Author Topic: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?  (Read 780876 times)

Thegoblinchief

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Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« on: December 16, 2015, 06:30:03 AM »
***Note: any debate in this thread about video games as a hobby is NOT WANTED so please just leave it at the door***

Based on comments in a number of threads, I know there's a decent population of Mustachian video gamers out there. I want to know more about you! PC? Console? Mobile? What games are you enjoying right now? What do you have your eye on to buy?

Me/DW/family: nearly 100% PC games (a mid/high-end rig I built ~3 years ago) these days, though we've been given a few PS3 exclusive games from friends that we'll dig into at some point. Might think about a PS4 at some point too. Currently saving up for a second gaming PC so that we can play together more as a family.

I'm personally on a big open-world RPG kick right now.

Witcher 3 from when it went on sale a few weeks ago. Amazing but I started on too high a difficulty level and I'm considering whether to start over at an easier setting, as it's actually kinda stressful to play, which isn't what I'm looking for (right now).

After quite a few hours of work, and then troubleshooting, I have a rock-solid modded Skyrim set up which is thrilling everyone in the family including me. If anyone's interested, I followed the STEP Core/Extended guide, and then added a few extra things. The mod tool Mod Organizer is a godsend for me - now we can have 4 different mod profiles (me, DW, DD1,DD2) and saves local to those profiles, and switch between them with a simple drop down menu.

I'm currently working through the "Clear and Present Danger" mod guide for Fallout 3. I'm looking forward to replaying Fallout 3, then actually playing a non-buggy New Vegas, and by that point Fallout 4 should be available on sale at deep discount and have a decent collection of mods.

At some point I am going to be modding Oblivion (probably the Mythic Dawn guide) and lastly Morrowind (B2B). DW and I love those games but they're really rough to look at and play compared to modern graphics and gameplay sensibilities. Hoping the guides can resuscitate those games for our enjoyment, and also our kids'.

Can you tell our family are huge fans of Bethesda games? ;)

Cromacster

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #1 on: December 16, 2015, 06:41:18 AM »
I only play games on PC and these days I pretty much exclusively play Dota 2.  It's free, one game takes about an hour, and it's fun.  I played the original Dota alot with college roommates.  Every now and then we all find the time to log on together and get some games in.

Sounds like you go all out with the mods and making some yourself.  That's awesome.  Cool that you get your whole family involved.

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #2 on: December 16, 2015, 06:54:16 AM »
The reputation of nastiness in the MOBA community has always scared me away from either LoL or Dota. Outside of a couple MMOs we play occasionally I'm not a huge multiplayer gamer anymore.

Glad it works for you though :) A former coworker of mine makes a good chunk of his living off LoL.

Cromacster

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #3 on: December 16, 2015, 07:32:20 AM »
The reputation of nastiness in the MOBA community has always scared me away from either LoL or Dota. Outside of a couple MMOs we play occasionally I'm not a huge multiplayer gamer anymore.

Glad it works for you though :) A former coworker of mine makes a good chunk of his living off LoL.

I can't speak for LoL, never played it.   For the most part the Dota community isn't terrible as far as online gaming goes, although I may be fairly desensitized to it these days.  I would be somewhat concerned if I had younger kids interested in playing.  I feel this would be the case in any game that has some social aspect to it.  If you run into some annoying people it's easy enough to mute them.

How does he make money off LoL?  Custom skins or a paid pro?

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #4 on: December 16, 2015, 07:35:01 AM »
Podcast and a website that's apparently quite successful. Don't think he's in paid pro territory but I might be wrong.

Financial.Velociraptor

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #5 on: December 16, 2015, 08:18:04 AM »
I'm casually working my way through the third XP for Starcraft II.   When I FIRE'd it was a six week video game and junk food bender that put 15 pounds on me and ruined my complexion.  I only play a couple times a week now.

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #6 on: December 16, 2015, 08:27:39 AM »
I'm casually working my way through the third XP for Starcraft II.   When I FIRE'd it was a six week video game and junk food bender that put 15 pounds on me and ruined my complexion.  I only play a couple times a week now.

Interesting. I've actually gone the other direction (not the weight gain, just the time). I went from playing almost nothing over the past year (though pre-MMM I was a huge gamer) to playing at least a few times a week. It's such a big hobby with the kids and my wife that I was missing out on family bonding. So far this has been an excellent decision, but I do need to be careful not to get sucked too far back into it. The first few nights of Witcher 3 had me up past midnight, which really throws my schedule off :P

whitedragon

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #7 on: December 16, 2015, 09:09:14 AM »
Console gamer here.  I'm currently playing Fallout 4 on Xbox One.  There is just so much to do in that game that I'll probably stick with it for a long time into 2016.  Before that, I played Destiny over the summer, and for the first half of the year I was playing Dragon Age Inquisition.  I put over 200 hours into that game, which is the most I've ever spent on a game ever.  The ROI was pretty good for that one!  When you consider I only get maybe 5-6 hours of gaming a week, I can make that stretch and awful long time!

I used to build PC's in my high school days, but now I prefer being able to sit on the couch, turn everything on and have it just work, lol.

As far as MOBA's go, some of my local friends tried to get me to play League of Legends (LoL), but that experience was so awful I almost lost my "local" friends over it.  Those games are toxic, all of them, in my experience.

Currently though, some of my coworkers have turned me on to World of Tanks on PC.  The games are fast, (like 5 minutes a piece) and if you're destroyed you can immediately hop out and hop into another match in a different tank.  It's awesome for like 30 minute stretches and not sucking your whole evening/weekend away!

JPinDC

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #8 on: December 16, 2015, 09:10:50 AM »
SO & I play on Xbox 360, but finding games that we can play together is challenging. I'm a much more casual gamer, and SO goes through all the gear to optimize, listens to podcasts on whatever we're going to play, etc. We went on a Diablo III binge for a long while, and were really excited about Battlefront, but it turns out that multiplayer is only offline for that one, so that was disappointing. Even worse was the new Halo, which doesn't have any couch co-op at all.

We also found a game that was free last month for Xbox gold called Knight Squad which plays up to 8 players online, so we've done that with some friends out of state and it's been a lot of fun. Very little strategy in that one, just slashing. I'd love any recommendations on good couch co-op games for Xbox, especially ones we can play online too!

Jon_Snow

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #9 on: December 16, 2015, 09:13:31 AM »
I allow myself perhaps 4 or 5 short bouts of videogaming per week. Recenty months have me quite enjoying my time with Assassin's Creed: Black Flag. Because you know...pirates are COOL.

The ship to ship warfare is particularly satisfying.

Just downloaded Star Wars Battlefront too...look forward to playing with my nephews online...some of them got it for Christmas so that they can play it with Uncle Snow. :)
« Last Edit: December 16, 2015, 09:20:01 AM by Jon_Snow »

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #10 on: December 16, 2015, 09:20:41 AM »
whitedragon - How is Destiny? It's one of the games we want to try if we do get a PS4. (Another reason we want one is that many of our distant friends only have that and don't play on PC very much at all.)

Dragon Age Inquisition is definitely on our list to get. I really loved the first one and want to give the second game another chance. My personal clock in Skyrim is 320 hours (and counting) so I totally get it. Probably another 30+ hours of modding (which, while occasionally frustrating, is fun for me too), and I used to maintain a mod guide for a now-defunct website.

JPinDC - My knowledge of console stuff is sadly out of date. One game my kids really like that's got splitscreen multiplayer  is Awesomenauts. Pretty sure that was released for the 360 too. It's a 2D MOBA, so probably not the friendliest to play online, but definitely fun co-op.

Borderlands, particularly 2, is ridiculously fun co-op (up to 4 players, and you can do a mix of local and online to fill the 4 slots if you want). It's "Diablo with guns", basically. Played it on PC but pretty sure the feature set is identical on consoles.

I'll try and think of some other ones.

hoping2retire35

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #11 on: December 16, 2015, 12:44:58 PM »
Bought World of Warcraft years ago and stopped playing after a short while. Thought about it recently when I saw an ad that said play to lvl 20 for free(subscription above that). Since I still had the game I got my login info and started playing, for free only. Big temptation to subscribe right now but I have been busy reading an online forum about saving money and living an alternative lifestyle ;)

Philociraptor

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #12 on: December 16, 2015, 12:58:14 PM »
PC and Wii U here. Wife, roommates, and I worked our way through Super Mario 3D World, Mario Kart 8, and Super Smash Bros over the last year. When I have free time at home (typically if wife goes out or I wake up before her) I will spend some time on a Seasonal Hero in D3:RoS. I'll get in a game or two of Hearthstone every couple days as well, usually on my iPhone.

Used to play WoW in high school, if I FIREd today I would probably get back into it.
« Last Edit: December 16, 2015, 01:16:21 PM by Philociraptor »

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #13 on: December 16, 2015, 01:08:55 PM »
Bought World of Warcraft years ago and stopped playing after a short while. Thought about it recently when I saw an ad that said play to lvl 20 for free(subscription above that). Since I still had the game I got my login info and started playing, for free only. Big temptation to subscribe right now but I have been busy reading an online forum about saving money and living an alternative lifestyle ;)

Check out Guild Wars 2. They have a free option now so you can try it out. If you want a full account, it's pay once and no sub. I liked it quite a bit but haven't played in a year or so.

Rift is also a decent MMO with a free option.

SouthernTransplant

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #14 on: December 16, 2015, 01:21:38 PM »
Another PC/Wii U user here.  I find that with the PC I can get most new games on a massive discount after a few months compared to consoles, and there is such a huge catalog of games available that I'll never run out.  The Wii U seems to have better exclusives than PS4/XBONE, as Mario Kart 8 and the new Super Mario World are fantastic.

Lately, I've really been sucked into Heroes of the Storm, Blizzard's MOBA.  I had tried DOTA2 previously, and found that almost everyone was toxic, and the game had a steep learning curve.  While there are certainly still some less than polite folks in HotS, I would say 90% of the random people I have played with have been awesome.  It's just a fun, approachable game (and free!).

Kaspian

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #15 on: December 16, 2015, 01:28:22 PM »
I play "DC Universe Online" on my PS3 a few times a week.  ...And yeah, I pay a stupid subscription for it.  (Though much of the game and the download are free--if anyone cares to give it a try.)

My brother-in-law brought over his PS4 and "Star Wars Battlefront" a few weeks ago.  It blew my mind!!  ...Not enough to run out and buy a PS4 and pay for a yearly PS+ membership, but very, very close.  I often find myself wishing I had it.  (And that's a weird feeling for me.)



hypocrispy

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #16 on: December 16, 2015, 01:44:41 PM »
Bought World of Warcraft years ago and stopped playing after a short while. Thought about it recently when I saw an ad that said play to lvl 20 for free(subscription above that). Since I still had the game I got my login info and started playing, for free only. Big temptation to subscribe right now but I have been busy reading an online forum about saving money and living an alternative lifestyle ;)

Check out Guild Wars 2. They have a free option now so you can try it out. If you want a full account, it's pay once and no sub. I liked it quite a bit but haven't played in a year or so.

Rift is also a decent MMO with a free option.

I loved Rift. Played the beta, pre-ordered the Collector's Edition before release (before I found MMM). But I will NEVER play it again. Trion is and has been the worst gaming company I have ever had to deal with. They can kiss my lily white ass.

As much as I hate to admit it, I just signed up for World of Warcraft again myself. 2 years away and I'm back on the warcrack...

If you're still looking for alternatives check out Aion and WildStar.

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #17 on: December 16, 2015, 01:47:22 PM »
Hyrule Warriors.  The reason I got a Wii U.  Probably put enough time in that to equal a part time job the past year.  I want to get all the medals.

kudy

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #18 on: December 16, 2015, 01:55:58 PM »
I finally re-installed Diablo 3 and beat it in "Normal" a few weeks ago.

I also recently built a RetroPie for my household, and I am trying out some of the retro nintendo/sega/playstation/etc. games I never played as a kid (really it's mostly for my girlfriend, but I'm getting in on the fun). Also using the RetroPie to lovingly re-play Atari Lynx games from my childhood.

Jack

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #19 on: December 16, 2015, 02:02:11 PM »
I'm a PC gamer. (I refuse to buy consoles because I have a moral problem with DRM, closed platforms, and the business practices of Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo. I make an exception for Steam, which makes me a hypocrite, but nobody's perfect...) Right now my major games are Star Trek Online, Team Fortress 2, and a little bit of Civ 5, Kerbal Space Program and Cities: Skylines. I also recently (finally) got around to Portal 2, although I still need to try out the co-op mode. I also have a bunch of Humble Bundle games which I mostly play on my Android phone. Fallout 3 (and New Vegas), GTA 4, and Skyrim are all on my "to play" list.

This thread reminds me that I need to investigate running Star Trek Online under WINE so I can switch completely to Linux.

Thinkum

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #20 on: December 16, 2015, 02:09:08 PM »
Right now I have a PS3 and the original Wii. I used to have a 360, but sold it to a friend before I moved. My favorite game is Skyrim, by far. I have been playing Burnout Paradise and Ni No Kuni on PS3.

 I have been considering building a gaming PC to play on my TV. I never built a PC before, only really installed some bolt-ons in the past. So I am not sure about whether I should attempt it. I have been reading up on how you can use a wired 360 game pad with some games too. I used to play PC games in HS and really miss it sometimes. However, the ease of console games is alluring.

I have also been considering getting a Wii U with the SM3D World/Nintendo Land, but Target is sold out and has been for some time.

Build a PC and learn that mode of gaming or buy a Wii U? Decisions, decisions.

Jeremy E.

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #21 on: December 16, 2015, 02:11:17 PM »
Dota 2 is the only game I play, free and fun.

Jack

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #22 on: December 16, 2015, 02:36:27 PM »
I have been considering building a gaming PC to play on my TV. I never built a PC before, only really installed some bolt-ons in the past. So I am not sure about whether I should attempt it. I have been reading up on how you can use a wired 360 game pad with some games too. I used to play PC games in HS and really miss it sometimes. However, the ease of console games is alluring.

building computers is fun, but the most affordable way to go is buying a used, high-spec computer. Kijiji or craigslist will have good rigs for much less than the cost of building.

First of all, Thinkum, "building" a PC is incredibly easy and nothing to be intimidated about. It's so easy, in fact, that I put "building" in quotes because you're really just plugging in pre-built pieces.

Second, snacky is right that buying is usually cheaper than building, especially if you aren't picky about the exact components you want.

Third, Xbox 360 controllers are some of the best for PC, but you might also want to consider the Steam controller, or perhaps just adapting the PS3 controllers you already have.

Ozstache

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #23 on: December 16, 2015, 03:57:31 PM »
PC gamer here, playing about 20 hours a week now I am FIREd on my self-made PC, namely an i5, GTX770, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, W10 on my 55" HDTV and 5.1 surround sound setup. My preference is for point and click adventure games and an occasional  dose of FPSs. I get most of my games through Steam, buying only when user rating is >= 90%, discount >= 50% and price mostly < $10. I spend less than $200 per year this way and have played through around 30 games this year.

I am currently playing Witcher 1 Enhanced Edition, The Dark Eye of Satinav and Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon (corny but entertaining). In the hopper to play next is Walking Dead 2, Alien Isolation, Legend of Korra, Back to the Future, The Book of Unwritten Tales and Just Cause 2. I play offline only and delete the game as soon as it is finished as I like to run everything nice and fast off my not-so-large SSD.

Jeremy E.

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #24 on: December 16, 2015, 04:04:45 PM »
I only play games on PC and these days I pretty much exclusively play Dota 2.  It's free, one game takes about an hour, and it's fun.  I played the original Dota alot with college roommates.  Every now and then we all find the time to log on together and get some games in.

Sounds like you go all out with the mods and making some yourself.  That's awesome.  Cool that you get your whole family involved.
If you ever wanna play dota with a fellow mustachian let me know

Flyingkea

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #25 on: December 16, 2015, 04:16:58 PM »
I play on PC/mobile. I think PC controls are hardwired into me, as I struggle to use other platforms. Right now I don't really play as I'm trying to study and I have a toddler.

My favourite game currently is Skyrim, I gave spent far too many hours on there.
Other games include
Crysis
Minecraft
Some older games I play:
Unreal Tournament 2004 (you can turn the gore off, and the graphics are quite beautiful)
Railroad tycoon 2/3
Age of Empires

Some games I would like to get
Assassins creed - I have played a few hours of Assassins Creed III and it hooked me.

I used to play a game called PWI (Perfect World International), which is a MMO. It was free, the ingame chat was usually friendly and moderated if not, and it was a gorgeous game. Reason I quit was because at high levels it took too long to grind up without paying. But lower levels were great.

I'm trying to stay away from mobile games as I'm sick of the free to download, pay to do anything model.

Thinkum

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #26 on: December 16, 2015, 05:50:01 PM »

building computers is fun, but the most affordable way to go is buying a used, high-spec computer. Kijiji or craigslist will have good rigs for much less than the cost of building.

First of all, Thinkum, "building" a PC is incredibly easy and nothing to be intimidated about. It's so easy, in fact, that I put "building" in quotes because you're really just plugging in pre-built pieces.

Second, snacky is right that buying is usually cheaper than building, especially if you aren't picky about the exact components you want.

Third, Xbox 360 controllers are some of the best for PC, but you might also want to consider the Steam controller, or perhaps just adapting the PS3 controllers you already have.

Snacky & Jack, thank you! Very good info right there. Now I just need to do some research about what sort of machine/components I should be looking for. Any recommendations? Also, I should be able to upgrade as needed with a used rig right?

use2betrix

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #27 on: December 16, 2015, 06:52:13 PM »
I'm not a gamer but I did somehow get hooked on clash of clans the last year. Does anyone else play? Growing up I was a huge Starcraft fan but I just don't have time for most games between work, the gym, and then recovering from those two things lol. Hopefully some day when I'm fire or near I can get back into a small amount of gaming.

Jeremy E.

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #28 on: December 16, 2015, 09:17:06 PM »

building computers is fun, but the most affordable way to go is buying a used, high-spec computer. Kijiji or craigslist will have good rigs for much less than the cost of building.

First of all, Thinkum, "building" a PC is incredibly easy and nothing to be intimidated about. It's so easy, in fact, that I put "building" in quotes because you're really just plugging in pre-built pieces.

Second, snacky is right that buying is usually cheaper than building, especially if you aren't picky about the exact components you want.

Third, Xbox 360 controllers are some of the best for PC, but you might also want to consider the Steam controller, or perhaps just adapting the PS3 controllers you already have.

Snacky & Jack, thank you! Very good info right there. Now I just need to do some research about what sort of machine/components I should be looking for. Any recommendations? Also, I should be able to upgrade as needed with a used rig right?
If you get a good size case and high enough wattage psu then you can just keep upgrading. I like Asus motherboards and Intel processors

Psychstache

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #29 on: December 16, 2015, 09:41:21 PM »
I play on pretty much all formats. About to sell my Xbox 360 and get the ps4 and SW battlefront. Currently, I'm plugging away at Skyrim on the PC. I'm also a big Hearthstone player on PC/phone. I'm also randomly replaying final fantasy 6/3 on my phone for about the 100th time.

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Jon_Snow

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #30 on: December 16, 2015, 09:51:21 PM »
Oh, Star Wars Battlefront is a blast...I'm a total Star Wars geeks so this REALLY scratches that particular itch. Haven't ventured into the online multiplayer yet - I'm not eager to get pwned by 12 year olds - but some of the off line stuff is pretty good enough for now.

I'm a console gamer...always have been ever since I got a Mattel Intellivision system in the late 70's. In recent years I have predominantly become an Xbot - 360, and now Xbox One.

I have done some PC gaming in the distant past - good times were had in the 80's with the King's Quest series.

FrugalUndercover

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #31 on: December 16, 2015, 10:11:18 PM »
I have a PS3 and enjoy GTA / Mafia / Scarface / sleeping dogs style games.  I occasionally play a genesis emulator for nostalgia: rings of power, land stalker are my favourites

vern

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #32 on: December 17, 2015, 12:35:16 AM »
Resident Evil: Code Veronica on my old PS2. 

It's still the best RE of the series IMHO.

protostache

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #33 on: December 17, 2015, 05:58:00 AM »
DW is the gamer in the family. We got her a PS4 for her birthday / Christmas back in October and so far she's played 102 hours. Total price so far is $455 for the console which came with all three Uncharted games, Fallout 4, and an extra controller, which puts the cost per hour at $4.45. I'd say that's a pretty Mustachian entertainment cost, especially since I get great joy out of watching her play and looking things up for her when she gets stuck. Fallout 4 also has a fancy app that runs on her iPad that I can use to heal her when she's in battle, which is also fun.

Edit: I forgot that the PS4 also came with Destiny but she hasn't even installed it yet. That will be on the list to play sometime next year, I'm sure.

golden1

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #34 on: December 17, 2015, 06:49:38 AM »
I'm a long time player of World of Warcraft.  I go through stages where I play very little, but midsummer I got back into it and raid casually again.  Oddly, even though it costs $12 a month, I find it is a money saver because it fulfills that "acquiring new things" urge. 

I bought Fallout 4 for Xbox which has a lot of stuff to do, but I haven't really gotten into it too much yet.

I also like a lot of the free to play iPad/IPhone games. 

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #35 on: December 17, 2015, 07:40:03 AM »
DW is the gamer in the family. We got her a PS4 for her birthday / Christmas back in October and so far she's played 102 hours. Total price so far is $455 for the console which came with all three Uncharted games, Fallout 4, and an extra controller, which puts the cost per hour at $4.45. I'd say that's a pretty Mustachian entertainment cost, especially since I get great joy out of watching her play and looking things up for her when she gets stuck. Fallout 4 also has a fancy app that runs on her iPad that I can use to heal her when she's in battle, which is also fun.

Edit: I forgot that the PS4 also came with Destiny but she hasn't even installed it yet. That will be on the list to play sometime next year, I'm sure.

That cost per hour will only fall. Despite a rather spendy PC setup, our estimated cost is now well below $0.50/hour between hardware and game.

Jack

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #36 on: December 17, 2015, 08:00:08 AM »
Snacky & Jack, thank you! Very good info right there. Now I just need to do some research about what sort of machine/components I should be looking for. Any recommendations? Also, I should be able to upgrade as needed with a used rig right?

First of all, if you want to do gaming, you should be planning on a discrete graphics card. Integrated graphics are pretty good these days, but not good enough. Also, SSDs have finally gotten cheap enough to supplant spinning-rust hard drives entirely, so don't bother with the latter.

Desktop computers are upgradeable, but there's a limit: I often find that by the time I decide I want (for example) more RAM or a faster CPU, sockets/standards have changed and I have to buy a new motherboard too. Things like video cards and disk drives are more flexible (new versions of PCI-E and SATA come out occasionally, but as far as I know, they're mostly backwards-compatible).

Personally, I like rooting for the underdog so I make it a point to buy AMD almost all the time. I also like AMD's business practices: Intel has a history of monopolistic collusion with OEMs and Nvidia is relatively hostile to Free Software.

However, I have to admit that at the moment, an Intel/Nvidia system wins on performance/watt and possibly performance/dollar.

I plan to build my next desktop when Zen comes out next October. If you want a computer before then, I recommend evaluating the system requirements of whatever game you want to play and then buying the cheapest used system you can find that meets those requirements.

When you do build a system, pay attention to getting a high-quality case and power supply (look for "80 Plus" certification), because those are the things that have the longest lifetime. Also, if you aren't planning to upgrade for a while (and as a mustachian, you shouldn't be -- the rate of obsolescence has slowed down, so a new computer should perform satisfactorily for at least five or maybe even 10 years now) then look for motherboards that list durability and/or high-quality capacitors as features.

I'm no computer expert, but I look for two things: the latest/ greatest processor (right now that's the i7) and empty RAM slots. upgrading a processor can be a hassle so I start with one that will last a long time before becoming obsolete, and adding to the RAM is the cheapest, fastest upgrade out there.

I agree that having a motherboard with 4 (or more) RAM slots is a good idea, but I have to object to buying the latest/greatest processor. The price/performance curve for computer hardware is usually exponential, so the absolute fastest processor is normally going to be a much worse value than even the second-fastest one.

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #37 on: December 17, 2015, 08:02:22 AM »
I'm no computer expert, but I look for two things: the latest/ greatest processor (right now that's the i7) and empty RAM slots. upgrading a processor can be a hassle so I start with one that will last a long time before becoming obsolete, and adding to the RAM is the cheapest, fastest upgrade out there.
googling the specs of any machine you're looking at will tell you how easily upgraded it is. some computers are crammed into tiny cases and don't have the physical space to add a graphics card, or whatever.

This is simplified to the point of being misleading. Intel has been making "i7" branded processors for a very long time (in computing terms). You need to know the exact processor model.

More to the point, for gaming, an i7 is overkill. Basically no games exist that can take advantage of 8 threads. An i5 is more than sufficient. Ideally you want one no earlier than the "Sandy Bridge" generation. The model number would be i5-2xxx or higher.

To the original question, giving advice greatly depends on what type of game(s) you're wanting to play, and at what resolution.

ketchup

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #38 on: December 17, 2015, 08:17:09 AM »
I used to have a bunch of consoles but now just use my PC.  We need a pretty beefy PC for my girlfriend's photography business anyway, so there's no real extra cost.

I don't game nearly as much as I used to, but I still fall back into Team Fortress 2 every so often.  My girlfriend does the same with Skyrim every few months when she has downtime.  I still have Fallout 3 on the "to play" list, as I got it in some Steam bundle a few years ago.

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #39 on: December 17, 2015, 08:32:12 AM »
yes, i7 is overkill, which is the point. it will still be usable and relevant when i5 has become a dinosaur. in my opinion it's a smarter purchase. long term computer planning.

No. Games are rarely taking advantage of more than 4 CPU threads, and what really counts for CPU-bound games is IPC (instructions per clock) on those threads. An i5 of the same generation (see my post above that you HAVE to include the model number, as, say, an i7-960 is a very different beast from a new Skylake i7-4XXXX) will be practically identical to an i5 of that gen for nearly all games.

Jack

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #40 on: December 17, 2015, 08:50:57 AM »
yes, i7 is overkill, which is the point. it will still be usable and relevant when i5 has become a dinosaur. in my opinion it's a smarter purchase. long term computer planning.

The trouble is that an i5 is so much cheaper that you can replace it before it becomes a dinosaur -- maybe multiple times -- and still pay less than the initial i7.

For example, the fastest (non-server) Intel CPU (i7-3970x) costs $1079.99. The i5 with the highest performance per dollar according to this chart (i5-3470) costs $199.99. You could buy the latter now, and then whatever the fastest processor is for $200 every two years for a decade before reaching the cost of the "overkill" CPU. (It's not quite that simple -- you'd probably need a new motherboard at least once, and you wouldn't feel the need to upgrade the CPU so often -- but I trust you get my point.)

Of course, according to that chart, it looks like the actual best-value processor (with decent performance) appears to be the AMD FX-8320 or 8350. However, the thing to remember is that AMD processors are tuned more towards multicore performance (whereas Intel CPUs have better single-threaded performance), so the chart may be misleading if the application you care about is single-threaded (such as most games, as Thegoblinchief points out). Regardless, I'd get neither an i7 nor an i5 but pick the AMD Fx-8350 instead, if I had to buy a CPU today.

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #41 on: December 17, 2015, 09:16:15 AM »
I don't want this thread to turn into incessant PC hardware talk, so maybe let's table this, or spinoff a thread (link it here if anyone does).

As my last word on the topic, my favorite site for reliable well-considered system building guides is The Tech Report. They also have a good video tutorial on assembling a PC. Lots of websites publish guides but that's the place I find myself not shaking my head and wondering why they recommended that.

Another good tool for those trying to cross-reference performance of a CPU or a GPU is Anandtech's Bench tool.

Killerbrandt

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #42 on: December 17, 2015, 09:19:06 AM »
I am a PC gamer (High end rig) and currently playing Witcher 3 a ton. You really do need to play it on normal so it will be more relaxing. Even on normal one can struggle with higher end creatures. I also love playing City Skylines, Europa 4, Tropico 5, Fallout 4, and Battlefield 4. I also jump into Guild Wars 2 with my wife (only game she plays).

Killerbrandt

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #43 on: December 17, 2015, 09:24:37 AM »
Hey! PC Magazine just said that the STEAM Sales should start December 22!! What are people looking forward to getting?

kudy

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #44 on: December 17, 2015, 09:41:05 AM »
I'm hoping to find a great party game on sale:

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes

SouthernTransplant

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #45 on: December 17, 2015, 09:45:06 AM »
Hey! PC Magazine just said that the STEAM Sales should start December 22!! What are people looking forward to getting?

I was thinking about Kerbal Space Program until I heard there was a Wii U version coming out, which might be better.  Might look at picking up one of the old Final Fantasies if they go on sale, especially since FF7 is being remade now!

Killerbrandt

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #46 on: December 17, 2015, 09:45:29 AM »
I'm hoping to find a great party game on sale:

Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes

That's a game?!?!?!?!

Jon_Snow

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #47 on: December 17, 2015, 09:50:32 AM »
So I ventured into into an online space battle over Jakku...predictably I managed only one kill...and succeeded spectacularly in being killed over a dozen times. Mercifully, I turned off my headset so that I couldn't hear the trashing of my x-wing piloting skills.

Jack

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #48 on: December 17, 2015, 10:00:41 AM »
I was thinking about Kerbal Space Program until I heard there was a Wii U version coming out, which might be better.  Might look at picking up one of the old Final Fantasies if they go on sale, especially since FF7 is being remade now!

Pro tip: for any game that has a PC version -- especially one that has plugins or expansions, like Kerbal Space Program -- the PC version is almost always better.

SouthernTransplant

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Re: Mustachian video gamers - what are you PLAYING?
« Reply #49 on: December 17, 2015, 10:02:09 AM »
I was thinking about Kerbal Space Program until I heard there was a Wii U version coming out, which might be better.  Might look at picking up one of the old Final Fantasies if they go on sale, especially since FF7 is being remade now!

Pro tip: for any game that has a PC version -- especially one that has plugins or expansions, like Kerbal Space Program -- the PC version is almost always better.

Agreed, in almost all cases.  I just liked the idea of using the Wii U controller with it's own screen as part of the experience.