Dummies guide to Gaming?

[Albatross]

First take a PHD in gaming studies,otherwise you`ll never make it.

 

[Soundmanred]

Wow!!!!

 

[pugh]

OP .. Wow man.. So many games to look at. Although you missed the fun of going to a store that sold pc games and seeing the vast array of games in boxes you will still go crazy once you see what's in store for you.

Sure you can head to BB or Walcrap and see a few here and there.. But man was it fun too browse the aisle back in the 90s and window shop haha. There are a nice handful of digital download stores on the internet now that will keep you going for years.

Just find something you like and have at it. May I suggest The whole Fallout series and The Elderscrolls series? Yeah a bit daunting at first but I think you will like them all..

Also the STALKER series... check out GOG.com too

Hang around in the gaming section a lot and you will catch on in no time...

Have fun!

 

[renz20003]

Here are some games i consider essential pc must haves, not in any particular order:

Battlefield 3
Counterstrike Source
Starcraft 2
Team fortress 2
Skyrim
Witcher 2
Fallout 3

Your in luck because diablo 3 comes out May 15 and will probably be a great game as well.

 

[rivethead]

Hey thanks for all the responses guys. Parts started arriving today. Headed to airport to pick up wifezilla will check in later. Thanks again!!!!

LOL.....he called his wife "wifezilla". I don't think that's a term of endearment. Thus his diving (escaping) into the gaming world makes total sense. Been there, done that.

As mentioned earlier, I think Steam is a good place to start. There are a lot of game demos to try for free there.

I recommend Hard Reset, a futuristic FPS.

I'd also recommend not being afraid of going old school. WWII FPS like Call of Duty and Medal of Honor: Allied Assualt.....those are classics. An i3 shouldn't have any issue running those.

 

[DefDC]

Not exactly low priced, but I love this mouse. (Logitech Performace) I got mine on sale for $50.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16826104321

Don't be afraid of any wireless mouse and KB. I used to do online FPS's exclusively with low end wireless stuff, and would consistently rank first in the games I played. (Unreal Tournatment, Battlefield X... etc) I did side by side comparisons comparing to wired, and the difference was zilch.

You don't need top of the line, but don't skimp on the KB and mouse, as they're your input into the world. I'd love to get a R.A.T. series mouse, but that's overkill, until my mouse is on the way out and I can find a great sale.

(R.A.T. info)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...cription=r.a.t.

Games:
Fallout 1 is free at GOG.com right now. Check it out. I'm sure you'll love it, despite it being 13/14 years old. And you'll want Fallout2 after that. It'll be about $5, downloaded. Then you'll be ready for the lightyear shift to Fallout3, just in case you didn't catch it on the XBOX. It made the jump to FPS, but it's still a great game.

I'm currently having a blast playing Skyrim and Dead Island, but both of those are on the XBOX as well. However, the PC controls will make them much more fun to play.

You can get the Grand Theft Auto series really cheap, and they might be worth playing with PC controls. (Auto-target? I don't think so....)

Steam is going to be your best freind. Your head will pop once you see the holiday deals. I'm a fairly hardcore PC gamer and I don't know if I'll ever make it through the catalog I have NOW, much less what I buy in the future!

If you have an addictive personality and/or have a life, don't play World of Warcraft. I've been clean a few years, and I can say it was a GREAT time, but my family life and health suffered. COD/Battlefield is a better way to go. Fun online gaming in short bursts.

Video Card tips:
I have a now aging nVidia 460 series graphics card and can play most everything with high detail. You generally need to do a little homework and buy the best $100-$200 card every few years. Don't worry about the newest/best cards. The bang per buck is not there, if you've got a limited budget.

Here's a great resource to break you into researching the video cards:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107.html

Check out the "Graphics Card Hierarchy Chart". Buy the best card in the class you can afford. Check them all out as the prices can vary wildly. I've had a lot of luck buying open box cards at NewEgg, although the discounts aren't what they used to be.

I'm more partial to nVidia, for no reason whatsoever. Both AMD and nVidia are great cards, it's just Coke and Pepsi at this point.

Don't hesitate to ask for opinions in this forum. There's certainly no lack of them!