The Computer Games You Play

[Arctic Firefox]

I should begin by admitting that I'm not really into computer games as such; I find most have too much gratuitious violence and this is a turn-off for me. I like challenges, not bloodbaths.

But I'm curious to see what others play in their free time, if they play computer games at all.

I don't own many - about ten in total - and of those I regularly play about three or four. The two I really, really like are:

Warcraft III: I like the entire series, though I refuse to buy World of Warcraft because online-only games are such a scam, and War 3 is still pretty good. It has a great atmosphere, even if the plots is a bit ho-hum. Oh, the violence? Well, it isn't exactly over-the-top, is it? And at the end of the day, it's a real-time strategy, not a shooter. But if I can just ask something of the more computer literate: I have the recommended specifications to play War 3, but when I'm on a really big level (last the last one in Reign of Chaos, where there are four major bases on the map), the game slows down a lot; sometimes there's a 5-10 lag between my click and the action I ordered. This obviously makes all the difference in the heat of a battle. The battles lag terribly as well. Occasionally, the computer complains about a lack of virtual memory. which I understand is different to RAM. Any ideas what I can do about this?

Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood: made by the highly underrated Spellbound Studios, a small German company. This game is my favourite, and I can't really see any other game taking this title, ever.

There are several things about this game that caught my attention, and my affections, but here are just a few:

1) It's NOT good to kill everyone - according to legend, Robin Hood was a chivalrous person who avoided killing whenever he could. In the game, you're encouraged to do the same, because the more you kill, the less people like/trust you, and the fewer new men join your ranks. Plus, soldiers make some really sad sounds when they die, so it won't do your conscience any good either.

2) Non-linear play - this is fairly common now, but this game does it well; you almost always have a choice between two missions, unless the plot needs to be advanced. You could divide the missions up into plot missions (where you go and visit castles), and money missions (where you go and ambush and rob convoys in Sherwood Forest).

3) Revisiting locations - I love returning to the same places, especially when they're in different conditions (night, day, fog). There are five castles you visit (Lincoln 2x, Leicester 2x, Derby 3x, York 3x, Nottingham 5x), and each has it's own tricks you need to learn. For example, Lincoln and Leicester are small estates; Derby is more or less a military outpost, while York and Nottingham are massive cities with a large civilian population (who become frightened if you start fights).

4) Replayability - unlike Warcraft III, where you go through more than 30 lengthy missions, Robin Hood has 16 plot missions, which will take a while, and a variety of money missions, which only take a few minutes to complete. It means that when you finally finish the game, you don't feel completely exhausted. In fact, a good player could complete the game in around 12 hours on Easy Level. But there are Easter Eggs to find, and I started a new game as soon as I won, because there's a cosiness (or that might just be me) about this game that keeps on bringing me in.

Before you think I'm giving this game too much praise, I should point out there are no multiplayer or random map options, which is annoying. Also, the money missions become tedious after a while, but once you've completed the game, play it again and create save games at the beginning of each plot mission. This allows you, obviously, to play the missions you particularly liked over and over again.

I won't spoil anything else, but keep in mind that the game is also rather tongue-in-cheek - you can do funny things like getting soldiers drunk and listening to knights go "HA! FELT NOTHING!" as you try to knock them out.

Oh, and all this for 5 euros! (roughly $8) I doubt, however, that it will be as cheap over here.

Curious? Visit the website: Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood (Note that not all the screenshots are accurate; the scenery is, but not necessarily the soldier configurations.)

And download the free demo HERE (There will probably be a queue to wait in first.)

[Emi267]

Well I don't really play computer games much at all (except on Neopets, but they're not really cumputer games) and I don't own ANY killing ones (I don't want them, even if I thought I had a hope as big as a flea of my parents letting me have them) but I do have a couple:
Lego Racers ~ you get to build cars and racers (out of lego, obviously) and then you can either race them around a practice track by your self or compete with other computer racers. You zoom around the track picking up bonuses on the way for speed, shielding, or blowing other racers off the track (without killing them) and try to beat them. Once your confidant you compete in a sort of Grand Prix (four races on different tracks) to try and unlock the next four tracks (if you win). Win again and you get more car and racer pieces to buil with.

Harry Potter Quidditch World Cup~ You have to learn all the essential skills to play quidditch and play in practice matches (as a Hogwarts student) before you get to play in World Cup. Again, you have to unlock after each level.

I have to admit, I'm not much of a computer buff. although I've had both games for 1+ yrs, I haven't actually unlocked them completely! So there you go - my main 2 computer games. Of course I've got all the usual maths games etc. (I'm 13, my little bro's 8), but I don't think they count.

[Wh|te Fyre]

me! The Sims 2! (no brainer)
Monopoly! (doo-doo-doo-doo-doo)
occasionally KKND Krossfire and Tomb Raider : Angel of Darkness.

[Lauren Hedgehog]

I only play very rarely, but if I do it's usually Age of Empires (the one that came free in the nutri-grain pack years ago :-) ), the original Sims or LOTR:RotK with my brother.

[Cookie Lover]

If I'm playing a computer game, it's Diablo 2, Lord of Destruction.

[Squirt]

Sims 2, Monopoly, Age of Empires, Civilisation (although I'm not very good at it) and the rest are all play station games.

[Fuil Dearg]

which playstation gmes do u play SQ?

[Arctic Firefox]

Oh, I have Age of Empires II Gold Edition. It's my brother's favourite game so he bought it for me a couple of years ago. I like it a lot, but I hate micromanagement and there's way too much of it in the game for it to be a favourite. Same goes for Civ 3.

Why bother with Playstations and X-Boxes when virtually all the games can go on PC anyway?

[Squirt]

Because Play Station has Sing Star, AF! And when I got my PS2 I had a really old computer that couldnt handle most games. My favourite PS2 game is Kingdom of Hearts! I love it!

[Min]

arcticfirefox said:

Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood: made by the highly underrated Spellbound Studios, a small German company. This game is my favourite, and I can't really see any other game taking this title, ever.

The highly underrated German gaming company that stole my idea!! I've had a Robin Hood game plot-wise in the works ever since I went OS. BAH!
As soon as I saw that game out I thought, apart from them stealing my idea , oh thank GOD. Someone's made an effort to make a Robin Hood game.

I'm still going to make mine. And it'll be better

What games I play...I'm a console girl. I hate playing computer games on PC. Hate it. The controls on a console are far easier, and you can sit back in a beanbag and play on the TV, rather than hunching over a computer desk trying to use a keyboard to control everything. Plus, the first blue-screen-of-death I ever had was caused by a game crashing on my PC. We've got a PS2 (mine) and Xbox360 (Paul's) and have a very nice range of games between them.

I used to be an RPG fanatic. I'm not much into them any more, I don't have the time. But Zelda (Ocarina), FFX, etc, were where I spent a lot of time a couple of years ago.

I'm for the co-op 2+ player games now, mainly because it means Paul and I can both play, on the same side, and not have to bug each other about whose turn it is - it's more about teamwork. Balder's Gate (PS2) series was my fave, and I'm waiting for them to make more. Champions of Norath was ok. So I guess the fantasy 2+ player co-ops. I really couldn't get into Timesplitters or Halo.

[Squirt]

I always loved Alex the Kid! THey were the days *sigh*

[Fuil Dearg]

arcticfirefox said:

Why bother with Playstations and X-Boxes when virtually all the games can go on PC anyway?

consoles are designed specifically for computer games. they have a lot of ram and circuitry that supports graphics particularly well by using algoriths that would be frequently used for generating graphics.

edit deleted rubbish explanation.

the specs of pcs has increased so much in recent years that there usually isnt as much difference. it used to be that u'd need to spend a lot on a pc buying ram and a good graphics card so that u could play some games and that would cost a lot more than consoles but now with ram and graphics cards being a lot cheaper than they used to be that isnt as much a factor anymore. also, consoles are a lot cheaper than they used to be too. pc games are usually cheaper. some games programmers have been really lazy recently and their games will only run on very high spec pcs cos their code isnt effecient. when the playstation 3 comes out (im going to buy one YAY!!) there should be a big diff again. iv looked at the specs for it and theyre very impressive. and i dont even kno much about computers.

min said:

What games I play...I'm a console girl. I hate playing computer games on PC. Hate it. The controls on a console are far easier, and you can sit back in a beanbag and play on the TV, rather than hunching over a computer desk trying to use a keyboard to control everything. Plus, the first blue-screen-of-death I ever had was caused by a game crashing on my PC. We've got a PS2 (mine) and Xbox360 (Paul's) and have a very nice range of games between them.

like min says controllers are so much better. i know u can buy these for pcs too but the controls (and game play!!) are set up for them in console games, so its usually better suited to them. and i like being able to play on my tv. and what about things like the wiii (sp?) or vibration that u get with controllers? or like SQ says singstar. or eye toy?
im a console guy too. yay. im a playstation person.

some of the best games ever made arent on pc. and it isnt always possible or feasable for the game designers to change the console versions code for a pc. cos the hardware is different. java will prob help with that cos its so portable. but it still might not be enough cos of thye specialised hardware in consoles.

anyway consoles are better and thats that.
and console games too.

[eLsa___xX]

i used to play Age of Empires but that was like, ages ago~

[Fuil Dearg]

im a huge rpg fan. i havent played games in ages tho. i wouldnt have the time to play rpgs now. wildarms and final fantasy 7 are my favourite rpgs. i liked final fantasy 8 a lot too. the end boss fights of ffviii are so much fun. and the fmvs in the game are great. me and my younger brother used to fight t-rexaurs(sp?) at the start of the game without junctionings (including no gf junctioned at all) and with just squall. (fond memories). i dont kno how i actually managed to beat them with just the gunblade, r1 for trigger and renzokuken (with a perfect). it was like i somehow gauged when to attack with an r1 and when not to, as tho it made him mad sometimes. and i attacked as quickly as i could. and tapped the circle button to get a renzokuken. ;P i actually won quite a lot. i got a few game overs and quite often had to gauge when to run away. i actually managed to get leveled up doing this. iv tried it since and kept dying. me and my6 brother also fought them with junctions. i got to level 100 that way. at the start of the game. such fun. there's nothing like fighting t-rexaurs with just one or two characters. i actually wanted to get to level 100 for a reason. it was so that i could fight a high level diablo to see what u could draw and to see what items u'd get. and also just to see what itd be like. u could draw demi, flare and curaga. the first place in the game that u can draw flare magic i think. it was my brothers idea but i was curious too.
i love multiplayer games. me and my younger brother used to play a multiplayer diablo. i loved it. he was a warrior and i was a sorcerer. it was so much fun. id stone curse and then he'd hack the enemy to bits. if one of us died the other would bring the dead one back. we'd exchange stuff that we'd collected. he collected some spells and i collected others. i loved the way it was cooperative. it was so much fun. before we'd turn the game off sometimes we'd have a fight. this usually meant me running away and casting staff of charged bolt repeatedly. and him running after me and trying to hack me to bits. and me casting firewalls so that hed have to walk through them. as he said "the staff of charged bolt was just evil". it was so could because u could recharge it and just throw it away when u were done. i much prefer diablo to diablo 2.

some of the best games ever made are on the playstation only. such as metal gear solid. final fantasy vii is on both playstation and pc. wild arms is a brilliant game. the tekken series are very good. there are others i cant think of right now.
edit the legacy of kain series too.

i liked timesplitters. it was fun. especially the multiplayers. i prefered the first one. but i dont like it anymore. i guess i played enough of it.

[Emi267]

Oooooooh I forgot about Monopoly! Monopoly ROCKS!! It's better with real people and stuff, not on the computer, but sometimes it is IMPOSSIBLE to get anyone to play, so then it's good. And you can press the almighty 'save' button.
FD I cannot understand half of what you are saying. You talk strang technology-language. It be scary. But why computer games over PS2, X-Box, Nintendo, GAMEBOY etc.? [glow=green,2,300]My parents don't believe[/glow]. The best I have is a computer - I gave up angling for any of the above aaggeess ago. And I spent 6 yrs trying to get a dog! see? My parents are impossible.

[Squirt]

I have monopoly on PS2, you can play it two player, its great, you dont have to set it all up and people cant throw the money everywhere when they get angry and throw a tanty.

[Fuil Dearg]

emi267, consoles (PS2, X-Box, Nintendo, GAMEBOY etc.) used to be faster and have better graphics than computers unless u wanted to spend a lot of money on your computer. this si because consoles were designed specifically for running computer games and nothing else. but now most of these consoles have been around for a while and home computers have sort of caught up with them (they now cost much less to make as good as consoles for running games.) but there will be new consoles released soon, such as the playstation 3, which will again be faster and provide better graphics. the x-box 360 is a new console and is quite good.

[Dark One]

Played an old arcade version of Shinobi last night. Was very cool! Found a good emulator for it

[Arctic Firefox]

It seems that it all depends on the types of games you play. None of the games I enjoy would work particularly well on consoles because there are too many commands. Can you imagine how difficult it would be to play Warcraft 3 on console? And I don't really play enough computer games to warrant buying a Playstation or XBox.

And my fingers don't start hurting after a while on a computer, whereas consoles ... different story.

So Min, what would your Robin Hood game look/play like? Have you played Spellbound's version? Oh ... you're on OS ... never mind!

[Min]

MY Robin Hood game Oooh, I love talking about it...funny since I never have here before
It's similar to Oblivion, if you've seen / heard of it (it's on X360 at the moment). An RPG, cross strategy, but you can complete the tasks in any order you wish, and roam wherever you wish (not just be directed by the gaming bots). So it's more like an exploration than a straight-lined game. There IS a main plot (the usual one), but you can do sooo much more.

*strains brain to remember*
You know what - I've got this all at home. I'll add the synopsis once I've gotten back this afternoon

[Gambit]

Ah computer games. I'm all for Diablo 2 LOD (my alltime fave), Morrowind, Fable, Neverwinter Nights, Age of empires, Warlords battlecry, Knights of the old republic and Unreal Tournament.

I think i play too much computer.....

[Fuil Dearg]

arcticfirefox said:

It seems that it all depends on the types of games you play. None of the games I enjoy would work particularly well on consoles because there are too many commands. Can you imagine how difficult it would be to play Warcraft 3 on console?

i'm not usually a fan of strategy games but there was a brilliant strategy game on the ps-x called Warzone 2100. i think they might have released it on the pc too. it managed all the different commands so well in too different ways mostly. it used a sort of pie shaped menu, each section with sub menus. and it made very good use of combining the frontal keys of the playstation controller with the triangle, square, cirlce and cross buttons.

[Min]

A lot of games are designed now for all platforms. I'm waiting for a really good RPG/strategy type game (2 player) to come out for Xbox 360 still.

I remember (during the 3d max section of my multimedia cert) there was one guy in my class of about 6 who was actually working in the gaming industry. They design the planes for the Microsoft Flight Simulator games.
He told me that they're basically building everything for Xbox and PC now days - in their office at least - since they're both primarily microsoft and use similar code.

What is the DEAL with WoW?! It doesn't look any different from any other PC fantasy strategy game?

[Arctic Firefox]

I'm not impressed by WoW. But that's probably because I don't like online-only games where you have to pay a hefty subscription regardless of whether you play it often.

Where's your Robin Hood synopsis?

[Min]

I forgot to add it...multiple times
I'm going to have to edit it though, and only give you an extremely brief synopsis, I don't want anyone stealing (more of) my idea !! *glares at Spellbound*