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Alien Swarm: Reactive Drop is fun and you should play it

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Alien Swarm: Reactive Drop is fun and you should play it

Post by Tweed »

Alien Swarm: Reactive Drop is a 2017 remake of Alien Swarm which came out back in 2010 on Steam. It's a top down twin stick shooter version of Left 4 Dead IN SPACE! And this is what it looks like:
Image

Up to eight players try to survive and NOT SHOOT EACH OTHER while achieving various goals on their way towards the exit. The original game only had one campaign, but Reactive Drop has a whole bunch plus loads of custom maps and new challenge modes and special events and is still being updated. Furthermore it's completely free.

Image

This is one of those teammate games where bad teams die because they SHOOT EACH OTHER TOO MUCH and RUN OFF LIKE MORONS or NEVER DROP AMMO or NEVER HEAL EACH OTHER or NEVER PROTECT THE MEDICS or NEVER PROTECT THE TECH or BLOW EACH OTHER UP. Nobody had any idea what the **** they're doing right now so we're all learning and dying together, it's great!

Weapons and gear are unlocked as you rack up experience by completing missions, you get experience whether you win or lose so eventually you'll get all the stuff. There's four different classes: Tech which gets a motion tracker right out of Aliens and has to stay alive for hacking certain doors, medic heals team mates, special weapons uses a big gun, and officer which provides damage bonuses to nearby squadmates and gets to use a cool shotgun and incendiary mines that can set his own team on fire.

You can change class and gear between each round so you're never locked into a single class for the whole thing. It's all well put together and full of camaraderie and all that good stuff, you should try it.

Who's playing:
Me
@Gregz
@Finarfin
@A Chinese opium den
@Stack of Turtles

When:
Right now there's no set time, but we're mostly playing in the evening hours (Freedom time zones)

Image

Useful tips:
Friendly fire is always on so try not to shoot each other. You can duck in this game to avoid doing that kind of thing. Ducking also lets you walk so you don't run away from your guys and crouch on the spot when you stop, wow.
Friendly fire also means those cool explosives of yours will do loads of damage to your own guys so be careful.
Officers have buffs that improve the damage and resistance of nearby squadmates, but only if they're on screen, stick close to them. Officers are also the explosive experts so they should be on the front and back of the groups blowing **** up and walling off areas with incendiary mines.
Reminder, those mines will set you on fire, don't walk into them.
If you get set on fire, only someone with a flamer or a medic with a medgun can put you out.
Someone should probably be carrying a sentry for those lockdown moments where the hordes come to ruin your life, remember sentries cannot be refilled.
Mediguns can't be refilled either, once they're gone, they're gone. Sometimes it may be worth it to go total healslut with a medigun and healpacks and let your squad protect you....HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
Medics may also want to go medigun/teslagun, the teslagun does almost no damage, but it stuns everything it hits, slowing ayys down so squadmates can shoot it better.
The pistols are actually the fastest firing weapon in the game if you use a macro or bind it to the mousewheel and they do better damage than the default assaults rifle.
Running around like a dumbass if you get infected is a great way to die, always know where your medic is when there's parasites around, or better yet, burn them before they get to you, the parasites, not the medic, dumbass!
The electric armor will stop parasites from infecting you and is very powerful on frontliner types.
Freeze grenades can buy time.
Not everyone in the squad needs to be carrying ammo satchels.
Those ammo satchels aren't just for luck, try deploying them.
TRY DEPLOYING THE AMMO SATCHELS!
PLEASE! AMMO! PLEASE PLEASE AMMO PLEASE PLEASE AMMO! AMMO YOU ******* BASTARDS!!

Last edited by Tweed on July 19th, 2024, 13:51, edited 4 times in total.
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Post by Gregz »

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Post by Finarfin »

Useful tips:
Friendly fire is always on so try not to shoot each other. You can duck in this game to avoid doing that kind of thing. Ducking also lets you walk so you don't run away from your guys and crouch on the spot when you stop, wow.
HOW WOULD I KNOW THAT? I WAS TRUST INTO THE GAME WITH NO TUTORIAL!
Friendly fire also means those cool explosives of yours will do loads of damage to your own guys so be careful.
Suck it, my grenades are marked "For Tweeds Eyes only"
Officers have buffs that improve the damage and resistance of nearby squadmates, but only if they're on screen, stick close to them. Officers are also the explosive experts so they should be on the front and back of the groups blowing **** up and walling off areas with incendiary mines.
Good to know.
Reminder, those mines will set you on fire, don't walk into them.
Also good to know.
If you get set on fire, only someone with a flamer or a medic with a medgun can put you out.
****, thought rolling around would put it out.
Someone should probably be carrying a sentry for those lockdown moments where the hordes come to ruin your life, remember sentries cannot be refilled.
Sentries are pretty good.
Mediguns can't be refilled either, once they're gone, they're gone. Sometimes it may be worth it to go total healslut with a medigun and healpacks and let your squad protect you....HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
Tweeds a healslut from now on
Medics may also want to go medigun/teslagun, the teslagun does almost no damage, but it stuns everything it hits, slowing ayys down so squadmates can shoot it better.
Slut!
The pistols are actually the fastest firing weapon in the game if you use a macro or bind it to the mousewheel and they do better damage than the default assaults rifle.
felt it was pretty slow, but this makes it better
Running around like a dumbass if you get infected is a great way to die, always know where your medic is when there's parasites around, or better yet, burn them before they get to you, the parasites, not the medic, dumbass!
Good to know.
The electric armor will stop parasites from infecting you and is very powerful on frontliner types.
Good to know.
Freeze grenades can buy time.
Good to know.
Not everyone in the squad needs to be carrying ammo satchels.
You sure?
Those ammo satchels aren't just for luck, try deploying them.
TRY DEPLOYING THE AMMO SATCHELS!
PLEASE! AMMO! PLEASE PLEASE AMMO PLEASE PLEASE AMMO! AMMO YOU ******* BASTARDS!!
Steam code: 10514930
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Post by rusty_shackleford »

giving out badges for anyone who can prove they killed tweed 10 times
Thank you for your attention to this matter!
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Post by Stack of Turtles »

It's good, I've never played a shooter before and I was able to kill Tweed first try 10/10
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Post by Stack of Turtles »

Tweed wrote: ↑ July 19th, 2024, 09:17
Tech which gets a motion tracker right out of Aliens
oh **** only I had that?

that explains some things

I'll give heads-ups next time lol
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Post by Magick »

Agreed. it gets a tad repetitive, but it is indeed a fun game.
There's loads of new levels and stuff out now it seems.

It's basically the OG, OG Helldivers. Got 100 hours in the old 2010 version.
The tech's autoaim gun is nice. I used to always play Crash. The Dual Uzi type weapons are fun, but run out of ammo quick.
I remember everyone used to just speedrun with the tesla, then the flamethrower, but I think they nerfed it a long time ago? (Probably thinking back to the 2010 version, here).
Last edited by Magick on July 19th, 2024, 17:59, edited 2 times in total.
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Post by Stack of Turtles »

By the way, try actually asking in chat if you want ammo, that might help.
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Post by Tweed »

I did, but nobody helped.

Also when you run out of ammo the game will broadcast that so and so is out of ammo, there's no excuse. There's also a way to request ammo, there's so many ways to ask for ammo and yet, somehow, someway nobody ever gave me ammo. So strange. :Inspector:
Last edited by Tweed on July 19th, 2024, 18:09, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by CSM-101 »

Are you anti social ******* using text chat instead of actually talking to each other?
Last edited by CSM-101 on July 19th, 2024, 18:15, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Tweed »

@Gregz has a poindexter voice and he doesn't want anyone finding out.
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Post by Gregz »

Tweed wrote: ↑ July 19th, 2024, 18:28
@Gregz has a poindexter voice and he doesn't want anyone finding out.
I also have a very small penis, but there's no need to get personal.
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Post by Tweed »

While we're on the subject of ammo satchels:

Stolen from a guide on Steam

Autogun and Minigun takes 100% to refill 1 magazine
Grenade Launcher takes 20% to refill up to 3 magazines
Desert Eagle takes 10% to refill 1 magazine
All other weapons take 20% to refill 1 magazine
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Post by Stack of Turtles »

By the way, what actually happens if you hit that target spot while reloading?
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Post by Tweed »

Stack of Turtles wrote: ↑ July 19th, 2024, 20:19
By the way, what actually happens if you hit that target spot while reloading?
You reload instantly. You should always hit that spot, if you ever miss that spot you should uninstall the game.
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Post by asf »

CSM-101 wrote: ↑ July 19th, 2024, 18:14
Are you anti social ******* using text chat instead of actually talking to each other?
imagine talking to people
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Post by Oyster Sauce »

It is indeed pretty fun. Wonder why Valve released it for free then never gave a **** about it.
Last edited by Oyster Sauce on July 20th, 2024, 04:23, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by CSM-101 »

Oyster Sauce wrote: ↑ July 20th, 2024, 04:22
It is indeed pretty fun. Wonder why Valve released it for free then never gave a **** about it.
It was to test the free to play waters since it was the first F2P game on steam. I remember the initial release being extremely barebones but still fun and complete. Like all Source engine games, it's extremely moddable thereby increasing its lifespan.

Reactive Drop still gets updates to this day so I don't know what you mean by "never gave a **** about it.".
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Post by Oyster Sauce »

CSM-101 wrote: ↑ July 20th, 2024, 04:44
Oyster Sauce wrote: ↑ July 20th, 2024, 04:22
It is indeed pretty fun. Wonder why Valve released it for free then never gave a **** about it.
Reactive Drop still gets updates to this day so I don't know what you mean by "never gave a **** about it.".
Alien Swarm had 1 campaign for 7 years until a different team remade it.
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Post by Tweed »

Oyster and I aced Jacob's Rest with no problems, it's amazing what happens when people work as a team instead of shooting each other or deploying ammo satchels instead of trying to use them to ward off evil spirits. :smug:
Last edited by Tweed on July 20th, 2024, 09:17, edited 2 times in total.
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Post by Magick »

Oyster Sauce wrote: ↑ July 20th, 2024, 04:22
It is indeed pretty fun. Wonder why Valve released it for free then never gave a **** about it.
Essentially some sort of tech demo, for isometric multiplayer rather than first person. Source was young back then!
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Post by Oyster Sauce »

We had a 7 man squad today. If only Tweed would stop teamkilling.
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Post by Magick »

Oyster Sauce wrote: ↑ July 21st, 2024, 00:38
We had a 7 man squad today. If only Tweed would stop teamkilling.
Wasn't this 4 player? Or has it been extended now.

I hope you're playing with the AI director mode on!
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Post by Oyster Sauce »

BobT wrote: ↑ July 21st, 2024, 00:47
Oyster Sauce wrote: ↑ July 21st, 2024, 00:38
We had a 7 man squad today. If only Tweed would stop teamkilling.
Wasn't this 4 player? Or has it been extended now.

I hope you're playing with the AI director mode on!
Goes up to 8 since the 2017 relaunch.
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Post by Magick »

Oyster Sauce wrote: ↑ July 21st, 2024, 00:48
BobT wrote: ↑ July 21st, 2024, 00:47
Oyster Sauce wrote: ↑ July 21st, 2024, 00:38
We had a 7 man squad today. If only Tweed would stop teamkilling.
Wasn't this 4 player? Or has it been extended now.

I hope you're playing with the AI director mode on!
Goes up to 8 since the 2017 relaunch.
Have they raised the difficulty to compensate?
Also I remember, ******* shieldbugs.
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Post by Tweed »

Additional tips and observations:

Did you know you can rotate the camera? You should probably do that if you can't see ****.
Freeze grenades and shieldbugs go great together.
So do damage amps and special weapon autogunners.
The tech rifle's stun grenades do damage, I learned this the hard way.
Someone besides me should play the tech once in awhile and learn how to do it, it's not hard.
No really.
If you haven't already check the options menus for things you might want to adjust, like putting the reload bar underneath your marine.
You can record demos and watch how bad you suck if you want, but it's limited to what you saw and how you saw it so it might not be very helpful.
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Post by Magick »

Tweed wrote: ↑ July 22nd, 2024, 12:16
Additional tips and observations:

Did you know you can rotate the camera? You should probably do that if you can't see ****.
Freeze grenades and shieldbugs go great together.
So do damage amps and special weapon autogunners.
The tech rifle's stun grenades do damage, I learned this the hard way.
Someone besides me should play the tech once in awhile and learn how to do it, it's not hard.
No really.
If you haven't already check the options menus for things you might want to adjust, like putting the reload bar underneath your marine.
You can record demos and watch how bad you suck if you want, but it's limited to what you saw and how you saw it so it might not be very helpful.
The reload bar underneath used to just be a console command. There were a few others I remember:

at_grain_enable 0 - Disable Film Grain
asw_spinning_stim_cam 0 - Disable 3rd person for adrenaline
asw_camera_shake 0 - disable camera shake on melee
asw_auto_reload 0 - manual reload
asw_fast_reload_under_marine 1 - reload bar under marine
asw_marine_labels_cursor_maxdist 550 - Always display everyone's health bars
asw_pick_stim_music - Custom music for adrenaline

Enable character chatter:
asw_realistic_death_chatter 1
asw_hear_from_marine 1

Flare light colour:
asw_flare_r # (Replace # with any value 0–255.)
asw_flare_b # (Replace # with any value 0–255.)
asw_flare_g # (Replace # with any value 0–255.)

First person view:
firstperson
asw_hide_marine 1
asw_controls 0

And more on here:
https://alienswarm.fandom.com/wiki/Console_commands

Dunno if they're still a thing or not. First person was a bit janky, but interesting. The character chatter was good to have on.
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Post by Tweed »

What will this do that Alien Swarm doesn't already do and better?