Left 4 Dead problems

[RPatrick]

A few friends and I recently picked up L4D. I think the gameplay is awesome, but I am shocked to find some major issues with doing just what the game boasts, playing coop with friends.

We like to play privately. I've got a fast cable connection and a fast PC, so the plan was to have a listen server on my PC with just our group. I don't think this is too much to ask for a game like this to do right out of the box. When I create a friends only game hosted on my pc, once we begin the game any bots are subject to be replaced with random people from the internet. It seems that should not happen. Is it impossible to just play with friends only the whole game ? I see no place to set a password (unbelievable), and I believe there is a console command that may do that, but I've heard the servers just ignore the password.

The other big issue is that when we try to host with a listen server, often the game speed runs double or triple normal speed. It ruins the gameplay. How can something like this not be caught in QC testing ?

It is extremely frustrating to spend $50 per copy of the game and have to deal with these problems that are basic to the functioning of the game. Am I missing something ? It is hard to believe the game was released unable to provide for a private game.

 

[Krakn3Dfx]

You should be able to create a friend's only server by choosing the option to just play with your friends. You can also choose to use your PC as the server instead of using a 3rd party server on the internet. Hunt around the menu in the game, you should be able to figure it out.

 

[zerocool84]

Originally posted by: Krakn3Dfx
You should be able to create a friend's only server by choosing the option to just play with your friends. You can also choose to use your PC as the server instead of using a 3rd party server on the internet. Hunt around the menu in the game, you should be able to figure it out.

 

[RPatrick]

Hello,

When I create a friends only game hosted on my pc, after the game starts unknown people from the internet begin to join, they replace any bots that are in the game. Doesn't seem right but it happens every time.

 

[duragezic]

IIRC, and my experience has been the same like yours, is that the friends-only server doesn't stick after the game is launched. In a friends-only lobby, your friends can only join. But once the game starts, it seems that when people pick the "join a game in a progress", it ignores that you started from a friends-only lobby, and lets public players in!

You might check the Steam forums to confirm, but I believe that is the case as of now. A solution is to password the game, but like you I don't know the command.

One solution is to call a vote and boot any public player who joins your game. Kind of harsh, but outside of a password it's all you can do right now I didn't understand why one game, as soon as I joined, a teammate shot at me then they all vote kicked me out! Then I realized the problem with private games not being private.

But in regards to your other problem, I haven't had the same. I've run quite a few games listen/local and it worked fine.

 

[Zenoth]

I play in friends-only games all the time, and both the Lobby and the game itself retain the friends-only restriction from the Lobby. For public players to be able to join you need to set the Lobby to "Public". Maybe you guys have had some bad luck, I'm not sure, but I do know for sure that for me it has never been a problem... or maybe I've been lucky ever since I bought it.

 

[Frodolives]

I'm a big fan of the game, but count me in as acknowledging that the lobby system has issues. You can set up a campaign lobby, then to be delivered to a versus server, and it may take numerous votes to return to the lobby before you are actually in a campaign.

And while I have enjoyed many random matches, a good versus match can last well over an hour, so it's reasonable to want to have some look at what you're joining, but the typical scenario is, you click "find a game lobby," to be spit into a lobby that will a) be immediately filled so that you haven't a chance to see if you've joined a team with no voice chat playing against 4 guys from a clan, or b) find yourself in a lobby with a few people that will instead take a LONG time to fill, since the server system apparently is designed to favor filling lobbies that are the closest to launching a match.

This is a great game, and it also illustrates that even with some issues, people desire more coop games.

 

[videogames101]

I got so pissed with the lobby system I started renting a server,so if you want, pm me and I'll give you the info so you can do a REAL private game.

 

[Frodolives]

That's a very generous offer, and a great idea. The manager of the local gamestop is an avid pc gamer and a friend, and he also rents one. Steam servers are still quite cheap by the year are they not?

 

[RPatrick]

Thanks for the comments and generosity. I'll certainly keep that in mind.

For the good of all, I hope the lobby issues have worked their way up to being a priority for the next patch.

 

[Oakenfold]

Originally posted by: RPatrick
Thanks for the comments and generosity. I'll certainly keep that in mind.

For the good of all, I hope the lobby issues have worked their way up to being a priority for the next patch.

Indeed, the server and lobby issues are getting very irritating. Not to mention the crummy changes in the last patch regarding tank / witch spawns....I get worked up just thinking about it. But it's such a good game.....

 

[skace]

Friends only functions just fine. However you have to realize that once your game is started "friends only" means the friends of anyone who is in your game. If 1 of your friends has a friends list of 52394829348923 people, then all of those people can now join your game as a friend.

I've hosted friends only games many times where we only had 3 people and no one else ever joined.

 

[zerogear]

Originally posted by: skace
Friends only functions just fine. However you have to realize that once your game is started "friends only" means the friends of anyone who is in your game. If 1 of your friends has a friends list of 52394829348923 people, then all of those people can now join your game as a friend.

I've hosted friends only games many times where we only had 3 people and no one else ever joined.

This. Basically the random people that joins may not be on your friends list, but it may be on your friends friend list.

 

[HardcoreRobot]

that makes a lot more sense

 

[Rebel44]

Originally posted by: zerogear

Originally posted by: skace
Friends only functions just fine. However you have to realize that once your game is started "friends only" means the friends of anyone who is in your game. If 1 of your friends has a friends list of 52394829348923 people, then all of those people can now join your game as a friend.

I've hosted friends only games many times where we only had 3 people and no one else ever joined.

This. Basically the random people that joins may not be on your friends list, but it may be on your friends friend list.

+1
IMO Valve should add option for password which would help to solve this problem.

 

[RPatrick]

One of us does have a friends list with over 100 people on it. That very well could be it, though I've heard of other people having this issue too.

I still think that is hosed though. There are so many situation where allowing friends of friends to join in creates problems. It seems obvious to me only friends of the lobby leader should be allowed. As mentioned, a password would solve everything. I'm disappointed this measure was overlooked, and hope it gets implemented.

Is there any way to keep it only open to my friends ? I'm thinking if I had the guy with gazillions of friends log out of his friends list that might do it, but I'm wondering then if he could even get in himself. Maybe if he logged out after he joined.

 

[cisco]

I run the game from the tools tab in steam as a dedicated server since i'm using one key # thats the only way to not get kicked (also in offline mode) you need an extra PC for this.
Try this and post the results with an online game.

 

[octopus41092]

Well... you could always just type in console commands for the password "sv_password asdf" then your password will be set to asdf.