Video: L4D2 Iteration (More News Besides)
The above video is an interview with Dario Casali of the L4D2 team, talking about the iteration of level design and how it has progressed from the first game. While so far it is nothing like this entry from L4D (perhaps my favorite developer blog entry of 2008), it gets more behind the design process and theory of how to maneuver both the director AI and players--particularly how to do so beyond what was done in the first game.
Of particular interest is how different maps scale better to different modes of play, such as versus. The idea of mazes and larger maps to navigate, so that the director AI has more with which to work, sounds like it could either be overkill or make for a more tense experience (knowing Valve, I'd expect the latter).
Also of note, via Kotaku, is that Left 4 Dead 2 preorders four times the first. It's not really a surprise when one considers how strong the first game was, and how it was an untested IP, but this was said anyway:
"As we get closer to launch we see the reaction to the demo, pre-orders are four times what Left 4 Dead 1 was, people's excitement, the boycott itself and how it's changed... I think people are just excited now," he said.
Count me among the excited; though a large part of that is the ability to play Rochelle, as there aren't too many black female protagonists in games as yet.
More videos, covering Realism, Scavenge, and Survival mode are available at the G4TV blog.
VorpalBunny
Posted to Video Games, Videos on 6 November 2009
· Comments (2)
Other stuff like this: g4tv, interview, left 4 dead 2, level design, pre-orders, valve, women of color
I've really got to hand it to the character designers that have worked on this series. First you have the very different group of survivors in the first game; a marganalized war vet, an anarchist biker, a dorkily charming college girl, and a friendly IT manager who happens to be black. All atypical for the role of action hero, but all utterly refreshing. The trend definitley seems to be continuing with the "everyday heroes" aspect of Left 4 Dead 2.
I've played through the demo and Rochelle seems to be an awesome character (and you're right, I can think of only a few african-american women in video games period). The Anchorman refrence when she says when low on health makes me laugh every time. Kudos Valve.
OMG OMG OMG I R EXCITED :D I've yet to try the demo so doing that tomorrow night :)