I can understand some people not having a DVD-rom if they only planned to have one drive, which would be a CD-R. Though, with a mid-sized tower, like what I have, you kind of plan for two rom drives. One CD-R and a CD or DVD-rom, and since usually a DVD-rom is only $10-$20 more, why not incase you need it.

Also, the price shouldn't be more expensive for the game if it's DVD. Just look at Myst IV, the new game is not just one DVD, but 2 DVDs, plus I hear it comes with a 3rd DVD with Myst III on it. A game that has 3 DVDs in the box for $39.99, imagine how many discs it would have been if CDs.

Athlon Xp 2500+ at around 3100+
1 gig ram dual channel
6800nu clocked to 400/900
drivers 66.77

My score is 3870

Though, I think I had the driver settings at quality (default) instead of high-quality. So I'll need to rerun it.

I also have a emachine 6805, but probably not worth running it.

This comment was edited on Sep 30, 22:57.

Honestly, why is there so much negativity when a Mac gets a game. Do you feel your special by saying you already got it 12 months earlier or something? Is it for attention, or to try and say macs suck because of this?

If someone has a mac, they're life probably doesn't revolve around games, so to them, it's no big deal. And if a mac user is a big gamer, they wouldn't have a mac to begin with. All negative comments about mac gaming is pointless, no one cares, I'm sure any mac user would say, "so what, get a life"

This would be a sweet moment, if I had a Mac. But if I did have a mac, I'd be too busy with graphics work to have time to play games. But at least they'd be there for a quick break.

I totally missed out on Anachronox, wasn't a gamer then. I did come across that movie project where they take and edit the game into a movie.

Check it out here, just scroll down to watch the movies, probably bring back some memories:
http://www.machinima.com/displayarticle2.php?article=322

The graphics and immersion in this version of myst has me more excited than any other version.

Just check out the free video that streams automatically here:
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/adventure/myst4revelation/preview_6104367.html

IF you tried the demo, you see there is more life in the panarama images. You look up and the sky is moving, look down to see water moving and going over a waterfall. The trees are all swaying. The lights are flickering with life flares, plus 3D bugs flying around them.

They also have a depth blur effect, so looking at a railing close to you will cause the background to blur, and looking at the background you'll notice the rail blur instead.

You can tap most objects in reach to hear what sound they make. They also have some dynamic music system, so you don't hear anything real repetitive.

They also have live 3D effects. Like creatures, you might see crabs feeding on something, if you tap them they run away, animals as tall as you wondering around. They have live water effects that cause ripples where you touch. Some light ray effects are 3D with dust particles floating.

Turning on a light causes the image to change with new light flickering instead of just static. Overall the images feel less like an images now. The also have 60 minutes of video, which is more interactive they say, such as responding to what you do.

I can't wait for it, and it's only $39 on release, plus on DVD finally.

This comment was edited on Sep 10, 17:05.

I don't mind objects not touching things fully, not like you'd notice it speeding down a track, and no other racing game has stuff like this.

That Xbox trailer is really nice. Love how they make use of the ragdoll flying bodies with those stunt maps.

I haven't really played a good destruction racing type game since back in the old dayx with Destruction Derby 2 on the Playstation One.

You guys need to dl the recent videos of the entire 10+ minute presentation of gameplay. Sometimes it really freaks you with that little girl.

Like where you are going up an elevator and it begins to shake, lights flicker on and off, they stay off, then come back on for a second and you see a dark figure of a girl standing in the corner, lights off again, doors open and nothing is there.

If anyone has the gray screen, please report if you have SP2 installed, as right after installing that caused the gray screen with depth on.

I posted below that the game ran fine with depth blur but artifacting or errors. I found the glitches were caused by the 2xAA I had on.

Also, after I just installed SP2 fo Windows I get a gray screen, but if I turn off depth blur it's fine. Glad I got to see it before, but it really wasn't that noticable of an effect, maybe a different area during day might have shown off the blur better.

Was all the demo just the bedroom and the chamber below, as soon as I pulled that lever it ended with some slides. That was so short I was caught off gaurd.

That puzzle sort of reminds me of the last puzzle in the original myst. This one was simple, I messed up the first time doing the code, but I was suprised when I did it correctly the 2nd time without wasting a single click.

I should put this on my laptop to try it out on my 32inch tv, it will probably hide the fact that it is a little fuzzy and make the colors much more intense. Though, all the screenshots seem razor sharp at gamespot, strange.

The depth of field worked for me. You'll notice it easily at the begining position. When you look at the railing closest to you above the water, the water becames unfocused while railing stays sharp, even at the edges. Then looking at the water will be the opposite of course.

I have a 6800nu, which the game did not detect and then told me my PC failed the minimum requirements and to proceed with caution. Besides that the game ran fine, but I did get graphical glitches now and then, and total screen corruption at the promotional slides, which went back and forth. Though, I am overclocking my card, but if D3 can handle the overclock anything should.

Also, I don't mind it being a little fuzzy, the full motion video is worth it. Much better than the last game, here it all blends better, and more of it. The trees swaying, lights flickering, bugs flying, clouds passing, all just awesome.

I can't wait for it, and on DVD finally. I wonder how many dvds it will be if this short demo was only 200mbs :O

This comment was edited on Aug 10, 05:03.

Sometimes playing the game alone with instant battle you feel like your on a server that's lagging it's so jerky. I hope the patch fixes that, basically between a 9700pro, X800pro, and a 6800, the game is very jerky, how did they ever release it like this?

This comment was edited on Jul 23, 22:08.

I just read this trick below on a forum moments ago:

"Open the console with "~" then type "\save_game name" where name is the name of your savegame file. I just use 2 names (0 and 1) and alternately overwrite them when I'm far enough along bwteen in-game checkpoints. Then when you want to load one of your own savegames, use the Esc key and double-click the savegame written at whatever time you saved."

Wish I knew you could do that from the begining. I hope it works.

This comment was edited on Jun 29, 21:29.

On another subject...I just had to buy a new graphics card for Thief: DS, but could only afford a 128MB GeForce 5200 FX. It's really not faster than my 64MB GeForce 2 Ultra, except that it's got dual RAMDACs and a pixel shader. Should I trade it back in for something better? Will Doom3 require a better card? I think I can catch a sale on 5700's in the next week or so...

You can find good deals on used cards, especially now as everyone is upgrading to the next generation and want to get rid of their old cards fast. Heck, I just sold my 9700 Pro for $110+shipping, can't beat that seing how much slower ATI cards still sell for more than that.

Take a stop by www.Rage3d.com , then check the forum and go into the deals thread. Though, they are down for their vB3 upgrade. But once it's up, if you have $110-$150 to spend, create a thread in the deals section asking for a 9800pro or similar with your pricerange. Most likely you'll get a response in a day or two.

I agree with allot of what you said TimothyB, but as far as I can tell, your post is the closest this thread has gotten to a Half-Life versus Doom 'war' so far. Only one guy casually mentioned that he was looking forward to Doom 3 more then Half-Life 2, but he even said he was getting both anyways....

My rant I let out was probably caused by some anger that had built up after reading a thread at Rage3d about this release date stuff, which had more negative people there, and all the past stuff there too, I just ended up exploding here. I'll be saving my post for further uses over there at rage3d.

I agree with post #1, I am far from a Xbox fan but after playing Riddick that anceint box impressed the hell outta me! I can't believe they actually squeezed graphics like that out of the Xbox. Now Doom3 should have been the first game to premiere next gen graphics (I still remember watching the Geforce3 release video) and now here it is mid 2004! I bet the game won't even play on a Geforce3! Between Far Cry and Riddick Doom3 has some serious showing off to do, I really hope they pull it off!)

Yeah, I recall seeing the Doom 3 videos on the Geforce 3 release video at MacWorld and was amazed. And when they were showing it off they made it sound like you'll being playing the game on the GF3, like within a year. And I remember how they said that the game will run at 40fps on it, saying you don't need 60+ because you'll play the game slower due to how real it looks, if everything moved fast like in Quake 3 it would look odd.

And now in 2004 we're playing games like Doom 3 graphics such as Far Cry wtih 9700 pros under 40fps, so much for a GF3 to play Doom3

At least with the Unreal3 engine reveal they made sure you knew the 6800 Ultra isn't the card to play it, but is just the only card that can at least run it at low fps for the presentation.

This comment was edited on Jun 22, 23:56.

Why does this always turn into a HL2 vs D3 war. Who the F*ck cares which is better. It's like some of you are acting like you can only buy one game for the rest of your life and you're trying to convince everyone else to only buy what you decided on, never to touch any other released game.

So I see no point in the argument since I'll be buying each one as they hit the store. So freaking what if one is better than the other, does that make the other one a piece of sh*t, they'll both be in the top 10 ratings.

So please stop this f*cking arguing about HL2 vs D3, they are two different games and you are not being forced to have to pick one or the other to never play the latter. And bringing up skills, strategy, and different gameplay to point out why this game is better just proves again, they are two different games, and then that impression comes across again like you must only buy one or the other with no exceptions.

There is no reason to even bring up HL2 in a D3 but to try and convert people to HL2. Now that I think of it, it's like some of you seem to need to choose an upcoming game like a religion and then convert others like they are sinning by talking about a different game.

Get over yourself and stop causing trouble. I'm just sick of the "Doom3 sucks, HL2 is better" or the opposite in every thread. Those who try to crap a thread like that a immature babies with nothing better to do than cause flame wars and should be banned.

So stop trying to convince someone one is better than the other, do you really think people with top of the line video cards needed to play these games are not going to buy both, so it's a waste of time these flame wars

This comment was edited on Jun 22, 23:35.

I bought a GF3 thinking I'd be playing D3 a year from then at the 30-40fps they said it would run at. Man it's been a long time from first seeing this game at MacWorld.

I own an ATI card now and I don't denounce D3? I'm getting sick of all the Nvidia VS ATI over the last 4 years I've been following games and graphics. At least now with the 6800 and X800 cards are around equal cards, things are a little calmer. Even on ATI fan sites are saying Nvidia has a good product too and that there is no real winner this round.

Check out the new screens here:
http://gamespot.com/pc/driving/xpandrally/screenindex.html

Hmm, I have 4.3 drives and haven't had any trouble with AA in Far Cry. Though, with the demos you'll get odd glitches, like black textures on rocks. But since buying the game, it's been fine for me.

One tip is to enable AA in the game and leave the ATI control panel at app pref, same with AF.

Since talking about FC, here are some screens in a gallery I made. Medium AF and Low AA at 1024res with a 9700pro using 4.3cats

http://www.uploadit.org/gallery/10954/

This comment was edited on Apr 8, 01:25.