The town of Ducatel is the main setting for the entire Hard Raincampaign in Left 4 Dead 2. The town has no official name other than being designated "Milltown" in the game, but it can be assumed that the name Ducatel applies since this nomenclature is commonly present on signage throughout the settlement (e.g. Ducatel Sugar Company, Ducatel Gas Bar and Ducatel Diesel).
This small town is located somewhere in southwestern Mississippi, along the Mississippi River. It is a working-class town, as its main source of income is sugar cane growing and processing which supports a consumer service infrastructure such as a Burger Tank outlet and gas stations. The town also featured a racetrack near Ducatel Diesel, another possible source of income. Ducatel is not a wealthy settlement, since its population lived in small, single-family bungalows or semi-permanent trailer homes. The Ducatel Sugar Mill's recent closure likely also had a negative impact on the town's economy.
The region is prone to hurricane conditions, so some permanent dwellings are built on pilings to avoid the flash floods. However, some of the abandoned homes seen in the town had collapsed walls, roofs and vegetation growing through the floors due to the damage done by the previous storms going unrepaired.
Current Status[]
The CEDA posters found scattered throughout Ducatel stating that Ducatel is "not safe."
As the Infection raged its way towards the Mississippi River, it appears that the town held out for a time, stockpiling supplies and barricading their homes as they awaited federal assistance. Unfortunately, an initial risk assessment concluded that Ducatel was "not safe," and so it appears CEDA made minimal effort to aid the town. However, it is possible that CEDA was simply too overwhelmed with the Infection's ballooning magnitude to notice or assist the small, insignificant town. Whatever the case, the townsfolk wasted precious time expecting a rescue that would never come.
When the Infection struck Ducatel, the surviving townsfolk, angry at the realization that they were on their own, stocked up on fuel and fled the town. While most appear to have headed for New Orleans, some of them may have fled to the local sugar mill for shelter. The sugar present in the mill and nearby sugarcane field, however, drew a large congregation of Witches to the small town. This, along with the graffiti warning others to stay out of the mill, implies the fate of all who sought shelter within it. By the time of the Survivors' arrival, Ducatel has been abandoned by its residents, with the Infected serving as its new population.
Gallery[]
The playground
The barricaded road
Houses and cars seen in the street
Landmarks in Ducatel[]
"Out of gas" sign posted over gas prices, backed by a sign telling survivors to head for the Ducatel Diesel station.
Ducatel is the only settlement that the survivors pass through twice, as seen in the Hard Raincampaign.
Yet another Burger Tank fast food outlet is found here and it is the venue for the campaign's starting point and finale.
CEDA flyers can be seen on the ground stating that the area is "not safe".
Jimbo's Classic Auto Repair and Service shares a name and sign with the body shop found in the map, Bank of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. This is because the map de_bank is a heavily modified version of the Milltown map.
Despite the map being set in Mississippi, pickup trucks found around the town still have Louisiana license plates (namely the 2003 Louisiana Purchase Bicentennial version). This appears to be an oversight.
