narcogen's picture

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pimpy's picture

In reply to: Ethernet + XBox/PS2 in 2002... (Rant, Very Long)

What began as a rant about (the lack of) online gaming has turned into a PC vs. console debate. In all honesty this is perfectly fine since the main reason people play computer games instead of console ones is simply for the updates, expansions and the ability to play over the internet. Despite all the bugs, forced games and all, I would much rather deal with these things than have to give up my extra perks.

I have not ever been a huge supporter of console games, but like the rest of you I have owned my share of them. More often than not I buy a game or two in spurts and my collection never exceeds 20 or so. Comparitively my computer collection is often much smaller since I cannot maintain more than 5 or so on my computer at a given time. This inludes all the expansions, patches and add-ons that come with them of course. Considering that one of the games on my system currently is Half-Life I'm sure you will all realize what I mean by this as there are at least 20 mods available for me to use.

The difference between the two is primarily the difference between in-depth games and plug-and-play ones. Consoles market to those who want a quick fix. There is no install time and the only preparations that are required is to tear off the plastic wrapping and open up the container. After that you plop it in and head off to the races, immediately enjoying your new game. Often the game gets played for days, weeks and sometimes even months at a time. But sooner or later it ends up on the side collecting dust. Your $50 investment earned you a good 40 hours of gameplay (if you were lucky) and now it is time to move on with your life.

Computer games, on the other hand, involve much more commitment. You have to make sure that your system is up to spec and can even run the game first. Then you need to make sure that you have the necessary space to install it. Certain specialized settings and drivers must often be configured/installed before the game will even run. So far you will be lucky to even see the opening sequence, let alone start playing. This does not even take into account the time needed to memorize the key setups for your controls and customize the video/sound settings. Often games puchased will immediately require a patch, so you might as well download those right away as well.

As you can easily see the comparison is greatly in favor of consoles at this point simply because of its no nonsense approach. They provide instant gratification and the only upgrades you will need would be a new memory card, controller or the like. Things that can be used with other games as well.

Now why would anyone even bother with a computer game given this huge disadvantage? The fact remains that no matter how good a console game is, it is limited to what comes in the box. There are no add-ons without buying another game or product. Computer games offer a myriad of choices, customizations and downloaables often for free. The community often creates their own line of products to enhance the game and before long you have much, much more than what originally came in your little box.

The biggest advantage for computer games is without a doubt the ability to play with other gamers from around the world. Consoles do not provide this option as of yet and this is where they stand apart. So even if consoles sell more units and produce larger numbers than PC gamers they often end up collecting dust while PC games keep the players busy for years at a time.

Some of you may jump on this and say that from that comment alone consoles will be around forever since they have a better turn-around rate for sales. Sure that is a very valid point, but think about the money that EverQuest pulled and continues to pull in. This single game along with its expansions has sold more copies in such a short period of time than most would ever dream about. And no doubt with every expansion that continues to be released there will be millions of gamers picking it up as soon as it is released. Still not quite the same numbers as a console, but the game will always maintain its player base, something that a console game will never ensure.

For the sake of comparison let's assume that for every single XBox sold that 80% of all owners will purchase Halo for it. I mean any fool who reads a review and doesn't purchase it for that system is just stupid, but there are stupid or just otherwise uninformed people in the world, so we must take them into account none-the-less. So if MS reaches their 1M goal by the end of the year that is 800k of Halo being sold. Not bad, right? In the long term 50% of those people will have traded or stopped playing Halo after 2 months. The remaining 50% will likely continue to play it with friends and attempt to master all the solo, coop and LAN levels. Still that is 400k players. Just as with any online game, the majority will never play LAN due to its complexties. So let's drop that figure another 50% down to 200k. Still, not too bad.

During this time more and more gamers will continue to purchase and play Halo, so that original 50% that dropped out will constantly be revived and the second 50% will constantly be dropping out, so let's assume that these two will cancel out one another. It is a mathematical given that beginning figures will out do the ending ones, so taking all of 2002 into account it is a safe bet that sales will slow and the number of copies will slow down also. So for the sake of simplicity let's just assume an average and constant increase in the market. All things together that is a total player base of 250k, none of which are online. How many of that number are in your area? Likely not as many as you would like. So the longevity of Halo on the XBox is limited already.

Now if Halo was released for the Windows/Macintosh platform as promised with online support, we all know that it would move about 500k copies within the first week. This number would gradually reach the 1M mark and continue to rise over time. Of those players about 50% might not be online or just not that often, so we will exclude them from our figures. The remaning 50% will plays at least once per week, for at least 3-4 months. The hardcore players (10-20%) will be on 24/7 for the next year at least. Right there alone is 100k players at any given time and that is just limited to the serious gamers. If you don't believe me, just go check out the number of players on Won.net playing Counter-Strike right now.

Even if there is a monthly fee required for Halo, past the initial 3 month trial or such, I'm sure that the majority will already be addicted and continue to play. This would ensure that gamers continue playing and providing support, financial of course, for Halo. Every expansion or add-on would only increase this and they could always give another 3 month online trial with the purchase of it. Still more money in the bank. Given the strong online communities I could imagine a ton of mods being available not to mention single player episodes. So as it stands now the average gamer will play it and move on, but the serious gamer will be playing this for years at a time.

Given this type of commitment from players, a solid game with developer support can keep raking in the money for years at a time. Something that a console cannot manage for the same length of time. All in all, a computer game is made for those gamers who want more for their money. As we are mostly computer gamers, this is an easy reason to see why we dislike the one-dimensional aspects of the console version of Halo, despite its strengths. No matter how good it is there is no chance that it will ever be anything greater, and that is the main reason why some of us are upset.

Sincerely,
Pimpy™

Sincerely,
Pimpy™

Anonymous's picture

On Nov. 15th, when I picked up my x box, i picked up the strategy guide, but made sure not to really read it through till I finished the game. I finished the ike a week ago, and every now and then, look through the Guide. Last night, I was reading the section on coop. It says tha in coop, there are 2 extra levels that can be played....... wth are they talking about? is this true? HELP ME!

vector40's picture

Could you clue me in to the logic behind the little bullets on posts? Some seem to be hollow, some are filled, some are square and others round, but I can't tell what they signify.

narcogen's picture

In reply to: Narc...

vector40 wrote on Monday, 11/26/2001 - 10:02 pm:

: Could you clue me in to the logic behind the little
: bullets on posts? Some seem to be hollow, some are filled,
: some are square and others round, but I can't tell what they
: signify.

Basically nothing. Some browsers (like iCab, for instance) use different bullets to indicate varying levels of nested unordered lists, which is how threads are constructed.

In short, it makes it a bit easier to look at see which replies are at the same level. Not all browsers do this, though. I don't think NS 4.7 does, but I could be wrong.



Narcogen


Rampant for over se7en years.



vector40's picture

In reply to: nothing in particular

narcogen wrote on Monday, 11/26/2001 - 6:45 pm:

: vector40 wrote on Monday, 11/26/2001 - 10:02 pm:
:
: : Could you clue me in to the logic behind the little
: : bullets on posts? Some seem to be hollow, some are
: filled,
: : some are square and others round, but I can't tell what
: they
: : signify.
:
: Basically nothing. Some browsers (like iCab, for instance)
: use different bullets to indicate varying levels of nested
: unordered lists, which is how threads are constructed.
:
: In short, it makes it a bit easier to look at see which
: replies are at the same level. Not all browsers do this,
: though. I don't think NS 4.7 does, but I could be wrong.
:
:


Narcogen

Roger that. I'm on IE. Thanks.

Good Ol' Ho-Hum
Dispatcher's picture

Wazzup with this!?

Lies, damned lies, and statistics? If this is the Tru7h, what about the secret stuff?

Here is a quote:

What you see is a Soldier system that gives me 360º vision in pitch black. Makes me invisible to the naked eye. Lets me walk up a mountainside. And run in a desert. You've never seen anything like me. But don't worry. They haven't either."

Dispatcher

An Army of One.

no7orious's picture

In reply to: Not your basic Mjolnir ... hmmm.

: Lies, damned lies, and statistics? If this is the Tru7h,
: what about the secret stuff?

Area 51 alien tech derived shielding technology. That is the secret. shhh!

*NM* *NM*

Anonymous's picture

In reply to: Secrets

: Area 51 alien tech derived shielding technology. That is
: the secret. shhh!

Cute. You missed the point, wank.

no7orious's picture

In reply to: Re: Secrets

Anonymous wrote on Tuesday, 11/27/2001 - 9:02 am:

: : Area 51 alien tech derived shielding technology. That
: is
: : the secret. shhh!
:
: Cute. You missed the point, wank.

Thanks, I think I did it a humorous way though. So you are the wank.

*NM* *NM*

Jackolantern's picture

In reply to: Not your basic Mjolnir ... hmmm.

Do you just not read magazines any more? This add has been running for a while in several different mags (popular science and Rolling stone come to mind) And the whole army of one add has been around for almost a year I think.

-Jackolantern

ps:I was going to ask "have you been living in a cave?" but thought that people that are currently living in caves probably are paying a great deal of attention to what the US army is doing

Dispatcher's picture

In reply to: Re: Not your basic Mjolnir ... hmmm.

Jackolantern wrote on Tuesday, 11/27/2001 - 6:12 pm:

: Do you just not read magazines any more?

No, I gave them up after the advertising exceeded three-quarters of the dead-tree & recycled toilet paper bulk.

This add has
: been running for a while in several different mags (popular
: science

I used to read that. There are some websites that pretty much cover the same stuff.

and Rolling stone

Never got into that one. But I used to subscribe to Omni. Heheheheh.

And the whole army
: of one add has been around for almost a year I think.
:
: -Jackolantern
:
Right. I have seen the TV ads. And I was serious about not reading many magazines. I got weaned off them and onto some computer games. :-)

: ps:I was going to ask "have you been living in a cave?"
: but thought that people that are currently living in caves
: probably are paying a great deal of attention to what the US
: army is doing

Naw, not me. I prefer living under a rock. But not the Rolling Stone, don-cha-know.

Well, Jacko, you give me a heads-up when you come across a good magazine article. I might check it out in a library or doctor's office or some such.

Dispatcher

noctavis's picture

In reply to: Re: Not your basic Mjolnir ... hmmm.

Jackolantern wrote on Tuesday, 11/27/2001 - 6:12 pm:

: Do you just not read magazines any more? This add has
: been running for a while in several different mags (popular
: science and Rolling stone come to mind) And the whole army
: of one add has been around for almost a year I think.

Bah, I say! What a retarded excuse for an advertising campaign. The Army is about teamwork. There is no "army of one"... each individual must reach down within himself during the rigors of his training and become either a person of some durable honor and determination, or a scumbag (many do), but in the end you're either part of the team or you're not. That isn't to say that you get a lobotomy in any way... if anything, you're trained to use it in the most intelligent and appropriate fashion to help the team. Sorry, this campaign (and the newly issued black berets) annoys me.

: ps:I was going to ask "have you been living in a cave?"
: but thought that people that are currently living in caves
: probably are paying a great deal of attention to what the US
: army is doing


Heh! Funny, but still a tad insulting. Honestly, I don't read Rolling Stone unless there's an article on a pretty girl or someone else I'm interested about. And I avoid these adverts as much as possible.

This one is a new one to me, though... I've not even heard about this particular suit. I'd love to find out more about it. (And then, maybe see if they'd let a slightly used medic/NCO at one! Heh, prolly not ;-)



Noctavis
Bunbu Itchi - "The pen and sword in accord"


Noctavis
vector40's picture

In reply to: Re: Not your basic Mjolnir ... hmmm.

Noctavis wrote on Saturday, 12/1/2001 - 10:13 am:

: Sorry, this campaign (and the newly issued black berets) annoys
: me.

Personally, I'm waiting for the Rangers to take over the Pentagon or hold the President hostage or something to get their damn hats back :)

Good Ol' Ho-Hum
acrappa's picture

Just a quick poll: who has or is going to be buying an Xbox?

Don't reply if you aren't buying one or if you just want to start another platform war.

narcogen's picture

In reply to: Xbox


Rampant for over se7en years.



Anonymous's picture

In reply to: Xbox
Anonymous's picture

In reply to: Xbox

acrappa wrote on Tuesday, 11/27/2001 - 4:39 am:

: Just a quick poll: who has or is going to be buying an
: Xbox?
:
: Don't reply if you aren't buying one or if you just want
: to start another platform war.

Appleicious's picture

In reply to: Xbox

acrappa wrote on Tuesday, 11/27/2001 - 1:39 am:

: Just a quick poll: who has or is going to be buying an
: Xbox?
:
: Don't reply if you aren't buying one or if you just want
: to start another platform war.

acrappa's picture

In reply to: Xbox

acrappa wrote on Tuesday, 11/27/2001 - 1:39 am:

: Just a quick poll: who has or is going to be buying an
: Xbox?
:
: Don't reply if you aren't buying one or if you just want
: to start another platform war.

__________________________
Ain't got no last words to say
Yellow streak right up my spine
The gun in my mouth was real
And the taste blew my mind

Anonymous's picture

In reply to: Xbox

I didn't know it does the NT for me, and it doesn't hold my name anymore. grrrr

acrappa's picture

In reply to: GOD this forum makes me mad sometimes

I agree. I think the "anonymous" bug (yes, I consider it a bug) is absolutely inexcusable. I've suggested to Narcogen to have the forum refuse to post under the name anonymous so that it will alert the user to correct the name. Nothing yet...

__________________________
Ain't got no last words to say
Yellow streak right up my spine
The gun in my mouth was real
And the taste blew my mind

narcogen's picture

In reply to: Re: GOD this forum makes me mad sometimes

acrappa wrote on Tuesday, 11/27/2001 - 10:35 pm:

: I agree. I think the "anonymous" bug (yes, I consider it a
: bug) is absolutely inexcusable. I've suggested to Narcogen
: to have the forum refuse to post under the name anonymous so
: that it will alert the user to correct the name. Nothing
: yet...

Crappa: OK, I'm going to consider doing that now.

PanZer: It's not forgetting your name; you just weren't logged in. Even the post you made afterwards with your name on it shows a link with an empty UID field.

If you've got a "login" box on your screen someplace, then the system doesn't know who you are, and "Anonymous" will be the default name.

Once you log in, you'll stay logged in for up to a year. The only thing that changes that is logging in to R.net from another machine.



Narcogen


Rampant for over se7en years.



vector40's picture

In reply to: logins, anonymous, etc

narcogen wrote on Tuesday, 11/27/2001 - 7:31 pm:

: acrappa wrote on Tuesday, 11/27/2001 - 10:35 pm:
:
: : I agree. I think the "anonymous" bug (yes, I consider it
: a
: : bug) is absolutely inexcusable. I've suggested to
: Narcogen
: : to have the forum refuse to post under the name
: anonymous so
: : that it will alert the user to correct the name.
: Nothing
: : yet...
:
: Crappa: OK, I'm going to consider doing that now.
:
: PanZer: It's not forgetting your name; you just weren't
: logged in. Even the post you made afterwards with your name
: on it shows a link with an empty UID field.
:
: If you've got a "login" box on your screen someplace, then
: the system doesn't know who you are, and "Anonymous" will be
: the default name.
:
: Once you log in, you'll stay logged in for up to a year.
: The only thing that changes that is logging in to R.net from
: another machine.
:
:


Narcogen

Hmm... perhaps in theory. But I keep getting logged out, and that's a fact — WITHOUT logging on another comp.

Good Ol' Ho-Hum
narcogen's picture

In reply to: Re: logins, anonymous, etc

vector40 wrote on Wednesday, 11/28/2001 - 12:20 am:

: Hmm... perhaps in theory. But I keep getting logged out,
: and that's a fact — WITHOUT logging on another comp.

I'll look at the logs and see if I can see why that might be happening.



Narcogen


Rampant for over se7en years.



ferrex's picture

In reply to: Xbox

acrappa wrote on Tuesday, 11/27/2001 - 4:39 am:

: Just a quick poll: who has or is going to be buying an
: Xbox?
:
: Don't reply if you aren't buying one or if you just want
: to start another platform war.

--
Ferrex (Dead)
Coffee Engineer, Vehicle Logistics
Bungie Studios

--
Ferrex (Dead)
Coffee Engineer, Vehicle Logistics
Bungie Studios

no7orious's picture

In reply to: Xbox

Been enjoying it ever since. Early on after the Bungie sellout, I evaluated if I could enjoy the new premier platform for Bungie games. What I decided that I could, and that it would likely be the best platform of all the consoles. I have been pleasantly delighted with it ever since.

*NM* *NM*

Earendil's picture

In reply to: Xbox

acrappa wrote on Tuesday, 11/27/2001 - 2:39 am:

: Just a quick poll: who has or is going to be buying an
: Xbox?
:
: Don't reply if you aren't buying one or if you just want
: to start another platform war.

Oh! They have the internet on computers now! - Homer J Simpson

Oh! They have the internet on computers now! - Homer J Simpson

Anonymous's picture

In reply to: Xbox

Present

vector40's picture

In reply to: Xbox

As they say.

Anonymous's picture

In reply to: Xbox

acrappa wrote on Tuesday, 11/27/2001 - 4:39 am:

: Just a quick poll: who has or is going to be buying an
: Xbox?
:
: Don't reply if you aren't buying one or if you just want
: to start another platform war.

I AM GOING TO GET ONE FOR SURE

pimpy's picture

Here are three questions from the Matt Soell interview over at Voodoo Extreme that I wanted to note and discuss.
__________

Do you think Halo has lived up to its expectations?

It depends on whose expectations you're talking about. Different people wanted Halo to be different things, and our own idea of what we wanted changed drastically during the course of development. The one constant was that we wanted a game we ourselves would willingly play if given the opportunity, and we managed to deliver on that. And in light of the drubbing we took after our move to the Xbox and a sub-optimal E3 2001 showing, I'd say we managed to surpass some expectations. Those with a fondness for the poison pen were looking for a high-profile turkey, and I think we disappointed them when we shipped a decent game.

Looking back on Halo’s development, quite a few weapons didn’t make it into the Xbox build. What other features were either cut out or stripped down to stream line the game?

We always have a ton of ideas that don't make it in for one reason or another. Vehicles, weapons, multiplayer game ideas, maps...for every element in Halo that was polished enough to ship in the final game, there are a dozen things that didn't make the cut. We are lucky in that we have artists and programmers and designers with a surfeit of ideas.

Is Halo still planned to be released on the PC?

Yes, but there's not much I can tell you about it right now. When we're ready, we'll make an announcement. Stay tuned....
__________

The first thing to note is what Bungie expected from Halo. Matt can be quoted as saying: "The one constant was that we wanted a game we ourselves would willingly play if given the opportunity." This does not say much if anything about what Halo was intended to be.

The second question I listed only further exemplifies the fact that in order to refine Halo to meet a deadline things had to be cut out. The flamethrower is the best example of this and in the later stages of the game this weapon would be without a doubt the very best one to have. Too bad it didn't make the cut.

I will admit that with any game, deadline or not, things need to be cut out just so that the game finally gets released. Ideas are by far the most hindering aspect of any game development since they come fast and furious, yet only a few will be good enough to fit into the larger scheme of things. Usually the ideas that are good enough to make it into PR campaigns are also the ones that will be refined, but this is sadly not always the case.

The last question is both good and bad. The good is that they seem to be taking their time with any official announcement and this is always a good thing as they will hopefully fit more into the game without the restraint of a deadline. The bad part of this is that when Matt said "there's not much I can tell you about it right now." I'm honestly not sure how to take this comment. It could mean that they are just keeping all the information private for now, which I hope is the truth. Or it could mean that they are re-evaluating Halo as a game and decided how to design it given that it has already been released for the XBox.

In the end I only hope that some of those things that didn't make the cut will find their way back into the PC version. If they do not then the PC version of Halo will become the biggest joke since Daikatana. Alright, maybe that was a bit harsh, but you get the general idea.

Sincerely,
Pimpy™

Sincerely,
Pimpy™

Anonymous's picture

In reply to: PC Halo Announcement...

Not a bad analysis of some things, Pimp. And it's great to see you still participating in the community. I miss hanging with all of the old-schoolers as much as I used to. Between frustration with Halo issues and frustration with Myth issues, the community has been suffering.

Anyway, that opinion of mine is thus:

- Bungie has been working on Halo since November of 1997. That's a long time to work on one, single project. Especially when they nearly scrapped everything with the Acquisition. (Heh... "NOOOOO ONE expects the Microsoft Acquisition!")

- Mac/PC Halo are still promised... but my feeling is that Bungie is probably ready to move on to other things, and so are less interested in adding many (if any) new features to the game. Drag 'n drop the content, and build new engines. (Perhaps not entirely new when it comes to the PC version)

- I therefore expect that the game will generally play like a console port.... Because a console port is what it will be. (Too bad that console ports tend to sell rather poorly, overall... but I expect for Halo to still buck up some sales, even if it won't be the revolutionary title that many once expected it to be)

- I therefore expect that the major hope for seeing the flame thrower (which you can see pictured in some reviews, heh!) and other items return to the Halo universe will be Halo II. IF we ever see a Halo II. Halo is rocking the console world, partially because they haven't seen a game quite like that before, and which made such good use of the limited console interface.

- I expect for there to be a strong popular demand for another Halo title for the next-gen Xbox at the least... or possibly a later release for the current Xbox. Who knows if Bungie will run with that or not? Or whether MS will pressure them into a sequel?

(And note, it is solely an opinion, not particularly based on any information by Bungie... in fact, I've had much less frequent contact with Bungie members since I stopped fanwebbing)

Anyhoo... my two coppers.

- Noctavis

Anonymous's picture

In reply to: Why you likely won't see added features in the PC version

:
: - Mac/PC Halo are still promised... but my feeling is that
: Bungie is probably ready to move on to other things, and so
: are less interested in adding many (if any) new features to
: the game. Drag 'n drop the content, and build new engines.
: (Perhaps not entirely new when it comes to the PC version)

Internet Multiplayer is one. I imagine Destineer will do it. That's probally it.

As for Halo 2, it'll probally be on the HomeStation as you suggest. Assuming of course, MS isnt out of the console biz by then ;)

-ax

narcogen's picture

In reply to: Re: Why you likely won't see added features in the PC version

ax wrote on Thursday, 11/29/2001 - 7:01 pm:

: :
: : - Mac/PC Halo are still promised... but my feeling is
: that
: : Bungie is probably ready to move on to other things, and
: so
: : are less interested in adding many (if any) new features
: to
: : the game. Drag 'n drop the content, and build new
: engines.
: : (Perhaps not entirely new when it comes to the PC
: version)
:
: Internet Multiplayer is one. I imagine Destineer will do
: it. That's probally it.

I'd tend to agree, mostly because if this wasn't possible I'd think they wouldn't do a Mac/PC version at all.

:
: As for Halo 2, it'll probally be on the HomeStation as you
: suggest. Assuming of course, MS isnt out of the console biz
: by then ;)

I tend to think there will be at least one more Halo game on the original console; perhaps Halo Tournament or something like that. (Ewww... let's hope not. UT is a good game, but that's really not the way I'd want to see the Halo franchise develop.



Narcogen


Rampant for over se7en years.



vector40's picture

So, guys. Y'all remember your friendly neighborhood gaming site, the Junkyard? Well, that selfsame neighborhood gaming site is in need of some new blood.

This happened before, as you might recall. I was the product of it. But don't let that discourage you. There ARE some good people there :)

It's a fun place, coverage of Tribes 2, Halo, Axis, tech, and a few other things that crop up. We'd expand, but to do so requires YOU (yes, you) to take a bit of the load off.

Perks? No, for God's sake, no free dental. We'll set you up with a new POP3 email (or re-mailer). Some betas and pre-launch builds of this software and that hardware occasionally find their way into our grasp. You'll get to make fun of all your friends in public posts. Participation in cool interviews and such does happen. Experience in this kind of thing is good for life. What more could you want?

Requirements? Well, yes, sadly so. There's a reason I'm coming to the Bungie community — it's the people. Smart, competent, a modicum of reading and writing skills are necessary. Basic knowledge of HTML will be your friend. A bit of spare time. That's all.

Think you can handle it? Think you can't? Think you need a shave? In all cases, give me a buzz at vector40@aol.com (yes, I know, but my Junkyard account is malfunctioning :) ), we'll sort things out. Thank you, and, as they say, good night.

-vec

pimpy's picture

Just curious to know if using an application like Arcade is worth it with Halo or not. From what was reported a very large bandwidth is required to make gameplay smooth, so I am interested to hear reports from anyone who has tried it already. Any and all information that you can provide would be a great help for the rest of us that still haven't had a chance to test/play Halo over the internet yet.

Sincerely,
Pimpy™

Sincerely,
Pimpy™

sadystix's picture

In reply to: Anyone test Game Spy Arcade yet?

pimpy™ wrote on Wednesday, 11/28/2001 - 4:02 am:

: Just curious to know if using an application like Arcade
: is worth it with Halo or not. From what was reported a very
: large bandwidth is required to make gameplay smooth, so I am
: interested to hear reports from anyone who has tried it
: already. Any and all information that you can provide would
: be a great help for the rest of us that still haven't had a
: chance to test/play Halo over the internet yet.
:
: Sincerely,
Pimpy™

I would try it out, but I use a mac, so as of now, I cant even find out for myself. boohoo...

vector40's picture

In reply to: Re: Anyone test Game Spy Arcade yet?

sadystix wrote on Wednesday, 11/28/2001 - 4:12 pm:

: pimpy™ wrote on Wednesday, 11/28/2001 - 4:02 am:
:
: : Just curious to know if using an application like
: Arcade
: : is worth it with Halo or not. From what was reported a
: very
: : large bandwidth is required to make gameplay smooth, so
: I am
: : interested to hear reports from anyone who has tried
: it
: : already. Any and all information that you can provide
: would
: : be a great help for the rest of us that still haven't
: had a
: : chance to test/play Halo over the internet yet.
: :
: : Sincerely,
Pimpy™
:
: I would try it out, but I use a mac, so as of now, I cant
: even find out for myself. boohoo...

Likewise. Boo, as they say, hoo.

Good Ol' Ho-Hum
Anonymous's picture

In reply to: Anyone test Game Spy Arcade yet?

First off, I've heard that XBox Gateway is better than Gamespy Arcade's Tunnel service. Something like it requires less data on each packet sent so there is less lag with the XBox Gateway. I would try this but I don't have Linux. The Tunnel service is nice in that it's easy to use (for info read below). My cable connection is 500kb download/250kb download and I lag a good bit but if you can find a T1 or T3 host, the gameplay can be very smooth with a lot of users connected to each other. I've played in a game with 3 other machines connected to the host with very minimal lag on a T1. If you connect to a slower connection, however, playing with more than one other player can be useless because the lag is very horrible. (Note: the more people playing from one XBox requires more bandwidth because more packets are being sent to the host. Also, when the game lags, the framerate of the game drops. It seems as if the framerate moves according to how many packets are sent but I could be wrong on this.) Multiplayer definitely is fun if you have all the requirements (a PC, hub/router, cable or DSL connection) and I would reccommend it to anyone that can at least attempt using the Tunnel service. I hope this helps.

To get it to work:

You have to download the Gamespy Tunnel program and Gamespy Arcade, select your network card, hook up your internet connection to the uplink on a hub or router, and then have 1 category 5 cable to your network card and 1 cable to your XBox). If you don't have a hub or router, you might be able to try putting two network cards in your PC with one wire from the DSL or cable modem to one network card and another wire from the 2nd card to the XBox, it might work. I'm sure there's a more in depth description on Gamespy's website.

Anonymous's picture

In reply to: I've tested it..

RyanBlakDeth wrote on Wednesday, 11/28/2001 - 8:47 pm:

[snip]
: I'm sure there's a more in depth description on
: Gamespy's website.

and here it is:

acrappa's picture

Wow, yesterday was a weird day.

I was talking to Narcogen on RHL because the forum here kept freezing Internet Explorer. What would happen was the forum index would load just fine, but if I switched to Hotline and back, Internet Explorer would lock up for around a minute. This was extremely odd because the index was usable until you switched out of the browser. Narcogen gave it a try and had the same results. So we began to wonder why this was happening.

We thought it might be that huge thread of pimpy's, but this didn't make sense because threads get huge like this in forums all the time. At its deepest point, the thread is 20 topics deep, but this couldn't be the problem. I remember seeing threads in the Myth Townhall forum that were far larger than this one. Yet, the strangeness only began to occur pimpy's thread got gigantic.

Narcogen began to experiment with things. He saved the forum index to his hard drive and loaded it locally. Now this is the weird part; the forum index works flawlessly when loaded as a local file. No freezing, no slowdowns, nothing. He tried uploading the local file back on to rampancy.net to see if he could then load it (afterall, we knew that this file would load locally), but nope... it still froze IE! This wasn't happening to any other browser, so we ended up calling IE a piece of crap a lot, but we couldn't ignore this problem since so many people use IE.

Why was this happening to our forum? We knew that Myth Townhall and Myth Village had had large threads, too, so we looked at their forum's HTML and tried to see if their method of displaying the index was any different than ours. Well, they simply use <li> tags like we do. What... the... hell... is... going... on...

It was about 3 AM when I finally went to bed, but Narcogen kept working at it. I woke up a little while ago to receive this message from him:

OUR system, unlike MV's, has moderation on each post-- EVEN IN THE INDEX.

IE is choking not on too many embedded lists, but this:

TOO MANY FORM ELEMENTS.

If I move the form tag DOWN to the control panel, and allow moderation only of each post one at a time, from the panel, everything is FASTER and IE doesn't crash.

And alas, everything works beautifully now.

What a headache.

__________________________
Ain't got no last words to say
Yellow streak right up my spine
The gun in my mouth was real
And the taste blew my mind

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