Left 4 Dead modding information

[RikiRude]

I am interested in modding the game Left 4 Dead, if you are interested in helping me start up a mod team please send me a PM! Note that the game isn't even out until some time in 2008.

This list is composed of ideas from both myself and others who have posted ideas.

First off, "realism."
There is always a target audience when it comes to realism, and well talking zombies and realism is kind of a paradox what I mean is realism in the sense where one follows "classic" zombie rules and weapons.

Secondly, gameplay that people expect when they hear the word zombie game.
I think the first things that come to peoples mind when they imagine a zombie game are shambler style zombies, making weapons out of objects, and making barricades, I would like my mod to achieve all this.

The main objective of the mod will be to make weapons and zombies realistic. This means no 50 round clips and no jumping or climbing zombies.

Gamemodes
Other objectives of the mod would include different game modes, such as a defend/barricade style mode, escape/gather mode, and a survivor mode. An incentive to stay alive consecutively. The mod would be very open to community suggestions and ideas. And the mod of course would be a springboard to be people into the gaming industry.
-players only get one life, but can "respawn" at check points as in essence people who were holding the check point waiting for help or something.

The Virus
-basic zombie virus from who knows where that brings the dead back to life, kills the living once it enters them via bites
-once damaged below 35 health (we will say once you are at 50 health you have been bitten) you will start to loose health and you will have contracted the virus, would like brief random moments simulating the virus taking over (red/blurred vision ect)
-the more damage you take the slower you will be
-keep the idea of l4d pain killers, which will give you extra health that will deplete over time

Weapons:
-Lots of different types of melee weapons, including but not limited to, knives taped to poles, kitchen knives, machetes, sledgehammer, crow bar, baseball bat
-if possible ammunition would be counted in magazines (BF2/PR style) rather then number of bullets (CoD style)
-weapons you would expect to find in any basic town (ie no desert eagles, no auto shotguns, no machine guns)
-pistols: 9mm and .45 pistols, 45 would have smaller magazine but more powerful, 9mm would have higher magazine count but more ammo, also a .357 magnum would be available, would be possible to load it by the bullet, but a full reload would take some time (sorry don't intend to put in speed reloader for this weapon (would be unbalanced imo)
-rifles: M1 carbine, AR-15 (no burst or auto), M-14, some type of bolt action sniper rifle, M1 with a weaker bullet, less recoil, light, AR15, heavier, more recoil, bigger magazine, M-14 more powerful, 20 round mag, very heavy, bolt action would have a scope and be heavy ect
-Flashlights will have some sort of limitation, maybe they will be those ones that you shake, so you have X amount of light time, then you have to recharge it, i don't want flash lights that are on 24/7

Don't know what other types of guns I would want to include, I just want basic and balanced guns, and don't want to put in a whole libary of weapons just because i can.
-explosive: molotovs and other home made style



Zombies:
AI controlled zombies
-Zombie Type 1 (Grave zombies/Shamblers): basic romero slow moving decayed zombies capable of opening (not unlocking) doors after an amount of time, also have a close range vomit ability which blinds players.
-Zombie Type 2 (Past infected/Lungers) : faster moving zombies with short bursts of speed, and frantic slashing/hitting/biting attacks, also some wielding blunt weapons or knives which they can use to bust down doors/barricades.
-Zombie Type 3 (Recently Infected/Runners): these would represent people who just got infected with the virus. these would be the zombies that run relentlessly, take more shots to knock down, and will be the likely candidate to have the ability to climb and jump.
*id also like to make it so some zombies already spawn with limbs missing so you may come across a zombie crawling on the ground
*all zombies will have the ability to climb, just at different speeds*

Player controlled zombies/enemies
-player controlled zombies/creatures are something I am still thinking about:
I actually really like the basic designs on the boss infected that they have so far.
Clinger: a type of creature that can cling to walls and ceilings, and has the ability to climb, and pounces/drops on top of players and bites, low HP and fast.
Bruiser: a type of creature that has a tremendous amount of HP, and comes at you at a normal pace and does normal amount of damage. most viable way to kill it is to take out its legs so it's left crawling, it would also have a decay timer, so it would be possible to just take out the legs and let it go in a room while you move on.
The Thing: looks like one of the survivors, but when you get too close it impales you with spikes that do medium damage or if it gets right next to you it opens a gaping mouth in it's stomach that does very heavy damage, keep in mind that in the mod there would be no glow or anything like that on players

All those zombie ideas are likely to change as things progress. And most likely id rather have types of zombies as player controlled enemies rather then actual creatures.

Possible character abilities
Male
-carpenter who is adept at making barricades, comes with limited hammer
-police officer who has a little extra health (light body armor) and starts with a .45
Female
-doctor who has extra heal items and extra slot for heal items
-theif who can pick locks and hack systems, comes with a crowbar and extra slot for a melee weapon or ammo

Movement
-would like to make the player slow down when jumping. I don't know why you would and I don't know if it makes a difference, but I have watched videos where players seem to be bunny hopping.

Sounds
-maybe if I'm lucky I can use sounds from the weapons sound pack from PR =)

Maps
-Maps with multiple routes, easier routes which can be unlocked via a character special ability
-some day maps, it's not night time 24/7

Basic Brainstorm
A list of ideas that I don't know if they will be possible (and it's a long list!) include:

-zombies have hit boxes that affect their movement, ie shots to the legs will knock them over, arms and legs can be blown off with high power weapons, or cut off by melee weapons.
-different types of zombies, including more decayed slower zombies, faster fresher zombies, "smart" zombies aka the odd ball zombie that remembers how to unlock doors, or the one that realizes wielding something in his hand might be more effective then nothing, but you won't see zombies using guns or anything like that.
-Once players get a bite that breaks through the skin they have X amount of time to make it to the end of the level, possibilities also include medicine which slows the virus, and maybe an antidote available.
-ability to pick starting weapons
-Guns and ammo scarce for the most part.
-You can barricade.
-Zombies can be dismembered.
-Lots and lots of zombies on the screen at once! the game needs to be claustrophobic with a big heaping cup of "Oh! ????!"
-Player needs to have the feeling of "keep moving", keep moving or you will get overwhelmed.
-lots of consideration will go into other possible monsters in the game, but would like to stick to human zombies, or maybe even cases of enhanced or deformed zombies with certain abilities. MAYBE.

I would like to include a variety of zombies if possible and possibly other creatures. And not all zombies will be slow. A majority of zombies will be slower, but I also want quick ones as well to represent different amounts of decay that has occurred on the body. And given how the maps are made, maybe zombies with the ability to climb and such will be implemented (after i have done some further reading into the game)

*now keep in mind i have no idea if lock picking/hacking would be possible or even necessary, or how the inventory system works, these are just some basic ideas*


Please post if you would be interested in helping make a mod for L4D, and I mean anything, helping make a website, texturing, coding, being a forum mod.

[Dylan]

Sounds cool. Let me know if it gets started.

[matt.b]

L4D is kind of a mod itself (something like a source/hl2 supermod), so modding that might be a bit restrictive. If you want to make a great zombie mod, why not work from a newer base like Unreal3 (from UT3) & providing you had the right talent working on the project, anything would be possible.

[RikiRude]

well L4D already has zombies and guns and zombie animations, maybe it would be more of a mini-mod, but everything is right there. If i was lucky enough to find modelers and texture artists and all that then maybe I would be more inclined.

[SiN|ScarFace]

Zombie master IMO captures the OH SHITE feeling well. Where if you get separated from other survivors you are pretty much SOL and even with others when there is a horde approaching or the exit is about to be cut off and you have limited ammo the flight instinct kicks in! I don't think I've played another game that gives that feeling when you are fleeing, where you don't even want to turn around to look back as you will waste precious steps.
Thats the feeling that needs to be the basis for any zombie game. When the tables turn or something happens that causes you to retreat it's totally every man for himself. lol

[RikiRude]

Originally Posted by SiN|ScarFace

Zombie master IMO captures the OH SHITE feeling well. Where if you get separated from other survivors you are pretty much SOL and even with others when there is a horde approaching or the exit is about to be cut off and you have limited ammo the flight instinct kicks in! I don't think I've played another game that gives that feeling when you are fleeing, where you don't even want to turn around to look back as you will waste precious steps.
Thats the feeling that needs to be the basis for any zombie game. When the tables turn or something happens that causes you to retreat it's totally every man for himself. lol

totally agree with you, the problem with ZM is how things spawn imo. and the ability to spawn things ON TOP of players. and the face that i think there is still quite a lot of emphasis on guns instead of running. and to be honest, any flaws with zombie master probably isn't their fault because they have such a small team, i think they have done A LOT and have the best multiplayer zombie gaming out right now.

[Spaz]

Originally Posted by [R-DEV]RikiRude

well L4D already has zombies and guns and zombie animations, maybe it would be more of a mini-mod, but everything is right there. If i was lucky enough to find modelers and texture artists and all that then maybe I would be more inclined.

Like all source games there will be LOTS of custom weapons so i don't think you will have any big problems finding someone who want to do weapons and things like that!

BTW if your making a mod on this you NEED to have working cars!

[SiN|ScarFace]

Yea, the game is lacking but the feel is perfect. Even though there are guns they really don't do much unless you have a group of people firing at the same time. Definitely more zombie games are needed.

[RikiRude]

it really amazes me how blind the gaming world is to a true zombie game. i mean heck, it's already done for them! watch all the romero movies and there is everything you need to know.

and as far as a zombie game goes, no thank you to cars or any vehicles of that sort because of two reasons

-cars = big map = too much room to just avoid zombies
-running over zombies

what would be cool is a stage where you are in the back of a big truck keeping the zombies from attacking your team. AI drives the vehicle and things get in the way while zombies come out of the sides of the road. and maybe a player or two are in tailing vehicles and they have to fight from inside their car as well.

[SiN|ScarFace]

I always thought a game like Grand theft auto San Adreas should have a mod like the riot cheat where the people turn into zombies and you would have to get from point A to B or save some people or something while zombies were all over + people not yet zombies. That would be fun. Jumping fences or on a bicycle.