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Despite being the sequel to what was possibly last year’s best PC game, Valve’s recently unveiled Left 4 Dead 2 seems to be public enemy number one on gamers’ lists of E3 announcements they love 2 hate. Why? Answers range from “Team Fortress 2 got free stuff! Why not L4D?” to “L4D2’s too colorful!” Valve, though, believe it or not, isn’t out to bleed its loyal fans dry (at least, not outside its game). There is, in fact, a method to this madness. Valve’s Chet Faliszek explained:
“In Team Fortress you can do one map, and it's a standalone map and it tells its internal story and you're good. In Left 4 Dead, when we started talking about new characters, all of a sudden we were talking about maps, then all of a sudden we were talking about campaign, and then director 2.0, hey, we're in the swamps,” he told Shacknews.
How can Valve hope to accomplish all of this in only a single year? Well, in a sense, the developer’s outsourcing that. To a robot.
Left 4 Dead’s A.I. Director 2.0 does everything the first Director did – and more. Along with positioning zombies such that you’re always positioned on the edge of your seat, the rapidly evolving A.I. will now control weather and dynamic pathing. Faliszek elaborated on the latter of those two terms.
“Dynamic pathing changes--so in the next map in this campaign, they go through an above-ground cemetery, a haunted old cemetery with crypts above ground, and it actually changes the path every time you play. And also how spawning the creatures, and the pacing of the game,” he noted.
So then, Valve’s created an A.I. that’s quickly learning how to deviously toy with and eventually murder humans? And Valve is allowing that A.I. to slowly assume control of its company? That doesn’t sound like a threat at all. We’re just going to go back to complaining about videogames now.
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averageGrod
June 05, 2009 at 9:06am
I can't believe so many people are pissed over a short develpment cycle that is actually going to result in a good game. We usually want stuff NOW! I can't help but think if Valve had released one or two more maps and made this announcement at E3 2010 for a fall 2010 release everyone would be overjoyed. It sounds like this really is going to be LFD 2.0 so there is no reason not to get paid for it. If you disagree don't buy it. The SDK is out so there will be more LFD1 content soon. Just wait 6 months for Valve to have a weekend sale and grab it at the 20-50% off. If Modern Warfare 2 was released ever 12 months and maintained the high quality of COD4 people would love it.
silversov
June 04, 2009 at 7:13pm
Everyone that is complaining about l4d2 being a seperate game needs to harden the hell up. l4d was a short game period. l4d2 is a new game. Its a simple concept that i think you should try to get your head around. Stop winging that you havent got any content and be happy that theres a NEW game to be played (i know i am) If your so cut by this then dont buy the game? simple. But i bet you will.
hammerfell
June 04, 2009 at 6:57pm
valve is one of the few pc gaming companies that isn't paranoid about piracy and DRM crap and they encourage mods and they release DLC stuff like it's a no brainer. i think we can all afford to wait a little for the new css and portal and half life 2 episode 3 since they seem to take their time but in the end get things done right. why "everyone" "hates" them for this doesn't make sense....
i would pay a full 50 bucks for l4d2 but i think it would be cool if previous owners of the game can pay for an upgrade version for say 20 bucks instead. let the newbies pay the full 50, which would give them backwards compatibility with l4d1.
idk...
just an idea.... who knows if it's what they'll do... but i still think they're one of the best gaming companies out there.
digital demon
June 04, 2009 at 4:27pm
There is a 65 page thread on the L4D forum of people that can't even play the game, with not so much as an acknowledgment from Valve. I bought it in February and couldn't play it at all until about 3 weeks ago...blue screened after 10-15 minutes every time I tried to play. So, no...I don't feel like I've gotten my money's worth out of it. Fix the first one before you make us pay for a new one.
PCMania
June 05, 2009 at 12:57am
Hey digital demon how come i bought the game and played it perfectly without even a second of encountering technical difficulties !? Maybe your PC has some issues ? Just maybe .
And as for every one else stop freagging crying about Left 4 Dead 2 ! It's just 50 freagging bucks and that's 35.47 Euros ! No one will make you buy it ! You've got free focking will for God sakes ! If you don't want to buy it just DON'T ! But you'll see that in the end you will buy it .
Bustout
June 07, 2009 at 10:43pm
While I couldn't have put it quite so elgantly as PCMania, he has a valid point. If you're so unhappy with the first game, why would you buy the second game? The allmighty dollar speaks loudest.
Bustout
June 04, 2009 at 1:10pm
I don't get all the complaining. This is a company that has given way more than they ever should have away for free to its loyal customers. They are still adding things to their older games. They have a kick ass game in L4D and they have recently provided DLC for it. Now you're complaining that the next version of the game, which sounds like it has a lot of great improvements and will probably also kick ass, isn't going to be free? Or is it just that it's too soon? Would you rather they wait a few years to release it so that you can feel like you got your money's worth out of the first game? I really don't understand the complaining. The old adage is true, give people an inch...
Wonko33
June 04, 2009 at 9:52am
I don't have a problem with L4D2 being seperate, with their track record, i have a feeling they'll keep adding stuff for both games anyway.
And for those who don't want to pay to get more of the same, just don't buy it and keep playing L4D.
But i think I might just buy, for miy and my son's account, because Valve hasn't let me down yet and I'll give them the benifit of the doubt until they do.
gdonner
June 04, 2009 at 8:19am
Especially in the current economy, making gamers pay yet again for another version with some of the features and game play they wanted in the original is a bad idea, and IMO nothing more than an excuse to try and squeeze more capital out of their initial success. Good game play keeps selling itself through word of mouth--something that L4D in its current form lacks. Valve's increased reliance on "The Director" for game play through automating weather effects and rerouting paths does not necessarily translate into more fun (and resulting sales) anymore than fancy special effects translate into an Oscar-winning movie. Game play should be based around the gamers themselves like Counter-Strike: Source and Team Fortress 2. There's a good reason why they've been so popular for so long. Even some of the most positive reviews of L4D on newegg bear this out.
Valve should be sticking to their tried-and-true formula for success of tweaking and adding to their original games, rather than trying to duplicate or reinvent them. I fail to see what they have to gain by frustrating loyal gamers, requiring on-going support for two separate games instead of one.
Devo85x
June 04, 2009 at 7:39am
Add a new, better looking counter strike to that :) I doubt they are ever gona do Portal 2 :(
sh0ryuu
June 04, 2009 at 1:57pm
Portal 2 is already a certainty. Valve has already made mention of that.
Havok
June 04, 2009 at 5:35am
But even though I want the HalfLife series to be completed, this new L4D is starting to seem even more appealing with this new AI Director. Yes I'm pissed they're not finishing stuff, but DAMN! The new stuff is ooking awesome!!
OMGWTFBBQ
whpcguru
June 04, 2009 at 4:38am
Hey, where the hell is my HL2 Episode 3, or for that matter Deathmatch 3. This crap is getting old. Valve promised us these LONG before Orange Box was even a wet dream! Now we are already on to L4D 2, cmon! Valve has too many damned irons in the fire if you ask me!!!
devin3627
June 04, 2009 at 1:04am
They need to learn to give people a disdount or else they are losing a yearly gamer...... for example, i bought a game right out of circuit city and found out my key was taken and they rejected me because circuit city is out of business..... that is normal but, they are the core manufacture of the product and can't screw me over their own suspicion! they are paranoid freak!
I Jedi
June 03, 2009 at 9:59pm
Although I can understand why they would want to start this all over from scratch, I just think that they need to offer a discount price to people who bought L4D. Honestly, the few maps they had for the first L4D and the lack of downlodable content justifies, in my opinion, at least a discount price to those whom already own the game. A good way to allow for a discount is for Steam to check if the Steam-user has L4D, and if they do, then offer them a discount price on L4D 2. Seems more than fair and reasonable, in my humble opinion.
lorencel
June 03, 2009 at 9:30pm
I know I'm gonna like it eventually, but right now I'm going to miss the gang. PILLS HERE! I like the idea of AI Director 2.0 changing the patter of the map every time you play, coz everyone knows that after about a month or two of versus, it gets pretty annoying with people raging all the time. With those changes everytime you play it's always gonna be interesting.
sammyd253
June 03, 2009 at 9:18pm
I don't see how people can complain... Valve will probably have an opening launch and many more occasions where you play for free for a weekend, and then purchase for $5 after. They basically always give their games away. As long as this has equal content or more to the first release, then I have no problem paying for more zombie killing goodness.
Digital-Storm
June 03, 2009 at 9:09pm
Thats not an excuse. That is an excuse that they simply don't want to patch the original game, or include this as a secondary campaign on the first game.
luke01215
June 04, 2009 at 12:19am
If people are concerned about the price, don't be. Valve in my opinion is one of the most fair devs out there. I have said this before, but Blizzard, Valve, and Stardock are my favs.
As for payment for this game, no one seems to complain about expansions. Even Starcraft is scheduled to have two expansions come out. Developers need a way to make money, because after all these are damn good games.
I will say one thing about pricing. Recently I was trying to purchase the Twilight of Arnor and it was $20. I had already purchased Gal Civ II and up to Dark Advent. They are giving all three away in a bundle for $40. I don't think I should have to pay $20, because it is almost a punishment for getting the game before the other expansion. However, I cannot complain, because $20 for one of the best expansions I've ever played is a small price indeed.
Digital-Storm
June 04, 2009 at 2:01am
I agree, but when you purchase a game, and then realize that theres hardly any content, and it all can be completed in just a few short hours, its not worth it. I beat every map on Expert difficulty. There is no replay value. I can start a game, run to the end, because the zombies have a max limit, there won't me more zombies on the map, so it's extremely easy.
Dragonmaster384
June 04, 2009 at 8:06am
Have you tried playing VS mode online? That's a whole new game right there....
