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State of Multi-Monitor Gaming?
xtal asks: "What's the current state of multi-monitor gaming? LCD panels are really dropping in price - I've seen a 17" panels for under $400cdn, bringing it into the ballpark where purchasing three of them for a much wider field of view becomes possible. The hardware to drive these displays in a LAN configuration (3 machines, 3 monitors) is also inexpensive, or at least attainable - so when I look around for the state of multi monitor simulation, I don't see much. The best candidates are flight sims, but my interest lies in racing. Are there any suggestions or sites I'm missing?" What games have you played that could have really benefited from a second (or even a third) monitor? Do you think that the games you normally play will be significantly enhanced by the use of multiple monitors, or is one enough?
I wouldn't mind having a EBMB feature where a secondary monitor will who/what's behind me.
I think any game will benefit from such setup, like RPG/Simulation/RTS/FPS won't hurt with dedicated displays for "stats" and "field".
Virtual Betting on Facebook for non-geeks.
What if PC's were able to make the use of multiple monitors, like Nintendo DS does? I'd love for an extra screen to keep mini-map, server rank, ammo counts, etc on an always displayed screen. No more bringing it up on your main screen
Here's a hint, stop doing boring grind sessions to acquire items in a video game.... Honestly, how much grinding will you do before you stop complaining about it and simply stop playing the game? I'm so tired of hearing addicted WoW fanatics complain about grinding for gear etc. Stop playing the damn game already! All MMORPGs are is one huge grind session that attempt to make you feel like your accomplishing something in order to keep you hooked.
Was?
My wife and kids have always gotten driven to pukedom when they've tried to watch me play Descent3.
Yes, Descent: inducing severe motion sickness for over a decade, peaking with Descent3. All other "3D" games are for wimps. No other game involves you regulary having to fly in reverse, upside down, yawing sideways and firing while also sliding upwards (which newbies might call downwards, relatively, since you're upside down, but any proper Descent3 pilot always knows the real up from down).
Plus, you have something like twenty different bizarrely different weapons so you end up going into corkscrew spins trying to avoid flak while trying to select that damned omega blackshark bouncing betty whateverthehellitis, or, well, just trying to find some damn corridor to escape in.
Well yeah, okay, so I lose track of up and down sometimes. But at least I don't get sick, dammit.
I've always wanted an RTS that supported multiple monitors, and it would only require two. Game area on one screen, and map, unit descriptions, menu items, etc. on the other.
I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed, or numbered. My life is my own.
Supporting wide 'oddball' resolutions is easy. Many games do it 'accidentally'. However, gameworld viewport is 99% of the time fixed as 'full screen' (or two or three) - so the 3D view is stretched across the screens, and with even number of screens, center is at the split point of two displays.
Only games that I know of where you can change the viewport to the gameworld without changing the actual size of the game window are Anarchy Online and World of Warcraft (via UI MOD). I also think some Flight Simulators allow you to do it, but I don't really play those.
With viewport resize/move options, you can have full 3D screen on your main display, yet drag most of the 'other UI' to the 2nd display (which has just black background, or maybe some 2d graphic). MMOs would really benefit with proper dual display support where you could stick the inventory, map and all the other random windows to secondary display. Currently I'm really annoyed due to the fact that EVE doesn't support this - it would really benefit from it as you could put overview, scanner and map view to secondary monitor, really helping with the 'information overload' in PvP situations.
What we'd need is a videocard/monitor manufacturer 'alliance' sponsoring game devs to support proper dual monitor setups via specific extra options in the games - it would sell a lot of secondary screens and beefier videocards. It isn't *that* hard to do when you just make 'game desktop' to use whatever oddball resolution multimonitor system gives you, but allow separate definition of the '3D viewport' inside this 'desktop' of a game, and then make UI customizable/movable, and make sure all UI bits can be moved outside the 3D viewport, to the 'game desktop'. Add support to 'side/rear views' in secondary 3D viewports for extra brownie points so you can have 'rearview mirros' or outright 'surround game setup' if you have too much money, displays and too uber videocards.