Can you play PC games on a front projector or just a computer monitor?

[Muse]

I'm looking to find out what I've missed by not getting into computer games. So, I bought some games - games recommended as being among the greatest, as far as I can make out (see below). I'm wondering if I should play these on my 19" LCD (Planar PX191), my 21" NEC 2141 CRT (it's on my desk but I really haven't used it since getting my LCD), or can/should I play them on my front projector (it displays on the wall right above my computer desk, but I have to sit back 6 feet from the desk to do that, projecting about 5 feet wide).

When I view my wide screen with my projector (Sanyo PLV-Z2, native 720p), I can use my MS Intellimouse cordless, but don't yet have a cordless keyboard.

Also, should I get some kind of game controller or joystick for gaming or are these games designed to be run from just a keyboard and mouse? My main system is Beauty in my sig (in a nutshell, AMD1700+, 512 MB PC2700, ti4600 with Zalman heatpipe, running fanless).

Here's my games:

Deus Ex (original)
Max Payne (original)
American McGee's Alice
Myst
Mechwarrior 2
Quake II
Star Wars X-Wing Alliance
Doom
Leisure Suit Larry
Wing Commander (includes disk 1-4)
Shogo Mobile armor division

Edit: I picked up Sim City 2000 on ebay a couple days ago (it's in the mail). I know it's not an action (horsepower) game, but a lot of people really like it. I guess Myst is in that category. I figure I should try a number of different types of games.
- - - -

All but the first three are part of a "lot" of games I won on ebay a few days ago and haven't gotten the shipment yet. I just noted the ones above I figure are great games based on what people have said in threads, but maybe there are others. Here's the complete list of what's supposed to be in the lot (comments welcome!):

Heavy Gear
Shogo Mobile armor division
Myst
The Elk Moon Murder
Descent: Freespace Silent Threat
M.A.X. Mechanized Assault & Exploration
Mechwarrior 3
Mechwarrior 2
Quake 2
Star Wars X-wing Alliance
Tachyon The fringe
Dark Reign The future of war
Doom
Leisure suit larry (disk 1 and 2)
Incite Premiere Edition demo CD
PC games March 1999 Demo Disc
Tony hawk's Pro skater 2
Outlaws Disk 1 and 2
Speed Busters American Highways
Ultimate Yahtzee CD
Music Mix Studio Preview
Wing Commander Disc 1-4
HyperBlade
Enhanced for diamond monster 3D
Forsaken
F22 Lightning II

- - - -
Or is the answer to get an Xbox with the high definition kit for the projector and play the PC games on one of my monitors? Thanks for the advice, guidance, etc.!!!

 

[Modeps]

Your game list first of all is pretty old. So it's really not gonna matter what monitor or projector you use it on... I'd suggest to GO BIG and play on the projector.

 

[gururu]

front projector works really well. Almost as crisp as a CRT.

 

[Fern]

Also, should I get some kind of game controller or joystick for gaming or are these games designed to be run from just a keyboard and mouse?

I prefer a keyboard and mouse. But I guess a joystick would be better for flight sims.

 

[mattg1981]

wow .. some old games there ...

if you want an old game that will still be highly addictive, get Diablo II

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: mattg1981
wow .. some old games there ...

if you want an old game that will still be highly addictive, get Diablo II

Yeah, Diablo I and II were on my list, but they weren't in the lot I picked up off ebay. If I see them at good price I'll definitely look to pick them up. So far I've gotten everything for under $10, except Deus Ex, Max Payne and Alice - except for Alice, they were in their heyday. I just didn't have the time to get into them for whatever reason. Hope to get into them now.

I got my ideas for what would be really fun games to play from the recent thread in this forum What are the "classics" in PC gaming that is well worth playing?. I forgot to mention the fact that I also just got Sim City 2000 for Windows (not the Special Edition, I don't think, but don't know that it matters much) off ebay a couple days ago (also in the mail).

I didn't mean to get old or very old games, but since I'm not familiar with any games, I figure having some oldies but goodies might be more fun than just getting the "latest thing." Don't know, are the new games more fun than the old ones? Has the technology advanced THAT much? People in that thread seem to think that some of those old games (specifically the ones I put at the top of the list) are still gonna be a lot of fun! Thanks for the comments!!

 

[SynthDude2001]

I'd add Unreal (the original; released in 1998) to your "list of oldskool games to play". :thumbsup:

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: SynthDude2001
I'd add Unreal (the original; released in 1998) to your "list of oldskool games to play". :thumbsup:

Oh, yeah, it's on the list! Unreal Tournament too. I think there's a 2004 version that people like a lot. Any of them would be good ones, I guess. Thanks!

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: gururu
front projector works really well. Almost as crisp as a CRT.

I wonder if a front projector wouldn't be overkill for most PC games. The projector has an awesome potential for detail and clarity, probably much more than the PC games are capable of. It's just my guess, that's why I'm asking, hoping someone will tell me what's what from their actual experience. I don't use my projector too casually, either. The bulb does wear out (gets dimmer over time) and they have to be replaced and they cost hundreds of dollars.

 

[ponyo]

Plenty of people game on a front projector. I use Infocus X1 and HTPC along with Dreamcast. Both are hooked up via VGA connector. I use both keyboard and mouse along with PS2 controller w/ USB converter. All the games I've tried look great. I'm currently playing FarCry, Doom3, Winning 11 International, NFS: Underground, and Vice City on my projector.

Check out AVSforum. They have Home Theater Gaming forum. People in there game on some crazy setups.

link

As for the cost of bulb, it's only couple of hundred bucks to replace those things. Considering most bulbs last about 3000 hours, it's pennies a day for the enjoyment of playing on 100"+ screen.

 

[SynthDude2001]

Originally posted by: Muse

Originally posted by: SynthDude2001
I'd add Unreal (the original; released in 1998) to your "list of oldskool games to play". :thumbsup:

Oh, yeah, it's on the list! Unreal Tournament too. I think there's a 2004 version that people like a lot. Any of them would be good ones, I guess. Thanks!

Cool. Both are classics IMO. And yes, UT2004 is very popular right now, but it can never quite replace the original....

 

[BFG10K]

Projectors are fun for the novelty but I'm not sure I could use them all the time.

 

[skace]

Man, You are in for some fun (at least I hope you enjoy these):

LSL1 was the funniest, so good choice there.
Quake2 is worse than both Quake1 and Quake3 though.
Mechwarrior 2 was deffinitely my favorite Mechwarrior, although I never played 4 but I am going to get the compilation pack that just came out for it.
Wing Commander and Doom are OLD but classics, dunno if I could play them today with much enthusiasm (It is hard to imagine not playing them so many years ago and instead playing them now). A lot of the beauty of Doom came from all the mods and maps you could get (and it would be hard to get them these days I'm guessing).
Myst is a cool game, it is something that I wouldn't have played, but I played it at work and got away with it. It is more fun when multiple people are playing at once and figuring the puzzles out in groups (IMO).

Ok, if you get Max Payne 1, get Max Payne 2 also. They really perfected the formula in #2 and it played out like a damn movie! Great game but really short (like a movie heh).

There are a ton of games I could recommend to you right now, but since you bought this in some sort of packaged deal, I'll just wait until you finish these all and create a new thread

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: BFG10K
Projectors are fun for the novelty but I'm not sure I could use them all the time.

OK. I'll try it. My 22" NEC 2141SB CRT is to my immediate right and my 19" LCD in front. Should I definitely game on the CRT? Do some people actually prefer LCD's?

Another question: From the list of games I have above, can anybody suggest what game(s) I might want to approach first to get into this stuff? Thanks!

Thanks, Skace, I just saw your post. The ones you mention are all on my list of goodies from the package, except for the ones I don't have, of course. I'll see if I can get Quake I and III too. I do have the Quake demo on one of my old HD's. I downloaded it before Quake I was realeased and played it some! Don't know how different it is from Quake I.

Edit: I know the different people seem to like different Quake versions more. I've seen some posts from people saying they really liked Quake II, though, without mentioning the others, so I figure that all the Quakes (1, 2, 3) are really good in their own right. You might be right though, and 1 and 3 are better than 2. I don't know.

PS I'm installing Alice right now. I see that I also picked up "Prima's Official Strategy Guide" for Alice, at $20 book!

 

[Fern]

Another question: From the list of games I have above, can anybody suggest what game(s) I might want to approach first to get into this stuff? Thanks!

Yeah, I did something similar (to what you are now doing) a few years ago. I started with the oldest games and worked myself forward (to the most recent). It gives you chance to see how games have "developed", and you won't spoil yourself with graphics right away. I think if I started off with Far Cry or something graphicaly advanced, it may have spoiled me and I'm not sure I would have enjoyed the earlier games as much.


Enjoy :thumbsup:

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: Fern

Another question: From the list of games I have above, can anybody suggest what game(s) I might want to approach first to get into this stuff? Thanks!

Yeah, I did something similar (to what you are now doing) a few years ago. I started with the oldest games and worked myself forward (to the most recent). It gives you chance to see how games have "developed", and you won't spoil yourself with graphics right away. I think if I started off with Far Cry or something graphicaly advanced, it may have spoiled me and I'm not sure I would have enjoyed the earlier games as much.


Enjoy :thumbsup:

Ah, Thanks. So, what would be a/the logical progression in my games list (I assume that many of these I won't want to play at all, but I count 16 games here that I've seen recommended, including the 4 Wing Commander disks and the 2 LSL disks, assuming these are distinct games):

Deus Ex (original)
Max Payne (original)
American McGee's Alice
Sim City 2000
Heavy Gear
Shogo Mobile armor division
Myst
The Elk Moon Murder
Descent: Freespace Silent Threat
M.A.X. Mechanized Assault & Exploration
Mechwarrior 3
Mechwarrior 2
Quake 2
Star Wars X-wing Alliance
Tachyon The fringe
Dark Reign The future of war
Doom
Leisure suit larry (disk 1 and 2)
Incite Premiere Edition demo CD
PC games March 1999 Demo Disc
Tony hawk's Pro skater 2
Outlaws Disk 1 and 2
Speed Busters American Highways
Ultimate Yahtzee CD
Music Mix Studio Preview
Wing Commander Disc 1-4
HyperBlade
Enhanced for diamond monster 3D
Forsaken
F22 Lightning II