Ars Co-op Gaming Night Revival - Saturdays @ 9pm EST

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J

Jebus H Cripes

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  • #1
    Behold, the Spreadsheet of Fire!

    So now that we have a regular night (Saturdays with start times between 8-9pm EST, and a pick-up night of Friday evenings in general), I thought I'd streamline the OP with some general info.

    First off, the games we'll be trying (numbers in brackets indicate max players possible):

    Known Quality Co-op:
    Left 4 Dead (4)
    Left 4 Dead 2 (4)
    Alien Swarm (4)
    Payday: The Heist (4)
    Saints Row 3 (2)
    Sniper Elite v2 (2)
    Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army (4)

    Untried/Questionable but verified Co-op (note that this just means there may be a question of how suitable a game is for our purposes):
    Alien Breed: Impact (2)
    Alien Breed 2: Assault (2)
    Alien Breed 3: Descent (2)
    Aliens: Colonial Marines (4)
    Aliens vs Predator (4)
    Anno 1404
    Bunch of Heroes (4)
    Dawn of Discovery
    Far Cry 3 (4)
    Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (4)
    Guns of Icarus (4)
    Half Life 2 + all episodes (you'll need Synergy to play this co-op, but with it you can do up to 8 players)
    H.A.W.X (4)
    Judge Dredd: Dredd vs Death (2)
    Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light (2)
    LotR: War In The North (3)
    Magicka (4)
    Monday Night Combat (4)
    Orcs Must Die 2 (2)
    Portal 2 (2)
    Renegade Ops (4)
    Serious Sam 1, 2, 3
    The Darkness 2 (4)
    Transformers: War For Cybertron (2)
    Trine 2 (2)
    Warhammer 40k: DoW2 + Chaos Rising + Retribution (2)

    'Wave' Co-op (this is more of a multi game mode where you just work together than it is co-op in most cases):
    Dungeon Defenders (4)
    God Mode (4)
    Iron Grip: Warlord
    Killing Floor (6)
    Nation Red (4)
    Sanctum (4)

    Progression Co-op:
    Borderlands (4)
    Borderlands 2 (4)
    Diablo 1/2/3 (Variable)
    Marvel Heroes (MMO)
    Torchlight 2 (8)
    Van Helsing (4)

    Not Suitable Co-op:
    Blacklight: Tango Down (4)
    Civ 4
    Civ 5
    Endless Space
    EYE: Divine Cybernacy (4)

    Shit that is utter crap for co-op:
    Bulletstorm (seriously, saying this game has co-op is like calling driving to work, good training for NASCAR)
    CoD Series from Modern Warfare 2 On


    I've broken up the list above into multiple groups, games most of us know has great co-op and works well for our weekly gatherings, games that are either untried or are possibly not quite so suitable for our weekly events but unverified yet, wave co-op that while technically co-op is typically simple in gameplay, progression based co-op that has the inherent problem of progression disparity,
    games that while they'd work and I've tried them in such a fashion, they really aren't great for our weekly events.

    I've also added a group of games that are absolute fucking shit for co-op. They may be great games otherwise, but for co-op, they're garbage. Typically because what they qualify as co-op, is just some tacked on gameplay that gets old in 5 minutes.

    Also, we'll be gathering in a general steam group chat for co-ordination/organization around the time of the event, so you'll probably want to join the steam group, Arsclan | Nemo Relictus just to simplify jumping in. It's a public group so you just need to click join (if we suddenly attract a bunch of spammers or general asshats, I'll make it invite only). It's by no means required, but it will make it easier for you to get in on the action.

    And we're also using Teamspeak 3 on the Arsclan server (ts.arsclan.net:10008 no pass anymore). We usually congregate in one of the Lobby channels, so jump into the group chat to see where.

    Lastly, please keep making suggestions, as the larger the pool of games we have to pick from, the more variety, and as everyone knows, variety is the spice of sex. And it makes other stuff kind of fun too I suppose.

    Jebus
     
    Artichoke Sap

    Artichoke Sap

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  • #3
    So, "co-op" here can mean either "Group PvE" or "Group PvP," (sorry to use the pithy MMO terms). Killing Floor is strictly PvE. Team Fortress 2 is strictly (odd events aside) PvP. Left4Dead can be both.

    I'm interested in both, but a bit more in PvE like Left4Dead or Dungeon Defenders. But I'm curious about the consensus of what people want.

    I'm a CST guy, so I voted for 10PM EST. Fri/Sat being best.

    Also, Renegade Ops should be on the list, though it's more like toddler "Parallel Play" than true co-op. :D
     
    J

    Jebus H Cripes

    Ars Tribunus Militum
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  • #4
    Artichoke Sap":35ds2xti said:
    So, "co-op" here can mean either "Group PvE" or "Group PvP," (sorry to use the pithy MMO terms). Killing Floor is strictly PvE. Team Fortress 2 is strictly (odd events aside) PvP. Left4Dead can be both.

    I'm interested in both, but a bit more in PvE like Left4Dead or Dungeon Defenders. But I'm curious about the consensus of what people want.

    I'm a CST guy, so I voted for 10PM EST. Fri/Sat being best.

    Also, Renegade Ops should be on the list, though it's more like toddler "Parallel Play" than true co-op. :D
    Click to expand...

    Actually no, co-op here means just that, co-op. By your definition, PvE.

    The reason I make the distinction, is that otherwise, this is technically just multiplayer. And that's not really what we're after here.

    There's a distinct lack of co-op specific play in general, and while I don't presume to speak for others, my interests no longer include playing against other humans (I burned out on that with Doom 1/2, Quake 1/2/3, MPBT, etc.).

    The point here is that this regular night is to focus on the co-op, not just general multiplayer.

    Sorry if that comes across dickish or anything, as that's not my intent, but I just want to be clear here, this is strictly for co-op focused gaming. If you'd like a general multiplayer group, you can find this virtually anywhere (Arsclan is a GREAT place for this btw).

    Jebus
     
    Artichoke Sap

    Artichoke Sap

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  • #5
    Jebus H Cripes":26689jhh said:
    Sorry if that comes across dickish or anything,
    Click to expand...
    Nope.

    but I just want to be clear here, this is strictly for co-op focused gaming.
    Click to expand...
    That's what I'm really looking for as well. A bit of multiplayer now and again, but mostly true co-op.

    I've got:
    Left 4 Dead
    Left 4 Dead 2
    Borderlands
    Killing Floor
    E.Y.E. Divine Cybermancy

    And not on your list:
    Renegade Ops
    Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light (only two players, though)

    Borderlands, Guardian of Light, and E.Y.E all have issues with the progress and/or level of the characters (though I'd love some more co-op on all three).

    The rest (L4D, L4D2, Killing Floor, Renegade Ops) are all good 4-player drop-in co-op, great for a regular night with not always the same people, so they top my list. I'm curious about Sanctum, Monday Night Combat's co-op, and Dungeon Defenders, and could be coaxed into buying them if there's a co-op group loving them.

    Also, I don't own Magicka, but I know it has co-op.
     
    M4EOzzy

    M4EOzzy

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  • #6
    I'm down, as the baby comes along and gaming becomes more infrequent, having a dedicated time when I can let my wife know, hey, this is the the time and the hour that I have something planned, will go a long way towards it actually happening. That being said, I'm a West Coaster, and so it'd HAVE to be at least 10PM EST before I can play. The last thing my wife wants is me coming home and going straight to the computer. So, we'll see. Of course, all of this is moot for me for the next 6 weeks at least.

    I like where this is going though.
     
    U

    usagichan

    Ars Praefectus
    3,476
  • #7
    When did Civ4/5 become co-op? is this the same definition as Starcraft/Any RTS where you play on the same team?

    Other great co-op games not mentioned in the OP:

    *Anno 1404 / Dawn of Discovery - You play as 1 faction, but since there's two cultures to manage, it can get hectic even with 2 players. Supports up to 8 players co-op.
    *Portal 2
    *Warhammer 40k: Space Marines
    *Alien Breed series
    *Aliens vs Predators
    *Modern Warfare 2 (yes it has co-op, no very few people play it =( )
    *Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfigther

    These are all games I've played a bunch of co-op on and would be more than happy to revisit. I'll be joining the ArsClan Coop group once I get home.
     
    J

    Junon

    Ars Praefectus
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  • #10
    Jebus! I'm sort of having a jolly good time with Glowsticks in Space (and I think you would too, but that's for another conversation....) but I will have you know that I picked up Payday the first day of the winter sale, JUST FOR YOU!

    Also, only putting this here because this thread reminded me of it but guys... I haven't accepted an invite for L4D2 in months. I can't bring myself to actually uninstall it, but I'm effectively done playing. Unless some brand new maps/campaigns come around, I'm effectively done with it. Versus mode, that is.
     
    J

    Jebus H Cripes

    Ars Tribunus Militum
    2,965
  • #11
    Artichoke Sap":34o064us said:
    And not on your list:
    Renegade Ops
    Click to expand...

    You mentioned this as being parallel play, but does this mean in a non-interactive way, or more of a "you can work together or you can go off on your own" kind of way?

    Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light (only two players, though)

    Borderlands, Guardian of Light, and E.Y.E all have issues with the progress and/or level of the characters (though I'd love some more co-op on all three).
    Click to expand...

    Well, two player elements aren't THAT big a deal, as I was thinking this would work more or less like a group session thing where we'd pull random players from the group beforehand (as an element of organization), or even at the start time from the steam group, though obviously, the more players per game, the more fun IMO ;)

    As for the progression thing, we could always agree to use new toons that only progress during the co-op nights, which would at least let us stay relatively close (likely within a few levels at least), but I know what you mean. Eventually, we'll have new bodies joining (hopefully!) who would need to start new characters, or someone just doesn't like their character and wants to start a new one, but I imagine those players won't mind too much if they get rushed/carried forward a ways ;) Or just play as noob backup (I'm speaking mostly for myself here, as I have no problem playing in a support type of role in those situations).

    I'm curious about Sanctum, Monday Night Combat's co-op, and Dungeon Defenders, and could be coaxed into buying them if there's a co-op group loving them.

    Also, I don't own Magicka, but I know it has co-op.
    Click to expand...

    I've barely fired those up myself, so I can't speak on the co-op. I'm hoping someone can lend some co-op experience and either recommend or blast them as options.

    I also don't even own Magicka, as I tried the demo and didn't find it very enjoyable, mostly because the interface felt incredibly clunky, but I'll add it if others would like it on the list.

    usagichan":34o064us said:
    When did Civ4/5 become co-op? is this the same definition as Starcraft/Any RTS where you play on the same team?
    Click to expand...

    It's always had that aspect in the sense of player teams vs AI. The only thing with them is that they can be SUPER slow ass games, or they'll run 5 minutes. It really kind of depends on how experienced the players are. To be honest, I was hesitant to even suggest them, but with a good group of players, it can be quite awesome on Deity.

    Other great co-op games not mentioned in the OP:

    *Anno 1404 / Dawn of Discovery - You play as 1 faction, but since there's two cultures to manage, it can get hectic even with 2 players. Supports up to 8 players co-op.
    *Portal 2
    *Warhammer 40k: Space Marines
    *Alien Breed series
    *Aliens vs Predators
    *Modern Warfare 2 (yes it has co-op, no very few people play it =( )
    *Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfigther

    These are all games I've played a bunch of co-op on and would be more than happy to revisit. I'll be joining the ArsClan Coop group once I get home.
    Click to expand...

    How the fuck could I forget Portal 2...

    I do have AvP on there though, but I'll add the others as well.

    Junon":34o064us said:
    Jebus! I'm sort of having a jolly good time with Glowsticks in Space (and I think you would too, but that's for another conversation....) but I will have you know that I picked up Payday the first day of the winter sale, JUST FOR YOU!
    Click to expand...

    Eeeexcellent.

    I'll update the OP with the suggestions thus far.

    Jebus
     
    Artichoke Sap

    Artichoke Sap

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  • #12
    Jebus H Cripes":2wh1ycnr said:
    Artichoke Sap":2wh1ycnr said:
    Renegade Ops
    Click to expand...
    You mentioned this as being parallel play, but does this mean in a non-interactive way, or more of a "you can work together or you can go off on your own" kind of way?
    Click to expand...
    The latter, though it's a bit more than that. The game doesn't really scale to the number of players, so you can destroy more stuff with more people. People don't usually stick together, partially because they don't really have to. Every mission has primary and secondary objectives, though, and it's hard to do both at once in the time limits for the primary missions, so having more people does allow you to be in more than one place at once, making the secondary objectives easier to complete.
     
    D

    Distraktion

    Ars Tribunus Militum
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  • #15
    Currently getting a decent amount of playtime with Arsians via Left 4 Dead 2 (only 250ish hours so far, still a ways to go to catch up to some of you!), but I wouldn't mind expanding a bit. Haven't touched Magicka and Trine in weeks, but they're the only co-op ones I have off the top of my head. Sanctum and Borderlands are in my Library (though I have 0.0 hours in them). There are probably others, and given the interest and low cost I could get into something new if there was enough interest from others.

    Glad I saw your Nemo Relictus News popup a few hours ago, or I might have missed out on this. :D
     
    F

    freon41

    Ars Scholae Palatinae
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  • #18
    Jebus H Cripes":3hj6mqs1 said:
    freon41":3hj6mqs1 said:
    Lotr War In the North
    Click to expand...

    Isn't this an MMO? Or am I just woefully out of date with the LOTR franchise?

    Jebus
    Click to expand...
    It's a three person co-op game that takes place around the same time. If you play solo, computer controls your allies. Otherwise, it's an interesting game for a bit and there's arenas for fighting off invasions of orcs, etc.

    Regarding magicka co-op...one of the first spells you learn before leaving the tutorial is revive. Why? Because magic tends to go badly, very badly when you have more than one mage spamming spells. This also means there's plenty of room for trolling / counter-trolling. =P
    Lightning bolt is a quick-spam combo that pretty much one-shots anything on screen but it's random as to what it hits. Which means that your buddies will likely be the target just as much as the mobs. XD
    Also, magicka beams and shield domes are not a good combo unless you want the beam to bounce around inside the dome, turning everyone into giblets.
     
    C

    cedric

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  • #19
    My availability for gaming has sucked as of late, so having an actual co-op night set aside might be good for me. I'm in CST and relatively flexible for start time. Any night but Friday/Saturday works best.

    Also, Saints Row 3 must be added to the list. Although I haven't been able to try it yet, I understand the whole campaign can be played in co-op mode.
     
    J

    Junon

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  • #20
    freon41":303i7fhy said:
    Jebus H Cripes":303i7fhy said:
    freon41":303i7fhy said:
    Lotr War In the North
    Click to expand...

    Isn't this an MMO? Or am I just woefully out of date with the LOTR franchise?

    Jebus
    Click to expand...
    It's a three person co-op game that takes place around the same time. If you play solo, computer controls your allies. Otherwise, it's an interesting game for a bit and there's arenas for fighting off invasions of orcs, etc.
    Click to expand...

    It's more like Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance. Top-down (well, BG:DA was top-down, dunno about LotR) action-RPG... sort of a modern Gauntlet.
     
    beeblebrox

    beeblebrox

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  • #22
    I'm in, the night doesn't matter TOO much as long as everyone else is cool with time zone differences. I've got:

    L4D
    L4D2 (...shortly, I think)
    Alien Swarm
    TF2
    Any of the Free To Play Steam games (some of the MMOs aren't bad, but don't really qualify here I don't think)

    My list is obviously shorter than many of you guys'... but I'll work with what I can. ;)

    Edit to add: Transformers: War for Cybertron and HL2.
     
    I

    Iron Clad Burrito

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  • #24
    I haven't accepted an invite for L4D2 in months. I can't bring myself to actually uninstall it, but I'm effectively done playing. Unless some brand new maps/campaigns come around, I'm effectively done with it. Versus mode, that is.
    Click to expand...

    This, although I actually went ahead and uninstalled. Last week was it for me. I could be coaxed into reinstalling for new maps/whatever, in coop only.

    ----

    On topic: I'd be extremely interested in coop Magicka, Serious Sam, Dungeon Defenders. Still haven't done all the Payday maps either. I've got an assload of games that CAN be done MP Coop. It's not the 412 that Junon's boasting, but my library does have 254 games in it. :)
     
    beeblebrox

    beeblebrox

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  • #25
    Iron Clad Burrito":2ie5nify said:
    I haven't accepted an invite for L4D2 in months. I can't bring myself to actually uninstall it, but I'm effectively done playing. Unless some brand new maps/campaigns come around, I'm effectively done with it. Versus mode, that is.
    Click to expand...

    This, although I actually went ahead and uninstalled. Last week was it for me. I could be coaxed into reinstalling for new maps/whatever, in coop only.
    Click to expand...

    ICB, I'd consider it an honor to have you by my side, blasting zombies for an evening. Please reconsider. ;)

    PS: I haven't played L4D in over a year, and never L4D2. So... YMMV. ;)
     
    C

    cedric

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  • #26
    I haven't accepted an invite for L4D2 in months. I can't bring myself to actually uninstall it, but I'm effectively done playing. Unless some brand new maps/campaigns come around, I'm effectively done with it. Versus mode, that is.
    Click to expand...

    Although I've played the launch campaigns seemingly hundreds of times, I have extremely little playtime in the newer campaigns. I'd love to get come co-op in on these.
     
    U

    usagichan

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  • #27
    huh, i guess its that time of year when LFD2 gets uninstalled and then reinstalled. for whatever reason I never played L4D2 more than the opening campaign. It just didn't grab me as much as L4D1 did. I think the uber increased difficulty even at normal did that, it just seemed much harder than L4D1 for whatever reason.

    Those who have me on their steam list can probably see that I'm a pretty big dungeon defender fiend. So feel free to ping me if any of you are up for that. If i'm powerleveling or farming mana, i'll be more than happy to have you guys jump in and share in the xp/loot. =)

    If i'm trying to clear Uber MonsterFest though, until my group gets to the point where we can carry weaker characters, i'll probably have to tell you guys no or even ignore if i'm in the middle of it...so please don't think i'm a mean person for that.

    I also have a ton of co-op games, so please ping me if you see me online but not playing anything. more likely than not, i'll be up for it.

    Also...skype? or vent? we need communications dammit. =)
     
    U

    usagichan

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  • #29
    EtrnL_Frost":2vlk16s4 said:
    Alright, I'm calling it. If I'm messaged when I'm not already playing Skrim, I'm game. The game is beginning to wear with the number of hours I've consecutively dumped into it. Let the mp commence! I'm up for anything, as usual.
    Click to expand...

    you lie!!!! you'll never be done with skyrim. i have the message logs to prove that!
     
    M

    MixMasterP

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  • #34
    Jebus, thanks for bringing this up!

    I've just recently decided that getting into co-op games would be fun to try (I've always been primarily a single-player gamer). Games that I'd be up for trying co-op

    Left4Dead's (haven't played them yet, but have heard great things)
    Borderlands
    Portal2
    Team Fortress 2
    Dungeon Defenders (haven't played yet, but have heard great things)
    Magicka (haven't played yet, but have heard great things)

    I'm an EST game whose wife leaves him alone for gaming between 9 and 10 during the Mon-Thurs weeknights, so if that schedule works out for anyone, great. :D
     
    M

    MixMasterP

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  • #36
    freon41":2s3fl4uq said:
    Note to self: When offering to play co-op with people, it would be more likely to have people take you up on the offer if you post your damned steam name/handle. :eek:

    Steam: Freon41
    http://steamcommunity.com/id/freon41/
    Alias: [DG] Miu (≧▽≦)
    Click to expand...

    Well said. Along those lines, my username for Steam is pmillett.
     
    J

    Jebus H Cripes

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  • #37
    freon41":30nkj0nx said:
    Note to self: When offering to play co-op with people, it would be more likely to have people take you up on the offer if you post your damned steam name/handle. :eek:

    Steam: Freon41
    http://steamcommunity.com/id/freon41/
    Alias: [DG] Miu (≧▽≦)
    Click to expand...

    This is what the steam group is for :p But more importantly, it doesn't clutter up the thread with 50k "here's my steamid" posts.

    So it's starting to look like Saturdays are by far the most doable night for most (with a roughly even spread of start time).

    I was going to let the voting go until tomorrow night, but for now, it's looking tentatively like Saturday evenings are going to be our regular night. Of course that shouldn't stop anyone from randomly hitting up anyone else on any other night for some co-op goodness :D

    That said, I've updated the OP with a few more titles that people have suggested, but for our first night, I thought it appropriate that we start with something we all know to be a smash hit for co-op, Left 4 Dead!

    Obviously we'll have more than a single group, so feel free to decide amongst yourselves what/how you'd like to play, but I'm going to suggest No Mercy on Advanced. Obviously if you end up with a group you've played with in the past, you might want to consider upping the difficulty, but if you're like me, and haven't played any L4D in months, Advanced is probably even pushing it ;)

    At any rate, you'll notice I haven't specified a start time, and that's mostly because the nature of co-op gaming means there's likely to be a little difficulty in filling all slots with guaranteed seating, so starting around 8pm EST, expect to start seeing invites for the night's game and for as long as you feel like going, join in on the fun! We don't need a regimented schedule or matchup system, just join a game, or start one and spam invites to people in the steam group :D As many have pointed out, life has a way of interfering with entertainment schedules, so think of Saturday night as a general co-op night, where the only expectation is that someone's going to be doing some co-op that evening. It doesn't even have to be the 'scheduled' game, that's really just a suggestion anyway. I'm just hoping to get more regular co-op going.

    I am a little surprised though that there aren't more games being suggested, as I didn't think I had covered most of them. Though it's nice to see a few that I had no idea had co-op!

    Jebus
     
    U

    usagichan

    Ars Praefectus
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  • #38
    Well, looking through my list of games...and skipping the RTS selections that are not explictly co-op (as in you can campaign through it)

    Jamestown
    Fear 3
    Resident Evil 5
    Titan Quest + Expansion
    Neverwinter NIghts 2
    Dogfighter
    SWAT3: Gold

    So, I think those are stuff on my list that's not on the original list. Still not the most comprehensive list (we probably need to go to Co-optimus for that), but still a darn good list to start. =)

    I'm re-installing L4D in preparation for this weekend. =)
     
    beeblebrox

    beeblebrox

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  • #39
    Jebus H Cripes":1pbupqqk said:
    That said, I've updated the OP with a few more titles that people have suggested, but for our first night, I thought it appropriate that we start with something we all know to be a smash hit for co-op, Left 4 Dead!

    Obviously we'll have more than a single group, so feel free to decide amongst yourselves what/how you'd like to play, but I'm going to suggest No Mercy on Advanced. Obviously if you end up with a group you've played with in the past, you might want to consider upping the difficulty, but if you're like me, and haven't played any L4D in months, Advanced is probably even pushing it ;)
    Click to expand...

    Yeah, on Advanced I will probably end up in the credits as "Dead." But I'm down for trying. And trying. And trying. Hell, it's what makes that game great!

    I joined the Steam group, see some of you Saturday. :)
     
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