The Gaming Thread

[searpinski]

I don't play too much anymore, but here are some games I've played and loved:

Counter-Strike (still play it)
Far Cry Series
Diablo Series
Deadspace
Fallout 3, Fallout New Vegas
Torchlight series (still play T2)
Elder Scrolls Series
..lots of others

I play Spider Solitaire. And sometimes regular solitaire. Or Hearts.

0.5/10

I've stuck to a few major names over the years.

Diablo (1,2,3)
Starcraft (1,2)
Minecraft

The ONE game that just keeps me around is EVE online.

Eve can even be paid for by making enough in game money so.....VoV

That being said I also really enjoy the D&D adventure Boardgame Systems. (1-5 players)

Diablo... I can't measure the hours I've poured into Diablo 2 and Diablo 2 LOD. I played it until I had everything...and I mean...everything.

I too am part of the PC gaming Master race. I don't get to game much now but I still help run a local Lan Party that brings 10-30 gamers every other month.

What games do you guys play?

 

[DarkRose]

I've stuck to a few major names over the years.

Diablo (1,2,3)
Starcraft (1,2)
Minecraft

The ONE game that just keeps me around is EVE online.

Eve can even be paid for by making enough in game money so.....VoV

That being said I also really enjoy the D&D adventure Boardgame Systems. (1-5 players)

After trying it for a month or so a few years ago, I just jumped back into EVE Online...

I'm doomed.

 

[JetGirl]

I'm not a "gamer" by a long shot...but I've recently had a thing for Magic.

I play Spider Solitaire. And sometimes regular solitaire. Or Hearts.

The gateway [STRIKE]drug[/STRIKE] game.

 

[IrishSon of Liberty]

We recently acquired a PS4 for the household. I haven't played anything since the PS2 back around '97.

That said, I picked up MLB The Show 15 this week and I'm absolutely loving it! I'm still amazed at how far we've come since my first days playing Pong and Space Invaders. Now, I'm anxious for the PGA game to come out in June.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

So I ordered this at midnight last night. It arrived early this morning (love Amazon.)

I don't own an XBox One, but Microsoft makes great controllers for PC. This one is technically wireless, but I had to get it for the "Armed Forces" finish. It interfaces with the PC using a Micro-USB cable. Feels much better than the 360 controller, especially the D-Pad.

 

[jamil]

So I ordered this at midnight last night. It arrived early this morning (love Amazon.)

I don't own an XBox One, but Microsoft makes great controllers for PC. This one is technically wireless, but I had to get it for the "Armed Forces" finish. It interfaces with the PC using a Micro-USB cable. Feels much better than the 360 controller, especially the D-Pad.

Oh I hate the Xbone controller. My tendons especially hate it. The 360 is worse but not much worse. Having xbone and ps4, if the game I want is on both I'd buy it on ps4 just for the better controller.

 

[tatic05]

Oh I hate the Xbone controller. My tendons especially hate it. The 360 is worse but not much worse. Having xbone and ps4, if the game I want is on both I'd buy it on ps4 just for the better controller.

I was never a big fan of the 360 controller. I always preferred the PS styled controllers. When I am playing a game on the PC that I can use a controller for I just connect the PS4 controller to my PC and game away. You can connect through bluetooth or with the USB charging cable. With the program DS4Windows tool, I can create some custom mappings, plus you can change the light on the back too.

 

[rhino]

Pong had a dial.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

So this is very disappointing.

Steam is now selling mods.

http://steamcommunity.com/workshop/aboutpaidcontent/

 

[ccomstock001]

So this is very disappointing.

Steam is now selling mods.

Steam Workshop Now Supporting Paid Creations

So how can people get away with making money on someone else's game in the first place. Sounds like trouble would come from this.

 

[The Bubba Effect]

So how can people get away with making money on someone else's game in the first place. Sounds like trouble would come from this.

I would assume that whoever holds the rights to the original games signed some docs that allowed steam to do this. I think it's a great idea as it adds a legit way for mod makers to get paid.

What's disappointing about this? I could see it if the objection is that it somehow ruins the "purity" of the modding community, but if it puts money in the pockets of modders, what's the foul? I realize that steam is taking their cut too, but they are also providing the marketplace and advertising.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

TotalBiscuit covers it pretty well.

[video=youtube;oGKOiQGeO-k]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGKOiQGeO-k[/video]

 

[RyanGSams]

I have a large back log of games on Steam. Don't use pc much. But when I do I enjoy DAY Z it's still in alpha, but fun to play.

Playing nhl 15 on 360

 

[Crbn79]

Definitely. I think some of its monsters were better than even Skyrim. It's trolls actually looked like a troll should and not some 3 eyed yeti.
So World of Tank guys what's in your garage. I have
T18 tank destroyer
Hellcat
Birch Gun
Jagdpanther
T34-85
ELC AMX

I don't play too much, maybe a session ever other week or so. My name on xbox is crb79armyvet. I have 360 and 0ne. I've been waiting for WOT to roll out on Xbox1. Right now I've got about 25 tanks, some Tier 8s, plenty of premium tanks also.

 

[ccomstock001]

I would assume that whoever holds the rights to the original games signed some docs that allowed steam to do this. I think it's a great idea as it adds a legit way for mod makers to get paid.

What's disappointing about this? I could see it if the objection is that it somehow ruins the "purity" of the modding community, but if it puts money in the pockets of modders, what's the foul? I realize that steam is taking their cut too, but they are also providing the marketplace and advertising.

Mods can be pretty buggy aand you don't always know what you are getting. I have seen some popular mods that may work on others computers but wouldn't work on mine. Another side to it is you don't always want to keep the mods so if I paid for one play it for a while and get bored with it that is money im not getting back.

 

[rhino]

So . . . here is a question from me.

My video games days were high school, when I poked quarters or 25 cent tokens into freestanding machines at arcades and other venues. Most of the games I enjoyed had at most a joystick and a button to push.

Fast forward to the controllers of today. WTF? My nephew tried to play some games with on Christmas of 2013, but using the controllers was next to impossible. How the heck does anyone over the age of 20 learn how to play a game with all of those buttons and sticks and levers? To me, the frustration easily outstripped any fun I was having.

 

[indytechnerd]

So . . . here is a question from me.

My video games days were high school, when I poked quarters or 25 cent tokens into freestanding machines at arcades and other venues. Most of the games I enjoyed had at most a joystick and a button to push.

Fast forward to the controllers of today. WTF? My nephew tried to play some games with on Christmas of 2013, but using the controllers was next to impossible. How the heck does anyone over the age of 20 learn how to play a game with all of those buttons and sticks and levers? To me, the frustration easily outstripped any fun I was having.

Evolution, my large purplish friend. Let us go back in time, shall we....

Pong, as you said, was a dial. The Atari 2600 was a simple joystick with 1 button. Jump forward a few years to the NES, and we have a 4way thumb pad for control and 2 buttons (plus select and start for menu navigation). If you were one of those kids, you got a Sega Gensis, which bumped up to 3 (or 6) thumb buttons, and a streamlined directional pad. Then came the Super Nintendo (SNES), with 4 thumb buttons, and a button for each index finger.

SNES was HUGE, and the console race was on. The early to mid 90's were a video gamer's dream come true.

In 1994, Sony released the Playstation, going away from cartridges to discs. This controller had 4 individual buttons for direction, 4 thumb buttons, 2 index finger buttons, and 2 middle finger buttons. It also shifted away from the flatish, square/rectangular -ish controllers. 2 years later, the N64 brought us the small thumb controlled joystick, in addition to a trigger, on top of the standard d-pad, thumb, and finger buttons. Immediately following the N64, Sony uped the ante with the "dualshock" Playstation controller, with 2 joysticks, d-pad, thumb, etc. etc. Suddenly our hands were very full and busy. Skipping ****ty consoles like the dreamcast, game cube, and others, we get to Microsoft's Xbox. It was big, had joysticks, and triggers, and buttons out the wazoo. And, it was good. But it was only the beginning, rather than the end of things. The Wii took things in a whole new direction, with separate controllers connected by a cable, but not connected to the actual console. It (they) still had joysticks and d-pads and triggers, though. With the Xbox 360, we arrive at what is essentially "present day" in terms of controllers. Two joysticks, two triggers, "shoulder" buttons, and the ubiquitous d-pad and 4 button spread for the right thumb.

Current consoles use a variant of this configuration.

So, whilst you were plunking quarter after quarter into the slots, were you playing Street Fighter II (6 buttons), or were you still aiming for the high score on pacman (0 buttons)? In 1990, I probably spent as much at the Galaxy Arcade in Honey Creek Mall as I did on my first year's worth of books at the ISU bookstore, but I learned those buttons. And now, while the reflexes have dulled, I can still maneuver around Call of Duty or Assassin's Creed with ease.

 

[T.Lex]

Yeah, it really doesn't take too long.

I had the "foresight" to skip the Sony consoles, but got the original Xbox. Splinter Cell, GTA IV and others got me used to the "new" arrangement of controllers.

Even so, for most of the 2000s, I was more into PC gaming. All the keyboard commands are also confusing until you get the muscle memory developed.

Now, I can hang in with my son on Lego Marvel Superheroes, Halo and Portal 2 just fine. Just takes some time. I'd probably get slaughtered in any PvP shooter, though.

 

[jamil]

Evolution, my large purplish friend. Let us go back in time, shall we....

Pong, as you said, was a dial. The Atari 2600 was a simple joystick with 1 button. Jump forward a few years to the NES, and we have a 4way thumb pad for control and 2 buttons (plus select and start for menu navigation). If you were one of those kids, you got a Sega Gensis, which bumped up to 3 (or 6) thumb buttons, and a streamlined directional pad. Then came the Super Nintendo (SNES), with 4 thumb buttons, and a button for each index finger.

SNES was HUGE, and the console race was on. The early to mid 90's were a video gamer's dream come true.

In 1994, Sony released the Playstation, going away from cartridges to discs. This controller had 4 individual buttons for direction, 4 thumb buttons, 2 index finger buttons, and 2 middle finger buttons. It also shifted away from the flatish, square/rectangular -ish controllers. 2 years later, the N64 brought us the small thumb controlled joystick, in addition to a trigger, on top of the standard d-pad, thumb, and finger buttons. Immediately following the N64, Sony uped the ante with the "dualshock" Playstation controller, with 2 joysticks, d-pad, thumb, etc. etc. Suddenly our hands were very full and busy. Skipping ****ty consoles like the dreamcast, game cube, and others, we get to Microsoft's Xbox. It was big, had joysticks, and triggers, and buttons out the wazoo. And, it was good. But it was only the beginning, rather than the end of things. The Wii took things in a whole new direction, with separate controllers connected by a cable, but not connected to the actual console. It (they) still had joysticks and d-pads and triggers, though. With the Xbox 360, we arrive at what is essentially "present day" in terms of controllers. Two joysticks, two triggers, "shoulder" buttons, and the ubiquitous d-pad and 4 button spread for the right thumb.

Current consoles use a variant of this configuration.

So, whilst you were plunking quarter after quarter into the slots, were you playing Street Fighter II (6 buttons), or were you still aiming for the high score on pacman (0 buttons)? In 1990, I probably spent as much at the Galaxy Arcade in Honey Creek Mall as I did on my first year's worth of books at the ISU bookstore, but I learned those buttons. And now, while the reflexes have dulled, I can still maneuver around Call of Duty or Assassin's Creed with ease.

I had nearly finished writing a post very much like this, didn't get around to finishing it though because something came up at work.

It wasn't very hard to go from a PS3 controller to PS4. Muscle memory that I had developed for that controller wasn't obsolete. But if I went straight from the hardware available back in the 80s to what's available now, whatever muscle memory hadn't faded wouldn't be transferable anyway.

The gaming experience of today is way more immersive than it was then. Controlling game play has evolved considerably. Since the days of pong I've anticipated the next new thing and mostly kept up with software/hardware. I think at my age, I would find today's controllers difficult as well if I hadn't touched a controller since pong. So in a sense I can empathize with Rhino. I think it would take me a long time to get today's controllers under my fingers if I had not kept up with it.

 

[indytechnerd]

I still prefer PC gaming over console, probably always will. My current addiction, which really pulled me away from the games I mentioned in my earlier post, is America's Army: Proving Grounds. I prefer this kind of PVP shooter over the run and gun, rack up frags like a maniac, deathmatch type games. On a good round, I get 2 or 3 kills on 6 opponents and never reload my weapon. It beats the hell out of spray and pray, or spamming the rocket launcher.