Left 4 Dead: Forage
Source Engine
Forage is my initial attempt at level creation with Left 4 Dead. The goal was to create an open-ended survival level that would not force players into a specific location to hold out, or specific defense strategy, while also acting as a practical exercise in creating and editing navigation graphs for Left 4 Dead maps in preparation for creating a full-fledged campaign upon the release of the Left 4 Dead 2 toolset. Owing to the survival gametype offering an enclosed area, and the idea that the map is set shortly after the spread of the infection, I opted for brighter light settings in this level, as well as the use of some lighting outside of the playable space - while this goes against some concepts in Left 4 Dead campaign maps, which cue and direct players with lighting, the survival gamemode does not necessarily require such cues, as players are already restricted to a certain playable portion of a level and are fighting against the clock, not attempting to reach a goal location.
While elements like vehicle lights direct and attract players to weaponry and the triggers to begin the survival event, a well-organized team of survivors may find other locations that are not highlighted advantageous or more applicable to their play styles. Be it a team of four random players or four friends communicating over VOIP with a high degree of cooperation and precision, the map is accessible to both for survival matches. The timeframe for overall level and package creation was approximately two weeks; including initial playtesting.
The current playable revision is Beta 6 and may be downloaded here.
The source file is available here.
Source Engine
Forage is my initial attempt at level creation with Left 4 Dead. The goal was to create an open-ended survival level that would not force players into a specific location to hold out, or specific defense strategy, while also acting as a practical exercise in creating and editing navigation graphs for Left 4 Dead maps in preparation for creating a full-fledged campaign upon the release of the Left 4 Dead 2 toolset. Owing to the survival gametype offering an enclosed area, and the idea that the map is set shortly after the spread of the infection, I opted for brighter light settings in this level, as well as the use of some lighting outside of the playable space - while this goes against some concepts in Left 4 Dead campaign maps, which cue and direct players with lighting, the survival gamemode does not necessarily require such cues, as players are already restricted to a certain playable portion of a level and are fighting against the clock, not attempting to reach a goal location.
While elements like vehicle lights direct and attract players to weaponry and the triggers to begin the survival event, a well-organized team of survivors may find other locations that are not highlighted advantageous or more applicable to their play styles. Be it a team of four random players or four friends communicating over VOIP with a high degree of cooperation and precision, the map is accessible to both for survival matches. The timeframe for overall level and package creation was approximately two weeks; including initial playtesting.
The current playable revision is Beta 6 and may be downloaded here.
The source file is available here.
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