Very new and very painful

[dashima]

Hello! I only just recently started playing l4d2 and this is my first experience with co-op.

When I first started, I played several singleplayer campaigns and after feeling familiar with the controls and maps, attempted to join a public campaign and a versus match.
So far I've tried a small handful of campaigns/matches and although there are some really amazing moments in co-op, I'm already starting to feel a little frustrated.
Mostly with myself.


In co-op campaigns, I feel comfortable as the long-range/sniper type player who picks off targets around players in front of me and is able to revive and/or heal them as I reach them. But as the rear, I am easily separated and left behind. Because the pacing of co-op campaigns is not in my control, I often get caught in bad situations and suffer the most damage, which makes it extremely difficult to catch up. At which point the tank or SI make quick work of the team. Friendly fire and less than 30% accuracy rates are another thing but I'm sure this just requires more experience to fix.


With this, I would really very much appreciate some seasoned advice, especially anything strategic.

[AlwaysToast]

Don’t stay in the back of the group. You can cover people both in front and behind you if you are in the middle.

Don’t pay attention to the Accuracy in the stats crawl at the end of the map. Lots of things aren’t applied properly. Has nothing to do with how well you are playing.

Do worry about Friendly Fire being higher than anyone else.

Use pills/shots to boost your health and catch up if you fall far behind the group. If helps if you know where they are likely to spawn.

Have/Recruit/Meet/Find friends. Random groups are rough. Friends are vastly more tolerant of screwing up. Also having a consistent group means you don’t have to adjust to different playstyles every game.

[Dr Chaos MK]

If you are using melee weapons as secondary, try to find either the katana. Or the machete. Overall the 2 most efficiant melee weapons. The swing speed is really good. And they can cut down multiple zombies if they are close enough. The chainsaw is a great weapon too. But you need to REALLY practice the campaign maps to find more as you go, since it has limited uses. And the chainsaw can really help on the special infected. While attacking with the chainsaw, you can grind & kill Hunters or Jockyes. Just make sure you point up at the right angle. And it's not 100% either, so keep that in mind. A reved - up chainsaw can also cut the Smoker tongue as well. If you think a Smoker might be targetting you & you have some space & time it right, you can attack the tongue & it will not grab hold of you. Try it out & practice it. It can really make a difference.

I would reccomend using the sniper rifle only on the hold out finales. The finales where you need to be defensive & wait for the rescue vehicle to arrive. I use the sniper rifle now & then too. But I find you cannot make much use as you navigate forward through the maps towards the finale.

[Sédri]

If you're getting frustrated because of friendly fire and a poor accuracy, then don't even think about playing Versus and stick to Campaign. Because survivors' job in Versus is to RUSH. If you fall behind, the enemy team will snatch the donkey out of you and your team will have a high chance of losing if they come to save you. Campaign - Normal. Play that mode A LOT on different maps, don't always play the same one. That way you will familiarize yourself with passages, shortcuts and perfect ways to kill special infected.

We all have a favourite weapon, like myself I prefer the SPAS-12, but there's a weapon for every situation. If your team already has 2 shotguns, you MUST either get a rifle or a sniper. If there is already a sniper on your team, don't go sniper yourself as well because it will be a waste and nobody on your team will have a rifle to throw out precise damage. Only have ONE sniper on your team at once. Same rule applies if your team has 2 rifles and a sniper. You MUST go shotgun, so you can take out hordes of infected if they get too close to your team.

Get comfortable with every weapon in the game. Even if you don't like the Silenced/Unsilenced Mac10, use it as much as your can. Your knowledge of the recoil will expand and you'll learn when to pick certain weapons. It will also improve your aim greatly. Oh, and always crouch if you're in front of someone. It will give them the hint that I like to call "Hey, don't ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ shoot me".

Also, there is not "support" role in this game. You're all aiding each other to kill the infected. Yes, you may have healed the most people or given them pills, but that's a normal thing to do. Regardless if you like to shoot from afar or blow an infected's little head with a chainsaw.

Shotguns

Don't be scared to shoot a single infected with a shell. Chances are you'll find another ammunition pile after you shoot all your ammo. Pump Shotguns are the best for this. They're are best at close-medium range and are GREAT are dishing out hordes. Their shells somehow travels as far as a sniper rifle, but they travel randomly. It is possible to kill a smoker that is on a roof but it is not recommended and leave it to your teammates with the rifle/sniper.

Prefered Shotgun: Wood Pump shotgun and SPAS-12

Rifles & Submachine guns

You have a LOT of ammo but your fire rate is also very high. Knowing how your recoil/crosshair works will make sure every bullet hit your target. For submachine guns, use them like a mix of Shotgun and Rifles. They're the best at close-medium range and are not great at long range. For rifles, treat them as a mix of submachine guns and sniper rifles. They're really precise and dish out great damage. Needless to say, their reach is pretty far as well.

Prefered rifle: M16A1
Prefered submachine gun: Silenced MAC10

Sniper rifles

They're like shotguns but for long-range and are best at killing single infected. It is still possible to kill a horde coming at you with it, but you're most likely to take a decent amount of damage from it. Take them near the end of the campaign to bring out it's full potential, and you will also have the 30 ammo-clip sniper rifle. Always stay near your shotgun buddies. They're your best bubble friends and they WILL protect you, even if they don't give a crap about what happens to you, because their shotgun has a huge radius.

Pistols & Magnum

Personally I like the magnum because I don't have an aneurism with my mouse if I want to shoot really fast with dualies.... but it has it's downsize. The clip is really low and it's a bad idea to have a gun that has a low amount of bullets per clips, in any zombie/infected games ever. You may argue that it has infinite ammo and that it's really powerful, and yes. I agree with that. It's best used on people who KNOWS they can hit their target, whether being a special infected or a normal plum. Unlike dualies, you must keep it fully-loaded at all time. If you're done shooting, reload. Dualies are... well they're fast and doesn't really need any explanation. Just shoot infected with it, boomers, spitters and are really best if you no longer have ammo in your primary.

Melee weapons

Just like Dr Chaos MK said, Machete and Katana are the best melee weapon in the game. But all because they are really fast and have a good DPS. All melee weapons will kill infected with one hit because they're a high-danger high-damage weapon. Myself, I prefer the blunt melees, because the sound they make when you hit an infected is satisfying. Not forgetting the Iron Club that is tied to the FORE! achievement... which I got it the first time I used the damn weapon.

When you don't give a crap about the stats at the end of the campaign, is when you'll be experienced enough to go on advanced or expert. Yes, friendly fire will hurt your team and using health items at the wrong time will sometimes hit you back in the face, but it's part of the game really. I always shoot the ♥♥♥♥ out of my teammates by accident, and all I think in my head is that I owe them a tasty pill or some love juice if they're hurt later on. Maybe even my medkit if they turn Black and White.

And finally, the best advice I can give you; Don't be scared of anything in this game. Tanks? Hunters? Chargers? Pfft. You can kill them with your team. You have the highest friendly fire rate? At least you won the damn campaign.

[76561198097299977]

This game is not for anyone. Nothing is more frustrating in this game than babysitting a handful of noobs, especially if they keep trying.

To be successful you need the following properties atleast:

1. Strong sensors to deal with the great amount of zombies, otherwise you will lock down at intense points. The stress that comes with these situations is bad for your health.
2. Proper spatial awareness to keep track of yourself and your teammates.
3. Proper hand-eye coordination to shoot accurately.
4. A competitive mindset as this is a survival game.
5. A strategic mindset. By this I mean;
    - Complement the strategy of your teammates. Try not to compete too much.
    - Play effectively. For example if the map has many narrow paths, get a (sniper) rifle to mow down lined-up zombies.

If point 2 remains an obstacle, then try to identify the leader of the game (the one that pushes the team forward), and concentrate on keeping close to him or her.

Do not predetermine your strategy, mainly covering your teammates with a rifle is way too passive. You must avoid zombies from coming close in the first place.

Also, since you can't pick random teammates, you should consider a game doomed to fail in advance. This will just soothe the frustration.

[CJejuni]

Maybe you can try playing with friends and voice chat :)
Anyways, I rarely play with the sniper but an assault rifle is quite good in mid-range combat. If you can find a laser attachment you're almost as deadly as a sniper in my opinion.

[Visi]

Originalmente postado por Sedrio:

Rifles & Submachine guns

You have a LOT of ammo but your fire rate is also very high. Knowing how your recoil/crosshair works will make sure every bullet hit your target. For submachine guns, use them like a mix of Shotgun and Rifles. They're the best at close-medium range and are not great at long range. For rifles, treat them as a mix of submachine guns and sniper rifles. They're really precise and dish out great damage. Needless to say, their reach is pretty far as well.

Prefered rifle: M4A1
Prefered submachine gun: Silenced MAC10

The black assault rifle is actually an M16, not an M4. I know the difference between these weapons is small, but yeah. As for them not being great at long range, I disagree in the case of the SCAR. It is highly effective at longer distances and can be a nice balance for someone who wants a AR/SR hybrid.

Sniper rifles

They're like shotguns but for long-range and are best at killing single infected. It is still possible to kill a horde coming at you with it, but you're most likely to take a decent amount of damage from it. Take them near the end of the campaign to bring out it's full potential, and you will also have the 20-clip sniper rifle. Always stay near your shotgun buddies. They're your best bubble friends and they WILL protect you, even if they don't give a crap about what happens to you, because their shotgun has a huge radius.

Ignoring the misuse of the term clip, your count is off. The hunting rifle has a 15 round magazine, and the sniper rifle has a 30 round magazine. I disagree about staying close to "shotgun buddies". Unless you're familiar with the person, randoms weilding shotguns on higher difficulties are very dangerous to be around. I've seen many a shotgun wielder run backwards whilst firing at a horde, only to end up incapacitating a teammate behind them.

[Sédri]

Submachine guns are not that great at long range, that's what I was refering to, not regular rifles.

[NoSavy¯\_(ツ)_/¯]

Dont get frustrated. It's a game. Regardless of what some people think, it is a meaningless thing. If you get kicked (It's inevitable), simply join another game.

Staying with the group isn't as tough as you might think. Movement is a large part of it. You don't ahve to kill/clear every single common before you move on. Try to move strategically. Find holes and go for them. Jump up on things. You can hop on top of zombies like mario and kill them. A melee weapon is very useful or a magnum. Use tier 2 weapons like spas, ak, or sniper rilfe until you get more accurate. Realize you can shoot the common's legs and it will kill them as well. If you get locked into a big horde try arc bashing or arc slashing if you have a melee weapon. I mean you arc with your mouse as you slice with the axe. You will kill mmore zombies than just standing there and slashing. Use pipe bombs when you find them. Bile to clear maps only. Dont ever bile a tank or molly a bile in campaign. IT isn't as useful. Throw a Bile bomb behind you not in front of you.

All good stuff in this thread. Again don't ever get frustrated or stressed in a game. That's just silly. Save your stresses for real life.

[dashima]

@Ren: I think both styles of gameplay are fun! Slow pacing is probably just what I'm used to after only having played singleplayer games, but fast pacing gets the job done too. I feel like adaptability is an important aspect of this game so might as well learn both.
And I have tried to do this more often, being around the third in team line-up or alongside of whoever needs it most. It's easier to keep an eye on the players that way. I think what I find most challenging is that the people players are unpredictable compared to bot players.

@Toast: Thanks for the tips! I would love to be able to play with friends, but most of them don't prefer co-op, let alone zombie games. Maybe I will meet people later on!

@Dr Chaos: I've experimented with all the melee weapons at some point or another. Katanas are great but seem to be rare finds? As for the chainsaw, I found it was great in a pinch but because of limited fuel, its long-term uses are diminished. In the long run, I'd probably prefer a trusty bat or blade over the chainsaw, but maybe as I learn where certain items frequently appear, I'll get better at adopting different tactics.
Also, I didn't know that you could use them against SI if you were being ambushed (other than boomers and spitters I'm assuming). That's fairly neat tbh. Smoker tongues are pretty easy to shoot, but jockeys and hunters are probably the bane of my existence in terms of SI.

@Sedrio: Luckily for me, most players I've come across seem to prefer shotguns or automatic, but I'll definitely pay attention to the team lineup more and adapt and figure out what works along the way. And maybe later on I'll also be able to adapt a super fearless attitude like yours but for now the thrill of "christ that was a ____ noise" is pretty fun.

@Proventus: Well, everyone starts somewhere.
Losing a couple times teaches you to win later on. Hopefully maybe.
I think a positive mindset towards those who are just getting into the game can be a good thing because the game wouldn't still be alive otherwise, right? I've felt very grateful to those who assisted or even backtracked to help me out so surely it can go about the other way around too.
Thanks for the advice.

@Hym: Maybe! I hope so. I'm unfortunately not very talkative to people other than those I'm close to personally... but maybe... o)---< Thanks for your tip!

[NoSavy¯\_(ツ)_/¯]

IMO The Axe/Guitar are actually top on the melee list due to the way the survivors swing them. It is in a horizontal slash motion. Yo9u can couple this with mouse arc'ing and get great results. I like the katana too. It has more of a top down motion but you can swing it fast. The chainsaw I always grab. It is the best melee weapon in the game. Get boomed? Just chew through the horde with it and you can keep moving forward as well. It a fast map clearer as well. Limited fuel yes but very useful. You can cut smoker tongues easily. melee weapons are easy to find along the way usually anyway.

[dashima]

@Liketoasted: Thanks! A lot of it comes down to common sense I suppose.
It's not the game that frustrates me so much as my own abilities or lack thereof. You are right that it is "just a game" but as a person who really enjoys them and wants to be immersed when I play them, the frustration that comes with it is natural, as with pretty much all art forms. It's more like I've been presented a problem and I'm trying to work out a solution. I really enjoy the feeling. I hope that made some sort of sense.
I actually haven't been kicked (yet?) but it does suck when a campaign has to be played over more than once or twice.

Does shooting common infected in the legs work well for higher difficulty levels as well?
Thanks again to everyone for the advice. This will all be something good to keep in mind while playing.

[NoSavy¯\_(ツ)_/¯]

IT does work yes. Simply becuase I dont think valve really programmed in a zombie moving without legs. So you can shoot legs with a spas or ak and they will die like a headshot.

[cease]

Originalmente postado por Proventus Avenicci:

1. Strong sensors to deal with the great amount of zombies, otherwise you will lock down at intense points. The stress that comes with these situations is bad for your health.

Seriously? Stress from playing this game?? I play this game because it relaxes me tremendously :-D

[76561198097299977]

Originalmente postado por dashima:

@Proventus: Well, everyone starts somewhere.
Losing a couple times teaches you to win later on. Hopefully maybe.
I think a positive mindset towards those who are just getting into the game can be a good thing because the game wouldn't still be alive otherwise, right? I've felt very grateful to those who assisted or even backtracked to help me out so surely it can go about the other way around too.
Thanks for the advice.

New players are not necessarily a problem, some people just don't get it. Yesterday I played the last chapter of The Parish on normal mode with 3 other players. I tried to get drag them through for like 8 times but it didn't work no matter how much relieve I tried to offer. 3 bots would have performed better, it was rediculous. Atleast two of them would always mess up at some point, causing a chain of deaths.

Anyway I only votekick griefers, or anyone whos behavior is extremely absurd.

[Lucky Red]

Like others have stated, all the advice here is sound. Happy to see the community responding usefully and intelligently to questions like these. A community that can't support new/relatively new members is a dead community.