Quake Live is an FPS style game that’s completely in-browser, and that means it’s cross-browser/cross-platform compatible.

The plan here is to schedule an event to get a bunch of PCMech readers (yes, that means you’re invited) into the game to see if you guys and gals actually like it or not. Consider it a "mass review" to test out the game along with being able to play with an actual PCMech author, that being yours truly.

From the previous article, I’ve discovered a few things, with the biggest being that if you’re running things that block scripting and Flash such as NoScript or FlashBlock for Firefox, the game will not work. You will need to temporarily disable those for gameplay.

In addition there are several options you can set to make gameplay better per your computer’s specifications, such as adjusting texture detail, full-screen mode and so on. This is accessed in-game by pressing ESC on your keyboard and making the appropriate adjustments. The video below shows you how to do this, so be sure to watch it. Bear in mind you can go higher or lower, so even if you have an older computer, you can disable/downgrade enough stuff to make the game enjoyable and fluid on play.

Note on the video: My frame rate is crappy because my capture software isn’t designed to "grab" high-frame stuff like that. Believe me when I say the frame rate you’ll get will be a million times better and completely fluid.

This video makes note of my Quake Live ID:

http://www.quakelive.com/#profile/summary/frostedside

After logging in to Quake Live, you can add me in as a friend by going to the above link, or you can manually add by searching for the ID frostedside.

See video below for more details. There are also some scheduling notes below the video.

Scheduling notes

As for when I plan on getting everybody in on a game, it may happen this evening (as in today Wednesday November 18) during the PCMech LIVE broadcast from 8pm to 10pm EST.

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

Quake Live (With Video And Scheduling Update)

Well, you may get your chance.

Last week on PCMech LIVE, the subject turned to gaming and I said I wanted to give PCMech readers an option to play a game with a real live PCMech author, that being yours truly.

The problem has been that people have different computers that use different operating systems, and it was really difficult trying to find something fun that everybody could play no matter what they used. In addition, I wanted something that was attractive to old and new gamers that was easy to play and be fun at the same time.

Someone (and I’m so sorry but I can’t remember the guy’s user name – forgive me) in chat recommended I check out QUAKE LIVE.

Some of you just read that and thought, "You mean that QUAKE? The one that was so frickin’ cool and super-awesome back in the day?" Yes, that QUAKE.

For those that have no idea what QUAKE is, it was one of the first FPSes (first person shooter) that really made a splash in multiplayer 3D environment PC gaming. This is what LAN parties were made of. It was the successor to DOOM and filled those shoes very well.

Here’s what makes QUAKE LIVE amazingly cool:

First, it’s all in-browser. It runs in Windows, Mac or Linux. All that’s required is a simple plugin download along with registering a free account.

Second, it’s free.

Third, and what I consider to be the best part, it’s stupidly easy to play. The strategy is simple. Join a game and shoot everybody. Pick up ammo and weapons that are in spots around the arena and just keep blasting away. Whoever score the most kills/frags wins. It’s as simple as that.

For the older gamers:

This is QUAKE pretty much exactly as you remember it. You may think in-browser 3D games suck, but with QUAKE it is so, so smooth. Add in the fact that it’s all multi-player’d extreme with ladder rankings and so on, and you’ll quickly see that yes, this is quite an awesome port.

For the newer gamers:

For an in-browser 3D FPS, you’ll be impressed by it. No, it doesn’t have the super-awesome realistic nature of games on XBOX or PS3, but the fact it doesn’t cost you anything and it’s so easy makes it really cool. Trust me, this is no Runescape. This is a true FPS in every sense of the term. And it’s fast. Really fast.

For those who have never played QUAKE:

QUAKE LIVE does have a training mode, and a darn good one at that. If you’ve never played the game, or haven’t played it in years, don’t worry. You’ll get in the swing of things fast n’ easy with this. It follows the same WASD (up, left, down, right) that so many other FPSes use, so it won’t be anything that’s totally unfamiliar.

Quick note before continuing: Yes, it does have a full screen mode.

Is this something you think you’d be interested in?

I’ve been trying for a while to find a game everybody could get into. QUAKE LIVE is looking pretty good right now. It is OS-independent, browser-independent and should run on just about any computer. It’s easy to use, easy to play and has all the right stuff.

If this is something you think sounds good – or not – let me know.

Also be sure to join PCMech LIVE Wednesdays 8pm-10pm EST. I’ll be happy to field questions about it there as well.

If enough of you want to get in the game, you’ll get the chance to shoot me in the face with a rocket launcher. Virtually, of course.

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

Want To Shoot Rich In The Face?

The term "button mashing" is when you’re playing a game that you’re absolutely bored with, playing just for the sake of doing so in a mindless way. This in my opinion kills brain cells because if you’re going to play, you might as well enjoy it, because that is the whole point, after all.

Here are my tips on how to avoid the button masher blues.

1. Don’t solely concentrate on one style of game.

One who plays nothing but one style (such as RPG, FPS, etc.) will experience an "everything is the same" scenario. This is in fact true because you’re never changing things around. Purposely try different styles so that you’re not always playing the same thing.

2. Buy an old console.

Head to your local flea market and pick up an old 8-bit or 16-bit system. There are tons of titles and you could try 3 new games every week if you wanted to for a little as 10 bucks for all three. Don’t worry about manuals because they’re all available online. Suggested systems are Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, Playstation One and so on.

Considering the fact that new games are so frickin’ expensive, it’s nice to have something dirt cheap that just works.

Buying the actual console and getting the games at a flea market is far, far cheaper than purchasing "virtually", such as Virtual Console games on the Nintendo Wii. Furthermore the gaming experience is at its best with the original equipment (emulating on a PC just isn’t the same.)

If you don’t have a flea market near you, check out craigslist or eBay and specifically look for game purchases in bulk. You may be able to pick up 25 games for a dollar each! Search for "nintendo lot", "playstation lot", "sega lot" and so on to see the bulk offerings available on eBay or CL.

3. Play dopey Facebook games.

Many "apps" in Facebook are games such as FarmVille. These games are easy, fun and do not require a lot of effort to play. Anybody can play them in fact. And they’re free which is even better.

Games in Facebook can be found by clicking the "Applications" button, then "Browse More Applications" then choosing the "Games" category.

4. Play dopey Flash games.

One of the best sites I’ve found for this is Gamedesign. One game in particular that is very addictive is Dice Wars. It’s so popular that there’s a multiplayer version of it, KDice. Heck, it’s even an iPhone app!

5. MUDs

It takes a special kind of computer geek to appreciate these. MUDs (Multi User Dungeons) have been around for a very long time. Some of them have been on the internet for more than 12 years. They have everything your standard RPG has, but in text form. MUDs are very addicting and have a very dedicated fan base. Additionally, compared to other types of gaming environment, MUD users are friendly folk that are happy to help out new users who haven’t used MUDs before.

It used to be required that a MUD client was necessary to play them, but that’s no longer the case. Many popular MUDs can be played directly in-browser.

What do you do to avoid button mashing boredom?

Do you follow any of the above tips, such as trying different types of games, or have some tips of your own to contribute? Post a comment and let people know.

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

5 Tips To Avoid Button Mashing Boredom [Gaming]

What was interesting wasn’t the graphics per sé but rather the screen resolution for most of the screen shots shown, which happened to be 1024×768. It showed up so much that a few commented on it saying something to the effect of, "Why are all you people using such low resolutions?"

Want to know the real kicker? These people posting screen shots were all in their late teens, 20s and 30s. This was not 40+ territory whatsoever.

So why is it that so many people still use 1024×768?

There’s actually a few good answers.

If you’re on a netbook, the vast majority of them have screens that are a native resolution of 1024×576 or 1024×600.

A teen may be using his parent’s computer where the parent prefers the resolution at something he or she can read, and that’s usually 1024×768.

The really interesting crowd are the twenty and thirty-somethings. I fall into this crowd because I’m 34. I wear eyeglasses, but my primary 20-inch monitor is 1680×1050 and the secondary 1280×1024. What’s the deal with 1024×768 in this age group?

The answer is something you probably didn’t think of: Games.

Games run much better and faster at lower resolutions. And if you keep your Windows resolution as 1024×768, when the switch to the game happens your icons don’t get all messed up and moved around. This is common in XP when you have your Windows resolution set different than your game resolution.

In addition, not all computer gamers run the newest blazing fast PC hardware. Many run decidedly old stuff and couldn’t care less about things like anisotropic filtering as long as the game plays smooth and fast. To get any advantage in speed and smoothness possible, the resolution is lowered on purpose even if the eyesight is just fine.

If you thought 1024×768 was only for the 40+ crowd, think again. There are plenty, and I mean plenty of younger users rockin’ the 1024 resolution for daily use.

What’s your res?

Write a comment and let people know. Include the resolution and your monitor’s physical size (ex: 17-inch, 19-inch, 20-inch, etc.)

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

Is It Still A 1024×768 World?

MobileRated works with the best mobile developers around the globe and offers over 1000 free mobile games and applications. Our software products are either completely free, demos or trials with options to purchase (cheap mobile phone games), or free with in-game advertising.

Basically, you just search for your phone model and then you will be presented with a list of free games you can install right on your phone.

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

Download Free Games For Your Cell Phone

Twelve Sky

Type: 3D Fantasy, oriental style, martial arts

2Moons

Type: 3D Fantasy, action

4Story

Type: 3D Fantasy, medieval style

5 Street

Type: 3D Music/Dancing

9 Dragons

Type: 3D Fantasy, martial arts

These are all MMO games, so if you’ve got the gaming itch but want something you can download now, now you have 5.

Each of these games routinely has many users playing, so you won’t have to worry about entering the "world" and not having anyone there.

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

5 Free MMO Games

• Unique, original, and fun gameplay, storyline, theme, artwork, and content. Pushing the boundaries of open source first person gaming.
• Play plain ol’ deathmatch, instagib, ctf, duel, lms, or use the select range of mutators and myriad of variables to create your own.
• Item domination and dropping, fight for your lives over a great range of weapons, each with its own distinct personality, pros, and cons.
• Strong artificial intelligence (A.I. or “Bots”) capable of participating within all modes of its deathmatch environment, even online.

If you take a look at the screenshots, the game is visually impressive as well. One great aspect is the entire engine is developed on open platforms meaning there are versions for Windows, Linux and Mac.

I personally stopped with the FPS games after Quake and 007 (Nintendo 64), so I would be curious what opinions ‘modern’ FPS gamers have on this release.

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

Cutting Edge Open Source FPS

Neverball

Described as “Tilt the floor to roll a ball through an obstacle course before time runs out. Neverball is part puzzle game, part action game, and entirely a test of skill.”

Basically speaking you keep rolling a ball by tilting the table before time runs out.

Nexuiz

This is a first-person-shooter, 3D, “deathmatch” style and has been around since 2005.

Here’s a video of the gameplay:

Pretty cool if you asked me.

Pingus

If you know Lemmings, you know Pingus.

Runescape

Runscape is role-playing style game – and the cool part is that it runs completely in the browser. For those with higher-powered computers, let me tell you – it’s not too shabby once you go full-screen with it. Very few in-browser games do a good full-screen mode, but Runescape does.

To note: While it’s free to play there are paid options as well. But at least you can play for free to see if it’s your thing or not.

XEvil

This is a 2D side-scroller game with possibly the most interesting description of the lot:

O.K., kids… let’s get this straight. XEvil is not for meek, peace-loving, “I love you, you love me…” types of people. The fans of XEvil enjoy it because of its shameless displays of blood and violence, of people getting lit on fire, getting shot, being ripped up by chainsaws, getting high on drugs, and burst open by aliens.

If that doesn’t say “wholesome”, I don’t know what does.

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

16 Free Games – Part 3

Freeciv

This has been mentioned on PCMech before and definitely gets a spot on this list because, well, it’s the best Civilization clone there is – and very addictive.

Freecol

If you liked Civilization, you probably liked Colonization as well. Freecol is a clone of the old Sid Meier classic.

Frets On Fire

Ever hear of Guitar Hero? Then you know what Frets On Fire is.

Globulation 2

This game is billed as “…an innovative Real-Time Strategy (RTS) game which reduces micro-management by automatically assigning tasks to units.”

For those that like strategy-type games, Globulation 2 will fit the bill nicely.

Gunbound

No, this is not a first-person-shooter. It’s a turn-based game and very “cutesy” in nature.

Strong warning: Highly addictive.

Stay tuned for part 3!

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

16 Free Games – Part 2

I’ve made a point to choose games that are at least somewhat recent (if not very recent concerning releases) so that they run a-okay on your computer.

Note: Many of these games run on Windows, Mac OS X and/or Linux. It’s not just “Windows only” stuff here.

Armagetron Advanced

Remember TRON? Remember the cool light cycle races in that movie? That’s what this game is all about. It’s a TRON clone, multiplayer, 3D and all about light cycle racers.

Assault Cube

This is an FPS (first-person-shooter). It requires the cube engine to play.

Here’s a video of the gameplay. Looks pretty darned good for a freebie.

Battle for Wesnoth

This is an RPG (role-playing-game) and has been mentioned in comments here and there on PCMech from time to time. If you play Runescape but wanted something a little different, BoW is for you.

Crossfire

This game is billed as a “cooperative multiplayer graphical RPG and adventure game.” A huge plus of this game is that the hardware requirements to play only require a PC with a 200MHz processor and 128MB of RAM.

Note: This is a very “old school” looking game – but it has a good following nonetheless.

Darwinbots

Billed as an “artificial life simulator that merges the gameplay of C-Robots type arena with adaptive asexual population dynamics.”

Don’t worry, I have no idea what that means either. But it’s there if you want to try it out.

FlightGear

Billed as a flight simulator. If you like flight simulators, you will like this. It’s very detailed and very cool for those into this sort of thing.

Be sure to check out the gallery of screenshots for this game. Darn good looker.

More to come!

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

16 Free Games – Part 1