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Tripwire Interactive

Some of these have room for memory error:
  1. KF 1 was a mod for close to 5 years in some form or another, development from mod to retail version was a few months (lets say 3 to 6) of porting over to the RO 1 code base, reworking art and systems.
  2. At the time we were about 15 full time staff with about 5 more contractors on call. Something like 2 full time programmers, 2 or 3 level designers, 1 or 2 animators and some other artist.
  3. This will differ from person to person who worked on it, or joined us after that has their own unique take on it I'm sure. For me it would be in the zed behavior/AI
  4. Because they are.
  5. There will likely be more Killing Floor games in the future, but we have nothing to announce at this time.
 
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Wait, why hasn't this topic exploded yet?

I swear, seeing Tripwire answer is a gift in itself. To FIVE questions no less. And regarding something else than bugs? It's Christmas.

2) Weird, I was certain for some reasons that KF1 was made by as little as 6 people? I'm almost positive I saw a Q&A video where that appeared. But maybe were you speaking of the original mod.

3) That is actually a BRILLIANT question. Usually whenever we interview game developers, we tend to ask them about their next project or what they have in store for their current games. We rarely go back to the past, except maybe to talk about how awesome a game was (like, for a ten years anniversary or something). It's truly rare to ask people "if you could change anything to that game, what would it be?" ...And I guess that makes sense : we rarely go back to games released five, ten or even fifteen years ago. We move on, it's human. But I still believe that, has nothing is ever truly perfect, it's understandable that you would like to tweak a few things if you could. I think I'll ponder a little bit on it myself right under this message (it's gonna be long, probably)

5) That's the reason why I'm wondering why this topic hasn't exploded... Man, you pretty much dropped the bomb on that one. As many of us are worried regarding the direction of KF2, thinking that we might have a clean-slate bringing forward some much-needed changes is a true blessing. And it does remove some doubts that clouded my mind. If I remember correctly, Tripwire said last summer that "more Killing Floor was on the way", but at the time, I thought it meant "more KF2 content". And I thought it was... okayish. Like yeah, it's always good to receive some support to any game, but I personally failed to feel hyped by the latest updates.

And now boom, more Killing Floor GAMES. Plural. That's so damn great. Now of course, that maaay indicate some spin-offs like KF : Incursion. But if you plan more than one game, I would be very surprised if one of them wasn't Killing Floor 3.

And now here are some old nostalgic memories from a grumpy gamer (you can stop reading right now because it's gonna be boring)


Like many other people I assume, I discovered the first Killing Floor game on a Friday night, as it recently went free-to-play for the weekend. I believe it was one of the earliest weekends too, coinciding with the demo update.

Boy, was it tough the first few times : I didn't get the perk system and so bought whatever... When I actually managed to find the trader that is. I got lost of maps and wondered why the medic weapons were so damn expensive too ! I got killed a dozen times before finally understanding what it was all about. I pretty much spend the whole weekend trying out the different perks. Right afterwards, I did the logical thing considering the fun I just had...... I cracked the game. Yup. Good ol' 13-14 years old me simply didn't have the pocket money to buy it and the parents didn't want to either so I set myself on torrenting the whole thing. It was stupidly hard too. When I finally managed to do it, I believe it was something like 2-3AM. I played until the early morning.

Cue on Christmas time. Received some money and gifts from the whole family. And I was finally able to purchase the real deal. I believe I even bought the Tripwire Pack at the time, and so got every skin released.

... There are many reasons to love that game, even if after 11 years, it's a bit hard to look at.

-"Simpler" gameplay. Not to say that Killing Floor 2 is overly complicated, nor that a rich and deep game is a bad ! But there's some charm to how easy it is to get the hang of KF1. Pick a perk, kill zeds, upgrade your weapons, keep killing. The goal is somewhat similar in KF2, but with added flavour : there are some skills, more weapons, more zeds, some maps which have dynamic events... It "refined" the basic formula. But as basic as it was, I enjoyed it.

Speaking of which... Remember the basic state of the game? When the MP7 was the only thing a medic had to offer and thus would either be unable to deal any damage or had to look up to other perks like the Xbow of the sharp or the Katana of the zerk to survive? Good times. Similarly, the firebug only had the flamethrower... which was, admittedly, impressively powerful and fun to use. Most perks were either too difficult or unfun to use at the very first, but slowly but surely got themselves a nice arsenal. Including some weapons, I would have loved to see back in KF2 (the KSG, Z.E.D I and II, and Chainsaw namely)

-Nasty tips and tricks the game doesn't tell you : the most common one being that it was better to pick up the sharpie for the first wave as it has bonus damages with the 9mm ! As a result, you often maxed out that perk first. And then you kept picking that perk only to sell the crossbow after the first wave and get a money boost ! I do somewhat miss that idea... But I guess it's a bit more fair and helps the perks stand out more. Other tactics were about WELDING DOORS. Almost to meme-levels. How come something so ubiquitous in KF1 became so rare in KF2 is up to anyone's guess. It was also common to put a trusty pipe-bomb right behind it, as to make a fine red mist when the zeds finally breached the door. The amount of strategies you could use with the pipe bombs was ridiculous. You could even stick them to your own head and become a goddamn kamikaze ! But watch out : don't put pipe bombs behind a welded door during the last wave... Or you might get blown off by your own bombs thanks to the Patriarch's bazooka.

-A grittier atmosphere : for some reasons, the less refined, more "raw" graphics of the game made it scarier as well. Compared to the more polished, smooth look of KF2 which looks downright cartoony at times (thinking of the Bloat and Clot mostly), KF1 truly made you wet your pants. Even more so considering some zeds were so damn hard to kill. Even more so considering some maps (Bedlam and Wyre most of all, are truly nightmare fuel). Even the zeds voices were clearer. And considering I was used to Left 4 Dead at the time, hearing what I thought to be zombies got me scared AF. I guess it's also due to the fact that the zeds clearly appeared human. The Scrake was a regular, beefy-man with either a butcher or surgeon attire. In KF2, it looks like a monkey on steroids (I got used to it, but it makes him less scary). Similarly, the Fleshpound was a tower of muscles but still appeared athletic. In KF2, it looks like "fatty muscles" and the zed appears shorter and bulkier. Finally, I believe the one I feared the most what the Siren... Both her scream and appearance. Add her on a dark map, without the music, as you're running for you life at 3AM in the morning and you can be SURE to have a heart attack.

-A blazing soundtrack : similarly to the atmosphere, I kinda like the KF1 soundtrack more because it's a bit less "casual" should I say. Of course, KF2's soundtrack is absolutely amazing too. But my favourite tracks are still the ones made by Zynthetic (and Dirge, never forget Dirge). But the ones by Demon Hunter, for example, are... okay at best? I guess it's just not my kind of metal. Too "light" probably. I don't think it fits KF2 that well to be honest. Meanwhile, KF1 may have had few tracks, but I remember each one of them. And I believe we don't talk nearly enough about the Bedlam, drum'n'bass infused tracks. We often associate Killing Floor with metal but I think drum'n'bass was a perfect fit as well ! I was pleasantly surprised to hear some electro on Monster Ball, but bringing back some extra DnB would be top-notch. Finally... "Abandon All". 'nuff said. Actually no : why the hell did you think it was a good idea NOT to give it back when Patty's returned?!?

-Some maps were glorious as well and I dearly miss them. Wyre was one of my favourites, with that moody atmosphere set in an otherwordly forest at dusk. The contrast between that orange sun and the blue mushrooms was great, and the bumpy layout made for incredible shootouts in-between the trees ! Then there was the army bunker... With the chainsaw in the shower, the stalkers corpses on autopsy tables, the clot gestation pods etc. THAT'S a great "lab level" ! Similarly, I would love the return of Bedlam and that mix between the fun and pretty lights of the rave party and the sheer terror of being in an insane asylum... Farm and Westlondon are so damn iconic that they also deserve a return in KF2, an official one. As I continue on original settings, may I mention "Icebreaker" and it's nauseous "seasick effect" ? Or Hospital Horror ? Hell, even Siren Belch was just great for being set in a brewery ! That's also something I miss dearly in KF2... It feels like most maps lack originality. We're often set in either labs or military bases. This or event maps. If AT LEAST it was tied to the lore I would understand it, but it seem you abandoned that idea eons ago. Sure, I know that Catacombs is barely played... But surely, other ideas could sprout?

- Mods ! : I suppose the first game, stemming from a mod, was also easier to mod? Because not only did you have tons of great maps (I remember the numerous "Arcade" one, including an infamous one set in a skatepark where the skateboard could actually kill you...), but you could download silly skins, you had overpowered weapons, sound mods... Or even mods that changed the meta ! As in, I remember mods adding turrets or numerous perks. I know that it is still possible in KF2, but it often seems overly complicated to do so (except for maps). Like, you have to tweak numerous things and remember specific console lines to spawn a new gun... Guns which are often very similar (ARs and SMGs mostly). Meanwhile in KF1, you could have chainsaw-swords, the plasma cutter from Dead Space, a goddamn minigun... Having new custom maps is good, even more so considering how creative some modders can be. But it would be great to go back to the era of easy modding.

By the way... Remember whitelisting? Where you couldn't have any progress in any non-official map due to the amount of "level your perks" arenas? Good times, too. The few mutators which were actually allowed were either cherished or loved with a hatred. Let's not forget how Poundemonium was REALLY all about Fleshpounds. That was the ultimate challenge of any Killing Floor player... If you managed to beat Poundemonium, you were crowned king (even if you stuck to normal because it would have been impossible otherwise)

- DLCs : now I know the cost and time related to making content is surely not the same... No longer are we having mere "skins" as characters (although the lines of KF1 are equally nostalgic and fun !), we now need proper voice-acting for each of them. No longer are we having blocky weapons that fire more or less pew-pews with little oomph. Every gun now has a complex set of animation. But still... DLCs seemed to be much fairer in the first game. Okay, I can't expect to pay 2€ for FOUR characters anymore. But 10 for a single one is just too much. I know I took that example prior, but when Mortal Kombat characters are fully voice-acted, have multiple customization options tied to the character and a unique gameplay... 10 bucks for a KF2 character is too damn high. And I know that Tripwire is NOT Netherrealm Studios, they are not backed-up by Warner Bros. But as a player, you simply cannot justify that thing inside your head, because it feels like a "gadget" of some sort. And it's the same thing for weapons : we used to have four new toys for 7€ (the highest priced pack no less ! The other two were cheaper !). Even considering all the extra work being put into weapons for KF2, having only one for MORE than what was asked in KF1 is a joke. If it was let's say "20€ for 4 guns", it would be maybe a bit fairer. But 40€? No chance. I could buy whole expansions, hell, whole GAMES for that amount.

And considering you also have lootboxes AND microtransactions... Yeah. That's definitely something I miss about KF1. Times were simpler. And if you wanted to support the devs, you bought the more fairly priced DLCs.

Just throwing that out randomly, but boy do I miss Ash Hardings... Both her voice actress and character. If KF3 is ever made, she NEEDS to come back, big time. She was my go-to character along with the Fostinator.

-The Left 4 Dead vs Killing Floor war : finally... I hope I'm not the only one who remembers that. Back when Killing Floor 1 got released, Left 4 Dead 2 was right behind it. As such, defenders of both sides began to swarm Steam forums. Everyone tried to defend their favorite franchise : it was said that L4D was a more refined game, a more tactical one too, plus you could play the monsters ! And the cooperation aspect was pushed to the max. On the flipside, some people cherished Killing Floor's simplicity. Loved it's scarier atmosphere. Dug the feeling of power the weapons had. Loved it's tongue-in-cheek humor with the banter. Found the perk-based gameplay more interesting than the L4D repetitive aspect. And then the true chads knew that both games were awesome, that even though we were right into the zombie-fatigue... Some IPs were still pushing out great ideas. And that the best kind of nights were the ones where you started a versus campaign with friends in the evening, only to branch out to a suicidal Killing Floor match late during the night.

What would I change to that? If I was being cheesy and sloppy, I would say "nothing, it was perfect". But honestly...There are some welcomed changes brought by KF2. Yeah, I think I would have made so the perk stood out more. Yeah, I would have made so the zeds were a bit more intelligent too (most of the dangers came from their numbers and sheer hitpoints, I guess camping was just TOO GOOD). I would have tweaked a few weapons (the pipebombs became way too expensive at the end, same thing for the zerk weapons... Even if I remember the katana being stupidly good ! Meanwhile the boomstick, M99 and L.A.W. were simply too heavy for their own good). Yeah, I would have changed the layout of a few maps that were either too dark or too cramped (or on the flipside : too big ! ). But it's still mostly a great game. Archaic, yes. I don't think I would enjoy it nearly as often today as I did ten years ago. But I had great fun. And I'm sure popping it back with some friends would be a great blast to the past.
 
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I remember these times of great disputes , for myself I decided to conduct an experiment and bought l4d2 and compared my impressions.As it turned out, I preferred KF1, but soon the players abandoned it and moved on to the second part.This is sad because it is still difficult to find the KF1 server, but it is possible.
 
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I remember these times of great disputes , for myself I decided to conduct an experiment and bought l4d2 and compared my impressions.As it turned out, I preferred KF1, but soon the players abandoned it and moved on to the second part.This is sad because it is still difficult to find the KF1 server, but it is possible.
Well... KF2 released a whopping six years after the first. Not saying that you cannot be salty about the lack of players, but it's at least understandable.

Both KF1 and L4D2 released in 2009. Thus during that year (and the few years afterwards), the "war" was definitely bigger, with people actually getting mad at each other (when honestly, you could totally play both and realized both were not only different games, but very good ones)

But yeah, pretty much nobody plays KF1 anymore... Only the veterans looking to relive some old memories. Memories of a much simpler time. Similarly, some people even go back to play the original mod from UT !

Personally, I tried a few times to go back but...Even though I played KF1 for much of its lifecycle, there are some quality of life changes made in KF2 that I simply can't do without anymore. Sprinting, obviously. But also some weapons. The behaviour of the zeds etc.

There's some charm still to the much simpler, "cleaner" gameplay obviously. But it's no wonder why everyone moved to KF2 and stayed there (for the most part).
 
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Well... KF2 released a whopping six years after the first. Not saying that you cannot be salty about the lack of players, but it's at least understandable.

Both KF1 and L4D2 released in 2009. Thus during that year (and the few years afterwards), the "war" was definitely bigger, with people actually getting mad at each other (when honestly, you could totally play both and realized both were not only different games, but very good ones)

But yeah, pretty much nobody plays KF1 anymore... Only the veterans looking to relive some old memories. Memories of a much simpler time. Similarly, some people even go back to play the original mod from UT !

Personally, I tried a few times to go back but cookie blanket...Even though I played KF1 for much of its lifecycle, there are some quality of life changes made in KF2 from https://theburritoblanket.net/cookie-blanket/ that I simply can't do without anymore. Sprinting, obviously. But also some weapons. The behaviour of the zeds etc.

There's some charm still to the much simpler, "cleaner" gameplay obviously. But it's no wonder why everyone moved to KF2 and stayed there (for the most part).
It was one of the tops played games on Steam. Thanks for sharing your idea about it.
 
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