Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with gaming

should i buy mass effect?

leemajors — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 18:01:36 -0800

steam has mass effect for $20. is it worth buying and playing now?

Virtual Vacation Worlds

lord_yo — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:50:27 -0800

Are there any games which let you just explore and enjoy the scenery, like a walk-in painting or virtual vacation? (single-player preferred) I really enjoy games which give you the possibility to explore beautifully created surroundings, without a specific goal, except occasional mini-games. For example, the thing I loved most about GTA:San Andreas was not the missions, but driving around the country side. In the late 90s, multimedia producers created early versions of this (including an explorable version of The Simpson's Springfield), but I haven't seen anything like that since.

I'm looking for single-player games, if there are any, or maybe multiuser environments, if they are really well done (I know Second Life already, but the graphics are not very good).

By the way, does this genre have a name?

Open-ended games?

nostrich — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:54:40 -0800

I would like to find a computer game with a mechanic that rewards constant play (eg, levelling up). What do you recommend? I enjoy playing games, but they're always over too fast (or I get bored of them). As such, I am constantly on the look out for games that are not over too fast. I've filled the hole somewhat with shmups -- it will take hundreds hours of practise before I master DoDonPachi, and it somehow remains fun no matter how many times I play stage 1 -- but sometimes I don't want to play a shmup (or don't want to drag my gamepad out, or whatever), so I'm looking for more.

The first thing that comes to mind is a game where you level up (eg, World of Warcraft), which would be fine, but caveat: I find repetitive grinding incredibly boring. Same reason I am slowly becoming bored of Elements, despite initial enjoyment. So if it requires grinding, I'm probably not going to enjoy it.

Whatever the mechanism, the game needs to continue to be rewarding indefinitely (or for a very long time, at least).

Couple of other caveats: it would be nice if it could be played for 5 minutes or 5 hours depending on my mood (I love Civ, but sitting down for a game is such a commitment). It needs to either be Flash-based or OS X compatible -- I'm just as open to either, and can be relied upon to have a constant internet connection -- anything that requires Windows is useless to me (not hardcore enough to install Boot Camp/VMWare just for a game). I'm also open to emulation (providing x system has an emulator OS X can run competently, of course). Price isn't a huge concern, but it will take a monumentally awesome game to make me consent to a subscription. I'm pretty flexible on genres, but I will say the Sim-genre games never grabbed me very much (though I'm not sure why, it's been a while), because I know they will be among the first answers.

Feel free to ignore caveats: if I like it enough, I'll make exceptions. The only necessary is that it's open-ended and fun and not Puzzle Pirates (though puzzles are ok!).

Anything come to mind?

Help me upgrade my son's PC for Christmas

COD — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:11:21 -0800

I want to upgrade my son's PC for Christmas but I'm overwhelmed by the options and I figure somebody here can point me in the right direction a lot faster than I can figure it out myself. My son is getting by with an old 1.6 GHZ Celeron box with 1 GB RAM and a GeForce card, I think in the 4000 series. It's not new for sure. He uses the PC for general Web stuff and playing RTS types of games. He tend to do most of his graphically intensive FPS gaming on the Xbox. So the new computer does not need to be a quad core super gaming machine. My budget is $400 for a low-mid level gaming box that will last him 2 years as I assume I'll be buying him a laptop to take to college 2 years from now. His current box plays all his games fine, if not at high resolution.

The easy way out is to pick up a Dual Core box with 2-3 GB of RAM from the Dell Outlet store and add a better GPU to it. That will come in probably just a little over $400, which is fine.

However, his current PC has a decent case with a 350W power supply that is only about 2 years old, and I have a couple of 250 GB IDE drives laying around I could use, as well as the DVD drive in his current box. So I'm thinking I could put a new motherboard with a much better CPU and 2-4 GB of RAM into his current case, maybe upgrade the power supply if needed, add a GEForce 9500 level GPU or something along those lines, and come out with a much better computer than the Dell box, probably for less money.

However, I'm totally overwhelmed trying to pick and choose between all my options for upgrading his box. Does anybody here that has experience rolling your own PC want to recommend the components that would work, within the 400 budget?

Thanks.

Should I run a one-off D&D game for a party with (adult) non-players?

mark7570 — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 08:58:39 -0800

Any suggestions for one-off D&D game for newbies? I'm considering running a D&D game for an upcoming party I'm hosting. Guests and I are all in our mid-to-late 30s and most of us have never played D&D (though I played in my teens).

My question is, does anyone have a suggestion for a one-off D&D campaign that I can run at the party, which would be fun for people who've never played before? Something we could run start to finish in, say, two hours.

Note that this wouldn't be leading on ongoing campaign - this would just be a fun activity we haven't tried before, possibly to go on to other games for the next party.

I have some DM experience so I could do that, though I'd have to go out and buy the materials I'd need... it's been a long time since I had my old D&D manuals around.

BTW, I'm also interested to know if the answer is "don't do it" - i.e., if there just isn't an easy way to run a one-off quick D&D game for new players. I just thought that it might be an interesting game to try for people who've never had the chance to experience D&D.

P.S. I've already seen this and this question on AskMeFi and found them helpful for extra info, albeit for more advanced gamers.

Aliens, Mutants, Zombies? No problem, we're in this together.

misha — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 08:48:47 -0800

My spouse and I like to play PS3 games together. Keeping in mind that we've run through Resistance: Fall of Man 5 times now on Superhuman and are getting bored with it, what are your favorite PS3 games which allow COOPERATIVE local play (2 or more players)? I've checked previous threads, but not seen PS3 recommendations. Thanks, hive mind.

Best video game blogs?

kmz — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:59:35 -0800

What are the best video game blogs out there today? We've had a Wii for a while, so I'd been reading Joystiq's Nintendo subfeed. We just got a 360, so I'm switching to their whole feed, and also thinking about Kotaku. Outside of those two, what are the best news/review type gaming feeds to read?

Wii games for all ages

sonofslim — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 06:24:47 -0800

I'm thinking about buying a Wii for my family this xmas. What are some titles that my parents (mid 50s) might enjoy playing with my niece and nephew (ages 3 and 5)?

Xbox 360 games for the retired and slightly arthritic?

Acarpous — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 05:18:41 -0800

Inexplicably, my sixty-six year old father has just bought an Xbox 360. What games could I buy for it that my parents would enjoy? I suspect that this purchase may have been motivated by his love of Tiger Woods PGA Tour that he once spent hours and hours engaged with but which they have now stopped making for the PC. He now has his beloved golf game, but I would like to buy him (and my mother) another game or two for Christmas. I do not play games of any flavour though and know nothing about them or what's available.

The main point for consideration is that my parents are both in their sixties and while my father in particular enjoys fiddling with new gadgets they'll get frustrated if they can't make something work quickly. Tiger Woods type of complexity is fine because it's slow and no in-game baddie is going to come along and take your head off with a chainsaw if you don't remember how make that putt quickly enough. But anything that requires you to press X five times to the tune of Carmina Burana while touching your toes in order to make the character jump onto something is out because even if they remember how it works they simply don't have the dexterity and it'll get discarded quickly. Years ago my mother could spend days playing the original Doom with just the arrow keys and spacebar but could not cope with performing the simplest actions in Doom 3 as the controls and the various elements had become so overwhelmingly vast and complicated.

Any genre is good, with the exception of any Guitar Hero type music making thing (dexterity again but more importantly, because all music made after 1960 is the work of Satan apparently) and preferably those they can play alone rather than together. Or maybe there are games designed for children that therefore have simple gameplay mechanisms but which are engaging and of a high enough level to hold an adult's attention too?

Help with buying a new mid-range windows gaming PC?

cortex — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:37:45 -0800

I'm looking at purchasing a new PC for gaming, wanting to spend between $1000 and $1500 total, would prefer not to put it together myself, and am waaaay out of the loop on hardware at this point, particularly graphic cards. I've been pricing out desktop builds from some of the major manufacturers this morning and I'm realizing that while I'm comfortable making some basic price/performance calls as far as CPU and memory, I'm completely out of touch with the GPU market and need some guidance.

I'd like to be able to play current releases without flinching, at crisp resolutions. I'll be happy with non-distracting performance: 30fps is great, 60fps is not something I'm going to care about so much.

I'd rather just buy a box from someone and have done with it than do much work myself inside the case, but as far as buying my own GPU to install in an otherwise standard box that's certainly not outside my comfort zone.

Looking at Dell's builds for both their normal beefy desktop line and their Alienware stuff, it seems like a lot of the latter is Ooh, Shiny packaging. I don't need a pretty box. But options for GPUs are pretty slim on non-gamer boxes, which has me wondering if going in that direction for a reasonably bullshit-free desktop build and then slotting in my own card is the smarter move.

Any specific advice on targeting a good-enough-for-current-games (biggies on my list include Dragon Age now, Mass Effect 2 and Diablo 3 when they drop, for example) GPU on the saner side of the price/performance break? Any particular good deals/providers for a solid out-of-the-box system in my price range?

Immersive Xbox environments

Hugobaron — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 10:59:36 -0800

Gamers: I am an Xbox newbie. Please recommend first-person games with excellently-achieved immersive environments. I'm new to first-person gaming (recreational, playing on Normal, enjoying exploration of well-realized scenarios rather than merely cut-throat battling and dying constantly - but some fighting is OK). I have just acquired an Xbox 360, and already I am loving GTA4, Arkham Asylum, Halo 3. When these are exhausted, what else will I enjoy? Which older releases should I now get on the cheap?

How build a gaming pc that doesn't use much power when doing office work?

Pres — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:40:53 -0800

I want to build a pc with a powerful display adaptor for gaming, but that doesn't waste energy when I'm just doing office work. Any suggestions on how to do this? (multiple adaptors? software?)

PC strategies/role-playing games for a teenager?

noztran — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 05:59:26 -0800

Could anyone please help me come up with a list of PC games? Some time ago I presented my niece with Battle for Wesnoth. She loved it. Some time earlier she used to be a devout fan of SimCity and the Neverhood. I'm also guessing she's not a Civilization-type.

Now I'm looking for something else. These strictly need to run on a fairly unimpressive Windows XP PC and they need to be playable without Internet (in other words, World of Warcraft is thereby disqualified). I've shown her Warcraft III and she was unimpressed.

So far, I've come up with: Neverwinter Nights (not the online one), Baldur's Gate (although I am hesitant about this one since it relies on dialogue so heavily) and Icewind Dale. Maybe one of the versions of Settlers.

Any thoughts will be much appreciated.

Mac and MMO's don't mix.

Anonymous — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:23:54 -0800

I'm a gamer. I bought a mac. After going through a lot of hassles with Boot Camp, I've decided to switch back. I'll get around $1700 for returning the mac... My question is, would it be better to buy a laptop around this price or sell my desktop as well to up my budget? Quick note: This question is anonymous because my entire social circle knows about the situation, and I don't want them knowing about my other, more personal questions on the main account.

I did get boot camp to work for awhile, but then I ran out of hard drive space on my Windows partition. Low and behold, you can't dynamically resize drives. Instead of going through the reinstall when I run out of space again (or giving my mac partition a measly 5GB... What is it even there for?) , I decided to just buy a gaming laptop.

I've been looking at the G71GX and the G51Vx.(http://usa.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=0rtKwgmuen69jiqw).

Around May of '08, I built a desktop with top of the line gaming equipment at the time (specifically, to run Age of Conan.) I'm away in college now, so most of the time it sits collecting dust. However, I'm worried that if I do sell it, I'll find the laptop doesn't measure up and regret it... Anyone have some experience with this that can chime in? (I've never bought a laptop for gaming before.)

Also, I mention the date/equipment because I'm trying to guestimate how much it'll sell for. My guess is around $500-$600, but could it be even less than that? (I can give specific specs if need be.)

Using PC Monitor for Console Games?

flatluigi — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:45:39 -0800

How can I play console games through my computer monitor? I have a shabby old television that I use to play my Wii on. It occurred to me the other day that I have a much better monitor that I use for PC gaming and it would be pretty nice if I could set it up to play on that.

What do I need to get to do that? I'm aware of some hardware I can buy to play through my PC for recording purposes (such as a GameBridge), but that's unnecessary for what I need and I'd like to know of cheaper alternatives.

Please suggest video games you think I'd like, based on the stuff I already like!

ixohoxi — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 18:20:26 -0800

Please suggest video games you think I'd like, based on the stuff I already like! Help me find my new favorite game. It can be commercial or independent, old or recent, long or short, graphical or text-based, easy or difficult.

I've put together the following list of common traits I've identified in the games that I like, along with examples. As you can see, I'm probably not looking for an FPS or an MMO, unless it has really strong and masterfully executed elements from this list.

Your suggestions don't have to incorporate all of the traits on this list (that would be quite a feat!); this is simply meant to give an idea of the kinds of things I enjoy in a game.

I have a PC with a 3.0GHz dual-core Pentium 4, 3GB RAM, and a middling video card.

The list (in no particular order):

Simulation. Games which model complex systems, and put you in charge of engineering and managing those systems. (Civilization; Dwarf Fortress)
Sandbox gameplay. Games in which no explicit goal is given, or in which the goal can be easily ignored to pursue my own arbitrary goals. (Oblivion; Dwarf Fortress)
Emergent gameplay. Games where complex situations arise organically from a few relatively simple mechanics. NetHack is the gold standard here (and I suspect that Dwarf Fortress would trump it if I had the courage to take it there). Spelunky has some of this, too. Yes, I've played other roguelikes.
Atmosphere. Game with a creative, well-developed atmosphere and aesthetic—an original and compelling game world. I dislike stock formulas: battle axes and goblins; space marines and aliens; preteen anime characters waking up in bucolic pixel villages. I prefer stuff that's cerebral, maybe a little more sober and mature, especially if there's an element of mystery or magic or melancholy. (Thief 2—my favorite game of all time; Bioshock; Psychonauts; Knytt Stories; Braid—for the aesthetic alone; the puzzling is a bit too hardcore for me)
Unique gameplay. I don't really want to play another RPG, or another turn-based strategy game, or another [insert standard genre here]. I like games that are as thoughtful and creative with their gameplay mechanics as the titles in the previous point are with their aesthetic. If the question "what do you do in the game?" causes hesitation as you search for points of reference, then I'm probably interested. Action elements are fine, but twitch gameplay is not. (The Thief series—yes, I've played Shadows of the Metal Age; Dwarf Fortress; Braid, if I actually liked it, which I don't—but it gets an A for effort)

Wow; apparently I really like Dwarf Fortress. I guess that's a pretty broad net, but hopefully it suggests some ideas. Recommend away!

I want to build a web site where gamers can converse via video. Where do I begin?

raddevon — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 07:16:08 -0800

I want to build a web site where gamers can converse via video. I'm thinking of something a bit like a Seesmic targeted toward gamers. Where do I start? I'm not a developer, but I can poke around in code a bit on my own. I wouldn't be opposed to using a roll-your-own-social-network solution and doing it all myself as a hobby. I also wouldn't be opposed to hiring a developer off elance and positioning this as a business. I don't really know where to start in either direction. Does anyone have any suggestions? I have experience with Wordpress and Drupal.

Help me frag my boyfriend...

WidgetAlley — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:48:58 -0800

For the love of sweet holy Moses, how can I find out what router I'm using? But wait! There's a catch. I can't see it. Backstory: I am currently in an LDR and one of the things my boyfriend and I like to do to relax is frag each other mercilessly, preferably in Sauerbraten.

Towards this end, I am attempting to host a private server with a game just for the two of us. I am, however, having some serious trouble with configuring my ports to do this. Currently, according to WhatsMyIP, all attempts to connect with the most-often used gaming ports are timing out, and when I try to set up my own server, it does not receive a ping response. I know that PortForward can help me out with this, but first I need to know what router I have!

Here where it gets interesting: the router is locked in a giant metal box down the hall. There is no way I can get inside to see what kind it is short of calling an IT dude. Is there another way to get this information without actually seeing the brand name stamped on the side?

I have tried using ipconfig/all to get this information, but the name it gives me (Broadcom NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet) is not a router. Despite that, my default gateway is 10.101.100.1, which according to my Google-fu means I am connecting to a router. An attempt to access the router's information through http:/10.101.100.1 leads only to a timed-out connection.

Thanking you in advance, hive-mind!

total immersion gaming question

konono — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:13:53 -0800

Has anyone heard of http://www.totimm.com/? TIS recently offered me a position, but i can not find much additional information about them. Please let me know of any experience you may have had with this company?

New midrange desktop computer in Canada?

Monday, stony Monday — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 10:41:41 -0800

Buying a new desktop computer for gaming, programming and photography, in Canada. My old (2001) computer isn't cutting it anymore; it only has USB 1.1, so transferring photos to it is a pain, and RAW processing is almost right out. It only has integrated graphics, so modern gaming is right out. It does okay for programming, but even simple IDEs (e.g.: DrScheme) are slow.

I need a new Desktop computer that will, ideally, allow me to run Fallout 3 at moderate detail, allow me to do some RAW processing on my photos, and allow me to run DrScheme relatively fast.

I'm live in Gatineau, right next to Ottawa, in Canada.

My options, as I see them:

1) Get a "name brand" computer, such as this Dell. Pros: I get a lot of computer for little money, and a warranty (no DOA parts, I hope). Problem: the affordable Dells (<1000$) have utterly basic graphic cards; I would have to get a new card or run games in low detail & resolution. I'm not completely sure putting a new card in one of those cheap computers is a good idea (heat, power supply). Other brands: I have a prejudice against Compaq/HP (bad experiences of friends). Are Acers any good?

2) Buy parts online (tigerdirect, ncix, newegg), build something myself from one of the online guides (djb, ars technica, techreport). Pros: I can get all the parts I want. Cons: it seems that I would get slightly less performance for my money; I have to assemble it myself, and may have to deal with some problems (DOA parts, incompabilities), which I'd rather not.

3) Buy a custom computer from a local shop. Pros: as with 2), I get to choose exactly what I want. The shop deals with assembly. Cons: probably more expensive than either 1) or 2). I don't know which local shops are reputable.

4) Go all out and buy a Mac (Fuck everything, we're doing 5 blades). Pros: Hell yeah, a Mac. Cons: the Mini seems to not have the power I need, so that's out. The desktops in my price range have integrated screens; I want something large, to that's going to cost me.

My budget: strictly online (credit card limit): $1400, taxes included, max, for the box. Brick and mortar: add $600 (it has to be worth it). I will be buying a screen, possibly separately.

Laptops are right out. If I'm building, I'm probably looking at the better price/performance ratio possible, which seems to mean AMD or maybe the new "mainstream Intel i5/i7". If you know of a good shop in Ottawa or Gatineau, please tell me!

Get words to mah team!

razzamatazm — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 23:21:56 -0800

Is it possible to connect a Jawbone headset via bluetooth to an intel mac bootcamp'd into XP? I have tried multiple bluetooth stacks, and it seems like I've gotten close, but so far no cigar (or Team Fortress 2 chat). Does the hive have any experience with this conundrum? For what it's worth, I do have a seperate bluetooth dongle that I can plug in. It's very generic so I can't give many specifics.

Run wacky cable or buy a whole new gaming pc?

mindsound — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 11:37:25 -0800

Is it better to (a) run audio, video, keyboard, and mouse to the TV at the other end of the house or (b) just get a second PC? Help me sort out the cost/benefit. We're going to move into a new house soon and I would like to nail our A/V planning down. I have a PC that will be in a room at the opposite end of the house from the family room where the TV and stereo are. I play console games on the TV and I would like to play PC games both on the TV and on the PC. Is there even a good way to run cable for this? What would you do? Details:

Win XP and the games are on a separate drive (dual boot), so I could just get another nice gaming barebones and put that drive in it. So that's the cost limit. I'd rather not spend that much if feasible.

I do not want fan noise by the TV.

The TV is a 720p LCD with VGA/HDMI/composite and any solution needs to drive it at native res.

The house is a 60's rancher with all original plaster walls and a very accessible attic & basement running the length of the house.

Currently our entire IP network is wireless. Not sure how that's going to fly in the new place. A wireless solution would be awesome but I haven't found a sweet one on the googles...

think outside the xbox?

thinkingwoman — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 06:51:22 -0800

recommend an xbox game for me! not a lifelong gamer, so i don't have the highly developed hand-eye coordination to enjoy a shooter (or the personality to enjoy one, either), but have enjoyed fable 2 and mass effect. definitely enjoy the rpg/puzzle aspect more than battles--they are an inevitable part of any game, but i lose interest after dying seven or eight times in a row.

what should i play?

TAKE

NolanRyanHatesMatches — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 23:06:40 -0800

We called this Scrabble variation "Take," but it seems no one else calls it that. What's the most common name? Back at college, we basically threw away the Scrabble board and played "Take" instead. Rules: turn over all of the Scabble pieces (usually from two sets of Scrabble so there were a ton of letters), and everyone begins with seven letters. The first person to make a word/words with those tiles (e.g. one seven-letter word or two interconnected words, like d-o-g, and then playing off of the -g- with g-a-m-e-s) yells "TAKE," and everyone has to take another tile.

So basically, everyone is building their own personal Scrabble board off of the letters they draw, and every time someone has used all of their personal letters, they yell "TAKE." To win, you are the player to yell "TAKE" when there are no more letters left in the pile. Then the other players check your interconnected words to make sure everything is kosher, and then you've won.

The name "Take" seems to be specific to my college; Of maybe the 30 people I've mentioned the game to in NYC, none of them have even heard this particular variation, and all are regular Scabble players. The only time I've met someone who has played a similar Scrabble variation called it by another name (can't remember what).

I've searched Google high and low for proof that we're not the only people playing this variation, but I can't find anything under "Take," and I can't seem to locate it by a different name.

HALP! Are we the only ones playing Take; or, under what name is everyone else playing under?

Help me find this game! Thanks.

biochemist — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 09:53:08 -0800

I'm trying to find a game I played when I was younger. It was on the PSX (I believe), and consisted of switching between different animal bodies to navigate the world. The graphics were cartoonish, and you were a "soul." When you weren't inside a body you looked like a black spider, and if you stayed out too long you would die. Some fuzzy details:

I believe there was a level, or perhaps the entire game, set in an arctic area. The character's bellies moved up and down in a cartoonish way to symbolize breathing.