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    Alien Swarm

    Game » consists of 1 releases. Released Jul 19, 2010

    A freeware top-down co-operative shooter where a squad of marines must investigate and prevent the spread of a rampant alien infestation. It was originally a total conversion for Unreal Tournament 2004 before its team, hired by Valve for other projects, completed it as a side-project.

    Alien Swarm Gets AI Director And Harder Difficulty Level

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    BradNicholson

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    Edited By BradNicholson
    Alien Swarm users like their matches rough and varied, and the next time they boot up the game they'll be able to get it just how they like it. In a recent Valve press release (via Destructoid), it was revealed that Alien Swarm has been updated with AI director-controlled enemy routines and greater difficulty levels, sure to please those who wanted just a tad bit more from the free top-down shooter.

    To be more specific, Valve has added a lone mode that introduces the AI director made so famous in Left 4 Dead. It's called Onslaught, and just like in Left 4 Dead, maps will spawn enemies based on a variety of factors including, for example, a squad's given stress level.

    Onslaught will work across all difficulty levels, including the game's new Brutal difficulty. In the press release, Valve makes it rather clear this mode is indeed hard by stating that no one, as of August 23, has cleared a mission on the new difficulty.  


    No Caption Provided

    A new hardcore friendly fire option has been added as well. When toggled on, this will turn all team-caused damage--including turret fire--into full-on normal damage.

    I initially read this press release as something of a challenge. The question "Are you man enough?" kept popping into my head. But Valve isn't exactly throwing down the gauntlet here. Apparently, these two upgrades were the most requested from the player base, and as usual, Valve is delivering on fans' wants and desires.
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    BradNicholson

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    #1  Edited By BradNicholson
    Alien Swarm users like their matches rough and varied, and the next time they boot up the game they'll be able to get it just how they like it. In a recent Valve press release (via Destructoid), it was revealed that Alien Swarm has been updated with AI director-controlled enemy routines and greater difficulty levels, sure to please those who wanted just a tad bit more from the free top-down shooter.

    To be more specific, Valve has added a lone mode that introduces the AI director made so famous in Left 4 Dead. It's called Onslaught, and just like in Left 4 Dead, maps will spawn enemies based on a variety of factors including, for example, a squad's given stress level.

    Onslaught will work across all difficulty levels, including the game's new Brutal difficulty. In the press release, Valve makes it rather clear this mode is indeed hard by stating that no one, as of August 23, has cleared a mission on the new difficulty.  


    No Caption Provided

    A new hardcore friendly fire option has been added as well. When toggled on, this will turn all team-caused damage--including turret fire--into full-on normal damage.

    I initially read this press release as something of a challenge. The question "Are you man enough?" kept popping into my head. But Valve isn't exactly throwing down the gauntlet here. Apparently, these two upgrades were the most requested from the player base, and as usual, Valve is delivering on fans' wants and desires.
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    rheiv

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    #2  Edited By rheiv

    nice

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    The_Laughing_Man

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    #3  Edited By The_Laughing_Man

    The director could have been in from the start. That was a command you could put in yourself. 

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    Gizmo

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    #4  Edited By Gizmo

    Tried this with a friend. It was awesome to just camp in a corner and set up a couple of turrets.
     
    The community need to make some awesome defense maps, which i'm sure they will.

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    ch13696

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    #5  Edited By ch13696

    Wait, wasn't this released yesterday? Old news there Brad.

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    Finscher

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    #6  Edited By Finscher

    Great. I was running out of stuff to do besides TF2 on my PC anyway.

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    falconer

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    #7  Edited By falconer

    Friendly fire has always been in the game. It's on by default... Also, an even harder difficulty? No thanks.

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    goulash_enjoyer

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    #8  Edited By goulash_enjoyer

    Great, that game was too easy! I like the friendly fire change, especially. Back in the day a single misplaced shotgun blast could take out your entire squad. Hopefully it will bring back the teamwork of days long past.

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    SSully

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    #9  Edited By SSully

    Old news but still great none the less. Cant complain about free updates for a free game!

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    Hep

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    #10  Edited By Hep

    Good news, hopefully will add to the game.

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    JarenFace

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    #11  Edited By JarenFace

    Is this out for Macs yet <_<;;
     
    Still itching to try this. Maybe I'll try to install it on the ol' family PC.

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    ajamafalous

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    #12  Edited By ajamafalous

    This news is two days old.

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    Sogeman

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    #13  Edited By Sogeman

    harder? I didn't even get through easy.

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    majnuker

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    #14  Edited By majnuker

    I tried the insane or w/e the highest difficulty was and it was way too hard on the biomass level in residential. I can't see how this will improve the gameplay. 
     
    i want some community maps already haha. this game is so much better than the other unreal engine top down alien shooter....that i paid for. that thing was terrible.

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    rbanke

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    #15  Edited By rbanke

    I keep getting my ass kicked on normal, let alone hard. Fun game though.

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    jeffk38uk

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    #16  Edited By jeffk38uk

    The addition of the AI director as an actual game mode is a welcome addition, as after playing through the same campaign levels you kind of get bored of the same alien placements, so this should spice things up a bit. 
     
    Well, that and new custom campaigns from modders and mappers.

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    manapause

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    #17  Edited By manapause
    @ch13696:  because news is old if it isn't beamed directly into your eyeballs the instant it happens?!
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    deactivated-5ffc9b71f33ff

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    Time to start this game up tonight. TWB NIGHT!!!

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    Schizoid

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    #19  Edited By Schizoid

    Might have to fire the game up again, I played through it and never really touched it again!

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    DXmagma

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    #20  Edited By DXmagma

    "for those who like it rough and varied."
     
    so many dirty jokes to make.

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    trylks

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    #21  Edited By trylks

    What's that "director AI"? Where could I read more about it? 
     
    My knowledge about the AI in games is old and rusty, any information is welcome, the more technical the better. 
     
    Beside of that. Is the brutal mode that hard solely on the intelligence of the enemies or other aspects of the game (like the number of enemies or the damage caused to them by weapons) have been modified? 
     
    This may not be the best place to ask these questions, but if you knwo of a better place to ask them, that would be a good answer. 
     
    Thank you.

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    Paulus

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    #22  Edited By Paulus

    The reason it was so heavily requested probably has something to do with the original community. 
    Seeing that the original alienswarm was harder and had full friendly fire (Which resulted in a high quantity of accidental shotgun teamkills :D)

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    deactivated-5d8bd173e1e3b

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    Haven't really put any hours into this game idunno not into the top down shooter deal.

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    Poki3

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    #24  Edited By Poki3

    No Caption Provided
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    Aetos

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    #25  Edited By Aetos
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    tmthomsen

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    #26  Edited By tmthomsen

    Yeah, Steam told me this yesterday.

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    LankyPikey

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    #27  Edited By LankyPikey

    Man, AI directors should be in every game. After L4D I was hoping more devs would be inspired by it and implement similar ideas in their own games. Do Valve own the patent or something?

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    Levio

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    #28  Edited By Levio
    @ShaggyChu said:
    " Friendly fire has always been in the game. It's on by default... Also, an even harder difficulty? No thanks. "
    Current friendly fire does very little damage.  It was so small that I did not mind getting shot in the back if it meant my teammate was getting more aliens killed.  This new mode means a single friendly fire could ruin your entire mission.
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    l3illyl3ob

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    #29  Edited By l3illyl3ob

    A free content update to a free game. Why can't more companies be like Valve?

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    Monkeyman04

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    #30  Edited By Monkeyman04
    @l3illyl3ob said:
    " A free content update to a free game. Why can't more companies be like Valve? "
    Valve is the reason I still have confidence in human life. 
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    xerxes8933a

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    #31  Edited By xerxes8933a

    AI Director has always been in the game, you just had to turn it on in the console.  Same with full friendly fire damage.

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    Hector

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    #32  Edited By Hector

    but sadly my computer can't run this!

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    MostlyImprov

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    #33  Edited By MostlyImprov

    Oh man, I've gotta get back to some Alien Swarming after this.

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    BUCK3TM4N

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    #34  Edited By BUCK3TM4N

    i tried brutal..... ya its hard

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    zanzibarbreeze

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    #35  Edited By zanzibarbreeze
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    I_am_Lono

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    #36  Edited By I_am_Lono

    GIANTBOMB! Where our news is at least 48 hours long and always contains the words "Via"

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    AlexMason

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    #37  Edited By AlexMason

    I'll be able to play this once I get my pc working again. For now, it's just too slow on my laptop.

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    Tordah

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    #38  Edited By Tordah

    Hmm, I thought the most common requested feature would be more maps?
     
    Insane difficult was managable up until the Residential level if you're playing with a decent team, but then it got super hard. The hard difficulty is not hard at all, even if you're playing with random strangers.

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    TheBurzummaniac

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    #39  Edited By TheBurzummaniac

    Aww Jesus! I'm already having trouble with this game and now this! It seems that I'll never be a good Alien Swarm player.... :(
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    Insectecutor

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    #40  Edited By Insectecutor

    " Alien Swarm users like their matches rough and varied, and the next time they boot up the game they'll be able to get it just how they like it."
     
    UUughh. Dude. C'mon. That's some pretty heinous writing. Sort it out.

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    JJWeatherman

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    #41  Edited By JJWeatherman

    Now if Valve would just send me a gaming PC, I'd be all set.

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    deactivated-57beb9d651361

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    Another small, but greatly appreciated token from Valve, proving once again that they are among the (if not THE) greatest devs/publishers in the industry.

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    niall_sg1

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    #43  Edited By niall_sg1

    I thought the difficulty in this game was already well varied but whatever, any update is good! 

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    TheBurzummaniac

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    #44  Edited By TheBurzummaniac
    @Insectecutor:
    I wasn't bashing anyone, if that's what you mean.  I'll edit it though, just to make sure. Sorry for being annoying.
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    GottaBelieve

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    #45  Edited By GottaBelieve

    Valve, why are you so good to us?

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    Sambambo

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    #46  Edited By Sambambo

    It was only free cause noone would pay for it...

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    Colin

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    #47  Edited By Colin

    oooollddd news.
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    Devz

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    #48  Edited By Devz

    I should really try this game out

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    sammo21

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    #50  Edited By sammo21

    What else?  This game was free, still is free, and all of the updates are free.  I love Valve and I love PC gaming.

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