Would like to get into gaming

Theocnoob · Jun 15, 2014

If you like HL2, you'll love games like Oblivion, Skyrim, Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas. They're all cheap on Steam now. Those 4 games will give you almost 1000 hours of enjoyment between them.

Also you have the horsepower given that half life 2 is so old to apply 16 passes of anisotropic filtering and anti aliasing, as well as multisample transparency anti aliasing. Right click on your desktop and open the Nvidia control panel and go to 3d settings. Add Half Life 2 to the drop down list and tweak the settings for the game.
Make sure you max out all the in game settings as well if you haven't already.

EarthDog · Jun 15, 2014

Tweak the settings IN GAME. Only use the NVCP for SUPPLEMENTING the in game settings. Meaning if inside the game has 16xAF settings, set it there.

papadan · Jun 15, 2014

Theocnoob said:
If you like HL2, you'll love games like Oblivion, Skyrim, Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas. They're all cheap on Steam now. Those 4 games will give you almost 1000 hours of enjoyment between them.

Also you have the horsepower given that half life 2 is so old to apply 16 passes of anisotropic filtering and anti aliasing, as well as multisample transparency anti aliasing. Right click on your desktop and open the Nvidia control panel and go to 3d settings. Add Half Life 2 to the drop down list and tweak the settings for the game.
Make sure you max out all the in game settings as well if you haven't already.

Hi, I went into nvida cp. & added HL2 to the list. There are 4 different antialiasing inputs &all have use global setting. Is this the correct setting? I don't see a multisample transparency.

Thanks for the game recommendations.

papadan · Jun 15, 2014

EarthDog said:
Tweak the settings IN GAME. Only use the NVCP for SUPPLEMENTING the in game settings. Meaning if inside the game has 16xAF settings, set it there.

Sorry for not understanding much of this stuff. So what you're saying is if there isn't a particular setting found within the game but is seen in the NVidia cp just leave it alone?

Theocnoob · Jun 15, 2014

papadan said:
Sorry for not understanding much of this stuff. So what you're saying is if there isn't a particular setting found within the game but is seen in the NVidia cp just leave it alone?

No what he's saying (which I thought was a given, so I didn't say it) is that if you want a certain setting, like transparency antialiasing, or antialiasing at all (sometimes its not in the in game settings), or anisotropic filtering, you can set it in the nvidia control panel. But you should always try to do settings through the game itself first.

For example, if a game has antialiasing options in-game but no anisotropic filtering options, you can force anisotropic filtering through the nvidia control panel.

Some games (ridiculously) don't have a V-Sync option, so you get horizontal screen tearing. You'd want to force V-Sync through the NVidia control panel.

AA transparency is under "Antialiasing - Transparency" then select the level in the drop down menu.

Obviously the more passes you add of anything (AA/AF) the more work you're generating for your GPU. At a certain point it will make the games framerate go down (although this is highly unlikely with a 10 year old game, so go nuts).

papadan · Jun 15, 2014

Theocnoob said:
No what he's saying (which I thought was a given, so I didn't say it) is that if you want a certain setting, like transparency antialiasing, or antialiasing at all (sometimes its not in the in game settings), or anisotropic filtering, you can set it in the nvidia control panel. But you should always try to do settings through the game itself first.

For example, if a game has antialiasing options in-game but no anisotropic filtering options, you can force anisotropic filtering through the nvidia control panel.

Some games (ridiculously) don't have a V-Sync option, so you get horizontal screen tearing. You'd want to force V-Sync through the NVidia control panel.

AA transparency is under "Antialiasing - Transparency" then select the level in the drop down menu.

Obviously the more passes you add of anything (AA/AF) the more work you're generating for your GPU. At a certain point it will make the games framerate go down (although this is highly unlikely with a 10 year old game, so go nuts).

Thanks for all the info. would I be correct in thinking that the amount increase of any of these parameters would be determined by how much my gpu or maybe gpu/cpu can handle? Does the particular game enter into it also?

Theocnoob · Jun 15, 2014

papadan said:
Thanks for all the info. would I be correct in thinking that the amount increase of any of these parameters would be determined by how much my gpu or maybe gpu/cpu can handle? Does the particular game enter into it also?

Exactly. Half Life 2, being an old game, is using maybe 35HP out of your 200HP potential on that card. Adding AA/AF passes and doing transparency AA would increase that to 100HP. If the game in question is already pulling 150HP with no AA or AF, turning those on will noticeably hamper the game's performance.

Obviously, if you have a 350HP GPU, then you can take that same 150HP game and throw all kinds of filters on it.

Your GPU is not bad. It's not enthusiast grade but it's definitely respectable. You can throw any game at it and get decent performance. Games that will run at noticeably lower framerates for you include Metro 2033/Last Light, Crysis 2/3, Farcry 3, etc. Even old old old games like Flight Simulator X (2006) can start to run choppy on a system like yours if you throw all kinds of addons and scenery packs in there.

wingman99 · Jun 15, 2014

Have you played any First person shooter games? if you have not I would download Battlefield 1942.

Theocnoob · Jun 15, 2014

wingman99 said:
Have you played any First person shooter games? if you have not I would download Battlefield 1942.

He's playing a FPS right now (HL2). I would not recommend downloading 10 year old multiplayer games. There may be existing multiplayer support to this day but that doesn't mean they're very good games. Battlefield 4 (which will run acceptably on the OP's machine) is a much better game than 1942. Is it harder to play? Absolutely, but there's nothing wrong with a bit of a steep learning curve, and he's honing his skills with HL2 now.

I think a game like Fallout 3 or Fallout New Vegas would be great for him, especially being an older gamer, because of things like VATS (you can stop time and set up your shots), it's a slower paced game, and it's entertaining as hell. It's the same "kind" of game as HL2, with more RPG elements and an open world.

I think the OP may also enjoy some third person action games like Batman Arkham Asylum, Arkham City and Arkham Origins. They're not horribly fast paced games either, and their mechanics are easy enough to work out, especially if you start with the first (easiest) installment.

EarthDog · Jun 16, 2014

Exactly. I wouldn't go back so far anymore. You have a taste of how to play, now play something modern. There isn't much difference, but, why get old games? I am not understanding why, at this point, he should do that...

papadan · Jun 16, 2014

Thanks again for all the great info. I probably should explain why I picked HL2. I have developed a medical condition (familiar tremors) which causes mostly my left hand to shake. I figured I would need a fairly easy game so I could see if it would be even possible for me to play any games. At this point I don't see me playing anything real intense. I don't just want to give up doing things just because of this inconvenience. I did have to give up flying RC helicopters because of starting to crash all of them.

This is coming along slowly but it's not going to get the bet of me.

papadan · Jun 16, 2014

EarthDog said:
Exactly. I wouldn't go back so far anymore. You have a taste of how to play, now play something modern. There isn't much difference, but, why get old games? I am not understanding why, at this point, he should do that...

Hi, I would be interested in knowing some of the newer games that were kind of on the easier side with not too many inputs from the keyboard.

Thanks

EarthDog · Jun 16, 2014

Like I said, not too much has changed with modern games. Forward/Backward/Run/L/R/U/Cycle weapons/Alternate weapons...etc....

Janus67 · Jun 16, 2014

I would still recommend civilization V. Virtually no input from the keyboard is necessary and can be ratcheted up to as easy or difficult as you would like it (something like 12 difficulty settings).

ATMINSIDE · Jun 16, 2014

Dan, do you think it would be easier to use a controller with the tremors?
Most new(ish) games have plug-n-play support for the wired 360 controller, if it would help you

Here's another +1 for the Batman: Arkham games. Awesome story, not too difficult, plenty of eye candy :thup:

papadan · Jun 16, 2014

Janus67 said:
I would still recommend civilization V. Virtually no input from the keyboard is necessary and can be ratcheted up to as easy or difficult as you would like it (something like 12 difficulty settings).

Hi, I am still planning on trying civilization V as soon as I can get through HL2 one time.

Thanks

Robert17 · Jun 16, 2014

papadan said:
Hi, I would be interested in knowing some of the newer games that were kind of on the easier side with not too many inputs from the keyboard.

Thanks

Civilization V. And there's a VI on the way.

papadan · Jun 16, 2014

ATMINSIDE said:
Dan, do you think it would be easier to use a controller with the tremors?
Most new(ish) games have plug-n-play support for the wired 360 controller, if it would help you

Here's another +1 for the Batman: Arkham games. Awesome story, not too difficult, plenty of eye candy

That was the reason I was initially asking about controllers but everyone had said that keyboard & mouse was the best way to go. I don't just want to give in on things because of a little problem. I am keeping the controller in the back of my mind but I'm not ready to give in just yet.

ATMINSIDE · Jun 16, 2014

papadan said:
That was the reason I was initially asking about controllers but everyone had said that keyboard & mouse was the best way to go. I don't just want to give in on things because of a little problem. I am keeping the controller in the back of my mind but I'm not ready to give in just yet.

I wouldn't call it "giving in", I rarely use a keyboard/mouse for gaming now.
I've somewhat gotten out of FPS games, so the majority of what I play now are RPG or racing games.
For one I've got my wired 360 controller and the other I have my wheel and pedals.

Silver_Pharaoh · Jun 16, 2014

How's HL2 going Dan?

Fun game

Would like to get into gaming

Member

Gulper Nozzle Co-Owner

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Gulper Nozzle Co-Owner

Member

Member

Gulper Nozzle Co-Owner

Benching Team Leader

Sim Racing Aficionado Co-Owner

Member

Premium Member

Member

Sim Racing Aficionado Co-Owner

Likes the big ones n00b Member

Similar threads