Ok so I remember getting pretty stoked about this game when I used to work for future where one of the magazines we dealt with was PC Gamer I remember going through it and seeing this game and thought the concept was awesome. Anyway I carried on with work and forgot about it completley anyway I remembered about it today (3 months later lol). Searched and couldn't find anything on these forums so here I go.
I heard the idea came about when some of the guys who made Counter Strike were playing it and 2 or 3 of them could take on 30-35 bots who were armed only with knives, so it gave one of them an idea. They decided to make a game out of it, but expand on the idea. Basically you'll be able to have loads of bots who are zombies and you and 2-3 other people will be armed and have to fight them 28 days later style.
But these zombies will have abilities like agility and strength and can be played by other people joining the server. Imo it sounds frickin awesome, I love co-op games personally and I don't think there's enough of them, and I can't even name any co-op only games off the top of my head!
Anyways that's my analysis I'll let you make up your own minds.
Edit: Added Video
I heard the idea came about when some of the guys who made Counter Strike were playing it and 2 or 3 of them could take on 30-35 bots who were armed only with knives, so it gave one of them an idea. They decided to make a game out of it, but expand on the idea. Basically you'll be able to have loads of bots who are zombies and you and 2-3 other people will be armed and have to fight them 28 days later style.
But these zombies will have abilities like agility and strength and can be played by other people joining the server. Imo it sounds frickin awesome, I love co-op games personally and I don't think there's enough of them, and I can't even name any co-op only games off the top of my head!
Anyways that's my analysis I'll let you make up your own minds.
Left 4 Dead teaserWiki wrote:
Left 4 Dead is an upcoming multiplayer co-operative survival horror game by Turtle Rock Studios and Valve Corporation (a collaboration that has previously produced Counter-Strike: Condition Zero, as well as maps and the official bot for Valve's Counter-Strike: Source). The expected release date for Left 4 Dead is Summer 2007. The game has been built using Valve's Source engine.
The game was first revealed in the Christmas 2006 publication of PC Gamer UK with a six-page article describing a playthrough at Valve's headquarters.
Gameplay
Setting & Levels
Gameplay takes place in urban cities, small hamlets, wooded rural settings and other such locations. Four players take control of the four main characters of the game, "The Survivors", who subsequently play through the levels towards a goal such as escaping by helicopter. (The helicopter has to be called in by radio. During the final wait for rescue, players must face a final onslaught of zombies.)
There will be four scenarios with around five maps each in the first release of Left 4 Dead.
Damage, Dying & Checkpoints
Check points also provide a re-spawn point for downed Survivors. As long as one Suvivor manages to reach a check point, the others will appear again on the map in closets or in other "trapped" situations. Survivors don't die instantly from too much damage, however. They are first knocked down, but can continue to fire with their pistols until helped by another Survivor. Movement speed is affected by injuries, slowing damaged Survivors down until they are helped by health kits or pain medications. Left 4 Dead will have full friendly fire that can't be switched off. This keeps the challenge of the game up.
Playing as the Infected
Four subsequent players can join the server and take control of the larger, more powerful Infected with unique abilities amongst the other AI Infected. One player can take control of the tank, which is made available through an automated diceroll.
Team Coordination & Communication
The Survivors can communicate by automated voice commands that are accessed by quick menus. They will also sound off automatically when doing such things as reloading or spotting Infected. Over 1000 unique lines have been recorded for each Survivor.
Survivors will also be able to see each other through walls as colored outlines to make it easier to find each other.
AI
The AI in Left 4 Dead allows the game to be played by less than four players, by making the other survivors bots. The AI also features a dynamic system for game drama, pacing and difficulty called the "director". Instead of fixed spawn points for enemies, the director AI places enemies in different positions, creating a new experience each time. It will also balance action and moments of tense calm.
The Survivors
There are four playable human characters in the game, each with a different and unique appearance to make it easier to identify which character you are looking at when you aren't close enough to recognize the face. Each player is randomly assigned a character when they join the server and, to prevent arguments, each character has the same abilities and may use the same weapons.
Bill - A Vietnam veteran with combat skills that have helped keep him alive.
Louis - An assistant manager at a local retail electronics chain store.
Zoey - The teenage daughter of a wealthy family.
Francis - The tattoo-covered biker.
Weapons
The weapons in Left 4 Dead are divided into two tiers. The first is available to everyone when the scenario starts. Weapons in the second tier can be found throughout the maps and at the end of the scenario, just before the final fight. All weapons can be used to bash Infected with in close combat, pushing them back.
First tier weapons
* Pump shotgun
* Uzi SMG
Second tier weapons
* M16 Assault Rifle
* Hunting Rifle
* Auto shotgun
Secondary weapons
* Pistols. If a second pistol is found, they can be dual-wielded. Pistols are the only weapon available when the players are knocked down.
* Molotov Cocktail / Pipe bomb. Survivors can only carry one of these at a time.
The Infected
The Infected are Left 4 Dead's name for what are essentially zombies. The zombies in the game are based on the zombies (who are ordinary civilians that are infected with a form of rabies, making them ravenous and psychotic) from the 2002 film 28 Days Later, which the game takes a lot from design-wise.[3] The zombies, as opposed to the slow, shuffling types associated with Night of the Living Dead or Half-Life, are fast and can pounce, creating quite a formidable foe. They will however go down with a well-placed gunshot, meaning they can be dealt with easily on their own, but in great numbers are difficult to handle.
In addition, there are five mutated Infected who have their own special abilities and are more powerful than the regular Infected:
The Boomer
A hugely obese Infected that can projectile vomit at The Survivors, blinding them and attracting swarms of nearby Infected to them. When Boomers die they blow up, creating a large amount of damage and exorbitant amounts of gore and viscera.
The Hunter
An agile Infected who can climb walls and jump over rooftops, similar to Half-Life 2's Fast Zombie. It can pin a Survivor down on the floor and slash at them with long claws, rendering the victim powerless unless The Hunter is killed by a team-mate or knocked off its victim. The Hunter can also retreat.
The Smoker
A zombie with a long, whip-like tongue that can drag Survivors away from their team-mates and use its tongue as an organic noose to strangle Survivors when it is perched from a rooftop. Similar to Half-Life 2's Barnacle, or Resident Evil's Licker. When in danger, it can leave a haze of black smoke, distorting the Survivors' vision.
The Tank
A huge, muscular zombie capable of throwing large items such as cars or blocks of concrete. Its slow movement is countered by high strength and toughness. To prevent the tank from camping away from the survivors for too long a frustration timer is set when the survivors are not in sight. When the timer runs out the tank becomes uncontrollable and begins stomping and thrashing giving away its position and becoming vulnerable to the survivors.
The Witch
The only mutant infected that will not be available to players. They are passive upon discovery by the players, but react with hostility to flashlight beams, physical contact, and gunfire in the vicinity. It will be able to kill a player in one hit, making them the most dangerous of the infected.
External links
Official Homepage
Forums
Edit: Added Video
Last edited by Milk.org (2007-04-24 09:07:15)
