Game Recommendation for Gaming Class

[sicscottreed]

I will be teaching a network gaming class for a community college this summer. I am looking for a few recommendation on games to play. I am somewhat limited by the specs of the systems:

Pentium IV 1.6 GHz
256 MB RAM
32 MB ATI Video Card
Windows XP OS

There are around 22 computers that are networked in the lab. It is not necessary that all 22 have to be in the same game at the same time.

I am hoping to provide a little bit of variety to game play, i.e. not all first person shooters. I am thinking 1 first person shooter, 1 real time strategy and 1 other type. What are your suggestions?

[Recordlord]

Counter Strike you cant teach first person without it. At any given time more people are playing CS than all the other Multiplayer games combined.

Balders Gate or Everquest


Sims W/online <-- I dont play it but my little ones do and its expensive.

[AllGamer]

if it's a "SCHOOL"

then you better Abide by the LICENSES required

so you better look for a FREE alternative instead

else you can get into serious trouble if any low life report you to the FEDs :p

:t

[AllGamer]

this is a legit free one and is MMORPG

http://www.runescape.com/

[AllGamer]

is an excellent one for FPS

but is only free for 30 days

http://www.lineage2.com/

[AllGamer]

http://www.project-entropia.com/default.asp

now that is an Excellent and Legit FREE one for FPS

the only catch... to get some items you either beg people to give you some free stuff, or buy it with REAL money

other wise it's really free

but without Armor or a gun, you are easy play for the monsters, and other players

:t

[$1500-P4 gamer]

Warcraft 3 for the strat game. Or WC II for the cheap-about $5 a copy I think.
FPS get Doom II (cheap!):D

[jerrmz]

A class based on gaming?!

Good grief I wish I went to that schoo.

[dwave]

Good FPS I would Say Unreal Tournament or UT 2003, both are great games. For a Real Time Strategy, ever heard of Warlords: Battlecry? Very nice game, the only downfall of Warlords is that it really doesn't run under XP, but WB2 does. Can't tell you any cheap games, but I am sure WB is by now!

Jerrmz is right, a class based on gaming, man I am in. :p

[germanNiklas]

battlefield for bigger multiplayer FPS games
but the specs....dunno if it can handle that

well yeah cs sounds good.....unreal tournament too
maybe quake 3 still or medal of honor

warcraft 3 is a great idea too

[Logan2002]

Um please tell me why he should get free games? Would students be required to purchase the games? Does he have to pay alot of money for the licenses?.....Here in Korea many games are networked....SC, Diablo 2, using cd space. Is this illegal?
I mean all over South korea you can play diablo 2 and the expansion with out the cd they just network the comps.
But i think that class would be very cool, and i would take it!!!!


my recomendations.
SC would be my recomendation for strategy bwt.
I think CS would be cool.....I think bf 1942 would be better but the specs on the machines are too low.

RPG neverwinter nights.

[Beeblequix]

because of your specs:
Pentium IV 1.6 GHz
256 MB RAM
32 MB ATI Video Card
Windows XP OS

I'd also opt for the older but still verile Unreal Tournament GOY edition. You can get it for $10 new at Wal-Mart in their little budget section. Just require them to buy it. And do follow licensing agreements.

A RTS game that's still immensely popular is Command & Conquer. You won't suffer at all from those poor budget mass consumer pc's you'll be using.

And 'another one'. Hmmm....

Yes, go for a fantasy MMORPG. Too bad I'm ignorant on the MMORPG thing, but I trust these other gents above on their advise.

Where is this class being taught? Who in the world, or rather what skool in the world would pay you money to teach n00bies how to shoot their classmates?

regards,

ß.Q.
TNM, a Deus Ex mod

edit: okay, your pc's should still be able to handle Quake III, MOHAA, RTCW, UT2003, Serious Sam 1&2, Counter Strike, etc, but obviously with an eye-candy penalty. I'd opt mostly for DX7 era games for performance sake.
Just thought of another one: Microsoft's Crimson Skies. The game is DX7, has multiplayer as well as single player modes, and is SO VERY FUN. Joystick is much easier to control the plane, so that increases total cost (more 'lab fee'?).

Do you plan on discussing the pros/cons of certain game engines, or talk about 'getting the right drivers' for your video subsystem, or anything except fragging?

[Beeblequix]

http://www.gogamer.com/cgi-bin/GoGamer.storefront/EN/product/001NEVI?AID=307142&PID=552179

$24 for Neverwinter Nights. Maybe I'll get me one...

ß

[Bigjakkstaffa]

Quake 3, team fortress classic, UT, return to castle wolfenstein.

Im a bit FPS biased but theyre the most enjoyable ones of all the fps' ive played and are highly populr to boot

--Jakk:t

[AllGamer]

as long has he has enough LICENSES, for each PC then it's fine to use no CD

but why bother if you have to buy so many boxes, that comes with CDs ?

[bob05]

sicscottreed, you could download Return to Wolfestien: Enemy Terriotory for free from www.fileplanet.com . It says it offers mutiplayer support for up to 32 computers. And best of all, its free! :D

[AllGamer]

yes Demo similar to those will work just fine

like the UT2K3 Demo, if you can still find it

:t

[bob05]

Originally posted by AllGamer
yes Demo similar to those will work just fine

like the UT2K3 Demo, if you can still find it

:t

hey, the Return To Wolfensitien is the FULL version for download. The idea of selling it was scraped and it is avalible for download for free. :t

None the less, demo's would be a good idea for your class. They are free and most offer network support.

[comp_nut]

hi
medal of honor/spearhead or red alert 2;)

[AllGamer]

but none of those are free;)

[Bigjakkstaffa]

Enemy Territory is :p

--Jakk:t

[AllGamer]

i was replying to compnut, those are good games, but not free, althogh some of those can be purchased for $ 10 us in most stores now

EB, waltmart have them in their 9.99 bargain bins most of the time

[Doulos_Theos]

Don't forget America's Army for a good, free game. This will teach them squad based tactics, unit communication, and realistic gameplay. It's like Counterstrike using UT2003's engine for free. What's also cool is Gentoo Linux also has this game available on a GameCD - a standalone bootable CD that will load Linux and this particular game. You can download the ISO from www.gentoogames.com or get a link through www.gentoo.com I believe.

RTCW: Enemy Territory is also a very new free release. I don't know much about it, but free ain't bad =)

Also consider installing the playable demos of many games. You can do this with almost any game, and this will allow you to use a variety of different genres in the class.

I think that perhaps Age of Empires II is a good one to purchase, because with one copy you're able to play over the network with like up to 8 players. You can also save the game.

Another great game is Hero's of Might and Magic III. This is also bargin bin now, has good graphics and great gameplay!

So with these games, you represent much of the genres of playable multiplayer games:

AA = Squad based, realistic FPS
AOE2 = RTS
HOMM3 = Turn-based Strategy
UT2003 demo = Fragfest play
BF1942 demo = New genre, don't really know where to put it.

Adventure games should also be considered - perhaps putting Deus Ex on the machines would be a good idea. Or something like one of the old King's Quest games.

[AllGamer]

WOW, you are right i totally forgot it

and i play it almost every day :x

LOL

now i believe AA wash our brains and makes us into wanting to join the Army :D

[Bigjakkstaffa]

AA...hmmmmnnnnn... ive never seen the appeal of that game to be honest and i play a lot of FPS', oh well, cant like em all

--Jakk:t

[comp_nut]

this is free

http://www.eagames.com/official/moh_alliedassault/download/demo.jsp

enjoy

[Logan2002]

wolfstein enemy terr is COOL!!!!

For a free game it really competes with Mohaa for my play time!

I was really shocked.
Other than the USA army are there any other free games like this?

For your computer class USE this game!!! It is really awsome AND it does not require a killer set up! :t

[sicscottreed]

Thanks everyone for your replies. Lots of good suggestions on games. I really appreciate it. I have not had a chance to digest all the questions, but here are the answer to a few.

Game copies:

Students will be required to provide their own copy of the game for class.

Class topics:

In addition to actually playing the games, we will be discussing basic TCP/IP addressing and subnetting, overclocking, benchmarking, hardware installation, custom building vs. buying, choosing a video card, etc.

College Location:
The college is located in southern Illinois. If you really want specific details, email me privately. Another college in the area offered an Introduction to the World Wrestling Federation class. I figure at least with my class, the student should actually learn something useful.

:)

Thanks again for all your suggestions.

[Bigjakkstaffa]

Students will be required to provide their own copy of the game for class.

Being a student myself i know how notoriously cheap and tight fisted with money we are. For that reason i would reccomend older 'budget' games that are still popular on the internet and have many freely availiable mods for later expansion. The examples that immediatley spring to mind are Half Life, Quake 3, unreal Tournament, starcraft and games of that ilk that still make up the majority of the worlds internet gameplaying but can be had at bargain basement prices

--Jakk:t

[Logan2002]

yeah and I heard that tribes 2 is still popular.
I like the other topics in your class. A student could really learn something there. Networking is not easy, installing games can be very tricky. I would really like to see similar classes like yours across the country.

It seems that your class is not ONLY games but other related topics that can have applications to not just gaming.

:t

[r3n]

id go for CS (HL = 8 PCs on LAN with 1 CDkey, + CS is free, and one of the less gorey FPS games available to play), id also have to say Project Nomads for RTS + Flightsim (very gud fun, and not too complicated :D). then for your last game i would pick a driving game, like, Revolt - fun, ungorey, easy to pick up

[KraZy_SkitZy]

And how can we forget Diablo? :t

[cbh]

More FPS games pls...

[Logan2002]

yeah but diablo 2 and the expansion is a classic I love the hack and slash witha little rpg elements here and there.

And modding the weapons and armor, finding those special sets.