Comments on TREMBLING HAND: Left4Dead and Thermodynamics

2009-02-03T16:08:00.000-08:00

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Wonderful article! I wish there was a whole book f...

2009-02-02T16:39:00.000-08:00

Wonderful article! I wish there was a whole book full of L4D essays like this!

Thanks for the fun read. :)

Jon, yes, L4D's health model is very interesting i...

2009-02-02T13:01:00.000-08:00

Jon, yes, L4D's health model is very interesting in this context. Health packs provide the most health, but give diminishing returns and take time to use; pills take no time to use, but the effects wane over time; and fall-down recovery takes time and puts another person out of action, and then only provides a small boost. Whichever way you go, you never feel as 'healthy' as you did when started.

Also, you're right about ammo. My use of the word 'limited' really referred to the idea that ammo availability is restricted to certain places, not that there are limited rounds available in the world.

In a sense, you could look at L4D's ammo model as generous -- it even helps to stave off the overwhelming feeling of entropy. But not for long...

Interesting. Although, ammo is pretty much unlimit...

2009-02-02T07:07:00.000-08:00

Interesting. Although, ammo is pretty much unlimited. The environment provides lots of ammo piles (with infinite ammo), the director hands out grenades, and then there's always the unlimited pistol ammo.
One thing you didn't mention specifically is that health packs provide a lower return the more health you have meaning that it's all but impossible to gain back 100 health. The only way is down.