Crash Course

_k

The new DLC for L4D was released yesterday, Crash Course. It was ear marked as the 30 minute VS map and a small story expansion for what happens after No Mercy with the helicopter.

So sound off if you have played the new map and your thoughts. I saw a lot of L4d activity in my friends list yesterday from IC members that I haven't seen play the game in a while. There have to be comments floating around in your head.

I played through on campaign and half of a VS. Its kind of boring to me visually because of the spam use of cars in alleys? and the on roads. One of the events is blowing up a road block...why...just climb over it. Also the final event is a pretty big rip off of the remake of Dawn of the Dead(which I will be re-watching today).

But if you don't listen when the map starts the pilot does turn into an infected/zombie and the helicopter crashes. Also Francis said, after see a delivery truck, "hey I used to work for #$(% until a guy made fun of me wearing those short shorts and I beat him to death". You can find the truck with the name on the side, I forgot it already, but that is pretty close to the exact words he uses. I guess the easier way to find all the new back story is if you spend the time going through the new audio files and listening to them all.

Its pretty funny when a character says something new because all the mic chatter stops and afterward everyone goes "oh snap did you hear that, thats new".

Crash Course actually seems like a pretty good map for infected because of all the different paths that you can take and the ease for isolating players. Hunters don't have the same high rises and open areas any more, but those constant 5-15 damage pounces are every where. The new achievements that been placed seem like valve whored a bit as if this was a real console game, console fps are for cheaters with the auto-aimer. I.E. get a 25 dmg. pounce, pull a survivor into your melee range as a smoker......honestly.

I give valve cudos for the overall design of the map and filling in some of the blanks that people already figured out from hidden audio and random material in the stages. But I just feel like they said here we are giving you something before L4D2, which I am not expecting the world in that game. Oh well here is hoping Cold Case mod is launched on time and is as epic as it sounds.

Koreish

I'd like to point out once again that Valve has provided you with a FREE new campaign while they are also trying to produce two new major titles that should by all rights be taking most of their time. So what if the achievements aren't up to snuff, or the level design isn't perfect. It's new, it's fun, it's free.

Winfrey

I played through the campaign once and got silver on survival last night. The campaign is short (it's not really meant to be a long campaign like the others), which is kinda nice. You can beat this campaign in 30 minutes pretty easily. The survival map is challenging, though beating it is all about location.

All in all I am pretty happy about getting new content for free.

lordbean

I played through the campaign on single player to get a feel for the maps and explore at my own pace last night. I have to say, I really like it... the maps are long enough to make for some serious tactical fun in versus mode, while the campaign is short enough not to get tedious. I think it's a good balance.

BobbyDigi

I've been on for about 30 min since the update and only played survival. I hosted a local server to noclip around the levels and check them out. Nice layouts. I look forward to getting on with some good players and hackin' it out!

-Bobby

ardichoke

It's fun, it's quick, but I found the finale to be far too difficult. I was playing with 3 people that I actually know, whom I beat campaigns on Advanced with all the time, we played the finale a good 4 or 5 times in a row and were unable to beat it. Maybe we should just give up and do it on normal.

Obsidian

Wow, you must be a real noob :P The only time I've ever died on Crash Course was from people being douchebags or messing around with friendly fire. I am the one person to say it sucks btw.

ardichoke

Meh, call me all the names you want. I've been playing L4D since the day the demo opened to pre-orders. I'm not the best at FPSes and I don't play video games 40 hours a week like some people. When I tried it the first time we were playing on advanced and I hadn't played any L4D in a few weeks. We tried it again a couple nights ago and beat it on the first go. Even managed to get the Quick Power achievement. All in all, while it is a short campaign it's fun and I like that they're trying something new on the finale than just call for help, wait for it to arrive.

Obsidian

How is "turn on the generator and wait for the truck to come down" any different?

ardichoke

The fact that you have to try and turn it back on in the middle of endless zombie hordes? It forces you to abandon your convenient defensible position.

_k

I just thought of something interesting. You have a final event that, say, lowers a bridge but causes a barricade to be destroyed and a massive wave of zombies poor out. There is only so much time you have to reach the next point where you trigger a smaller event that creates a temporary barricade while you battle a tank. When the tank dies the horde breaks down the barricade and you have to run again. So if someone or the group gets slowed down to much the never ending horde jumps on them and quickly kills them while the survivors have to keep running for their lives.

Then the escape vehicle you have to jump in or on as it goes past a point, say a boat goes past a long dock or a truck is driving past a long over hang. That would be epic. "Move faster the horde is almost on us! THE TRUCK IS HERE JUMP/jumps"

Basil

I liked crash course, doesn't drag on and on like the longer campaigns can in versus.
Short, sweet and free.