I can relate. I played both the single and multiplayer version at a friends and wasn't all that impressed. It's the kind of game I might pay $20-$30 for, but nothing more than that.
If you're basing your conclusions on SP, you're doing it wrong.
If you're playing on a difficulty below expert, you're doing it wrong.
If you're playing without voice chat, you're...
Listen, it's a co-op online game based on team survival folks. You need to make sure two things occur:
1) Team dynamics. The single player in this title is a lot like the single player in Battlefield 2 - it's only there to fill a checkbox on the marketing sheet. Play it online, with people who want to use teamwork and have voicechat.
2) Survival. If you're not being pressed to the edge of your ability, you don't have the difficulty high enough. The lower difficulty modes are for n00bs and people who suck. If you complete a chapter on the first try without anyone dying, it's too easy. To be honest, the best times I've had in this game are when it takes us several tries just to complete a chapter at all.
It took us 6 attempts over the course of about 3 hours to get chapter 3 of No Mercy completed on expert, but figuring out the strategies for different situations was half the fun, as was limping into the safe room inches ahead of a tank with your dead teammates shouting "goooooO!" into their mics.
If you're playing on a difficulty below expert, you're doing it wrong.
If you're playing without voice chat, you're...
Listen, it's a co-op online game based on team survival folks. You need to make sure two things occur:
1) Team dynamics. The single player in this title is a lot like the single player in Battlefield 2 - it's only there to fill a checkbox on the marketing sheet. Play it online, with people who want to use teamwork and have voicechat.
2) Survival. If you're not being pressed to the edge of your ability, you don't have the difficulty high enough. The lower difficulty modes are for n00bs and people who suck. If you complete a chapter on the first try without anyone dying, it's too easy. To be honest, the best times I've had in this game are when it takes us several tries just to complete a chapter at all.
It took us 6 attempts over the course of about 3 hours to get chapter 3 of No Mercy completed on expert, but figuring out the strategies for different situations was half the fun, as was limping into the safe room inches ahead of a tank with your dead teammates shouting "goooooO!" into their mics.
Maximilian
Lifer
- Feb 8, 2004
- 12,604
- 15
- 81
Umm well you can still have a lot of fun without voice chat and without a team plan, just as long as people on your team generally have a feel for what theyre doing a thing i call "automatic teamwork" sometimes takes place, i.e. they will wait for the boomer to be sick all over the enemy before pouncing somone etc.
Plus expert isnt entirely about skill, a good chunk is about how many times you can do the same thing over and luck. Plenty of fun to be had on advanced, not everyone likes repetivity, my team had waaay more fun playing verus and on advanced than struggling through a campaign on expert which was just fooking tedius by the sewer level on no mercy.
I agree on one thing thing though, single player isnt the way to go with this game, single player is a tacked on thing that naturally comes from whats in the multiplayer component already. Maps + AI = Single player. There probably wasent any development involved in it, just copy/paste of whats already there from the online component. Not saying it shouldnt be there but people shouldnt be playing it exclusively because its no fun. Like starcrafts no fun playing against the AI, you need to go online.
)
BlueAcolyte
Platinum Member
- Nov 19, 2007
- 2,793
- 2
- 0
The gist of his argument was perfectly valid, if taken a bit too far. The core of L4D is cooperative multiplayer. If you're going solo, you're missing a huge part of the game. If you're playing easy or normal, cooperation isn't remotely required. They are available as options because everyone wants options.
Should the game be judge primarily on it's core, or primarily on it's options? I see a lot of people judging it poorly based on it's tacked-on options. IMHO though, I think Valve would do the game greater justice if they deleted the single-player option and got rid of Easy and Normal difficulties.
Maximilian
Lifer
- Feb 8, 2004
- 12,604
- 15
- 81
Your right pontifex, pretty decent dosent really cover it. The AI in this game is frickin awesome. Its actually so good that its better than most players are, especially in versus, AI teammates will stick with you, help you out, and give you their medpacks! It will also kill that hunter/smoker thans constricting you as quick as or quicker than most people and sometimes seems to have the ability to see through bushes.
The AI is really good in this game!
I didn't say a thing about the other options. You did. I'm not concerned with valve's motivation for sticking the other stuff in there. I already know where the best is.
Your question is like asking why they make $5 bills when $20 bills exist.
Edited to add: Whiner.
because those options are there to learn, yet if you base the experience off of only that and then call it quits you're a fool
pontifex
Lifer
- Dec 5, 2000
- 43,804
- 46
- 91
we must have played different versions of the game. my ai teammates were always 50 feet behind me, getting in the way, never helped the other teammates if they were caught, never helped me when i was swarmed by tons of zombies because i had that zombie attracting goo on my character. yeah, wonderful ai...:roll:
Maximilian the AI is really great in this game! A lot of the times the AI players, if there is any, will kill a boomer, hunter, or smoker before any of the real players.
Maximilian
Lifer
- Feb 8, 2004
- 12,604
- 15
- 81
This game is just awesome.
Here is my quick take:
First tried out the Single player mode with AI. I thought the Graphics were dated, not much appeal since it's just shoot and blast. I was very disappointed and moved on to Campaign mode with Other users....
WOW, ended up playing til 5am. This Coop game is just speachless fun!
All players have to work together to survive, nice to see all players heal each other, and rescue. Zombies look and move like the movie "28 days/weeks later" and "Dawn of the dead" (the box office hit few years ago).
Game mode was set to expert and the second map (subway) was a tough one.
Four of us divided up in pairs, two forward, two back...all with submachine guns. two fires and backs when need to reload. Other two from behind advance few steps and shoots while the other two player reload and re-advances.
It was nice to see my mates closing the door and watching out for any unexpected zombie hordes on our back.
Crazy awesome game!!!!
Here is my quick take:
First tried out the Single player mode with AI. I thought the Graphics were dated, not much appeal since it's just shoot and blast. I was very disappointed and moved on to Campaign mode with Other users....
WOW, ended up playing til 5am. This Coop game is just speachless fun!
All players have to work together to survive, nice to see all players heal each other, and rescue. Zombies look and move like the movie "28 days/weeks later" and "Dawn of the dead" (the box office hit few years ago).
Game mode was set to expert and the second map (subway) was a tough one.
Four of us divided up in pairs, two forward, two back...all with submachine guns. two fires and backs when need to reload. Other two from behind advance few steps and shoots while the other two player reload and re-advances.
It was nice to see my mates closing the door and watching out for any unexpected zombie hordes on our back.
Crazy awesome game!!!!
Must have been, but I'm guessing its more of a PEBKAC issue
The AI is perfectly fine until you need to employ some fine tuned tactics. Of course this is why so many of us are saying this game essentially requires other humans to fully appreciate. But for those who are antisocial it is understandable as to why they wouldn't like the game.
Playing with the AI on easy or normal will often work out better than with human players because the AI generally has incredible accuracy and will just about never get surprised from behind or overwhelmed by hoards (ie they're near perfect with the bashing technique to keep the zombies off of them)
However to successfully play through on advanced or expert is another story...
Agreed, I played through most of the game on Advanced with all AI mates and Rooftop Finale took multiple tries because my team would never be situated correctly (they would always stay on the bottom floor of the building) because I had always went and threw down gas cans and propane tanks in strategic areas.
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