Finally! - A game I can spend 10 hours playing!

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
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A long time ago (or so it seems) I would occasionaly spend upwards of 14 hours playing 1 computer game. The most recent (other than today) was Black and White. I had played it for so long that, afterwards, I could see the game everywhere I looked (I had burned it into my eyes).

Now at last, those days are returning. With the help of Splinter Cell, for the PC.

I left work, bought some dimm memory (a gigabyte of it!) and a new graphics card. While I was there I thought “F - it!, I’ll buy a game while I’m here”. Splinter Cell didn’t appeal to me much at the time. But I’d just spent around 400 quid on hardware! what harm is another 30 going to do?

Anyway, got home, spent a couple of hours tearing my hair out trying to get the graphics card to work, deciding it was faulty, failing to get my old one to work, deciding that the drivers for the new one had F’ed about with the system, went on the web, discovered that windows systems with huge amounts of ram exhibited strange behaviour with AGP cards, found the ‘fix’, spent another hour getting everything working, got everything working, installed Splinter Cell, played for ten hours, went to work again.
Notice the lack of the word ‘sleep’ in there? That’s cos I didn’t get none! And if I put Splinter Cell on when I get home this morning - I wouldn’t put it past myself to end up playing for another Ten hours.

Anyway, the game is great! The graphics manage to be amazing without being too polygon intensive, the level design is almost genius for the situations it causes you to be in, and the fact that (this is rare in games) there are many many ways to deal with a situation!

I was describing an example here, but it started to get long-winded, so, please just take my word for it that there are many many ways to deal with what the game throws at you

It’s just a shame it’s one of those scripted games where the end is inevitable.

(p.s. isn’t the sea in the oil-rig level just mesmerizing!)

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:smack: ‘Spend’! I missed ‘Spend’ out of the title!

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If any mod decides to change my title (not that I am asking) please do not let it be the one that adds “Edited title” on the end!

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I recently bought Clive Barker’s Undying for the PC. It tanked when it came out, which is why I could pick it up for 28 Euros. Not a bad game at all, very moody and kinda creepy. Not a great graphics game, although I’m running it on “Software Rendering” because my old graphics card kept crashing while trying to start the game. So, I need a new card.

I also got Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project for 15 Euros, but haven’t even installed it yet. Should be good for a few hours of plain old shoot-em-up fun.

And to think I have this hideously expensive PS2 in the living room that I only play rental DVD’s on… for some reason, I play PC games alone, and PS2 games when with friends. GT3, Tekken, that sort of thing. Lots of fun when with your mates, not so when you’re alone.

Strange.

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Ask and you shall receive.

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Thanks. Appreciated.

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Didn’t notice your first thread. (sorry) It seems to be universal - consoles are for playing with friends, PCs are for playing alone. It was like that for me.

I run Sim City 4 on ‘Software rendering’ on our new laptop- it actually runs smoother than when set on Hardware rendering! (and I know there’s a 3d chip in there somewhere)

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(alas, in the end, I did not spend another 10 hours playing)

Any other splinter Cell fans? - Is it the best of it’s ‘genre’? Or are there even better games out there waiting for me to have too much money to spend?

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Lobsang, not sure if the’re all available for PC, but my son likes Splinter Cell, Medal of Honor, Halo, and Ghost Recon.

He’s got the XBox Live setup and plays Ghost Recon probably 4 to 8 hours a day, on-line. He says he thinks Halo is better and wishes it were an on-line game.

First time I think I’ve ever gotten my moneys’ worth outta something I got for that boy !!! :stuck_out_tongue:

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I have Splinter Cell for Xbox, and I haven’t been able to get into it. I’m more of a Dead to Rights kind of guy.

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NinetyWt as a boy I was baffled as to why someone would spend upwards of 300 pounds/500 dollars on something for their kids. I used to think “are some parents really that generous??” now I’m an adult I know the true reasons for games consoles. p.s. Splinter Cell, and Medal od Honor our available for the PC, Halo and Ghost recon I am not so sure about.

whiteboy maybe the PC and X-box versions are different (doubtful) or maybe Dead to Rights is one of the better games I wondered about.

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Played Splinter Cell on the Xbox. Liked it, though I’m not much of a console gamer. Although, nowadays, I know better than to start playing Morrowind, lest I wind up killing six hours or so.

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I just bought Hearts of Iron, and that’s been burning 6-8 hours of my life per gaming session. I may have to go buy Europa Universalis II after work… no!!.. must resist!! need… shower!!

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Splinter Cell Rocks
So much so that Mrs. Phlosphr has put a limit on how late I can stay up and play it. I should have never got an X-Box!!! But I limit how much I play, but just having one game. Splinter cell is on in my house at all times - when my wife is not home - and yes Lobsang the sea looks pretty sweet from the oil rig.

Be careful. Metal Gear solid got me into that kind of game, then siphon filter - ghost recon - ect…etc… but right now, Splinter cell has my interst. Granted I’m on the last level and getting ready to beat the game. I love being stealthy…

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10 hours straight? I’ve done that on ‘Diablo2’ and ‘NWN’…

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Ditto on the Diablo2. I have also been known to get sucked straight into RTS games. Long days/nights on Age of empires and WarCraft3. I’ve been wanting to get Command And Conquer: Generals, but I haven’t done it yet. Anyone play that right now?

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I hear ya! Recently installed Tribunal (and a new mod - Bloodwind - is on the way). All thoughts of studying have been abandoned.

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I’ve been “recycling” my older games and recently got deep into playing Independance war 2 Edge of Chaos. I have Black and White but never got deep into it.

I’ll third Diablo 2.

I haven’t gotten a new game for probably over 10 months now. My last worst game was Superpower. I’m still waiting for the patches (it’s 4th? one) that’ll fix it up. I also ended up buying a lot of games that I used to prirate (and still have copies for). I guess now that I have the money, I’d rather buy than download for free because I like having manuals and posters.

I haven’t pulled an all nighter since playing Cataclysm (homeworld 2) and Rogue Spear. My friends and I would have LAN parties (several friends with their computers, a parent free house with big basement and lots of food) back in College…haven’t had one for a while now.

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I thought you were going to talk about Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball.

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If you like Splinter Cell you might also enjoy Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance. It’s the same kind of stealth/sneaking game. It’s already on X-Box, coming out for PS2 this week, and supposedly will be on the PC eventually.

I’m pretty stoked about Splinter Cell myself. It’s finally coming to the PS2, and I’m definetly up for at least renting it.

I’ve tired lately of Vice City, so most of my gaming time right now is in the sports realm–NHL 2k3 (EA has finally been beaten at the hockey game) and NCAA College Basketball 2k3.