L4D Blog: All I want for Christmas is an SDK

**FEED** · 12-23-09, 06:15 PM

All I want for Christmas is an SDK

We are releasing the Left 4 Dead 2 Authoring Tools and Left 4 Dead 2 Add-on Support today.

PLAYERS:
If you are not looking to design but play custom campaigns all you need to do is install the add-on support package. Just go into steam and open up the Tools tab. Look for the entry labeled Left 4 Dead 2 - Add-on Support click and install it. This download is sizable, but will update your L4D2 installation to allow running ANY map, including custom maps made for the original Left 4 Dead. Once installed, you do not need to run this application, it will always be active.

We will be updating the Left 4 Dead 2 game UI to include links to this package when applicable but for now please just download it directly. If you see any missing textures or models from your favorite map let us know in the forums.

DESIGNERS:
Besides also downloading the above file you will need to download the Left 4 Dead 2 - Authoring Tools. Downloading it will add applications, utilities, and example files that are useful for building L4D2 game add-ons. These are similar to the tools released for Left 4 Dead, but include many updates and new features. Among the most useful are:

Gamemode Logic: Designers can now make a single map that can behave differently depending on the gamemode in which it is being played. This can dramatically reduce the file size of Campaign add-ons, as the same map can be used for Co-op, Versus, Scavenge, and Survival.

Director Logic: Maps can now alter their layout and behavior depending on how "angry" the A.I. director is. The better the Survivors are doing, the angrier the AI Director seems to get. This allows you to base variable paths and other events on the player's skill and current conditions.

Scavenge Mode Support! All the elements map authors need to support Scavenge in their maps. This includes game props as well as a full example in the form of Deadline 2, an updated tutorial campaign.

We have included an updated tutorial to help you get going and as always you can join the discussion on the map designer email list. What we want for New Years is to get to play your custom maps in Left 4 Dead 2.

For the best user experience and to take advantage of the new map and nav mesh formats, Left 4 Dead 1 Map Makers will want to compile Left 4 Dead 2 specific versions of their map in the new tool.
Happy Holidays,

The Left 4 Dead 2 Team

http://www.l4d.com/blog/post.php?id=3286

**FragRaptor** · 12-23-09, 11:52 PM

WIN>

**Kanati** · 12-24-09, 12:02 AM

now I wanna play death aboard and suicide blitz in l4d2.....................

**FragRaptor** · 12-24-09, 12:14 AM

We could do it right now if you want. If this works like it says it does. :9

**Kanati** · 12-24-09, 12:27 AM

yeah I'll be testing it out in the morning most likely.

**Solstatic** · 12-24-09, 12:51 AM

Awesome, now all the modding community needs to do is figure out how to take the L4D1 maps and bring them to L4D2!

**PizzaSHARK!** · 12-24-09, 02:47 AM

We already could bring L4D maps into L4D2, but I think they had to be recompiled or updated or whatever.

If I'm reading this right, it means we don't have to do that anymore - just grab No Mercy from your list and boot it up.

So, who wants to give Cold Case a shot, L4D2 style?

**FragRaptor** · 12-24-09, 10:20 AM

Originally Posted by PizzaSHARK!

We already could bring L4D maps into L4D2, but I think they had to be recompiled or updated or whatever.

If I'm reading this right, it means we don't have to do that anymore - just grab No Mercy from your list and boot it up.

So, who wants to give Cold Case a shot, L4D2 style?

Me definately.

That was an amazing campaign.

**enf** · 12-24-09, 11:34 AM

Ive been looking into this and been getting mixed results. This isnt a simple port over from L4D because of the new weapon types (different guns and the addition of melee weapons). One person made vpk's months ago but you had to 7zip different files and then alter another file in notepad++ and so on. This point is moot now that the add-on support tool is available (which takes care of all the additional work), although these are still a little buggy. Better than nothing I guess.

I tested them out in SP, but have not yet done so in versus. A TTP mod will have to put the vpks on the servers before being able to play versus though. I crashed out of the game (but not the application) a few times with a 'Could not validate Steam somethingorother' error, but I have a feeling thats Steam-related and not map-related. Feel free to download and post back with your results. The link can be found here. Just unzip to your L4D2 directory and overwrite your addons folder.

You can play some maps in either daytime or nighttime:
[img width=700 height=437]http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq184/koziay/snapshot0000.jpg[/img]
The one I have selected that is missing a pic and has 'by Valve/Heartless' is the original campaign (as are the rest like that). The one below it has a pic and says 'by Valve' and is the daytime version of the map. Only dead Air and Blood Harvest have this option right now, but the creator of this file said hes working on the other ones.