PC Regret?

[Sigmund Av Volsung]

It is worth all the hassle, yea, a lot of mainly console-centric devs make crap ports(especially since at the dawn of next gen, games are even more badly optimised than current gen) but there are times where we get experiences that console owners can only dream of: Star Citizen, Shogun 2, The Witcher 2(is best on PC), Guild Wars 2.

 

[Ticklefist]

This is a good opportunity to get acquainted with one of the things that make PC gaming great. File management and editing. Take your new NFS Rivals and edit the necessary .ini and/or .cfg files to remove the 30 FPS cap. You'll probably find all the info you need with a quick google search.

 

[Callate]

I wouldn't worry too much. We're still in the earliest of early days for the "next gen" consoles, and so ported games are a low priority- they're either based on the "previous gen" games that the developers had to get out earlier or they're not receiving as much attention because suddenly the developers have to worry about getting out four console versions instead of two.

As the PS4 and XBox one settle in comfortably, and the "Steam Box" initiative comes to whatever fruition it might see, I'd be very surprised if cross-platform releases that come to PC didn't start to look and feel a hell of a lot better- both because the new consoles' architecture is so similar to that of a PC and because the developers and publishers start to feel a greater market pressure to make cross-platform releases measure up (if I had a nickel for every person I'd heard say they're dropping out of the console wars to play on PC in the last six months, I'd... well, I'd probably buy a Steam Box.)

 

[Foolery]

PC's are just like consoles, you buy or built them for the games tailored and designed with the system in mind. Titles like Red Orchestra 2, Killing Floor, Total War, Torchlight, and so on. It's nice to get a multiplatform game now and again so long as it's done right, like Borderlands 2, but most are basic ports. A PC isn't the be-all, end-all, gaming machine. But what it offers can be pretty cool if you're into it.

 

[Billy D Williams]

I've definitely regretted it. A short while ago I decided that I would switch to PC and even started upgrading with what I could afford. I still have a long way to go before it's even halfway decent but I got some games that are supposed to be able to run just fine (as far as the Specs were concerned).

I will say right off the bat that the vast majority of my problem appears to be due to having a 32 bit OS which, as far as I know, limits my RAM usage to 3GB regardless of the amount of RAM actually in my computer.

Have you ever tried using Linux to play games? Its not that complicated actually, especially if your just playing games just download Linux, download your games and if you need to download Wine and most games will work fine. Just a suggestion, also once Steam OS comes out hopefully we'll all have our own free gaming OS that works wonders.

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

But that is mostly because we have higher standards, and lowering the bar down to what console gamers get is unacceptable. Keep in mind that "runs like ass" to a PC gamer is usually still better than what a console gamer gets.

These two sentence put me at ease a little bit. I'm not ready to abandon the PC, I think I just go a bit of a rough start. Steam sales are great and I've already sunk around 60 hours into Rome II with many other games that have been great. I think the sheer volume at which people complain got to me, and maybe some of that complaining isn't quite as truthful as I thought.

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

I don't know why you're having issues with such a new build. What GFX card are you using? AMD are notorious for poorer drivers. I've an nVidia card, I installed whatever drivers were latest in Sept. when I built my machine and haven't had to do a thing since. I install a game, max everything and play with zero issues (excepting those that have their own issues *cough* Mars: War Logs *cough*).

I'm not having problems with my rig really. It has more to do with the realities of gaming on the PC. I'm looking to upgrade to a gtx 770 on black friday but for now I have a very average gpu (gtx 660), and I don't have unrealistic expectation for it. It's just a bummer when a game comes out that I've been looking forward to, and instead of just buying it and enjoying it I just have to hope it gets fixed later on (ie. Battlefield, NFS, AC IV, and Rome II though I bought that at launch and CA was great about patches)

It was said many times in this thread that PC enthusiasts highlight the benefits and sweep the hassles under the rug, and I think that's true. I don't want to abandon the PC, it's a really fun platform to play on, but I'm realizing I bit off a little more than I was ready for and I need to tailor my expectations and learn how to deal with these common problems.

 

[Aesir23]

I've definitely regretted it

Can I ask if you were swayed by sometimes hyperbolic praising for the PC? Would you say my previous post in this thread sounds familiar to you?

I would definitely say that I was largely persuaded by the vast amount of praise for the PC on forums such as the Escapist but I also was quite wary of the next gen consoles at the time I'd made this decision. Your post definitely does sound familiar in regarding the impressions I got from said praise as well as that, even though I learned a lot about computers in recent months, I certainly wouldn't consider myself tech-savvy. Either way, it's a lesson learned.

I've definitely regretted it. A short while ago I decided that I would switch to PC and even started upgrading with what I could afford. I still have a long way to go before it's even halfway decent but I got some games that are supposed to be able to run just fine (as far as the Specs were concerned).

I will say right off the bat that the vast majority of my problem appears to be due to having a 32 bit OS which, as far as I know, limits my RAM usage to 3GB regardless of the amount of RAM actually in my computer.

Have you ever tried using Linux to play games? Its not that complicated actually, especially if your just playing games just download Linux, download your games and if you need to download Wine and most games will work fine. Just a suggestion, also once Steam OS comes out hopefully we'll all have our own free gaming OS that works wonders.

An OS such as the Steam OS would definitely be a godsend since it was OS that made up a good chunk of my upgrading costs when I was figuring out the amount of money I would need. As for Linux, I can't say I've ever tried it. As stated above, even though I have learned a lot I'm still not very tech-savvy. I didn't want to risk fiddling around with such a core part of my computer since I also use it for my school-work in college. It doesn't help that, for some reason, my computer didn't come with a disk for the OS.

 

[Drops a Sweet Katana]

Do I regret jumping ship to the PC from the 360? Hell no! I don't have to pay to play games online, there are more games to play from more genres, the input is better for me, buying games is much cheaper and more convenient through Steam and GoG, modding makes games like Skyrim and Fallout feel exactly how I want them to and I can take my laptop and play it pretty much anywhere. Now granted having a laptop seriously hamstrings my ability to upgrade its performance, but I don't really care considering most of the games I enjoy playing run perfectly fine on it.

 

[Gitty101]

I jumped ship around about April of this year and haven't regretted it since. Sure, there are a lot more things to think about when it comes to PC gaming and maintaining a rig, but the payoff? Better performance, better graphics and a tonne more customization options. In my opinion, that's worth the occasional headache.

Something else I've found you have to bare in mind, somehow, an issue will be fixed. Be it an official patch or a member of the modding community taking it into their own hands (see Dark Souls fix), it will eventually be dealt with. It just requires a little more patience.

 

[Shadow-Phoenix]

the fact is these crappy ports still run better then the console versions

Titan SLI destroys ps4

And I'm sure the rest of the world knows this and will drop their PS4's in unison in the bizarro dimension.

 

[Sir Thomas Sean Connery]

With some help from the great people here, 4chins and other assorted internet people, I put together my rig at the beginning of summer.

To cut to the chase, I'm loving the shit out of it. Hasn't had a problem yet and runs damn near everything I install at max speed on high graphics.

With such a massive library of games that are cheap (or better) I've built up a massive backlog ranging from modded Fallout 3 to System Shock 2 to Painkiller.

Spent 1200 bucks with screen and mouse and I haven't regretted it for a nanosecond. I will never buy a laptop again.

As for your problems with current games, I'd say it's a combination of overblown, too soon and territory.

The simple fact is, many of the complaints either aren't true for most people. I'm playing AC 4 at max settings with zero problem.

It's also too soon to give up on games like BF4. Patches will be out shortly and if they're not, user patches will be.

And the final point is, it really comes with the territory. Ability to customize is DIRECTLY proportional to difficulty. PCs have incredible power in mods, customization, etc., but they are also difficult to use sometimes. Personally, I adore the challenge of getting a game to run. Jury rigging all sorts of cracks and patches and other internet stuff along with personal stuff is all so rewarding when it finally boots up. I learn something AND I'm playing a game that some people can't.

If you don't enjoy the challenge of the process, I don't really know what to tell you. PC gaming may not be for you, but it seems like it's already a bit late to go back.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

the fact is these crappy ports still run better then the console versions

Titan SLI destroys ps4

And I'm sure the rest of the world knows this and will drop their PS4's in unison in the bizarro dimension.

Next week everyone abandons public transport and economy cars because Ferraris.

 

[Amaror]

Speaking just for me i haven't any problems playing pc games in the last month and i just upgraded my graphics card to an gtx 760 in preperation. And to me that's that part of the fun. It's expensive to buy and upgrade an pc but it's a lot of fun, too and much more fullfilling too.
evidently i just played far cry 3 coop on an xbox 360 of a friend of mine and OH MY GOD that game looks like SHIT. I am sorry, i am NOT a graphic whore, i play dwarf fortress, but it'S always a matter of comparison. If you make a 2d game were everything is clearly just a reprensentation of the things that are there (for example a dragon being as large as a dwarf) then your imagination will fill in the gaps for you and make it an enjoyable experience. But if your going for 3d realism then you better suit up for it. And i played the hell out of Far Cry 3 on pc. In fact that's the reason i was so appalled. It sounds cheap, but it was just horrible textures on the 360, comparing it to the extreme beaty of the pc version. Seriously i am not kidding you when i am saying that games like gothic 2 have better textures than far cry 3 on xbox 360, which is pretty pathatic.

 

[PoolCleaningRobot]

Yes. It's not all its cracked up to be. I constantly see people promising the moon with PC gaming and it's going to turn people off it when they try it. My laptop easily out performs my ps3 but that doesn't mean all my games or software run better. And not every computer problem has a fix because not every pc is the same. Sometimes I'd rather play video games then spend 2 hours searching for, downloading, and figuring out to how to install fixes

That said, I do have a huge interest in computers and tweaking them (since it's my job), I just don't like it getting in the way of my gaming when I can cut the bullshit if I buy it on a console and avoid the intrusive drm

I'm a tweaker and I'll tweak something untill it's perfect, which leads to less game time for me if I PC gamed.

Wow I'm actually the same way. I can run most of my games on high settings but I'll get frame rate drops at so I find myself constantly changing stuff. Same with whatever control scheme it uses. The only way I'd be able to game on a PC alone would be a monster rig that doesn't question what I run on it

 

[MrHide-Patten]

As an Indie dev I play on my PC at work all the time, but the experience just feels like the uncanny valley. I can't explian why I find playing on my PC so off putting, but it does.

That and I'm useless with tech, so I could never make my own rig no matter how EASY people make it seem.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

I'm a tweaker and I'll tweak something untill it's perfect, which leads to less game time for me if I PC gamed.

Wow I'm actually the same way. I can run most of my games on high settings but I'll get frame rate drops at so I find myself constantly changing stuff. Same with whatever control scheme it uses. The only way I'd be able to game on a PC alone would be a monster rig that doesn't question what I run on it

I'll mess around with the standard game settings first, which alone take a decent amount of time (dropping one thing, raising another to see if that works). Then, you have all that stuff you can tweak outside of the actual game settings, along with mods (which can have their own settings). Lastly, the one kind of sports game I love are baseball games, and it takes me at least a whole month of playing games to set my sliders so the game plays as realistic as possible. I'm glad EA doesn't make the best baseball game because those games have so many sliders and each slider has 100 different values (whereas MLB The Show has much fewer sliders with only 11 values per slider), trying to get MVP Baseball to play properly was hell; fucking pitch speed literally changed how hard you hit the ball so you had to adjust the hitting sliders based on your pitch speed.

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

But that is mostly because we have higher standards, and lowering the bar down to what console gamers get is unacceptable. Keep in mind that "runs like ass" to a PC gamer is usually still better than what a console gamer gets.

These two sentence put me at ease a little bit. I'm not ready to abandon the PC, I think I just go a bit of a rough start. Steam sales are great and I've already sunk around 60 hours into Rome II with many other games that have been great. I think the sheer volume at which people complain got to me, and maybe some of that complaining isn't quite as truthful as I thought.

Is Rome 2 running acceptably at this point?

It's the only game that's burned me lately. Normally I research optimisation quality a little before purchase. I was excited enough for Rome 2 to get careless...

 

[Doom972]

Did you invest in a good graphics card (Nvidia GeForce GTX or better) and a quad-core CPU? If so, and new games still run poorly, it's either the game's fault (most likely in the case of the AssCreed games), or there's something wrong on your end.

You can make the game run better by overriding certain settings using the Nvidia Control Panel (or whatever AMD cards use if you have one of those). Settings like texture filtering quality, ambient occlusion and anti-aliasing can make a huge different in performance. Remember to disable V-Sync and motion-blur, as these always make games feel very sluggish. One last thing - don't use maximum resolution. Not every game needs to run on 1920x1080. I run most of my more recent games on 1600x900 (with GPU scaling enabled on the Nvidia Control Panel).

If anything (or everything) I said is unclear don't hesitate to ask. It can seem complicated at first but after a few months of PC gaming you'll know these things yourself.

As for the OT: No, I don't feel any regret for picking the PC as my platform of choice.

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

These two sentence put me at ease a little bit. I'm not ready to abandon the PC, I think I just go a bit of a rough start. Steam sales are great and I've already sunk around 60 hours into Rome II with many other games that have been great. I think the sheer volume at which people complain got to me, and maybe some of that complaining isn't quite as truthful as I thought.

Is Rome 2 running acceptably at this point?
[/quote]

Yes CA have been really great about owning up to their terrible launch of Rome II and have been patching it ever since. It runs so much better now both on the campaign map and in battles and the game mechanics and unit stats have also been changed. They're still working on things but at this point it's hard to be upset anymore. It's just too much fun

Edit: I messed up the quoting but you get the idea