# Left 4 Dead 2 announced. Release date 11.17.2009 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [June 1, 2009, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-4-dead-2-announced-release-date-11-17-2009/498397 "2009-06-01T19:21:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-4-dead-2-announced-release-date-11-17-2009/498397/41 "2009-06-07T23:34:34Z")
You could still run forward to outrun the tanks, and then your teammates would be the ones attacking it. You’d have to coordinate and communicate better rather than just holding down the move back key and the fire button. It’d feel more real and be better for the game. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2009, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-4-dead-2-announced-release-date-11-17-2009/498397/42 "2009-06-07T23:51:03Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > You could still run forward to outrun the tanks, and then your teammates would be the ones attacking it. You’d have to coordinate and communicate better rather than just holding down the move back key and the fire button. It’d feel more real and be better for the game. Dude. There are zombies. Claims of something being more real or not are jettisoned after that. Although, I would bet that this is going to be one of the changes in the sequel. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2009, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-4-dead-2-announced-release-date-11-17-2009/498397/43 "2009-06-08T00:04:39Z")
I know, so let’s make the players be able to jump 30 feet high, right? That wouldn’t ruin the illusion of some degree of reality, because there are already zombies! ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2009, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-4-dead-2-announced-release-date-11-17-2009/498397/44 "2009-06-08T01:43:38Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > I know, so let’s make the players be able to jump 30 feet high, right? That wouldn’t ruin the illusion of some degree of reality, because there are already zombies! If it’s balanced, why not? ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2009, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-4-dead-2-announced-release-date-11-17-2009/498397/45 "2009-06-08T01:49:22Z")
Because it ruins the illusion that you’re in a horror flick, which is what they seem to be going for. Sure, you could give everyone super powers and let them shoot magical fireballs out their dicks but then it’s a different game. Clearly the designers are going for a feeling of some degree of realism, even with zombies. Good speculative fiction usually requires the reader to accept one major unusual or impossible premise and run with it. There’s no reason everything else has to go out the window because you’re asked to accept one improbable premise. Besides that, it’d be good game design. The game is about cooperation and communication, right? Forcing you turn away from a tank to escape it forces your teammates to have your back and communicate to you about what the tank is doing. It’s a more satisfying game experience than hitting runback+fire. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2009, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-4-dead-2-announced-release-date-11-17-2009/498397/46 "2009-06-08T02:07:33Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > Because it ruins the illusion that you’re in a horror flick, which is what they seem to be going for. Sure, you could give everyone super powers and let them shoot magical fireballs out their dicks but then it’s a different game. > > Clearly the designers are going for a feeling of some degree of realism, even with zombies. Good speculative fiction usually requires the reader to accept one major unusual or impossible premise and run with it. There’s no reason everything else has to go out the window because you’re asked to accept one improbable premise. > > Besides that, it’d be good game design. The game is about cooperation and communication, right? Forcing you turn away from a tank to escape it forces your teammates to have your back and communicate to you about what the tank is doing. It’s a more satisfying game experience than hitting runback+fire. I think you’re right with what they should do, but not for your reasons. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2009, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-4-dead-2-announced-release-date-11-17-2009/498397/47 "2009-06-08T02:10:27Z")
Ok, so you don’t think the change should be made for aesthetic, realism, or gameplay reasons - are you attempting to satisfy the complaints of the people who have a fetish for walking backwards and think that the game doesn’t do enough to model it properly? ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2009, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-4-dead-2-announced-release-date-11-17-2009/498397/48 "2009-06-08T02:21:43Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > Ok, so you don’t think the change should be made for aesthetic, realism, or gameplay reasons - are you attempting to satisfy the complaints of the people who have a fetish for walking backwards and think that the game doesn’t do enough to model it properly? You got it, tiger. The Walking-Backwards lobby is a powerful one. Perhaps you should watch what you say… ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2009, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-4-dead-2-announced-release-date-11-17-2009/498397/49 "2009-06-08T02:23:39Z")
L4D shouldn’t be realistic or like a horror movie. It should be entertaining to watch and to play competitive esport-capable game. Nothing indicates that they’re going in that direction with L4D2, but I haven’t seen any versus information so maybe they are. More stats tracking would be cool. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/left-4-dead-2-announced-release-date-11-17-2009/498397.md?page=2)