Author Topic: Any gamers around here? (Read 200005 times)

Cavebear · « **Reply #2670 on:** July 13, 2018, 01:32:43 PM »

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On honest reflection, a very large portion of my dislike of Apple has its basis in their marketing, which admittedly is an irrational reason to dislike the product itself.

There is hope for you yet!

Hydra009 · « **Reply #2671 on:** July 13, 2018, 01:38:20 PM »

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Well those are good points. I use my desktop for limited functions. I play a couple complicated strategic games, blog, answer email, type a few Word documents from time to time (and I mean WORD - I have Office for Mac). But I have 10,000 pictures organized and the ones on the PC just don't work.

Yeah. For internet surfing, basic productivity, and a couple beloved video games, it doesn't much matter if you go Apple or Microsoft (or Linux). That's mostly down to personal preference.

And I dunno if this is has since been fixed in the past few years, but one thing that really bugged me about Windows 7 is that Windows Explorer handled animated GIFs extremely poorly. I've since moved all that stuff to Imgur so I dunno if that's still a thing, especially on Windows 10.

Baruch · « **Reply #2672 on:** July 13, 2018, 07:42:17 PM »

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If your pc is being pushed hard to play Civ 2 that sounds like you’re using an ancient machine. Bottom line is if you want to play it stable use PC, if you want to stay Mac then expect it to crash and burn often.

Games (for performance) are written "close to the metal" aka they don't use the software library (too slow). So they need the correct motherboard, and a correct video card for adequate performance and stability. By nature, that is something Mac doesn't have (because as you say, the games are written once, and only for Windows ... then ported (badly) to Mac. Since gaming isn't my primary computer use ... I don't need that performance from a high-end Windows PC.

Baruch · « **Reply #2673 on:** July 13, 2018, 07:45:50 PM »

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Its main advantage is the larger library of programs (including video games) and extensive 3rd party hardware (the bottom line for consumers is more selection and lower prices)

I can either use the default windows file manager or, if I want, pick from a vast number of third party programs. Almost everything can be customized (Internet Explorer bugged me in that it couldn't be easily removed)

And if I want to slot an AMD processor with an Nvidia graphics card and an ASUS motherboard, I can.

Apple has a much more limited selection with a notable reliance on proprietary products and reduced third-party support.

There are lots of other issues and controversies surrounding both companies (Windows 10 mandatory updates, business/tax practices, FUD, etc) that would take forever to fully address. So it's not quite as cut-and-dry as it seems.

IE is the core of Windows security, because of government and corporations. This is why you are not allowed to run another browser (Chrome, Firefox) except as a bastard step-child to your IE. And Edge is even worse, we can't even use Edge in the military now (after Win10) and IE is becoming increasingly unviable (except as a security nightmare backend). You are owned by the Deep State ... enjoy the penetration as best you can!

Hydra009 · « **Reply #2674 on:** July 15, 2018, 01:02:47 AM »

I've been having way too much fun playing Endless Space 2. Alas, it's far too distracting. Hours go bye in the blink of an eye.

I love the new quests. I encountered these guys--->

They're humanoid insects imported from god knows where that overran the entire planet, forcing the inhabitants to evacuate. So naturally, I befriended them and brought them into my multi-planet empire. (They're absolutely amazing soldiers!)

As you might expect, the rest of my citizens got pretty leery. So I started a PR campaign extolling the virtues of these courageous citizen-soldiers. Now my citizens line up to take selfies with them and they get military discounts at most restaurants.

"We will work together to make this world a better place for all, no matter how many legs!"

Shiranu · « **Reply #2675 on:** July 15, 2018, 01:22:22 AM »

Finally got back into having enough time for Stellaris...

Right now playing an Egalitarian, Spiritual Militaristic eel people... everything is going good, have three colonies and multiple systems providing me a very healthy amount of resources, science is pretty strong, the people are happy and the refugee and robotic population are providing many wonderful things for my society...

Oh, and my two hyperlanes out of my territory are blocked off by two authoritarian dictatorships, and these two have signed a defense pact against me. Beyond them are... more dictatorships, and a fanatical purging society.

In my corner of the galaxy it is all xenophobes, fundamentalists and authoritarians. I am the small, democratic egalitarians that they all despise, and the only two paths into my territory are blocked off with fully upgraded starforts and well-trained Navies. It is perhaps only a matter of time however until a collation forms that can break through my defenses... unless the fanatical purgers declare war on one of the dictators, allowing me to focus my efforts on the other and open up new paths to expand my republic.

It's pretty fun role-playing, but pretty boring not being able to do anything but sit there and hope for good tech and events to popup.

trdsf · « **Reply #2676 on:** July 15, 2018, 02:02:57 AM »

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On honest reflection, a very large portion of my dislike of Apple has its basis in their marketing, which admittedly is an irrational reason to dislike the product itself.

My dislike of Apple is twofold:

1) Apple considers their machines to be black-box technology. They don't want you doing any hardware work on your Mac beyond plugging in a keyboard. I mean, they seriously expect you to bring your phone in to a trained technician to have the battery replaced. That's absurd.

2) Apple's prices for their machines are way out of line. Macs used to have a definite advantage with regards to graphics and audio, but that advantage has been gone for nearly two decades now. They no longer have the technology advantage they used to have.

The one major advantage that MacOS had over Windows -- being Linux-based (or is it BSD-based? One or the other...) -- hasn't been an advantage for quite some time, since you can run Linux on any x86-based machine.

I don't like Windows—I tolerate Windows 7—but at least I can spec out a machine to my own preferences, replace parts if and when I feel like it, and it can be done quite inexpensively. My current machine -- completely new, the only held over part from my old machine was a data drive -- came in at under $700 and that included two drives (one of them an SSD), a new monitor, tower, power supply, memory, OS (Win7), mainboard, chip, the works. I'm pretty sure I can't get a new Mac for anything near that.

_Xenu_ · « **Reply #2677 on:** July 15, 2018, 08:22:40 AM »

I'm posting from a Mac right now, but I only have it because it was a hand down. I will admit that I don't exactly hate the thing, but I wouldn't have paid the $1400 it cost when it was new. Even at six years old, its still reasonably fast and powerful. Has i7 processor, 8 gig of ram, and 750 gig HDD. Runs the latest version of Mac OS, High Sierra, without issues. I also agree that Finder is much more powerful than searching for things in Windows.

Price is admittedly a thing with me, which is part of why I have always liked Linux. I walked into the local Apple store for a lightning bolt to HDMI converter to connect the Mac to my tv, they wanted $40 for it. I found something comparable on Amazon for like $8. Guess who got my business?

Hydra009 · « **Reply #2678 on:** **Today** at 12:12:40 AM »

I decided (against my better judgement and ability to sleep) to play more Endless Space 2. This time with a custom faction and higher difficulty setting.

Say hello to The Order of the Green Hand, environmentalist Sophons! An unholy alliance of tech-loving scientists and nature lovers!

And our newest friends, the yin to our yang, the Mavros!

Collectively, we're studious and curious while still being able to defend ourselves. We look inward as well as outward, exploring the outer edge of the galaxy while also learning all there is to know about the smallest microbes. The downside? We don't capitalism too good and we can't muster troops well. But anyone who mistakes our gentle and easy-going nature for weakness will learn a harsh lesson. For one day we will tend the entire galaxy, and we will yank out its weeds if we must.

Cavebear · « **Reply #2679 on:** **Today** at 01:04:18 AM »

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My dislike of Apple is twofold:

1) Apple considers their machines to be black-box technology. They don't want you doing any hardware work on your Mac beyond plugging in a keyboard. I mean, they seriously expect you to bring your phone in to a trained technician to have the battery replaced. That's absurd.

2) Apple's prices for their machines are way out of line. Macs used to have a definite advantage with regards to graphics and audio, but that advantage has been gone for nearly two decades now. They no longer have the technology advantage they used to have.

The one major advantage that MacOS had over Windows -- being Linux-based (or is it BSD-based? One or the other...) -- hasn't been an advantage for quite some time, since you can run Linux on any x86-based machine.

I don't like Windows—I tolerate Windows 7—but at least I can spec out a machine to my own preferences, replace parts if and when I feel like it, and it can be done quite inexpensively. My current machine -- completely new, the only held over part from my old machine was a data drive -- came in at under $700 and that included two drives (one of them an SSD), a new monitor, tower, power supply, memory, OS (Win7), mainboard, chip, the works. I'm pretty sure I can't get a new Mac for anything near that.

I love Mac. And I can afford it. That makes a a lot of difference for me.

Sal1981 · « **Reply #2680 on:** **Today** at 04:01:43 PM »

Just completed an easy campaign (yeah right) of X-Com:Apocalypse, took me all the way to June 20th, 2084 ingame or something to complete it, which is something like 16 weeks I think ingame time. After I got the disrupter shields and Annihilators, the pace definitely slowed down ingame time wise, just waiting on Research coming through and the the odd alien raid. The most intense however was after I had destroyed the 5th alien building, then a whole invasion fleet of alien ships arrived and decimated the city, did a total of -12k points damage to the city and the clean up took me a whole day to raid all the crashed ships, biggest was the 9th ship, the Alien Battleship.

During gameplay I only saw 2 Alien Motherships, both were used to conduct (a failed) raid on my 2nd base.

Final score: 101k

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Author Topic: Any gamers around here? (Read 200005 times)

Cavebear

Re: Any gamers around here?

Hydra009

Re: Any gamers around here?

Baruch

Re: Any gamers around here?

Baruch

Re: Any gamers around here?

Hydra009

Re: Any gamers around here?

Shiranu

Re: Any gamers around here?

trdsf

Re: Any gamers around here?

_Xenu_

Re: Any gamers around here?

Hydra009

Re: Any gamers around here?

Cavebear

Re: Any gamers around here?

Sal1981

Re: Any gamers around here?