How to survive the horde: A Left4Dead demo tactics guide

primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' BoopinDetroit, MI Icrontian
edited January 2009 in Gaming
How to survive the horde: A Left4Dead demo tactics guide

Comments

  • TiberiusLazarusTiberiusLazarus Icrontian
    edited November 2008
    Good write up with some very good tactics that reach the game at its core as a tactical, survival, horror game. Now the hard part is putting these tactics (or any tactic other than, 'hey lets go kill these guys') into effective use considering the inherent lag and other technicalities that stem from online games.

    p.s. The sniper rifle is not useless in the demo.

    edit: I would love to get a group together to try this instead of run-n-gun.
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited November 2008
    Lies
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited November 2008
    played the demo with people last night, Running backwards with accuracy is KEY
  • Pat Williams
    edited November 2008
    My kids have been drooling over the Left4Dead demo since they started playing it on their XBox. They've played nothing else since. At least I know what to get them for Christmas. So much for cute animals and warm sweaters.
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited November 2008
    The couple times I've played, there were no other Icrontians available, so I played single player. I found the pistol and then the hunting rifle to be useful in Advanced mode, though I haven't tried Expert. I found that the computer players hang back and allow me to kill off all the infected that are standing around, then they provide effective cover and firing patterns while we're being swarmed. I doubt these tactics would be effective with human players, and I have no idea if it would even begin to work in Expert mode.
  • UPSWeezerUPSWeezer Behind you... GENTLEMEN Icrontian
    edited November 2008
    Nicely written. Let's try some of those tactics tonight. We still need to beat Expert.
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited November 2008
    I did it last night with cannonfodder, We ripped it apart!
  • BlackHawkBlackHawk Bible music connoisseur There's no place like 127.0.0.1 Icrontian
    edited November 2008
    One thing I found useful, if you've got the SMG, spray for the head when the hordes come. Head is one shot one kill and you can pretty much down half the horde with a full clip. Most effective if you're in a tight hall.
  • UPSWeezerUPSWeezer Behind you... GENTLEMEN Icrontian
    edited November 2008
    I actually found one fault with your tactics: It's the sniper rifle.

    It is not completely useless as you stated.

    It's a "one-shot, one-kill" no matter what (exception of Tank and Witch). I find it very useful in the sewers. If you see a train car down the tunnel with loads of Infected, scope up and fire away. You really don't even need to scope to get an accurate shot.

    I like to use this gun. Even though it's not my first-choice weapon, it's quite effective.
  • BlackHawkBlackHawk Bible music connoisseur There's no place like 127.0.0.1 Icrontian
    edited November 2008
    It is useless when you're swarmed.
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited November 2008
    u can still melee with it!
  • fatcatfatcat Mizzou Icrontian
    edited November 2008
    Weezer, you can do one shot one kill with a single pistol to the head. Why would you ever give up an assault rifle or auto-shotgun for a sniper rifle. makes no sense in what we have seen in the demo so far.
  • UPSWeezerUPSWeezer Behind you... GENTLEMEN Icrontian
    edited November 2008
    I know i know. I would go with the assault rifle. But we found it useful last night when we beat it on expert.
  • BobbyDigiBobbyDigi ? R U #Hats ! TX Icrontian
    edited November 2008
    I am surprised at the failing to mention melee, though Gnome touched on it. When you get swarmed there is bound to be one or 12 of those infected SOBs that gets through your fire and are in your face.

    When you are being attached the game alerts you to where the attackers are with red arrows around your screen. I found that turning to where the most infected are and rifle butt (right click) then shoot, turn to where the most are butt and shoot, rinse, repeat until you can backpedal away from the group. Mostly effective with the shotgun. If you have the oozy/assault or are down to the pistols, you will need to butt and then spray at the heads.

    I've gotten out of some hairy situations with this. I imagine using the military tactics Fatcat laid out you should not get into this situation, but useful if you do.

    Also a couple things I have found that not all players have figured out:
    -The infected are drawn to light. Use your flashlight sparingly.
    -Peek around corners, there might be a boomer. If there is, try to sidestep out and shoot him. If he is to close you will have to push him away first (right click) and then shoot him or he will explode on you and you will get green view and violins.
    -Witches are bitches. You watched the intro sequence right? Leave her alone! Don't put your flashlight on her and DO NOT shoot at or around her. Most of the places she has popped up, you can walk around her. Try to get as far away as possible so if other infected show you you don't end up spookin' her.
    -Pipe bombs are very useful in open areas (streets...) but not so much in close quarters.
    -Molotovs help put a barrier between you and a hoard. Use them to cut entrances for the infected. Don't throw them at your teammates! It doesn't help.
    -Don't shoot the cars! Some set off an alarms and attract hoards of infected.
    -The minigun overheats and stops firing. If you just mow down without pausing, you will not make it through the entire hoard. Make sure to watch the players back that is using the minigun and make sure to kill any smokers as fast as possible. Players on the minigun cant move and are often a target for a smoker to swipe them right away from that bad boy.
    -Tanks are a pain in the ass, but can be killed. I've ye to find an effective way to get rid of him.

    Lastly, Valve put up some wallpapers up on the L4D blog. Download them and use one for each of your screens in your quad monitor setup.

    Enjoy!
  • TiberiusLazarusTiberiusLazarus Icrontian
    edited November 2008
    I find that if you have been slimed by the Boomer, the best thing to do is back into a corner/doorway/easily defendable spot and just pound on the melee button. This prevents you from accidentally hitting a teammate when you can't see, and also helps to keep you alive and kill some of the infected.
  • BlackHawkBlackHawk Bible music connoisseur There's no place like 127.0.0.1 Icrontian
    edited November 2008
    When I'm usually spewed on (:hrm:) I run in to the one of the booths in the subway lobby or in one of the train cars if I'm in the tunnel. Easier to defend a door instead of being out in the open. After that you can usually see the boomer from afar.
  • fatcatfatcat Mizzou Icrontian
    edited November 2008
    Great tips Bobby :thumbsup:

    I sent prime a tactics 201 writeup, don't when it will be posted though.
  • ThrallThrall steinbach MB Canada
    edited November 2008
    are we playing this on pc or xbox because i own it for pc
  • Urist
    edited December 2008
    You forgot the "Hide in a corner and melee forever" tactic :p
  • BNC Trigger
    edited December 2008
    for the person who metioned about tanks just auto shot gun him it kills him quick if you got other players near by should take no more than a single clip if you all pitch in
  • Lance
    edited December 2008
    By the way The Easiest way to KILL Tanks are just to throw a MOLOTOV at them from a distance when u see them!!

    If u ask why...it's cos the molotov reduces their health fast enaf n All u n yur frens need to do is spread out n try play tag with him! this sounds funny but it works...seriously...me n my frens took turns hiding n shootin him separately..the guy being chased at find a place to run from his view..n others try to get his attention by shooting him...

    In the end...he'll just die...in a very short time...ALwiz Keep a SPare MOLOTOV!! dont waste it too much on hordes!...it's a common misconception by most players... Tht's how me n my fren finish the campaigns in Expert mode without any difficulty!
  • BNC Trigger
    edited January 2009
    yes molotovs and petrol tanks work well pipe bombs are rubbish the gas and oxegen tanks work well if you manage to hit him with the explosion as it does a large portion of damge and also slows the tank down for a short pierod.
    also players dont realise wot the fire extinguisers do if you shoot them.Most poeple think they don't do anything but in fact they atract zombie hordes if the AI detects the players stress leval is low.
    The witch kills poeple in expert in stead of incapping them.
    The witch is easy to take out with auto shot gun just run up to her and unload klip,you should kill her by the 3 shot if not your dead and gives you the best chance of getting the crowned achievment (this takes some practise so best not done on expert if you are not good at it)
    last but not least if a tank is beating up your incapped team mate melle him in the back to draw him off and towards you as you run away shooting at him. This is the best way of keeping the team alive in expert when you cum across them (just dont do it if you are last unincapped person your have to let some of your team die to stay in with a chance of getting to the safe room)
  • BNC Trigger
    edited January 2009
    also just renembered in no mercy hospital finale there are a pair of secret rooms on the right hand side as you aproch the main building if you melle the doors they break and expose a room that is easily defendable
  • BlackHawkBlackHawk Bible music connoisseur There's no place like 127.0.0.1 Icrontian
    edited January 2009
    Lance wrote:
    By the way The Easiest way to KILL Tanks are just to throw a MOLOTOV at them from a distance when u see them!!

    If u ask why...it's cos the molotov reduces their health fast enaf n All u n yur frens need to do is spread out n try play tag with him! this sounds funny but it works...seriously...me n my frens took turns hiding n shootin him separately..the guy being chased at find a place to run from his view..n others try to get his attention by shooting him...

    In the end...he'll just die...in a very short time...ALwiz Keep a SPare MOLOTOV!! dont waste it too much on hordes!...it's a common misconception by most players... Tht's how me n my fren finish the campaigns in Expert mode without any difficulty!
    Hitting the tank with a molotov activates a 30 second timer. Tank will die no matter what so the best thing to do is run the other way since you can run faster than than the tank. Kinda sucks in VS.
  • BNC Trigger
    edited January 2009
    lol the amount of times in versus i have taken out the entire team with a well places car on there heads
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