Idea for L4D game mode

[Hunter-Killer]

Whenever Valve release a new game, normally Mutliplayer, it gets me thinking for new ideas for game modes. I had the obvious idea of just having a "Arena" style mode for Left 4 Dead simply where (much like the last levels of the campaigns) the survivors would have to hold up in, lets say a super market for around 15 mins and once the timer is up they have won. The twist would be there are guns and ammo hidden throughout the level that after a set amount of time would become available, for example, a wall gets smashed down by the infected allowing access to more of the level. This was just a simple idea and doesn't really fair to differently from the end of the campaigns.
My more "interesting" idea was Capture the Flag or in this case, Capture the Supplies. The idea is pretty straight forward, the survivors are holding up in a safe room waiting for the zombie apocalypse to end (fat chance!) but have run out of supplies so must get to a near by supply depot to collect, well supplies. The idea of the level would be the survivors leave the safe house and make their way through the level much like they normally would. Once they get to their destination one of the remaining characters (if its just one they are f**ked) will have to pick up the supply box and carry it back to the safe house meaning the other survivors will have to protect that character at all costs. The box can be dropped and used to bash zombies much like the explosive barrels and petrol cans. Also like those two, if the character carrying it is knocked down, he (or she!) will drop the box. I am still in two minds whether or not to have it so you just run back through the same area, or if for some reason (e.g. you have to drop down to the supplies and can't get back up) you can't go back the way you came so it makes the level more a circle so you make your way back to the safe room via a different route. The game will only end once the survivor and the supply box has reached the safe room. This is just a rough idea, and as far as I can see if won't require too much (if any) coding or animation, just simply making it so the survivors can carry the box and that the game only ends once the survivor and the box is in the safe room. I feel this would be a very intense game mode as it would force the survivors to stick together and really look out for each other as it would not be possible for one person to run back with the box. Currently still waiting on the SDK for L4D before I can try out a mock idea, hopefully they will give us the access soon. Any additional thoughts or just general opinions I would be very much interested to hear them.

 

[CombineHunter]

That sounds pretty good actually.

 

[Hazard.Squared]

Reminds me of the Nazi Zombies from COD:WaW, it sounds pretty damn fun.

 

[the cow says moo]

that does sound fun. i was thinking of a horde mode like from the COD:WaW zombie level or GoW. you're held up in a building or something and you have to fight off waves of infected coming at you. the first wave starts out pretty easy and each wave gets harder and harder. you only get a set amount of time between each wave. i think a horde mode would be better in l4d than those from other games, because it has the AI director. the director would be able to monitor how well the players are doing during each wave and could change the next wave to match the player's needs, while still pushing the difficulty to be harder. this way the game mode would be different each time you play it, making it better than GoW's version. (though GOW would still be fun doing this)

 

[iZ94]

that would be a quality game mode

Definitely something like that CoDWAW Zombie mode, maybe in more locations and with more weapons too!

nice idea.

 

[Holy Toaster]

T'would be great, it would be matched to CoD:WaW's zombie mode if not surpassed.

 

[the cow says moo]

i assume your talking about the one on top

 

[Eejit]

that does sound fun. i was thinking of a horde mode like from the COD:WaW zombie level or GoW. you're held up in a building or something and you have to fight off waves of infected coming at you. the first wave starts out pretty easy and each wave gets harder and harder. you only get a set amount of time between each wave. i think a horde mode would be better in l4d than those from other games, because it has the AI director. the director would be able to monitor how well the players are doing during each wave and could change the next wave to match the player's needs, while still pushing the difficulty to be harder. this way the game mode would be different each time you play it, making it better than GoW's version. (though GOW would still be fun doing this)

Or you could just play WAW...

L4D has different, more original gameplay. Trying to make it a clone of a one-dimensional spamfest from a generic shooter is a horrible horrible idea.

 

[the cow says moo]

and thats why it's only an idea

 

[Reflex]

great idea but during the game will players be able acess the ammo supply?

 

[Hunter-Killer]

great idea but during the game will players be able acess the ammo supply?

Yeah it will be like a normal campaign or versus game. The idea is the supplies are like food, ammo, whatever you like. The supplies box only significants is that it needs to be returned to the safe house, so ammo and health will be dotted about just like always.
It would be intresting to have the survivors on a limited ammo supply, but I feel that may be too much of a struggle.

 

[Omnomnick]

Could work but I don't see it being implemented anytime soon.

 

[ZachAttack]

I like it,

But what if the supply run was a VS game and the points were decided on how many supplies made it back...

Say every survivor could carry one box and would have to drop it to shoot.

I think that would make it a little more interesting then just protecting one person.

 

[Fiberawptic]

Whenever Valve release a new game, normally Mutliplayer, it gets me thinking for new ideas for game modes. I had the obvious idea of just having a "Arena" style mode for Left 4 Dead simply where (much like the last levels of the campaigns) the survivors would have to hold up in, lets say a super market for around 15 mins and once the timer is up they have won. The twist would be there are guns and ammo hidden throughout the level that after a set amount of time would become available, for example, a wall gets smashed down by the infected allowing access to more of the level. This was just a simple idea and doesn't really fair to differently from the end of the campaigns.
My more "interesting" idea was Capture the Flag or in this case, Capture the Supplies. The idea is pretty straight forward, the survivors are holding up in a safe room waiting for the zombie apocalypse to end (fat chance!) but have run out of supplies so must get to a near by supply depot to collect, well supplies. The idea of the level would be the survivors leave the safe house and make their way through the level much like they normally would. Once they get to their destination one of the remaining characters (if its just one they are f**ked) will have to pick up the supply box and carry it back to the safe house meaning the other survivors will have to protect that character at all costs. The box can be dropped and used to bash zombies much like the explosive barrels and petrol cans. Also like those two, if the character carrying it is knocked down, he (or she!) will drop the box. I am still in two minds whether or not to have it so you just run back through the same area, or if for some reason (e.g. you have to drop down to the supplies and can't get back up) you can't go back the way you came so it makes the level more a circle so you make your way back to the safe room via a different route. The game will only end once the survivor and the supply box has reached the safe room. This is just a rough idea, and as far as I can see if won't require too much (if any) coding or animation, just simply making it so the survivors can carry the box and that the game only ends once the survivor and the box is in the safe room. I feel this would be a very intense game mode as it would force the survivors to stick together and really look out for each other as it would not be possible for one person to run back with the box. Currently still waiting on the SDK for L4D before I can try out a mock idea, hopefully they will give us the access soon. Any additional thoughts or just general opinions I would be very much interested to hear them.

Its an interesting idea... BUT, one of the things that keeps L4D gameplay fun throughout, is the constant change in environments. Like in No merci, you go though the subway, then sewers and warehouses. If a game mode which required the survivors to hold one arena for a long time, it could get pretty boring and repetitive fast. Your idea is pretty much just a prolonged version of a typical finale imo, which trust me, is long enough.

I do like the capture the flag idea though...

 

[Hunter-Killer]

Could work but I don't see it being implemented anytime soon.

Yeah I don't see it being released offically anytime soon, that's why I'm going to give it a go!

I like it,

But what if the supply run was a VS game and the points were decided on how many supplies made it back...

Say every survivor could carry one box and would have to drop it to shoot.

I think that would make it a little more interesting then just protecting one person.

I think Versus would still work the same giving points to how many survivors get back (though the box would still need to make it back as well) but that's an interesting idea. The more supplies that are returned, the more bonus points the survivors are awarded. It would defiantly make it more intense but I feel it would be way too much of a disadvantage everyone carrying a box, even though you can quickly drop it you at least need one person to a have their gun in their hands at all times. Still, interesting addition.

Its an interesting idea... BUT, one of the things that keeps L4D gameplay fun throughout, is the constant change in environments. Like in No merci, you go though the subway, then sewers and warehouses. If a game mode which required the survivors to hold one arena for a long time, it could get pretty boring and repetitive fast. Your idea is pretty much just a prolonged version of a typical finale imo, which trust me, is long enough.

I do like the capture the flag idea though...

That is true however who's to say the level could be smaller than usual but still cover a variety of locations. Example, you could start in the safe room where you exit onto a roof, after the first section you then move onto the streets, from there you enter a shopping mall where the supplies are. From the shopping mall you make your way down into the sewer as a different route back, then from the sewer you enter a water treatment plant which then leads back to street level and eventually the safe room. Again just a rough layout but it doesn't have to just be a street level all the way through. Also, being that the levels would be shorter than a campaign (maybe the length of one of the long levels you get in the "movies") this means that more levels could be created along the line. Good point though, gotta think of different ways to keep the level interesting & replayable.

 

[Hunter-Killer]

Edit: Whoops, somehow managed to post my response twice! :S

 

[lefty]

I like the capture the supplies idea, but what if there were several boxes throughout a level, and the survivors had to bring each one back to the saferoom, and they were each in a different building, and they would like, give you access to a different weapon each time you brought one back.

 

[Hunter-Killer]

I like the capture the supplies idea, but what if there were several boxes throughout a level, and the survivors had to bring each one back to the saferoom, and they were each in a different building, and they would like, give you access to a different weapon each time you brought one back.

Sounds cool though I feel that would get rather repetitive going back and forth from the same safe room, even if you did go to different areas and return through different entrances. Never the less, its another idea to throw in the mix.

 

[kacation_man]

I want to see a game mode that uses all skills acquired from reading the zombie survival guide.

probably wouldnt make for great game play, but would still like to try it.

 

[Hunter-Killer]

I want to see a game mode that uses all skills acquired from reading the zombie survival guide.

probably wouldnt make for great game play, but would still like to try it.

That would be a really cool training level. Could have it so you progress through the level and each section is a new part of the survival guide so you go through a situation that requires you to use that "skill".

 

[Jintor]

Both ideas are pretttttty awesome. Props yo.

 

[wexxO^]

Its like Bombing run from UT2k* combinated with CTF.. nice idea!
R-E-S-C-E-P-T-A

you could try to include the abilty to drop if your hangin on a cliff or something..
Ik got hulksmashed by tank ontop of mercy hospital and i really could've jumped down if the game let me, it was like 1.5 meters above ground..
so its really annoying that L4D doesnt have a drop function.

Just a thought

 

[the cow says moo]

I do like the capture the flag idea, but how about to implement teamwork better, the supply box is heavy enough that two survivors have to carry it, while the other two have to defend them. The survivors could let go of the box at anytime if they are needed and they could switch who is carrying it. MAYBE the two survivors carrying the supplies could still use one pistol and mel?e attack.

 

[Fiberawptic]

Whenever Valve release a new game, normally Mutliplayer, it gets me thinking for new ideas for game modes. I had the obvious idea of just having a "Arena" style mode for Left 4 Dead simply where (much like the last levels of the campaigns) the survivors would have to hold up in, lets say a super market for around 15 mins and once the timer is up they have won. The twist would be there are guns and ammo hidden throughout the level that after a set amount of time would become available, for example, a wall gets smashed down by the infected allowing access to more of the level. This was just a simple idea and doesn't really fair to differently from the end of the campaigns.

Bumped the thread on the counta im wondering if valve saw this idea and is what later will be their "Survival mode"? Sounds close to what we possible may see when the update arrives. Of course we don't know any details on survival mode yet, but when i think of survival in video game modes, i think time clock, staying alive till it runs out like this guys idea....

Discuss

 

[Hunter-Killer]

Where's my royalties if they did!?
To be honest though, it's a very obvious game mode and if people think back to the BETA I remember everyone getting bored of doing the same level so started holding up in a bathroom to see how long they could survive. I would like to think they would put some twist on the idea, but even if they don't it will still be a good laugh.