Left 4 Dead 2 Interview: A Chat with Chet - bit-tech.net Forums

Tim S · 6th Jul 2009, 10:35

http://www.bit-tech.net/gaming/pc/20...at-with-chet/1

We sit down with Valve's Chet Faliszek and have a good ol' natter about Left 4 Dead 2, what Valve thinks about the recent Steam boycotts, how to tell a good story in a multiplayer game, and why Doug Lombardi can't be trusted with grenades.

crompers · 6th Jul 2009, 11:32

Quote:

Like David Sawyer, who’s a level designer who worked on Half-Life and Half-Life 2. He was working on this one project and after playtesting for ages he said he really wanted to switch and work on Left 4 Dead 2 and he did. We saw a lot of that kind of stuff and it’s why we’re able to work so quickly.

working on half life 3 perhaps? took him off to work on L4D2? ooohh they're just leaving themselves open for another petition there

capnPedro · 6th Jul 2009, 12:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by TFA

handed out by waitresses dressed as zombies

And nobody managed to snap a quick picture!?

Quote:

Originally Posted by TFA

is it supposed to be the CDC?

Crudely drawn cock?

It looks like there's going to be some cool features in L4D2, I don't think I'd want to pay more than ~£20 for it though, seeing as it's basically just an expansion.

smc8788 · 6th Jul 2009, 12:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by capnPedro

It looks like there's going to be some cool features in L4D2, I don't think I'd want to pay more than ~£20 for it though, seeing as it's basically just an expansion.

Yeah, it looks good, but I don't mind paying for it. What I do mind is calling it a fully-fledged sequel, which I really don't think it is. If it was L4D:EP1 or some variant, then I'd be happy

Yemerich · 6th Jul 2009, 12:07

Yeah another petition: "Please Stop the HL franchie.. it is worn out now"... Never really liked HL series. Anyways...

I am excited with the next L4D. The daylight idea is really nice, but surely nighttime is much more spooky - nice thing its just one level in daylight. I would like to see some high caliber pistol like a desert eagle in the game... a VERY NOISY one!

CardJoe · 6th Jul 2009, 12:20

Quote:

CDC

Quote:

Originally Posted by capnPedro

Crudely drawn cock?

Center of Disease Control.

There are a bunch of new weapons and different types. There's not just UZI and M16, for example, but a whole punch of different SMGs with slightly different feels and stats.

They daylight setting works suprisingly well too. Being blinded by HDR is just as good as squinting in shadows and helps to give the game a sense of realism and character to the series.

V3ctor · 6th Jul 2009, 12:34

It still looks like an expansion to me... I won't buy the game if it's full price, I already own L4D, this is just new maps that eventually will appear as mods in L4D, I already have friends playing with incendiary ammo in L4D... So, I just hope L4D 2 will be an expansion.

Floyd · 6th Jul 2009, 12:58

I cant wait for this game. I love LFD1 and im going to play the piss out out LFD2!

MajorTom · 6th Jul 2009, 13:00

This only feels like a sequel if you own a console and are used to your game being patched and released as a sequel every year. Apparent restraints on 360 releases is the reason behind this not being an expansion. Such a sadness. Valves choice to get stuck into the console market has changed their business model for the worse. I believe they are taking notice of all the fuss though. "Maybe we will decide we don't like working like this"

impar · 6th Jul 2009, 13:04

Greetings!

Question not asked:

Quote:

Dont you feel that releasing another L4D game so soon after the first one divides the L4D community in two groups?

Would really like to know how Valve spins that one.

docodine · 6th Jul 2009, 13:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by impar

Quote:

Dont you feel that releasing another L4D game so soon after the first one divides the L4D community in two groups?

This.

And Valve should totally be more realistic with the daytime level. IRL there wouldn't be zombies because they hate sunlight.

flibblesan · 6th Jul 2009, 13:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by docodine

Quote:

Originally Posted by impar

Quote:

Dont you feel that releasing another L4D game so soon after the first one divides the L4D community in two groups?

This.

And Valve should totally be more realistic with the daytime level. IRL there wouldn't be zombies because they hate sunlight.

They are not zombies, they are infected. Think of '28 Days Later'.

CardJoe · 6th Jul 2009, 13:23

Quote:

And Valve should totally be more realistic with the daytime level. IRL there wouldn't be zombies because they hate sunlight.

Ah, but they aren't 'zombies' in the game fiction, not really. They are 'infected'. They are normal humans with a disease and a few mutations, which is why you don't need to shoot them in the head to kill them - whatever would kill a normal human will kill them. Also, that's why the survivors don't become zombies just because they've been bitten once - they are the 1% of humanity that is immune to the disease. It's laid out in the L4D opening scene and the No Mercy campaign.

Thus, the 'zombies' are actually better at day time. They see you from further, move faster and attack better. The Witch is more active too, not just hunkering down but getting up and roaming through the level.

steveo_mcg · 6th Jul 2009, 13:54

It does sound really good and how he explained it being a different "story" adds weight to the sequel, i'm still conflicted. Not all that fussy about different weapons but the linearish progression through the adventure sounds interesting, oh and fire axe, "How crazy must one be to fight fire with a bladed weapon". Slight paraphrase.

Though if its released at expansion point price i'll probably get it at release if not i'll wait till it falls to the £15-£20 range given the original was only about £20 from Amazon that's probably not an unreasonable starting price. Which just leaves the worry about the fragmented community.

gibber · 6th Jul 2009, 14:24

Zombies dont like daylight? I thought it was just vampires and aliens that mostly come at night.

Anyways, really looking forward to this, expansion or not. I paid £20 for L4D1 which is a bargin conisdering the amount of time I've played it. Quite happy to pay that again for a sequal - considering the quality of Valves stuff.

impar · 6th Jul 2009, 14:25

Greetings!

There is also the problem on whether there will be a retail version ot not.
There is no way I will buy this through St€am.

CardJoe · 6th Jul 2009, 14:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by impar

Greetings!

There is also the problem on whether there will be a retail version ot not.
There is no way I will buy this through St€am.

Why not?

steveo_mcg · 6th Jul 2009, 14:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by gibber

Zombies dont like daylight? I thought it was just vampires and aliens that mostly come at night.

Was that not in the graffiti on one the walls in No Mercy?

Paradigm Shifter · 6th Jul 2009, 14:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by CardJoe

Why not?

Probably because of Valve's EU pricing. Buying Steam games retail is a better option... if you absolutely have to have the game.

Hamish · 6th Jul 2009, 15:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by CardJoe

Why not?

pricing i'd guess, L4D1 was terribly overpriced on steam aswell
considering you could get it from amazon for about £20 and it was £35 or so on steam at release?

6th Jul 2009, 10:35	#1
Tim S Pewlius Caesar bit-tech Staff Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Ascot, Berks Posts: 18,021	Left 4 Dead 2 Interview: A Chat with Chet http://www.bit-tech.net/gaming/pc/20...at-with-chet/1 We sit down with Valve's Chet Faliszek and have a good ol' natter about Left 4 Dead 2, what Valve thinks about the recent Steam boycotts, how to tell a good story in a multiplayer game, and why Doug Lombardi can't be trusted with grenades. __________________ Tim on Twitter \| Tim's Blog \| Tim's Flickr The bit-tech Blog \| bit-tech on Twitter \| Join the bit-tech & Custom PC folding team (#35947)

6th Jul 2009, 12:07	#5
Yemerich What's a rebimboca da parafuseta? Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Sao Paulo - Brazil Posts: 714	Yeah another petition: "Please Stop the HL franchie.. it is worn out now"... Never really liked HL series. Anyways... I am excited with the next L4D. The daylight idea is really nice, but surely nighttime is much more spooky - nice thing its just one level in daylight. I would like to see some high caliber pistol like a desert eagle in the game... a VERY NOISY one! __________________ Bit Tech is more than games and hardware - check out the mods too. Don't let modding die in Bit-Tech.net.

6th Jul 2009, 13:00	#9
MajorTom Multimodder Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Bristol, UK Posts: 71	This only feels like a sequel if you own a console and are used to your game being patched and released as a sequel every year. Apparent restraints on 360 releases is the reason behind this not being an expansion. Such a sadness. Valves choice to get stuck into the console market has changed their business model for the worse. I believe they are taking notice of all the fuss though. "Maybe we will decide we don't like working like this" __________________ Steam: MajorTomG XBoxLive: MajorTom83

6th Jul 2009, 13:54	#14
steveo_mcg What owl? Join Date: May 2005 Location: Edinburgh Posts: 3,998	It does sound really good and how he explained it being a different "story" adds weight to the sequel, i'm still conflicted. Not all that fussy about different weapons but the linearish progression through the adventure sounds interesting, oh and fire axe, "How crazy must one be to fight fire with a bladed weapon". Slight paraphrase. Though if its released at expansion point price i'll probably get it at release if not i'll wait till it falls to the £15-£20 range given the original was only about £20 from Amazon that's probably not an unreasonable starting price. Which just leaves the worry about the fragmented community. __________________ No boom today, boom tomorrow... there's always a boom tomorrow.

6th Jul 2009, 14:25	#16
impar 2n-1 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Portugal Posts: 843	Greetings! There is also the problem on whether there will be a retail version ot not. There is no way I will buy this through St€am. __________________ The recruitment of Militia is illegal. Militia-recruiters will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the applicable laws.

6th Jul 2009, 12:34	#7
V3ctor Multimodder Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Portugal Posts: 130	It still looks like an expansion to me... I won't buy the game if it's full price, I already own L4D, this is just new maps that eventually will appear as mods in L4D, I already have friends playing with incendiary ammo in L4D... So, I just hope L4D 2 will be an expansion.

6th Jul 2009, 12:58	#8
Floyd Sniipes Brother Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: USA Posts: 82	I cant wait for this game. I love LFD1 and im going to play the piss out out LFD2!

6th Jul 2009, 14:24	#15
gibber What's a Dremel? Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 7	Zombies dont like daylight? I thought it was just vampires and aliens that mostly come at night. Anyways, really looking forward to this, expansion or not. I paid £20 for L4D1 which is a bargin conisdering the amount of time I've played it. Quite happy to pay that again for a sequal - considering the quality of Valves stuff.