Topic: What are you playing? (games)

[Jeffy]

My main monitor is a 30" Dell 2560 x 1600 60hz bought about 5 years ago.   The 30"-ers Dell is selling these days are essentially the same model.  Probably find one for under a grand. 

If the off-brand 1440p you're looking at are high hz models, that's a different story, though.   

All of the off-brands are supposed to be using a Samsung screen which is the same as the Apple Thunderbolt.  They are all priced well under $500.  The ones that have HDMI and Display Port cost more then the bare bones ones with only DVI, from what I've seen.

[chrisfranklin]

did you go thru the s/p campaign? how long is it?

and did anyone play Crysis 3?

Currently muddling through the single-player campaign on BF4 -- that, at least, plays for me without the problems multi-player has been giving me.  

Don't usually play the single-player campaigns, so don't really know about the length per se.  I'm still on the first out of seven stages and have probably been at it for 4 hours.  But like I said, don't usually play single-player so it's trial and error and probably particularly slow going in my case.

But have to say I'm, thus far, impressed with the graphic/details/story-work Dice put in, though.

[chrisfranklin]

All of the off-brands are supposed to be using a Samsung screen which is the same as the Apple Thunderbolt.  They are all priced well under $500.  The ones that have HDMI and Display Port cost more then the bare bones ones with only DVI, from what I've seen.

That sounds good.  The Dell 30s are Samsung screens also, iirc. 

[chrisfranklin]

Finally started playing BF4 multiplayer.  It crashes on me mid-game about every third or fourth game, it seems like.  Keep getting messages that the game can only play at 1080p, so that's what I am playing at (monitor I have is good for 1600p and that's what I play everything else at, so am kind of disappointed right now) 

Frankly, it appears that my 560ti cards in SLI can't handle BF4 at High and Ultra settings -- even at 1080p.  Can get 60fps but the graphic settings have to be de-tuned significantly. 

[Mozman68]

I finally got it to work for me...but only on Internet Explorer....haven't tried multiplayer yet.

Was able to get an XBoxOne, so will just get it for that as well!

[Jeffy]

With the Steam Sale going on, I ended up buying Skyrim and The Stanley Parable.

[Jeffy]

Well, I got the Monoprice 27" 2650x1440 (2K) monitor from a CyberMonday deal.  It was $300.  Can't really go wrong for that price.  I have to say it's worth every penny and more.  I'm glad I didn't go with a 1080p monitor.  This thing is awesome.  The only downside is that the brightness is a bit bright and it's kinda blinding if the screen has a lot of white.

[jfrabat]

I need to get a new (better) monitor for my PC; I use it for photo editing, and right now, I don't even have 1080 there!

By the way, I just started playing GranTurismo 6 last night (I hope I don't get in trouble for posting this, as it is released tomorrow!) on my PS3.  It's really good, but I wish you could import the cars you already had in GT5...  If you can, I could not figure out how yesterday!

[Jeffy]

I need to get a new (better) monitor for my PC; I use it for photo editing, and right now, I don't even have 1080 there!

By the way, I just started playing GranTurismo 6 last night (I hope I don't get in trouble for posting this, as it is released tomorrow!) on my PS3.  It's really good, but I wish you could import the cars you already had in GT5...  If you can, I could not figure out how yesterday!

Well, if you do your homework, one of the S. Korean 27" monitors is an excelent value.  You're basically getting a screen that was rejected from Dell/Apple.  These are $1000 monitors.  LG makes the screens.  By rejected, I mean instead of an A+ screen you get a A or A- which usually means something really minor like maybe too much light bleed or something.

[jfrabat]

Well, if you do your homework, one of the S. Korean 27" monitors is an excelent value.  You're basically getting a screen that was rejected from Dell/Apple.  These are $1000 monitors.  LG makes the screens.  By rejected, I mean instead of an A+ screen you get a A or A- which usually means something really minor like maybe too much light bleed or something.

I saw some 2K A types (no pixel damage or light bleed, according tot he site) for about $430, which is not bad.  I am considering this...  Now I just need to figure out what to tell the wive!

[Jeffy]

I saw some 2K A types (no pixel damage or light bleed, according tot he site) for about $430, which is not bad.  I am considering this...  Now I just need to figure out what to tell the wive!

I'd be a little skeptical if they say there is no light bleed.  IPS's all tend to bleed a bit.  If you're not looking at blacks all day, you won't even notice it.  My 27"'s regular price is $390.  It's pretty bare bones.  No onboard scaling.  This means no HDMI nor Display Port.  Not a big deal since I don't use them.  DVI is the same quality as HDMI minus the audio.  The next model up from the one I bought had HDMI, Display Port as well as speakers and a glass front panel.  I didn't want the glass since it's more likely to get reflections.

[sharpxmen]

you can get sound over DVI

[Jeffy]

you can get sound over DVI

Yeah but not thought a DVI cable.  Typically monitors with built-in speakers will have HDBI while those that don't will only have DVI.  In any case to run a 2K monitor you need DVI-D Dual-Link.  I think the performance hit is about the same if I was running dual monitors.

Skyrim is a little slow when loading up a new area.  I have to wait a few seconds for it to load properly.  Or else I get hit with a lot of stutter and a FPS of around 17.  Once it loads, it's fine but can be a slight issue when you enter a room wth enemies in it.  I'm playing Skyrim in Ultra.

[chrisfranklin]

I did the unthinkable and got a cheap Ebay copy of Windows 8 that I then upgraded to Windows 8.1.  BF4 multiplayer suddenly became playable at 1600p on medium settings with my 560ti cards...Only at about 40fps though. 

BF4 itself kind of seems like BFBC2 meets Mirror's Edge -- lots of high-rise sniping, base jumping in urban environments 

However, with Windows 8.1 my system ended up throwing a "bad sys config" message.  Am writing this on a fresh install of Win 7.  A lot of my SSD is all backed up, but I am still going to have to invest a better part of a day reinstalling a bunch of things.  And then I'm back to what I was at before:  Windows 8.1. 

Probably going to go back to Windows 7 and give BF4 a rest despite the improved playability on 8.1, or wait for a patch that makes Windows 7 work as well with it (as was effectively advertised).

I hear EA's stock has been falling due to BF4 release problems http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2013/12/ea-stock-dips-as-company-struggles-to-fix-battlefield-4-issues/?comments=1&start=80.

[chardrc]

I have been trying to play BF4 with issues. When it works its fun. but after the latest update if i die in the campaign the game crashes when reloading the map. the game also crashes after about 3 or 4 multiplexer maps. i also didn't pre-order so i dont have china rising and 90% of my favorite servers are china rising now so i essentially can't play on most of the servers online unless i upgrade when the game is only a month old. a bunch of garbage if you ask me when they make the base game obsolete that fast.  .

I would just not play for 2 months for them to get everything straightened out like i did for bf3 but then everyone in a tank or aircraft ends up leveled out and its damn near impossible to build up a aircraft....