Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with computer and games

What games have I missed?

plungerjoke — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 19:30:03 -0800

Just purchased a new desktop computer after years of having a severely underpowered laptop. What games have I missed? The new computer only has 256mb of onboard video memory, so new games are kind of out of the question. I'm thinking about upgrading the video card and power supply at some point, but, in the meantime, what games (with reasonable system requirements) did I miss while in laptop purgatory?

I like all different sorts of games, but originality is what most often draws me in. Also, Civilization type games tend to lose my interest quickly.

Thanks!

PS--My apologies if this is in the wrong category.

The pope is angered by your attack on...

zvs — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 21:03:03 -0800

Name that game: You're a feudal lord trying to conquer neighboring territories on a sort of RISK-style board. Make the wrong move and you'll enrage the pope. I played this around 1994 and Google is apparently completely unable to help. If you can name that title, I'll be your best friend forever.

Help me find this computer game! It has tubes and spheres!

tzikeh — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:18:35 -0800

I can't remember the name of the game, or where I found it, or whether it's for a computer or a PDA/smartphone. So, with nothing to google, I turn to you.... The game has a square board containing spheres of different colors, which appear in ways I can't remember (either at specific intervals, or if the player does something, or...). If you can get x number of spheres of the same color in a row, you can "shoot" them into one of the steam pipes at the end of each row or column. The more any given steam pipe is used, the "hotter" it gets, and the more points you earn for re-using that steam pipe.

This is making me nuts! Big thank-yous to anyone who can find it for me.

Missing video: 3rd person live vide

monocultured — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:58:05 -0800

A year or two back there was an online video (Boingboing tv?) showing an interview with a young artist (British?) who had mounted a camera behind and above his back, which fed the live video to goggles he wore. He'd also dressed in a getup that would make him look like a game character, spiky hair and such. "Live 3rd person perspective" in other words. Half an hour of googling and I can't find the darn video or any info relating to the artist. I think part of the video was shot in Japan, where he staggered around and posed in front of people, á la WoW taunting.

help me remember that 90's computer game

thebrokenmuse — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 01:28:59 -0800

Looking for 90's video games I played as a kid. The first one was Wizard of Oz themed. It stared with Dorothy in her room and once she did... something, she was able to go on to the other levels. I think there was also a level where you could color in a picture with paint.

The second game I'm trying to remember the name of I played at home on a floppy disc. There was a typing/journal portion of the game where you could change the sounds to make the typing sound like any number of different things, like an old fashioned type-writer. You could also pick out scenes and then place a variety of objects like a farm scene and you could put quails or cows etc.

This is all very vague, but its all I can remember. Anyone else know what I am talking about?

Identify a old computer tanks game.

mtphoto — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 15:30:53 -0800

What computer tank game did I used to play? In elementary school we played a tank computer game. From what I can remember:
- We played it sometime between 1994-96. So it was probably released in 1995 or earlier.
- I'm fairly certain that game was on a floppy disk.
- There's a good chance that it was a DOS game.

Game play:
* The game showed a bird's eye view of the levels.*
- When the tank earned an upgrade it could shoot multiple missiles.

Please recommend a replacement input device for my Macbook, the trackpad isn't working for me.

Your Time Machine Sucks — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 08:13:57 -0800

Loathe the new Macbook trackpad in XP, what input device should I use instead that doesn't require a desk and is OK for gaming? New Macbook. The buttonless trackpad takes about twice the force to click as my old Macbook trackpad and after half a day my thumb was going numb. Tap-to-click works fine on the OS X side but is very inaccurate on the XP side even with the updated trackpad driver, more so when the machine gets hot. What kind of input device can I plug in and use to game with no desk around? Wired is a plus, and I don't play twitch games so it doesn't have to be insanely precise, just more precise and ergonomic than the skittish anti-thumb trackpad. Thanks!

Civilizatin IV multiplayer LAN help

zzazazz — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 08:49:56 -0800

Any Civ IV players out there? I accidently started a LAN game and two players are on a team. Is there any wayt to cancel this team?

Video games for my stepdad since his stroke?

spockette — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 11:35:48 -0800

What are some easy computer games my stepdad can play? He had a stroke a few years ago, and that has seriously limited what kind of games he can manage. He sits at home all day and plays non-stop Solitaire and FreeCell. I figure there's got to be some better options for him. He likes racing games (cars, especially), historical stuff (mostly World War II), and things that probably don't have related video games, like gardening and carpentry.

Obviously, since his stroke, there are major limitations as to what sort of games he'll be able to play.

It should be able to be played one-handed. He has full use of his left hand, but he's lost most of the use of his right hand - he can use a mouse with it (although not very well), but he can't use the fingers on that hand, and he can't use the mouse and the keyboard at the same time.

It needs to be simple. There can't be too many choices for him to make (sandbox games are right out, something like "you go here. you shoot these things" is fine), and it needs to be really, really easy to work out what you're supposed to do on each level. (My mother explicitly specified "something on the level of what a 5 year old could manage")

It cannot involve any reading (since his stroke, he's lost the ability to speak, read, and write).

His computer is not very good. He's running Windows XP, has 256mb of RAM (I have no clue what his graphics card is like, but assume it's a piece of junk), and has dial-up internet.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Ancient software for recent humans?

Mr. Anthropomorphism — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 19:38:26 -0800

Can anyone recommend great Apple II software for a kindergartner? I recently acquired and revived a couple of old Apple //e's. I've been having a lot of fun learning about a whole era of computing that I'd missed out on.

My daughter--a few months away from turning 5, but an excellent reader--also seems really enthralled with them (she thinks it's "silly" that these machines are older than her old man).

She's gotten into Word Munchers and a few other games that we've played together, and I'd love to find some more educational-ish stuff that she can dig into.

The problem--quite the opposite of the one I was anticipating--is that software is too abundant! There are literally hundreds if not thousands of disk images that have been ripped and archived online. It takes a few minutes to download, transfer, and write an image to disk, and it's hard to tell what any one program has to offer until you do; so if anyone out there has any good memories of particular titles, please help me narrow down the list!

What was this late 80s/early 90s computer game?

mingodingo — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 13:04:19 -0800

What was this late 80s/early 90s computer game? It involved traveling with sled dogs... This has bugged me for a while. Back in elementary school, during the late 80s or very early 90s, the computer lab had this game sort of like the Oregon Trail but not. In this game, you led a pack of sled dogs to travel along some trail. You chose a guide, chose your dogs, and occasionally had to stop along the way to let an injured dog heal or buy supplies.

I'd love to know what this game was, and if it's available anywhere as abandonware/freeware. All the Google searches I've tried have turned up something like Amazon Trail or Yukon Trail, which isn't it (no sled dogs). Anyway, not a huge deal, but I'd greatly appreciate some input if you have any idea what I'm talking about. Thanks!

Why does this online game keep crashing my browsers?

tzikeh — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 16:01:17 -0800

It's called Equilibria, and it's a simple java-based game that has one tiny drawback. After a few rounds, my browser crashes. I've tried dropping down to "normal" instead of "challenge", I've tried both Safari 3.2.1 and Firefox 3.0.4. I'm on a Mac OS 10.5.5 with 3GB of RAM. As far as I can tell, there is no reason for this. I've only managed to get up to level 6 before my browser dies; my average is level 3.

Anyone have ideas or similar experiences they've solved?

Name these strange older PC games

DetonatedManiac — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 19:11:33 -0800

PC-game-filter: I vaguely remember reading about these games years ago, help me remember what they were and bonus points for where to "obtain" them. 1) A game about B-movie like monsters --or maybe it was a make your own monster and set it loose on a city with a "movie mode" tacked on? 2) A game where you control a bizarre floating island that you build into a "battle ship", with jet engines, guns and even a battering ram. More info:

#1) The "Monster Game" I remember reading a review/preview of it about 4-7 years ago. The premise was you could make (or recreate) famous B-movie monsters and set them loose in a simulated city. I think the review mentioned specifically as examples Giant Ants, but I got the impression things like Giant lizards, blobs, aliens were also part of it too. I remember the review said something like if you do enough damage the Army shows up to fight you.

Somehow I think there was also some sort of "movie mode" where it would go into black and white and you could watch a cinematic replay of the damage you wrought on the city. I am PRETTY SURE that the movie making was NOT a primary part of the game, just a bonus (so I'm not confusing this with the recent Movie-maker games... this was certainly years before those titles).

#2 The floating battle Island game. This one I read a review of about 5-10 years ago. If it helps it was a PC gamer review and I specifically remember the reviewer comparing the feel of the game to a "MC Escher painting where giant lizards are floating on an Island in space" or something like this.

The general premise was a sort of space battle/city builder (I guess). But I specifically remember the review talking about how you could build/buy jet engines to strap onto your island to make it move, and then you buy a mix if different ranged weaponry (from catapults to cannons and *I THINK* futuristic stuff like lasers... and for CERTAIN a battering ram) and stuff like that. Then I guess your battle island fights other battle islands.

Again, all of the above information was from PC game magazine reviews (I never actually played either of these games), so be skeptical of my game-play descriptions accordingly. I cannot remember which magazine the "Monster-movie" one was (and in fact it may have been a "PREview" so I don't know if the game was even released), but the "battle island"one was almost certainly from PC gamer and a review.

I'd be content just to know the names of these games as it has bugged me for years looking for them... and of course would really thrill me if I could DL and play them. THANKS HIVE MIND!

What is this pc game?

stresstwig — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:35:51 -0800

What is this old computer game that was a top-down open space shooter? Note: I am fairly confident it is not Escape Velocity. I think this would have been about the mid-late 90's, for Windows--
It was an open space world, in which the entire map (vast) was mapped by two coordinates, vertical and horizontal. You had a standard space ship, and the game hinged upon missions which usually involved fighting, going to other areas designated by a planet to fight, etc. The things I remember vividly are: during a fight, you could allocate shield power to different areas on your ship (front, back), you could go into a hyperspace mode which was incredibly fast and necessary for long travel. Also, I remember the first cut-scenish thing after completing a certain mission had a hooded figure.

Building / buying a gaming desktop PC.

detune — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:04:56 -0800

Building / buying a gaming desktop PC. I've always been playing catch-up with technology when it comes to playing games, and I'm thinking of finally breaking down and getting a desktop that can play all the latest and greatest for the next year or two at least. I've built two previous desktops from components, but at this point, I think I would rather buy a pre-made desktop because it doesn't seem like I would be saving that much money by doing it myself, and because I am concerned about compatibility issue between different components.

The problem is that I don't really know where to go. This post is fairly helpful as a starting point, but it got sort of derailed into a Mac discussion. So - what's a reputable online site that sells gaming desktop PCs with at least a 12-month warranty? I am thinking of spending around $1,800 (including a monitor); is that a reasonable estimate for a computer that will play current games well and that I will be able to upgrade a year or two later? Would I be better off getting a list of components from some place like Ars Technica and doing it myself?

Thanks, MeFi!

How do I price tag on my booty?

lou — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 12:45:08 -0800

Who sets how much old and collectible video games are worth? How do they know? (examples with Monkey Island inside) I wonder if the answer is somewhere along the lines of "they charge whatever people are willing to pay for it" but sellers don't act in a vacuum. There's got to be some feedback for whether a game is worth $50, or $100, or they wouldn't know what to put on the price tag.

I'm wondering, because I noticed that my Monkey Island games are worth a whole lot more than what I paid for them-- on Amazon, anyway. f you look at the listings for Monkey Island Madness even the *CD itself* is "worth" just over $50. But is this just a case of sellers trying to gouge unsuspecting buyers, or a case of three clueless sellers following the lead of one unscrupulous one, or are people actually paying that much?? If I look on eBay, there's only one completed listing for this game and it didn't sell (granted they tried to sell it for $60)-- but the lack of postings don't look like there's really a huge market for them.

Similarly: why is the original Curse of Monkey Island just under $30 while the re-release is nearly $100? I thought originals were worth more than re-release copies? (I have the original one.) Again, are people actually paying $100 for this?

...and Monkey Island 2 for $85? I also have this! And the price, like all the rest, looks too good to be true!

Which all brings me to the generic question, for future reference: Is there a kind of "blue book" or price guide somewhere for old computer games/video games? Realistically, what is the best way to put a price tag on what my old games are really worth?

Why does World of Warcraft slow down when I ALT-TAB to Windows?

katala — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 22:17:09 -0800

Why does World of Warcraft slow down when I ALT-TAB to Windows? I'm having a weird graphics problem with World of Warcraft, if you're able to help I would be eternally grateful! :)

When I ALT-TAB out of the game to go back to Windows, and I do this 10+ times over say an hour, my World of Warcraft graphics get all 'chuggy' and the game runs so slow it becomes unplayable. I have to quit and restart it before it's useable again.

I've tried patching my graphics drivers, but it makes no difference. If it's helpful I'm using an Nvideo GeForce 6600 GT.

Single Computer, Two Player Games

bleucube — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 09:53:41 -0800

Looking for two player computer games using the same computer. I recently put together a high end HTPC. I would love to play video games with the wife on it. I know I should get some sort of game console, but that's way down the road. A long time a go we used to play "You Don't Know Jack" which was pretty fun.

Looking for other game suggestions AND/OR other ways of playing LAN games using the same computer.

Thanks!!

How to build a budget gaming PC?

Drexen — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 04:40:57 -0800

Help me build a really mediocre gaming PC! I've finally got the resources to sink a bunch of cash into a somewhat up-to-date PC for gaming. However, I don't want/need to spend enough money to get me to the top of the gaming curve - I don't mind waiting a while before I can play modern games like Bioshock. I'm happy to stay back where the relatively cheap, but still nice games are - specifically I want to be able to play Half-Life 2 at a decent res/detail, but I don't need to max it out necessarily. The most recent game my now-defunct rig could (just about) play was Battlefield 1942, so it seems like there's plenty of great games to get through that were released between that and HL2 (and there's plenty of pre-BF1942 games I haven't got around to as well). My aim is to go for maximum cost-efficiency!

I've got a monitor, keyboard/mouse, printer/scanner and speakers, two DVD/RW drives, and I'll also have a ~300GB external HDD, but not much else I can add. Ideally I'd like to spend less than ~£200, but that's somewhat flexible. It would be good if the PC was pretty quiet. Bonus points if it'd be easy to upgrade it in the future. I can probably put the thing together myself (I've got a friend who can help if necessary). I live in London, UK.

Thanks in advance!

Best price/performance modern video card?

killdevil — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 20:40:06 -0800

Neeerrrrrrrrdfilter: I want to play Bioshock. Help me find the most economical way to upgrade my video hardware so that it will run the game satisfactorily. My desktop machine is a not-over-the-hill-but-not-brand-new Pentium D (last gasp of the Pentium IV architecture if I recall correctly) running at 3.2GHz. It came with an nVidia GeForce 6800 (AGP), which I use to play Source-engine games at 1920x1200 and about 30fps with HDR disabled.

My understanding is that Bioshock -- and other new games, for that matter -- will probably not run especially well on a GeForce 6800. What is the best modern ATI or nVidia card I can buy from a price / performance standpoint? I don't want to drop $500 on a bleeding-edge video card, but I do want to play Bioshock at or near full settings, and also be able to play Day of Defeat: Source at much better framerates WITH HDR enabled.

Suggestions?

Best free indie games?

archagon — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 17:52:41 -0800

I just finished Cave Story and loved every minute of it. What are some other exemplary free indie games?

Software for my mum.

divabat — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 07:32:10 -0800

My mum loves interior design. She also loves puzzles but finds black belt Sudoku too easy. She's inheriting a laptop. What sort of programs and games can I load on this laptop for her? I just got a new laptop, so my mum will "inherit" this one while I bring my new one overseas. I would like to load it with some useful software and games she can use.

She generally uses computers for the most basic tasks, though she has spent long nights playing Minesweeper. She's still getting the hang of things though, so we don't want anything complicated.

She'll mainly be checking email and looking at pretty interior design websites, so I'm keeping Firefox on there. I'm also keeping AVG. Is there any spyware program that doesn't need too much tech knowledge to run? I have Spybot S&D but I'm worried that it'll be too complex for her.

She LOVES puzzle games. As mentioned earlier, she has spent HOURS on past computers playing Tritryst, Minesweeper, Freecell, and Solitaire. She is now a Sudoku aficionado but is finding even "black belt" level puzzles to be too easy for her. What sort of games along the same vein (puzzle, easy to learn the basics, increasing difficulty, logical/mathematical) can I install? I'd prefer it be offline software than anything she has to go online for, but websites are good.

She also has asked for something that lets her design; I already have Photoshop on this laptop so I'm keeping it for her. Is there any good software for interior designers or those that like interior design?

Specs about this laptop:
* Acer TravelMate 290, 3 years old
* Windows XP SP2, has Office 2003 and Photoshop and a few other things
* 30GB altogether split in two partitions: C: has 20gb which is mostly taken up by software, D: has 10gb.
* 512MB RAM but kinda slow
* Internet connection is through a mobile modem (uses mobile SIM card); comparable to broadband but not always on
* Speakers passable, I think there's headsets in the house so she can use Skype
* Currently has trackpad; am considering getting optical mouse

Thanks! :)

Computer Game Suggestions

Raichle — Wed, 30 May 2007 16:27:39 -0800

I need some suggestions for computer games. I tend to dislike FPS and RPG though WOW was OK. (Obviously I love my TLA's :) ). See more inside please. So, I have been craving a new computer game lately but am not up to date on what is out there and good. Can anyone make a suggestion? I am open to MMORPG's but none have really held my attention since the first manifestation of A Tale in the Desert. I played WOW for awhile but hate dealing with all the kids and got bored at higher levels. The games that I have really enjoyed in the past are Maniac Mansion, King's Quest, Starcraft, Black & White, Evil Genius, 1602, Civilization, Roborally, etc. I have no problem with playing older games if they are still fun. I would LOVE it if someone could suggest a free game :). For shorter games, I really liked the Bridge Building game, Laser Game, and Crimson/Veridian Room. Any suggestions are appreciated!

Help me find a good game to play over the internet with my friends.

zenja72 — Sun, 06 May 2007 11:38:32 -0800

Help me find a good game to play over the internet with my friends. I would like to host a series of gaming tournaments with my friends, probably 3-6 people besides myself. The game should be online, not LAN, as we don't have a place to host a LAN party. It should be free or damn cheap, and it should be able to run on XP, OSX, and Vista would be nice but not necessary. It should also not be requiring too much from a system, because my hosting computer is not anything special (4yr old Dell Machine). The game should also allow some specific server tools; password protection, banning, etc.

As for the genre, any game that is good for several 2-3 hour tournaments is good, but shoot-em ups and RTS games are what I have in mind. Thanks!

Recommend some games with low computer requirements.

dkleinst — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 20:34:00 -0800

Recommend a computer game that will work smoothly on my computer. I have a pretty low power IBM laptop (integrated graphics card, but alright RAM and processor), but I want some good games to play.

I tend to like strategy and RTS. Shadow President, Capitalism Plus, Civilization 2, C&C Red Alert are among my favorites.