I have been playing online games back when Quake 1 Shareware servers were plentiful, 28.8k modemsm were plentiful and broadband was simply unheard of. Over time, I have found there are a few things you can do to avoid stupid players, because beleive it or not, reguardless of what othe rpeople may remember, there were still lamers back then. Granted, not nearly as many as there are now, but they existed.
The most important thing, however, is to find a handfull of servers and stick with them. Back in the Quake 1 days, there was a server called quake.nye.net that ran a DeathMatch + Mod that added a whole bunch of crazy things to the game like grappling hooks and homing missles. However, I stuck around, and I soon came to be friends with a lot of the other server regulars, such as people from the DMPC clan (I stil don't know how BattleCruiser got so good...), and almost every time I joined that server, I knew I was in for a good time. (And by the way, my nickname was KiLlJoY, if anyone was on that server too).
Most in game server browsers have a favorites list. Gamespy does too. Shop around, and find a server that contians people that you like playing with. Then hang onto that server for dear life. Your online experience will get much better if you become a regular at a server.
Also, Xbox Live has a number of awesome features that can halp you weed out the bad players. When you first get the game, shop around on different servers. Once you find a game that you enjoy playing in, send friend requests to all the cool and kickass players that you have fun playing with (since servers are rarely around for more than a few hours at a time), and whenever you see them online, join them or invite them. The friends list is a gift from god, and in my opinion is one of the best features of Xbox Live.
Hopefully, my few rambling paragraphs has some insight. May your games be happier and more fun.
When the XBox came out, their expectations was Total World Domination and crushing the PS2 and its "inferior hardware". It never did.
Turns out that their "superior hardware/graphics" was (what a surprise) totally overhyped. The Xbox's graphics are ever so slightly better than the PS2's, but their software offerings are greatly inferior.
Key words. THEIR expectations. Hell, Nokia probably things the N-Gage can actually compete with the GBA. Thats not the point. You had the Xbox fanboys, and then everyone else thought the Xbox was a joke. Considering all of that negative press up until and shortly after release, if it is now battling for second place against Nintendo, an established videogame entity with your first console attempt...that is still an impressive feat.
Of course the graphics are overhyped. What do you expec? When was the last time a company didn't overhype its own system.
"I think Nintendo is surprised - it's kind of slipped away from them pretty quickly over the last couple of years. I don't think they really anticipated how well we would do in the business."
Honestly. Did anyone think the Xbox would do as well as it's doing?
And I'm not. Unfortuniatly, the LIVE enabled football game that gets all the marketing is the laughable NFL Fever 2004. Hell, even EPSN itself markets Madden more prominently than ESPN 2k4.
Though ESPN is the clear winner on Xbox, the evil marketing machine might crush it.
Would you accept it if Intel came to your house and replaced the defective P3's (you know the ones with the processor ID disabled) with working ones, you know with proper processor ID enabled?
If it really bothered me, I would just buy AMD.
Again. If Xbox's auto-update bothered me, I would get out my Gamecube.
What if you are going to race that car in NASCAR? There are a few requlations on your car that you HAVE to have. Either that or you don't race in a NASCAR race.
Same thing with Xbox and XBox Live. There are a few requirements on your Xbox that you HAVE to have. Either that, or you don't play on Xbox Live.
When you play on Live, it's more than just you. You have to ensure that people are playing on a level playing field. Sure, you pay for Xbox Live service too, but when you join a health club, that doesn't mean you can go in and destroy their equipment.
So what if you don't play online? Just dont install Live. Make sure you never click through to Xbox Live on your console.
Weird. Thing is, I didn't buy my Xbox to run Linux. You can install Linux on it if you want, but if Microsoft doesn't want you to use their Xbox Live service without having a legitimate Xbox that they know hasn't been modified (for better or for worse), it's their decision. And another challenge for you. Perhaps you can figure out a way to circumvent that too and be able to use both.
People figured out how to make the Xbox do something it wasn't designed to do. Microsoft has taken the stance that it doesn't want that happening on their systems, especially when you consider the fact that with Xbox Live factored into the equation, and that this might open the door for cheaters to ruin online game, hell Just look at SOCOM. Don't you usually patch your games for better online play? If you play online, you need to patch the structure to make sure nothing sneaky has comprimised the games. If you dont want to, you just choose not to install Live! It's that simple. Xbox Live! and Xbox itself are intertwined. They both need updating or else the weak link breaks the system.
Microsoft has made its move. Now its your turn. Either circumvent it or give up. But jesus chrsit quit whining about how evil Microsofts intentions are.
"Thanks to the Gaming-Age forum regulars for pointing to info on the EB Games site showing Microsoft's Xbox hardware bundle for Christmas, consisting of the online-friendly Star Wars: Clone Wars, Tetris Worlds, and 2 free months of Xbox Live, priced at $179."
OK, the free Xbox Live starter kit is fine.
But Star Wars: The Clone Wars? Tetris Worlds? Even the non-live Jet Set Radio Future/GT 2002 bundle had more fun than this, and there was only one decent game on the damn thing (JSRF).
I hope they still ship the XBL demo disc (Which has the full version of Tetris Worlds, MotoGP Demo and Mechassault Demo), because the demo disc has a HELL of a lot more gamepaly than those two turkeys.
On a related note, there is some hope for MS yet. If you buy a Xbox Live Starter kit at EB now (and possibly elsewhere) you get PSO with it. You pay for PSO by the month, but it's got two months free, and at least it was entertaining for those two months...
Who here had ever seen a commercial for Rez? What about a magazine ad (more than one time)?
It's simply that it wasn't marketed enough. Ask almost any gamer what Rez is, and they will give you a dumbfounded look. This doesn't mean the game sucked, it means they didn't know about it. Not good. Yet look at all the ads for the dime-a-dozen games that you probably have played before in one way or another. See a difference?
Ratings mean jack shit. It's the marketing that counts. Unfortuniatly, it seems more recently that the budget gets blown on games that suck. Hopefully, the industry will realize this in time and make a quick 180 and start marketing the truely innovative games.
1. Start up your PS2/PC with GTA3/GTA:VC
2. Find the cheat codes for you resepective ssystem that enables 'Pedestrians have weapons', 'Pedestrians riot' and 'Pedestrians hate you'
3. Enter cheat codes
4. ???
5. Profit
There you go. And you didn't even have to wait for an official demo/release.
Not for that, but because you actually think that it's actually worth playing.
One fatal, stupid flaw. It clears your pile every time you gain a level. WTF, it never did this in the origional Tetris. This basically makes gaining levels quickly your ultimate goal, which is sad, because I was really hoping that Tetris Worlds was going to be like The New Tetris for the N64. Now that was a great Tetris game, especially due to the music (can't get POLYASIA out of my head).
First of all, you only get friend invites from people on your buddy list. Furthremore, in order to get someone on your buddy list, you have to send them a friend request and they must accept it (They can cancel it too). Furthermore, you can only add buddies who you have played recently or are in game with.
Second of all, all the friend invite feature is do this... You are the host (or a player) in a game. You need more people. You open a menu and send out a friend invite to poeple on your buddy list (you can do a specific person or a group of people, doesnt matter). The other person is doing something or in the middle of another game, and they see a friend invite icon in the top right hand corner of their screen (or something equally unintrusive). They open the appropriate menu to see who it is from (usually friends). They click on your name, and either accept it or reject it.
In other words, the system is almost abuse-proof. Other than sending repeated friend requests (which you can either ignore, or take the person off your buddy list, which taken you of theirs), there is little annoyance, and there is no text contained in the invite, just the icon, the game, and the option to accept or reject.
Yay for Wario Ware. That game was what made me buy a GBA. I still play it, a month after purchase. It's the proof that Nintendo still has that 'Nintendo magic' for creating innovative games.
Slashdot Mirror
Amplitude was released in DVD format.
And I'm defeniatly getting this, if for nothing else than another Amplitude level. Amplitude kicks ass, end of story.
The most important thing, however, is to find a handfull of servers and stick with them. Back in the Quake 1 days, there was a server called quake.nye.net that ran a DeathMatch + Mod that added a whole bunch of crazy things to the game like grappling hooks and homing missles. However, I stuck around, and I soon came to be friends with a lot of the other server regulars, such as people from the DMPC clan (I stil don't know how BattleCruiser got so good...), and almost every time I joined that server, I knew I was in for a good time. (And by the way, my nickname was KiLlJoY, if anyone was on that server too).
Most in game server browsers have a favorites list. Gamespy does too. Shop around, and find a server that contians people that you like playing with. Then hang onto that server for dear life. Your online experience will get much better if you become a regular at a server.
Also, Xbox Live has a number of awesome features that can halp you weed out the bad players. When you first get the game, shop around on different servers. Once you find a game that you enjoy playing in, send friend requests to all the cool and kickass players that you have fun playing with (since servers are rarely around for more than a few hours at a time), and whenever you see them online, join them or invite them. The friends list is a gift from god, and in my opinion is one of the best features of Xbox Live.
Hopefully, my few rambling paragraphs has some insight. May your games be happier and more fun.
Key words. THEIR expectations. Hell, Nokia probably things the N-Gage can actually compete with the GBA. Thats not the point. You had the Xbox fanboys, and then everyone else thought the Xbox was a joke. Considering all of that negative press up until and shortly after release, if it is now battling for second place against Nintendo, an established videogame entity with your first console attempt...that is still an impressive feat.
Of course the graphics are overhyped. What do you expec? When was the last time a company didn't overhype its own system.
Honestly. Did anyone think the Xbox would do as well as it's doing?
That's what irked me about EA too. Seems like they were taking a page from Microsoft's book in an area that even Microsoft isn't doing.
Somewhere in Redmond WA...
*BRING BRING BRING*
Bill: *picks up phone* Hello?
Satan: Hell just froze over
Bill: WHAT? This is NOT my fault!
Satan: Yeah, well come down here and tell these flying pigs that.
(Bit stolen from Scott Adams, me so sorry)
Jeez, this was too easy...
And don't worry, Xbox Live still has several aces up its sleeve, if what I've been oggling over from previews has anything to say about it.
And of course Halo 2 comes out...and the subscription numbers will fly through the roof. Watch them. Just watch them.
Dear Dreamcast fanboys
This was not meant to upset you. The dreamcast kicked ass. End of story. So don't bother me.
Love
-Alex
And oh yeah, True Fantasy Live...when it comes out.
Though ESPN is the clear winner on Xbox, the evil marketing machine might crush it.
If it really bothered me, I would just buy AMD.
Again. If Xbox's auto-update bothered me, I would get out my Gamecube.
Only if you quit whining about people whining about people whining.
And while you're at it, mind if you get out from behind the AC mask?
When you play on Live, it's more than just you. You have to ensure that people are playing on a level playing field. Sure, you pay for Xbox Live service too, but when you join a health club, that doesn't mean you can go in and destroy their equipment.
So what if you don't play online? Just dont install Live. Make sure you never click through to Xbox Live on your console.
People figured out how to make the Xbox do something it wasn't designed to do. Microsoft has taken the stance that it doesn't want that happening on their systems, especially when you consider the fact that with Xbox Live factored into the equation, and that this might open the door for cheaters to ruin online game, hell Just look at SOCOM. Don't you usually patch your games for better online play? If you play online, you need to patch the structure to make sure nothing sneaky has comprimised the games. If you dont want to, you just choose not to install Live! It's that simple. Xbox Live! and Xbox itself are intertwined. They both need updating or else the weak link breaks the system.
Microsoft has made its move. Now its your turn. Either circumvent it or give up. But jesus chrsit quit whining about how evil Microsofts intentions are.
Simple, eh?
This was also in the Harmonix game Frequency. Anyone else catch on to this?
Just as long as they update those cruddy low-res sprites for the Capcom charactors. Guilty Gear's sprites were so awesome.
OK, the free Xbox Live starter kit is fine.
But Star Wars: The Clone Wars? Tetris Worlds? Even the non-live Jet Set Radio Future/GT 2002 bundle had more fun than this, and there was only one decent game on the damn thing (JSRF).
I hope they still ship the XBL demo disc (Which has the full version of Tetris Worlds, MotoGP Demo and Mechassault Demo), because the demo disc has a HELL of a lot more gamepaly than those two turkeys.
On a related note, there is some hope for MS yet. If you buy a Xbox Live Starter kit at EB now (and possibly elsewhere) you get PSO with it. You pay for PSO by the month, but it's got two months free, and at least it was entertaining for those two months...
Didn't Quake III Arena for DC do this?
Get NFL Fever or NFL 2K (now ESPN football). Neither has 'shut down' after a year.
Re-Volt Online Demo support has been axed. Though this game was only avalable to beta testers, I worry about possibly other games going under.
It's simply that it wasn't marketed enough. Ask almost any gamer what Rez is, and they will give you a dumbfounded look. This doesn't mean the game sucked, it means they didn't know about it. Not good. Yet look at all the ads for the dime-a-dozen games that you probably have played before in one way or another. See a difference?
Ratings mean jack shit. It's the marketing that counts. Unfortuniatly, it seems more recently that the budget gets blown on games that suck. Hopefully, the industry will realize this in time and make a quick 180 and start marketing the truely innovative games.
2. Find the cheat codes for you resepective ssystem that enables 'Pedestrians have weapons', 'Pedestrians riot' and 'Pedestrians hate you'
3. Enter cheat codes
4. ???
5. Profit
There you go. And you didn't even have to wait for an official demo/release.
One fatal, stupid flaw. It clears your pile every time you gain a level. WTF, it never did this in the origional Tetris. This basically makes gaining levels quickly your ultimate goal, which is sad, because I was really hoping that Tetris Worlds was going to be like The New Tetris for the N64. Now that was a great Tetris game, especially due to the music (can't get POLYASIA out of my head).
As in the GBA SP EX?
Second of all, all the friend invite feature is do this... You are the host (or a player) in a game. You need more people. You open a menu and send out a friend invite to poeple on your buddy list (you can do a specific person or a group of people, doesnt matter). The other person is doing something or in the middle of another game, and they see a friend invite icon in the top right hand corner of their screen (or something equally unintrusive). They open the appropriate menu to see who it is from (usually friends). They click on your name, and either accept it or reject it.
In other words, the system is almost abuse-proof. Other than sending repeated friend requests (which you can either ignore, or take the person off your buddy list, which taken you of theirs), there is little annoyance, and there is no text contained in the invite, just the icon, the game, and the option to accept or reject.
Yay for Wario Ware. That game was what made me buy a GBA. I still play it, a month after purchase. It's the proof that Nintendo still has that 'Nintendo magic' for creating innovative games.