Oh man I see "worlds colliding" just like on Seinfeld!!

The gaming Doug cannot coexist with the Porsche Doug, both require way too much free time that neither Doug has :eek:

So are any of you guys addicted to the likes of Call of Duty? Medal of Honor?

I've spent far too many late nights playing these games online, but we should organize an online game of P-car nuts, might be fun...

Len, falling into the "cheap and will easily work on your laptop" category is No One Lives Forever 2 --> it is a pretty good intro to how these games work without requiring you to play online (playing online can be pretty hard because some people live these games).

It depends a bit whether you like shooting people or monsters (specifically, in NOLF2 - Russians, French ("aaaaah, ze pain eeez excrutiaaatiiiingg"), Indians and Evil Henchmen).

And JP - you're a neeeeerrrdd (actually, I'm just sore because the wife gets pissed off if I spend too much time in front of the computer playing games).

Whoa. That's all I can say is Whoa. oh -- and Yikes!!! The game is scary -- a lot of startle-you-out-of-your-wits scary, but also creepy scary, like Resident Evil.

And this is on a 5900 Ultra (which was state-of-the-art a year ago when I built the machine, but about 25% the capacity of the new 6800 Ultras).

Len -- definitely check out HalfLife and NOLF is great (though I thought 1 was better than 2). I'd also strongly recommend Deus Ex (1 and 2, called Invisible War). System Shock should run well on your laptop -- and that's sci-fi/creepy, but not gory like Doom3. If you want a fun game, check MDK 2. Max Payne 2 is great, but it might be the limits of your vidcard. If you like military/solo mission stuff, check out the Delta Force series -- they should run OK on your card.

I liked Call of Duty, but it wasn't great -- each mission was a bit too linear.

One other thing about LCDs is they're not very good with true blacks, so games like Doom3 (this game is *dark* and you can't use a flashlight and a weapon at the same time ... Carmack, you BASTARD!) look a little washed out.

Back to the game. I think my adrenal gland will burn out some time around Thursday at 3:30 am.

JP

Call of Duty (and Medal of Honor for that matter) are not great "single player" games, but hop online and oh man they're fun. Games of anywhere from 1 v 1 up to 25 v 25 can be found online.

The difference I see between the single player games (all of them) is that once you finish them, there is not much you have not seen, nothing new, so no reason to play them again. But when you go online, you never know what some other player is going to do, let alone what 25 other players are going to do. Its that never ending challenge that keeps me coming back.

YMMV

Are these like the console games where the same guys are arourd the same corner every time? Also, I don't see how these could be scary? I called my brother (computer nut) and he said the same thing "scary". WTF? How is that possible? How hard is it to upgrade the video card on a laptop anyway? Or is it pointless due to the monitor? (I could do a TV out to my 60":)) or doesn't that work?

len. it all has to do with suspension of disbelief. just as you might jump in a theater during a horror movie even though you know very well that it is not real, so might you jump when an unexpected monster or baddie starts tearing your face off as you round a corner in a dark portion of the "world" in which you play. it's simply a matter of letting go of reality just enough to immerse yourself in the game. kinda like pretending you're Stuckie Jr. when wizzing through that little S turn on the way to work ;)

I would like to give it a try, I could use a useless diversion with no consequences:) Any idea on the Video card upgrade/ TV as monitor? I have an S-Video out on the laptop, does that work?

depending on its quality, the monitor may give a better picture. however, that is still limited to the capability of your video card. you shouldn't need to use an S-video out, as there is a regular monitor out on your laptop. give it a try and see how it works

So I assume it's difficult to upgrade laptop video cards?

that question is better left to someone with a bit more expertise on laptops than I have, but unfortunately I think you're right

I am a MOHAA junkie. I play the main teammatch Breakthrough server on Gamespy, friendly fire makes it a lot more of a challenge. My name is dork-o-rama & I ussually get sluaghtered because I don't believe in cheats or even have any loaded on my machine, but sometimes I find a groove & kick some major booty. I can't wait for the Pacific Theater expansion to come out next month.

I also have Call of Duty & a few others, but can't get into them. I don't even bother with the single player stuff. At my old house my ping was around 50, now it's double that, which I think hurts me a little. My pc is a couple years old now, but I have to wait till next year to upgrade.

My shift partner at work bought Everquest last month & spends his every waking hour consumed by it. He keeps trying to get me to try the free 30 day trial, but I told him I don't have the time.

I think someone should go and check up on JP. I have this vision of him as the guy from Se7en, all shriveled up on the couch "Kill me".

Lendaddy --
Thanks for (1) the concern; and (2) not likening me to the guy in Se7en who dies from Spaghetti-O overconsumption.

I'm at the office today, a bit bleary (and wondering what ailment I should fake so I can go home early and Doom it up). I've played the first section of Doom3 over again a few times, just to get dialled in, set the gamma correctly (for me) and tweak a few things before Hell really breaks loose.

JP

I didn't mean the glutton, I was comparing you to the drug addict guy all shriveled up and barely alive on the bed, better:)

Lendaddy -
I know; that movie is a fave of mine. I meant to thank you for not comparing me to the glutton. :D

If you want a bad-a$$ed gaming laptop, C|net has a "Best Gaming Laptop" review here: http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-3121_7-5140655.html?tag=cnetfd.ldgif

JP

I almost got an AlienWare desktop last year, but figuered what do I need all that for:( I just got my laptop, so a replacement is not in the cards. So how many packs of smokes did ya go through?

It's funny; I went through a pack last night, but I probably only smoked about 2 cigarettes' worth. I'd light one every time I reloaded or was testing new settings (or was killed and waiting for the game to reload). Then I'd put it down when I started playing, completely forget about it, and it'd burn itself out. Guess that self-extinguishing feature cigs in NY are supposed to have doesn't really work.

The funny thing is, you don't need the "rush" from the nicotine -- I get so amped playing the game it's not until I turn it off I realize my heart is racing, I'm dumping adrenaline and my respiratory rate is elevated. It's a mini cardio workout in itself.

My desktop is an Alienware, and it rocks. I highly recommend them.
2.8Ghz P4 w/ H-T; 2 80Gb 7200 rpm drives, striped in Raid 0; 1Gb RAM, nVidia 5900 Ultra w/ 256 Mb, etc. I'll probably up the processor to 3.4 G (the fastest my board can handle, I think) once I've upgraded the videocard.

JP

I just started playing the game too - i totally need a new video card!!

new screenshots on gamespot, for all you non-gamers!

http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/doom3/screenindex.html?page=1

enjoy

so the Alienware machines really are good, and it's not just the hype and the colors/shapes?

dave -
I built my first desktop about 5 years ago, and was going to do it again. Alienware turned out to be only ~$100 more expensive than if I'd have purchased and built everything, and I get their warranty. The attention to detail is great -- when I replaced my power supply (in anticipation of getting the 6800 Ultra, which needs a lot of juice) it took forever b/c the Alienware guys that built it put so much time/effort into making the wiring install professional and out-of-the-way so you'd have good air circ. in the case. As it turns out, a lot of people running the 420W Alienware power supply (that I removed) are having no issues w/ the 6800 Ultra -- it's a bulletproof p/s and very stable on the 12V rail. I geeked out and got an Antec TrueBlue 480W (if they'd had the 550W in stock, I woulda gotten that one).

I have two 80Gig drives in RAID 0, and I wanted to know if I could add another two drives as mirrors of the main drives for back-up (I think called RAID 10). They spent an hour on the phone w/ me going through what could and could not be done before I ordered. I like that.

The computer works as advertised, and Alienware has good online support w/ FAQ and owners' sections to go check for updates, etc. I'm impressed, and it was worth the ducats.

If money were no object, I'd go Falcon Northwest, but money is an object, and I think Alienware is great. What's even greater (now) is that you get your 'puter in a week -- when I ordered mine it was a month.

JP