Evening Reading

If you didnt put on at least 8 pounds your Thanksgiving sucked.

As for the the videogame news around these parts:

Lastly, everyone excited about Facebook Connect going live? ITS GONNA CHANGE THE WAY YOU WEB.

Steve Gibson is the cofounder of Shacknews.com. Originally known as sCary's Quakeholio back in 1996, Steve is now President of Gearbox Publishing after selling Shacknews to GameFly in 2009.

From The Chatty
  • reply
    December 1, 2008 6:02 PM

    ...which character do you usually choose in L4D?

    me: Francis

    ps - I can't get enough of this game.

    • reply
      December 1, 2008 6:05 PM

      Zoey. Seems like I'm not alone, either.

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      December 1, 2008 6:05 PM

      If I have a choice i go with bill.

    • reply
      December 1, 2008 6:06 PM

      [deleted]

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        December 1, 2008 6:07 PM

        I like Louis because I like playing the big bald black guy.

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        December 1, 2008 6:22 PM

        That's horror. In zombie movies (romero) they're usually last!

      • reply
        December 1, 2008 6:25 PM

        I use Obama as well.

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          December 2, 2008 2:42 AM

          I'll save you Obama! Gets laughs but probably not politically correct at all. I voted Obama, btw :)

    • reply
      December 1, 2008 6:06 PM

      Francis says funny things

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      December 1, 2008 6:08 PM

      Does it matter gameplay-wise, or is it just an aesthetic thing?

      • reply
        December 1, 2008 6:09 PM

        Aesthetic thing.

        • reply
          December 1, 2008 6:16 PM

          Then Bill, I guess? It doesn't much matter to me.

          • reply
            December 1, 2008 6:18 PM

            *points and laughs* haha, he chose bill! wow...

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            December 1, 2008 6:26 PM

            Actually Bill runs the slowest because he's old

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              December 1, 2008 8:34 PM

              plus his balls are saggy

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              December 2, 2008 6:17 AM

              Bill hates stairs. I think he's arthritic.

              • reply
                December 2, 2008 6:23 AM

                He took shrapnel in his lower leg during war and has pins there or something.

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                December 2, 2008 7:11 AM

                Bill hates everything. That's why I like him. Hospitals? Hate. Stairs? Hate. Boats? Hate. He might not hate guns....maybe.

                • reply
                  December 2, 2008 10:47 AM

                  I think you're thinking of Francis.

                  "I hate vans."
                  "I hate hospitals. And doctors. And cops."

          • reply
            December 1, 2008 6:40 PM

            Bill? You mean Old Man Rape?

    • reply
      December 1, 2008 6:11 PM

      Zoey. :O

    • reply
      December 1, 2008 6:22 PM

      Zoey... does that make me a transtesticle?

    • reply
      December 1, 2008 6:23 PM

      Random

      • reply
        December 1, 2008 6:25 PM

        I do this as well, it doesn't matter

    • reply
      December 1, 2008 6:25 PM

      if the game has already started, you're just assigned a player... even if other characters are available, is there a way to switch?

    • reply
      December 1, 2008 6:29 PM

      I wish the 4 were classed somehow, even just a little. Like Francis being able to carry larger weapons, Bill being the most accurate, whatever.

      • reply
        December 1, 2008 6:35 PM

        louis being the fastest, zoey talking the most...

    • reply
      December 1, 2008 6:31 PM

      [deleted]

    • reply
      December 1, 2008 6:35 PM

      I hate sewers.

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      December 1, 2008 6:37 PM

      Bill, his comments are funny

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      December 1, 2008 6:38 PM

      Subthread: What if L4D had RPG elements?

      What if the different characters had different bonuses based on their backstories? For example:

      Bill - Slower run speed, slower reloads, better accuracy + starts with pills

      What would Louis, Zoey, and the other dude have?


      • reply
        December 1, 2008 6:38 PM

        [deleted]

      • reply
        December 1, 2008 6:41 PM

        [deleted]

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          December 1, 2008 7:11 PM

          LUL I GET IT

          ITS CUZ HE IS BLCK AMIRITE?!?!

        • reply
          December 1, 2008 7:15 PM

          Bill would get special rocksalt shells for shotguns.

        • reply
          December 1, 2008 7:46 PM

          I was going to say Louis could make it easier for you to steal t.v.'s

        • reply
          December 2, 2008 6:25 AM

          Louis is supposedly an IT worker, so he could hack terminals and access gmail and facebook in the safehouse while zombies lurked around..

      • reply
        December 1, 2008 6:47 PM

        [deleted]

      • reply
        December 1, 2008 7:32 PM

        I would enjoy that. A little more depth to the game.

      • reply
        December 1, 2008 7:52 PM

        I've seen the videos of the L4D guys in team fortress maps, it would be hilarious going through the L4D maps as the TF2 guys.

        Engineers building sentries in the final stage, spies backstabbing tanks/witches etc.

        • reply
          December 1, 2008 7:55 PM

          L4D and TF2 use different versions of the source engine. I don't think you can go from L4D to TF2, but you can go from TF2 to L4D.

          • reply
            December 2, 2008 1:11 AM

            TF2 is being ported to the L4D version apparently.

            Also, engineers and heavys vs the horde would be awesome.

        • reply
          December 1, 2008 7:56 PM

          oh man, someone HAS to do this!

      • reply
        December 1, 2008 8:36 PM

        Louis would have less health to ensure that he dies first.

        • reply
          December 1, 2008 8:48 PM

          worth it if he is better at super sprinting

          • reply
            December 2, 2008 1:12 AM

            if you really want to hit the movie cliche, he needs to freak out at the first sign of trouble and run off in a random direction at full speed.

    • reply
      December 1, 2008 6:39 PM

      Infected

    • reply
      December 1, 2008 6:42 PM

      random

    • reply
      December 1, 2008 6:42 PM

      Zoey. I get upset if I can't be her. =(

    • reply
      December 1, 2008 6:43 PM

      Louis because he wears a tie.

    • reply
      December 1, 2008 6:44 PM

      [deleted]

    • reply
      December 1, 2008 6:57 PM

      BOOMER!!

      oh wait, you meant what survivor to play in L4D?

    • reply
      December 1, 2008 7:04 PM

      Latent gays for Zoey local 419.

    • reply
      December 1, 2008 7:10 PM

      Bill until that disturbing video with him and Louis :/

      • reply
        December 1, 2008 7:14 PM

        There's a reason why his name is Old Man Rape. :|

    • reply
      December 1, 2008 7:10 PM

      Quickly!! Favorite weapon... AUTOSHOTTY! I'm a walkin' pill poppin' infected mowing machine with that gun.

      • reply
        December 1, 2008 7:16 PM

        [deleted]

        • reply
          December 1, 2008 7:42 PM

          Yeah I would tend to agree. One shot kill (wherever you hit them), bullets travel through bodies (I think?), you rarely if ever run out of ammo, long distance shots, etc.

          • reply
            December 1, 2008 8:25 PM

            but autoshotty is the tank killer. with everyone welding an autoshotty, if everyone runs in close you can drop a tank in 5 seconds, about 1 tank melee swing

            • reply
              December 1, 2008 11:05 PM

              Not to mention the rifle is useless when you're moving.

              • reply
                December 1, 2008 11:54 PM

                As long as you have akimbo pistols, you should be fine.

      • reply
        December 1, 2008 7:22 PM

        I like all of them really. The main problem with the assault rifle is that unless you're careful you can run out of ammo fast. The hunting rifle and autoshotty are both awesome.

      • reply
        December 1, 2008 7:22 PM

        Probably Autoshotty+Dual Pistols but I love all the weapons

      • reply
        December 1, 2008 7:53 PM

        The autoshotty is the best since it can really mow down waves of Zombies, but all the guns have their advantages and disadvantages. I happen to like them all which is rare.

        • reply
          December 1, 2008 8:14 PM

          The hunting rifle can mow down waves if they're forced through constricted areas like doorways and hallways.

      • reply
        December 1, 2008 7:56 PM

        [deleted]

      • reply
        December 1, 2008 8:26 PM

        I love the hunting rifle. On most levels, I can save other survivors with a hunter on them without being anywhere near them.

      • reply
        December 1, 2008 11:55 PM

        I usually go with the m16 but I like like eml all.

    • reply
      December 1, 2008 7:14 PM

      I like picking Francis as well.

    • reply
      December 1, 2008 7:50 PM

      I never get to pick because the shack servers don't use the lobby

    • reply
      December 1, 2008 8:13 PM

      i like Francis because he sometimes sounds like Nathan Explosion, also i like Louis.

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      December 1, 2008 8:17 PM

      Bill, because he is awesome.

    • reply
      December 1, 2008 8:21 PM

      louis cause then i dont shoot him thinking he's a zombie.

    • reply
      December 1, 2008 8:24 PM

      zoey, by default as she's a girl and she's sort of cynical and i like that. bill's a guy i'd like to get to know though, so i'll be lpaying with him a bit more. and is it just me or does francis sound like an older version of nelson from the simpsons

    • reply
      December 1, 2008 8:27 PM

      I refuse to play zoey because shes a chick....ill usually leave the server if that happens

      • reply
        December 2, 2008 4:00 AM

        Please tell me your joking?

    • reply
      December 1, 2008 8:30 PM

      Does it matter?

      (I hope Valve does stat breakdowns like they did for TF2 and see if Zoey gets less FF because she is smaller, and has that bright jacket.)

      • reply
        December 1, 2008 11:11 PM

        haha I would love to see the breakdown for that. I'm willing to bet they all have mostly the same bounding boxes though

    • reply
      December 1, 2008 8:37 PM

      Francis

    • ArB legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
      reply
      December 1, 2008 8:38 PM

      Lots of creepy guys here who only play Zoey. There are real girls playing this game and these weirdos are stealing the only character they want to play.

      • reply
        December 1, 2008 8:42 PM

        lol

      • reply
        December 1, 2008 8:51 PM

        haha. ArB, you need to regulate this - it's getting out of hand!

        • ArB legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
          reply
          December 1, 2008 11:08 PM

          I'm cracking down!

      • reply
        December 1, 2008 10:45 PM

        Girls play Cooking Mama, boys play L4D.

        • reply
          December 1, 2008 11:15 PM

          i hate cooking. simulated cooking, even with catchy tunes and graphics ...still not amused.

      • reply
        December 1, 2008 11:01 PM

        I play Zoey because she makes me feel like a natural woman.

      • reply
        December 1, 2008 11:42 PM

        Actually, L4D is the first game in a long while every one of my female game-playing friends are all addicted to.

        • ArB legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
          reply
          December 2, 2008 12:43 AM

          too bad you can only play one at a time.

      • reply
        December 1, 2008 11:59 PM

        Zoey because she's so fucking hot! I love her so much I just have to play as her and be her so that we will always be together forever and ever.

        That or Louis.

    • reply
      December 1, 2008 10:42 PM

      Francis. I'm not sure why though...

    • reply
      December 1, 2008 10:58 PM

      Bill for life

      • reply
        December 1, 2008 11:01 PM

        hey tom how ur college

        • reply
          December 1, 2008 11:02 PM

          Studying my man tits off this week. Finals are next week... then no school till mid-january. :D

          Going pretty well, I think. I expect to get B grades in both my classes, which isn't too bad for not having been in school the last 10 years. I hope to take school club up a notch next term.

          How abouts you?

          • reply
            December 1, 2008 11:16 PM

            Nice one, duder, I knew you were a smart cookie.

            I skipped this semester to save up for spring semester but I ended up paying for a lawyer! So now I am going into spring semester just as broke as if I just went in the fall. What a cruel fucking joke. :D

            I hear December is a good time to watch me awkwardly try and drink beer again.

    • reply
      December 1, 2008 11:01 PM

      Francis. We both said "I hate sewers" at the same time.

    • reply
      December 1, 2008 11:09 PM

      Louis usually

    • reply
      December 2, 2008 12:57 AM

      Infected. Im an L4D addict.

    • reply
      December 2, 2008 1:04 AM

      I only played the demo once but I played Louis because I like that "I was on my way to work and then all these zombies popped out of no where so I just started slaughtering zombies instead of going to work" look he has going on.

      • reply
        December 2, 2008 7:07 AM

        SockMonkeh, it's a shame you won't buy the full version of L4D.

    • reply
      December 2, 2008 1:13 AM

      Zoe, because I love spamming "Bill! Francis! Louis! Biiiiiiillllllllll! Louis? Francis! Louuuis! Francis?"

    • reply
      December 2, 2008 1:14 AM

      normally Louis.

      I hopped on earlier for just a quick game, and all of a sudden it was 1am D:

    • reply
      December 2, 2008 2:15 AM

      I cant wait till my copy comes in.

    • reply
      December 2, 2008 2:27 AM

      I play as Louis so I don't have to see his creepy eyes all the time.... the character looks so great, but there's just something about louis :/

    • reply
      December 2, 2008 3:55 AM

      [deleted]

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      December 2, 2008 4:30 AM

      Usually Bill. I enjoy his character the most. Francis the least.

      Don't really mind though.

      • reply
        December 2, 2008 7:09 AM

        I love Bill, his laugh and comments are awsome. I lol'd when he said "I hate vans" out of nowhere lol.

    • reply
      December 2, 2008 6:22 AM

      They're all awesome. Initially I didn't care for Francis much (REEELOADING), but he grew on me.

    • reply
      December 2, 2008 7:08 AM

      we need more of these threads

    • reply
      December 2, 2008 7:30 AM

      [deleted]

    • reply
      December 2, 2008 8:01 AM

      [deleted]

Hello, Meet Lola