretty wild.
Title: Re: Left 4 Dead
Post by: Kazz on October 15, 2010, 05:41:13 PM
You have to really treat the whole hospital level like a gauntlet and rush through it because the spitter/jockey in the hallways and the charger in the scaffold will absolutely rape your team, esp in versus.

I'm falling back in love with L4D2, we should play more.