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Woozy posted:netbooks are pretty neat Netbooks especially have several things going for them: - a quality backlog of older PC games that run just dandy, often easier than they did when originally published (or are otherwise completely impossible to get working) - current, low-spec indie games, both free and for-pay - emulators! slight bending of ethics required. - fairly inexpensive, portable - it's still a computer. A netbook will still do a hell of a lot more than any console, portable, or other gadget on the market. Admittedly, iPads are incredibly cool and the wave of the future, but are locked down way tighter than a laptop running any other operating system. If you're debating a standalone PC versus a laptop, and you're not a student crammed into a tiny room with three other dudes, your best bet in my opinion is to buy a decent enough desktop to run the latest game you want, and save up for a netbook later. I've already seen the chorus against gaming laptops, here's a true story: a friend of mine had to junk his laptop because the video card went belly up and is irreplaceable. He bought a new one for around $750. The video card on my desktop PC broke and it cost me $80 to replace it with something even better. We've each had our systems three years. Lastly, I bit the bullet this year and got a good wireless keyboard and mouse, and am never using wired again. (Apple keyboard, Logitech MX1100)
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Dec 20, 2010 20:03
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A Fancy 400 lbs posted:I run a 4850 and I can max out basically every game I own on it at 1080p with 30+ FPS with the exception of Crysis Warhead and Metro 2033, and it never has given me any issues in Linux, including running games through Wine. Maybe you got a bum card hardware-wise? I have an ATI 4670, a budgety card that's also quiet and stable as heck. I can run all of what I want at respectable settings, though I generally don't play the latest and greatest games. Black Ops is the most recent, and it ran just dandy at full res with medium detail, just had to disable FSAA. No problems with drivers, ever. Never had any trouble with it or the other three ATI cards I've owned, except they tend to wear out after 2-3 years. Then it's another 80-100 bucks for another. Not a problem. Maybe it's because I gravitate toward the budget cards, which are more likely to have tried-and-true driver support?
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Dec 25, 2010 10:17
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Coach Sport posted:The reason PC gaming isn't doing so well is because nobody is releasing decent PC games anymore. I think what you mean is that console ports of AAA titles are kind of half-assed a good deal of the time. There are some very good games out there that aren't sold at Target. Every Steam sale, I'm swamped in more PC games than I can conceivably play. PC gaming doesn't have to beat the poo poo out of console sales to do well.
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Dec 26, 2010 23:22
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TigSource has a pretty good list of indie games of 2010, many of them free. Many of which I passed over, but am now taking a second glance at: http://www.tigsource.com/2010/12/31/top-indie-games-of-2010-according-to-the-tigsource-forums/
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Jan 2, 2011 02:04
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spasticColon posted:Do the Civilization games live up to the hype? I don't care too much for Starcraft and other RTS games but turned-based strategy games for the PC have me intrigued because I played advance wars a lot on GBA back in the day but those were more tactical turned-based strategy that only focused on warfare. I noticed Civ 5 recommends a quad-core but I only have dual-core (C2D E8400 OC) so how would it run on my system or is Civ 4 better anyway? I'm just kinda tired of shooters and RPGs so I want to play something different. I have a dual core, and the demo for Civ5 worked fine, but based on the fan response, it might be a good idea to simply wait a while before purchasing. Since Firaxis lives and dies by the Sid Meier brand I'd expect it to improve substantially in the future, but for now you'll probably be happier running Civ4. Bronze might be more my speed right now, but damned if the publisher doesn't know how to market worth poo poo or price below the $30 mark. (http://www.shrapnelgames.com/Dreamspike_Studios/BRZ/BRZ_page.html)
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Jan 8, 2011 06:24
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spasticColon posted:Thanks for the tips guys I'm downloading the Civ 5 demo right now but there isn't a demo for Civ 4 though. I may just buy Civ 4 for now because its cheaper and you guys recommend it more. Is warfare the main aspect of the game or is it just one of many aspects? I'm just curious. Civ 4's cheap, and the 3.19 patch makes it DRM-free: http://www.amazon.com/Sid-Meiers-Civilization-IV-Complete-Pc/dp/B000W2FICG Civ 4 BTS demo on Steam: http://store.steampowered.com/app/8800/
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Jan 8, 2011 09:28
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spasticColon posted:Why don't they sell the Civ 4 complete edition on Steam or did I miss it? It's... it's right on the BTS page. It's $30. Although the Amazon link I posted earlier has it for around $10. efb
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Jan 8, 2011 20:26
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spasticColon posted:Haha. That would be hilarious if the game designers put that in the game later on. Civ 4 will keep you busy for a while. There are a few good TBS games on GOG.com, including Master of Orion 2 and Heroes of Might and Magic III. If you want something more modern, Galactic Civilizations II can be had for fairly cheap and is essentially MoO2 updated, albeit without some of the character that defined the original. Also, Shrapnel Games' Bronze sure seems intriguing, as a sort of 10-20 minute Civ game, and it's supposed to be marvelously balanced and with a shrewd AI. doctorfrog fucked around with this message at 06:07 on Jan 11, 2011 |
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Jan 11, 2011 06:04
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Nathilus posted:Or forever if you like some of the mods. I have so much buyer's remorse concerning Civ 5. Ugh, I paid full price for it too. I REALLY should have demoed it first so I could say 'oh' and go back to playing Civ 4 with all my lovely, lovely full mods. Civ 5 will get better, if for no other reason than Firaxis' life depends on it improving, and shedding layer after layer of DLC and expansions. And then there will be the fan addons. When Civ 5 Complete rolls around, and a good DRM crack emerges, I'll be plunking my money down. In the meantime, don't feel bad for putting up the money for the initial game! It will come around. (Unless the bottom drops out of Firaxis, like with Black Isle, and the bug-ridden Arcanum that I paid a full $50 for.)
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Jan 12, 2011 05:10
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bear is driving! posted:Edit: To whoever posted the "go outside" comment. Really? It's loving winter and there's 6 inches of snow outside. YOU come here and go outside and see how long you stay there. It's either a console gamer or someone with an inadequate video card.
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Jan 26, 2011 03:16
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We can pretty much relegate the MX518 to the OP at this point.
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Jan 27, 2011 22:42
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The Flying Milton posted:I'm kind of wondering why anyone would want to buy this. Because it's wireless. I use a wireless keyboard and a wired trackpad to prevent RSI. Being able to move the keyboard without tugging at wires gives a lot more freedom to frequently change positions. Having a wireless trackpad would be even better. Also, that trackpad looks pretty huge, it would be great to have that much space. My current trackpad is tiny and plasticky, and still cost $40. Still, I doubt Apple created the thing with RSI in mind.
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Jan 29, 2011 19:35
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It just looked like "When Realdolls Emote" to me.
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Feb 17, 2011 11:14
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RightClickSaveAs posted:I'm still waiting for someone to make a Grand Theft Auto-style free roaming survival horror game with zombies. And Dead Rising doesn't count! The first was console-exclusive, and from what I saw of it they locked you in a shopping mall, put you up against a timer, and gave you 5 minute long unskippable cutscenes. There's always Survival Crisis Z. A bit shallow, but also a teensy bit awesome. And free. e: Still, Rogue Survivor seems like it would have that "build a fort to stand against the darkness" that would really make something like this shine. Maybe something like that will be the end result of Dwarf Fortress/Minecraft/Goblin Camp/all the other horde games. doctorfrog fucked around with this message at 02:12 on Feb 18, 2011 |
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Feb 18, 2011 02:05
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Node posted:Someone link that $500 ceramic thing that lifts audio cables off the ground. This was a review I read of these very "cable lifters:" quote:On first hearing the difference I was really surprised: the Cable Elevators brought about a clearly noticeable improvement over my homemade versions. Track after track, it was a delight to confirm that my system was sounding better. I noted hearing greater levels of dynamics, quicker transients and better attack, a darker background and increased musical articulation allowing for a more expressive performance. Also: greater control at frequency extremes enabling music to project more convincingly, all translating into a more believable and musical experience. Switching to cables on the floor, carpet to be more precise, was followed by a loss of musical involvement. The sound became emotionally flatter and slower, there was less of that "get up and go" and the corresponding musical energy I so preferred. I quickly went back to the Cable Elevators and continued to listen, long into the night. http://www.audiotweaks.com/reviews/cblelevators/page03.htm e: above was letter-by-letter hand-edited to provide emboldifying context for per-pixel emphasis on bullshit cultspeak ee: the sound actually became slower??? Now, this gentleman is not only comparing lifted cables to those that are merely carpet-borne, but the difference between his homemade porcelain cable lifters and the pricy brand name versions. Ah, the curse and the pleasure of he that should bear the Golden Ear! doctorfrog fucked around with this message at 00:13 on Feb 19, 2011 |
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Feb 18, 2011 09:28
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Taffer posted:What application would head tracking have in FPS? I'm not terribly imaginative, but I could see this working as an alternative to "lean" keys, which haven't felt natural since the Thief/System Shock series. On other games, the gameplay is structured such that briefly tapping left, then right is just as or more effective... and then there are the games that are placed in the third person, where, since you're hovering three feet behind yourself, you can magically see around corners simply by standing near them anyway. So yeah, you could peek around corners and peep above rubble in a shooter. I could also see this as either useful/annoying as hell in RTSs, maybe for selecting build orders or panning through the battlefield. Or, for sculpting land in a god game (slap your giant cow avatar without a mouse!) I would really like to see head-tracking cameras as a solid, smart alternative to TrackIR for flight and driving sims. It'll just be a couple years before I consider it affordable enough for myself (ain't paying over $100 for it).
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Feb 22, 2011 20:36
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The Wager is a pretty neat tiny exploring game, but I'm either an idiot or lazy, but I can't seem to beat it. I also can't really tell what the upgrades mean: better sails... does that mean I go faster, or they just don't shred in storms (which are very infrequent)?
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May 9, 2011 22:21
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I've been doing pretty good with a budget ATI, but if someone likes using a different brand, I'm strangely OK with it.
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Jul 16, 2011 18:18
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Node posted:You just have to read reviews for each generation of video cards these days. pretty much this. Brand loyalty is a silly thing, do a little research and don't worry if someone thinks their card (or their drivers???) is/are better than yours.
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Jul 31, 2011 03:45
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Spatial posted:Palit owns the goon market.  my
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Aug 1, 2011 07:10
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habanero walrus posted:To be fair to 4chan, if you were to ask for build advice there, they would just post this, which, while it isn't the parts picking thread, it's one of the better guides you could go by. Wait a second. That's terribly useful. Are you sure it came from 4chan?
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Sep 3, 2011 03:15
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Boiled Water posted:The first of many programs on Steam are, as far as I can make out, a very expensive tool for an idea man. This is like a very elaborate and very nearly commendable YOSPOS joke.
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Mar 2, 2013 10:21
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Rinkles posted:A month of life per AA is pretty bad for a wireless mouse right? (It might actually be more like 3 weeks). It's from this (cheap) set: I have this mouse: http://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/performance-mouse-mx It came with a AA NiMH battery that lasts about two days. A much better NiMH battery put into it lasts about a week or two, depending on frequency of use, varying between 2-8 hours a day. I didn't bother reading the spec sheet, that's just how it is. Mouse works just dandy. The original AA lives on in a desk clock and needs a recharge once a month. I generally prefer wireless peripherals with replaceable batteries, though, and don't mind rotating NiMHs in and out, and buying a new set every 3-4 years. Sure seems less wasteful than buying a whole new device because the custom flat-pack (or inaccessible) battery doesn't hold a charge anymore. I remember when I bought it, the biggest complaint by far in reviews was the battery appetite. Maybe I'm just old and cranky, but people are way too happy to buy devices that become useless in 2-3 years because of this. tl;dr, buy rechargables and use them.
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Mar 23, 2014 07:14
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Rinkles posted:Also regarding the cheap logitech wireless mouse, the middle button was busted 2 weeks in. I have to hold it for a few seconds for it to register (and even then it's unreliable), which is obviously slow but also uncomfortable. Get your receipt and call them. They'll most likely put you through a cursory test and send you a new mouse through the mail. That is, if you want a replacement. They won't want the old mouse back. In 2010 I had $80 to blow on a peripheral (a rare thing), and the mouse lasted two years before the left button was clickstuck. One phone call and the replacement was on its way: they no longer made my mouse anymore so just bumped me up to the Performance MX, a decent upgrade. It's still doing real well, and it's nice to know I can get a new one if it craps out with a minimum of fuss.
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Mar 25, 2014 05:59
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