Let's Rock (hopefully)

[Biofungus]

Well, I made some significant upgrades to my comp. Nothing expensive, but a GeForce 8400 GS 512mb video card, and 2 gigs of PC5300 ram. So for the most part, I can play just about any game (even some of the highest end games I have to run at lower settings). I redownloaded the Crysis demo (which I could only see a few black blobs last time). I was actually insulted when I clicked "optimal settings" and it set everything to it's lowest settings. I have a Pentium Core 2 Duo 2.8ghz (rated at something like 5.03 ghz when they're working together optimally). I can actually set the game settings higher and they run fine (I was playing Quake 4 on Ultra High Quality with no problem).

My favorite PC games are RPG's and FPS's. I don't want to get COD4 yet because it's still too pricey for me (would cost almost as much as the upgrades to my PC cost), but I am thinking of getting the Orange Box. Thing is, I'd like to play games online with a few DW members, especially if private matches can be set up (I don't like how most online gamers tend to treat noobs).

So, firstly, I know they've been shut down, but you can still find the XP patch out there for Halo 2. Is it worth it? (I mean, I liked Halo, I'm just wondering how stable Halo 2 with the XP patch/crack is).

The Orange Box seems like a great deal, good price, both Half Life 2 games, plus the online TF2 and then some. I guess I'm moreso asking what FPS's people here are playing online regularly that I can get in on matches with them :)

I play a couple of MMORPG's, but only free ones (like the ones from Aeria Games), and it just seems to me it's a LOT harder to coordinate MMO play time than FPS play time.

[Mwynn]

http://www.nzone.com/object/nzone_orangebox_promo.html

[Mwynn]

Circuit City has these games on sale.

18 Wheels of Steel: Haulin - $0.42
2006 FIFA World Cup - $4.66
Act of War: High Treason - $2.33
Adventures in Odyssey 2 pack (big box) - $7.50
Age of Empires II Gold Edition (inclues Conquerors expansion) - $10.00
Age of Mythology: Gold Edition - $10.00
Age of Pirates: Caribbean Tales - $1.00 Europe only?
Alexander: Heroes of Conquest - $2.50
Alien Shooter Vengeance - $2.19
American Conquest Anthology (American Conquest, Fight Back, Divided Nation) for $3.50
American Farmer Deluxe / American Builder Deluxe Combo - $2
Ankh - $2.00
Armed & Dangerous - $2.50
Battlefield 2: Booster Pack Collection - $3.50
Battlefield 2: Deluxe Edition - $4.66
Battlefield 2: Special Forces - $4.66
Battlefield 1942 (Complete Collection) - $3.50
Battlefield 2142 - $10.00
Beowulf - $10.00
Black & White 2 - Battle of the Gods - $3.00
Blazing Angels 2 - $7.50
Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood - $8.00
Buccaneer's Bounty - $2.50
Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth - $6.48 Russia version only?
Call of Duty 2 - Game of the Year - $10.00
Call of Juarez - $5.00
City of Heroes: Combined (This has both Heroes and Villians in one package) - $10.00
City of Villians Time Card - $8.98
Classic Game Collection (Monopoly, Clue, Life, and Scrabble) - $10.00
Combat Mission Anthology - $7.50
Command & Conquer Collection - $10
Command & Conquer Generals Deluxe - $10
Company of Heroes (Not the Game of the Year Edition) - $10.00
Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts - $10.00
Counter-Strike: Source - $10.00
Crashday - $7.50
Crazy Machines: The Wacky Contraptions Game - $7.50
Culpa Innata - $10.00
Curious George Educational Title - $7.50
Dark Messiah of Might and Magic - $5.48
Dark Messiah of Might and Magic (Collectors Edition) - $4.12
Darkstar One - $5.00
Darwinia - $1.29 or $1.40
DEFCON - $8.50
Desperate Housewives - $4.00
Deus Ex: Invisible War - $0.25
Diablo II - $10.00
Diablo II: Lord of Destruction - $10.00
Diner Dash - $2.50
Diner Dash (Metal Tin) - $5.00
DIRT (racing one) - $8.50
DIRT - Origin of the Species - $6.90
DNA - $2.19
Doom 3 - $10.00
Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil expansion pack - $3.03
Dream Chronicles - $7.50
Driver: Parallel Lines - $6.98
Dungeon Siege II - $8.98
Dynasty League Baseball - $7.50
EA Strategy Collection - $2.74
El Matador - $10
Elder Scrolls: Shivering Isles - $7.50
Elf Super Bowling Collection (This was the title I found on Gamespot) - $3.98
Eragon - $1.41 or $1.94...sorry I forgot when I asked too many at a time. ^__^
Fable: The Lost Chapters - $8.00
Faces of War - $4.66
Fate - $9.98
FEAR - $4.66
FEAR: Extraction Point - $3.29
FEAR: Perseus Mandate $10.00
Flatout 2 - $7.50 Europe only?
Flight Simulator 2004 - $10.00
Freedom Force - $3.01
Freelancer - $5.00
Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords - $5.00
Galactic Civilization: Ultimate Edition - $2.50 (jewel case bargain title)
Ghost Hunter (Hidden Object Game) - 10$
Ghost Recon Advance Warfighter - $7.50
Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 (GRAW 2) - $10
Godfather - $7.50
Gothic 3 - $3.00 Confirmed at $3.00
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - $9.00 or $10.00 (2nd edition)
GTR: Game of the Year Edition - $2.50
GTR 2 - $2.00
GTR 2: Game of the Year Edition - $7.50 or $10.00
GTR FIA Racing - $2.50
Guild Wars Nightfall (Collector's Edition) - $9.48
Half-Life 2: Episode One - $3.50
Halo - $10.00
Hard Truck: 18 Wheels of Steel - $1.50
Heroes of Might and Magic V - $7.50
Jericho - $8.50
IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946 - $10.00
It's the Big Game, Charlie Brown - $6.00
King's Quest Collection - $7.50 (7 games)
Land of the Dead: Road to Fiddler's Green - $5.00
Left Behind: Eternal Forces - $3-4
Legos Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy - $10.00
Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth - $5.00
Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth 2 - $3.50 or $5.00
Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II, The Rise of the Witch-King - $2.30
Maelstrom - $4.60
Magic Match - $4.66
Marine Sharpshooter 3 - $10.00
Medal of Honor Allied Assault - $3.00 (Jewel case?)
Micro Machines V4 - $4.33
Myst IV: Revelation, Limited Edition - $7.50
Need for Speed Carbon - $1.87
Need for Speed Most Wanted - $5.00
Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer - $10.00
Oasis - $2.50
Overlord - $8.50
Paradise - $8.00
pcktlnt - $0.00 (Not a game)
Penumbra: Overture - $8.00
Perimeter - $2.33
Perimeter:Emperer's Testament - $4.66
Phantasy Star Universe - $4.xx
Plantasia - $4.33
Police Quest - $4.xx (Is this the collection one as well?)
Police Quest Collection - $7.50 (YMMV)
Prey - $5.50 or $6.50
Prey Limited Edition (The big metal tin) - $8.00
Prince of Persia: Sands of Time - $3.50 (online)
Prison Tycoon 3: Lockdown - $10.00
Puzzle Quest - $10
Quake 4 - $10
Race 07 - $7.50
Rag Doll Kung Fu - $5
Rainbow Six Vegas - $10.00
Rayman 10th Anniversary Collection - $8.99 or $4.50 (online)
Rayman 3 Pack - $4.50
Rayman Raving Rabbids - $8.00
Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45 - $8.00
Resident Evil 4 - $10.00
Rise & Fall: Civilizations at War - $9.00
Rise of Nations - $2.50 (jewel case bargain title)
Rise of Nations: Gold Edition - $10.00
Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends $9.00
RollerCoaster Tycoon 2: Triple Thrill Pack - $10.00
Rush for Berlin - $8.99
Scratches: New Director's Cut Edition - $7.50
Shadowgrounds - $3.58
Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened - $9.98
Sid Meier's Railroads! - $3.56 or $4.12
Silent Hunter - $8.00
Sim City 4: Deluxe Edition - $9.98
Silverfall - $8.98 or $10.00
SiN Episodes - $5.00 or $6.99 (online)
Soliders: Heroes of World War II - $1.00
Space Quest - $4.xx (which version is this?)
SpellForce 2: Shadow Wars - $4.66 Europe version
Splinter Cell Double Agent - $3.75
STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl - $10.00
StarCraft Battle Chest - $10.00
Star Trek: Legacy - $4.60
Star Wars Empire at War (Not Collection one) - $8.00 or $6.98
Star Wars Empire at War: Forces of Corruption (Expansion) - $9.00
Star Wars Galaxies: The Complete Online Adventure - $2.59
Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse - $4.98 or $5.48 (online)
Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance - $10.00
Sweet Tooth (Bejewelled clone) - $3.50
Sword of the Stars - $8.50
Syberia Saga Limited Edition - $2.35
The Chosen: Well of Souls - $8.50
The Guild 2 - $4.11
The Movies - $4.66
The Movies: Stunts & Effects Expansion - $9.98
The Punisher - $1.90
The Ship - $2.35
The Sims 2: Family Fun Stuff - $5.00 (online)
Titan Quest - $5.00 (YMMV) - $7.50
Titan Quest: Immortal Throne - $10.00
TMNT - $7.50 (Scanned too many at once so not sure) or $10 (CD version)
Tomb Raider Legend - $8.00
Tony Hawk's Underground 2 - $4.00 (online)
Trainz Railwayz - $10.00
UFO: Aftermath/Aftershock Double Pack - $8.98
Wizard's War Chest [Contains Evil Islands, Etherlords, & Etherlords II] $5.00
World of Warcraft - $10.00
X-COM: UFO Game Double Pack - $8.98

[Saraquael]

Orange Box is a killer deal and you should definitely jump on it. I think they just released a few new maps as well.

Halo... not really worth it on the PC honestly. There are better looking/playing/sounding games on the PC.

I've been playing a little of the Frontlines Fuels of War beta. pretty cool so far.

I haven't gotten a chance to play anything regularly though. A few reasons being less time to play, less time get good... and all my sorry-ass friends seem to have defected and are in the habit of only playing FPS on consoles. That ain't right.

[Biofungus]

Damn, that's a good list, but I can't find a bunch of them that I'd buy online :( (the nearest circuit city to me would cost me about as much as two of those games just to get to!)

[BobRivard]

Circuit City has these games on sale.
Battlefield 1942 (Complete Collection) - $3.50
Call of Duty 2 - Game of the Year - $10.00
Diablo II - $10.00
Diablo II: Lord of Destruction - $10.00
FEAR - $4.66
Star Wars Galaxies: The Complete Online Adventure - $2.59


All good games there with nice prices.

BF1942... favorite game of all time. I still play frequently. I usually play the Desert Combat mod though. Lots of fun.

[Moonrider]

So, firstly, I know they've been shut down, but you can still find the XP patch out there for Halo 2. Is it worth it? (I mean, I liked Halo, I'm just wondering how stable Halo 2 with the XP patch/crack is).


It's not exactly a patch, but an installer program to bypass the OS check. It works fine, but there are some cases where you can only play the first three levels and must use a workaround trick to resume it. The installation time using the program is like five times longer than usual too. Anyway it's not worth the hassle. Microsoft did nothing to update the game besides adding a few new maps, and you'll feel ripped off.

[DanMatrix]

Bloody hell I wish I could order some of those games from circuit city but alas I live in Canada. Amazing prices on some of those!

[Biofungus]

Bloody hell I wish I could order some of those games from circuit city but alas I live in Canada. Amazing prices on some of those!
You can't paypal the money to an american friend and have them order for you?

[Mwynn]

Bloody hell I wish I could order some of those games from circuit city but alas I live in Canada. Amazing prices on some of those!
Check the brick and mortar stores.

[Biofungus]

Actually most of those sales say "Not available in-store pickup". I know that doesn't necessarily mean that they aren't available at the stores, but it's pretty much their way of saying, "don't count on it being there, we ain't holding for you." :p

[Saraquael]

Actually most of those sales say "Not available in-store pickup". I know that doesn't necessarily mean that they aren't available at the stores, but it's pretty much their way of saying, "don't count on it being there, we ain't holding for you." :p

A friend of mine hit up his CC for me the other day. Managed to get me the Company of Heroes expansion.

I think "Not available in-store pickup" means, "Our store is a mess and we can't find shit, so more power to you if you managed to locate anything!"

[Biofungus]

http://www.nzone.com/object/nzone_orangebox_promo.html
Hmm... Well, when I had an ATI card I basically got all that for free (except that peggle thing). Plus from it, I already have a Steam account :)

For the record though, do you know if it applies the same even if the card is not manufactured by Nvidia directly? I mean, it's an XFX nVidia GeForce 8400gs card. I never really fully understood that whole third party manufacturing the same card thing. Do these companies just create the specs and then sell/license them to multiple hardware manufacturers?

[Biofungus]

A friend of mine hit up his CC for me the other day. Managed to get me the Company of Heroes expansion.

I think "Not available in-store pickup" means, "Our store is a mess and we can't find shit, so more power to you if you managed to locate anything!"
I think it's also their way of saying, "For $4.99, you can look for the damned thing yourself" :P

[Mwynn]

Hmm... Well, when I had an ATI card I basically got all that for free (except that peggle thing). Plus from it, I already have a Steam account :)

For the record though, do you know if it applies the same even if the card is not manufactured by Nvidia directly? I mean, it's an XFX nVidia GeForce 8400gs card. I never really fully understood that whole third party manufacturing the same card thing. Do these companies just create the specs and then sell/license them to multiple hardware manufacturers?
Is the card on the nvidia website?

[Saraquael]

Hmm... Well, when I had an ATI card I basically got all that for free (except that peggle thing). Plus from it, I already have a Steam account :)

For the record though, do you know if it applies the same even if the card is not manufactured by Nvidia directly? I mean, it's an XFX nVidia GeForce 8400gs card. I never really fully understood that whole third party manufacturing the same card thing. Do these companies just create the specs and then sell/license them to multiple hardware manufacturers?

It's still an nvidia card. Nvidia makes the chip, other companies tweak the card (or not), brand it and sell it. Give it a whirl. It should work.

[Biofungus]

Is the card on the nvidia website?
You mean like here (in the shop)?

http://www.nvidia.com/object/graphics_cards_buy_now.html

If so, not, it's not actually. But the specs and drivers and whatnot of course are.

[BobRivard]

For the record though, do you know if it applies the same even if the card is not manufactured by nvidia directly? I mean, it's an XFX nVidia GeForce 8400gs card. I never really fully understood that whole third party manufacturing the same card thing. Do these companies just create the specs and then sell/license them to multiple hardware manufacturers?

Yeah, even though XFX manufactures the parts and does the tweaking, nvidia still makes the chipset or licenses their technology to XFX, which makes it an NVidia card. I think it's done for wider distribution.

Anyway, you shouldn't have any problem having your card detected as an nvidia card. If not, then you can bitch. :laugh:

[DanMatrix]

You can't paypal the money to an american friend and have them order for you?

-No American friends
-don't live near border
-in Canada we have the Source by Circuit City and its a Presidents day sale
-Canada doesn't reckonise Presidents day's existence :p

[Biofungus]

I'd offer, but I don't have the money to layout for you at the moment :(