So hey I been crackin' open left 4 dead recently and trying to make a more....survival horror game out of it that can be enjoyed with a single person (without resorting to making every enemy cheap as hell like that OTHER survival mod someone made) I've been tweaking and playing it for the better half of a month and I think I've got a solid experience pieced together here.
Here's how it works:
- What you do is take this file here:
http://steven.ohlberg.info/lastman.cfg - And you put it here:
C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\left 4 dead\left4dead\cfg - Then you start the game and open up developer console and type:
exec lastman
It's a
singleplayer mod, I recommend playing on easy or normal (which is still pretty hard by yourself, I've never made it past the first map on advanced, let alone expert) It gets rid of other survivors and changes all zombie encounters to be passable by a single person. It ends up making it play more like a japanese survival horror game than a straight up pc shooter. There are certain limitations placed on the player along with other added functionality to make it feel like a different experience than the regular game.
New control functions this mod adds:- Toggle C to switch between first and third person view (First person gives you crosshairs and better aiming but you're slower and can't see around your person, it's necessary to turn it on if you're going to be using the sniper rifle or you'll get a crooked scope)
- Hit SHIFT to do a boost run with a short cool down afterwards (Spam running isn't recomended)
Info I wrote for another forum about the mod:
The intent of this mod is to create a more tactical, survival horror style mode of play, similar to the Resident Evil games. The game has been balanced for this camera angle and pacing. There's a heavier influence on scouring for equipment and checking every nook and cranny to make sure you'll be ready for whatever comes around the corner. It's intended to make the player take it slow, listen carefully for what's coming, plan strategies, and get a good bearing on your surroundings rather than barreling through with 4 guys. So far I'm pleased with how it's turned out.
The zombies have all been rebalanced so that you have more options for fighting them as a single survivor. Hunters no longer pounce on you rather they leap at you and begin chewing at your legs like the Zombie Dogs. The Smoker is a Nemesis esque enemy that chases you and busts down your doors quicker than a mob can, rather than shooting you with his tongue he fills the role of a frequent nuisance. He's practically a new type of infected now. I jokingly refer to him as The Chaser.
As far as the Tank and the Witch are concerned, they've been greatly nerfed so that you have more options available to you in dealing with them by yourself. It's possible for a single survivor to take either of them out so long as you plan your attack strategy out intelligently. It's perfectly viable to use molotovs, automatic rifles, or shotguns in most situations. It's also possible, but alot more risky to take them out with handguns, hunting rifles, and pipebombs. In short, instead of making it "harder" or "easier" I added options onto how you can deal with the situation.
The game isn't necessarily more difficult but the new pace makes it so you're focused on tactical thinking, using closets for cover, scouring for items wherever you can, and coming up with different ways to combat crescendo events and boss encounters. If, like me, you've always wanted a deep, complex singleplayer experience out of left 4 dead then you should enjoy what this has to offer. Check it out, have fun, and tell me what you think. My e-mail address is
steven.ohlberg@gmail.com
