Left 4 Dead 2: The Passing

[Shyria Dracnoir]

Note: Will contain spoilers.

Just played through it a few minutes ago. Pretty awesome stuff. There's only 3 chapters, but the second map is pretty long, especially with the horde event at the end. The final chapter's a LOT of fun, especially with the L4D1 survivors covering your butts with rifles and scopes and dropping health and grenade items for you to use.

Note about the first chapter: If at all possible, do NOT touch the speaker system at the wedding pavilion. It is most likely Idiot Bait as it will automatically send the Witch after you AND the Horde.

The new game mode systems are intriguing as well. Each week showcases a different mode for players to play and vote back on. Currently its Versus Realism. Which honestly scares the crap out of me, but for a skilled player could be a fun time.

So, anyone else with L4D2, what are your thoughts?

[Flarecobra]

I had fun.

Having to locate all those gas cans could be a bitch though, seeing how spread out they are. Though past those T-barriors I managed to find 5. I just tossed them over them until I got all 5, then I just kept leapfrogging them.

Oh, and with the first group giving you cover, it can make Tank Busting easy as pie...depending on where you attack it. Though you still have to keep an eye on them, as I did see a Jockey jump on Louis.

Oh, and did anyone else catch the "Dead Rising" referance?

[Revising Ocelot]

Can't load the second part of the campaign. Gets stuck at the loading screen. *shrug*

The first map didn't seem that unique. The original survivors yell at you a bit at the start (which I completely missed as I was trying to remember the controls) and not much happened, aside from a tank attack in a narrow alley. Impossible to avoid the cars it sent flying.

[mauve]

Someone told me Valve kills off one of the original Survivors in this. Please tell me that's not true! :(

....I guess I gotta go buy L4D2 for myself. I've been playing my sister's copy.

[Flarecobra]

Yes. One was killed. You can find his body in the generator building, and you can recover his weapon to use.

[mauve]

....awwww, dammit. I have a sinking feeling I know who it is, and that depresses me cuz it's probably my favorite character.

[Mannix]

i was pretty sure they were going to kill bill when they hinted that somebody was going to die.

[POS Industries]

It's actually randomly selected, so none of the deaths of the original survivors are canon.

[Viridis]

It's actually randomly selected, so none of the deaths of the original survivors are canon.
Really? This page (http://left4dead.wikia.com/wiki/The_Passing) just talks about Bill.
The DLC is called The Passing, due to the passing on, or death, of Bill, who gave up his life to save the others

[Flarecobra]

It's randomly selected who you meet at the bridge at the very start.

[Shyria Dracnoir]

Really? This page (http://left4dead.wikia.com/wiki/The_Passing) just talks about Bill.

The dead survivor may still be randomly selected and the people who update the wiki may just keep running into Bill for some reason. We'll know for sure after a few more days of play.

[POS Industries]

Really? This page (http://left4dead.wikia.com/wiki/The_Passing) just talks about Bill.
I'm currently chalking that up to the pitfalls of wiki mechanics.

[Viridis]

I think you're right. They have four different versions of the The Passing's movie poster, each with a different survivor missing from the background.

[mauve]

Well, I guess I can forgive Valve if the dead character is random. Bill is one of my favorite characters and I'd hate for his death to be canon.

[Jagos]

Francis. I can't stand his whining.

But yeah, Mauve's char is awesome.

[RickZarber]

Man, I hadn't even heard about this until just now. And I was all excited too--until I learned that it's only free for the PC. Seeing as I have no spending money at the moment, I drew how this makes me feel:

http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/819/scaryh.png

[Shyria Dracnoir]

IA IA KARMA CHARGER FTHAGAN!

[Flarecobra]

I discovered that during the Finalie, sometimes the first survivers will throw down the new M-60s. With laser sights.

[Mannix]

I discovered that during the Finalie, sometimes the first survivers will throw down the new M-60s. With laser sights.

man i was tickled to find my first one of those. too bad it has such low ammo. i think it's really funny how ellis gets a giant crush on zoey


also, i hate being in asia for this game. there was a smallish comunity for the first one, but the new game split it up and now it's almost impossible for me to get a group with a ping lower than 300, and all the modes are dead except for versus and story mode.

[Osterbaum]

Why haven't I even heard of this?

[POS Industries]

So it looks like nobody is encountering a scenario where any of the original survivors other than Bill dies at the beginning, so earlier rumors that the death was randomly chosen appear to be false. RIP Bill.

[Shyria Dracnoir]

So it looks like nobody is encountering a scenario where any of the original survivors other than Bill dies at the beginning, so earlier rumors that the death was randomly chosen appear to be false. RIP Bill.

Well, shit...one of my favorite characters too...

[mauve]

I was afraid of that. I noticed Bill was the only character in Crash Course that didn't have any new lines, so my guess is that his voice actor didn't want to come back for any new games. I'm guessing Valve wrote Bill out of the storyline so they wouldn't run into that problem in any future projects.

[krogothwolf]

I think you're right. They have four different versions of the The Passing's movie poster, each with a different survivor missing from the background.

Because they wouldn't want to try throwing people off?

As for As for Bill I heard that L4D 1 would be having the prologue of the survivors death be released sometime soon, so they would need his VA for that wouldn't they?

[Flarecobra]

One thing's for sure, I bet he went down swinging.

[Mannix]

One thing's for sure, I bet he went down swinging.


That ornery old cuss probably got quadruple tanked while simultaneously being hunter pounced, smoker tied, and charger thumped with a jockey on his back while fending off a horde event. Oh and a boomer and a spitter probably took turns coating him in various fluids.

[Shyria Dracnoir]

That ornery old cuss probably got quadruple tanked while simultaneously being hunter pounced, smoker tied, and charger thumped with a jockey on his back while fending off a horde event. Oh and a boomer and a spitter probably took turns coating him in various fluids.

And there was a witch on fire and he killed a bunch of zombies with a trident?

[mauve]

Guys, guys, I figured it out. He's not really dead. His teammates are actually just hanging around waiting for him to respawn in a locked room somewhere. That's why they don't accompany you in the racecar at the end of the mission. Yes. This is the only logical answer, and the only one I choose to believe. From now on, as far as I'm concerned, this explanation is totally true and canon. Bill respawns after a few minutes and the original survivors go on to destroy the city's entire undead population. Then they all live happily ever after.

[PyrosNine]

I think what really happened was that Bill, being a retired old war vet, made the mistake of talking about what he would do after the zombie crisis was over...and sealed his fate!

But then they found him locked in a bathroom somewhere, and they went on to CandyLand and fought the evil Zombie Licorice men and he became king of caramel and possibly guy rape.

[Flarecobra]

You mean Kiddy Land? :P

[PyrosNine]

Guy Rape doesn't happen in Kiddy Land. The priestess of Sweet Dreams wouldn't stand for it, and would sort him out with her Xylophone staff of justice, and he would spend the rest of his days winding up all the dancing toys.

And no sweets after dinner!

[Flarecobra]

There's a joke to be made in there, but I ain't gonna make it.

[Solid Snake]

The real question we must ask ourselves is this:

Why would L4D kill off their series' single most likable character?

...Stupid typical game bias against elder generations...

[Mannix]

The real question we must ask ourselves is this:

Why would L4D kill off their series' single most likable character?

...Stupid typical game bias against elder generations...

they were going to get accusations of bias no matter who they killed.

[mauve]

they were going to get accusations of bias no matter who they killed.

Except Francis, maybe. But he's waaay too popular for Valve to kill off.

[Osterbaum]

More shock-value involved if they kill someone popular. Also, I don't actually own L4D 1, just 2, but maybe they intend to make some DLC in which the original survivors get to where they were in The Passing. I mean, for the L4D2 survivors it fits between Dead Center and Dead Carnival, but what about the original survivors?

[mauve]

More shock-value involved if they kill someone popular. Also, I don't actually own L4D 1, just 2, but maybe they intend to make some DLC in which the original survivors get to where they were in The Passing. I mean, for the L4D2 survivors it fits between Dead Center and Dead Carnival, but what about the original survivors?

I'm guessing this happens quite some time after the events of the original L4D, since it supposedly takes place in Pennsylvania. I have no idea how they end up Georgia/Louisiana/Wherever The Passing Takes Place or what happened to the awesome van they find in Crash Course.

[Viridis]

More shock-value involved if they kill someone popular. Also, I don't actually own L4D 1, just 2, but maybe they intend to make some DLC in which the original survivors get to where they were in The Passing. I mean, for the L4D2 survivors it fits between Dead Center and Dead Carnival, but what about the original survivors?

Yep. (http://left4dead.wikia.com/wiki/The_Passing)
The DLC is called "The Passing," which could be interpreted in several ways. It may simply be referring to the passing of the two parties. It could also refer to the idiom "The passing of the torch", which is referenced in the achievement unlocked upon completing the campaign. But it may refer to the passing on, or death, of Bill, who gave up his life to save the others. The death of Bill and the appearance of the Fallen Survivors are also why the tagline is "Nobody survives forever." To explain how this happened, Valve will be releasing DLC for Left 4 Dead, in which the players play through a new campaign, leading up to the event, ending with one player giving up their life to let the other three Survivors escape. A digital comic book will also come out to show what happens to the original Survivors after the events of Left 4 Dead.
No sources cited but whatever. Source. (http://kotaku.com/5469905/left-4-dead-2s-the-passing-coming-march-followed-by-comic-more-l4d-dlc?skyline=true&s=i)

[01d55]

If you have this on PC add me as a steam friend: [UCSC] 01d55

Or join the NPF Unlimited steam group.

[Osterbaum]

I've already done that. Who hasn't?

[Toastburner B]

I have no idea how they end up Georgia/Louisiana/Wherever The Passing Takes Place or what happened to the awesome van they find in Crash Course.

I heard somewhere (http://www.giantbomb.com/quick-look-left-4-dead-2-the-passing/17-2390/) that supposedly Valve is going to release a DLC for L4D1 that shows how the original survivors got to where they were. I am not sure how true that is, so take it with a grain of salt.

I'm not sure how they are going to show Bill's last stand or Louis getting hurt.

[Flarecobra]

I've already done that. Who hasn't?

Those of us who just recently started playing stuff like that?

Oh, and I don't beleve the guy who did Bill's voice is dead, as it's stated in the L4D wiki that Valve wasn't able to get him in to do new lines. And he's got a radio show. He's got his own production studio and everything. (http://jimfrenchproductions.com/zc137m/)

[Mannix]

Interesting (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1dPLlVy9X8&feature=watch_response)part of the new Midnight Riders song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJ7LPAm7f4E).

[Revising Ocelot]

The new mutation, Bleed Out, is nasty even on normal. Tried it on Dead Center. The hordes never stop coming. You clear out one, try to revive a teammate, and the next has already arrived. And there were way less pills (normal amount) and Defib units (none) than I was led to believe there were by the description. Couldn't get past the 4th stage.

[mauve]

Have they done Chainsaw Massacre yet? I wanna play that one. Chainsaw-only drop + unlimited chainsaw fuel + hordes of zombies can only lead to fun.

[Flarecobra]

Nope. It's Bleed-out. You get no perminent health. You keep it up using pills/adreniline.

[krogothwolf]

I'm kinda disappointed in how normal Bill's body looks, it shoulda been more fucked up then that to be honest, so much blood but no actual damage to him

[Wizardcat]

I didn't even realize this place still existed... Kept going to where the old forums used to be, saw Meister's message was unchanged, and assumed nothing had been done, yet. Found this by random chance.

Anyway...

I heard somewhere (http://www.giantbomb.com/quick-look-left-4-dead-2-the-passing/17-2390/) that supposedly Valve is going to release a DLC for L4D1 that shows how the original survivors got to where they were. I am not sure how true that is, so take it with a grain of salt.
This is true. You get to decide which of the four sacrifices themselves in it, and a digital comic book'll be released showing what I believe is 'the idealized sequence of events between L4D1 and The Passing'.

(Also, we have a Steam group (http://steamcommunity.com/groups/NPFU), people! Join!)

[Azisien]

Well I played The Passing on Versus, so I didn't get to see any of the plot stuff. That campaign is absolutely awesome for Versus though.

And I am proud to say, I just achieved "Still Something to Prove" and join the meagre 2.2% of losers as dedicated as I. Also worth noting I completed it on Realism as well. Woo!

[Aerozord]

Well I played The Passing on Versus, so I didn't get to see any of the plot stuff. That campaign is absolutely awesome for Versus though.

And I am proud to say, I just achieved "Still Something to Prove" and join the meagre 2.2% of losers as dedicated as I. Also worth noting I completed it on Realism as well. Woo!

hmm, is that the campaign we were playing? If so a few parts seemed abit too infected friendly to me

[Mannix]

I like how there's a room in the second part of the campaign that is straight out of a Midnight Riders lyric - in the song he says something about having a suitcase full of money and pistols, and you find just that in one of the rooms before you cross over that wooden plank a couple stories up. I guess there's some point in the game where you can see their tour bus leaving the area, so they're supposed to still be alive I guess.