PC Game Recommendations

[Sheriff Fatman]

OK, having finally purchased a PC which can run them I'm considering getting a few games to while away the hours (ok minutes!) of my spare time where I'm not playing poker.

World of Warcraft was originally on the list but is currently unavailable anywhere in the UK (unless you want to pay stupid money on Ebay). I've never played a MMORG before and am not sure how I'll get on with them but, sadly, I'm the type who will potentially lose hours to a game I enjoy so I'm considering giving one of these a go.

The guy in the shop where I asked about WoW started raving about City of Heroes as an alternative. Any thoughts on this or any other MMORG's worth looking at or do I wait for WoW to become available? The Star Wars Galaxies one is probably the most appealing but I'm thinking maybe I missed the boat on this one.

As for non-multiplayer games, Rome:Total War looks interesting and seems to have been raved about in reviews. Anyone played it or have any other suggestions?

Thanks

Sheriff

PS: I'm not a huge fan of first-person shooter types (probably from having played the original Doom to death at University) so I've ruled out Half-Life 2 or Doom 3. I'm still trying to figure out what all the fuss is about with Halo 2 on the Xbox so I doubt these will offer anything vastly different.

[ArchAngel71857]

Even though you ruled it out, I would highly recommend Half-Life 2. I don't enjoy FPS that much, but I am obssessed with this game. SimCity 4 is a lot of fun to play on a high performance machine. Warcraft III if you haven't already played that. Age of Mythology. I've heard a lot of good things about City of Heroes. There is always the Sims 2. If you like wasting time, and accompishing nothing, get that game. I keep hearing a lot of good things about Lego Star Wars, but can't comment on it. next, i am looking at getting Sid Meier's Pirates or the Myst series.

If you hate Star Wars, then don't pay attention to the next bit. The best Star Wars games are (I think) galactic battlegrounds, Knights of the Old Republic (I and II, haven't played II, though), the Dark Forces Series. I saw something on G4 this morning about SWAT 4.

One of the best games I ever played was SimGolf. i would seriously recommend Half-Life 2. everything about the game is incredible.
-AA

[swede123]

Pick up and play Warcraft 3 for a while. It's a great real time strategy game, lots of fun and good replayability - plus you can get it and the expansion bundled together real cheap since it's a few years old. If you end up liking the universe you might wanna try WoW.

I've heard bad things about Star Wars Galaxies. Either WoW or City of Heroes or EverQuest 2 would be better MMOG choices.

Swede

[ilya]

You'll probably get ten different MMORPG recs from ten different people. To me the choice is clear, Final Fantasy XI. Yes it's a grind (like any other MMORPG) and yes you need a party to get anywhere after a while, but the music & art direction are so far ahead of the competition it's ridiculous.

Eve Online is another good choice, very beautiful game set in space. One neat thing about it is that you don't need to put in as many hours to get ahead as in some other MMORPGS because the skill system allows leveling up while you're logged off. It's insanely complex though.

If you just want to try the whole MMORPG thing with a minimum of commitment, you can download and play the original version of Anarchy Online for free. That's right, no monthly fees at all. Since gameplay mechanics are similar across the MMORPG board, you can get a risk-free feel for whether you like the genre.

[astroglide]

mmorpgs are a complete waste of time/life

i try to make it so that my hobbies either make money, get me to exercise, or teach me something. playing something for pure fun is cool too, but not if you are going to dedicate your life to it.

[Suited Deuce]

Although you say you're not into FPS's, please give Call of Duty (and its sequals)a chance. It's about as intense a WWII game gets, and the multi-player online piece is the heart of the game. Some stages are so-so, yet most of it is pretty darn impressive. Medal of Honor isn't even in the same league.

I also enjoy the Total War series and recommend them, and it's probably time for me to check out some of the Star Wars titles.

[ilya]

[ QUOTE ]

i try to make it so that my hobbies either make money, get me to exercise, or teach me something. playing something for pure fun is cool too, but not if you are going to dedicate your life to it.

[/ QUOTE ]

I really like this attitude, I just wish I had the discipline to live like that. I'm working on it.

[SCfuji]

CIVILIZATION I
MASTER OF ORION I
STARCRAFT

[bugstud]

[ QUOTE ]
CIVILIZATION I
MASTER OF ORION I
STARCRAFT

[/ QUOTE ]

add civ 2 and doom 2, = end of thread

[BusterStacks]

MMORPGs are a waste of life. I recommend Far Cry (FPS) or give Warcraft 3 a try. Total War was a lot of fun but I didn't get a lot of time with it.