Controller-wise I agree with you completely. The mouse and keyboard combo blow away any gamepad for 1st-person games.
Visually speaking though the 360 version of the game will allow both HDR lighting and anti-aliasing. The PC version makes you pick one or the other. I'm sure none of us will be able to tell either way considering the quality of your average webcast.
There is no competition. While an analog stick offers good multidirectional movement the mouse is far more intuitive and accurate. It's easier to overshoot with a stick while the mouse tends to stop when you want it to.
If you play a fps on a console you notice that the programmers have slowed down enemy responses to suit the sluggishness of the game controller. I noticed this when playing MOH:Allied Assault on my friends x-box. The analog stick can only rotate your line of sight at specific speeds (usually 3-4 levels of difference from the axis to the edge limit) where the mouse simply reacts at the speed which you move it.
The problem most folks experience is getting used to pointing your 'head' with the mouse and walking with your keys. Once you get that down there is no going back.
I haven't used a console gamepad that beats the keyboard/mouse combo used in pc fps. The console makers have to make their games noticeably easier due to the lack of control. I tried one of the MoH titles on the xbox and was stunned to see how slowly the enemy responded to compensate for the crappy control interface.
Now I have seen threads before where console users bitch about the modders that have hooked up a kbd/mouse to there Xbox and smoke everyone at halo. Well guess what? A game that has a superior control system and is more challenging is more fun to play. I have gamed through all the major consoles since the 2600 and nothing beats the pc for overall game satisfaction.
How about modding in general? I map and model using the source engine. How will that work on the consoles? Photoshop runs like crap on the ps2:)
City Gent -- Good afternoon. Rustic -- Afternoon. City Gent -- A lovely day isn't it. Rustic -- Eh, 'tis that. City Gent -- You here on holiday or...? Rustic -- Nope, I live 'ere. City Gent -- Oh, jolly good too. (surveys field; he looks puzzled) I say, those are sheep aren't they? Rustic -- Ar. City Gent -- Yes, yes of course, I thought so...only...er why are they up in the trees? Rustic -- A fair question and one that in recent weeks has been much on my mind. It's my considered opinion that they're nesting. City Gent -- Nesting? Rustic -- Ar. City Gent -- Like birds? Rustic -- Ar. Exactly. Birds is the key to the whole problem. It's my belief that these sheep are laborin' under the misapprehension that they're birds. Observe their behavior. Take for a start the sheeps' tendency to 'op about the field on their back legs. (off-screen baa-ing) Now witness their attempts to fly from tree to tree. Notice that they do not so much fly as...plummet. (sound of sheep plummeting) Observe for example that ewe in that oak tree. She is clearly trying to teach her lamb to fly. (baaaaaa...thump) Talk about the blind leading the blind. City Gent -- But why do they think they're birds? Rustic -- Another fair question. One thing is for sure; a sheep is not a creature of the air. They have enormous difficulty in the comparatively simple act of perchin'. (crash) As you see. As for flight, its body is totally unadapted to the problems of aviation. Trouble is, sheep are very dim. Once they get an idea in their heads, there's no shifting it. City Gent -- But where did they get the idea from? Rustic -- From Harold. He's that sheep there over under the elm. He's that most dangerous of animals, a clever sheep. He's the ring-leader. He has realized that a sheep's life consists of standing around for a few months and then being eaten. And that's a depressing prospect for an ambitious sheep. He's patently hit on the idea of escape. City Gent -- Well why don't you just get rid of Harold? Rustic -- Because of the enormous commercial possibilities should he succeed.
But I take offense to the idea that just because BSG discovered that handheld style camera movements makes for a more dramatic show makes it worthy of being presented as "reinventing" science fiction.
Whoa? I guess you never watched firefly! It was that fine short-lived show that put handheld cameras in space.
I love BSG but I would trade it in a second if it would bring Firefly back to the small screen.
Woried about overpopulation? Enforce China's one child law in all countries that have the life-extension technology available and if you procreate beyond the limit you lose all rights to future longevity treatments.
Picture a new form of reproduction where when you die accidentally or perhaps choose to leave the mortal coil due to boredom your DNA is combined with another person in a similar situation and a new person is cloned to replace the departed.
Also realize that many will choose not to participate with the new society for religious or moral reasoning and will conveniently die out on their own as their children depart to join the new long-living Bitchin' Society.
Let's not kid ourselves. The cd check is a punishment from Valve for not purchasing the game online using Steam and giving them more money. It is accompanied by the lack of Day of Defeat and HL:source (considering the retail version has a comparative cost to the steam 'silver' package).
I pre-bought my game far earlier then they released the info on the Steam vs retail packages. I feel insulted by Valve and I personally hope Vivendi gives them some sort of legal grief for the way things turned out.
Steam finally authenticated my cd-key after four hours on release day and I was able to play. I was p.o'd but I was happy to get into the game.
Today however... I started steam and it updated itself which was not surprising after the previous issues. I started the game and got the "preparing to play hl2" dialog then...
"The game is currently unavailable. Please try again at another time"
EXCUSE ME? I did not think I needed Valve'e permission to play a game I purchased. I then tried CS:S and got the init dialog then... nothing.
Well I guess I'll check the Steampowered forums to see what's up. Oh but wait...
"vBulletin Message The server is too busy at the moment. Please try again later."
Valve has installed copy protection that is hurtful to the people who purchased this game. Here in Canada EB will not give me my money back, will Valve?
The irony is that the methods that they are using make no difference at all in piracy prevention. Check suprnova and you will see the game is available.
Finally, I don't see anywhere on the box that you have to agree to the steam eula in order to play HL2. Screw you valve, but only after you have obviously screwed me. I am not a criminal but Valve is certainly treating me like one.
Thats from one of the Uplift series (startide rising I think) of books by David Brin. I don't remember him mentioning the glass part but that was the method used for when a planet went fallow. Seems like the uber-solution to me.
I dream of a day when the big labels have been completely plundered and real music is again produced by artists/managers/promoters/executives that aren't becoming insanely rich beyond what they deserve. Britney (insert artist of your choice) has not EARNED her millions. Same for movies. I also hope television dies a slow painful death.
If you watch Survivor (insert reality show of your choice) you are crapping on your own brain.
So, kudos to the Russians from a Canadian who cares.
I have noticed that many online servers for CS have in-game ads for server renting and a popular memory brand. They add 3D models of billboards into classic maps (eg. cs_italy, de_dust and de_dust2) via some kind of plugin that integrates with map info already in your game folder. The billboard models are small in filesize so you can download a fresh set of ads if the sponsorship changes. They are non-invasive play-wise but IMAO are rather an eyesore. I won't complain if the ads increase the number of servers already available though....
I had a mean response all set up to counter your rude reply to the other post you made but meh...
KB+Mouse is cheap and you can likely set it up on your coffee table and have plenty of fun. Otherwise get used to being spanked. It takes too long to turn around with those analogs. It doesn't really give the opportunity to have a "realistic" fight.
Maybe some car racing games might be more to your speed now? Tetris?
btw I don't play on the Xbox at all so, sadly, it won't be me wrecking you analog monkeys.
Slashdot Mirror
Controller-wise I agree with you completely. The mouse and keyboard combo blow away any gamepad for 1st-person games.
Visually speaking though the 360 version of the game will allow both HDR lighting and anti-aliasing. The PC version makes you pick one or the other. I'm sure none of us will be able to tell either way considering the quality of your average webcast.
There is no competition. While an analog stick offers good multidirectional movement the mouse is far more intuitive and accurate. It's easier to overshoot with a stick while the mouse tends to stop when you want it to.
If you play a fps on a console you notice that the programmers have slowed down enemy responses to suit the sluggishness of the game controller. I noticed this when playing MOH:Allied Assault on my friends x-box. The analog stick can only rotate your line of sight at specific speeds (usually 3-4 levels of difference from the axis to the edge limit) where the mouse simply reacts at the speed which you move it.
The problem most folks experience is getting used to pointing your 'head' with the mouse and walking with your keys. Once you get that down there is no going back.
Sounds like this makes perfect sense after success of the Dr. Who 'Leak'.
Someone's looking for a visit from the Temporal Secret Service.
I haven't used a console gamepad that beats the keyboard/mouse combo used in pc fps. The console makers have to make their games noticeably easier due to the lack of control. I tried one of the MoH titles on the xbox and was stunned to see how slowly the enemy responded to compensate for the crappy control interface.
:)
Now I have seen threads before where console users bitch about the modders that have hooked up a kbd/mouse to there Xbox and smoke everyone at halo. Well guess what? A game that has a superior control system and is more challenging is more fun to play. I have gamed through all the major consoles since the 2600 and nothing beats the pc for overall game satisfaction.
How about modding in general? I map and model using the source engine. How will that work on the consoles? Photoshop runs like crap on the ps2
City Gent -- Good afternoon.
Rustic -- Afternoon.
City Gent -- A lovely day isn't it.
Rustic -- Eh, 'tis that.
City Gent -- You here on holiday or...?
Rustic -- Nope, I live 'ere.
City Gent -- Oh, jolly good too. (surveys field; he looks puzzled) I say, those are sheep aren't they?
Rustic -- Ar.
City Gent -- Yes, yes of course, I thought so...only...er why are they up in the trees?
Rustic -- A fair question and one that in recent weeks has been much on my mind. It's my considered opinion that they're nesting.
City Gent -- Nesting?
Rustic -- Ar.
City Gent -- Like birds?
Rustic -- Ar. Exactly. Birds is the key to the whole problem. It's my belief that these sheep are laborin' under the misapprehension that they're birds. Observe their behavior. Take for a start the sheeps' tendency to 'op about the field on their back legs. (off-screen baa-ing) Now witness their attempts to fly from tree to tree. Notice that they do not so much fly as...plummet. (sound of sheep plummeting) Observe for example that ewe in that oak tree. She is clearly trying to teach her lamb to fly. (baaaaaa...thump) Talk about the blind leading the blind.
City Gent -- But why do they think they're birds?
Rustic -- Another fair question. One thing is for sure; a sheep is not a creature of the air. They have enormous difficulty in the comparatively simple act of perchin'. (crash) As you see. As for flight, its body is totally unadapted to the problems of aviation. Trouble is, sheep are very dim. Once they get an idea in their heads, there's no shifting it.
City Gent -- But where did they get the idea from?
Rustic -- From Harold. He's that sheep there over under the elm. He's that most dangerous of animals, a clever sheep. He's the ring-leader. He has realized that a sheep's life consists of standing around for a few months and then being eaten. And that's a depressing prospect for an ambitious sheep. He's patently hit on the idea of escape.
City Gent -- Well why don't you just get rid of Harold?
Rustic -- Because of the enormous commercial possibilities should he succeed.
It looks like the arm wrestling machine was powered by three penis pumps.
But I take offense to the idea that just because BSG discovered that handheld style camera movements makes for a more dramatic show makes it worthy of being presented as "reinventing" science fiction.
Whoa? I guess you never watched firefly! It was that fine short-lived show that put handheld cameras in space.
I love BSG but I would trade it in a second if it would bring Firefly back to the small screen.
Glad to see this ridiculous disclaimer get darwinned.
Or maybe I'm pro revolutionary upheaval including the destruction of enourmous corporate/media entities.
Every little bit helps y'know.
Bullshit. A black background makes it easier to read. White backgrounds are like staring into a lightbulb.
And what do you gain by being an asshole in your response anyway?
Some people say that those who can't properly punctuate are, in some sense, morons.
Woried about overpopulation? Enforce China's one child law in all countries that have the life-extension technology available and if you procreate beyond the limit you lose all rights to future longevity treatments.
Picture a new form of reproduction where when you die accidentally or perhaps choose to leave the mortal coil due to boredom your DNA is combined with another person in a similar situation and a new person is cloned to replace the departed.
Also realize that many will choose not to participate with the new society for religious or moral reasoning and will conveniently die out on their own as their children depart to join the new long-living Bitchin' Society.
Oh and go read Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Cory Doctorow. It's fun, free and on-topic.
What are you the RIAA talking points guy?
Fuck the RIAA. The sooner they go out of business the sooner the music industry starts improving.
hehe no offence here. I won't touch linux until more game developers of merit write for it.
Also, you just need to face the fact that Ogg support just doesn't matter to 99.999% of the general population.
Like Linux? I think that's a bad arguement to sport aroud here.
Let's not kid ourselves. The cd check is a punishment from Valve for not purchasing the game online using Steam and giving them more money. It is accompanied by the lack of Day of Defeat and HL:source (considering the retail version has a comparative cost to the steam 'silver' package).
I pre-bought my game far earlier then they released the info on the Steam vs retail packages. I feel insulted by Valve and I personally hope Vivendi gives them some sort of legal grief for the way things turned out.
On my P4 1.8 512mb
gf3.200ti w/128mb vid ram (obviously nothing fancy...)
I added 256mb of system ram and there was no more stutter. Kind of surprised me actually. Even quick and auto saves are no worries anymore.
Steam finally authenticated my cd-key after four hours on release day and I was able to play. I was p.o'd but I was happy to get into the game.
Today however... I started steam and it updated itself which was not surprising after the previous issues. I started the game and got the "preparing to play hl2" dialog then...
"The game is currently unavailable.
Please try again at another time"
EXCUSE ME? I did not think I needed Valve'e permission to play a game I purchased. I then tried CS:S and got the init dialog then... nothing.
Well I guess I'll check the Steampowered forums to see what's up. Oh but wait...
"vBulletin Message
The server is too busy at the moment. Please try again later."
Valve has installed copy protection that is hurtful to the people who purchased this game. Here in Canada EB will not give me my money back, will Valve?
The irony is that the methods that they are using make no difference at all in piracy prevention. Check suprnova and you will see the game is available.
Finally, I don't see anywhere on the box that you have to agree to the steam eula in order to play HL2. Screw you valve, but only after you have obviously screwed me. I am not a criminal but Valve is certainly treating me like one.
Thats from one of the Uplift series (startide rising I think) of books by David Brin. I don't remember him mentioning the glass part but that was the method used for when a planet went fallow. Seems like the uber-solution to me.
Sorry setup, you are talking out your ass. Perhaps excepting the sentence regarding lack of game play and even that was close.
I dream of a day when the big labels have been completely plundered and real music is again produced by artists/managers/promoters/executives that aren't becoming insanely rich beyond what they deserve. Britney (insert artist of your choice) has not EARNED her millions. Same for movies. I also hope television dies a slow painful death.
If you watch Survivor (insert reality show of your choice) you are crapping on your own brain.
So, kudos to the Russians from a Canadian who cares.
I have noticed that many online servers for CS have in-game ads for server renting and a popular memory brand. They add 3D models of billboards into classic maps (eg. cs_italy, de_dust and de_dust2) via some kind of plugin that integrates with map info already in your game folder. The billboard models are small in filesize so you can download a fresh set of ads if the sponsorship changes. They are non-invasive play-wise but IMAO are rather an eyesore. I won't complain if the ads increase the number of servers already available though....
I had a mean response all set up to counter your rude reply to the other post you made but meh...
KB+Mouse is cheap and you can likely set it up on your coffee table and have plenty of fun. Otherwise get used to being spanked. It takes too long to turn around with those analogs. It doesn't really give the opportunity to have a "realistic" fight.
Maybe some car racing games might be more to your speed now? Tetris?
btw I don't play on the Xbox at all so, sadly, it won't be me wrecking you analog monkeys.
Evolution is good.
A superior control system = superior game immersion = more fun
Does an antimatter/matter explosion cause radioactive waste and fallout to be left behind or is it a 'clean' reaction?