So what PC games are you going to buy?

[lord of the mark]

[QUOTE] Originally posted by El_Cid

In defence of lord of the mark, this is partly why i created this thread - to show that gaming is not in as healthy a state as many think(or would like us to think). So the fact he is resorting to old games he might have missed first time around is imho quite understandable.

Ive resorted to old games for a bunch of reasons mainly having to do with my own personal circumstances. Firstly, my spouse, QOTM, is not really in line with the idea that gaming is a hobby worthy of spending $50 a shot on. Of course to some extent thats academic - im not particularly interested in making the case. When I got into gaming in the circa 1998 - 1999 I was largely buying more or less new games, even if towards the end of their retail life spans - Simcity2000, Age of Empires and the Rise of Rome Xpack, and Civ2:TOT. Then for a while I devoted all my gaming time to Civ2. When I emerged from that I had both lots of games Id missed, and an archaic PC, replacing which, turned out to be an ordeal. Weve only recently gotten a second family PC, but its a budget laptop, so not the best for new games, and anyway, Ive found for that Ive got plenty of games ive missed that wouldnt run on the old PC.

So Im mainly looking at older games, with a variety of considerations (which Im sure you DONT want to hear about) determining whether I focus on the budget laptop (which means games from 2001 to 2005), or filling
out the collection of pre-2001 games for the dino PC.

And this is the point of the thread i guess - atleast we can try here to confirm the messeage that all is well with gaming, or not as the case may be.

a worthy question, but one for which Im not really a datum.

[Standup]

So Im mainly looking at older games, with a variety of considerations (which Im sure you DONT want to hear about)

Well i don't mind hearing about them as i'm following a similar purchasing strategy

[DrSpike]

Well you can dig out LotM's old threads.

[Standup]

Well you can dig out LotM's old threads.

Well as his current threads are about games from 5-6 years ago i daren't think about his old threads - Vic20 Frogger anyone

Sorry LOTM, I am with you on the older games honest.

El_Cid, I added RTW rather than medieval 2 for a couple of reason. Mainly I keep buying games and not playing them so i might as well spend 9.99 on something and put it on the shelf rather than £30. The other reason is that while i have relatively new, high spec PC its basically a corporate model so has a puny PSU and a 6600GT is about as fast a gfx card as i can run so i'm not sure its worth playing the new games with a reduced viewing experience. Oblivion is one to play when i get around to buying another PC so didn't make it to the list.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Standup


Well i don't mind hearing about them as i'm following a similar purchasing strategy

as I said we own two computers - the "dino", a desktop purchased around 1997 or so (P2-266Mhz, 48 Meg Ram) and a budget laptop we got about 3 months ago (Celeron 1.6ghz, 256 Meg Ram, ATI integrated graphics).

On the one hand, theres not that many historical strategy games (my principle gaming interest) that run on the dino that I dont already own. So that leads me to buy post-2001 games for the laptop. On the other hand there are still a few strategy classics in other settings, and several classics in other genres, that I dont own and would like to fill out my collection. Also there are plenty of historical "grognard" war games i dont have (on the other hand they tend to be relatively expensive for such old games) Also the laptop is supposed to be principally for my daughter (POTM), so I dont want to clutter it with a lot of games. and i like paying little for game. So that leads me to get super old games for the dino. OTOH there are some really cool things that were done post-2000, that make me want to get games from that era. Like the TW series, combining RT and TB. Or the Sims, a whole new genre. Or RON and Warcraft3, taking RTS to new places. etc, etc. Also, I want to support the gaming biz, at least to some extent, and even buying a 2 year old new game for $20 is more support than buying a 7 year old used game for $5.

So, as far as the original question - have games improved enough to want to keep buying them - well, the games ive bought for the laptop, included two games that are pre 2000 but wouldnt run on the dino cause of specific technical issues (aok and divided ground) The only games we have where specs were the problem, are the Paradox games - EU2 and Victoria (havent yet loaded HOI). Now EU2 is a great game, Id say my second favorite game after Civ2, and in some ways better than Civ2. So that was a definite improvement. But thats like over 5 years ago, so Im not sure thats what you meant. Victoria is not as good as EU2 was(cause of the widely noted micromanagement, and things simply not hanging together as well), but its a good game, has tremendous potential, and, based on what it did, made me optimistic that Paradox would keep coming out with good games, and even better games.

For the rest Id have to go by what ive heard. There are several specific titles im eager to try - MTW, Galciv, RON, Warcraft 3, one of the new Simcity games (probably skip Simcity3000 and go right to Sim4), Children of the Nile, one of the new Civ games (maybey skip Civ3 and go right to Civ4?) , Pirates!. I think id play Galciv before thinking about Galciv2, and play MTW before looking at RTW. Im interested in Crusader Kings. Since I own HOI, I will play that before thinking about HOI2. Im still working on my dino collection for RPGs and adventure games and FPS (havent gotten one yet) so im not looking at recent games in those genres at all.

[El_Cid]

Originally posted by Standup

edit...

El_Cid, I added RTW rather than medieval 2 for a couple of reason. Mainly I keep buying games and not playing them so i might as well spend 9.99 on something and put it on the shelf rather than £30. The other reason is that while i have relatively new, high spec PC its basically a corporate model so has a puny PSU and a 6600GT is about as fast a gfx card as i can run so i'm not sure its worth playing the new games with a reduced viewing experience. Oblivion is one to play when i get around to buying another PC so didn't make it to the list.

Well i dont know what the predicted hardware will be for MTW2, but i can almost guarantee that it wont be as heavy as for Oblivion!
I'd keep MTW2 in mind if you liked the other games(prior to RomeTW).
I understand it will be adding a bit more depth, kind of continueing with what they did in MTW, rather than what happend with RTW where they took some of the depth/options out. The proof will be in the pudding

I saw Sid's Pirates! for £6 yesterday - i almost got it, but i do have very fond memories of the origonal(and the later PC version with better graphics), so i didn't get it just in case it would add to my despair over the direction the industry seems to want to take

[Joseph]

CivCity
Civ4: Warlords
Caesar IV
Railroad

[Protra3211]

Tigerwoods Golf 07: Previews are already out and I think its one of the best in sports video games
Superpower 3:Hope they work on making a better AI as the last time it was the fans with mods and data files that improved performance.
Europa Universalis 3: Pardox has many fans because of the classic EU2. Its their best game so far.

[Dis]

I've lost interest in PC games for the time being (my mind is preoccupied with other things at the moment). But I probably will buy the civ4 expansion. That's about it. Nothing else interests me.

[Nostromo]

I've also lost interest in games.

[DrSpike]

/me makes a cross sign at Nostromo.

[Skanky Burns]

I have lost interest in new games. Eve still holds my interest, as does Oblivion and RoN.

[lord of the mark]

im playing, and still enjoying, Roller Coaster Tycoon. Fortunately ive reached a map where there is more room to build my own coasters, as the tycoon side of the game, though better than some would say, DOES show signs of getting repetitive. And Ive managed to actually build my first sort of interesting coaster.

[lord of the mark]

I just ordered a game from an Amazon shop.

Care to guess which one? Hint, its used, and old, but cost almost $20.

[DrSpike]

Monkey Island.