Conference back40::soapbox

  this is just too deep. ;>

    
    Well, personally I don't play any of these games, although I play
    other game types.  Shoot-em-ups bore me quickly.  However, it must
    be pointed out that these (and a half a dozen immitators, now and
    soon-to-come) have as their real attraction, first and foremost, fast
    action graphics.  The basic programming mechanism, called a
    ray-scanner in the trade, is now a known technology, and code in
    several languages can be bought in the store in books.  I have written one
    myself, without bothering with a game, and once you get it, it is
    easy to do 3-D of a limited kind for any sort of app.  Many of the
    other tricks of this type of programming are also now able to do
    things which but a few years ago, we all believed the hardware was
    too slow for.  I think this is generally true - there is more gain
    in performance available in software than in the computer, because
    there is so much untapped potential in software.
    
      The other amazing fact is that, as in movies, sports, music, law,
    investing, even doctrs, the software trade is now going to a "star"
    system - routine programmers' wages are actually declining, but a few
    superstars become fabulously wealthy with a tour-de-force.  It is a
    consequence of universal homogenized culture.  The marginally better
    wins ALL the chips, the only slightly worse, goes bankrupt.
    
      bb

I didn't care for shoot-em-up games on the Atari 2600 and I can't see much
point in them on the PC, either. I also can't see spending any time with
PC golf, PC football, PC-other_sports, flight simulators, or role-playing
games.

Just the way I am, I guess . . . 

  you can't see spending time on PC games!??  what??
  you're a sick man, Jack.  ;>

Well, actually, I like some types of PC games. Just not the types I
mentioned.

 oh.  so you really _are_ a sick man.  ;>

    Marathon DOOM sessions (networked death-match games, in particular) is
    bad for your brain.  Something about the graphics and movement burn
    inot your memory, causing you to "see" parts of the game whilst trying
    to sleep that night.  
    
    Of course, this only happens if you play for hours without a break. 
    8^)
    
    
    -steve (who has weaned himself from DOOM2)  8^)

 I'm a flight simulator nut, myself.  I don't care for the shoot 'em up/blow
 'em up stuff.





 Jim

    I bought Quantum Gate, had a horrible time installing it on my
    system, spent two days debugging why it would not install and
    then sent a detailed fax to MediaVision describing all of
    this, complete with explicitly defined bug fixes, which they
    never so much as sent me back a thank you for. Ungrateful
    turds, they'll never get a dime outta me again (and thank you
    for this opportunity to voice my completely out-of-context
    complaint :-)  Anyway, I did get the game to work and played
    with it for a while, but lost interest before I got any
    good at it.

    On to Myst. Cool game actually, but I lost interest before
    I got any good at it.

    Then Robin Hood on CD-ROM, but I lost interest before
    I got any good at it.

    If you see a pattern here, you're right...

    About the only games I've had much success with are the
    shoot-em-up kind. I lack the patience to spend hours looking
    for clues in adventure games, and I really hate going all
    the way back to the beginning. So I tend to lose interest...

    Flight Simulator, Golf, Crime Wave... I play these games
    with my kids. They also have a host of educational games,
    some of which I play with them (TurboScience, ReaderRabbit,
    etc.)

    The PC-based game I've played the most? None other than good
    old Windows Solitaire. Yep, exciting thrill a minute life
    I lead! :-)

    I've been thinking about bringing out the old Atari one
    of these days... there was some fun games that were not
    entirely "shoot-em-up". For instance, there was one game
    where the object was to rope cattle! And, Missile Command
    could hardly be called a "shoot-em-up".

    Every once in a while, I sneak my son's Sega Game Gear
    out of his room for a game of "NBA Jam".

    -b

    
    I'm still hooked on `Pong'!     ;^)
    

    
    
    I miss frogger..... :(
    
    
    
    
    
    Terrie
    

    
>>    I'm still hooked on `Pong'!     ;^)

    good man.  ;>
    

 KaBoom!

    
    I've lost interest in these, as you call it, shoot-em-up games long
    time ago. It was (then) always the same stupid pattern. 
    
    Often I also lose interest in a game once I have succesfully completed
    the task, e.g. doing the double in soccer-manager, succesfully building
    a metropolis in SimCity.
    
    
    To date, there's only a handful of games which I like.
    
    	* Civilization.
    		Playing on level 'King' is a challenge for me, 70/30
    		success chances. Still you need to be agressive,
    		expansionistic to win.
    
    	* Tetris
    		You can't win, just become better. No blood.
    
    	* Pool of Radiance (back in the C64 days)
    		Great for sharing a team with somebody else and then
    		decide together, how the group will act.
    
    	* Go
    		although I lack patience
    
    Heiko

    Pong is cool...huhu hu huhuhu

    
    Has everybody played "The Incredible Machine" or its sequels ?
    
    After a couple of fingers of your favorite beverage, this program
    is so funny you and anybody else present will be laughing out loud.
    
    I believe it runs on PC's and Macs.  It is not really a speed game,
    so computing power hardly matters, but you need sound because the
    musical background is full of jokes.
    
      bb

Yes, bb, The Incredible Machine 2 is one of the types of PC games that
I do enjoy. And solitaire, Brian.

    If you want a real laugher, get Space Quest IV on CD-ROM
    (not the disk version).  It's an adventure-style game, but
    that's secondary to the humor and the satirical take-offs
    on all kinds of sci-fi cliches and sacred cows.  Funny narration
    by Gary Owens of "Laugh-In" fame.
    
    Although I paid big buckos for the game originally, you can now
    find it included in one of those pack-o-ten CD-ROM games, among
    other places.
    
    Chris

    
    
    Anyone watch lawnmower man last night?
    
    
    Mike

    "Leisure Suit Larry" nos 1-6 for me!
    
    ric
    
    ps and UFO/X_Com

    I did, watch Lawnmower Man that is.  Pretty friggin cool if you ask me.  

    	We live in a society that is too violent as it is without
    	ingraining quasi-realistic violence through addictive computer 
    	play.
    
    	It's good to see that the "street fighter" type arcade games
    	now give a female character option so that girls can have an 
    	identifiable character for them too!

>    	It's good to see that the "street fighter" type arcade games
>    	now give a female character option so that girls can have an 
>    	identifiable character for them too!

Did you see Sunday's Dave Barry column?

>>Did you see Sunday's Dave Barry column?

	that was purty funny, yes it was.