My first impressions of KF:

[Cpt-Praxius]

Well I just bought the game today and I find it a lot more enjoyable than L4D2, although they each have their neat little traits I like.... I still like this game more.

I find the weapons more interesting and I do get a sense of pleasure loping up freaks with the Katina, and will usually just stick to the dual 9mm until the final boss, but keeping the grenade launcher handy just in case in earlier waves.

I delayed getting the game because I read a lot of issues and complaints in the forums since its release, and with the purchasing of weapons, I thought it'd be like Counter Strike, which I loath, but I was quite surprised.

I only experienced two moments where I was urked by other players:

1st - was the first time I joined online and noted that I just got the game to the other players and they basically told me to leave because I made it "Harder" for them, but how the hell am I supposed to get anywhere if I don't play online?

2nd - On another server, two arseclowns decided to block the entrances to the shop during a round while demanding stupid things like shooting them and unloading all your ammo on them before they let anyone in, which I didn't..... I then died the next round because I couldn't restock and upgrade.... then they trolled their a$$es laughing that I died because I was such a noob..... all the while they didn't bother to heal me, while I healed them.

So I left and went to another server.

But other than that, it was fun and I think it was worth the money. I picked up the complete pack on Steam so I had everything.... but I noticed there were a few character "No longer available"..... odd.

 

[horzineplumpudding]

1st - was the first time I joined online and noted that I just got the game to the other players and they basically told me to leave because I made it "Harder" for them, but how the hell am I supposed to get anywhere if I don't play online?

This is an issue with the game for not notifying new players. The game has 5 levels of difficulty, and you should select them according to your perk level. You level up your perks by accomplishing certain tasks and these are not just fancy bonuses you unlock for the sake of unlocking them, they are necessary for surviving in harder difficulties.

Now the "you made it harder for them" is true. If additional players spawn, the game will spawn more ennemies with more health points, so joining servers set on suicidal/hell on earth with low perk levels doesn't help at all. There is a difficulty filter in the server browser, just use it and it will be alright.

 

[timur]

aye, ALWAYS use the server browser's settings to your full advantage. It'll prevent any accidental drop-ins to Hell on Earth, the hardest difficulty (where one teammate who lacks perked firepower can mean a brutal death). However, once you get the hand of it, Normal and Hard are both, lenient but challenging. You'll know when a perk hits about level 5 that you can use it on Suicidal with ease.

anyways, I hope that isn't a problem; the community always welcomes new players (except for trolls such as the ones you encountered). Luckily, many servers also use "antiblock", a TWI-approved addition that prevents blocking other players during trader time.

also, I suggest experimenting with weapons (and perks); every weapon has advantages, and even cheaper weapons can be more useful in certain situations. The only weapon I ever found to be useless was the dual 9mm, ironically .

 

[Freshmeat]

2nd - On another server, two arseclowns decided to block the entrances to the shop during a round

But other than that, it was fun and I think it was worth the money. I picked up the complete pack on Steam so I had everything.... but I noticed there were a few character "No longer available"..... odd.

On trader blocking, almost all servers have a mutator that makes that particular type of trolling impossible. And idiots are found in all games, but I think there are fewer here than elsewhere

On 'no longer available' characters, the only one you probably cannot get is the Indiana Jones char. He was made as a promotional char to those who preordered the game The Ball.

The others are Baddest Santa, part of the Deadly Xmas event, and Stampunk Foster, part of the Summer Sideshow event. And I would be quite surprised if we did not get another Deadly Xmas in december and Summer Sideshow next summer.

Lastly, two new chars are showing up to those who buy the Deluxe Edition of Red Orchestra 2 when it comes around.

 

[akstylish]

Once again the reason why the browser should display a warning message about the perk level and difficulty for new players. Please make this happen, TWI.

 

[Cpt-Praxius]

aye, ALWAYS use the server browser's settings to your full advantage. It'll prevent any accidental drop-ins to Hell on Earth, the hardest difficulty (where one teammate who lacks perked firepower can mean a brutal death). However, once you get the hand of it, Normal and Hard are both, lenient but challenging. You'll know when a perk hits about level 5 that you can use it on Suicidal with ease.

anyways, I hope that isn't a problem; the community always welcomes new players (except for trolls such as the ones you encountered). Luckily, many servers also use "antiblock", a TWI-approved addition that prevents blocking other players during trader time.

also, I suggest experimenting with weapons (and perks); every weapon has advantages, and even cheaper weapons can be more useful in certain situations. The only weapon I ever found to be useless was the dual 9mm, ironically .

Yeah, I figured out the difficulty level selection after that first game and stayed on beginner since....... the clowns who held up the store and blocked the entrances were on beginner though..... yay, lol.

For some reason I found the Dual 9mm's pretty effective and can get a good deal of headshots from them, even at long distances..... so far anyways. I just found the AK and other rifles run out of ammo too quickly. I'm pretty good at centering the screen due to playing RO since it's mod days, as well as other FPS over the many years. I did find the Mac10 better to use then the flame thrower when it came to pyro.

Once again the reason why the browser should display a warning message about the perk level and difficulty for new players. Please make this happen, TWI.

Would it be easier to just set the server browser to allow difficulty levels based on skill, say when you are level 0 to whatever only the beginner servers are available and then just move up based on your skill? Some people don't read warnings

Of course if you just want to play with your friends on a server and want to choose a lower skill level even though you're higher, that should be permitted..... just lock out the higher ones until you're of an adequate skill.

 

[timur]

Yeah, I figured out the difficulty level selection after that first game and stayed on beginner since....... the clowns who held up the store and blocked the entrances were on beginner though..... yay, lol.

For some reason I found the Dual 9mm's pretty effective and can get a good deal of headshots from them, even at long distances..... so far anyways. I just found the AK and other rifles run out of ammo too quickly. I'm pretty good at centering the screen due to playing RO since it's mod days, as well as other FPS over the many years. I did find the Mac10 better to use then the flame thrower when it came to pyro.

Well, all that RO experience would certainly help here

Although I do recommend trying out Normal early on; it's easy enough as to not butcher mercilessly, but hard enough to give a challenge and it will make your early victories seem very well-earned. Beginner is excellent for learning how the game works, however, so its good to see it being used.

As for the weapons, the rifles do seem to have rather pitiful supplies of ammo at lower perks, but that will change soon enough. And yes, the Mac10 is rather underrated, but the Flamethrower is still the king of bottlenecks.

Good luck and happy hunting!

 

[Rainydaykid]

I use the dual 9mms all the time on HoE as support to save shotgun shells. I see them as a "3rd carryable shotgun" and in a quick 5 round burst, it is like a weak shotgun.

 

[Cpt-Praxius]

Well I also have been using the lever-action rifle now as well.... moving my loadout to dual 9mm, dual hand cannons and the lever rifle, all to get my Sharpshooter up.

I tend to use the rifle for long range, the dual 9mm at long/medium when I need to reload the rifle and the Dual Hand cannons for close combat and when I'm nose to nose with some heavier enemies.

Usually when I'm up against the final boss, I'll swap out the rifle for either one of the grenade launchers or a shotgun.

In regards to the flamethrower, I seem to end up burning myself more than the enemies when it's not an open area or if they get up close without warning..... or while they're burning, others mow them down before I kill them.

I was thinking once I get just about everything up to level 3 or close to, I'd move up in difficulty.

 

[timur]

well, the flamethrower thing is really a firebug-exclusive, especially as perks increase; a few levels in and self-burns become nonexistent. Also, it is better as a team-assistance weapon than a personal defense thing; fire damage can make a huge difference between if a zed dies or if it survives and chews on a teammate. However, the fire damage takes too long for it to really be used alone, unless you want to hold it down and eat your ammo up.

 

[Lewt]

In regards to the flamethrower, I seem to end up burning myself more than the enemies when it's not an open area or if they get up close without warning..... or while they're burning, others mow them down before I kill them.

If you're using firebug for the flamethrower, even at level 0, you get -50% self fire damage, so be sure to try and remember about switching perks. Or just shoot specimens that aren't in reach of you, as the only way to burn yourself is to shoot a wall, the floor, or an enemy right in front of you.

Other than that, don't be bothered by anyone who thinks you're dragging the team down on beginner or normal. It really isn't possible, nor does it matter.