Left4Dead cultural issues

[Graham Mitchell]

So, before people jump all over me saying "what did you expect", let me preface this by saying a few things: I never played Call of Duty or Halo online before, so some of this is new to me.

I recently bought Left4Dead cuz it was cheap, and I finally had a chance to spend a few hours online with it last night. I had a couple of issues that I didn't fully understand, and I was wondering if some more seasoned players could explain some things to me.

1) During the Versus game, people have a tendency to really dilly dally in the saferoom at the beginning of the level. What the hell are they doing? Nobody is using their headsets, so it's not like they're strategizing. They just kind of wander around for 5-6 minutes. They don't appear to be healing or picking up items. So, I got sick of waiting last night and opened the safe room door. Within 10 seconds they had a vote to kick me and I found myself back at the main menu. What was that about?

2) In the Survival mode (my version came with this) I thought the game was supposed to be about surviving the horde for as long as you could. What tends to happen is that the horde never shows up and teammates start killing each other. I thought this was some bullshit cutthroat way to ensure a win, but the things is that they sit there and revive each other sometimes. But they have no fucking mercy on me. They kill me DEAD, and that's it. Every time. I've never even seen the horde in this mode because my own teammates keep killing me. The game comes with absolutely zero documentation about this mode, so I'm wondering...am I missing something here?

In addition to these issues, I saw a lot of bullshit moves going on. For example, the survivors will lock themselves in a room with a thin door and open fire on the infected during the versus game. But the infected can't open doors, so they win by default. People really play like douchebags on there. I have trouble understanding how this game, which is really incredibly stripped down, won so many awards for online gameplay when nobody seems to play it properly.

[joshnickerson]

http://art.penny-arcade.com/photos/215499488_8pSZr-L-2.jpg

[Enigmus]

One line for you:
IDIOTIC 12 YEAR OLDS AND 34 YEAR OLD VIRGINS PLUS XBOX LIVE EQUALS RETARDED DOUCHEBAGS

That's why I won't EVER go near it.

[Kitsune Sniper]

Graham, you need to find some good teammates. I've played this game online and have been very lucky.

[vivaeljason]

It's probably the people you're playing with.

But yeah, I also avoid Xbox Live because of the sheer number of douchebags there.

[Graham Mitchell]

Graham, you need to find some good teammates. I've played this game online and have been very lucky.

Well, I played some campaign levels earlier in the week, and I let them know I'd really never played the game before. They were really nice and helpful (but they wouldn't let me near the witch, etc. due to lack of experience) so I was kind of spectating. But you're right; better teammates makes for a more fun session.

I guess the reason I made this post was because I was concerned that I did something wrong, or didn't understand I was committing some kind of faux pas. It sounds like, from the responses I'm getting so far, that this wasn't the case. People were just being dickholes.

[The Clonus Horror]

I got riddled with bullets while playing online as well, and sent each player a message asking why, and all three of them responded with the classic variation on: "Oh, that wasn't me, it must've been my brother/roommate/bi-polar girlfriend using my account that day..." response.

[The 1 2 P]

I haven't gotten L4D yet but since it recently dropped to $30 new I was planning on snatching it. And this topic could lend itself well to almost any new game you pick up that has been around for awhile. I kind of went thru that in Halo 3 earlier this year. Although I played Halo 2 online for years there was alot of catching up I had to do. Luckily I did a good amount of it with people from my friends list.

On a slightly related note, I also recently picked up Gears of War 2 and have been anxious to play Horde mode online. But like Graham I know that there will be several things I need to get caught up to speed on.

[Poofta!]

i play the PC version. no such problems here, except the regular moron who has his mic on always on, he gets killed and kicked quick.

[Graham Mitchell]

i play the PC version. no such problems here, except the regular moron who has his mic on always on, he gets killed and kicked quick.

That could be the issue I had...is it because the mic is making irritating noises, or something? I don't know if there even is a mic setting on the Xbox version...

[tonyvortex]

If you want add me,tonyvortex,on live.I never play with people I don't know on there after trying it a few times.It was always them trying to kill me,or voting me out for no reason.I would gladly play the game with you.

[Kitsune Sniper]

That could be the issue I had...is it because the mic is making irritating noises, or something? I don't know if there even is a mic setting on the Xbox version...

Who knows, but in the PC version, you can set the microphone to activate if you speak (not a wise choice because any kind of noise, including the PC speakers, will make it go off) or set it to turn on at the touch of a button. That's what I do.

[PapaStu]

That could be the issue I had...is it because the mic is making irritating noises, or something? I don't know if there even is a mic setting on the Xbox version...

If you think you're mic is the problem, just turn it off. The switch on the cord (if you've got a chatpad mike, or the switch that plugs into the base of the controller are easily flippable to off.

Honestly, in games where you'd expect conversation (team based shooters for example) I rarely ever hear legit mic talk anymore. It's either some dumbass blaring music through it, or them talking trash (to a team that can't hear them) and just being an unsufferable jerk. You can tell pretty quickly if the group arn't going to play as a team. If they don't (especially in a game like L4D) just bail when that first game is over. No point in trying to ride anything out. They arn't going to change, and doing something like sending them a XBL message will just get you negative feedback posted against you.

[emceelokey]

OP - You pretty much described my experience with the game the first time I played it. I gave the game about an hour to see if I can get a legit game going on but the same bullshit kept happening and I haven't touched the game since.

[Poofta!]

i must say i never played shooters on xbox live. i heard the stories but thats not what turns me off (i just prefer mouse/keybaord for shooters). it may very well be that xbox live is full of asshats.

as for the mic issue, as papastu said, in the pc steam games, you can set it to activate as you speak (which is what everyone hates, since it triggers it to pretty much always speak mode, flooding other players with noise and echo, making the game unplayable) or setting it to push-to-speak, which on a keyboard is pretty easy and simple, its what everyone uses. as mentioned i have no experience in xbox live, especially in valve xbox live games, so that may or may not be hte problem.

if you have a halfway decent pc, shooters online are alwasy better on pc. only people who play online shooters are people who actually want to play -and have fun- in them.

[MegaDrive20XX]

360 version sucks balls when it comes to "team work" and rude assholes galore. I was kicked out of a versus match for being idle for less than a minute.

PC ftw.

[Ed Oscuro]

L4D has always had problems with idiots and asses, which is why you want to play with friends. On the PC side, I've usually gotten lucky not to run into griefers. The game seems to attract tons of them, though.

[jcalder8]

Feel free to add me. I'd love to find someone to play with..... I mean play along side.

[Cryomancer]

If you have friends who also want to mess around, it is a pretty hilarious team trolling game. Jumping off the building at the start hell yeah!

I am of course not implying this should be done to general players, but it can be fun when everyone is on the same page.

[Juganawt]

1) During the Versus game, people have a tendency to really dilly dally in the saferoom at the beginning of the level. What the hell are they doing? Nobody is using their headsets, so it's not like they're strategizing. They just kind of wander around for 5-6 minutes. They don't appear to be healing or picking up items. So, I got sick of waiting last night and opened the safe room door. Within 10 seconds they had a vote to kick me and I found myself back at the main menu. What was that about?

Not exactly sure, but they could be inviting friends to join, or getting ready to call a vote. Dont forget, just because they arent using their headsets in the game chat, it doesn't mean they aren't chatting in a party.



2) In the Survival mode (my version came with this) I thought the game was supposed to be about surviving the horde for as long as you could. What tends to happen is that the horde never shows up and teammates start killing each other. I thought this was some bullshit cutthroat way to ensure a win, but the things is that they sit there and revive each other sometimes. But they have no fucking mercy on me. They kill me DEAD, and that's it. Every time. I've never even seen the horde in this mode because my own teammates keep killing me. The game comes with absolutely zero documentation about this mode, so I'm wondering...am I missing something here?



In survival mode, you have to "trigger" the hordes by doing a task (like switch on a generator on the "Last Stand" level). They will not come until you trigger the event.

This makes it useful for achievement whores to shoot people not in their friends list completely dead, and for them and their buddies to knock each other down, pick them up, heal them, and repeat the process 20 times for quick achievements.

yep, achievement whores can be detrimental to any game.



In addition to these issues, I saw a lot of bullshit moves going on. For example, the survivors will lock themselves in a room with a thin door and open fire on the infected during the versus game. But the infected can't open doors, so they win by default.

Infected can't open doors, but they CAN smash through them. it just takes them a few seconds, by which time of course most of them are dead. There are also glitches in the game that allow players to enter rooms that no zombies can. These are called "Jesus Rooms" and cheaters / achievement hunters will use them to their advantage.



People really play like douchebags on there. I have trouble understanding how this game, which is really incredibly stripped down, won so many awards for online gameplay when nobody seems to play it properly.

L4D is a fantastic game, provided you find good, friendly players to join in with. Don't let the bad apples spoil the game for you.

[MutantX]

I used to scrim alot back when I was decent at this game, and most I could say is that it got much better with exploits and survivors having a serious advantage over the infected players, so just hang in there but if you're interested in playing for fun hit me up on steam

teatherballchamp

[mnbren05]

Sounds like what I experienced my first couple of games. A more random collection of douche bags than I could ever hope to find on Halo. Excessive swearing, grade school kids talking about how funny lunch was (or how they were suspended for 3 days "hardcore" they are), and groups of idiots looking to dick around. Thats why I've stuck to COD.

[Icarus Moonsight]

Dude, they're D-Bags. I don't do XBL, but I spent way too much time on b.net up to a decade ago. You almost have to find a group of people to play with that are not completely retarded to have a good time. Or, you join the insufferable lot, as a nemesis and PKK their tardo asses. Well, if they annoy you enough. LOL Best solution is avoidance, and since you are paying to play, we come back to the "get a good group and play with them" method.

I honestly thought this thread was going to be covering something greater than internet clowns and how they ruin stuff. Maybe I just put to much weight and worth behind the term "cultural"? LOL I understand culture and even counter-culture, but anti-culture I can pass on.

[garagesaleking!!]

lets get rid of the xbox live trash talking come on now, you ps3 online users are jealous.

[Icarus Moonsight]

I'd think the trash talk would naturally subside if the trash left XBL... :p

The effect is not the cause.

[pseudonym]

I'd think the trash talk would naturally subside if the trash left XBL... :p

The effect is not the cause.

Hmm, trash talk has always been a part of playing games online. I admit that I've enjoyed giving and receiving trash talk when I played war2 and sc/bw and some other RTS and MMO games way back when.

[Icarus Moonsight]

Carriage House Merchant Monarch was referring to the trash talk in this thread. Trash talk is great, as long as it's just talk. See shat (wut!?) I did there? I'm leaving in the typo shat because it's actually funnier than what I intended to post! LOL

Even self-berating is fun trash talk. 12 year olds demanding oral sex every 5 seconds is not. ;)

[Famidrive-16]

I used to do dumb shit when I played Brawl online, like I spent one match playing as Fox and spending the entire time jumping in the air and floating down with the shield.

One time two guys were trying to hit each other while I was in the middle doing my shield float, and they both fired, hit me, beams bounced off and hit them both, they both died.

I won a match without attempting to win.

I was such a jackass in that game but it was pretty funny.

[BetaWolf47]

You're Canadian, and they're douches. Pretty big cultural issue here.

[Nature Boy]

What's great about XBL is that after those douches tick you off, you can immediately block them from every playing with you again through the feedback system. Definitely use it.

(I also love using the Mute button when playing Halo 3 online and the eventual loud mouth makes his first appearance)

I love L4D - look for Atari 8bit Fan if you're hankering for a game on Live!

[Icarus Moonsight]

But are you going to spend the time required to block out the bad elements manually like that? I mean, how long would it take you? Even if you use the block system, you are going to be constantly running into the D-bags... Easier to find a group, friend list 'em and play games with that group whenever possible. That's what I'd do anyway. I'm sure there are plenty of people here that are on often enough to get a good start. And many of them with have their own network and you can build easily from there.

Plus, you want them D-Bags to be able to play you in certain games, I'm thinking SFIV etc, so you can rip 'em a new one on occasion. :D