default header

Strategy

[PC] [MAC] [360] Left 4 Dead

Moderator: JC Denton

[PC] [MAC] [360] Left 4 Dead

Unread postby Qpo » 25 Mar 2017 14:37

List of priorities in order of importance:

1. Complete the objective
2. Move towards completing the objective
3. Stay alive
4. Kill enemies

So you're only killing enemies to stay alive so you can move towards completing the objective so you can complete the objective, i.e. reach the end of the level. To go out of your way to kill zombies when it isn't needed merely wastes ammo and puts you at unnecessary risk. Whatever stats the game records and shows at the end of each level doesn't really matter, what really does matter is NOT LOSING HEALTH while moving forward. (The CPU is the enemy: the stats it shows is merely intended to sow discord within the group to allow his zombie children to eat us more easily.)

That said, it is of course fun to shoot zombies, but each kill will taste better if there's a purpose behind it, i.e. when you're playing "seriously". So I go in with the mindset of playing only for the objective, and then want to be forced by the game to kill stuff on the way of getting there. Which is exactly the case most of the time. My point is that if there's ever a chance to advance most effectively by avoiding a fight, then do so, if only to make all the other kills taste better.



The big tactical question is what formation to go with. I think it comes down to how tight or loose. Based on what we've played, the formation that seems to naturally arise is this:

1. Point man (95% front, 5% back)
2. Point assist (80% front, 20% back)
3. Center (40% front, 60% back)
4. Tail (20% front, 80% back)

The percentages are merely meant to illustrate that everyone is responsible for everything, though not in equal fashion. If everyone needs to mind the front, they should, with the tail being the last to do so. And vice versa with the rear and the point man. But basically two in the front, one in the back, and a 50/50 guy in the middle.

Holed up in a room (one front) or walking down a corridor (two fronts) should be counted as our advantage. With a fork in the road or a side room, we have a problem. A third front is no joke.

L4D - typical scenario.png
Think about it.

You want the most people where you're most likely to meet resistance, meaning at least two in the direction you're pushing. With three fronts, that leaves the center and tail to cover one front each, flank and rear respectively. At this point you're stretched pretty thin. You want to quickly turn it back into two fronts, and you do NOT want it to escalate into four. If it does, you are in deep shit. No two ways about it. Even with a full team, allowing you to watch all directions, anyone getting disabled even momentarily can and will spell disaster. I think the key is to group up at every fork, and make sure the coast is clear before checking side rooms, to avoid stuff like this:

L4D - not so good.png
Clearly a paranoid man drew this picture and stuff like this never actually happens... until it does.

Four fronts and on top of that split up. Even if #2 and #3 at this point switch to handling their respective rears, to push the zombies back into the north corridor, both #1 and #4 might flinch and momentarily let go of their fronts (death breathing down your neck does that), getting everyone overrun, and by now you're probably dead. Had everyone just grouped up in the intersection, the exact same situation would've been much easier to handle, with e.g. #2 and #3 firing north, #4 west, and #1 east. You would also have the option of pushing east or west as a group.

If you ever find yourself in a position with five fronts: MOVE.

So, keeping it tight seems to me the key factor. Imagine if all four players would "melt" together into a mutant, where one player moved as normal and the others were "turrets" placed on his back, shooting independently. This way you would hardly get flanked. But spreading out allows for faster clearing and scavenging of not-so-dangerous rooms, so you probably want to do both.

Heavy pressure: Bunker up in a room. If not possible, grouping up to "turtle" in a corner sort of creates a single front, where you at least won't get attacked from the back.

Light pressure: Basically no formation needed. Spread out, "sweep" the area, regroup before pushing into more dangerous territory.

Default: 2-1-1 SWAT line. Some notes on each position:

- Point man. Don't move too fast. If you're going forward at 100% the others can't keep up, because they can't even look forward 100% of the time. Go too fast and you loosen up the formation, open up flanks, and potentially kill everyone.

- Point assist. Slow the point man down if he's moving too fast. Leave some room for him to take a few steps back if he has to, i.e. don't "body block" (or "block" for short). Throw an eye backwards when you can, to see if everyone is keeping together.

- Center. Slow the front down if they are moving too fast. Help the tail keep up by giving him cover, allowing him to sprint forward.

- Tail. Don't be too slow. Work with the center to keep eyes on the rear and flanks while moving forward.

Note also that if you are first, you ARE the point man. If you are second, you ARE the point assist, and so forth, regardless of preferred or planned positions. Standing in the front while insisting on being the tail is an excellent way to get killed. Some form of rotation between the roles is probably necessary, depending on ammo, health and reloading. The position in the middle is the most protected, for example.



The main point of me writing this out is that it's fun for me and I want to sort of "get it out of my system". I was honestly surprised that we were playing as well together as we were. I used to think that only Swedes and Germans were good at this stuff (secretly still do, but now with exceptions). Makes me regret playing Aliens: Colonial Marines solo. In practice, relating it to our group of me, icy, infern and ksevcov, I'm making very few actual adjustments, which is what I am here summing up:

- Use the "turtle" formation when needed. We're already doing this. But I think it's fun to have a name for it, so someone can scream "Turtle on me!!" and everyone does it a little more effectively.

- Use the "sweep" formation when appropriate. We already do this. But calling it out helps keep everyone on the same page, so we relax at the same time and tense up at the same time.

- Use the "standard" formation. We of course already do this. But calling out "Form up!!" sounds cool and makes it feel like you're in an action movie straight out of Hollywood, lol.

- Increased watchfulness of opening up new fronts, especially between us. Slow down the front, speed up the rear, tighten up the formation at intersections. This is the main point. (Or even only point, really.)
User avatar
Qpo
 
Joined: 16 May 2010 23:07
Location: Sweden

Return to Strategy

cron