SinglePlayer AI vs MultiPlayer

Scott Anguish writes about Left4Dead:

The other game I just tried out today was Left 4 Dead. This is one hardcore shooter that really ramps up the ‘fast zombie’ genre. Again, you come away feeling like you’ve been immersed in the game. I’m hoping the single player mode is long lasting (I hate playing online. I think in many cases it’s a cop-out for the developer to limit the AI that they have to write. …

I guess this is a worry – single player longevity.

For me, the Single Player Game is just a training mission for the online play/multiplayer modes. In the Single Player (as with Bots on your team in the multiplayer), you lose a little of the “stupid mistake” that makes the zombie genre so appealing. Like tonight – a reasonably seasoned group took 24 seconds to die (or so it seemed) because one guy went off by himself, got immobilised quickly and while the rest were coming for him, they got picked off by the admittedly well-timed attacks of the Infected team. Hint: you need all four people.

I enjoy the stupid mistakes that humans make. I laugh out loud when we make dumb mistakes. I howl in mock pain as my survivor is dragged by the Smoker’s tongue. And I laugh when my brother (@savage_mf) blows my Hunter to bits with two shotgun blasts! It’s just good fun.

I’ve been really enjoying Left4Dead. Scott now has me looking at Mirror’s Edge to see what all the fuss is about!