I was trying to reflect on recent games and why I get hooked or not.
And for the most part I will stay interested in a game along as I feel like I am progressing though the Story of the game. This goes for both single player and online RPGs. However there must be room for exploration and to go off the beaten paths for a while.
The trick is, I should always be able to jump right back in to the story at any time. Too many games with great story elements built in periods of time where you had to go wandering to collect XP in order to be powerful enough to meet the next challenge. Final Fantasy was very much like this.
This was one of the reasons I did not get hooked in to Age of Conan. Too many times I had to leave the main storyline quest to go "run errands" in order to continue on the main quest. On the other hand, I felt that the side quests in Lord of the Rings Online (for the starting areas) fit seamlessly in with the main story line quests. For the most part, the side quests put you in the same area as you were going to go to as the story quests.
WoW had some story in some of the quests, but it seemed to be an afterthought. Also it suffered from giving the player too many quests at once. So many that it devalued the whole notion of questing.
Going back to EQ, there were very few quests. Yet, I found almost everyone of them interesting. Even the Kill Ten Rats. Why, because there were not that many. Then again I was younger and just playing and seeing the world was new and exciting. I would actaully enjoy making the run from Freeport to Qeynos. Well for the first few times. But then I did not have to do that run often since there were things to do in both areas.
This isn't limited to Online games. CRPGs can do too much. The Elder Scrolls series are prone to being "too big." I played Daggerfall, Morrowind, and Oblivion, but I only ever finished Morrowind and that was though sheer force of will just to complete the story. And I did resort to a walk though to keep on track.
On the other hand, Fallout (and its various decedents) were just right in story and exploration. I never felt completely lost from the main line, but I still had time and fun to do other things in the world. Also it had the advantage to affect the game world. Granted you did not know of your importance to all the little areas until after you finished the game.
I have yet to stumble in to a MMORPG that fulfilled my need to be apart of the story and world such that I am compelled to continue to play. Not sure if I ever will, but I keep hoping with every game that comes out.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
The Gognard Speaks
Like any good blogging gaming geek, I have a long curriculum vitae of gaming. 30 some years to be honest. So over time, I have seen a lot and at times I get quite amused at where gaming is now. In that what is "new" really was done over 10 years ago by someone else in a different genre.
For example, the whole First Person Shooter came to its own with DOOM. Not that it was the first but it sort of defined the genre. Castle Wolfenstein 3D (also created by id software) was its prelude. Now, I first played Castle Wolfenstien back on my Apple II in 1981 and when I saw the 3D version I was amused and amazed. Being a good computer geek in college, I spent a good deal of time in the computer lab playing a both Wolfenstien and Doom. It did help that I was on staff in the lab as well. (Look ma, I am getting paid while gaming)
My first impression of Diablo was, "Oo, a graphical version of NetHack." And when I was able to ease my way in to Ulitima Online because I played and completed Ultima (before it needed any numbers) and I was a veteran of MUDs.
So for me. There isn't many new things coming out. However, there are many things that are being improving.
Lets take the next big hype: Warhammer
I was playing this 20 years ago in high school. Both the miniature game and the RPG. So I know a bit about this Intellectual Property. So what is new here?
- Crafting: So far it reminds me of The Elder Scrolls system of Alchemy and Enchantment.
- RvR: Well at least they are building off them selves from Dark Age of Camalot
- Class-Levels: Old as RPGs itself.
- Tome of Knowledge: Lord of the Rings had its Deed system, and many CRPGs had various versions of your personal journal and log.
- Public Quests: This is the most evolutionary idea. It is opening up the whole raid idea with out needing the pre-flight logistics. (getting 24+ of your friends together and coordinated)
Now I am not saying anything of this is a bad thing. I look forward to see how they pull this all off. I am wondering if I will ever find an online game that will keep me interested for more than 2 months.
For example, the whole First Person Shooter came to its own with DOOM. Not that it was the first but it sort of defined the genre. Castle Wolfenstein 3D (also created by id software) was its prelude. Now, I first played Castle Wolfenstien back on my Apple II in 1981 and when I saw the 3D version I was amused and amazed. Being a good computer geek in college, I spent a good deal of time in the computer lab playing a both Wolfenstien and Doom. It did help that I was on staff in the lab as well. (Look ma, I am getting paid while gaming)
My first impression of Diablo was, "Oo, a graphical version of NetHack." And when I was able to ease my way in to Ulitima Online because I played and completed Ultima (before it needed any numbers) and I was a veteran of MUDs.
So for me. There isn't many new things coming out. However, there are many things that are being improving.
Lets take the next big hype: Warhammer
I was playing this 20 years ago in high school. Both the miniature game and the RPG. So I know a bit about this Intellectual Property. So what is new here?
- Crafting: So far it reminds me of The Elder Scrolls system of Alchemy and Enchantment.
- RvR: Well at least they are building off them selves from Dark Age of Camalot
- Class-Levels: Old as RPGs itself.
- Tome of Knowledge: Lord of the Rings had its Deed system, and many CRPGs had various versions of your personal journal and log.
- Public Quests: This is the most evolutionary idea. It is opening up the whole raid idea with out needing the pre-flight logistics. (getting 24+ of your friends together and coordinated)
Now I am not saying anything of this is a bad thing. I look forward to see how they pull this all off. I am wondering if I will ever find an online game that will keep me interested for more than 2 months.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
EVE: The Greatest Game I Rarely Play
Though out my postings I will bring up EVE quite a bit. First off because it is unique in that there isn't any online game like it. Also because I think they have shown that a quite few concepts that are tricky to do right can be done, given enough time and dedication.
What did EVE succeed in doing:
1) Create a completely player driven economy. Except for a very limited number of items, like skill books and very basic equipment, everything is player driven. It has either been found/looted by the players or manufacture from other components by players.
2) PvP with meaning. "Never fly anything you can not afford to lose." That is the golden rule of EVE. Because one day, you will lose it. This goes doubly so in PvP. You will lose your ship. It may take a while but one day, someone else will be luckier than you.
3) Free form character growth. You are not stuck in anyone mold in EVE. You can start doing one thing, then over time learn something completely new.
4) Conquest and Player Empires. Over its 5 years, there have been many major alliances and many of them have fallen. At anyone time there are maybe two or three active, and then lots of smaller ones. But over time all the big ones have fallen.
However there is one thing that makes EVE a difficult game to play. It is very slow.
First it takes a long time to figure out what is going on. Fortunately you can't make any mistakes in your first few days of playing that can not be corrected fairly quickly. At worse the skill you though you needed now, you will need later.
Second, it is the type of game where you must think long term. When I log in I not only think about what I am doing today, but what I must set in motion now in order to reap the benefit the next day, week or even month(s). I would spend almost as much time planning what I was going to do as actually doing it.
EVE is not the type of game you can just pop in and do something (other then change skill learning) and pop out. When I was managing a sizable manufacturing operation, I would spend about a half hour a day doing market research, buying supplies, setting up production items and list products. Even then I would still have to spend a few hours one night a week, just to move goods around as needed.
Even my purely combat character. Sure I could just go out and hunt 'rats for a half hour or run a quick mission, but still I would have to spend at least an hour a week doing logistics (suppling, recycling, etc.)
This level of commitment needed to play EVE is also part of its longevity. As you invest more time into the game the more likely you are to want to continue to play.
Every time I think about going back, I look at the fact that it will take me a few hours just to figure out what is going on again and what has changed. Some of that is offline reading, but still it is an investment of time.
What did EVE succeed in doing:
1) Create a completely player driven economy. Except for a very limited number of items, like skill books and very basic equipment, everything is player driven. It has either been found/looted by the players or manufacture from other components by players.
2) PvP with meaning. "Never fly anything you can not afford to lose." That is the golden rule of EVE. Because one day, you will lose it. This goes doubly so in PvP. You will lose your ship. It may take a while but one day, someone else will be luckier than you.
3) Free form character growth. You are not stuck in anyone mold in EVE. You can start doing one thing, then over time learn something completely new.
4) Conquest and Player Empires. Over its 5 years, there have been many major alliances and many of them have fallen. At anyone time there are maybe two or three active, and then lots of smaller ones. But over time all the big ones have fallen.
However there is one thing that makes EVE a difficult game to play. It is very slow.
First it takes a long time to figure out what is going on. Fortunately you can't make any mistakes in your first few days of playing that can not be corrected fairly quickly. At worse the skill you though you needed now, you will need later.
Second, it is the type of game where you must think long term. When I log in I not only think about what I am doing today, but what I must set in motion now in order to reap the benefit the next day, week or even month(s). I would spend almost as much time planning what I was going to do as actually doing it.
EVE is not the type of game you can just pop in and do something (other then change skill learning) and pop out. When I was managing a sizable manufacturing operation, I would spend about a half hour a day doing market research, buying supplies, setting up production items and list products. Even then I would still have to spend a few hours one night a week, just to move goods around as needed.
Even my purely combat character. Sure I could just go out and hunt 'rats for a half hour or run a quick mission, but still I would have to spend at least an hour a week doing logistics (suppling, recycling, etc.)
This level of commitment needed to play EVE is also part of its longevity. As you invest more time into the game the more likely you are to want to continue to play.
Every time I think about going back, I look at the fact that it will take me a few hours just to figure out what is going on again and what has changed. Some of that is offline reading, but still it is an investment of time.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Crafting: Buildin the better mouse trap in game
The Warhammer devs recently released a video podcast on Crafting in WAR.
It is interesting that their two design goals (no grinding useless items, no recipes) are not completely new. They are elements of crafting that are pre-WoW. What is sad is that recent MMOs usually tend to these elements. Lord of the Rings was almost exactly like WoW. Even Vanguard and EQ2 were mostly fixed recipes, you could add some extra bonuses in some items on the fly.
At least with Vanguard and EQ2 there was a bit of a mini-game in actually creating the items and there were various levels of quality.
But putting all that aside, what has and has not worked for crafting in MMORPGs?
The first problem you have to address is which is better. Crafted items or Looted items? For example, why should I spend all my time crafting a sword when it turns out to be a fairly common drop from mobs. Then there is the flip side, why take down bosses for loot if crafting can make a better item.
There are two options to this. First is the EVE and Pirates of the Burning Seas Method. Manufactured items and loot items are the same thing. There is the occasional "named" item that is better, but there is still some rarity.
The second option is to not have the same type items both as loot and crafted. In Star Wars Galaxies, all gear was player created. There was still useful loot like (like dragon pearls and holocrons) but you had no overlap between the two sources of goods.
The second problem is one of over supply. In order to maintain a need for crafting, everything that is craftable must be consumable or destroyable. Much in the same why that you have to regulate the money supply in a game, you have to regulate the item supply.
In EVE, every item can be broken down in to it component parts in order to make different things. Due to built in inefficiencies both in manufacturing and recycling, raw materials are slowly removed from the system with every step. Also every time a ship was destroyed, some of the components would be destroyed as well.
SWG had a fairly aggressive item decay system. Every time you used your weapon it slowly lost durability. The goal here is to make sure that there is enough crafting going on to replace all the decaying equipment at reasonable cost. A player will not spend more money on an item then it will yield in its life time. In fact most players will expect at least a 10:1 if not 100:1 return on investment. For example, If I spend 1000 credits on a rifle, I better be able to make at least 100,000 credits before I have to replace it.
It is interesting that their two design goals (no grinding useless items, no recipes) are not completely new. They are elements of crafting that are pre-WoW. What is sad is that recent MMOs usually tend to these elements. Lord of the Rings was almost exactly like WoW. Even Vanguard and EQ2 were mostly fixed recipes, you could add some extra bonuses in some items on the fly.
At least with Vanguard and EQ2 there was a bit of a mini-game in actually creating the items and there were various levels of quality.
But putting all that aside, what has and has not worked for crafting in MMORPGs?
The first problem you have to address is which is better. Crafted items or Looted items? For example, why should I spend all my time crafting a sword when it turns out to be a fairly common drop from mobs. Then there is the flip side, why take down bosses for loot if crafting can make a better item.
There are two options to this. First is the EVE and Pirates of the Burning Seas Method. Manufactured items and loot items are the same thing. There is the occasional "named" item that is better, but there is still some rarity.
The second option is to not have the same type items both as loot and crafted. In Star Wars Galaxies, all gear was player created. There was still useful loot like (like dragon pearls and holocrons) but you had no overlap between the two sources of goods.
The second problem is one of over supply. In order to maintain a need for crafting, everything that is craftable must be consumable or destroyable. Much in the same why that you have to regulate the money supply in a game, you have to regulate the item supply.
In EVE, every item can be broken down in to it component parts in order to make different things. Due to built in inefficiencies both in manufacturing and recycling, raw materials are slowly removed from the system with every step. Also every time a ship was destroyed, some of the components would be destroyed as well.
SWG had a fairly aggressive item decay system. Every time you used your weapon it slowly lost durability. The goal here is to make sure that there is enough crafting going on to replace all the decaying equipment at reasonable cost. A player will not spend more money on an item then it will yield in its life time. In fact most players will expect at least a 10:1 if not 100:1 return on investment. For example, If I spend 1000 credits on a rifle, I better be able to make at least 100,000 credits before I have to replace it.
Monday, June 2, 2008
We are all Individuals
There is a very weird empirical result of online game design:
The more freedom you offer in character creation and customization, the more everyone will be the same.
It is sort of a contradiction, but it is part of the reason why there are so few "classless" MMORPG systems out there. Now this isn't entirely true as there have been successful Classless games. It all has to do with the amount of freedom of character design is useful in the game. Yet, in the last two years, every major MMORPG release has been class-based.
So how do Classless Systems fail? And why are developers cautious around them?
Back in Ultima Online and Asheron's Call, you had the choice of picking any skills you wanted and create your character freely. Over time, it turned out that there was really only one build that the great majority of players used. AC was worse since there were skills that you could specialize in that were in the end completely useless except in the rarest of cases. A player may have an alt for some of the lesser used but profitable trade/craft skills, but for the most part it was one build or death.
Class based systems suffer a similar fate. WoW has all its classes and feat trees, however, there is usually two or three "accepted" builds for each class in order to be competitive. Now for the single/solo/small group player, you can get away a bit from not being optimal. But when the end game is competition with other players (though Raids and PvP) you have to get every last edge you can.
EVE and Star Wars Galaxies (Pre-NGE) were able to have open ended character design with limited similarities.
In SWG you could easily become a Master in multiple professions. And there were usually multiple professions for different tasks. For example, you could become a specialist in pistols, carbines, rifles or heavy weapons. Ideally neither one of the ranged combat groups was always better than the other. Same for the Melee combat groups, and the different Support/Buff, and Crafter Professions. (There also hybrid professions like the Bounty Hunter and Creature Handler, and they had their own interesting bits.)
The problem with SWG is that there was a point that you were "done" improving your character.
EVE has an open ended character creation and it is also functionally limitless. Your character can always learn more.
There are limited number of skills needed create a nice Raven Missile boat with a solid passive shield tank for missions, but a different set of skills are needed to fly an Apoc armor tank. Both ships fit the same general role, and have certain advantages depending on the specific task at hand.
But then if you want to go in to mining that is a whole different set of skills, not to mention manufacturing and a host of other tasks that are profitable in game.
Over time your character can learn multiple different fields and specialties. But what you are doing at the moment depends on the ship you are flying. Your character's combat skills mean nothing when you are piloting a freighter.
In order for a classless system to succeed it needs the following:
1) There are multiple ways doing one thing. With no one way being always the best.
2) There are many different thing that one can do.
3) Ability for continuous growth.
The problem now is make sure that each method of doing something is equivalent. In EVE there are 4 different type of primary weapon systems. Though it took a while for the devs to finally make sure that each weapon system had its place. And no one weapon system was best in all cases. SWG had the same balance problem between its ranged weapon groups at start.
Having many things to do means a lot more design. You can't just create a crafting mini-game to churn out products if those products have no use in the final cause of the game itself. Or what is the point of being stealthy and have the ability to avoid combat if in the end the game is all about combat?
In SWG it was all about the Galactic Civil War. Most professions had something that could directly contribute to the cause. But a few (entertainers) had very little direct impact on the war.
EVE is much more open ended. Your personal goals are yours alone. Though even in the game of alliance domination, everyone is needed. Building a Titian, requires many different professions, not just the industrialists to make them.
The more freedom you offer in character creation and customization, the more everyone will be the same.
It is sort of a contradiction, but it is part of the reason why there are so few "classless" MMORPG systems out there. Now this isn't entirely true as there have been successful Classless games. It all has to do with the amount of freedom of character design is useful in the game. Yet, in the last two years, every major MMORPG release has been class-based.
So how do Classless Systems fail? And why are developers cautious around them?
Back in Ultima Online and Asheron's Call, you had the choice of picking any skills you wanted and create your character freely. Over time, it turned out that there was really only one build that the great majority of players used. AC was worse since there were skills that you could specialize in that were in the end completely useless except in the rarest of cases. A player may have an alt for some of the lesser used but profitable trade/craft skills, but for the most part it was one build or death.
Class based systems suffer a similar fate. WoW has all its classes and feat trees, however, there is usually two or three "accepted" builds for each class in order to be competitive. Now for the single/solo/small group player, you can get away a bit from not being optimal. But when the end game is competition with other players (though Raids and PvP) you have to get every last edge you can.
EVE and Star Wars Galaxies (Pre-NGE) were able to have open ended character design with limited similarities.
In SWG you could easily become a Master in multiple professions. And there were usually multiple professions for different tasks. For example, you could become a specialist in pistols, carbines, rifles or heavy weapons. Ideally neither one of the ranged combat groups was always better than the other. Same for the Melee combat groups, and the different Support/Buff, and Crafter Professions. (There also hybrid professions like the Bounty Hunter and Creature Handler, and they had their own interesting bits.)
The problem with SWG is that there was a point that you were "done" improving your character.
EVE has an open ended character creation and it is also functionally limitless. Your character can always learn more.
There are limited number of skills needed create a nice Raven Missile boat with a solid passive shield tank for missions, but a different set of skills are needed to fly an Apoc armor tank. Both ships fit the same general role, and have certain advantages depending on the specific task at hand.
But then if you want to go in to mining that is a whole different set of skills, not to mention manufacturing and a host of other tasks that are profitable in game.
Over time your character can learn multiple different fields and specialties. But what you are doing at the moment depends on the ship you are flying. Your character's combat skills mean nothing when you are piloting a freighter.
In order for a classless system to succeed it needs the following:
1) There are multiple ways doing one thing. With no one way being always the best.
2) There are many different thing that one can do.
3) Ability for continuous growth.
The problem now is make sure that each method of doing something is equivalent. In EVE there are 4 different type of primary weapon systems. Though it took a while for the devs to finally make sure that each weapon system had its place. And no one weapon system was best in all cases. SWG had the same balance problem between its ranged weapon groups at start.
Having many things to do means a lot more design. You can't just create a crafting mini-game to churn out products if those products have no use in the final cause of the game itself. Or what is the point of being stealthy and have the ability to avoid combat if in the end the game is all about combat?
In SWG it was all about the Galactic Civil War. Most professions had something that could directly contribute to the cause. But a few (entertainers) had very little direct impact on the war.
EVE is much more open ended. Your personal goals are yours alone. Though even in the game of alliance domination, everyone is needed. Building a Titian, requires many different professions, not just the industrialists to make them.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Chaging Times
Why should you change a good thing? To make more money!
Well that is the theory.
Next week, Wizards of the Coast will be releasing the new 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons. I am a bit older than the original D&D. And I have played them all in some form or another. Since 3rd Edition came out about eight years ago, I have played quite a bit of it and made quite a few new friends. Though I think 90% of all my friends have been though gaming (directly or indirectly.)
The current version of D&D (aka 3.5) is fairly stable game. For a Table Top game, stable means that you can play the game with rules as written without much confusion. Many of the RPGs in my collection have requires some level of house rules to address mechanical problems or inconsistencies with the core mechanic. Earlier editions of D&D required quiet a few. House rules that address flavor (ie, in my world no one can be an Elf) don't factor into the stability of the game.
But it has suffered like any online RPG over the past 8 years. First there was some power creep as the various class books were added to "enhance" the options to character. Then there was sort of a reset when they released 3.5 in 2003. For the most part that was just a big clean up of the first three years. There were changes but for the most part you did not have to relearn everything.
Then over the past 5 years, more "builder books" were published that added more and more options. As more of these options were included more prone the system was for extreme over-powered characters. Some these options devalued some of the core aspects of the game. But since this is a table top, game a DM could easily limit the available options for their campaign.
I had the good fortune to be a play tester for 4th Edition. (I think I can say that now since my name is up on the Wizard's site.) And with out getting into details it is a playable game. Like all games it has its quirks, but for the most part I did enjoy myself. However this game is a radical change from 3rd (and previous) editions in terms of how it plays. This has lead to a Coal Miner's Debate among my local circle on "Is 4th Edition D&D?"
In away I am very much reminded of Star Wars Galaxies. There was the original game. The first major revamp call the Combat Upgrade, and then finally the redo the whole game from a classless system to a level-based system with the New Game Experience. On its own the current version of SWG is a decent game. It is just a completely different game.
Unlike SWG:NGE, 4th Edition D&D will do well. It is a good game. New gamers don't care about the history of D&D. They want a playable and fun game. And over time the majority of 3rd Players will succumb the lure of the new siren's call. In fact it is kind of brilliant for Wizards. There will be a steady selling of the core rule books over the next few years while players slowly change.
Personally, I am happy enough to enjoy a good afternoon/evening around the table playing with my friends. As long as the system does not get in way of the fun, I don't care what I play.
Well that is the theory.
Next week, Wizards of the Coast will be releasing the new 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons. I am a bit older than the original D&D. And I have played them all in some form or another. Since 3rd Edition came out about eight years ago, I have played quite a bit of it and made quite a few new friends. Though I think 90% of all my friends have been though gaming (directly or indirectly.)
The current version of D&D (aka 3.5) is fairly stable game. For a Table Top game, stable means that you can play the game with rules as written without much confusion. Many of the RPGs in my collection have requires some level of house rules to address mechanical problems or inconsistencies with the core mechanic. Earlier editions of D&D required quiet a few. House rules that address flavor (ie, in my world no one can be an Elf) don't factor into the stability of the game.
But it has suffered like any online RPG over the past 8 years. First there was some power creep as the various class books were added to "enhance" the options to character. Then there was sort of a reset when they released 3.5 in 2003. For the most part that was just a big clean up of the first three years. There were changes but for the most part you did not have to relearn everything.
Then over the past 5 years, more "builder books" were published that added more and more options. As more of these options were included more prone the system was for extreme over-powered characters. Some these options devalued some of the core aspects of the game. But since this is a table top, game a DM could easily limit the available options for their campaign.
I had the good fortune to be a play tester for 4th Edition. (I think I can say that now since my name is up on the Wizard's site.) And with out getting into details it is a playable game. Like all games it has its quirks, but for the most part I did enjoy myself. However this game is a radical change from 3rd (and previous) editions in terms of how it plays. This has lead to a Coal Miner's Debate among my local circle on "Is 4th Edition D&D?"
In away I am very much reminded of Star Wars Galaxies. There was the original game. The first major revamp call the Combat Upgrade, and then finally the redo the whole game from a classless system to a level-based system with the New Game Experience. On its own the current version of SWG is a decent game. It is just a completely different game.
Unlike SWG:NGE, 4th Edition D&D will do well. It is a good game. New gamers don't care about the history of D&D. They want a playable and fun game. And over time the majority of 3rd Players will succumb the lure of the new siren's call. In fact it is kind of brilliant for Wizards. There will be a steady selling of the core rule books over the next few years while players slowly change.
Personally, I am happy enough to enjoy a good afternoon/evening around the table playing with my friends. As long as the system does not get in way of the fun, I don't care what I play.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Taking a Break and Going Retro
Recently I decided to tinker with my desktop system and upgrade it to Vista. Now I already work with Vista at work and my new laptop also is running Vista. Needless to say I kind of like it. Unfortunately I had to do a complete re-install and not an upgrade (not big loss, I did back up the important bits first.) Though I am running into a bit of a snag. For some reason I have yet to get the OS to see that I now have 4 GB of memory. It only shows 2GB.
On top of that, I just got a pair of Mini-Dachshund puppies. (One is mine, the other is my GF's) So for now the desktop system is turned off and I will work on it later when I don't have to keep an eagle eye over two very active puppies.
This means I am on my laptop for gaming. I can sit in the living room and watch the puppies while on the computer. As it turns out, my laptop, which I just bought, is at least as good as my desktop system for gaming. I just don't like being cramped up on the keyboard.
Now I have a nice 32" LCD HDTV. So I was thinking of getting a console system for the living room. But with the recent laptop purchase and new puppies, I need to conserve cash for a bit. But wait! New laptop has HDMI out and I have a spare cable. Plug-Plug, Click-Click and suddenly I had a 32" monitor on my laptop. Unfortunately the couch is further away then the cable can reach.
So a quick run to Best Buy and I get myself a wireless XBox controller. Plug-Plug, Click-Click and now I have a hacked together XBox. I have a few games in my stash that were cross released to PC and XBox, like Oblivion. However my Oblivion DVD is scratched so I can not load the game on the laptop.
Quick aside: Even if the game was cross developed for XBox and PC it does not mean the PC version will natively support an XBox Controller. So you will need a intermediate program. So far I like the Pinnacle Game Profiler.
So now I am going into the bargain bin and see what I can find. A while back I got a subscription to Fileplanet (long before the Conan Beta) and it turns out I qualified for a few free games though their HitPoints system . So I downloaded a few to give them a whirl.
The first was Sherlock Holmes: The Awakening. This is a fairly simple puzzle adventure game. Nice to play and I was able to get my Xbox Controller to work with it. It was good to getting used to moving with the controller. However I miss creating my own character.
Next up is Deus Ex: Invisible War. I played most of the original Deus Ex when it first came out. I liked the mix of FPS and RPG. It was also a good story and should kept me interested for a while. It took awhile to get running on Vista since it was made a while back, but it was just setting up permissions and compatibilities. Though I need to tune the controller a bit more.
Lastly, I got Myst III, but I will save that till later. Much like Sherlock Holmes, I know that it is a puzzle/adventure game. I would need to have a walkthough handy when I get frustrated with a puzzle.
There are a few games on my Radar as well. First is Mass Effect from Bioware. A XBox to PC conversion. But Bioware makes very fun CRPGs. And later this year....Fallout 3. I fell in love with Fallout 1 and 2. So I hope it lives up to the hype. Granted it is a completely different set of developers, but so far it looks good.
So time to curl up on the couch. Wrangle puppies and play some old fashion CRPGs and Adventure games.
On top of that, I just got a pair of Mini-Dachshund puppies. (One is mine, the other is my GF's) So for now the desktop system is turned off and I will work on it later when I don't have to keep an eagle eye over two very active puppies.
This means I am on my laptop for gaming. I can sit in the living room and watch the puppies while on the computer. As it turns out, my laptop, which I just bought, is at least as good as my desktop system for gaming. I just don't like being cramped up on the keyboard.
Now I have a nice 32" LCD HDTV. So I was thinking of getting a console system for the living room. But with the recent laptop purchase and new puppies, I need to conserve cash for a bit. But wait! New laptop has HDMI out and I have a spare cable. Plug-Plug, Click-Click and suddenly I had a 32" monitor on my laptop. Unfortunately the couch is further away then the cable can reach.
So a quick run to Best Buy and I get myself a wireless XBox controller. Plug-Plug, Click-Click and now I have a hacked together XBox. I have a few games in my stash that were cross released to PC and XBox, like Oblivion. However my Oblivion DVD is scratched so I can not load the game on the laptop.
Quick aside: Even if the game was cross developed for XBox and PC it does not mean the PC version will natively support an XBox Controller. So you will need a intermediate program. So far I like the Pinnacle Game Profiler.
So now I am going into the bargain bin and see what I can find. A while back I got a subscription to Fileplanet (long before the Conan Beta) and it turns out I qualified for a few free games though their HitPoints system . So I downloaded a few to give them a whirl.
The first was Sherlock Holmes: The Awakening. This is a fairly simple puzzle adventure game. Nice to play and I was able to get my Xbox Controller to work with it. It was good to getting used to moving with the controller. However I miss creating my own character.
Next up is Deus Ex: Invisible War. I played most of the original Deus Ex when it first came out. I liked the mix of FPS and RPG. It was also a good story and should kept me interested for a while. It took awhile to get running on Vista since it was made a while back, but it was just setting up permissions and compatibilities. Though I need to tune the controller a bit more.
Lastly, I got Myst III, but I will save that till later. Much like Sherlock Holmes, I know that it is a puzzle/adventure game. I would need to have a walkthough handy when I get frustrated with a puzzle.
There are a few games on my Radar as well. First is Mass Effect from Bioware. A XBox to PC conversion. But Bioware makes very fun CRPGs. And later this year....Fallout 3. I fell in love with Fallout 1 and 2. So I hope it lives up to the hype. Granted it is a completely different set of developers, but so far it looks good.
So time to curl up on the couch. Wrangle puppies and play some old fashion CRPGs and Adventure games.
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