Tyr
07-19-2008, 10:09 PM
This is my attempt, possibly in vain, to address the reoccurring questions and comments that have been rampant since the new content for Left 4 Dead has been announced. Since I'm still fairly new here I'll tell you now that you are about to learn firsthand that I write a lot.
Most of you know this stuff already but it may be worth a read regardless.
I apologise for anything I've left out or any mistakes I've made. Feel free to add things I've missed out or abuse me for being a dumbass but I ask that you show sportsmanlike behaviour, (i.e. no kicking in the groin or eye-gouging unless the ref isn't looking.) After that I'll edit the corrections in and deny that there were ever any mistakes.
----------------------------
- What the Hell is with the new character models? They're stupid!
- What are the chances of Valve including the old models as well as the new ones?
- I've seen the new models in videos, they look stupid.
- What's with the new Pipe bomb?
- I heard that the boss infected have been taken out, is this true?
- What's all this about a dead survivor team not having to start way back at the start as it has been up to this point?
- This is stupid, I don't like it. I'm not buying the game.
- What else is going to change? Why is Valve wrecking our game?!
----------------------------
What the Hell is with the new character models? They're stupid!
Firstly, don't bother complaining. It will not solve anything and by now it has become very annoying to those of us who've already gotten over it.
Secondly, the new models have been made to fulfil a purpose the old ones didn't; one purpose being the easier differentiation between a survivor character and an infected. Another purpose is that the new models fit in with the story and the progression of the outbreak much better than the old ones. They have also been remodelled as a move away from the cliché video game and zombie film characters – this is something you may not agree with but Valve thought differently and before you ask, yes the people at Valve are smarter than you are.
Finally, the old characters have been there from day one, when an under-staffed and under-resourced Turtle Rock put them together. Since the merger Valve, with its many designers, developers and its great deal of experience, has done intense reviewing and decided what is best for the game. These are people who know what they are doing; don't be so insolent as to think you know what's best for Left 4 Dead. These guys' pay checks are determined by this game. Yours isn't.
What are the chances of Valve including the old models as well as the new ones?
Slim to bupkiss. As mentioned the new models achieve what the old ones did not fulfil. It would work against the feel of the game to let them be an option. Rest assured though I'm sure some bright spark with too much time on their hands will mod them in at a later point but I trust all those who don't like the new models now will be over it by that stage and most likely too busy blasting zombies to bother with downloading anything like that.
I've seen the new models in videos, they look stupid.
What you are seeing in the videos is a work in progress. The survivor models are not finished and rest assured they will be worked on to the last minute to ensure they are up to scratch.
This applies to what you are seeing in first person too; the hands are placeholders, they will be improved on.
What's with the new Pipe bomb?
Valve, through extensive play-testing, found that the Pipe bomb didn't work as it was meant to. It was hard to get many kills with it unless your timing and luck were both impeccable – frankly it was better at killing your teammates than your average boss infected is. The Pipe Bomb now has a beeper and it flashes, this both lures infected to it and, (hopefully,) keeps your more idiotic team mates away from it.
You may consider this new easy-to-use Pipe Bomb a tad "noobish" or something similar. However the reality is that Valve found a weapon that was unappealing to the average player and instead of just releasing it in what many would consider an "EA move", Valve changed it in order to make it useful and appealing, adding to the gameplay value rather than being an item people would choose to bypass; another useless add-on that serves no purpose.
Lastly, the messy explosion of all the zombies attracted to your explosive doggy-chew-toy is so totally awesome that if you don't think so you must be completely fucking stupid. In fact if you are one of these people and still want to complain that it's "too noob friendly" I refuse to let you read my writing. Turn off the computer now. Do it. Go and sit in your corner of shame. Now. I am not kidding.
I heard that the boss infected have been taken out, is this true?
Valve has split the game into two different modes. In both versions the boss infected will be reaping merry Hell so don't concern yourself with their safety, they can look after themselves.
As to the versions, one of the versions is campaign mode and the other is versus or "deathmatch" mode. In campaign mode you can only play as the survivors, however the boss infected will still very much be present and controlled by AI. In versus/deathmatch mode the boss infected will be playable by you and your sadistic friends as will the survivors.
What's all this about a dead survivor team not having to start way back at the start as it has been up to this point?
It is true that a dead survivor team is no longer forced to go right back to the very start of a campaign if they are destroyed. If you're the type of masochistic weirdo who is upset by this change, don't be. As previously mentioned Valve have extensively play-tested Left 4 Dead and discovered that although the "right-back-to-the-start-ultimate-punishment" was a good incentive for a team to play well it took away from the fun of the game. Getting to the end of a campaign, dying at the final stand-off and being shipped back to the start may seem like a kind of grin-and-bear-it thing you can tolerate or even enjoy the first few times but you know, I know, we all know that sooner or later you'd get pissed off, start screaming incoherently, break your headset and smash your face repeatedly into your keyboard until the red goo flowed freely.
Remember, although the right-back-to-the-start thing did add to the challenge, this is a game and it is meant to be fun. It's not a second job, it's not your great life's challenge. It's a game and if it ceases to be fun it fails at being a game. The people at Valve are smart enough to realise this; you should be too.
This is stupid, I don't like it. I'm not buying the game.
Get over yourself you twat, I bet you'll buy this game before I do.
What else is going to change? Why is Valve wrecking our game?!
I can not know for sure what, if anything is going to change. Rest assured though that any alterations will be beneficial no matter what your small-minded "I hate change" mentality tells you.
This is not your game and it is not our game. It is Valve's game and believe me when I say they want this to succeed. They very much want it to succeed, they want it to be good, they want to make money off it and they want you to like playing it. They know what they are doing, they have done this kind of thing before and what's more they are well known for being good at what they do.
Cut the whining. Cut the crap. Get over your small inhibitions. This game will rule and you know it.
----------------------------
End, (for now.)
Most of you know this stuff already but it may be worth a read regardless.
I apologise for anything I've left out or any mistakes I've made. Feel free to add things I've missed out or abuse me for being a dumbass but I ask that you show sportsmanlike behaviour, (i.e. no kicking in the groin or eye-gouging unless the ref isn't looking.) After that I'll edit the corrections in and deny that there were ever any mistakes.
----------------------------
- What the Hell is with the new character models? They're stupid!
- What are the chances of Valve including the old models as well as the new ones?
- I've seen the new models in videos, they look stupid.
- What's with the new Pipe bomb?
- I heard that the boss infected have been taken out, is this true?
- What's all this about a dead survivor team not having to start way back at the start as it has been up to this point?
- This is stupid, I don't like it. I'm not buying the game.
- What else is going to change? Why is Valve wrecking our game?!
----------------------------
What the Hell is with the new character models? They're stupid!
Firstly, don't bother complaining. It will not solve anything and by now it has become very annoying to those of us who've already gotten over it.
Secondly, the new models have been made to fulfil a purpose the old ones didn't; one purpose being the easier differentiation between a survivor character and an infected. Another purpose is that the new models fit in with the story and the progression of the outbreak much better than the old ones. They have also been remodelled as a move away from the cliché video game and zombie film characters – this is something you may not agree with but Valve thought differently and before you ask, yes the people at Valve are smarter than you are.
Finally, the old characters have been there from day one, when an under-staffed and under-resourced Turtle Rock put them together. Since the merger Valve, with its many designers, developers and its great deal of experience, has done intense reviewing and decided what is best for the game. These are people who know what they are doing; don't be so insolent as to think you know what's best for Left 4 Dead. These guys' pay checks are determined by this game. Yours isn't.
What are the chances of Valve including the old models as well as the new ones?
Slim to bupkiss. As mentioned the new models achieve what the old ones did not fulfil. It would work against the feel of the game to let them be an option. Rest assured though I'm sure some bright spark with too much time on their hands will mod them in at a later point but I trust all those who don't like the new models now will be over it by that stage and most likely too busy blasting zombies to bother with downloading anything like that.
I've seen the new models in videos, they look stupid.
What you are seeing in the videos is a work in progress. The survivor models are not finished and rest assured they will be worked on to the last minute to ensure they are up to scratch.
This applies to what you are seeing in first person too; the hands are placeholders, they will be improved on.
What's with the new Pipe bomb?
Valve, through extensive play-testing, found that the Pipe bomb didn't work as it was meant to. It was hard to get many kills with it unless your timing and luck were both impeccable – frankly it was better at killing your teammates than your average boss infected is. The Pipe Bomb now has a beeper and it flashes, this both lures infected to it and, (hopefully,) keeps your more idiotic team mates away from it.
You may consider this new easy-to-use Pipe Bomb a tad "noobish" or something similar. However the reality is that Valve found a weapon that was unappealing to the average player and instead of just releasing it in what many would consider an "EA move", Valve changed it in order to make it useful and appealing, adding to the gameplay value rather than being an item people would choose to bypass; another useless add-on that serves no purpose.
Lastly, the messy explosion of all the zombies attracted to your explosive doggy-chew-toy is so totally awesome that if you don't think so you must be completely fucking stupid. In fact if you are one of these people and still want to complain that it's "too noob friendly" I refuse to let you read my writing. Turn off the computer now. Do it. Go and sit in your corner of shame. Now. I am not kidding.
I heard that the boss infected have been taken out, is this true?
Valve has split the game into two different modes. In both versions the boss infected will be reaping merry Hell so don't concern yourself with their safety, they can look after themselves.
As to the versions, one of the versions is campaign mode and the other is versus or "deathmatch" mode. In campaign mode you can only play as the survivors, however the boss infected will still very much be present and controlled by AI. In versus/deathmatch mode the boss infected will be playable by you and your sadistic friends as will the survivors.
What's all this about a dead survivor team not having to start way back at the start as it has been up to this point?
It is true that a dead survivor team is no longer forced to go right back to the very start of a campaign if they are destroyed. If you're the type of masochistic weirdo who is upset by this change, don't be. As previously mentioned Valve have extensively play-tested Left 4 Dead and discovered that although the "right-back-to-the-start-ultimate-punishment" was a good incentive for a team to play well it took away from the fun of the game. Getting to the end of a campaign, dying at the final stand-off and being shipped back to the start may seem like a kind of grin-and-bear-it thing you can tolerate or even enjoy the first few times but you know, I know, we all know that sooner or later you'd get pissed off, start screaming incoherently, break your headset and smash your face repeatedly into your keyboard until the red goo flowed freely.
Remember, although the right-back-to-the-start thing did add to the challenge, this is a game and it is meant to be fun. It's not a second job, it's not your great life's challenge. It's a game and if it ceases to be fun it fails at being a game. The people at Valve are smart enough to realise this; you should be too.
This is stupid, I don't like it. I'm not buying the game.
Get over yourself you twat, I bet you'll buy this game before I do.
What else is going to change? Why is Valve wrecking our game?!
I can not know for sure what, if anything is going to change. Rest assured though that any alterations will be beneficial no matter what your small-minded "I hate change" mentality tells you.
This is not your game and it is not our game. It is Valve's game and believe me when I say they want this to succeed. They very much want it to succeed, they want it to be good, they want to make money off it and they want you to like playing it. They know what they are doing, they have done this kind of thing before and what's more they are well known for being good at what they do.
Cut the whining. Cut the crap. Get over your small inhibitions. This game will rule and you know it.
----------------------------
End, (for now.)