Online gamering 2009

[wii.live07]

How do I go online and play multi-player games without using this new service called "Steam?" Can't I just use the IP address to enter somewhere and hook up with an online server. It's weird because I am almost sure that back in the 1990s you could get certain programs and services and play other people on games like Quake 2 or 3. How can I play a game without paying. Isn't there a free service I can use? What's up with that?

[kpac]

Usually the game itself will have an online gaming interface.

[wii.live07]

Cool. What games you guys play? Anyone check out Super Mario Galaxy? I want a Wii so I can get the virtual console and play old Nintendo and Sega games. Awesome!

[computeruler]

I prefer games that have better graphics (like not a wii).  I think it would be cool to do a wii remote hack so I can use a wii remote with my computer games.  But I tried playing cod5 on the wii and that was really hard and terrible

[Revered Revenant]

But I tried playing cod5 on the wii and that was really hard and terrible

What made it so terrible? Maybe you didnt have the sensor in the right place, so everything was real jittery?

[computeruler]

I just found it hard to aim. 

[Revered Revenant]

I've never played it on the Wii, so I wouldn't know what thats like.. But I do love it on the XBOX360.. 

[BC_Programmer]

I prefer games that have better graphics (like not a wii). 

...
Graphics don't matter; sure, you start out all "OMG! this is so cool!" and then you realize that it's the same bloody game they've been making over and over again, alien first person shooter or wartime shoot'em up. Not much else seems to be out there (at a glance).

SNES is alright for me; playing F-zero, which I recently got off e-bay brand new in the shrink wrap for 8 bucks

How can I play a game without paying.

what do you mean?


If you buy a steam game, you have a steam account.

it doesn't cost you to play online; just to initially purchase the game.

Quake 1,2 and 3 have.. well, not "active" but present player communities. If you have quake 2, the console command "connect tastyspleen.net" will take you to one of the more popular servers, which I go to every once in a while.

[wii.live07]

Hey BC_Programmer, thanks for the info about online gaming. Unfortunately Quake 2 doesn't work anymore on my PC. Quake 3 does. You mentioned some server or thing I could type in to play online with Quake 2, what can I use to enter in the Quake 3 to be able to play others online, even if it is not a lot of people?

the console command "connect tastyspleen.net" will take you to one of the more popular servers, which I go to every once in a while.

Explain briefly but thoroughly. Thanks in advance. Please reply soon.

[BC_Programmer]

Hmm, I haven't even played quake 3 online.

BUT- there is a "enhanced" version of the quake 2 client, the one I use is called "quake2xp".

Let's see here....

ahh, here is the download page:

http://quake2xp.quakedev.com/downloads.php

my PCs a bit old, so I cannot use all the features, but it looks much better then the original.

Also- if you can get it running, I think it will connect to the same servers as the base client.

NOTE: you'll need to install quake 2- or at least get the PAK files. (if the install is why you cannot play it you can try setting program compatibility on the setup program)

[Blade285]

Just some extra info on steam...

Steam is a client where you can buy a game securely and then play it on any computer using your account for free afterwards (you just have to install the steam client and the game).
You can get free games online through steam but you can't play online and it's illegal.
Steam is commonly used for CounterStrike:Source and Half Life 2 and software developers choose it because it saves on making disks and it secure.
It's by no means the only way of playing online or anything like that- but for some games they are exclusive (and/or cheaper) on steam

You can, alternatively, buy the game from a shop
or download it illegally, not that you should do that and the online settings probably won't work.
Software protection is getting a bit better now...