Valve has today announced that the official Left 4 Dead modding tools have been unlocked for open beta, with all PC users able to download the software development kit by heading to the 'Tools' tab in Steam.
The tools themselves are apparently a modified version of the same kit used at Valve to create props and levels for the game and comprise a full SDK for Left 4 Dead.
Using the toolset provided Valve hopes that players will soon get started on making more new skins, maps and campaigns for the game as, although there are already a few out there, the modding community is perhaps not as big as it could be. Valve promises that the new tools should allow players to create anything from new sounds to entire campaigns though.
Regarding how player content is going to be integrated into the full game, Valve has also promised that it is currently working on tweaks to the matchmaking and server browsing system. A new update for the game should be coming in a few weeks that will let non-modding players have quick and easy access to the content created by their more industrious brethren.
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Quote from: DuVeL;276462Regarding how player content is going to be integrated into the full game, Valve has also promised that it is currently working on tweaks to the matchmaking and server browsing system. A new update for the game should be coming in a few weeks that will let non-modding players have quick and easy access to the content created by their more industrious brethren.
I look forward to this, I just hope they don't break anything else when they implement it!
More campaigns would be very nice. Especially considering what people have already made with limited tools.