Indoctrination into PC Gaming
- Thread starter DirkGently
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I appreciate EVERY game you just listed. I loved them all and more....Cheeze_Pavilion said:
However...
"I just got a new beaut of a computer, just plugged it in, booting up and....
OH MY GOD... PIXELS!! I CAN SEE FOREVER!!!!"
This is what will happen if we give him civ and MOO1/2 to play lol, he will be back on the console in ten minutes haha
You can't truly be a PC gaming elitist until you've delved into the realm of obscure strategy games, so with that in mind, get yourself a GamersGate account and play the following:
Victoria: Revolutions
Patrician III
Capitalism II
Tropico
Port Royale 2
Victoria: Revolutions
Patrician III
Capitalism II
Tropico
Port Royale 2
I doubt it. I'm not one of those graphics whores that populate the wastes today.CapslockFury said:
I agree completely. I cannot stress Civilization enough. It's also extra perfect for getting used to PC gaming, because it epitomizes many of the key traits of PC games that are typically absent in console games. It's complex, easily (and often) modded, turn-based, and full of strategy.Cheeze_Pavilion said:
Way back in the old days, Civ2 was what got me started on gaming. Now that I've made the opposite switch that you have (opting to expand into console gaming rather than upgrade my computer again), Civ4 is the one game that reliably draws me back. You do have to like strategy, though.
srsly? Crysis? I'm going to ignore that one.Shiuz91 said:
your PC gaming list is a fairly good short list for quality PC games. It epitomizes kind of the pomposity of pure PC gaming, Counter Strike, Starcraft, and Half-Life were cutting edge in the nineties, and TF2 was designed to be as functional on a console as the PC.
It's ironic that PC gamers often laud improved performance, more intense and developed experiences, and advanced control schemes as the reason for PC gaming being far superior to console games, yet within the first three titles of a thread that asks for definable PC games is a faux 3D resource management game with a generalized control scheme that was around before the original imac.
But no, really, PC's are far superior to consoles.
To understand modern PC gaming, you absolutely have to play Half-Life 2. You're allowed to hate it (I do, actually; most people love it), but you have to play it.
Beyond that, here are some games grouped into "relatively new" and "older but still relevant" -- I tried to pick three more-or-less mandatory picks in each category and then some more to choose to taste.
More-or-less modern stuff:
(Practically mandatory.) Portal is really awesome. Comes with HL2.
(Practically mandatory.) Play at least one Bioware RPG, like Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire, or Mass Effect. If you're only going to play one, KOTOR is probably the best choice of the lot.
(Practically mandatory.) Take your pick of modern shooters based on what sounds most interesting -- Call of Duty 4, Crysis, STALKER, BioShock (which for some reason is unplayable on my box, grr buggy game), &c., &c.
Most shooters will support online play. If you buy Orange Box for HL2 and Portal you'll also get Team Fortress 2, which is a fun and zany class-based multiplayer shooter. Counter-Strike is a relic that's still around.
You could maybe play and MMOG like World of Warcraft or Guild Wars or Warhammer Online for a while.
You may want to play a more "open-world" RPG by a company that is not Bioware. Oblivion or Fallout 3 are popular choices here. Or, heck, GTA4 if you're not already familiar with that.
Historical highlights:
(Practically mandatory.) Starcraft is still seen as the model for what a real-time strategy game should be. You really need this one to "get" RTSes.
(Practically mandatory.) Deus Ex is a brilliant shooter with RPG elements. Really the model for many elements of first-person storytelling.
(Practically mandatory.) The first Half-Life game really defines scripting and level design in FPS games. (If you super-hate HL2, pass on this one.)
If you're at all interested in the flight-sim/space-sim genre, Freespace 2 is the go-to game.
If you're a fan of RPG storytelling, Torment is a wonderful choice.
A big ol' turn-based strategy game or two would be nice. Most people pick the Civilization series. I rather like Age of Wonders 2 (caveat: the weird stand-alone expansion just makes it crappier). Masters of Orion 2 is another good turn-based oldie -- Galactic Civilizations 2 has basically outdone it in every way now, however.
X-Com is more than 15 years old now but still playable (it's on Steam for like $5). I still can't think of a better squad-based tactical game.
The Jedi Knight for lightsaber-and-gun-and-Force-powers fun. I recall Jedi Outcast being the most well-regarded. I liked Jedi Academy -- it's a bit less artful but I think the basic gameplay was a bit better.
Unreal Tournament, in its day, really pioneered bots -- not just good AI but AI designed to kinda mimic a human opponent. It's got a kind of bouncy speed to it that most modern shooters won't have, too.
Truly old stuff, if you like old stuff and want some context:
Tetris.
Some kind of 2D sidescroller, like Commander Keen or Duke Nukem (before Duke 3-D).
Digger or LodeRunner.
Doom. Maybe Wolfenstien if you really want to get to the roots of the FPS genre.
Oregon Trail. >.>
-- Alex
EDIT: Many of these are, in fact, on consoles. That's not a problem, in my opinion. I'm trying to tag genre-defining games that perform well on the PC platform and set the expectations for other games.
Beyond that, here are some games grouped into "relatively new" and "older but still relevant" -- I tried to pick three more-or-less mandatory picks in each category and then some more to choose to taste.
More-or-less modern stuff:
(Practically mandatory.) Portal is really awesome. Comes with HL2.
(Practically mandatory.) Play at least one Bioware RPG, like Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire, or Mass Effect. If you're only going to play one, KOTOR is probably the best choice of the lot.
(Practically mandatory.) Take your pick of modern shooters based on what sounds most interesting -- Call of Duty 4, Crysis, STALKER, BioShock (which for some reason is unplayable on my box, grr buggy game), &c., &c.
Most shooters will support online play. If you buy Orange Box for HL2 and Portal you'll also get Team Fortress 2, which is a fun and zany class-based multiplayer shooter. Counter-Strike is a relic that's still around.
You could maybe play and MMOG like World of Warcraft or Guild Wars or Warhammer Online for a while.
You may want to play a more "open-world" RPG by a company that is not Bioware. Oblivion or Fallout 3 are popular choices here. Or, heck, GTA4 if you're not already familiar with that.
Historical highlights:
(Practically mandatory.) Starcraft is still seen as the model for what a real-time strategy game should be. You really need this one to "get" RTSes.
(Practically mandatory.) Deus Ex is a brilliant shooter with RPG elements. Really the model for many elements of first-person storytelling.
(Practically mandatory.) The first Half-Life game really defines scripting and level design in FPS games. (If you super-hate HL2, pass on this one.)
If you're at all interested in the flight-sim/space-sim genre, Freespace 2 is the go-to game.
If you're a fan of RPG storytelling, Torment is a wonderful choice.
A big ol' turn-based strategy game or two would be nice. Most people pick the Civilization series. I rather like Age of Wonders 2 (caveat: the weird stand-alone expansion just makes it crappier). Masters of Orion 2 is another good turn-based oldie -- Galactic Civilizations 2 has basically outdone it in every way now, however.
X-Com is more than 15 years old now but still playable (it's on Steam for like $5). I still can't think of a better squad-based tactical game.
The Jedi Knight for lightsaber-and-gun-and-Force-powers fun. I recall Jedi Outcast being the most well-regarded. I liked Jedi Academy -- it's a bit less artful but I think the basic gameplay was a bit better.
Unreal Tournament, in its day, really pioneered bots -- not just good AI but AI designed to kinda mimic a human opponent. It's got a kind of bouncy speed to it that most modern shooters won't have, too.
Truly old stuff, if you like old stuff and want some context:
Tetris.
Some kind of 2D sidescroller, like Commander Keen or Duke Nukem (before Duke 3-D).
Digger or LodeRunner.
Doom. Maybe Wolfenstien if you really want to get to the roots of the FPS genre.
Oregon Trail. >.>
-- Alex
EDIT: Many of these are, in fact, on consoles. That's not a problem, in my opinion. I'm trying to tag genre-defining games that perform well on the PC platform and set the expectations for other games.
Lots of good games mentioned, but let's aim for the obscure, where the only arena is the PC:
Harpoon, real time strategy on the high seas:
http://www.matrixgames.com/products/323/details/Harpoon.3.-.Advanced.Naval.Warfare
http://www.matrixgames.com/products/325/details/Larry.Bond%27s.Harpoon.-.Commander%27s.Edition
X-plane and Falcon 4.0, rigorous flight simulation:
http://www.graphsim.com/
The Operational Art of War, classic hex and counter wargaming:
http://www.matrixgames.com/products/317/details/Norm.Koger%27s.The.Operational.Art.of.War.III
Allegiance, (kind of)massively multiplayer online space combat:
http://www.freeallegiance.org/
Freeciv, open source clone of classic Civ:
http://freeciv.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page
UFO: Alien Invasion. open source sequel to/remake of/inspired by X-Com:
http://ufoai.sourceforge.net/
And there's also a bunch of other interesting stuff to be found here:
http://playthisthing.com/
Harpoon, real time strategy on the high seas:
http://www.matrixgames.com/products/323/details/Harpoon.3.-.Advanced.Naval.Warfare
http://www.matrixgames.com/products/325/details/Larry.Bond%27s.Harpoon.-.Commander%27s.Edition
X-plane and Falcon 4.0, rigorous flight simulation:
http://www.graphsim.com/
The Operational Art of War, classic hex and counter wargaming:
http://www.matrixgames.com/products/317/details/Norm.Koger%27s.The.Operational.Art.of.War.III
Allegiance, (kind of)massively multiplayer online space combat:
http://www.freeallegiance.org/
Freeciv, open source clone of classic Civ:
http://freeciv.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page
UFO: Alien Invasion. open source sequel to/remake of/inspired by X-Com:
http://ufoai.sourceforge.net/
And there's also a bunch of other interesting stuff to be found here:
http://playthisthing.com/
I haven't installed it yet, but judging from November's changelog:
Monthly update for November
Another month, another update. November brought us:
* A lot (really) of improvements to GUI, mostly various menu fixes.
* Work on maps.
* New textures, models and Ufopedia images.
* Updates and fixes to the map editor, Radiant, including making it a seperate make target.
* Improvements to message options, introduced last month.
* Improvements and fixes to map compiler, ufo2map (including merges from q2wmap).
* Updated translations (and fixed usage of english when specific language is not available).
* Improvements for geoscape (especially 3D geoscape, installation & radar related), soldier stats and equipment handling.
* Alien morale fix and other AI improvements.
* Quite a lot of work at balancing (including interceptor ranges/speeds).
* Performance improvements.
* Start of new airfight implementation.
* New weapons.
* Model displaying fixes.
* IRC channel names were changed.
* Some improvements to the new pathfinding.
* Usual round of fixes and miscellaneous changes.
It looks way past playable...grab a copy and see for yourself.
Monthly update for November
Another month, another update. November brought us:
* A lot (really) of improvements to GUI, mostly various menu fixes.
* Work on maps.
* New textures, models and Ufopedia images.
* Updates and fixes to the map editor, Radiant, including making it a seperate make target.
* Improvements to message options, introduced last month.
* Improvements and fixes to map compiler, ufo2map (including merges from q2wmap).
* Updated translations (and fixed usage of english when specific language is not available).
* Improvements for geoscape (especially 3D geoscape, installation & radar related), soldier stats and equipment handling.
* Alien morale fix and other AI improvements.
* Quite a lot of work at balancing (including interceptor ranges/speeds).
* Performance improvements.
* Start of new airfight implementation.
* New weapons.
* Model displaying fixes.
* IRC channel names were changed.
* Some improvements to the new pathfinding.
* Usual round of fixes and miscellaneous changes.
It looks way past playable...grab a copy and see for yourself.
you have to sit back and enjoy
Frontier: Elite II: your computer probably wont run it if you have top of the range stuff, it was made in 1993 and will probably burn out your cards, run it off DOSBOX if you can
RED ORCHESTRA:COMBINED ARMS/RED ORCHESTRA:OSTFRONT while the MOD version of this game from Unreal tournament doesnt have many players hang around too much it is truely fantastic, its what COD and brothers in arms are trying to do. OSTFRONT which is a stndalone game available off steam
The Original Neverwinter Nights, best RPG i have ever played,enough said.
GRIM FANDANGO+THE CURSE OF MONKEY ISLAND: call me old fashioned but these two games are simply the best games money can buy(relative to price)
Frontier: Elite II: your computer probably wont run it if you have top of the range stuff, it was made in 1993 and will probably burn out your cards, run it off DOSBOX if you can
RED ORCHESTRA:COMBINED ARMS/RED ORCHESTRA:OSTFRONT while the MOD version of this game from Unreal tournament doesnt have many players hang around too much it is truely fantastic, its what COD and brothers in arms are trying to do. OSTFRONT which is a stndalone game available off steam
The Original Neverwinter Nights, best RPG i have ever played,enough said.
GRIM FANDANGO+THE CURSE OF MONKEY ISLAND: call me old fashioned but these two games are simply the best games money can buy(relative to price)
Deus Ex is a must-have for any self-respecting PC gamer.
If you're willing to put in the effort, I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream is a great, creepy example of how a point-and-click can be done well.
Everybody should play Portal, too. Tis good brainfood, and hilarious from start to finish.
If you're willing to put in the effort, I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream is a great, creepy example of how a point-and-click can be done well.
Everybody should play Portal, too. Tis good brainfood, and hilarious from start to finish.
Thanks for the suggestions, everyone.
Also, I've played Portal. I've only had a Xbox to play games with, it's not like I've been living under a rock.
Also, I've played Portal. I've only had a Xbox to play games with, it's not like I've been living under a rock.
I prefer pads for FPS games. I find the sticks more intuitive, especially for movement.Librarian Mike said:
@Op - if you like games big, complex, difficult, but really really great then try the X universe series of games. X3: Reunion is the best game ever created (at least until X3: Terran conflict gets all its bugs sorted).
I hope I'll be able to install the original Red Alert. That game was so much fun. So many fun memories associated with that game. Of course, RA3 has such wonderful cleavage.Abize said: