Left 4 Dead

[schild]

You're just starting down a trek of complaints that carry no merit. You think a couple differing pieces of clothing would be awesome, then the next guy thinks there should be more and someone else thinks there should be more eccentric choices. Now Valve has to listen to a bunch of prissy mouthbreathers who want to play dolly. In a zombie shooter no less.

The fact you think Valve has to go that far is part of the problem. You have trouble saying "No" sometimes, don't you? 

Heh, I just like that "too much customization" is "thinking in the box" here.  Ultimately, though, I'm not seeing that customization of characters is anything most people playing this game are going to care about.  I get the feeling you want this game to be something more than what it is, say an instanced Zombie-FPS-MMO.

No, probably wrong, and who wouldn't want to play such a thing?

[Phire]

So you are honestly disappointed in a game because you cannot change your shirt from red to blue? That's all you care about? Really? I knew you liked to nit pick but WOW.

[Lantyssa]

How about this?  I'd like the option to play a female character if someone else has already picked Zoey.  Can I have enough customization to at least have that choice?

As for the time it takes to record the dialog?  There isn't that much.  They could do it in a few hours per character, if even that long.  They do this for a living.  It goes quickly.

[Valmorian]

I want a Night of the Living Dead mod:

Zombies are slow but can only be put down with a headshot, and getting caught by more than one or two = you are dead.

Along with that, more environmental manipulations, maybe hand weapons like axes and baseball bats, very limited ammo for any actual weapons, and isolated environments that are difficult to defend.

Wrap it all up with a 15-20 minute timed mode where you have to hold off the zombie horde until sunrise (or alternately escape the area by truck or something) and I'll love it.

[schild]

So you are honestly disappointed in a game because you cannot change your shirt from red to blue? That's all you care about? Really? I knew you liked to nit pick but WOW.

Yes. You hit the nail right on the head. You've counted the angels on the head of the pin and you've found the needle in the haystack. Obviously, I want the group to be Frankenstein, Himmler, Abraham Lincoln and a goat. But hay, I'd settle for a palette swap.

All of you fuckers are taking this to one of two extremes that is totally missing the point. That's fine, I just want to make you aware that you're bugfuck crazy.

Is it really so wrong to not want the characters to always be Knockoff Dreamfall Girl, White Trash, Dying Sergeant Jackass, and Halftuck?

Also, at what point did I express disappointment? I'll fucking praise the game to high fucking heavens. And have been. I'm just saying it's begging for some amount of customization. You, on the other hand, are nutso.

I want a Night of the Living Dead mod:

Zombies are slow but can only be put down with a headshot, and getting caught by more than one or two = you are dead.

Along with that, more environmental manipulations, maybe hand weapons like axes and baseball bats, very limited ammo for any actual weapons, and isolated environments that are difficult to defend.

Wrap it all up with a 15-20 minute timed mode where you have to hold off the zombie horde until sunrise (or alternately escape the area by truck or something) and I'll love it.

Zombie Panic sounds more up your alley. Particularly the limited ammo bit. Though, I think in the later stages on expert, the ammo will get very limited. I can't imagine there's going to be tables full of shit on the rooftop of the hospital which is the last stage of the demo campaign.

[Valmorian]

Zombie Panic sounds more up your alley. Particularly the limited ammo bit. Though, I think in the later stages on expert, the ammo will get very limited. I can't imagine there's going to be tables full of shit on the rooftop of the hospital which is the last stage of the demo campaign.

Could be, but I can't imagine Zombie Panic is as polished as this.  I wonder if they'll take L4D and mod it to the "next version"?

[schild]

How about this?  I'd like the option to play a female character if someone else has already picked Zoey.  Can I have enough customization to at least have that choice?

As for the time it takes to record the dialog?  There isn't that much.  They could do it in a few hours per character, if even that long.  They do this for a living.  It goes quickly.

This is a better decision than Customization. If Capcom can put 24 characters into SF4, I'm pretty sure Valve can put 20 characters in, record their 20 or so lines and fix the issue of redundancy.

[BitWarrior]

I'm pretty sure Valve can put 20 characters in, record their 20 or so lines and fix the issue of redundancy.

Sorry about ruining the party, but Left for Dead has more than 8000 lines of dialog.

Source (love the pun): http://kotaku.com/5043897/left-4-dead-to-be-cut-scene-free

So, assuming 4 characters, evenly divided up into 2000 lines each. Changing names, adding more entirely new characters, you can do the math.

The argument comes down to this: Do you want quantity or quality of characters? I would take 4 extremely well done characters over 20 half-assed characters any day of the week.

[schild]

The argument comes down to this: Do you want quantity or quality of characters? I would take 4 extremely well done characters over 20 half-assed characters any day of the week.

In the case of a game where 9 times out of 10 I would be playing with 4 humans who are voice chatting, I'd take quantity. The quality comes from the zombie end of the spectrum, not how many times Halftuck yells SHIT SHIT SHIT whenever somebody kicks it.

[NiX]

Can you back up this statistic of 9/10 with hard data?

[schild]

Can you back up this statistic of 9/10 with hard data?

I'm pretty sure when I'm using myself as a sample size of one and referring to how I'll play the game, I am the hard data. I don't like playing with less than 4 people - in fact after a couple people drop, I drop after a few rounds just to finish whatever we were trying to do - if it's even possible. And even then, at no point has the dialogue spat out by a bot been either 1. Compelling or 2. Terribly useful. Not only that but I've played enough (and so have some of my friends) that they can identify the boss zombies by sound far before the AI noticed and loads the dialog. The AI is decent on advanced and below, but unacceptable on Expert. It's pure shit. Of course, some players are also, but most of the players are better than the AI is or will be.

[Modern Angel]

How about this?  I'd like the option to play a female character if someone else has already picked Zoey.  Can I have enough customization to at least have that choice?

As for the time it takes to record the dialog?  There isn't that much.  They could do it in a few hours per character, if even that long.  They do this for a living.  It goes quickly.

They've said that more characters are coming

[schild]

They've said that more characters are coming

Where? That would've made this derail a very, very short one.

[NiX]

Would you be happy with more characters and not customization? (Asking to know, not to continue the argument.)

Edit: Only link I could find on post-launch content for L4D: http://www.videogamer.com/news/10-09-2008-9265.html

[schild]

Would you be happy with more characters and not customization? (Asking to know, not to continue the argument.)

Already said I would be.

[lesion]

I hear shooting zombies is cool, confirm/deny?

[schild]

Confirming itt.

[Aez]

I hear shooting zombies is cool, confirm/deny?

lol

Anyway, I'm with schild on this.  The game needs more characters.

[Falconeer]

I am all for customization usually, but this time I am not.

I like the movie tone they gave it and I am in for the (very very light) story they are trying to tell.
As I am used to shallow zombie movies with cookie cut characters, I am gald to have my cookies here too. It makes perfect sense to me. And these 4 chars perfectly set the mood of the game, which would still be fun but a bit impersonal without them. Plus, I still think it's a precise homage to Gauntlet.

I am not saying you customizers are wrong. Just saying that I am personally more than happy, in this case, with the actual design.

EDIT: More "official" chars? Brilliance!

[Triforcer]

Yes. You hit the nail right on the head. You've counted the angels on the head of the pin and you've found the needle in the haystack. Obviously, I want the group to be Frankenstein, Himmler, Abraham Lincoln and a goat.

You will love Battlefield Heroes.  That's pretty much what they are going for, judging by the video on their website. 

[schild]

Yes. You hit the nail right on the head. You've counted the angels on the head of the pin and you've found the needle in the haystack. Obviously, I want the group to be Frankenstein, Himmler, Abraham Lincoln and a goat.

You will love Battlefield Heroes.  That's pretty much what they are going for, judging by the video on their website. 

You. Did. Not. Read. The. Whole. Thread.

[Lantyssa]

Would you be happy with more characters and not customization? (Asking to know, not to continue the argument.)

Edit: Only link I could find on post-launch content for L4D: http://www.videogamer.com/news/10-09-2008-9265.html

That will be enough to make me happy.

[Triforcer]

Yes. You hit the nail right on the head. You've counted the angels on the head of the pin and you've found the needle in the haystack. Obviously, I want the group to be Frankenstein, Himmler, Abraham Lincoln and a goat.

You will love Battlefield Heroes.  That's pretty much what they are going for, judging by the video on their website. 

You. Did. Not. Read. The. Whole. Thread.

Not green is the new green.

[Margalis]

I liked that in RE:Online you could choose different characters that had different abilities.

With 4 characters they couldn't do that in L4D, there would be too much fighting over each character. However if they had 8 characters they could do it. Or if they had 4 characters and allowed you to choose palette-swapped duplicates. (With different hair or something...)

If the characters are all going to be functionally identical they might as well let all 4 people play as the black guy if they want. Worrying about plot and dialogue concerns seems a bit silly in what is supposed to be a fun multiplayer game. Four of the same black dude with different colored shirts may not make a lot of sense story-wise but who cares?

It's a little surprising that TF2 would have such diverse character classes then L4D has 4 characters that only differ graphically.

[schild]

My feeling is, at least for launch, they wanted to have a stupid reason for the stupid goddamn name of the game.

[lesion]

Zombies 8 My Neighbours

[SnakeCharmer]

Played it.
Loved it.

[Triforcer]

12 Zombeys

[schild]

Played it.
Loved it.

Shocked itt.

[Rasix]

12 Zombeys

Lame.

[Samwise]

Obviously, I want the group to be Frankenstein, Himmler, Abraham Lincoln and a goat.

Your ideas intrigue me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

[KallDrexx]

So back about the game...

Is this really good enough to spend $60 + xbox live sub for, when I don't really have any friends with a 360 (and no I won't get the pc version because I don't have a good pc setup so kb/m gaming is a PITA for me right now)?

[schild]

So back about the game...

Is this really good enough to spend $60 + xbox live sub for, when I don't really have any friends with a 360 (and no I won't get the pc version because I don't have a good pc setup so kb/m gaming is a PITA for me right now)?

I've comprimised on a handful of FPS titles in the last few years, this is one of those I wouldn't compromise on. The amount of twitch needed here to be successful on the more.... zombie-survival like difficulties is higher than average.

But I've said it to others, I would wager the 360 version has a decreased difficulty across the board. Haven't played it yet to find out though. And I won't 

[Falconeer]

This game is fast and fulfilling enough on a mouse+keyboard setup that I wouldn't get the console version even if threatened at gunpoint, and I love my Ps3 and my full HD panel.

Enough with the console/pad-mania. Some games, a few, are just plain better on PC. Hell, even at the lowest resolution and detail of my work pc it's just pure pleasure to blow zombie heads and limbs with loud precision and quickness.

[Xuri]

Enough with the console/pad-mania. Some games, a few, are just plain better on PC. Hell, even at the lowest resolution and detail of my work pc it's just pure pleasure to blow zombie heads and limbs with loud precision and quickness.

Some games, yeah. Like for example... ALL of them.