[OBSOLETE] How to remove the Last Stand update

A guide to remove the Last Stand update and go back to v2155
Now supporting all platforms.

Last 'No Last Stand' Update Notes

So it seems that the no last stand versions are going to have more trouble now than it used to be.
The first issue is that the game always starts in -insecure mode even though it was started from Steam. It used to be able to run in secure mode, but now it doesn't.

The second issue is that now local servers aren't working properly. It always fail with "The session is no longer available."
The last time I used to no last stand version for online play was back in March 2021 so there must've been some other external changes that caused it to no longer work.
However, the dedicated server seems to be working, but I couldn't test joining it due to reservation problems.

And now the last issue is that my SourceMod files no longer work on the older game. No matter what extensions or plugins I tried to remove to avoid it the dedicated server would always crash with a segmentation fault.
My SourceMod customizations have come a long way from the older version of the game so it would be tedious to have to fix everything one by one and to still be stuck with bots.


So the conclusion is that the no last stand version is only really good for single player usage and that it'd be easier for me to fix the last stand problems with my usual methods or SourceMod than to support the older game.

Since I will no longer be updating this guide I will not be updating the patches either.
Here is the tool I used to download the depots and the commands I used:
Tool: https://github.com/SteamRE/DepotDownloader/releases

left 4 dead 2 common
DepotDownloader -app 550 -depot 551 -manifest 5416331072099862291 -user USERNAME -password PASSWORD -manifest-only
DepotDownloader -app 550 -depot 551 -manifest 5416331072099862291 -user USERNAME -password PASSWORD

left 4 dead 2 client
DepotDownloader -app 550 -depot 552 -manifest 3722985917582853579 -user USERNAME -password PASSWORD -manifest-only
DepotDownloader -app 550 -depot 552 -manifest 3722985917582853579 -user USERNAME -password PASSWORD

left 4 dead 2 mac content
DepotDownloader -app 550 -depot 553 -manifest 7638338851960836522 -user USERNAME -password PASSWORD -manifest-only
DepotDownloader -app 550 -depot 553 -manifest 7638338851960836522 -user USERNAME -password PASSWORD

Left 4 Dead 2 Linux Cotent
DepotDownloader -app 550 -depot 554 -manifest 7692221879672260759 -user USERNAME -password PASSWORD -manifest-only
DepotDownloader -app 550 -depot 554 -manifest 7692221879672260759 -user USERNAME -password PASSWORD


Left 4 Dead 2 Dedicated Server Content
DepotDownloader -app 222860 -depot 222861 -manifest 3025227716388626793 -manifest-only
DepotDownloader -app 222860 -depot 222861 -manifest 3025227716388626793

Left 4 Dead 2 Win DS Content
DepotDownloader -app 222860 -depot 222862 -manifest 5453287121983632333 -manifest-only
DepotDownloader -app 222860 -depot 222862 -manifest 5453287121983632333

Left 4 Dead 2 Linux DS Content
DepotDownloader -app 222860 -depot 222863 -manifest 4910916714383734031 -manifest-only
DepotDownloader -app 222860 -depot 222863 -manifest 4910916714383734031

I will be leaving the original guide below for archival reasons.

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Introduction

This guide will show how to go back to version 2.1.5.5 of Left 4 Dead 2.

List of current issues:

• No official servers.
  
• openserverbrowser will still include servers running newer versions.
  
• If the future update replaces more files than before I would have to create another NoLastStand.zip to include the necessary files.
  
• If you play with friends either you will have to update or they will have to downgrade.

For the last issue, you won't have to update your game if you use the Left 4 Dead 2 NLS folder described below.

Just remember that even though there is support for all platforms now that I haven't tested them on all platforms! I don't have a Linux desktop setup or have a Apple computer (nor would I want one).

How To

1. Go to your Steam library. Right click Left 4 Dead 2 and click Properties. Click the Local Files tab and then click the Browse Local Files button. You should see a folder like this:

1a. If you want to have both Left 4 Dead 2 versions (new and old) at the same time you can go up a directory, copy and paste the Left 4 Dead 2 folder and then rename it to something like Left 4 Dead 2 NLS as shown below:

Then for the rest of the guide use the Left 4 Dead 2 NLS folder instead of the Left 4 Dead folder.
Just remember that this will take up approximately 14GB of space and is only optional.


2. Download one of the NoLastStand patches from the table below. Be sure to check the file checksum to make sure the file hasn't been tampered with.

Target Platform	Download Link	SHA256 Hash
Linux Client	https://d-rine.com/groovyexpress/files/NoLastStand/NoLastStand-v3-LinuxClient.tar.xz	931ae6059dabe3795cf686ae4ffcf62cd4837a656525c26c5adb47ed6114a372
Mac OSX Client	https://d-rine.com/groovyexpress/files/NoLastStand/NoLastStand-v3-MacOSXClient.tar.xz	86ec94fd24524462dccd7a06f6accd3af420f84c8cbd7ae64229a3f1f766a7bf
Windows Client	https://d-rine.com/groovyexpress/files/NoLastStand/NoLastStand-v3-WindowsClient.zip	8c83d403e6ac17cade35482c90f645548e371b1b2b2ea126b139c4e131f9c880
Linux Server	https://d-rine.com/groovyexpress/files/NoLastStand/NoLastStand-v3-LinuxServer.tar.xz	0f017279570516cae2df3288797b27aabd9f995660f26910607910367a760306
Windows Server	https://d-rine.com/groovyexpress/files/NoLastStand/NoLastStand-v3-WindowsServer.zip	a439f68ed5f7c052a2c7f1d0c72d55a8f6481b183609391098acf719994f15c0

3. Extract the file and copy everything from the 'patch' folder and paste it into the Left 4 Dead 2 folder. Accept all file replacements.
Warning! Mac OS X does not do file/folder merges/replacements. This means you must go into each folder in the patch folder and manually replace all files. I am sure the same applies to certain Linux file managers.

4. Once done copying you can launch the game and it should be running the old version. To verify open a console and enter 'version'. It should output something similar to the image below.

Another way of verifying without console is to click the Blog Post button on the main menu.
You should see this:

Instead of this:

For people who just used their Left 4 Dead 2 folder:
Be aware that if there is a new update for Left 4 Dead 2 it will automatically be installed and you will have to repeat this again. There is no option to not update games for Steam.

For people who created a duplicate folder (Left 4 Dead 2 NLS):
You must create a shortcut in Steam in order to launch.

Getting Your Mods On Left 4 Dead 2 NLS

If you created a duplicate folder you should have your mods copied over as well.
But if for some reason they don't copy, you want to save space, or want to add new mods here is a simple step you can do.

Windows

1. Open a command prompt with administrative privileges (not PowerShell)
2. Do the steps from method one to open your Left 4 Dead 2 folder
4. Go up a directory and go into your Left 4 Dead 2 NLS folder. Then go into the left4dead2 folder and delete the addons folder.
5. Then run this command:

mklink /d "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Left 4 Dead 2 NLS\left4dead2\addons" "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Left 4 Dead 2\left4dead2\addons\workshop"

If you have Steam installed to a different location, adjust the command for the different location.

Linux / OSX

The steps are the same as above, except you will have to adjust the file paths and use the 'ln -s' command.
Sorry that this is very very vague, but I don't have a Linux desktop setup or own a Apple computer.

Conclusion

If you use SourceMod, download sourcemod-1.10.0-git6502 and copy the following files from this version to your SourceMod install.

• addons/sourcemod/gamedata/sdkhooks.games/game.l4d2.txt
  
• addons/sourcemod/gamedata/sdkhooks.games/game.zpanic.txt
  
• addons/sourcemod/gamedata/sdktools.games/game.left4dead2.txt
  
• addons/sourcemod/gamedata/sdktools.games/game.zpanic.txt

Edit your SourceMod configuration (configs/sourcemod.cfg) and disable auto update of gamedata. You can go the extra mile and set the files to read only.

I hope this helps people who do not like the update and will try to address any issues.

Change Log

#1
Virus report.

#2
Added SourceMod fix.

#3
Removed virus report since it was caused from the person clicking a fake download button.
Added NoLastStand-v2.zip
Added a possible second method.
Edited this guide in general.

#4
Removed catbox.moe links since those are now being flagged as malicious.
Replaced them with d-rine.com links since that is a website/server I manage so I don't have to deal with it being flagged as malicious in the future.

#5
Removed possible second method since the depots are no longer available to download (manifest not available). A shame I was not able to download them since the download would always fail after some time.

#6
Was able to download depots, just had to not do it from Steam. So now there is support for all platforms.

#7
Marking guide as obsolete.

[[ETG] EDSHOT]

@Johnnylew
The only issue is if the mod creator doesn't update their mod for whatever reason, which then leaves the user out of luck. It is better to give these users an option instead of being left with no other choice.

[Pudie]

Goddamned character limits... I can't optimize my words for shit

[Pudie]

>Johnnylew technically, they're not denying it. Just give it this approach.

You're a L4D2 speedrunner that's been literally years competing to master the strats to achieve the fastest time you could ever get.
Then a wild update shows up years after many people thought the game development was done forever, patching a lot of the glitches and bugs used in ur categories.
You had a great time, may not even the best, but it was great. Now your time is simply invalidated and forgotten, as well as your category, or just renewed, disabling you from achieving any better results from then on.

I love the update myself, even though it broke a few things (Particularly hate the voice commands thing), it's awesome to see Valve is still remembering their relics and even letting the community participate. Sure it could've been better but it's still cool nontheless. But I also understand that some people may wanna downgrade the update for many reasons. Nostalgia, glitches, speedrunning, who knows...

[Pudie]

I don't see the problem in those who downgrade at all. Maybe new speedrun categories will show up now, but what about the old ones, what about their old times? Shall they be forgotten or remain untouched forever?
Plus this doesn't look like a typical "Hurr durr old version is kewl updat sucs" kind of guide, so yeah... Those who wanna downgrade, I don't see a problem on them, the guide is not trying to put the older version as a "better" one, but just showing how to get it after the update.

[Jesus is Lord.]

@Pudie You're right, but that's what always happens with updates. It's up to the speedrunners and the mod creators to make new speedruns and compatible mods respectively that work with this new update. It's never on the game developers at that stage, and who are they, so passionate about the game that they make speedruns and mods for it so many years later, to deny a free, new, and official content update from the community, endorsed by the original game developers? That was my point therein, and that's why I made the comment I did.

[[ETG] EDSHOT]

Wasn't Valve who broke the game, it was the people who made the community update which then got allowed into the game by Valve.

[Shad0w]

Thank you so much! Valve really broken the game after this update.

[Pudie]

Many of the fixes this update provided and the aditional content collide with a bunch of things. Starting from, any speedrun. I believe many of the speedruns (Besides Glitchless) made use of a bunch of em.

Then again, the update also broke many community mods and did a few changes here and there to the maps and characters.

For a casual player such as you and me, this guide is pretty much useless, for players dedicated to the game, older versions may become handy, for one thing or another. There's a few things from the update that I've found annoying and pointless, such a the remove of a few spots.

Invisible walls are no fun for anyone, they didn't even bother making the AI nav-mesh work around such spots or redesigned the thing, they just put invisible walls, not even an effort. Just makes me even more pissed about it.

[Jesus is Lord.]

no clue. deadass thought it was a joke guide lmfao

[Mordecai]

Wait, whats the point of getting rid of an update?