Welcome to Gaia! ::

• What are Mutations?
  
  Mutations are a new game mode that comes with "The Passing" download-able content. Each week (starting on Wednesday), there will be a new "mutation" that will put a spin on one of the regular game modes (versus, campaign, etc.).
  
  
• What is encore week?
  
  Encore week happens after every four new mutations. A poll will be set up in-game where players will get to vote for their favorite of the four new mutations. The winner of the poll will be the mutation that comes back the next week, for an "encore". This in no way means it will be a permanent game mode.
  
  
• What mutation is happening NOW?
  
  CHAINSAW MASSACRE "You are armed with the only thing you need to survive a Zombie Apocalypse, a chainsaw. Rip apart thousands of zombies on your way to safety." (Left 4 Dead Blog)
  
  
• What mutations have already happened?

1. { Week 1 } Realism Versus: Versus mode with Realism mode combined into it, making it harder for both teams. This mode became a permanent game mode after winning over the poll with a landslide vote.
   
2. { Week 2 } Bleed Out: A fun game of campaign, with a twist. No med-kits can be found throughout the campaign; only pills and adrenaline. The players' health quickly ticks away throughout the campaign, making it run or die.
   
3. { Week 3 } Follow the Liter: This Mutation spawns only one group of cans at a time, so survivors know exactly where to go. There is only one problem: the Infected know exactly where they are going.
   
4. { Week 4 } Last Gnome on Earth: Do you crave attention? Want all the infected to swarm you and the gnome you are carrying? Then we have the game mode for you. The team needs to carry the garden gnome from start to finish in any campaign.
   
5. { Week 5 } Last Man on Earth: You will become legend to the infected as the last human left.
   You are the only Survivor left in the world. No split screen help. No Survivor bots. But don't worry you aren't entirely alone. While there are no common Infected, Special Infected will hunt you down and become close, close friends with you.

I really liked realism versus, its intense, but really fun.

Bleed out not so much, with bleed out you pretty much have to rush through the whole level and if anyone lags behind their doomed and if anyone runs too far ahead they're usually in trouble too.

No, Realism Versus was just plain s**t. Not even intense, s**t, if you survived it, you're pro using cheats. They rushed for an idea.

What I can't wait for is the chainsaw mutation. I love chainsaws. Plus, I love Bleed It Out. You don't have to rush, it's teamwork. Something barely used on a game that is based around it.

Wow I think these mutations are actually worth it. But only for them pros that is. Imagine what it would be like if these were only in realistic mode........

We survived a Realism Versus game once. Actually, make that TWICE: One in a PUG, and one with my friends against complete strangers. How did that happen?

That time I played by myself and won, it was in The Passing. We won because we knew how to play our cards to get farther, and how to cover our backs. It's essential skill and knowledge.

And, with my friends, we have a very synergistic team. We only lack more Versus practice in Team Versus, because otherwise we're very organized and kinda neat in our gameplay (Unless one of us panics for a split second... Then it all goes to hell, lol).

I liked Realism Versus. It was intense, and it gave a bit of an edge to playing the Infected, but also forced the survivors to play it different from usual.

And Bleed Out... I just love it. It's freaking intense, man! The continuous hordes just make this an experience only crazy people play... On Expert.

Like me and my friends! We almost finished Swamp Fever the other day. And yes, it's all about rushing, but also it's all about knowing what to grab and when to use it. You need to be quick on your feet and your trigger, and understand how your team rolls.

Most PUGs you play on NORMAL, you won't finish. Why? Because most people will try playing the game as usual. Bleed Out forces you OUT of that. It says: Just run the ******** out. Keep shooting! Use your 'nades! Take that gas tank quickly! Drop it! Burn it! Keep going! DON'T ******** STOP EVER!

Most people who play the game mostly on Normal don't have what it takes to understand how to finish a Bleed Out campaign. It's tough s**t, dude.



I don't think of myself as a Pro, in any way. I've only 178 hours of L4D2 (And 200+ in L4D1), so, no, I don't think that's Pro enough to be called a Pro, and I still enjoy them immensely!



You need friends who play better.

Or with higher tolerance for failure, lol

EDIT:

We said goodbye to Bleed Out by finishing Hard Rain on BO Expert. It took us almost two hours, 29 restarts, and some last minute team replacements, but we managed to finish The Whole Damn Thing.

And, let me assure you: It was THE HARDEST. The second stage was PAINFUL, all the methods we developed were insufficient: Our use of bile, pipes and molotovs was not enough when facing a tank and all the witches in the Sugar Mill.

Once time we almost made it... But the director decided to ******** with us and spawned a tank right in front of the gas station, thus ending our effort with the safe room laid bare in front of us... crying

On one of the next spawns, and after we got a good guy in our team, we actually killed an earlier Tank rushing through the level. That last defense was crazy: I was seeing gray through most of it, and survived! Until a smoker got me by the shed... But one of our team had a defib, so they brought me back, and I managed to reach the safe room with another of the guys.

The way back was considerably easier. Out of the 29 restarts, around 20 took place on the second map, and the rest divided evenly among the other 4.

It was pretty awesome, but tiring as heeeellllll.

As a group, I think the only campaign we never even played in with BO was The Parish.

Two thumbs down. You need to have played A LOT of Scavenge first, in order to do moderately well on FtL. The further the cans are, the barely visible they appear... In regular scavenge, at least you would get closer to seeing them when you went to pick up other cans. Here... No such luck.

There's no Strategy behind playing survivors other than: Let's move forward and get this cans.

And there's no Strategy behind playing Special Infected either: Let's wait by the next set of cans and attack all at the same time.

You can't split efforts. It's useless.

You can't trick the other team. It's so straightforward... It takes away most of the stuff I loved about Scavenge.

It was awful.