TheVille

Just saw these pictures online today, and they really reminded me of whispering oaks:
http://www.lovethesepics.com/2011/05/cr ... s-75-pics/

A result of Katrina.

Being as it is in New Orleans, and gained it's present state just prior to the development of the L4D franchise, the resemeblance might be more than coincidence.

It does have a similar look. I think though that the park in L4D might be more closely based upon the fairgrounds we have here in WA - not only are they local to Valve for easy use as reference material, but the fairground area at the start of the campaign is quite similar to the one found at the Puyallup Fair each fall, and the Peach Pit stadium in the finale bears more than a passing resemblance to the stadium at those same fairgrounds.

Kiddieland also reminds me a lot of the Enchanted Village amusement park in Federal Way, WA (near Tacoma), which has a train ride with very similar vehicles to the elevated train. The Screaming Oak reminds me of the old coaster at the Puyallup Fairgrounds, though it could be based on any wooden coaster; there are plenty of those out there.

Who knows for sure though? If I ever get another visit to Valve it is my intention to ask someone on the L4D team where the ideas for that campaign came from.

Good points, Will. I'm a Tacoma native myself, and grew up with the Puyallup Fair and Enchanged Villiage. I'm not familiar enough with major fairgrounds elsewhere to know it it's simply a stock pattern or not, but the resmeblance to these two is pretty striking in places.

I think my favorite use of run down anything from real life in a game is the hospital in HL2, based on the real hospital in Prypriat. That's just plain spooky.