Good Online FPS Games/Servers For Beginners?

America's Army by servicepack158 · 2004-02-09 08:18 · Score: 5, Interesting

America's Army is free i just downloaded it :) it's pretty sweet. go check it out. It's more realistic too, ie no missle super guns and cheats that I know of.

Re:America's Army by Atroxodisse · 2004-02-09 08:21 · Score: 2, Interesting

America's Army is a grenade fest. The only thing to do is launch nades. Also, it restricts what maps you can play based on your current honor, which goes up and down depending on your actions. For instance, if you launch a grenade into a room and your idiot team mates all run in and die you lose honor and can't play the better maps.

--
Read my short stories - You won't regret it.
Re:America's Army by Gyorg_Lavode · 2004-02-09 08:33 · Score: 2, Insightful

Recommending America's Army is cruel. AA has a VERY steep learning curve. It takes a while to get the hang of working with teammates (which you really have to do), navigating the maps, keeping your head down, knowing the objectives, using the weapons correctly etc. For one thing, in AA, your weapon doesn't fire strait. If you machine gun someone who is a ways away, you'll be lucky to hit them once while they sight a shot and 1-hit kill you.
That said, I think the person saying it's all about grenades isn't really fair. A lot of times you can't use them because of the close quarters and worries about killing a team mate. Also, once you learn the places the opposing team will most likely throw grenades blindly, you can avoid most of them. On most maps, teams will use grenades right off the bat and people will run strait into them.

--
I do security
Re:America's Army by Anonymous Coward · 2004-02-09 08:36 · Score: 3, Interesting

Huh? I have no idea what you're talking about. Sure, grenades are a thing to avoid, and some maps (Bridge) are filled with them. But most of the time, it's realistic fun. Especially on larger maps such as Mountain Pass SE and Radio Tower.

Also, America's Army has punkbuster anti-cheating software to prevent aimbots. It works pretty well too. I'm noticing less headshots/impossible stuff done by noobs. Development for the most popular aimbot has also stopped since it's users were constantly being banned.

As for the honor requirement, you need 15 honor to play a special forces role on the SF maps. Otherwise, you play as indigenous forces (only difference is you can't mod your gun as IF).

There is one map that restricts to 15+ honor, and that is Pipeline SF. If you have less then 15, just play normal pipeline.
Re:America's Army by smclean · 2004-02-09 08:42 · Score: 5, Informative

I disagree. Anyone knows where a 203 (grenade launcher) can and cannot get to, and after playing for 5 minutes you should be smart enough to realize how to go about keeping out of a 203's reach. This is realism. Writing off AA as a grenade fest is like writing off quake as a rocket fest.
Also, I don't know any situations in which the maps you can play is restricted by your honor rating. Unofficial servers should give no bearing to honor at all, and people who do not like the honor concept can bypass it completely.
I agree with you that it sucks that idiot team mates can easily reduce your honor by running into your grenades because they do not pay attention, etc. This has certainly happened enough times to me, but in the end it is a rare enough event that I do not hate the game for it. Chock it up to realism, in real life you might want to anticipate that your team mates may be confused or just plain dumb, so throw your grenades far enough away that they won't injure themselves.
The biggest qualm I have with AA is the annoyance of the training missions. I just want to get my friends on the internet to play me... NOW. I don't want to go to people and say, I found this great game called America's Army, why don't you spend 3 hours tonight passing all the training, then sometime tomorrow night we'll play. It just isn't enticing when I try to sell it to friends and coworkers.
Otherwise, I love AA, more than counterstrike or quake. When on a good, communicative, cooperative team, facing creative opponents, the game is extremely enjoyable.

--
"'Yrch!' said Legolas, falling into his own tongue."
Re:America's Army by randyest · 2004-02-09 08:45 · Score: 5, Informative

Easier to play than AA (and much better, IMHO) is Battlefield 1942, particularly the free Desert Combat modern warfare mod you can download for it.

There are very few (useful) cheats, and the latest 1.6 patch includes PunkBuster and that's almost eliminated all traces of cheating. Even before PunkBuster, cheats were pretty rare, especially if you play on "pure" servers (which is most of them).

Not unlike the awesome old Team Fortress, BF1942 has a variety of classes you can play (assault, anti-armor, medic, engineer, scout, etc.) so there's a spot on the team for everyone, even those without the experience or trigger-happy twitch fingers.

And, very much unlike all other FPS games, there are vehicles. Planes, tanks, battleships, humvees, helicopters, motorcycles, artillery, etc. This, to me, add so much to the genre that I have trouble playing other FPSs without getting bored quickly. Vehicles can also be a good equalizer -- no matter how twitch fast that enemy is, if you're in a tank, and he's on foot, he's toast.

As an added bonus, you can find 64-man games pretty easily, which makes it even easier to get along without a lot of expertise. You can play a support role (engineer, medic) effectively with little practice, and so you'll be able to help your team win even while learning your skills.

You can pick up a copy in the stores for about $35-40, or online for $20 or less. There are two "offical" addons: Rode To Rome ($15) and Secret Weapons ($20), but neither are required to play. And, if you gravitate toward the DC mod (as most have, based on recent server stats), the add-ons are totally useless.

Oh, and the number one most important thing you need to work on to be good at FPS games is your config. That is, how you assign your player functions to your mouse and keyboard keys (please resist any temptation you may have to not use your mouse for looking around). Think about this carefully before you just slop something together. Otherwise you'll get used to a bad config and have trouble switching from it later when you realize that you need to be able to do action A and B together a lot, but you've got them both assigned to keys that use the same finger.

--
everything in moderation
Re:America's Army by doorbot.com · 2004-02-09 08:47 · Score: 5, Informative

America's Army is a grenade fest. The only thing to do is launch nades.

Learn to snipe with the M16. Mountain Pass is a lot of fun when you can snipe with the M16, well out of range of grenades. Also, learning how to move and how not to be seen will keep you from getting tagged by a grenade. Learn to listen for grenades and cook off the ones you throw.

And here's a quick guide I wrote on defending the Weapons Cache map... it contains some suggestions that you might find useful for other maps.

But other posters are right... AA has a steep learning curve; if you give it time you'll find it very rewarding.
Re:America's Army by 74nova · 2004-02-09 09:17 · Score: 2, Insightful

as much as i love it, quake is a rocket fest. you can be a reasonably better but if you have any other weapon, you will lose against the rocket. sure, some people are pretty good with other weapons, but the rocket rules 99% of the time. i dont have a problem with this at all, however.

that being said, i agree with everything else you said about AA. the realism is nice, but its nice to just be able to jump right into a game like enemy territory(which, for those not in the know is for linux as well)

--
use your turn signal! you people act like it's divulging information to the enemy
Re:America's Army by Giggles+Of+Doom · 2004-02-09 09:39 · Score: 4, Funny

...and how not to be seen...

Ah, he was behind the middle bush.

--
"A coward dies a thousand deaths, the brave but one."
Re:America's Army by Golias · 2004-02-09 09:47 · Score: 4, Informative

Back in my Quake days I could let just about anybody have all the rockets they wanted, and still gib them six ways from Sunday with other weapons. They might get the occational "splash damage" kill on me if I step too close to a wall at the wrong moment, of fail to "rocket jump" off their shot, but at the end of the level, it would be my name at the top of the screen, not theirs.
A team-mate of mine would frequently kill rocket-weilder's with the crowbar just to prove he could. Rockets were great, but they can be avoided if you know what you are doing. People who complained about rockets in Quake I are whiners.
I'm with you on liking the old rockets. I don't think I've ever enjoyed an FPS deathmatch more than the original low-gravity level on quake. (By the way, in big low-G maps, other weapons were much more effective than the rockets, unless your opponent was foolish enough to keep his feet on the ground the whole time. Hitting an airborne moving target with the rocket launcher, while you are also airborne and moving, was both very tricky and very fun.)
In answer to the poster's original question: It doesn't matter what FPS you start with. You will feel like a total "n00b" for a while. Even with a brand-new game, you'll find yourself on servers populated entirely by the original beta testers, all sitting on the local networks of their ISP office and taking full advatage of the DS3 drop. Even when that's not the case, somebody who's mastered one mouse-based 360-degree FPS is going to be pretty good at all of them, so they will always have a leg up on you until you've played a little more. Just get in there, get killed, have fun, and you'll learn. Ignore your scores while you practice your strafing techniques and get the hang of aiming on the run. Soon you'll be spraying death everywhere with the rest of us.

--
Information wants to be anthropomorphized.
Re:America's Army by randyest · 2004-02-09 10:23 · Score: 2, Informative

I played Tribes, and liked it for (1) big maps and (2) vehicles. I disliked it for everything else (boring sparse maps, bad netcode, jumpy prediction, mediocre graphics, lack of mods). I even witnessed the suckathon that was Tribes2, for a short while. While Tribes1/2 certainly included vehicles, the variety (a few sizes of the same personnel-carrier in Tribes vs BF's battleships, carriers, tanks, jeeps, planes, artillery, submarines, . . . ) and number of variatons (4-5 in Tribes vs. 32+ in BF) really didn't make vehicles as integral to the gameplay of Tribes as they do in BF. Nor were they particularly "cool" or "fun" vehicles that one might tweak one's skill with in order to become an awe-inspiring expert at the controls. They were utilitatian and plain. IMHO.

Now, in the Really Has Vehicles list I also know about: Codename Eagle and HALO. (Many omitted because vehicles must be (1) freely driveable and (2) armed.)

And for the record, these are the upcoming titles that I believe plan to include vehicles: Unreal2k4, HalfLife2.

So, unless you know of more, compared to the hundreds of FPS games out there, I'd say true vehicle support is very rare.

--
everything in moderation
Re:America's Army by prockcore · 2004-02-09 10:44 · Score: 2, Informative

Does AA have voice comm, ala counterstrike? i hate typing.

You mean like Teamspeak? Or do you mean like quickchat? AA has both. Hit G and you can pick from a number of quick voice commands like "Enemy Spotted" etc.
Re:America's Army by MrAngryForNoReason · 2004-02-09 11:14 · Score: 3, Insightful

If you are into the rush of not knowing where the enemy are or where the next shot might come from, you should check out Vietcong. Single player is a bit of a dissapointment but multiplayer is incredibly tense.
You sneak through the jungle being as quiet as possible, making sure you stay in cover, going from tree to tree bush to bush. You don't hear anything, wonder where everyone is, then suddenly you come out from behind a bush and are literally face to face with an enemy. Its that split second rush where you both just crap yourselves and start firing. This of course pushes everyone else over the edge and suddenly the jungle just erupts with gunfire.

It has the same problems as other games with griefers and people who don't take it seriously but if you get on a good server it can be very tactical.
Re:America's Army by randyest · 2004-02-09 11:35 · Score: 2, Informative

Well, "fast" was sort of in the spec (hop in, play 30 min, log out), unless you mean fast gameplay (which is really common only on airplane-heavy maps in my experience). AA doesn't really work well as a "fast" games in either sense.

I think BF1942 has one of the smallest gaps between best/worst players of all FPS games I've played, probably because the vehicles are good equalizers, and no class or firearm is excessively powerful or abusable -- the all-too-commonly-annoying sniper is pretty well nerfed). This makes it a good n00b game and very easy to get started in.

AA, on the other hand, has a built-in entry barrier (training mission and honor-building stuff that does less to improve your skills than it does to hassle you and delay your fun). And the gap between best and worst players, although somewhat mitigated by the high-honor servers, is huge.

There are also very few hard-to-learn "tricks" in BF1942 that advanced players can use to taunt and bewilder n00bs. Not that there are such tricks in AA (unless you count learning to sit really still for a long time and move very slowly, which was indeed hard for me to master), but there are in most FPS games (rocket jumping, conc jumping, wall walking, speed-hopping, etc.)

--
everything in moderation
Re:America's Army by SQLz · 2004-02-09 11:58 · Score: 2, Interesting

Now thats the best idea for multiplayer I've seen in a long time. That way all the morons stay on the beginner maps and the serious players are not bothered.
Re:America's Army by Jondo · 2004-02-09 13:17 · Score: 2, Informative

I was always one with the railgun in Quake II. Instagib railgun with ninja rope is still by far the most FPS fun I have ever had in any game.

Savage by SuperQ · 2004-02-09 08:19 · Score: 5, Interesting

I've been playing Savage a bunch recently, it's a great combo FPS, and RTS.. I saw it at Best Buy for $20, and after playing the demo.. what a deal. (the demo is a bit bugy, but fun, the retail version update 2.0 fixes all the previous bugs)

info: http://www.s2games.com

Re:Savage by SuperQ · 2004-02-09 08:22 · Score: 4, Informative

I forgot to mention, it's got Windows and Linux binaries.
Re:Savage by 13Echo · 2004-02-09 09:18 · Score: 3, Informative

Definately! Savage is the must-have game of late 2003 - early 2004. The demo does not do it justice. I purchased my copy online, from iGames, for Linux, and I've been hooked ever since.

Savage is definately one of the best PC games that I've played for years. Give the demo a try, but don't judge it too hard. The demo is buggy, but the 2.00 version of the official game is fantastic and has a ton of extras.

I can't wait for S2's next game. I hope that a Linux game is in the future as well.
Re:Savage by Slothy · 2004-02-09 09:52 · Score: 5, Informative

There are no keygens for Savage, because when I generated the CD Keys for it I did not do it algorithmically. All of the valid keys are kept on the server, which is where the cd key check happens (not locally).

Jon (Slothy)
Ex-employee, S2 Games
Re:Savage by IgD · 2004-02-09 10:33 · Score: 2, Informative

I want to echo this. Savage is a really awesome game. I used to play Command and Conquer back in the day. This game is like C&C and Battlefield 1942 combined.
Re:Savage by parkanoid · 2004-02-09 11:33 · Score: 2, Informative

Don't forget to check out the original, Natural Selection, a Half-Life mod. I'm not sure if Savage is based directly on NS, but NS has been out for quite some time and has matured in many aspects. NS can be a lot less demanding in terms of pure twitch than Quake/HL, depending on the version you play, and has a focus on teamwork. I haven't have time to play 3.0 yet, but it should still be good.
Re:Savage by Jackie_Chan_Fan · 2004-02-09 13:32 · Score: 3, Funny

Jon you big slothy monkey. Adam here :) Also EX employee at S2games :)

RtCWeT by Lumpy · 2004-02-09 08:19 · Score: 5, Interesting

Return to Castle Wolfenstine Enemy Territory...

excellent game that REQUIRES team play and has lots of friendly people if you are interested in actually being a team member...

I'ts one of the very few I play on a regular basis..

--
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.

Re:RtCWeT by Anonymous Coward · 2004-02-09 08:26 · Score: 4, Insightful

There is a heirarchy of difficulty for a given game.

1) The hardest servers will be fully patched to the newest version.

2) Much easier servers are servers that were never patched. Many noobs here, young kids, etc that didn't play enough to want to patch, or don't know that a patch exists.

3) Easier still is the demo version. Almost entirely newbs here, everyone at all serious layed out the $40 long ago.

So, using Return to Castle Wolfenstien as an example,

- The 1.4 servers are tough. Clans live here.
- The 1.33 servers are much easier
- The Wolf MP test beta is easier still.

BTW Wolf has punkbuster. Just because someone gets constant headshots does not mean they are cheating. I can regularly dominate a match, but I also routinely get owned by peole who are simply phenominal.
Re:RtCWeT by Chip7 · 2004-02-09 08:28 · Score: 4, Insightful

Also, RTCW:ET uses punkbuster. It doesn't catch all cheats but does a decent job keeping the game fair.

--
-- If you actually say LOL instead of laughing, maybe it's time to go outside! --
Re:RtCWeT by JuliusRV · 2004-02-09 08:29 · Score: 3, Insightful

Yes! It's fun, it's free (as in beer) and you can play it under Linux!
But be prepared to get addicted... after a few days, your vocabulary will be reduced to the messages of the quickchat, as happened to the people in the video on this page (hilarious, a must see!):

http://www.et.gamesunited.de/files.html
Re:RtCWeT by NutscrapeSucks · 2004-02-09 08:31 · Score: 4, Insightful

I love RTCW:ET, but I wouldn't recommend it for the casual player.

The maps are very large and there's a complex set of objectives which have to be accomplished. Basically, you have to know where to be and where to go or else you are largely going to be useless.

I tried it with some friends of mine -- while in standard RTCW you could just bumrush the Map Room or whatever, these guys never really got the hang of ET and were always wandering around the wrong side of the map.

The good thing about the games is that if you aren't the best FPS shooter, you can be a Medic or Engineer and just play defense.

--
Whenever I hear the word 'Innovation', I reach for my pistol.
Re:RtCWeT by Akki · 2004-02-09 08:39 · Score: 3, Interesting

Seconded. ET was the first multiplayer FPS I ever got into. It was absolutely confusing at first, but once I stepped back and ran through the maps locally to figure out what the hell was going on, I loved it. You really get a sense of accomplishment from team-based FPSs that deathmatching can't get you. And ET is a wonderful team-based FPS. When you're new, the people on your side can take up your slack a little and you can learn from watching them. Strategy and tactics are very important. I'm still discovering new tactics eight months after starting. I'm even to the point now where I carefully calibrate my mouse, spend way to much time tweaking graphics settings, and set my FPS to 125 so I can strafe-jump just that little bit farther.
Re:RtCWeT by ill_mango · 2004-02-09 08:42 · Score: 2, Interesting

I agree. Great game, and some of the roles (i.e. medic, engineer) are easy to pick up and let you get a good amount of points andhave some fun.
Re:RtCWeT by 74nova · 2004-02-09 09:20 · Score: 3, Informative

you know, i played that for the first time the other day and was in awe at the quality i got for free. beautiful maps, relatively smooth graphics, and pretty nice gameplay. the objectives and style of play involving teamplay are great.

however, i found that a lot of people dont tolerate noobs. i hit a couple of mines in a game and they almost voted me out. pissed me off that i had been playing 15 minutes and they just coudlnt stand somebody new playing.

without a doubt ill play again, however.

--
use your turn signal! you people act like it's divulging information to the enemy
Re:RtCWeT by tunah · 2004-02-09 09:23 · Score: 2, Informative

If anyone's confused, the parent is talking about Return to Castle Wolfenstein, not Wolfenstein Enemy Terrirory, for which the current version is 1.01 IIRC.

--
Free Java games for your phone: Tontie, Sokoban
Re:RtCWeT by mordicus · 2004-02-09 19:28 · Score: 2, Insightful

The good thing about the games is that if you aren't the best FPS shooter, you can be a Medic or Engineer and just play defense.

I wholeheartedly agree.

Even though the maps in Enemy Territory tend to be largish and without knowledge of a map's quirks and understanding the objectives you might end up wandering around waiting for someone to snipe you, a very good way of getting the hang of things is playing a medic.

Just hang back, follow the ones that seem to know what they're doing, avoid fire and keep your syringe ready.

Once you're starting to get the big picture, you might want to try engi or c-ops, just don't rush into fieldopshood - poor judgement with airstrikes is a sure way to get flamed :)

...and remember nobody likes a kamikaze panzer soldat.

--
dereksmalls@euroservers

LORD! by coronaride · 2004-02-09 08:19 · Score: 5, Funny

Legend of the Red Dragon on someone's telnet BBS. Oh wait..he said FPS! oops!

--
Those who can, do. Those who can't, go into business for themselves.

Re:LORD! by Valegor · 2004-02-09 08:23 · Score: 2, Insightful

Lord may not be a first person shooter, but I rank it up there as one of the greatest games of all time.

bzflag by pherris · 2004-02-09 08:20 · Score: 3, Informative

bzflag is great. Easy to start, easy on the eyes and it's OSS.

--
"And a voice was screaming: 'Holy Jesus! What are these goddamn animals?'" - HST

Re:bzflag by Evilive · 2004-02-09 09:47 · Score: 2, Interesting

I second that vote.
I love bzflag. "Battle Zone" in 3-D and with teams.
If you search the server listing (late at night or EARLY morning), every now and then you find an unoccupied server - a perfect place to 'practice'.
Joining a team (as oppossed to being a 'rogue') is great for 'newbies'. A common goal: blowing up tanks that are not the same color as you.
When I first started playing, even the more experienced players who'd been at it a while were pretty friendly: "Welcome to the fold, dude" kind of attitude.

Of course there's always the occasional dickhead, but there are ways to keep them off the playing fields.

--
-- Two in the pink, one in the sink.

Well by doomy · 2004-02-09 08:20 · Score: 4, Informative

Most online FPS use punkbuster or something similar now, and cheats are almost non-existant. You might wanna try out America's Army, it's a free download and free online FSP shooter (pretty detailed and fun).

--
...free your source and the rest would follow...

Re:Well by CompWerks · 2004-02-09 08:23 · Score: 5, Insightful

If you think there aren't any cheats that circumvent PunkBuster/Steam then you are't looking very hard.

--
If you can read this sig - the bitch fell off.
Re:Well by Zathrus · 2004-02-09 08:32 · Score: 5, Informative

Another thing to note -- if you aren't experienced in the game you have no way of knowing if someone is using a cheat or not. Even if you're good it can be hard to tell.

I'm a decent FPS player (on public servers I usually rank in the top 2-3%; good enough to get accused of cheating from time to time), but I have a friend that can beat the crap out of me. To the point that I won't ever get a kill unless he goofs around. And I know he's not cheating -- he's just that much better than me.

If you're not familiar with the game then you're not going to be able to tell if you just died to some l33t script kiddie that is using an autoaim hack or to someone that just knows how to play.

Even if you only play 1/2 hour a day you'll get better (unless you just have no tendancy towards being able to play well), but you're going to spend a lot of time just dieing at the start. It simply takes awhile to learn the feel of the game -- what weapons work well where, how to navigate certain maps, etc. It's just like anything else.
Re:Well by tricops · 2004-02-09 08:34 · Score: 3, Insightful

Be that as it may, I don't understand everyone's automatic assumption that so many people are cheating.
Granted, I know there are people out there who do cheat, but people have a tendency to blame cheating
any time someone is much better than them. If it were anywhere near as bad as some people make it out
to be there would be a ratio of like one person not cheating for every 3-50 who are. :-p

--
(\(\
(^v^)
(")")
This is the cute vorpal bunny virus, copy to your sig or runaway, runaway in fear!
Re:Well by Gyorg_Lavode · 2004-02-09 08:39 · Score: 4, Funny

I'm sorry but I call BS. It is standard procedure in any FPS, (but especially CS), to call anyone better than you a cheater and attempt to kick them from the server.

--
I do security
Re:Well by doomy · 2004-02-09 08:43 · Score: 2, Interesting

I'm a good FPS player, when ever I get on an online game there are half the people who bitch about me cheating, but I'm not. And I know this happens to several others.

The anti-cheat stuff like punkbuster is pretty solid now, and the only complaints I have are from noobs.

In light of this, a honor system like that in America's Army is a very nice bonus. But this does not seem to solve the problem at all. I think it would be better if game servers are dedicated to three different classes of players (newbies, intermediate and expert). That should help solve the unevenness in some games.

--
...free your source and the rest would follow...
Re:Well by Shalda · 2004-02-09 08:51 · Score: 4, Insightful

That brings to mind the biggest problem with playing games online. People are weenies. That's why I've given up on the Internet and gone back to LAN parties.

--
bance.net
Re:Well by LordKronos · 2004-02-09 08:53 · Score: 4, Interesting

I don't understand everyone's automatic assumption that so many people are cheating

Here is what I base my assumption on. I've always been good at online games, usually finishing first or near first place of any game I was in. However, over the years, as cheating has grown more common, I've noticed that my apparent skills have followed a pattern. When a new game comes out, I do very good at it. However after a few months of playing, once the cheats start spreading, I find myself doing worse and worse. Eventually it gets to the point that I feel like I'm a n00b at the game. When a new but very similar game comes out, again I find I'm very good at the new game for a few months, but gradually start getting worse again. Now it may be innocent coincidence, but I have a hard time believing that either a) my skill level declines with practice, or b)other players get better than me but are somehow unable to transfer those skills over to other games, and thus take months of practice to surpass me again.

I've reached the point that I've just given up on online games completely.
Re:Well by tricops · 2004-02-09 09:15 · Score: 2, Informative

Well, my main issue is with "so many people".

I won't argue there is no cheating, but... just to play the devils advocate... When a game first comes out, everyone starts from the same base (well, ignoring prior fps experience). After a few months the people with the most potential start to reach it while the people with a little less skill are pushed down by them (especially when there are younger kids who have nothing better to do than spend 5-8hours a day playing the game =P).

Sure, there are still people cheating and it sucks, but the main reason it gets harder is because people are getting better, unless you really believe the majority of people are cheating. I've never bothered cheating myself and I don't really know anyone who has... while that doesn't mean people don't cheat, if I've seen so little of it, I personally could only see like 5-15% cheating maybe, not the 50-70%+ people make it sound like. That's enough to be a pain in the ass, but I can't see it being enough to completely ruin the experience or destroy your own playing ability.

On the other hand, I've just about given up on online games as well, but just because people are so much better than I am now and I can't seem to catch up again.

--
(\(\
(^v^)
(")")
This is the cute vorpal bunny virus, copy to your sig or runaway, runaway in fear!
Re:Well by irc.goatse.cx+troll · 2004-02-09 09:28 · Score: 4, Funny

Its not in their backpack, thats a common misconception. In reality, all of the skilled players have just learned to fire a weapon out of their ass. I fart nothing but headshots.

--
Pain lasts, kid. Its how you know you're alive. Sometimes I think this growing up thing is just pain management-TheMaxx
Re:Well by randyest · 2004-02-09 09:33 · Score: 2, Funny

Damn straight! I mean, who needs people? I find it so much more fun to play at my own LAN party, with all my life-sized celebrity cardboard cut-outs posed appropriately at each station.

They're not very good players, unfortunately. But at least they're not weenies.

--
everything in moderation

LAN with Friends by DreadSpoon · 2004-02-09 08:20 · Score: 4, Insightful

Honestly, just get some friends together on a LAN and play. It's more entertaining than playing with a mass of immature idiots online anyhow. ;-)

It'll also give you the opportunity to build up those skills to get good enough to compete with the losers^wpros who spend all their time playing FPS games.

Re:LAN with Friends by blanks · 2004-02-09 08:28 · Score: 5, Funny

"Honestly, just get some friends together on a LAN and play. It's more entertaining than playing with a mass of immature idiots online anyhow. ;-)"

Compared to what? playing with a mass of immature idiots in your living room?

--
TruePunk | Games
Re:LAN with Friends by Pxtl · 2004-02-09 08:39 · Score: 3, Insightful

Amen - not only that, but with LANs you can run all the most obscure mods you want. Before you say "who has a home LAN" - think it through, most geeks out there have a few old P166 boxen around. Anything above that level can run HL or Q2 - Voodoo2 cards are like $20 if you hunt for them. Just from keeping old computers around when they get replaced, I've got a 7-PC lan of computers faster than 166 at my family's house.

If its an older lan (p133 and up) get Quake 2 for Superheros Q2, Weapons Factory, Transformers Quake 2, and Action Quake 2. And get BattleZone. Half Life if you've got Voodoos. If you get HL, don't be afraid to hunt for the more obscure mods - my fave mod for HL is an obscure little action/racing hybrid named Turbo. Very fast, very violent, very cheap.

Good introductory games:
UT - easiest deathmatch FPS ever. An endless supply of good mods exist, and unlike in HL you can mix and match them.
Nerf ArenaBlast - UT for the kiddies!
Cube - simple, but painfully fast. wouter.fov120.com/cube
Serious Sam - easiest FPS to learn, no getting lost, no thinking - just shooting.

The newer FPS games I've played have all been harder, faster games. UT2k3 lost the whole "Quake for newbs/girls" appeal that the old UT had.

Oh, and BattleZone 1 is the greatest RTS/FPS hybrid ever.
Re:LAN with Friends by Skweetis · 2004-02-09 08:42 · Score: 2, Insightful
I'm glad this was modded insightful. I actually find that I enjoy LAN parties so much more than online gaming that I usually don't bother with online play anymore. There are a few reasons for this:
- All those latency problems disappear (unless you have a really crappy hub, or something).
- It's easier to choose who you play with, important as FPSs are much more fun when players are evenly matched.
- It's a social event. Get some pizza and beer, and enjoy yourself! (The beer may even help improve the skills :).

Practicing with Bots by Meridun · 2004-02-09 08:21 · Score: 5, Insightful

Why don't you try playing single player, or perhaps set up a LAN game filled with some bots while you bring yourself up to speed with the games?

I know that the question specified "online", but if you consider yourself a beginner, then you probably need to practice some before you get online and swim with the sharks. Many of the current FPS games allow for single-player with bots, and the bots are often good enough to mimic real players, with the useful difference that you can adjust their difficulty. I know that my officemates and I practiced with Tribes 2 that way for several hours when we bought the game before we logged into the online servers, and it made a world of difference in our enjoyment.

Re:Practicing with Bots by doorbot.com · 2004-02-09 08:40 · Score: 2, Interesting

set up a LAN game filled with some bots while you bring yourself up to speed with the games

This is a good idea, but the bots are too predictable after a while. To offset this, slowly turn up the game speed and bot difficulty as you improve your skills. You should be using the bots to improve your reaction times and "fundamentals". In Unreal Tournament, if you can win the matches with the bots at 150% game speed and the higher levels of difficulty, you'll do fine when you play online at 100% gamespeed. On Unreal Tournament, play this way on the Instagib and you'll be a pro in no time.
Re:Practicing with Bots by rsilvergun · 2004-02-09 08:44 · Score: 4, Interesting

You know, it's all well and good to tell the guy to practice, but has anyone ever considered the possibility that he doesn't _want_ to get that good. I know I fall into that category. I just don't have the dedication (or inclination) to practice that much (nor the inherent skill that makes practice unnecesary).

What would be nice is some sort of in game system that could filter servers by skill level. Maybe just a ladder would be enough. Set it up so if one player dominates, he gets booted to another server with a higher rating, and the weakest players get booted to a lower level server. Throw in some load balancing for good measure and you might have something accessible for newbies.

--
Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
Re:Practicing with Bots by haystor · 2004-02-09 08:58 · Score: 2, Interesting

Tribes 2 can be had for $10 right now (a re-release). I've found the Tribes players to be a bit more mature.

I'd also suggest trying out the Planetside demo (7 or 30 days free, depending).

Both games allow for slower more heavily armored, heavier hitting classes. These are good for the newbie as they'll last a bit longer and have more opportunity to learn the game.

I like planetside because it can be played with a mind for tactics, rewarding fire and maneuver more than a typical FPS.

--
t
Re:Practicing with Bots by Worminater · 2004-02-09 09:11 · Score: 2, Interesting

I dont know about you, but if that happened, the game would, well, suck. half the reason people play a game long enough to be THAT good is to join a server with friends and whip the shit out of a bunch of "nublets"

Take that aspect away, and i see 1/2th the peope who play for more then 4 hours a week quiting the game. If I got kicked to a new server every time I pulled a decent score, I would say "fsck this" and give up the game, as how to you play with friends and develop communities, and all that shiz
Re:Practicing with Bots by dubl-u · 2004-02-09 09:36 · Score: 3, Interesting

What would be nice is some sort of in game system that could filter servers by skill level. Maybe just a ladder would be enough. Set it up so if one player dominates, he gets booted to another server with a higher rating, and the weakest players get booted to a lower level server. Throw in some load balancing for good measure and you might have something accessible for newbies.

Bravo! This is a great solution to the problem. It is also what happens in real sports.

Another option is the sporting notion of a handicap. If somebody is really good, then the server makes it harder on them. If the server makes the handicap public, then they still get to be known as a bad-ass, while everybody still gets to have fun.
Re:Practicing with Bots by randyest · 2004-02-09 10:06 · Score: 3, Insightful

You have a good point, but I think you're jumping too quickly to a solution in the wrong direction, IMHO. You want servers filtered and segregated by skill level. I don't think this will work. Here's why:

Intermediate-to-advanced players will surely occasionally hop onto a n00b server to shoot some fish in a barrel, take out some frustration, test a new tecchnique, or whatever. This will annoy and discourage players who are "expecting" to do well because of server skill settings.

Some new players may even incorrectly assume that they don't have to bother with the (relatively high) learning curve of the controls and coordination required for most FPS games.

A sort of Peter principle kicks in: as soon as you have one or a few games where you start to do much better than the preset skill level for that server, you have to move on. It would be hard to tune the system to choose the "break-point" at a proper time for everyone. If I get lucky and a wild grenade kills 10 enemies, am I ready to move on? A tough AI problem, for sure.

The idea of filtering by skill quickly gets reduced to filtering by score, or at best aggregate average scores. This can work if you have a game with uniqie id's and centralized tracking. But then you'll need to account for multiple player for the same game CD, which allows for "cheating" the system by creating new "n00b" accounts.

Even if you work around the problems above, note that score is really not strongly related to player skill. Scores are more a combination of relative player skills, the maps, and playing styles used in each game. Bad players can get high scores and good players can gwet low scores, especially in team games, depending on the class and role they are playing.

In fact, some team-based mods are now actually not tracking individual player scores, but only team scores. This is to encourage more teamwork and less Rambo-style play. Some players get very high scores by baseraping with planes or whatever, yet still play poorly (by definition) because their team loses, and they don't help. If team victory is the goal, individual scores don't do well to promote it.

The above emphasise the problems with determining "skill" in terms of segregating servers and enforcing the segregation, and it also leads into my suggestion.

With class-based games, you have the option of focusing on 5 or 6 different skill sets / strategies. If you're not the best/fastest twitch finger in the West, consider playing classes other than assault/soldier and choosing not to run head-first into the front lines. Maybe you would be better playing medic, or engineer, or artillery support. I play a variety of classes (mostly in BF1942), and each one is a very different experience requiring totally different skills and play styles. Please consider trying them all a little and see what you may have a natural knack for, and enjoy.

--
everything in moderation

Halo isn't too bad by Mantrid · 2004-02-09 08:21 · Score: 5, Interesting

I've found Halo to be pretty fun for what your describing...log on play for 15-20 minutes and quit. The vehicles make it interesting, although the game is not without its problems. But if your just playing casually on line it isn't going to be too big of a deal.

Re:Halo isn't too bad by TLSPRWR · 2004-02-09 09:32 · Score: 2, Informative

I agree. Halo is fantastic if you want to play short, quick games. The maps are smaller than some other games maps, and a lot easier to memorize. Because of the maps being small, you do get a lot of lame snipers right over the spawn points, who'll take you out as soon as you spawn. Also, people tend to abuse vehicles (mainly, Scorpion tank), but you can go to servers with vehicles disabled. Keep in mind, Halo is VERY frustrating at first, ecspecially if you get the wrong server. Lamers like mentioned above populate a lot of servers, so just give it time. Go through the single player at least on Normal for a few levels to gain some skill. Halo's AI is very good and is good practice for online play. BattleField 1942 is a great online game ('specially with Desert Combat mod) kinda hard to get into at first, but fool around in Single player for a little while with as minimal bots possible, to keep CPU up fine. Try using all the vehicles, and mastering each's control schemes. In Desert Combat, make sure you can fly the helicopters in single player before taking one on multiplayer. Anyways, there's plenty out there to choose from. All are rewarding in their own way, and every one has it's own fun-ness to it. Just remember when you get sniped or killed lamely to just have fun and retaliate

TexanGirlz Servers by miketang16 · 2004-02-09 08:21 · Score: 3, Interesting

I've been playing on the Texangirlz Counter-Strike servers for almost a year now. It's a great recreational place to have fun. Generally the servers are filled with all levels of players too.

Check them out: Texangirlz

--
-------
"In times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act."
-- George Orwell

Enemy Territory by S.+Bolle · 2004-02-09 08:21 · Score: 4, Informative

Enemy Territory is an incredibly fun team-based game and completely free. Most people are migrating from the (dead) RTCW now, so if you want to join teams and grow along, this is the time.

Jedi Knight/2/Academy by Anonymous Coward · 2004-02-09 08:21 · Score: 2, Informative

Pick up one of the Jedi Knight games. It seems that the vast majority of JK players are kids, and the learning curve from "beginner" to "I'm pretty good" is fairly shallow. Some of the stuff takes a while to master, but it definitely isn't "dominated" by guys that have been playing it since 1999 or anything.

Try Wolfenstein: by big_groo · 2004-02-09 08:21 · Score: 2, Redundant

Enemy Territory. It's free. It's fun. Runs on Windows or Linux.

Did I mention free?

Urban Terror by mindstormpt · 2004-02-09 08:22 · Score: 2, Informative

Urban Terror (a quake3 mod) used to be quite fun.. Not too hard to learn up to a medium skill, but of course you can't expect to be level with guys who've been playing for 4 years... But then the community (or part of it) was very lame and rough on new players... Haven't played in a while though.. this might have changed :)

BF1942 by scumbucket · 2004-02-09 08:22 · Score: 4, Informative

Get Battlefield 1942. It's really fun!

Once you get the hang of it, get the Desert Combat mod. Updates the weapons, vehicles, and maps to present day.

--
CMDRTACO CHECK YOUR EMAIL!

Re:BF1942 by Tophorn · 2004-02-09 08:30 · Score: 5, Informative

I would agree with this statement. I've played Counter-Strike for about 4 years now and recently started playing BattleField's Desert Combat mod. Mostly the maps allow for beginners to "run-around" somewhere that will allow them to stay out of the action and work on whatever skill you feel you need to improve. Also it's got pretty graphics.

The Specialists by Raptor-DP · 2004-02-09 08:22 · Score: 2, Informative

Personally, I'm a fan of half-life and its resulting mods, but when it comes to cheating, the best of them are the sorta popular ones, but not too popular. My favorite being The Specialists. A matrix like game, designed for players to be just as effective at killing their opponents with dual SOCOMS as with an AK...Black trench coat not included.

Small and Simple by Jailbrekr · 2004-02-09 08:22 · Score: 2, Insightful

Give BZFlag a try. (Multiplayer CTF Battlezone)

http://www.bzflag.org/

Its small, simple, and a helluvalot of fun to play.

--
Feed the need: Digitaladdiction.net

ArmageTRON by Stavr0 · 2004-02-09 08:22 · Score: 3, Insightful

FP Light Cycle Game (open source, multiplatform) just like the movie.

Delta Force Series by Knacklappen · 2004-02-09 08:23 · Score: 2, Informative

The Delta Force series from Novalogic has some rooms servers especially for newbies.

--

Excellence: Moderate (mostly affected by comments on your karma)

Tribes by AstrumPreliator · 2004-02-09 08:23 · Score: 3, Insightful

Try Starsiege: Tribes. It's an old game but people still play it. It's actually a pretty easy game to pick up, but damn hard to master. You will lose the first couple games, but thats going to happen in any FPS you pick up. Tribes takes advantage of the third dimension (jet pack) so it teaches you to lead properly and it gives you a good feel for hitting someone with a projectile. Once you get good at Tribes you're almost garunteed to be good at another FPS.

UT2k3 by Lehk228 · 2004-02-09 08:23 · Score: 3, Informative

If your machine can handle Unreal Tournament 2003 it's good against cheaters and you can usually find public servers with enough other n00bz to have a good time... also if you can find an invasion server that isn't using the RPG mod then you don't play against other players, it's human players v. computer aliens.

--
Snowden and Manning are heroes.

The newest on the market by FortKnox · 2004-02-09 08:24 · Score: 4, Insightful

Find the newest game on the market. Most are all pretty much the same now-a-days, and if you want to get on a game that has no established game gurus, and no cheats, you need to get the bleeding edge game that no one has had a chance to master and/or crack.

Honestly, any game someone mentions thats a bit older (like Enemy Territory) is a bit too complex for a 'fps newbie'. A fps newbie should get used to playing a standard deathmatch, and learning things like circle strafing... THEN get into a game that requires complex strategies and team play.... that's when things get really fun :-)

--
Good quote, too many chars. Seriously, the slashdot 120 char limit sucks!

Medal Of Honor by Krafty+Koder · 2004-02-09 08:24 · Score: 2, Informative

Medal of Honor is still a firm multiplayer favourite with me. The "team match" mode is probably the best is you are starting off, as no matter how many times you get shot, you immediately respawn (kinda like Quake Arena in that respect). But, if you feel you're not up to the skill levels of the other players, you can always just pick a sniper rifle as your weapon and sit in a bush or up a church tower, hiding , and occassionally sniping the opposing side. I've not tried Call Of Duty multiplayer yet, so i cant comment on it - but for pure thrills , Medal Of Honor multiplayer is awesome.

Your best bet... by Jacer · 2004-02-09 08:24 · Score: 4, Interesting

Your best bet is a LAN party with your friends. Your real friends, who, if you catch cheat, you can nail tacks through their, well, ya know. Online gaming is dominated by cheaters and fourteen year old kids who threaten to hax0r your computer when you're doing better than them. Though they rarely know what an IP address is, let alone a port. If I sound a bit bitter, it's because I play a lot of Warcraft, and the maturity level is insane. I don't talk to people when I play, and all I can stand to lay is team games with my room mate. I played a lot of C-strike in the day, but it just lost its appeal after having played Aztec for the hundred-thousandth time. Not to mention all of the kids who use aim bot. I have it a bit easy, where lan games can be arranged by walking down the dorm hallway and yelling at the kids on my floor. It's really hard, and a lot of people ruin the fun. Though, I guess your other option is to just get insanely good and hop around all the servers screaming "3a7 my r0ck37 biz0tch" as you let loose your fury in such an unholy manner everyone just assumes you ARE cheating, and ban you.

--
--fetch daddy's blue fright wig, i must be handsome when i release my rage

Re:Your best bet... by EulerX07 · 2004-02-09 09:16 · Score: 3, Funny

Battle.net...

You will never see such a wretched hive of scum and villainy anywhere else in the galaxy. We have to be careful not to be pwned.
Re:Your best bet... by yoshi_mon · 2004-02-09 09:41 · Score: 2, Informative

This is not a flame but just a suggestion, if your sick of the WC3 croud might I suggest Rise Of Nations?

RON is a more grown-up RTS that has a more grown-up player base. And it's gameplay is just outstanding.

It had MP issues when it 1st came out but as of right now, patch 3, it is very easy to play MP and there are plenty of games to be had.

--

Really, I know what I'm doing...Ohhhh, look at the shiny buttons!
Re:Your best bet... by 74nova · 2004-02-09 09:50 · Score: 2, Funny

dont necessarily need a lan, you could just play online with just them. that way, no lugging machines around and less tiem travelling. my friends and i play diablo2 like that. the guy w/o the router hosts the game and the rest of us just connect and play like its battlenet

--
use your turn signal! you people act like it's divulging information to the enemy

BF1942 by dfj225 · 2004-02-09 08:25 · Score: 5, Insightful

I would suggest battlefield 1942. You can hop in to a game quickly, and it uses punkbuster, so there is little to no cheating. BF1942 is not one of those games where people get insanely good and know every little inch of the map. Plus, if WW2 isn't your bag, you can always download destert combat for some modern action. I personaly like DC better than the original, but thats just me.

--
SIGFAULT

Desert Combat by bbk · 2004-02-09 08:25 · Score: 2, Informative

Check out www.desertcombat.com

It's a mod on Battlefield 1942, and offers modern weapons and vehicles. It also has a fairly gentle learning curve - you can start off just play infantry, move up to Humvees and Tanks, and then work on the planes and helicopters. The gameplay is the best I've seen in any FPS that includes vehicles.

It's also a teamwork game - nothing like flying a blackhawk full of guys through a city, having two guys on the chainguns mowing people down, and the rest paratrooping in to take a base.

I've been playing it for a few months now, and it keeps getting better with every new release.

Problem with Game Balance by Prien715 · 2004-02-09 08:26 · Score: 4, Interesting

I've played quite a bit of CS, and one of the biggest problems is lack of balance between servers and players. It doesn't matter if a player's cheating or not, but if the player's 30-3 someone should kick them. They're either playing against people who are much worse than them in which case they should join a server with better players or else they need to stop cheating. I'd like to see more servers with kick votes to help with this kind of stuff.

--
-- Political fascism requires a Fuhrer.

Day of Defeat by michtu · 2004-02-09 08:26 · Score: 3, Informative

Day of Defeat is a great WWII mod for half-life. It's easy enough grasp the game play and to pop on for a while and servers are starting use cheating death or other software to crack down on cheaters. I also like Americas Army, but it requires you to pass some training and sign up before you can get online. However because of that and the experience point system it uses, there is a lot less morons team killing for the fun of it like you see in DOD or counter strike.

--

Frenchman to King Arthur - "You've got two empty halves of coconuts and you're bangin' 'em together"

Re:Day of Defeat by DR+SoB · 2004-02-09 08:39 · Score: 2, Interesting

Although it sometimes happens, Team Killing is not much of an issue on DOD as FF=OFF is mostly set, and Team Killers are normally banned quickly and permenantly. I agree with you, Day Of Defeat is simply the best online game, and has been for the past 3 years.

--
Mod +5 Drunk

bzflag by BadBlood · 2004-02-09 08:27 · Score: 3, Insightful

http://www.bzflag.org/

The game is like the old Battlezone game where tanks move around trying to simply kill each other. The flag part is where you run over flags and get different "power-ups" depending on the type of flag.

It's cross-platform, simple, and the graphics are scalable such that it can be run on a variety of machines varying horsepower.

--

Praying for the end of your wide-awake nightmare.

Website by TheAngryMob · 2004-02-09 08:27 · Score: 4, Informative

Someone forgot to put a URL...

americasarmy.com

--

Don't just game, Dungeoneer

Re:Website by glitch23 · 2004-02-09 14:10 · Score: 2, Insightful

Go figure, never would have guessed that one. Good thing there is google.

--
this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom. -- Lincoln, Gettysburg Address

Enemy Territory by Quill_28 · 2004-02-09 08:27 · Score: 4, Informative

It's free and so far I have been pleased with it.

Team play is crucial and the overall maturity seems higher(relatively) than some games like warcraft and counter-strike.

Also, the different classes allow the not-so-quick trigger-finger-player to still play a vital role.

Folks seem friendly, but that may not last.

Some good places to start by HappyFunnyFoo · 2004-02-09 08:28 · Score: 5, Insightful

If you are referring to UT2003, try GibGames.com port 2206 or 2225 for the more "skilled" players, or just connect to one of the countless deathmatch servers. Cheaters are rarely a problem; I encounter a cheater once in every twenty matches on UT2003. With Quake 3 your best bet is to only join servers with punkbuster enabled (this should have been obvious already) as it seems to stop cheating to some degree.

Some inexperienced FPS players automatically assume that someone's cheating when they get smacked down, often repeatedly. 99% of the time it's just skill, in my experience. I often thought the same way when people would have 20 frags and no deaths. However, I now realize that it's just talent. I am not in any way saying that you are one of these people, it's just that cheating is a lot rarer on online FPS games than one might expect from reading this post.

I have no experience with Half-Life: Counterstrike. This only applies to Q3 and UT2003.

Play UT on CSHP servers by j-turkey · 2004-02-09 08:28 · Score: 2, Interesting

(I haven't played UT in a few years, so I don't know what's what with the UT community as of late)

When I played UT, all of the best servers ran CSHP. There's a little more info here. (Sorry, I didn't have time to find better links -- the CSHP home page seems to have gone away.) CSHP stands for Client Side Hack Protection. This is a aimbot/cheat protection mod that makes sure that everybody is playing on a level field. All of the servers running is, advertised it.

I just don't get it. What's the point of playing an online game if you have to cheat to win? What a way to ruin a game for everyone. (eyeroll)

--

-Turkey

Move up through the ranks by Apreche · 2004-02-09 08:29 · Score: 3, Insightful

Beginners should play single player first. Get yourself a copy of doom. Beat the game on at least hurt me plenty mode. Then beat doom 2 the same way. It doesn't take long. Then beat quake 2 single player on normal. Forget quake 1. Then beat half-life single player on normal. After that you should have amassed enough fps skill to rock the house.

Play some good old team fortress classic. It isn't that popular anymore, but people still play. It will train you to apply your already existing fps skills against real players. Once you've got the multiplayer fps groove and the skills to avoid being called a n00b pick your game of choice. You can go for a slower paced lower skilled game like america's army, BF1942. A middle of the road game like UT. Or the high skill fierce competition games like CS and natural selection.

There are lots of fpses out there, and one of them is right for you. But don't jump right into the online world like you're in the polar bears club. Remember, you're going up against guys like me who've been fpsing since wolf3d on dos and the game wont be fun for you if I frag you in two seconds every time. Go through the same skill building process we did. You have the luxury of not having to wait years for new games to come out, so take advantage of it.

As for me lately the only fps I'm into is NS.

--
The GeekNights podcast is going strong. Listen!

The REAL basics by CompressedAir · 2004-02-09 08:29 · Score: 2, Informative

It depends on how new to the genre you are... I say this as someone who has recently tried to teach his girlfriend to play Natural Selection.

I mean, it never would have occured to me that mouselook would be a major stumbing block. Having started playing games without it (ala Doom), mouselook was such an improvement that I don't remember a learning curve at all.

She spent a while running around staring at her shoes, or the ceiling. So if you're really new to it, pick a game that lets to play offline to learn the little basics.

So, I'd say learn on Half-Life, and then play Natural Selection once you've got the basics down. So long as you are not intentionally a jerk, the NS community tends to be pretty open to newbies.

Check out Tribes2 by marklyon · 2004-02-09 08:29 · Score: 5, Informative

I'd suggest you check out Tribes. Not only can you play different roles in the game, but lots of the servers are pretty evenly balanced between newbies and "game gods".

I play on the T2War server http://www.tribeswar.com.

Server name: -2004 TRIBESWAR.COM
IP Address: 66.237.58.11:28000
Daily restart time: Approx. 5 AM PST

For more information about the game, and how great being able to play different roles than just "deathmatcher" or "flag grabber" check out: http://www.dansdata.com/t2bastard.htm

--
-- Mark Lyon http://www.marklyon.org

Re:Check out Tribes2 by Troy · 2004-02-09 09:43 · Score: 2, Informative

I don't have a large amount of experience with FPS, but let me throw in another vote for Tribes 2. It has several features that make it very newbie friendly:

1. The game design promotes teamwork, which mitigates the impact of a single experienced player running roughshod over an entire opposing team. Most powerful vehicles don't work properly without several players operating them, while the single player vehicles aren't that powerful.
2. There are lots of honestly useful roles for inexperienced players to play, while they get used to the game. Every large base needs a good medic to heal guards and repair turrets/generators.
3. It can be found on the bargain rack for about $10.
4. The single player missions can be challenging, albeit a little repetitive. Their AI bots are particularly worthy advesaries and will keep pushing your abilities.
5. People are generally friendly and well-behaved. Most of the immature 11 year old players have moved on to more popular games. In the absense of an admin, users can elect a temporary admin and/or vote troublesome people off of the island.

-Troy

-Troy

Sorry :P by rylin · 2004-02-09 08:30 · Score: 2, Funny

GET OFF THE INTERNET, N00B!!!
/me desperately tries to avoid the troll-filter

PunkBuster by grolschie · 2004-02-09 08:31 · Score: 5, Informative

Plus ET has punkbuster to detect cheaters and kick them. Often new cheats are detected quite quickly too. Other games with punkbuster are RTCW, Americas Army, Battlefield 1942, Quake3 Arena, Call of Duty (soon to have pb), Rainbow 6:3, etc.

ET is an awesome game. Can't get enough. It's completely freeware, and there are stacks of user made levels to download. Highly addictive! Plays great on 56k modem (hardware modem, not win-modem) too.

Battlefield 1942 w/ Desert Combat mod by NitroWolf · 2004-02-09 08:31 · Score: 2, Informative

I've been playing Battlefield 1942 with the Desert Combat mod a lot lately.

I've not played FPS's since Doom 2 (no joke), because they are all pretty much the same old, same old. Couple that with the rampant cheating, and I was just totally turned off by the genre until last month.

My brother came to visit and convinced me to play, and I was pretty much hooked after awhile. You can pick up BF1942 for $30 or less and the DC mod is free... and it's a killer mod. It's worth the $30 to give it a shot and see if you like it.

Like any online game and FPS, though, there's an adjustment period where you feel like a dumb ass. I was very frustrated and felt like a total noob the first week or two I played, but now I'm getting pretty decent, and make it into the top ten fairly often. I still get pwned by a lot of the better peeps, and I think there are still a few cheats out there, even with PB supposedly protecting a server, but it's not terrible, and maybe some of those cheats really are god-like players *shrug*.

It's worth the $30 if you want to try out an online game, IMHO.

Terracorps by Spleen · 2004-02-09 08:32 · Score: 4, Insightful

Terracorps is an online armored combat game that does not have huge hardware requirements. This is a very simple shooter type game, anyone can play, but the strategy behind it can become incredibly complex. This game pulled me away from Quake III and C&C Generals.

Wow, this server's got forty players! by foxtrot · 2004-02-09 08:33 · Score: 4, Interesting

It must be good!

Don't make the mistake of thinking that way. It probably matters a little less what game you play (though I highly recommend Enemy Territory).

Find a fairly small server, maybe ten people total. This will have the benefit that you'll be able to hear yourself think. You might actually see some of the map more than a dozen yards from your spawn area.

Most games have an in-game chat function, and messages will show up on your screen. People will try to point you in the right direction.

If you do decide to try out Enemy Territory, try out the Medic class; you give everyone on your team extra hit points just for being there as a medic. Pick someone and follow him, he'll wind up showing you the objectives as he tries to achieve them. And you'll be able to keep him healthy and revive him as you go. It's not a bad way to learn.

-JDF

"Easy" FPSs by Anonymous Coward · 2004-02-09 08:34 · Score: 2, Insightful

When you're first starting, it does seem like everyone is either cheating or is super-l33t.

Couple of suggestions:

1. Play BF1942-- fun and doesn't really require a great deal of skill (flying can be tricky tho)IMHO. Not a troll, just my experience.

2. Read some strategy guides-- see the ones e.g. at www.csnation.net. When I started at CS, I plain sucked. I still suck. But there are a few really basic things that can really help (like sticking together, how to shoot the ak or when to use that 'nade).

3. Play on clan servers with reasonably good players. I found that playing DoD or CS with people who could kick my a$$ made me much better after time. You just try harder as opposed to those pubs where people are screaming n00b or h4x all the time. :)

4. lower the mouse sensitivity. I'm amazed at the accuracy improvement. Those nerves won't screw you up as much.

5. learn the maps. Start an empty server or play on a lan and try to figure out the camping/sniper spots. That's how a LOT of kills are made, esp in HL-based games.

6. Keep moving when shot at, stop when you shoot back. How often do you say, "WTF I WAS SHOOTING AT HIM???"-- quite possibly you were running at the same time.

And I could go on. FPS, especially HL, require lots of practice. That should help a little.

Natural Selection by CeleronXL · 2004-02-09 08:35 · Score: 5, Insightful

Natural Selection is quite good. It's a Half-Life mod that has an excellent player community - very few nubs, and almost zero hackers. Relatively complicated gameplay, but once you learn it, it is very fun.

Re:Natural Selection by CeleronXL · 2004-02-09 08:40 · Score: 2, Interesting

I also might add that you get the standard feel of an FPS while playing as marines, but you get a refreshing change when you play as aliens, which are very different.

Day Of Defeat by DR+SoB · 2004-02-09 08:36 · Score: 4, Insightful

This is a half-life mod similar to Counter Strike, only 1000 X's better. It does not have the cheating issue's that CS has. I have been playing it since the release of Half Life, and it is amazing. Everyone that plays it with me is instantly hooked. I can't say enough good about this game. I have been a gamer since Sierra's earliest days (yes, I still have my original copy of Police Quest 1.).

--
Mod +5 Drunk

Urban Terror getting ported by mindaktiviti · 2004-02-09 08:36 · Score: 4, Informative

Urban Terror of Silicon Ice fame is getting ported to RtCW: Enemy Territory since they released the source (I think, or at least Silicon Ice Development has it) so they'll release an official version 1 (no beta this time) which is the equivalent of version 3.3 (I think).

Urban Terror will guarrantee that you fail at least one course because of it. :D

Do you want to play with others or just win? by GoofyBoy · 2004-02-09 08:36 · Score: 4, Insightful

> seem to be dominated by people using cheats, and by established clans of players who are a lot better than me.

With any game this is going to happen. Its like playing football with other people, sometimes the other team is going to have big bulky guys and sometimes you are going to lose.

Play and have fun. Its no fun losing 0-10 but thats why you have rotating maps and teams get mixed up. And you will get better.

My suggestions:
1. Learn the maps. Learn the guns.
2. Follow another player. Do what they do. Talk in game to them. (use team talk)
3. Try and play as a team. Say thank you. Joke around (Sexual jokes are welcomed. Homosexual jokes more so.)
4. Enjoy the excitement with playing with pretty guns and the thrill of shooting them off.

--
The surprise isn't how often we make bad choices; the surprise is how seldom they defeat us.

Re:Do you want to play with others or just win? by prockcore · 2004-02-09 11:12 · Score: 2, Informative

1. Learn the maps. Learn the guns.

That is the single most important piece of advice in this entire thread.

Even if you suck, knowing the maps is crucial. Otherwise you may find yourself dying a lot because you either get lost, or you don't know that the enemy can pop out of the tunnel behind you.

Join a server that has 0 to 2 players, that way you can run around and explore the map and no one will get in your way. Find out what the objectives are, look for alternate routes, test out all the weapons, see what their ranges and accuracy are.

Then find a server that doesn't rotate maps (usually they mention it in their server name, like "Bob's Beach-Only Server") and play on that server. That way you'll quickly learn that "if I go running through that door, I'll get killed 9 out of 10 times.. perhaps I should throw a grenade through it first".

The more advanced FPSs aren't things you can just jump in and start playing. It'd be like trying to play football without knowing any of the rules.

Blizzard's diablo2 by jevring · 2004-02-09 08:36 · Score: 2, Informative

diablo2 is good, because you don't play against anybody, unless you don't want to, it's all cooperative. granted it's not an fps, but it's still one of the best games around.

--
Move sig!

Everyone is better than you for a reason. by Rexz · 2004-02-09 08:37 · Score: 5, Informative

Online FPS gaming is very different from its offline counterpart. The optimum strategies are often counter-intuitive, your enemy actually thinks, and you are forced to rely on other people in order to stay alive.

Most people playing online have been doing so for months if not years. They've developed the reflexes, knowledge of game systems and maps, and tactical know-how to stay alive. Unfortunately, the only way to gain these skills is practise.

I suggest you download Wolfenstein: ET. First of all, it's free so if you decide online gaming isn't for you after all, you haven't lost anything but a little time.

Secondly, the penalties for death aren't too harsh. Unlike Counter-Strike, where you have to wait up to 5 minutes after dying to play again, you'll be back in the game within 30 seconds.

Thirdly, it's "easy-to-learn, hard-to-master", to use the cliche. You don't have to learn complex firing patterns or master the intricacies of every weapon in order to play competently. You can introduce more complicated elements and strategies at your own pace without being left behind.

Finally, during your 30 seconds of waiting to respawn, you have the option to view one of your team mates through their eyes. Watch what they do. Think about what they do wrong and what you'd do differently. See if they charge too easily or hesitate too much. Don't treat online gaming like linear, formulaic single player games. Always think and try to learn from your mistakes.

You're playing the wrong games by quakeroatz · 2004-02-09 08:38 · Score: 2, Informative

All three of those games are hardcore, teeth cutting, high paced, footsolider FPS'.

While they are fabulous games, they are not for beginners not willing to take a few thousand gibs before they make top 5 in a full server. I you're not prepared to commit the time and take an prolonged asswhipping until you get the rust out, try BF1942. The vehicle aspect and adjustable bot play allows even the newbiest newb to find enjoyment. More specifically, Desert Combat is the mod of your eye.

Only in DC can a first timer drop a Scud into a highly skilled pack of clanners and smear them across the terrain.

Planetside by von+Konrad · 2004-02-09 08:38 · Score: 2, Informative

For a really addictive game, that's like Tribes gone global, check out Planetside. You can easily pop in for a few kills with the instant action feature. It also lends itself easily to huge weekend campaigns.

Re:Planetside by sterno · 2004-02-09 11:43 · Score: 2, Informative

There are a couple advantages to Planetside specific to the question here.

First of all, the game involves many different roles that you can fill. You don't have to be a good twitch FPS player to be able to have fun. You can fly aircraft, drive tanks, gun for tanks, be a medic, be an engineer, etc. I started off doing more support work and then as I practiced with the game, I got better and slowly got more into a fighting role.

The only draw back, as far as the original question goes is the cost. You have to pay a monthly fee for it, and if you are only going to play for 30 minutes occasionally, that may not be worthwhile to you.

If the cost isn't such an issue though, there's nothing in the game to make hopping in randomly a problem. It's easy to get involved in a battle just by looking at the map and seeing where the hotspots are. If you want to hook up with a group, there's always people looking for squad members. Sure, if you are only on occasionally you won't work have as much equipment at your disposal, but it doesn't prevent you from succeeding in the game.

It's had it's problems, but over time it's become quite a good game and I would recommend it if you can stomach the price tag. At the very least you can download a free trial and give it a whirl before you commit to it.

--
This sig has been temporarily disconnected or is no longer in service

That's what he is (and I am) trying to avoid by Mr.+Underbridge · 2004-02-09 08:40 · Score: 5, Insightful

Why don't you try playing single player, or perhaps set up a LAN game filled with some bots while you bring yourself up to speed with the games?

Because you never get up to speed playing maybe a couple hours per week, like the guy in question does. You play that infrequently, and you still get your ass kicked.

Bottom line is he (and many of us!) want servers where one can be capabibility-matched, so as to have a fun and competitive game regardless of skill level. Basically the idea is to vent some real-life frustration without making the game a full-time job.

Perfect Timing by mapmaker · 2004-02-09 08:40 · Score: 2, Informative

The demo version of Unreal Tournament 2004 is to be released this week. The full retail version is coming soon after.

Download the demo when it comes out and you'll be getting in on the ground floor with a new game that no one else knows any better than you. And there won't be any cheats yet either since it's a new game, although that will most likely not be the case in a few months time.

Cheating overstated by badmammajamma · 2004-02-09 08:41 · Score: 2, Insightful

A lot of people think people cheat who just happen to be VERY good. When I first started playing UT2k3, I thought a lot of people were cheating. After I played it for 6 months, I realized I was very wrong. Some people are just exceptionally good players. Just because you can't do it, doesn't mean it's impossible or cheating.

In any event, when I first started UT2k3 I was a n00b, but after several months of playing I became quite good, joined a clan, competed in ladders, etc. It just takes a long time to get there. Practice, practice, practice. You also have to learn how to tune your mouse, know what kind of mouse to use, have a good mouse pad for your mouse (logitechs are great mice but finicky with what pad you use), hotkeys, etc. Just get over the fact you're gonna get your ass kicked all over creation for a long time and you'll be fine.

--
Any man who afflicts the human race with ideas must be prepared to see them misunderstood. -- H. L. Mencken

Don't try Enemy Territory by asoap · 2004-02-09 08:43 · Score: 2, Funny

The game is crack! Almost literally.

I first started to play it, and found that it was to diverse. There are TOO many things that you can do in it. So then I had to try everything, and what started as a couple hours of playing has turned into a 6 month obsession.

Every night I can't wait to get home from work, and load up my riffle nade and shoot some nazis. It's become pathetic. I dream about Enemy Territory, I get words like "Danke" and "Aufiedersien" stuck in my head. I continually chant "We've captured the old city, DYNAMITE the old city wall! They've captured the old city! We've captured the old city, DYNAMITE the old city wall! They've captured the old city!"

At work I try to needle nose my monitor, but that doesn't get my work done!

If you like having any social life at all. Stay away from ET, it's 100% addictive. It's worse then smoking.

--
Treat me like a marketing stat, and I'll treat your movie like a series of ones and zeros

Definately BF1942 by phorm · 2004-02-09 08:45 · Score: 2, Interesting

I've been playing DC for a little while not, and the gameplay is incredible. With the levels that are really loaded, you have a huge array of things you can do.

Walk around with your gun... get shot by a tank
Respawn, grab a helicopter or a bomber, blast the tank... get blown away by a jet
Jump into an AA gunsite, or a tank with AA... blow away the jet.

The vehicles greatly enhance what you can do, and of course there's also joy in just trekking around on foot. Nothing quite like the joy of actually taking out that annoying hind all by your lonesome with just a stinger missile.

My experience with FPSs by Rassleholic · 2004-02-09 08:45 · Score: 2, Funny

The last time I had the bandwidth to play an FPS, I only saw some goon jumping around wildly with an RPG for about 1.5 seconds before I got fragged and my screen turned red with my n00b blood.

--
Not noteable, IMO a rubbish article.

Legends! by nulltransfer · 2004-02-09 08:49 · Score: 5, Interesting

It's free (~80 MB download), runs under Linux, Windows and Mac OS 9/X, and comes with both server and client for all three platforms...

Loosely based on Tribes...

http://hosted.tribalwar.com/legends/

--

My dog ate my sig

UK2.net for Counterstrike beginners by Robmonster · 2004-02-09 08:49 · Score: 2, Informative

As much as I hate to recommend the UK2.net servers, they do have a few servers flagged as Beginners servers that automatically kick and ban players who do too well.

However, once you become a little better I'd move to a different server as the UK2 ones tend to have too many annoying voiceovers and in game branding. Its ok while you are learning but you will tire of it after a while.

For fun games you could try the AXIA servers, one for CS 1.5 and 1.6 . www.axia.org.uk or #axia on quakenet irc for more info.

--
I have no sig yet I must scream.

Tribes by Slack0ff · 2004-02-09 08:49 · Score: 2, Interesting

The origional tribes owned and still does today. Very few cheats that actually work and enough mods to staisfy whatever kind of player you are. I'm sure you can find someone with a CD of it and it doesnt requier the cd to play. I recommend the "Shifter" mod as it is the most refined and still being develeoped.

--
Everyday You see me is the worst day of my life -Office Space

Operation Flashpoint Resistance by Anonymous Coward · 2004-02-09 08:49 · Score: 2, Interesting

Flashpoint has a great multiplayer co-op feature. Generally on co-op servers you don't have to worry about cheats. It's an old game, however, and most servers are now running mods to keep it interesting, so it's high maintenance. There are several good public servers for co-op play: vetsquad, suicide euro squad, LOL majors and Rebel. You'll need to download each server's mod packs to play all the maps on the servers. (You can find them with the in-game browser). The game is more realistic than most, and some people say the keyboard interface is hard to figure out. But it's addictive and after awhile, your spoiled-- no other FPS will do.

find a good community that plays.. by Antilles · 2004-02-09 08:51 · Score: 4, Informative

examples of these would be, www.stoofoo.net and www.shacknews.com ... in the comments section, almost daily 'stoobattles' and 'shackbattles' are announced with much fanfare, and scheduled to begin at around 9pm EST. if you play regularly, and frequent the boards, you learn the games, when new patches come out, and meet a lot of cool people. Also, you get to know the people you play with, and it gets to be better than any lan game you can play because you play against / with these people on a regular basis. Plus, its much easier than transporting yer whole rig to a spot, and its almost like your favorite sitcom that comes on 'every tues at Xpm', you just know to show up.

PlaneShift OSS MMORPG by OzJeep · 2004-02-09 08:52 · Score: 3, Informative

You might be interested in PlaneShift. It's an open source and free-to-play MMORPG. I have been interested in it, both as a player and to help out, but have not done either at this point. Laziness mostly. Anyway, YMMV, but looks like you can download it for Windows or Linux and start playing quick enough.

Quit your whining. by NerveGas · 2004-02-09 08:53 · Score: 3, Funny

seem to be dominated by people using cheats

While people using cheats do exist, they're not nearly as prevalent as you seem to think, you're just unable to accept that people are that good.

Take Quake 3, for example. I got tired of having my butt handed to me by people with the railgun. So, I limitted myself to *only* using the railgun. In time, I got pretty good. With more time, I got really good. With even more time, I got fan-freaking-tastic. When you're single, don't own a home, and have a 1-megabit pipe into your apartment, it's amazing how much time you can dedicate/waste on those things!

So, what did that get me? A bunch of whining cry-babies yelling "Aimbot! Cheater!" every time I killed them. After they did it enough to annoy me, I'd chase them down and kill them with the gauntlet. At that point, they'd generally just leave the game.

steve

--
Oh, you're not stuck, you're just unable to let go of the onion rings.

Re:Unreal tournament Cheating / Recommendations by TheRealFreakish · 2004-02-09 08:55 · Score: 2, Informative

While many servers aren't moderated well, many more are - CSHP was the old cheat protection and PURE is the latest (although it hasn't been updated in quite a while). Find servers running PURE and play there - the protection has been broken by now, but if they're running PURE you can assume the admins are at least somewhat interested in the server and may make an effort to ban cheaters (we are actually running a custom version of PURE in the hopes that those using cheats that get by PURE will not be able to get by ours).

The other thing to think of is that many players you will think are cheating are in fact just really really really good - they'll be able to anticipate WHERE you're going to run and will make excellent shots. I'm not saying cheaters aren't out there, but that if you stumble across a server of hardcore players that you may think them all cheaters when in fact they're just really good.

UT's fun though..I've got it and UT2003 and still play UT over 2k3 any day. I play primarily on our custom map server (UnrealPlayground - the link by my nick) and we've got an active group of admins so we don't get many cheaters at all anymore(I'd say all of our recent bans have been for players harassing each other..not for cheating). The community is friendly and helpful to beginners - if you've got UT then stop on by and give your connection a workout. :D

Quality game communities are hard to find. by duran.goodyear · 2004-02-09 08:57 · Score: 2, Insightful

I'm a senior admin over at http://www.arsclan.net

We have CS servers, NS servers, BF1942 Servers, an occasionaly other servers that pop up and vanish as popularities wax and wane.

the community is where its all at though, we have a top notch admin team, who take cheating and general mis-behavior very seriously, and do an amazing job keeping the servers fun for all levels of players.

AA Tracker by Numeric · 2004-02-09 08:57 · Score: 2, Informative

http://aaotracker.4players.de/

One of the primary reason that I play AA is to track my frag rate.

1) Yes there is a learning curve but most games do, don't they? Find a map that you enjoy and play it over and over and over til you master it. If you are new to FPS, I think map memorization is key.

2) Follow an EXP. player. If one of your teammates has a good FR (10fr/3deaths), follow them around and see what they are doing. Even after you die, switch to the person and follow them. Watch their kill style and technics.

3) Recognize your enemies and friendlies. One thing that I really dislike is being TKed (team killed), it occasionally happens and its not your fault.

In anycase, my favorite frag technic on a n00bie is to throw a flash bang grenade and than leave a nade right at their feet. When they are flashed, they will only see a white screen and hear white noise and they won't move at all. After they are fragged, the screen is cleared and they can see and hear again. However since I used a nade to kill them, I have already disappeared. The said n00bie will never know what killed him/her.

--
-- ladies and gentlemen we are floating in space!

Advice for FPS Newbies by jejagua · 2004-02-09 09:00 · Score: 5, Informative

Don't play with other newbies. You will get better, faster if you play against challenging opponents.

Play on lightly populated servers. Generally, the LEET get bored on these and move on to higher frag opportunities.

Watch for hacks. There are plenty of servers that allow cheats. Read the MOTD. Often servers will identify their exploit policies and installed mods. It won't take you long to realize if you've fallen victim to wall hacking or other exploits. Observe the other players during your dirt-nap to see if they're cheating.

Get a fast video card, plenty of RAM of of course a decent processor. Lower the vid. quality if necessary to get a decent frame rate; a consistent 60 FPS+. Lots of folks disagree on this because your eyes can only detect something like 32 FPS+ or less, but trust me on this. Lots of other factors come into play and a high frame rate removes other bottlenecks and quickens reaction time.

Buy a decent mouse. USB Optical mice work best in my experience, and there are mice available that are specifically designed for game play.

Listen to the environment. Get a decent surround speaker system. It is a great advantage to hear a shot or footsteps with 360 degree accuracy. If you can't afford this, play with good headphones. Remove distractions.

Don't drink beer. I haven't formulated a precise equation, but you can expect your frags to decrease exponentially per ounce of alcohol consumed. Other intoxicants will lead to misplace your icons.

--
http://www.techyrants.com

My idea... by throbbingbrain.com · 2004-02-09 09:04 · Score: 5, Interesting

but if the player's 30-3 someone should kick them

I play Unreal INF and there's usually someone on each server that is so much better than the rest that it lowers the fun-factor for everyone else.
I think the player with the highest score should glow in some eye-popping color and have access to only the lowest hit weapons. When their score drops, they go back to normal and the next highest takes their place. Call it an equalizer.

Re:My idea... by hiryuu · 2004-02-09 15:00 · Score: 2, Interesting

I think the player with the highest score should glow in some eye-popping color and have access to only the lowest hit weapons.

Not that this addresses the issue, but I remember introducing my office mates (at my previous job) to Quake, and setting up lunchtime deathmatches. By this time, I'd been playing FPS for years (since Quake was more than a bit aged when we played) and everyone else was new to the concept (much less the game.

To level the playing field, I set everyone up with drab skins, hard to see on most of the brown Q1 maps, and gave myself a bright stop-sign red skin. To boot, for quite a while (until people learned the maps, the moves, and the weapons), I used only shotgun. Everyone appreciated the equalizing.

The funny part, to me, was the different verbal reactions: with some, it was "when I see red, I know where to aim," while others said "when I see red, I run away!"

My pointless two cents. :P

--
Karma: Excellent, but still won't get you laid.

Day of Defeat by Trailer+Trash · 2004-02-09 09:08 · Score: 3, Informative

Get into Day of Defeat, learn it, and don't worry about how well you do compared to others. There are plenty of clans, don't let it bother you. It's rare that a server is domainated by a clan at any given time.

Another game to consider is Ricochet. It has few players, but there are no clans and it's extremely fast-paced with no teams, just everybody vs. everybody. Of course, as a newb you'll get your ass kicked in ways that you didn't even know possible, but you'll catch on.

--
Do you have ESP?

What are you talking about? by Argyle · 2004-02-09 09:08 · Score: 4, Informative

Playing on DSL & cable modem lines provides plenty of sub 90 ms ping servers. You will find many servers under 50 ms, especially near bigger cities.

ISDN? Give me a break. All modern broadband is better for gaming than ISDN.

--
nuclear iraq bioweapon encryption cocaine korea terrorist

spotting cheaters by Chip7 · 2004-02-09 09:13 · Score: 2, Informative

after a while, spotting cheaters is relatively easy. Most online FPS allow you to go spec (spectator mode) and follow other players. That way you can investigate before crying cheat

For example if your suspected cheaters anticipates or reacts to ppl behind walls, chances are good you've got a wallhacker. Also, many games gives stats (hit ratio, rounds fired, head shots, ...) If your suspected cheater has over 50% headshots with 300 bullets fired, he's no longer suspect.

Do be carefull though because some ppl have aimbots included in their heads. It's called talent and no punkbuster will save you from it! :-)

--
-- If you actually say LOL instead of laughing, maybe it's time to go outside! --

ban? Don't think so by Barbarian · 2004-02-09 09:13 · Score: 3, Insightful

Unfortunately, the same people that are modifying punkbuster or any other anti-cheat system have hundreds of cd-keys to play with. They always claim it is a keygen, which is usually false. What happens is they set up some irc bots to send people trojans who join irc channels (a good way to always target people who play the game in question), or they scan for open windows fileshares. As an example, there was a windows file sharing scanning program going around cable modems near me--you'd see it try to connect every 5 minutes or so from a different IP (all local cable modems in my city). I made a samba share to look like a windows directory and got a copy (and sent it to Mcafee and norton) showing that it was really a trojan/worm.

Anyways, one day I decided to try connecting to the people scanning, and sure enough, they had open fileshares in windows, usually c:\. I probably shouldn't have, but I left a note in autoexec.bat followed by "pause". The other thing was, they all had Half-Life directories. I could have stolen their cd-key's if I wanted by copying their registry! I'm betting they all got duped by a "cheat program" that someone put out.

Team Fortress (TFC) is cheap, easy, and fun by Daemongar · 2004-02-09 09:14 · Score: 3, Informative

I would strongly recommend TFC for beginners, as it allows a player: 10 different classes with different abilities to play, instant respawn, team play, runs on the Half-Life engine, is a free download to owners of Half-Life, and doesn't allow team kill*. Also, as an added bonus, someday TF2 will be released http://tf2.sierra.com/ but the last update was in 2001 - so I wouldn't go preordering anytime soon.

No matter what game you play, tho, make sure of the following:

1. Snipers - learn how to snipe, for God's sake - they rock
2. Encourage team play - CS is great, but all it takes is a server with Friendly Fire turned on to make everyone unhappy - BF1942 usually has this turned on to drive me crazy.
3. Make sure you are enjoying yourself - I have played a lot of online games, and at the end of 2 hours was pissed off something fierce. Then I thought "WTF am I doing?!" and promptly moved on.
4. You play on the same server regularly and get to know people a little. Doesn't hurt if there is an active admin who can kick nincompoops, either.

Good luck, and if you see RevCo online - just log out and save yourself a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth.
*generally

Re:Nothing beats dialup by endus · 2004-02-09 09:14 · Score: 2, Insightful

Well, since this reply is complete and utter nonsense, I wouldn't suggest listeing to it. Who would mod this up? It's total nonsense. Anyone who has played a game and paid attention to their ping for more than 5 seconds can tell you this is wrong.

Day of Defeat, anyone? by Kagenin · 2004-02-09 09:17 · Score: 3, Informative

I've found that Day of Defeat, an add-on for Half-Life, kicks much ass. My Girlfriend, who has always had a penchant for Quake (and Quake-alikes), took to this WWII-based mod like a fish to water. Teamwork is MORE prevalent in this than say Counter-Strike, where I've found most players as of recently are only concerned with their individual statistics than the team score (and getting the bomb planted/diffused).

Certain objectives reqire two teammates to complete on some maps. And did I mention that the elaborate, detailed maps are some of the best maps I've played in any game? Many maps are Cap'n'Hold, a "king of the hill" like variant of Capture the Flag, some are Attack or Defend (one side has the objective to blow something up before time runs out, the other team has to wait for time to expire before their shit blows up...), some are mixes of the two - one map has one side seeking plans from a downed plane (a la one-flag CTF), the other team has to blow up tanks with shoulder- mounted Rocket Launchers before the other team caps the plans.

Sure, less people play it than CS, but this can be a good thing - I've found players are of a better calibre than CS. They don't cheat as much, they appriciate good teamwork, and don't TK as much when Friendly Fire is on.

I used to play some FPS games on Dial-up, up until about a year or two before we got DSL. Things were great when most gamers only had Dial-up - I used to play A LOT of Quake 2 (especially ExpertCTF) on Dial-up, and during one of my binges, found my name on theclq.com's listings of the top ExpertCTF players in the world for a week (in the top 150!). But then the prices of DSL started to drop, and the early adopters were rewarded with lower latency, fewer dropped packets, and an easier time lining up sniper rounds.

I've also been playing a lot of Team Fortress Classic - again, less players than CS, but a better player you'll find, usually.

And Practice makes Perfect. FPS games are no exception. Sure, some are born with killer instincts, but the rest of us have to learn the maps (and appropriate tactics) on our own.

If yer ever playing DoD, and you bump into "The Outsider" (me), "Kagenin" (me again), lulu (my girlfriend), or "General Spanky" (my sister's boyfriend), say "Hi!" or something.

Kagenin

--
"All warfare is based on deception."
Sun Tzu, "The Art of War"

BF1942 by Lord_Dweomer · 2004-02-09 09:18 · Score: 2, Informative

BF1942 is good for beginners. You can play with only bots for a while, and now, when you play online with the 1.6 patch, it can search for Punkbuster only servers, which blocks cheats (most at least). Plus, if you get on well populated server, odds are there will be someone suckier than you.

Also, why not learn it like the rest of us did? Keep playing against the guys who keep getting head shots on you, and if you practice long enough, suddenly you start getting head shots on them.

Nobody ever got better at a game by playing against a bunch of people who are worse than them.

--
Buy Steampunk Clothing Online!

Unreal Tournament Newbie Servers by Radojevic · 2004-02-09 09:29 · Score: 2, Informative

The truff Unreal Tournament Servers are good. There's a newbie, intermediate, and open server. The newbie and intermediate servers are monitored by admins to make sure everyone has a good time. This means, especially on the newbie server, players are not allowed to run their scores too much. If you dominate on the newbie server, you'll be asked to move on to the intermediate, and so on. g

Good luck by key+nell · 2004-02-09 09:30 · Score: 2, Interesting

I'm probably too late for anyone to read this, but let me just throw some stuff up because this is an interesting topic.

The "casual" online gamer is not going to be rewarded in the majority of online games. If you want something fun to play online "for a half an hour now and then when [you are] bored" I suggest either Yahoo games or a different hobby. FPS's and MMORPG's are dominated by people with nothing but time on their hands. And the hard and fast rule of getting skill in any competition is that it takes a lot of time to become skilled. A casual gamer is going to be "owned" because he simply is not going to be able to compete with the hard core gamers. This fact, combined with the presence of many people who are not graicous winners, insures that online gaming won't be very fun for the casual gamer. However, if you are committed to this style of play perhaps there are some alternitives which hopefully I will be able to iterate.

*Try playing a mod of your game of choice. Preferably one that simply changes a few of the game's core rules. The reason for this is that hardcore gamers hate change. They have worked very hard to obtain their level of skill and they dont like it when their game is messed with. You want to be playing with a population of gamers that are roughly at your level of skill for it to be fun. You may find that the people that play mods are friendlier as well.

*Play on servers with restrictive rules and omnipresent admins. Gamers generally have foul mouths online. A server with rules against profanity or racial slurs will usually not be populated with hardcore gamers. Thus you get a good server to play in with players of average skill who aren't playing to call each other "fag" and what not. Homelan runs servers like this for many different games.

*Like other posters have said: be nice. If you can find a group of people that are friendly towards you and that you are comfortable with it will make any game that much better. Online gaming doesn't have to include social alienation.

*Play new games. Older games almost always have a high population of hardcore gamers who don't take kindly to newbies and casual gamers. Again, it just isn't fun to play a FPS where you are constantly dominated.

The basic rule for FPS's is that you need to find the server which works for you. Shop around until you find a server where you are comfortable playing on. It will make your online experience much better.

Just jump in.. by Gillious · 2004-02-09 09:31 · Score: 2, Insightful

It may seem frustrating at first, but the best route is to probably choose a game that's been around a while. The tribes series has always been my personal favorite. But go with whatever floats your boat. The thing about FPS games is that each game may have simalarities, but all "feel" diffrent. Just go with what game "feels" right.

Quake! by Grievre · 2004-02-09 09:32 · Score: 2, Informative

Quakeworld has been GPL for a few years, and it's still a quite entertaining game. For a good *nix client (SDL based so should be easily portable), try the quakeforge project (http://www.quakeforge.net/) The shareware quake game data is available some- where on id's ftp (ftp://ftp.idsoftware.com/) And if you can't bear having just the shareware levels, you can get a free mod such as Team Fortress (http://www.planetfortress.com has files). Otherwise, the commercial version costs like 10 bucks.

Captain video's newbie server by kop · 2004-02-09 09:35 · Score: 2, Interesting

Wat you are looking for is something like my server.
It's called captain video's newbie server and for the name alone it usually attracts beginners.
If somebody too "l33t" logs in they are usually politely asked to leave and most of them do.
If not, they are voted off.

It currently runs "urban terror" a quake 3 modification. For instructions and download locations visit http://www.captainvideo.nl/quake/

If you allready have urban terror then simply type connect 62.221.195.175:27960 in the quake console.

I play with the nickname kusje
Hope to see you there!

Anti-social people by bonch · 2004-02-09 09:37 · Score: 2, Interesting

Online FPS are dominated by anti-social people...kids who don't have social lives and so spend all their time in UT2003/CS chatrooms and servers.

So, it's hard for a beginner to start because these kids have all the time in the world to become either frighteningly extreme experts or lame cheaters. And if you somehow do manage to beat someone--like you mentioned, they become weenies about it.

LAN parties are where it's at. You get to play with your buddies, you get to have fun. Yell insults at each other as you play. Hand each other some sodas and chips. Way better.

Response from another casual gamer by {tele}machus_*1 · 2004-02-09 09:38 · Score: 5, Informative

I only play FPS games online every once in a while. When I started out, I learned some useful fundamental skills that still allow me to have fun even though I'm never the best player on the server.

In general, I will echo some comments already made: (1) if you are just starting out, don't assume excellent players are cheating; chances are, they are just much better than you. (2) Don't be intimidated. And don't be afraid to suck, because you will suck mightily for a long time. (3) It's probably not a good idea to play round-based games at first, because you will spend a lot of frustrating time waiting for the round to end if (when) you are the first person to get killed.

More specifically, if you need to buff up your aiming, dodging and moving skills, play Quake 3 against the bots on the second hardest difficulty level until you are consistently winning the map. You just need to build up your twitch-gaming skills.

If you want to play C-S, here are some specific tips to help you avoid common newbie mistakes:

(1) Concentrate on staying alive, not racking up kills. Don't lead the rush into a hail of bullets. You learn a lot more by staying alive through a whole round than you do trying to get one kill right away and then waiting out most of the round after dying in the first rush. Plus you can actually learn your way around the map.

(2) Contrary to your instinct, don't bother playing with other beginners. You will learn more playing with advanced players, because your mistakes will be punished and your good habits will be reinforced. If you only play against bad players, you will only develop bad habits.

(3) Use headphones, unless you have a top-notch surround-sound speaker set-up. With headphones you can get a better sense of directional sound. It makes it easier to locate people by the sound of their footsteps or gunfire.

(4) Use controlled, 1-3 bullet bursts. You can stand right next to a guy, and if you empty your clip at him in a long continuous burst, there's a good chance he will blow your head off before you kill him (I have seen this happen, and it has happened to me).

(5) Learn to compensate for recoil. The easiest way to get used to recoil is with the AK-47. With the Ak, aim at your enemy's upper chest and fire a short, 3-bullet burst. You'll find that the third bullet will most likely be a headshot.

(6) Learn the Buy menu. Don't worry if everyone is long gone by the time you finish buying your gear in your first few rounds. Once you figure it out, you'll be ready to go with the team.

(7) Don't use the sniper rifles. Just don't bother. You don't learn anything by hiding and trying to pick off targets from a distance.

I highly recommend call of duty by leprkan · 2004-02-09 09:39 · Score: 2, Interesting

Call of duty is an awesome game. PC Gamer gave it an editors choice award and also the Action Game of the Year for 2003, and PC Gamer rarely messes up. Call of duty ranges in experience... from lots of lots of newbies, too about 4 or 5 differnet leagues and several hundred clans. Hacking is rare, there are wallhacks and boxhacks out but they are VERY hard to find. I have only played with 2 people that were cheating. Also, if you can get good at call of duty you can play any other fps games with no problem. -leprkan p.s. Lineage 2 comes out in a few months and the tiawan beta was promising :-D

--
leprkan...

Re: Ridiculous by benzapp · 2004-02-09 09:47 · Score: 5, Funny

Beginners should play single player first. Get yourself a copy of doom. Beat the game on at least hurt me plenty mode. Then beat doom 2 the same way. It doesn't take long. Then beat quake 2 single player on normal. Forget quake 1. Then beat half-life single player on normal. After that you should have amassed enough fps skill to rock the house.

Just because it has taken you 10 years to learn how to play a FPS doesn't mean the average geek reading this site will require that much time.

Doom I??? Doom II??? I haven't heard of anyone playing either of those games in at least 5 years. My god, they had a Doom release on the Atari Jaguar!!! Think about that!

I think you have dedicated way too much of your life to playing these games.

In the amount of time that has expired since Doom I came out, you could have gotten your undergrad degree, gone to medical school, AND finished your residency. You would be a real, licened, ready to probe the vagina gynecologist.

Lets get our priorities straight here. Games should be a minor diversion, not an activity which requires 15% of your life to master.

--
I don't read or respond to AC posts

WWIIonline by Lodragandraoidh · 2004-02-09 09:49 · Score: 4, Interesting

World War II Online is the best battlefield simulation - bar none. It is also a FPS - in that you can only view the environment from the first person perspective, whether you are an infantryman, a tank, a ship or a plane. However, it is not for people with short attention spans, or folks who want instant action. It more than makes up for this with the following capabilities:

1. Massive Map. The map is of Western Europe; you could spawn into Holland, and walk all the way to Switzerland if you wanted to (1/4 scale - with accurate elevations and terrain features that nearly match the real map of Europe) - this would take you days, if not weeks to do this. There is no 'zoning' between smaller areas like in other online games - and the map is humongous compared to any FPS currently on the market. You don't have to worry about running into a wall when you are trying to maneuver - and battles don't end up being 'frontal assaults through a bottleneck' - with interesting results and possibilities for offense and defense.

2. Visual Distance. The edge of the 'fog' curtain at the edge of your vision is 6 or more kilometers away. You can see men with your avatar's naked eye out to 2 Kilometers, ground vehicles out to 3 kilometers, and much larger vehicles, such as ships out to the edge of the fog (6km or more). Optics, such as binoculars or telescopic weapon sites allow you to see further for each type. Tank battles typically occur between 500 and 2000 meters.

3. Damage System. The damage system is very realistic - going so far as to break up different parts of your infantry avatar (head, torso, extremities) - and apply damage based on the physics of the weapon that is impacting the 'part' of the body or vehicle (or both).

4. Combined Arms. The game includes Air, Land and Sea forces that all operate on the same battlefield; while there are a few games that do this (such as Battlefield 1942) - none have the same feeling or realism that engagements in WWIIonline have. Whereas in an infantry based FPS (like Socom, or the Rainbow 6 series) - you can pretty much ignore the other components, in WWIIonline you must work together with other branches to succeed. Calling in an airstrike on an enemy position, or doing an amphibious assault (river patrol, destroyer and transport ships currently modeled), or flying as a pilot, or being a ship commander, or a tanker, or an infantryman (sappers, riflemen, light machine gunners, and soon rifle grenade equipped infantry - plus smoke and frag grenades - as well as knife) and all working together move the map.

5. No Gankers. You can not kill your own side. That being said, that does take away from the realism a bit - but more than makes up for it in the playability department - unlike other games where griefers use team killing to get the choice equipment, or just disrupt the gameplay.

6. Night and Day. Currently the system has a fast clock that has a 'day' that lasts 6 hours (don't quote me on that), and a night that lasts half that time (3 hours?). There are clouds - but currently no weather effects - but that is planned for future development.

The game begins with a 'map reset' - where the starting 'frontline' positions are set to the defaults. The game commences immediately and the map runs 24 hours a day 7 days a week until a winner is declared. The winner is the side that captures the vast majority of the enemy's towns (large towns/cities count more than small towns - but are also harder to take). Maps last anywhere from a week to several months. After a winner is declared automatically, the map is reset and the war begins again.

The equipment is based on WWII types, with a more historic approach than other games (such as BF1942) that start off with the Tiger tank (for example). Instead you will learn to use the PZII, PZ38, PZIII, Sd232 on the Axis side, and the Sumoa, Char 1B, Renault, and Panhard on the French, and Matilda, A13, and Vickers on the British (they

--

Lodragan Draoidh
The more you explain it, the more I don't understand it. - Mark Twain

FPS tips by xihr · 2004-02-09 09:56 · Score: 4, Informative

Here's an FPS tips site which includes tutorials and information on Quake, Aliens vs. Predator 2, Counter-Strike, Unreal Tournament 2003, and Wolfenstein.

Planetside by DECKARD6 · 2004-02-09 09:57 · Score: 2, Interesting

If you are looking for the most rewarding team play FPS on the market look no further. It might take a few days to figure out the advanced tactics but even so you can log in and frag to hearts content. The elite players are too busy trying to transport players around rather than being stat whores.

Exaggerated cheating by xihr · 2004-02-09 10:00 · Score: 4, Insightful

Although cheating is a serious problem on some servers, the fact is most claims of cheating are false. It's the beginners who see cheating when it's not there. They come from newbies who don't realize that although they think they are good, there are people much, much better than them. There's a hierarchy of tiers of player skill in FPS games, just like there is in life. Even people in the top tiers will get trounced by people on the even higher tiers.

All the problems that come with people cheating can be eliminated simply by playing on a good, reliable, well-administrated server that you've come to trust. It can take time to find one, but it's worth the investment. In short, don't sell out Quake, Counter-Strike, and its progeny just yet.

Re:What kind of cheating do people do? by Mr+Pippin · 2004-02-09 10:02 · Score: 2, Interesting

The most common I see are what are called "aim bots". This means players that have a cheat that automatically locks on to the nearest target. You can usually tell them if you walk into a room, they have just killed someone and instantly rotate to shoot at you. I personally don't see the attraction in using cheats.

Ok, no, really.. by msimm · 2004-02-09 10:09 · Score: 4, Funny

Team killing is always really popular. If possible (depending on game) throw gernades, light team mates on fire or generally stand around in peoples way.

If someone shoots you a lot and you cant seem to touch them, that means their cheating. Its always best to call them a cheater out loud. This will show the other players that you just want to play a fair game.

Monopolize. If your playing on a level with any 'scarce' items its probably best if you get to them first then run directly over to the enemy side and open up! Just to show them how leet you are (they'll apprecaite you donating the weapon too).

Talk shit. Players really respect a player who knows how to talk shit. If your losing, insult the enemy team! This goes great along with accusing enemy players of cheating.

Finally, if *your* using a cheat its probably best to start accusing enemy players of cheating *as soon as you log in*. Your team mates will apprecaite this and admire you for your honesty.

Don't forget to bunny hop! Good gaming!

--
Quack, quack.

Gunbound's a Blast ;) by kwandar · 2004-02-09 10:10 · Score: 2, Interesting

A friend recently introduced me to Gunbound, a cartoonish game, where you can pick a mobile cannon with different features, add features, play on a team, chat away, and blast away until someone is finally blown up or falls through a hole you've created. Only downside is the lack of instructions - kinda learn as you go

I seem to find a lot of women playing too - which always makes things a little nicer, IMHO ;(

Re:Call Of Duty by edgezone · 2004-02-09 10:11 · Score: 2, Informative

Amen to CoD! The first version had some "bugs" (more design flaws) where people would be jumping around like bunnies (the dreaded bunnyhopper) while blasting away. It really took the realism out of the game to see a russian soldier doing the mad hop in circles around people. Also, the sniper rifle was too much of an uberweapon in the right hands.

The recent patch addressed both of these problems (there's now a lag when ya land from a jump and slow down, plus the sniper rifle takes a few seconds to line up the sights when you bring it to your eye). I've played and played and played and slowly gotten better (have even won a pair of deathmatch games! but I definitely prefer team deathmatch).

As for game modes, they have quite a few:

Deathmatch
Team Deathmatch
Retrieval (think capture the flag, but only one team has a flag, the other defends it)
Search and Destroy -- Two targets that need explosives planted on them. The defending team does have time to defuse)
Behind Enemy Lines -- A few allied players and a whole bunch of axis players....killing an allied player respawns as an allied player (while the killed player becomes axis)
Headquarters -- Control a specified zone of control for a set period of time to get points

There still are some problems, such as spawn point killers (which really sucks since you don't even have time to find them before you're dead) and some granade throwing contests, but all in all, it's fairly easy to get into and start improving and getting more kills.

Team Deathmatch definitely works as a starting point as you can use other players as a crutch while you explore and learn the maps (which are decent sized and varied, although there are not a ton of maps).

I have DEFINITELY gotten my 50$ out of it and then some. Oh, if you're ever in team deathmatch and see St00pidN00b, take it easy on me ;)

--
-- If you can't laugh at yourself, someone else will do it for you.

Should be rated "unhelpful" by Theaetetus · 2004-02-09 10:22 · Score: 2, Insightful

Beginners should play single player first. Get yourself a copy of doom. Beat the game on at least hurt me plenty mode. Then beat doom 2 the same way. It doesn't take long. Then beat quake 2 single player on normal. Forget quake 1. Then beat half-life single player on normal. After that you should have amassed enough fps skill to rock the house.

Come on - the question was what games/what servers to play for the casual FPSer. Someone who likes to play to relax from work, but doesn't want to devote more than a half hour or so to a "session". With what you recommend, at a half-hour a day, you're talking months, if not years of daily playing to beat all those games (at that half-hour per day) before they can get online. That's of no use to the questioner - he wants to get online *now*.

But don't jump right into the online world like you're in the polar bears club. Remember, you're going up against guys like me who've been fpsing since wolf3d on dos and the game wont be fun for you if I frag you in two seconds every time. Go through the same skill building process we did.

He's not asking to go against you - he's asking "where do you and your ilk *not* play?"

For another point, I really like multiplayer FPS games, but I really hate single-player FPS. I got the RTCW multiplayer demo, loved it, bought the game, played half (yes, half) of the first level on single player, and then never played single player again - just went multiplayer. I prefer playing against human, not computer AI.

-T

There's a far more elegant solution to all this by TyrranzzX · 2004-02-09 10:26 · Score: 3, Insightful

If you don't want to practice and put in the time to get good(which tends to make you decent at a number of games when you get good at one), then stick to single player games. There's simply no way you're going to be able to go out and have a good time in FPS games without spending some time learning a game well. Expect to, especially when the game is as difficult as tribes, get your ass handed to you on silver platter for the first few months, and that's if you're putting in a few hours a night and you've got the talent. I know a guy in my clan who is 40 somethin years old, a retired marine and he's k3wl as fsck, but even after years of tribes he can't mid air a guy jetting up and down. He can do other things and be a sneaky bastard but he can't mid air people consistantly (last time I played with him, that is).

There simply is no multiplayer FPS game that exists that doesn't have the skilled players and cheats and clans (whom almost all usually cheat to some degree, usually the highest clans either don't cheat at all or cheat like a mofo with custom stuff). That's the reality of it.

With that said, there are some excellent single player games out there like morrowind (if you've got the super powerful hardware) or Deus Ex, Chrome, and a couple others. There are also some low-skill multiplayer games like planetside, halo, and everquest that are designed for someone like yourself, but obviously some have a monthly fee. (I'm taking this in comparison to high skill games like tribes, BF1942, and to a lesser extent Q3, UT2K3, Natural selection, etc).

--

Candy-Coated Knowledge

Natural Selection by Beardydog · 2004-02-09 10:32 · Score: 2, Interesting

I have to put in a shameless plug for the Natural Selection Half-Life mod. They've done a beautiful job with it.

Marines vs. Aliens, playable from each side. Combat mode, where kills and experience earn you equipment/ability purchase points and ranking, or Classic mode, with buildable upgrade structures, where one player becomes an RTS commander to guide the Marines against the more chaotic Aliens.

It's a gorgeous cross between the movie Aliens, StarCraft, and the old game Marathon.

It's on Steam now as a third party game, getting anti-cheat all up in it. Current version is 3.0 Beta, available for anyone to play.

question by neko9 · 2004-02-09 10:51 · Score: 2, Funny

do i have any chances to play online games with cable connection?

Rational Rating Systems Needed by jason_j_hinze · 2004-02-09 11:12 · Score: 2, Interesting

I've often thought that the online gaming experience could be greatly improved by the incorporation of consistent rating system, such as the one used by the U.S. Chess Federation. It would be hopeless to walk into a room full of mixed-skill chess players and just play some pick up games. In order to have an enjoyable game, it's vital that you play someone in the same skill range as you. If the difference is too great one way or the other, one person will win with such regularity as to make the game boring. Sound familiar?

This is exactly the situation with online gaming. I am very good at some games, to the point at which I am accused of cheating. At others, I'm fair to middling. And I'm hopeless at some. All of these games would be more enjoyable for me if there were an online rating system that matched me up with players of similar skill. I've seen the fledgling effort in Warcraft III, but it doesn't seem to work very well. Why not just have a USCF-like rating system, where, if my UT2k3 rating is, say, 1643, I could get on a server for people rated 1600-1800? And for Q3, I'd be unrated, so I could get on a 0-1000 server until my performance had been logged for a while, so that the rating bot could assign me a provisional rating.

This would certainly require some effort on the part of online game developers, but the general problem of rating systems is well understood. The developers could choose to "stand on the shoulders of giants", rather than on their toes, by adopting these proven solutions into their online games, making more fun for all of us, and more sales for all of them.

Wolf ET by mp3phish · 2004-02-09 11:24 · Score: 3, Insightful

Most people call this game Wolf ET, or just ET. Don't let the name fool you. It is full blown WW2 saving private ryan style FPS. Its awesome...

Here are some quick tips for newbies:

- Start out as a medic. You can revive people with the needle, and lay down health packs for other players. If you do this well, people will start to help you by protecting you when u get into trouble. As a medic, stay in the back or middle of the pack when you spawn so you don't have to fight first. Insted, play cleanup, and finish off the enemy and revive teamates. Reviving teamates is the easiest way to get a good score and get yourself on the scoreboard if your a newb (but don't let this fool you, most of the top players play medic regularly) Another good reason to start medic is that your health automatically replenishes, so you will live longer.

- Learn the maps. All the maps have objectives. After completing the first objective, there is usually a second main objective. As a medic, you will be able to follow the better players around.

- teamplay teamplay teamplay... This is the name of the game. Don't run off by yourself or you will die and have to wait for respawn. As a medic you start out with smaller levels of ammo. You will have to be nice to your teamates or they will not give you any ammo. Also, without medics, everyone dies faster. Without fieldops, there isn't enough ammo for the team. Without engineers, there is nobody to complete the objectives. This game requires teamwork. Cover the engineer while he is planting the bomb. stay behind as a medic so the guy in front of you will have a backup in case he gets ambushed, etc etc.. Teamwork is the name of this game (most of the teamwork is pretty straightforward so the basics should come naturally, this is the best part of the game and why most people play it) If you are in it just to get frags, ET probably isn't the game for you...

- Try not to talk shit. Its probably OK to talk shit sometimes, but this game isn't like CS where 24/7 shit talking and unfair gameplay is tolerated. People doing lame shit will be booted by most server admins if they see it. This is also a good reason why its such a popular game for both newbies and hardcore clan players.

- Since this game isn't like quake*, you only have 1 main weapon, not 9 of them. So it will be easier for you to learn your loadout. There is pistol, main weapon (usually sub machinegun) and then your special weapons (needle and health packs for the medic) This simplicity means you can learn the gameply much faster. The drawback is that you have to navigate the "limbo" menu before you can join the game. This is the hardest part for most newbies: just select which team you want to be in, and select which class you want to go (medic, fieldops, soldier, covert ops, engineer) and then select your weapon. Thats it! Jump in the game and start going

- Try not to get frustrated when your respawn timer is high. That is part of the game and if everyone had instant respawn, the gameplay would be way less fun. It keeps people from doing rambo rushes and gives value to your life. One small problem is that the enemy might try to "spawn camp" you in which case the game is no fun. If you are a serious newb, try another server, or if you get better, kill the spawn killer and your problems are solved.

above all, have fun. This game is awesome and free. Go download it ASAP!

--
Your ignorance is infinitely greater than you realize.

"The worst part of multiplayer games... by superultra · 2004-02-09 11:44 · Score: 3, Informative

...is playing with other people." - gabe, Penny Arcade

If you're wanting to avoid these crackshot players who've been playing since the day the game came out, you're going to have to start playing the day a game comes out. What's worse is that a lot of these people are just darn good at FPS anyway. A team game might be just what the doctor ordered in that case, except that it means getting into clan.

My suggestion, and one that I haven't seen mentioned, is to first find an FPS with a much smaller following. Tron 2.0, NOLF 1&2, for example, are great games with such small followings that even though they're really great, they're so desperate for other players that these guys will take you by the hand and help you get good if only to have fresh blood.

I remember then the now completely forgotten Legends of Might & Magic came out, I happened to get a free copy at work. Think Counter-Strike + Might and Magic but suckier. The thing is that there were only 5-10 servers, but everyone was really nice and a very tight group, and they were more than happy to show newbies the ropes. Even though the game design really blew, the community made it much more playable.

So, to summarize, my first suggestion would be to get in on day one on some upcoming FPS, maybe Far Cry. My second, and more realistic, is to find one of these small FPS games you like and just jump in. =)

Any FPS without respawn by terminal.dk · 2004-02-09 12:27 · Score: 3, Insightful

Respawn really kills the game, people don't act realistic in any way, and uses bazookas all the time to blow themself up, sometimes killing someone else as well.

Games without respawn is way better. A good current example is Rainbow Six. Start playing cooperativew games to learn. Mature gamers, friendly atmosphere. Have yet to meet coop cheaters. This game rocks.

Otherwise go for strategy games, like some of the best out there. Myth II Soulblighter rocks.

Not for the faint of heart... by Scooter · 2004-02-09 14:17 · Score: 2, Insightful

First off - there's nothing wrong with dial up for online FPS play as long as you have a decent modem. I played Quake 2 in the Uk league for years on a 56K SupraExpress. Mileage varies with the game though - Half Life was always pants on a modem - but then it ran like a 3 legged donkey at the best of times. Broadband is, of course better though.

Now then - what to play as a "casual" n00b? Don't play Quake. What can I say? Even Quake3 is way too fast to get any instant success as a player. Quake2 is even faster. (Before you all reply about the weapons, I mean the movement rate, not the firing and weapon swapping rate).

For a more sedate level of play try any game based on the Half Speed engine - like Counterstrike, or Team Fortress Classic - a game you can play whilst eating your dinner and still do well.

Similarly, RTCW (and the just as good - and free Enemy Territory) is quite a leisurely paced game with breaks (when you die) and it enforces teamplay. (teamplay in 4v4 Q2 for example requires active thought on the part of the team and it's leader - whereas in RTCW, CS and most team fortress class-type games, the whole map strategy is laid out with helpful neon pointers saying "this way to ye olde strategic objective").

Another game I found quite relaxing is Jedi Knight II CTF - just don't waste time trying to foght people with those light up sticks - there ain't no substitute for a good blast^H^H^H^H^H rocket launcher at your side kid.

UT/UT2003/U2XMP are not exactly lightning paced games either (you shuffle along like your pants are round your ankles) but boy are the weapons fiddly. You get all manner of sludge guns, explosive ball thingies and other wierdo stuff (although XMP is not so bad on that front and has vehicles too).

I'm afraid I don't agree about the level of cheating. I know cheating goes on, but I rarely see any and I play most FPS games online. Sometimes, a high level of skill may seem like cheating. The Quake2 source code was released a while back so potentially, there are many hacked clients knocking about for Q2, so if you are feeling braver than your post would suggest, make sure you install something like "NoCheat" or "Biteme!" and play on a server that actively enforces using these client validators. The All Seeing Eye (ASE) is perhaps the best way of locating servers - http://www.udpsoft/eye

I think if I had to pick one for a new player - it would be RTCW ET - free, runs punkbuster and is fairly easy to get some initial encouragement with.

When you're ready for something quicker - try 3wave Capturestrike for Q3 - full on smack! smack! smack! fzsst! bang! whack! gameplay.

Oh yeah, and just one other tip - in the words of Obi Wan Kenobi " Use the MOUSE Luke!"

Pob lwc!

Realism by Beardydog · 2004-02-09 15:18 · Score: 2, Funny

I downloaded it after all you guys mentioned it. Played training for a few minutes. Shot my trainer in the head.

Now I'm in prison.

Seriously. It loaded a map, and now I'm wandering around in a tiny cell, and nothing has happened for five minutes. It's the most brilliant thing I've seen in my life.

There's a harmonica playing.

Re:Realism by Beardydog · 2004-02-09 17:11 · Score: 3, Funny

It seems to take a few tries to get in trouble. I shot the guy training to my right first, and had to start over. I got yelled at, failed to learn my lesson, assassinated my instructor, and then went to prison.

I've spent the last hour getting yelled at in medic training for jumping on tables, looking at other people's papers during tests, and standing up for no reason.

As far as escapist gaming goes though, it might be a little too real. If you talk to the nurses too often, one of them tells you she's married, and the other tells you she has a 6 foot tall, 240 pound boyfriend in Special Forces.

Rejected by pixel-women...

Play the PC Game of the Year by daddy+norcal · 2004-02-09 15:56 · Score: 2, Interesting

call of duty.

This is exactly what you are looking for.

The game has amazing graphics and sound, it's fun, and overall i would say the average skill level you will find while playing online is low, when compared to bf1942 or cs.

But you don't have to take my word for it:
rottentomatoes.com 96%
gamerankings.com 92%
gamespy pc game of the year 2003
shacknews pc game of the year 2003
ign best pc action, best sound, best multiplayer game of the year, 2003
etc

Not to mention, killing russians never gets old ;)

Just now? by zedmelon · 2004-02-09 18:59 · Score: 2, Funny

Heheheheh....

While I certainly can empathize (and agree) with all that you've said, I have to ask: Did this happen to you in the last thirty seconds?

In addition to your point, I can't fathom how anyone can really enjoy the game when they know they're cheating; I'd rather "Get My Ass Royally Kicked" than win the round/game/whatever using some cheat hack.

...but I can laugh now because you sound just like I do right while it's happening. With my usual attention to spelling and grammar lying comatose in the corner, riddled with shrapnel, you'll find me screaming at the monitor and banging on the keyboard. I get so flustered that my already-crippled 55-WPM typing plummets to around 20, and is still as riddled with holes as my poor character's cyber-body. Zedmelon the Online Gamer can be quite the poster child for rage-supressing medication.

YOu stup8id mother*($&@#!! Can't y0ou just pul;l up your panti3es and play fair?!?/1 what p9ossibvle enjoymeaint couildf you get ou5t of fragging me fr0om behind a wall .002 seconds after I spa2wned??!?! WHat the hell is your G0da^m problem?!? DId your mother jkeep you in the xcellaer as a child!??!

etc...

I feel for you, GooberToo. I really do.

--
Mom says my .sig can beat up your .sig.

Re:Oh BS by vrai · 2004-02-09 23:06 · Score: 2, Insightful

How tragic is it that people put so much effort in to cheating in va ideo game. Hours spent trying to circumvent anti-cheat mechanisms! Hours spent acheiving the square root of fuck all.

It's not even as if they gain any kind of kudos from doing it. I can understand why people like demo writers will spend days hacking out a visual effect that has no real use. At least they can garner some level of respect from others, if only for their technical skill. By comparision online game cheats are either hated (by gamers) or considered as sad as sad can be (by everyone else).

At least they are sufficently lacking in technical/social skills that I'll never have to work with them.

Re:Good Online FPS Games/Servers For Beginners? by R1ch4rd · 2004-02-09 23:13 · Score: 3, Informative

Hy there,
I've been in the same situations a few months ago when I got my
Cable Modem :D
I played UT a LOT on single player, so it was OK for me, thou on
advance servers I get fragged a lot.

For Unreal Turnament there is a beginner server:
"Truff's Newbie-Friendly Unreal Tournament Servers"
http://www.truff.net/

For CS, I don't know beginner servers, just stick to common public
servers. Make sure they run some anti-cheat, like: Cheating Death http://www.cheating-death.com/
Stick with your team or a good player and you'll learn from them.
Also try to read some tips and tricks. This is a good place to
start: http://www.csimmortals.com/

Take care and have a Good Game,
Richard

Planetside?????? by bigsmelly · 2004-02-10 02:21 · Score: 2, Interesting

Nobody's mentioned planetside yet?

the only true MMOFPS i know of.

Even though it's for sale, it still feels like beta. they keep evolving and tweaking the rules.

Pros:

1) 200 player battles are not uncommon.
2) three empires with specific weapons
3) not as bandwidth hungry as BF1942
4) Air vehicles, tanks, buggies, atv's
5) character development means that newbies can drive most powerfull tanks etc, but not be as flexible as developed players (who can drive those, and also maybe planes and be snipers)
6) Flying mini-mechs (if you play VS like I do)

Cons:

1) 15 dollar monthly sub
2) need monster Memory ,CPU and GFx card
3) Some balance issues with weapons
4) No way to "win" - the battles keep on going forever

It's a Science Fiction world. Lots of nano stuff to explain the fact you can respawn.

Slashdot Mirror

Good Online FPS Games/Servers For Beginners?

172 of 804 comments (clear)