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[mattso]

I only played normal a few times before moving on to advanced; went back tonight to try to get akimbo assassin (ended up getting that and tankbusters) and it seems so much easier. I can only wonder what it feels like to you guys who have beaten it all on expert.

I'd rather they made it so you can't push stuff to block people anymore over making equal tanks in the update. Both would be super nice, though.

 

[Sciz]

I only played normal a few times before moving on to advanced; went back tonight to try to get akimbo assassin (ended up getting that and tankbusters) and it seems so much easier. I can only wonder what it feels like to you guys who have beaten it all on expert.

A quick overview of the difficulty levels:

Expert = Hard
Advanced = Just under a theoretical Normal difficulty that doesn't exist
Normal = Easy
Easy = God mode
Versus = Fun mode

I'd rather they made it so you can't push stuff to block people anymore over making equal tanks in the update. Both would be super nice, though.

Already patched on the PC version, to my knowledge, which in all honesty is the only one I actually care about.

 

[mattso]

To me it seems advanced is hard and expert is impossible but maybe that's since I haven't found a good team to work with

 

[AlexMogil]

I am going to lose whatever gaming cred I ever had by saying this, but I cannot play this game any more. It's not because the mechanics aren't fun because they are, even though I can see the game getting a little stale soon, but I cant play it because of the characters; I like them too much.

This is the first game I can remember that I emotionally empathized about the characters. Hell, I'm Louis. He is how a Systems Analyst would act in a zombie situation and it's how I would act, too. And that's one of the most implausible things I have ever written.

The opening video of the characters is compelling, and you're really rooting for all of these people to make it. The first time Zoey died in a campaign and Louis sobbed her name, I was floored. I was angry because she died and I let her down, then Louis' convincing lines really made me feel how affected he was - then I got sad. This is a videogame about an impossible zombie situation and it has me more emotionally invested than a well written RPG. The game is intense enough with nonstop action, but the characters put it over the top.

I was playing the infected and I used a hunter to kill Louis the other day. I thought, finally, I got one of them... but shit, it's Louis! I don't want to kill Louis! Louis is me!

I can play Team Fortress 2 all night long with glee - the characters are fun and the game is no less intense, but the L4D team is too real. The way they look, they way they sound, the way they interact as a team... maybe the characters are on the tail end of my gaming uncanny valley. Yet, they are being chased by zombies.

I can beat hookers with baseball bats in GTA/Saint's Row, I can play Gears/Halo/Space Marine Shooter 7 all day long and enjoy the story. I loved Bioshock and Fallout 3 because their stories drew you in, but I cannot play L4D because I like the team too much.

I'm selling the game in the for sale thread, and I think I'm going to buy a Companion Cube plushie with the money and hug it. Maybe even get some psychiatric sessions scheduled.

I could list a litany of "In before"-isms but I'll let people have them. I think I deserve it.

 

[Visualante]

edit. If anyone owns the GameCube Resident Evils and would like to assist in a L4D character skin project then shoot me a PM.

What characters would you like to see added?

 

[xKilltheMx]

I am going to lose whatever gaming cred I ever had by saying this, but I cannot play this game any more. It's not because the mechanics aren't fun because they are, even though I can see the game getting a little stale soon, but I cant play it because of the characters; I like them too much.

This is the first game I can remember that I emotionally empathized about the characters. Hell, I'm Louis. He is how a Systems Analyst would act in a zombie situation and it's how I would act, too. And that's one of the most implausible things I have ever written.

The opening video of the characters is compelling, and you're really rooting for all of these people to make it. The first time Zoey died in a campaign and Louis sobbed her name, I was floored. I was angry because she died and I let her down, then Louis' convincing lines really made me feel how affected he was - then I got sad. This is a videogame about an impossible zombie situation and it has me more emotionally invested than a well written RPG. The game is intense enough with nonstop action, but the characters put it over the top.

I was playing the infected and I used a hunter to kill Louis the other day. I thought, finally, I got one of them... but shit, it's Louis! I don't want to kill Louis! Louis is me!

I can play Team Fortress 2 all night long with glee - the characters are fun and the game is no less intense, but the L4D team is too real. The way they look, they way they sound, the way they interact as a team... maybe the characters are on the tail end of my gaming uncanny valley. Yet, they are being chased by zombies.

I can beat hookers with baseball bats in GTA/Saint's Row, I can play Gears/Halo/Space Marine Shooter 7 all day long and enjoy the story. I loved Bioshock and Fallout 3 because their stories drew you in, but I cannot play L4D because I like the team too much.

I'm selling the game in the for sale thread, and I think I'm going to buy a Companion Cube plushie with the money and hug it. Maybe even get some psychiatric sessions scheduled.

I could list a litany of "In before"-isms but I'll let people have them. I think I deserve it.

wat.

 

[Amir0x]

Dear Valve:

If the next patch does but one thing, make it equal Tanks in versus. It's one thing for them to show up at different points in a level (annoying, but bearable). It's quite another when one team doesn't get one at all.

This pisses me off sooo much! On No Mercy round 2, we got our tank and managed to get us all through... but we never got a tank the whole level. We got pretty close to taking them down too and we killed one of them, but if we had that tank they surely would have all been dead.

It's not a HUGE issue... we still beat the shit out of the other team anyway... but on really competitive matches, it's going to be incredibly frustrating.

 

[Visualante]

Yesterday we *fought 5 tanks before we got one.

 

[Baloonatic]

We had a tank spawn on us before we'd even left the safe room in the hospital map yesterday. There was no music but you could hear the pounding footsteps.

 

[Papercuts]

It's not a HUGE issue... we still beat the shit out of the other team anyway... but on really competitive matches, it's going to be incredibly frustrating.

Yeah, it can really suck in close matches, especially depending on the area of the level. One team getting a Tank at the start of No Mercy 4 when everyone is together and in good condition Vs. the other team getting a Tank at the end of the level when people are weak and able to get punched off the building isn't fair at all.

 

[timetokill]

grabbin' pills

.

 

[Giganticus]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMqPG4S80bo

:lol

also http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=xnuoeTz2vFg

 

[Blue Geezer]

there was a classic one where me and my m8 were messing around in 1 v 1 versus. i got a tank after level 2 guns in a wide open area and he got one in a confined area before the level 2 guns. that was it i won the game due to that.

 

[Valkyr Junkie]

I wasn't even aware that the Tank could spawn in different locations during Versus. While I understand how this could be really frustrating during competitive gameplay, I don't like it when the team knows (before the audio cues) that a Tank will be showing up and camps in a stairwell or somewhere else and ends up playing a game of who gives up first.

 

[Gattsu25]

Dear Valve:

If the next patch does but one thing, make it equal Tanks in versus. It's one thing for them to show up at different points in a level (annoying, but bearable). It's quite another when one team doesn't get one at all.

360 version?

PC Version has that right now.

 

[MNC]

360 version?

PC Version has that right now.

Not really. ;-; It still happens quite often.

 

[fallengorn]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMqPG4S80bo

:lol

We need a Macho Man-Louis off.

"OH YEEEEEAAAAAHHHHHH!"

"OH NOOOO!"

"OH YEEEEEAAAAAHHHHHH!"

"OH NOOOO!"

 

[The Librarian]

I am going to lose whatever gaming cred I ever had by saying this, but I cannot play this game any more. It's not because the mechanics aren't fun because they are, even though I can see the game getting a little stale soon, but I cant play it because of the characters; I like them too much.

This is the first game I can remember that I emotionally empathized about the characters. Hell, I'm Louis. He is how a Systems Analyst would act in a zombie situation and it's how I would act, too. And that's one of the most implausible things I have ever written.

The opening video of the characters is compelling, and you're really rooting for all of these people to make it. The first time Zoey died in a campaign and Louis sobbed her name, I was floored. I was angry because she died and I let her down, then Louis' convincing lines really made me feel how affected he was - then I got sad. This is a videogame about an impossible zombie situation and it has me more emotionally invested than a well written RPG. The game is intense enough with nonstop action, but the characters put it over the top.

I was playing the infected and I used a hunter to kill Louis the other day. I thought, finally, I got one of them... but shit, it's Louis! I don't want to kill Louis! Louis is me!

I can play Team Fortress 2 all night long with glee - the characters are fun and the game is no less intense, but the L4D team is too real. The way they look, they way they sound, the way they interact as a team... maybe the characters are on the tail end of my gaming uncanny valley. Yet, they are being chased by zombies.

I can beat hookers with baseball bats in GTA/Saint's Row, I can play Gears/Halo/Space Marine Shooter 7 all day long and enjoy the story. I loved Bioshock and Fallout 3 because their stories drew you in, but I cannot play L4D because I like the team too much.

I'm selling the game in the for sale thread, and I think I'm going to buy a Companion Cube plushie with the money and hug it. Maybe even get some psychiatric sessions scheduled.

I could list a litany of "In before"-isms but I'll let people have them. I think I deserve it.

PILLS HERE

 

[Pikelet]

I am going to lose whatever gaming cred I ever had by saying this, but I cannot play this game any more. It's not because the mechanics aren't fun because they are, even though I can see the game getting a little stale soon, but I cant play it because of the characters; I like them too much.

This is the first game I can remember that I emotionally empathized about the characters. Hell, I'm Louis. He is how a Systems Analyst would act in a zombie situation and it's how I would act, too. And that's one of the most implausible things I have ever written.

The opening video of the characters is compelling, and you're really rooting for all of these people to make it. The first time Zoey died in a campaign and Louis sobbed her name, I was floored. I was angry because she died and I let her down, then Louis' convincing lines really made me feel how affected he was - then I got sad. This is a videogame about an impossible zombie situation and it has me more emotionally invested than a well written RPG. The game is intense enough with nonstop action, but the characters put it over the top.

I was playing the infected and I used a hunter to kill Louis the other day. I thought, finally, I got one of them... but shit, it's Louis! I don't want to kill Louis! Louis is me!

I can play Team Fortress 2 all night long with glee - the characters are fun and the game is no less intense, but the L4D team is too real. The way they look, they way they sound, the way they interact as a team... maybe the characters are on the tail end of my gaming uncanny valley. Yet, they are being chased by zombies.

I can beat hookers with baseball bats in GTA/Saint's Row, I can play Gears/Halo/Space Marine Shooter 7 all day long and enjoy the story. I loved Bioshock and Fallout 3 because their stories drew you in, but I cannot play L4D because I like the team too much.

I'm selling the game in the for sale thread, and I think I'm going to buy a Companion Cube plushie with the money and hug it. Maybe even get some psychiatric sessions scheduled.

I could list a litany of "In before"-isms but I'll let people have them. I think I deserve it.

HUNNER'S GOT BILL

 

[Sciz]

360 version?

PC Version has that right now.

Yeah, no. All they've patched are a handful of bugs and exploits, and it happened at least twice last evening over the course of a couple games. I'm not sure which is more annoying, missing tanks or auto team "balancing", but both of them need to be fixed immediately.

 

[Fireblend]

Might as well ask here; I've been thinking about this game, really tempted to buy it, but my laptop's specs are average at most (2GBs ram, 1.87 dual core, Nvidia Quadro NVS140M). It runs The Orange Box games surprisingly well with highest settings if that can be used as a reference point; anyone got any experience with this game on non-gaming rigs? Getting me one is one of this year's resolutions, but it isn't gonna be soon and I'd love to play this game, but don't want to buy it and then leave it collecting dust until I'm able to upgrade to an actual PC... any help?

 

[Sciz]

Might as well ask here; I've been thinking about this game, really tempted to buy it, but my laptop's specs are average at most (2GBs ram, 1.87 dual core, Nvidia Quadro NVS140M). It runs The Orange Box games surprisingly well with highest settings if that can be used as a reference point; anyone got any experience with this game on non-gaming rigs? Getting me one is one of this year's resolutions, but it isn't gonna be soon and I'd love to play this game, but don't want to buy it and then leave it collecting dust until I'm able to upgrade to an actual PC... any help?

Performance is essentially equal to the Orange Box titles. Better on dual core CPUs. I can't personally speak for lower end systems, but I'd be surprised if you can run TOB well but not L4D.

 

[archangel565]

Might as well ask here; I've been thinking about this game, really tempted to buy it, but my laptop's specs are average at most (2GBs ram, 1.87 dual core, Nvidia Quadro NVS140M). It runs The Orange Box games surprisingly well with highest settings if that can be used as a reference point; anyone got any experience with this game on non-gaming rigs? Getting me one is one of this year's resolutions, but it isn't gonna be soon and I'd love to play this game, but don't want to buy it and then leave it collecting dust until I'm able to upgrade to an actual PC... any help?

From what I've read of people's experience with L4D is it has higher requirements (like no dx8 mode) but the requirements are offset by their new multicore stuff. So you would probably be okay because you have dual core. (And the next TF2 patch will put some of the multicore enhancements in so it will run better for you and most people.)

 

[Coin Return]

Where in the fudge is my DLC announcement?

 

[OldJadedGamer]

My friend and I were playing Death Toll on easy difficulty and early on in the game I realized that if we just went around beating the zombies down, we could get the "Safety First" achievement...

Well, it worked. We went through the entire campaign beating people down, using guns only when necessary.

It was awesome. I improved my jujitsu skills coniderably. My hands hurt now. :lol :lol

I did the entire campaign using punches only. I mistakenly thought there was an achievement for it (it's in COD5 actually) but I did get Safety First and Unbreakable in the same round. I just held the medkit the entire time and the computer wouldn't heal me.

Oh, and I had such a great moment last night at the Helicopter in No Mercy in VS. We killed their entire team except for one single guy, and he was running for the Helicopter and we all thought it was over then I spawned as a Smoker, ran just barely in range to tongue him and grab him right when he was getting ready to enter the helicopter ending the match.

This game has some great moments in it.

 

[Liu Kang Baking A Pie]

I am going to lose whatever gaming cred I ever had by saying this, but I cannot play this game any more. It's not because the mechanics aren't fun because they are, even though I can see the game getting a little stale soon, but I cant play it because of the characters; I like them too much.

This is the first game I can remember that I emotionally empathized about the characters. Hell, I'm Louis. He is how a Systems Analyst would act in a zombie situation and it's how I would act, too. And that's one of the most implausible things I have ever written.

The opening video of the characters is compelling, and you're really rooting for all of these people to make it. The first time Zoey died in a campaign and Louis sobbed her name, I was floored. I was angry because she died and I let her down, then Louis' convincing lines really made me feel how affected he was - then I got sad. This is a videogame about an impossible zombie situation and it has me more emotionally invested than a well written RPG. The game is intense enough with nonstop action, but the characters put it over the top.

I was playing the infected and I used a hunter to kill Louis the other day. I thought, finally, I got one of them... but shit, it's Louis! I don't want to kill Louis! Louis is me!

I can play Team Fortress 2 all night long with glee - the characters are fun and the game is no less intense, but the L4D team is too real. The way they look, they way they sound, the way they interact as a team... maybe the characters are on the tail end of my gaming uncanny valley. Yet, they are being chased by zombies.

I can beat hookers with baseball bats in GTA/Saint's Row, I can play Gears/Halo/Space Marine Shooter 7 all day long and enjoy the story. I loved Bioshock and Fallout 3 because their stories drew you in, but I cannot play L4D because I like the team too much.

I'm selling the game in the for sale thread, and I think I'm going to buy a Companion Cube plushie with the money and hug it. Maybe even get some psychiatric sessions scheduled.

I could list a litany of "In before"-isms but I'll let people have them. I think I deserve it.

I GOT A PIPE BOMB OVER HERE!

 

[Des0lar]

I am going to lose whatever gaming cred I ever had by saying this, but I cannot play this game any more. It's not because the mechanics aren't fun because they are, even though I can see the game getting a little stale soon, but I cant play it because of the characters; I like them too much.

This is the first game I can remember that I emotionally empathized about the characters. Hell, I'm Louis. He is how a Systems Analyst would act in a zombie situation and it's how I would act, too. And that's one of the most implausible things I have ever written.

The opening video of the characters is compelling, and you're really rooting for all of these people to make it. The first time Zoey died in a campaign and Louis sobbed her name, I was floored. I was angry because she died and I let her down, then Louis' convincing lines really made me feel how affected he was - then I got sad. This is a videogame about an impossible zombie situation and it has me more emotionally invested than a well written RPG. The game is intense enough with nonstop action, but the characters put it over the top.

I was playing the infected and I used a hunter to kill Louis the other day. I thought, finally, I got one of them... but shit, it's Louis! I don't want to kill Louis! Louis is me!

I can play Team Fortress 2 all night long with glee - the characters are fun and the game is no less intense, but the L4D team is too real. The way they look, they way they sound, the way they interact as a team... maybe the characters are on the tail end of my gaming uncanny valley. Yet, they are being chased by zombies.

I can beat hookers with baseball bats in GTA/Saint's Row, I can play Gears/Halo/Space Marine Shooter 7 all day long and enjoy the story. I loved Bioshock and Fallout 3 because their stories drew you in, but I cannot play L4D because I like the team too much.

I'm selling the game in the for sale thread, and I think I'm going to buy a Companion Cube plushie with the money and hug it. Maybe even get some psychiatric sessions scheduled.

I could list a litany of "In before"-isms but I'll let people have them. I think I deserve it.

DUDE I'M HALF YOUR SIZE COME ON

 

[guise]

I am going to lose whatever gaming cred I ever had by saying this, but I cannot play this game any more. It's not because the mechanics aren't fun because they are, even though I can see the game getting a little stale soon, but I cant play it because of the characters; I like them too much.

This is the first game I can remember that I emotionally empathized about the characters. Hell, I'm Louis. He is how a Systems Analyst would act in a zombie situation and it's how I would act, too. And that's one of the most implausible things I have ever written.

The opening video of the characters is compelling, and you're really rooting for all of these people to make it. The first time Zoey died in a campaign and Louis sobbed her name, I was floored. I was angry because she died and I let her down, then Louis' convincing lines really made me feel how affected he was - then I got sad. This is a videogame about an impossible zombie situation and it has me more emotionally invested than a well written RPG. The game is intense enough with nonstop action, but the characters put it over the top.

I was playing the infected and I used a hunter to kill Louis the other day. I thought, finally, I got one of them... but shit, it's Louis! I don't want to kill Louis! Louis is me!

I can play Team Fortress 2 all night long with glee - the characters are fun and the game is no less intense, but the L4D team is too real. The way they look, they way they sound, the way they interact as a team... maybe the characters are on the tail end of my gaming uncanny valley. Yet, they are being chased by zombies.

I can beat hookers with baseball bats in GTA/Saint's Row, I can play Gears/Halo/Space Marine Shooter 7 all day long and enjoy the story. I loved Bioshock and Fallout 3 because their stories drew you in, but I cannot play L4D because I like the team too much.

I'm selling the game in the for sale thread, and I think I'm going to buy a Companion Cube plushie with the money and hug it. Maybe even get some psychiatric sessions scheduled.

I could list a litany of "In before"-isms but I'll let people have them. I think I deserve it.

 

[Liu Kang Baking A Pie]

You guys should stop making fun. I can also personally relate to the young attractive girl, token black guy, old grizzled man, and biker dude horror movie stereotypes.

 

[Red Scarlet]

Pop suggested to use the fraps demo to show the stuttering/clipping? problem I've been having lately (since about Christmas). It's got no audio, but the audio isn't a problem. Zombies flicker and 'skip around', sometimes there are clipping problems (like when Mutfox looks like he's in the floor, and I've had floating hunters; they pounce someone and the person is on the ground, but the hunter is in the air over them and above my head). Hunters themselves show the problem pretty well.

I had to encode it in Xvid, Divx once again gives me some 'error code -2' and won't let me use it to compress. The only time I've gotten the Divx one to work since Christmas was yesterday for a Persona 4 video, where it had stuttering also (which it never had before). The stuttering does not appear to happen in single player, only campaign or vs online modes. And the net graph ping has been way off since Christmas too, it tends to say about 300-400, yet when I hit ping, it's half that. During the NM2 crescendo, it jumps up to 700, and I check when it is 500, and I have 100-something ping. Mutfox wonders if a video codec got messed up? I don't know.

I uninstalled the game and reinstalled yesterday, but Mutfox says that Steam Cloud thing (which I've now turned off) kept my settings. I deleted my config before uninstalling yesterday, and that didn't do anything, neither did turning off V Sync. Any ideas or suggestions on how to fix this really annoying problem?

video is here:
http://redscarlet.paragonsigma.com/l4dprob.avi

 

[Twig]

More on L4D's art direction.

 

[fallout]

More on L4D's art direction.

I love how Valve's art direction is all about how to facilitate the process for the user, rather than focusing on making it pretty/realistic.

 

[Giganticus]

Pop suggested to use the fraps demo to show the stuttering/clipping? problem I've been having lately (since about Christmas). It's got no audio, but the audio isn't a problem. Zombies flicker and 'skip around', sometimes there are clipping problems (like when Mutfox looks like he's in the floor, and I've had floating hunters; they pounce someone and the person is on the ground, but the hunter is in the air over them and above my head). Hunters themselves show the problem pretty well.

I had to encode it in Xvid, Divx once again gives me some 'error code -2' and won't let me use it to compress. The only time I've gotten the Divx one to work since Christmas was yesterday for a Persona 4 video, where it had stuttering also (which it never had before). The stuttering does not appear to happen in single player, only campaign or vs online modes. And the net graph ping has been way off since Christmas too, it tends to say about 300-400, yet when I hit ping, it's half that. During the NM2 crescendo, it jumps up to 700, and I check when it is 500, and I have 100-something ping. Mutfox wonders if a video codec got messed up? I don't know.

I uninstalled the game and reinstalled yesterday, but Mutfox says that Steam Cloud thing (which I've now turned off) kept my settings. I deleted my config before uninstalling yesterday, and that didn't do anything, neither did turning off V Sync. Any ideas or suggestions on how to fix this really annoying problem?

video is here:
http://redscarlet.paragonsigma.com/l4dprob.avi

it's a lag issue

because l4d only sends updated height in it's netpackets when a zombie changes his height, a lag issue can manifest as floating zombies or sunken zombies.

this is definitely a lag issue, i just don't know how to fix it. check your rates and stuff (maybe someone who knows more about rates can tell you what the ideals are) and of course check for torrenting roommates or something.

 

[Red Scarlet]

I'm at home right now, so I guess there's something up with the cable connection or all the servers are being crappy? But it doesn't explain why Divx is broken either. :/

 

[Giganticus]

I'm at home right now, so I guess there's something up with the cable connection or all the servers are being crappy? But it doesn't explain why Divx is broken either. :/

my guess is, divx is shit, try reinstall

also, this will sound wierd but check if your cable modem isn't overheating maybe? or if you have a wireless connection, check security

was it a fraps error code or a divx error code?

 

[Fulleffect]

Really like playing versus but it feels like it's turning into a who can rclick better test

I know the game does NEED melee, but it feels pretty overpowered whenever a team is even slightly organized :/ You can rarely actually land a pounce on someone when 4 people are in a corner with their melee taped down, can't smoke because the second it lands its undone by melee, you can puke but its pointless - they just go after 1 person most the time and even easier for the others to melee them down

I think 1 good step would be puke (not explosion from death) made the player unable to melee, so at least his team / people who didn't get hit would have to help

I'm not sure but it's def draining the fun from both sides for me, it's too easy to survivor and near impossible to zombie vs anyone with half a brain and some tape for their mouse2

 

[Nabs]

pouncing when the players are together is useless. wait until they get spread around, or sprayed by boomer and go in and claw.

 

[MNC]

I love how Valve's art direction is all about how to facilitate the process for the user, rather than focusing on making it pretty/realistic.

I have to say, that non-colored-fog darkness makes it REALLY eerie. I would've loved to play in that setting.

 

[Liu Kang Baking A Pie]

I have to say, that non-colored-fog darkness makes it REALLY eerie. I would've loved to play in that setting.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doom_3

 

[PillowKnight]

Really like playing versus but it feels like it's turning into a who can rclick better test

I know the game does NEED melee, but it feels pretty overpowered whenever a team is even slightly organized :/ You can rarely actually land a pounce on someone when 4 people are in a corner with their melee taped down, can't smoke because the second it lands its undone by melee, you can puke but its pointless - they just go after 1 person most the time and even easier for the others to melee them down

I think 1 good step would be puke (not explosion from death) made the player unable to melee, so at least his team / people who didn't get hit would have to help

I'm not sure but it's def draining the fun from both sides for me, it's too easy to survivor and near impossible to zombie vs anyone with half a brain and some tape for their mouse2

It isn't melee, problem is your infected team is nowhere near as organized (ie, you got outplayed).

In the occasion that you've got four guys in a corner you pounce above them , if they're all inside each other's characters the other three will be forced to move in order to knock you off. Tip : You can deal impact damage on pounce by doing long distance pounces, the farther the hunter flies the more impact damage dealt up to a maximum 25 damage. Also, remember that hunters can melee too, for 10HP per hit.

As a smoker, you need to wait until the survivors are distracted. I'll partly agree with you though the smoker's tongue is way too frail to the point of being useless, but melee is the least of the smoker's problems(zombies can block your tongue, tongues break and doesn't follow survivors past obstacles, deals shitty damage even if you drag someone back). The only decent ability the smoker has is being able to deal fall damage.

 

[NotWii]

I am going to lose whatever gaming cred I ever had by saying this, but I cannot play this game any more. It's not because the mechanics aren't fun because they are, even though I can see the game getting a little stale soon, but I cant play it because of the characters; I like them too much.

This is the first game I can remember that I emotionally empathized about the characters. Hell, I'm Louis. He is how a Systems Analyst would act in a zombie situation and it's how I would act, too. And that's one of the most implausible things I have ever written.

The opening video of the characters is compelling, and you're really rooting for all of these people to make it. The first time Zoey died in a campaign and Louis sobbed her name, I was floored. I was angry because she died and I let her down, then Louis' convincing lines really made me feel how affected he was - then I got sad. This is a videogame about an impossible zombie situation and it has me more emotionally invested than a well written RPG. The game is intense enough with nonstop action, but the characters put it over the top.

I was playing the infected and I used a hunter to kill Louis the other day. I thought, finally, I got one of them... but shit, it's Louis! I don't want to kill Louis! Louis is me!

I can play Team Fortress 2 all night long with glee - the characters are fun and the game is no less intense, but the L4D team is too real. The way they look, they way they sound, the way they interact as a team... maybe the characters are on the tail end of my gaming uncanny valley. Yet, they are being chased by zombies.

I can beat hookers with baseball bats in GTA/Saint's Row, I can play Gears/Halo/Space Marine Shooter 7 all day long and enjoy the story. I loved Bioshock and Fallout 3 because their stories drew you in, but I cannot play L4D because I like the team too much.

I'm selling the game in the for sale thread, and I think I'm going to buy a Companion Cube plushie with the money and hug it. Maybe even get some psychiatric sessions scheduled.

I could list a litany of "In before"-isms but I'll let people have them. I think I deserve it.

GAME OVER MAN, GAME OVER!

 

[timetokill]

As a smoker, you need to wait until the survivors are distracted. I'll partly agree with you though the smoker's tongue is way too frail to the point of being useless, but melee is the least of the smoker's problems(zombies can block your tongue, tongues break and doesn't follow survivors past obstacles, deals shitty damage even if you drag someone back). The only decent ability the smoker has is being able to deal fall damage.

Which is, of course, not even possible on many levels.

Smokers really need to be buffed. I'd even be okay with a slight nerf to hunters if this were the case.

My suggestion? Smokers should do DRAG damage, not just damage when the survivor is pinned/pulled to the smoker.

 

[ratcliffja]

Is there not a true single player story mode? I finally bought it after others in this thread recommended it to any Valve fan, but I feel like I wasted my money if it's mostly a multiplayer game. I love Valve single player, but I don't really care about games like Team Fortress 2 or Counter Strike. I just thought they were neat extras that came with the actual game.

 

[Nabs]

The game is way different from CS and TF.

 

[Sciz]

My suggestion? Smokers should do DRAG damage, not just damage when the survivor is pinned/pulled to the smoker.

This, plus some minor damage to survivors who stay within the smoke cloud.

 

[Hunter D]

Might as well ask here; I've been thinking about this game, really tempted to buy it, but my laptop's specs are average at most (2GBs ram, 1.87 dual core, Nvidia Quadro NVS140M). It runs The Orange Box games surprisingly well with highest settings if that can be used as a reference point; anyone got any experience with this game on non-gaming rigs? Getting me one is one of this year's resolutions, but it isn't gonna be soon and I'd love to play this game, but don't want to buy it and then leave it collecting dust until I'm able to upgrade to an actual PC... any help?

Which geforce card is comparable to that quadro? on my radeon 2600 512 mb I can play l4d with every setting on high, no aa, and some af at with a framerate that ranges between 25-50 fps. I have a 2 gig dual core undervolted.

 

[Liu Kang Baking A Pie]

Is there not a true single player story mode? I finally bought it after others in this thread recommended it to any Valve fan, but I feel like I wasted my money if it's mostly a multiplayer game. I love Valve single player, but I don't really care about games like Team Fortress 2 or Counter Strike. I just thought they were neat extras that came with the actual game.

The stories in this game are the events and scenes that happen when you play online with other people that you just have to tell others about. If you had read this thread, you would have noticed that.

 

[Hunter D]

This game tells its story in a similar way to portal.

 

[Twig]

This game tells its story in a similar way to portal.

Sort of kind of. Except for the distinct lack of a character that is not a player.

 

[Iced_Eagle]

Is there not a true single player story mode? I finally bought it after others in this thread recommended it to any Valve fan, but I feel like I wasted my money if it's mostly a multiplayer game. I love Valve single player, but I don't really care about games like Team Fortress 2 or Counter Strike. I just thought they were neat extras that came with the actual game.

"Single Player" is playing with bots.

I agree if you are looking for a directed singleplayer game, then L4D may not be for you. I know Valve said they tried to combine the story telling of Half-Life with the fun of Counter-Strike, and tbh, I'm not content with what L4D offers. Yes, it does do a great job of story telling, especially if you pay attention to the environment (way, way beyond what CS or TF2 offers you in terms of "story"). However, you can't help shake that feeling that there should be more meat in the story.

I would have liked it if there were NPC's along the way that you came across and they gave you clues on the story and other hints (I know there's the guy in the church, but I want more and slightly more proper story telling!).

The risk you run with that though is that they could become annoying, and you would feel frustrated if you wanted to run through the game more times, to really get the MP feel from it.

*Edit* Sciz: IIRC, from early versions of L4D I played, smoke did give small amount of damage (and was also a hell of a lot thicker and harder to see through)