# Can anyone recommend any really good PC games for network play? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 29, 2004, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-recommend-any-really-good-pc-games-for-network-play/226605 "2004-01-29T17:16:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![scule](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@scule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scule)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2004, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-recommend-any-really-good-pc-games-for-network-play/226605/1 "2004-01-29T17:16:08Z")
A friend of mine recently took in a second computer, and set up a two-PC network. Both computers have internet access. Anyway, he isn’t really into games, but now all of a sudden wants to set up a network game and play against each other at something. I have many games, but I rarely play online and I never have over a network, so I have little experience with this. We have NHL 2004, FIFA 2004 and Madden 2004, but he is also really interested in racing games. I have Half-Life, and a number of other FPS games, but which are best for a network (or direct internet connection). So any recommendations for a fun, easy to set up, challenging network-playable game would be appreciated, especially racing games. ---
**Author:** ![Anonymous\_Coward](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/94ad74/32.png) [@Anonymous\_Coward](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anonymous_Coward)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2004, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-recommend-any-really-good-pc-games-for-network-play/226605/2 "2004-01-29T18:51:24Z")
Hrmm… 2 player 1st person shooters are boring, unless you are playing co-op with both of you vs the computer. FPS Halflife has a co-op mod No One Lives Forever 2 has co-op System Shock 2 has co-op I think RTS (real time strategy) - These are great with only 2 players. Warcraft 2 or 3 Starcraft Command and Conquer Generals Age of Empires 2 I’m not a racing sim fan, so I can’t help you there. ---
**Author:** ![Anonymous\_Coward](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/94ad74/32.png) [@Anonymous\_Coward](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anonymous_Coward)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2004, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-recommend-any-really-good-pc-games-for-network-play/226605/3 "2004-01-29T18:55:02Z")
Hrmm… 2 player 1st person shooters are boring, unless you are playing co-op with both of you vs the computer. FPS Halflife has a co-op mod No One Lives Forever 2 has co-op System Shock 2 has co-op I think RTS (real time strategy) - These are great with only 2 players. Warcraft 2 or 3 Starcraft Command and Conquer Generals Age of Empires 2 Misc - Diablo II I’m not a racing sim fan, so I can’t help you there. ---
**Author:** ![Blackclaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e68b1a/32.png) [@Blackclaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackclaw)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2004, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-recommend-any-really-good-pc-games-for-network-play/226605/4 "2004-01-29T19:02:42Z")
Battlefield 1942 ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2004, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-recommend-any-really-good-pc-games-for-network-play/226605/5 "2004-01-29T19:46:31Z")
Off-road racing: [1nsane](http://www.codemasters.com/insane/eng/html/index.html) I don’t have experience with the following but they do have a internet/network multiplayer mode. [NASCAR Thunder](http://www.easports.com/games/thunder2004/pccd.jsp) [F1 Challenge](http://www.easports.com/games/f12004/pccd.jsp) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2004, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-recommend-any-really-good-pc-games-for-network-play/226605/6 "2004-01-29T19:54:00Z")
> [@Blackclaw](#): > > Battlefield 1942 I second this… and best of all, you can play a fairly full-featured demo for free (this is what I’m doing now). I love jumping into planes, parachuting out, hopping into an unoccupied tank in enemy territory and wreaking havoc. Also, very nice mix of soldier classes (Assault, Engineer, Anti-Tank, Sniper are all interesting… Medic seems to be useless though). ---
**Author:** ![scule](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@scule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scule)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-recommend-any-really-good-pc-games-for-network-play/226605/7 "2004-01-30T18:45:04Z")
Thanks for your responses. I just bought an ATI Radeon 9600, so I can’t wait to get my hands on Half-Life 2, whenever it finally comes out, but I think it’s time to go and pick up Battlefield 1942 (or Call of Duty). ---
**Author:** ![pilot141](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e0b2c6/32.png) [@pilot141](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pilot141)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2004, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anyone-recommend-any-really-good-pc-games-for-network-play/226605/8 "2004-01-30T19:05:35Z")
**BF 1942** and **Call of Duty** are both great games. You can’t go wrong with either one. One potential drawback to the **BF 1942** games is the two expansion packs: you will be limited to only playing on servers that run the packs that you have. Not a huge deal, but something to consider. I think they are packaging the **Road to Rome** expansion with the basic game for $40, and tack on another $20 for the **Secret Weapons of WWII** pack. Or just download **Desert Combat** for free! One other caveat: it’s VERY easy for two players to get lost on a big map with a raging battle. Meaning that unless you coordinate places to meet up first, you can get caught up in the battle and never see each other. For co-op play, a few friends and I just started playing **Ghost Recon**. The Gold Edition with two expansion packs can be had for $30 these days. The game is more “realistic” and less “arcadey” than **BF 1942** , but the co-op is lots of fun. Since it’s been out for a while there are a million mods out there. You can download single-player missions that will keep you occupied for weeks, and multiplayer maps are all over the place. Sorry, but I have no advice on racing games. So, for lots of fun and plenty of “Oh my God did you see THAT?” moments, I’d say go with **BF 1942**. For serious teamwork and good co-op with your friends, go with **Ghost Recon**.