Ice is Cold RSS Feed

IP Change for server #1

Eternal — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 01:34:46 +0000

The host company has updated their server services and the ip for L4D2.5 AI Director+ #1 will be changing from:
104.223.30.142:7100

to

142.79.47.142:7100

If you are using "mm_dedicated_force_servers" to create lobbies then you will need to change the ip you use. The old server will also disappear from any favorites listing you have in a server browser. It will still show up under steam group servers as it always has.

In addition server #2 will be temporarily down for the next few days as I will be using for testing a future mod update to see if it works on dedicated servers. It is not permanently gone, just for a few days. Mod is nowhere near ready for public release, but I need to test some stuff before I put further effort into it to make sure I'm not wasting time.

-Eternal

Server IP & location changed. Also Xmas event is over

Eternal — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 01:13:15 +0000

After a long time of using GTXGaming and having some issues with them (like the server crashing a bunch or getting hiccups even back before I was modding or the weirdest being one time it wasn't spawning health packs), I've stopped using them.

Instead I've opened up a second server on the host I'd been using for server #2 (now #1). BisectHosting has been pretty good other than the issue I had where it seemed like I was being DDoS'd.

Because I know a number of people in the group are located central or east coast USA I've opened this server in texas. I'm a west coaster so I definitely prefer my 30ping california server, but a central location of texas should work for many people if you want to play on your own.

The new server IP is 104.223.99.202:7085

Additionally, the xmas 'snow only' weather has been reverted to the normal type of any random weather effect.

Temporary Xmas Mod Update

Eternal — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 00:21:12 +0000

For the next 3 days the on weather types that will show up will be snow variations(does not apply to Hard Rain or indoor maps). This doesn't mean that the weather will always be the exact same. It can be light snow during the night, or a heavy blizzard during the day or a permanent sleet storm (rain+snow). Up to 15 different possible variations of difficulty/types of weather.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3121241772

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3121241762

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3121241747

This event will be returned back to normal December 26th. Have fun!

Dead Air Van remix version 2

Eternal — Sun, 17 Dec 2023 23:37:13 +0000

Having replaced the Dead Air finale with a mini scavenge event (and having issues with getting the van moving scavenge working consistently) I've replaced the van move event with a whole new variation.

Seems moving the van to break down the fence may have not fixed the survivors situation that much, it may have even made things worse. Their luck seems to come up short all the time.

Although the van does successfully break down the barrier, it hit a gas line in the process causing a whole new barricade, this one more deadly than the others.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3116644859

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3116644879

To put out the fire the survivors must find the switch to turn on the sprinkler system and put out this blazing barricade. Unfortunately in the destruction of the airport many of the emergency switches are broken. The fire marshal wont be happy about that one.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3116644900

Until they find correct switch they'll be facing waves of zombies.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3116644914

Once the sprinklers have been turned on the fire will go out, though it will take a few moments to choke out the inferno to make passage safe.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3116644941

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3116644931

Dead Air finale remix!

Eternal — Sun, 10 Dec 2023 05:15:09 +0000

Uh oh! While the survivors are fueling up the military plane to take them away the pilot neglected to inform them just how much gas that plane needs to reach it's destination.

2/3rds of the way through filling up the plane the fuel tanker truck only has fumes remaining. Looks like it must have supplied a few other escapees before the survivors arrived.

The survivors now will need to gather up some gas cans to top off the plane before they can escape.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3110225599

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3110225615

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3110225675

Once they've filled up the tanker then the refueling of the plane can resume. The survivors will still have to fight off a few more zombies and another tank before the plane can take off.

Every 2 gas cans poured into the tanker will trigger a horde cry. Just like in dead center it's usually best to gather all the cans at once then pour them in rapidly.

While gathering up the gas cans there will be a small to medium size number of common infected spawning on around every 25-30 seconds to slow down the process. A manageable amount, but impeding and easy to get overwhelmed if taking too long killing them or getting hit by a couple of special infected.

Death Toll finale remix!

Eternal — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:50:22 +0000

Upon reaching the boat house our survivors find a radio to call for help. A fisherman and his wife respond to the survivors call for help. You're going to have to hold out for help while they arrive.

While experienced in day time fishing, the fisherman still needs a little guidance to bring his boat to the pier safely. He doesn't want to crash the boat and end up in the same trouble the survivors are, but worse.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3068171275

As the boat approaches closer you'll have to turn on some floodlights so that the would be hero can find his way to the shore.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3068171265

But be careful! Each floodlight the survivors turn on will attract the attention of a horde of zombies. Turning on two floodlights will attract another tank to the battle.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3068171247

If the survivors are too aggressive they could end up fighting two tanks and a horde of zombies. If they're too passive they might end up fighting a small endless stream until their inevitable death.

New hazard type and a new special event

Eternal — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 07:29:56 +0000

Seems safety concerns has caused people to set up a bit more security to keep things orderly, despite the apocalypse.

Metal detectors may now show up in some locations, and a couple of places may have alarms on their locked doors. When these alarms go off you'll draw a lot of attention and better hurry forward and shut off that alarm switch or else you will be overwhelmed, and deafened.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3058639301

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3058639314

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3058639329

It's not all doom and gloom though. At the end of every run there are a few goodies to help ease the pain. There is also sometimes a couple of things before hand too. Though don't get too comfortable, the alarm turn off switch isn't always in the same spot, and you might have to run through a lot more bodies to turn it off than you were planning to.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3058643443

Another big change is that the van in the airport terminal appears to have been damaged more than the survivors had previously expected. After the crash all of the fuel leaked out and the car wont start. You're going to have to fill up that tank before you can move ahead towards the tarmac.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3058640825

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3058640847

Good news is that the zombie hordes that spawn once the van starts moving are a bit smaller and less aggressive than the ones that spawn when the van is in better condition. Bad news is, you're going to have zombies on you pretty regularly while trying to fill up the vehicle, and every time you pour a can you'll get a horde.

New mechanic feedback request

Eternal — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 19:24:09 +0000

Currently most mechanics I feel fit pretty naturally into the base game. exploding cars is probably the biggest shift away from standard gameplay, though that could be considered just an expansion on the exploding fuel barrels, but most other mechanics already exist. Emergency exit doors (bloody harvest / Passing map 2 finale sewer run) & locked doors (sacrifice tank train), debris movement (cold stream).

However I've created a few new mechanics that, while I like them, I worry are moving game a bit too far away from the 'standard gameplay' so I thought I'd ask for feedback.

Dead body piles that slow players to a walk speed. This KIND-OF exists with Sacrifice having the pile of gravel that slows players on map 2.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3043192476

Here is where we get into "new mechanics" though. I'd likely keep this co-op only due to the balance shift it causes & my worry about negative feedback:

Usable vending machines that grant you 15 temporary health:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3043194188

Ammo boxes that give your current weapon 1 clip of ammo that has 50% more clip size. (I.E. if you are using a shotgun with 8 shells, you'd have 12 shells before having to reload. If you use a rifle with 50 shots you'd get a clip of ammo that has 75 bullets. Reloading early removes this bonus. If you reload a clip with 60 bullets remaining you'll only have 50 bullets in that next clip). "Current weapon" includes secondary or even tier 3 weapons. If you use with a pistol you'll have 22 shots. It lets you reload an m60 and get bonus ammo from it. It lets you refuel a chainsaw too. Grenade launcher reloads but gets no bonus shot.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3043194157

Riot armor that grants you 20 temporary health and can even go over your normal 100 maximum

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3043194119

All of these items have a "use time" so it's not an instant upgrade. It takes 7 seconds to remove & equip the riot gear for example; 4 seconds to get a drink from vending machine; and a very short 1.5 seconds to upgrade your clip size (and get a free reload from it).

I like the ideas conceptually, but I'm hesitant to go strictly with my enjoyment if it moves too far from core concept for the mod to be close to base game.

New Hazard type! Locked doors & movable debris.

Eternal — Sat, 23 Sep 2023 22:07:38 +0000

Rushing is a pretty common strategy, and a good one at that. If you are able to get the horde behind you the director is unable to despawn the zombies faster than they can spawn ahead of you (due to how spawning zombies works). This means not only can a good team, or just a single good player, avoid hordes of zombies; in versus mode it doesn't give the other team time to setup a spawn as ghosts barely move faster than survivors.

My other hazards can help a little, but fire doors/cars have to be triggered and ultimately can be run past. Emergency exit doors will spawn a couple hordes, but that still can fall to the strategy of rushing.

So, I had to think, how do I slow down these players? The solution was simple: force them to stop!

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3040201577

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3040201596

Throughout many maps players may find doors that are now locked and the survivors have to pick the lock to advance further into the map. A survivor has to hold E on the door for 8 seconds (time may be adjusted as balance is tested). A tank can break these down.

Currently only implemented in one location there may also be debris blocking paths and a survivor must hold the button for 10 seconds to clear it. That gives plenty of time for a horde to catch up or special infected to clear the whole team. Think of how much just having just one downed player can effect the game, then imagine that but it takes twice as long to pick them up. Tanks cannot break these, so I will implement them slowly as I think of spots that thematically work, game play situations make sense, and also don't block tanks from reaching the survivors.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3040201568

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3040201556

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3040201546

Lightning and Snow improvements

Eternal — Sat, 09 Sep 2023 03:04:30 +0000

Although all of the weather types that been created were entirely made by me, the original weather effect plugin itself was not made by me. Instead it was made by Silvers.

For the first time I've started tweaking the source code itself, not just the settings for each weather variation. Doing so has allowed me to drastically improve both the visuals for lightning, and also add the ability for varied snow speeds.

This means lightning storms will look much better, and blizzards will have fast moving snow instead of the normal lazy falling snow you'd see on a clear day.

This should further allow for me to tweak weather types and in general make it all look better.