Hey I know some people are finally getting excited about L4D, it's under 2 months away now!  Plus there is the possibility of a beta for PC.  TF2's beta came out nearly a month before the Orange Box's release, so if there is a beta before L4D's release, I'm guessing it'd be beginning of November.

Anyway that's just speculation...this thread is for any cool map ideas you guys have.  Users are already making maps for the PC version, and I was thinking about trying my hand at Hammer as well...I love messing around in Garry's Mod, but I've always wanted to get down and make some maps as well.

It might be unoriginal but I really want a shopping mall.  It's just the iconic zombie location, like Dawn of the Dead.  There's tons of room for creepiness, intense action, as well as slower breaks where you can look at funny stuff in different shops.

There's a few mall maps already being made.  Here's one from someone...it's meant for the HL2 mod "No More Room in Hell" which has kinda stalled the past couple years...since it's a Source map it can easily be made for L4D though.

It's a recreation of the mall from the 2004 Dawn of the Dead...it's pretty cool, it might need to be reworked to be best for the L4D type of gameplay though.  I have a few ideas for a mall myself, and I might try to get a basic layout done soon.

I've always been waiting for the evolution of the mall.

The Cruise ship!

I actually made a zombie level for Half-Life 2 that took place in an apartment building (you started at the top, had to work your way down to rescue your wife, then had to make it back up protecting her) so I've been wanting to see if Left4Dead could be interesting in one of those.

And that's totally possible too! 

The Ship had a bunch of unique cruise ship multiplayer levels...the only problem was the fundamentals of the game were basically broken...the point is to seek out your victim, learning his location every 15 seconds or 30 seconds...meanwhile a murderer is looking for you and learning your location every 30 seconds or whatever.

So everybody's looking for everybody, and it all boils down to everyone waiting in the same room on the same floor, waiting for someone to have to take a crap and then killing them in the toilet.

Sounds funny, but it got old real fast.

Now...zombies on a cruise ship?  Win.

that was a great movie, btw.

I'd like to see something along the lines of sourceforts, where you have to build makeshift defenses.

An Airport would also work out pretty well. Lots of people, Large terminal spaces, baggage conveyor belt tunnels to run through and perhaps a crashed airplane or two.

Ooo, an airport would be fun but I could only imagine the shit you would get into if you modeled after a real airport. :-p

True, but just think how much fun it would be when your machine gun sets off the metal detectors.

Also, a Casino would be a great map. Bright colours, loud noises, tons of great imagery and a frantic layout, what with the game tables and slot machines everywhere.

EDIT: And Ben, I love the music choice in that mall video. And not just because of the DotD remake, but because it's my absolute favourite Cash Song.

Not my video, but I agree, it's one of my favorites as well.

As for your Airport idea...Airport is one of the 4 campaigns coming out with L4D, so Valve has similar thinking hehe. Nobody knows what that will look like though, we've seen a lot of the Hospital campaign, a little bit of the Cornfields, none of the Murky Countryside and none of the Airport.