Searching for Mac Gamers [Archive]

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Dane D.

Nov 27, 2004, 08:51 PM

Hey Mac Gamers, Hi, I go by the game name 'relentless' or 'sniperman'. I run only Macs, best platform for the visual effects of the game. My current computers are a 467Mhz G4, 640 MB RAM, two SCSI cards, one cd-RW burner, ext. HD Firewire 80GB, 2GB JAZ, 17" Apple Clear Case Flat screen. My home computer, a 300 Mhz G3, 320 MB RAM, 6 GB HD, USB ZIP 100 and HP 550c printer. Running RoadRunner cable @ 3 MB download and 387 KB upload. No problems, even serve multiplayer mode, with a cap of six connections. Wouldn't have it any other way, no hassles, no viruses, no problems what so ever. Best damn computer for the money. PC users can continue to waste thier time with sub-par computers or they can join a ever increasing group of free thinking individuals. Think about the beauty of the Mac, a visally exciting product that delivers what it promises. No major breakdowns or periods or 'downtime'. Like the old Timex commercials... "They take a lickin' and get a tickin'".

Capt Underpants

Nov 28, 2004, 09:52 AM

You game on a 467 MHz G4
And a 300 MHz G3 :eek:

What games do you play?

pgc6000

Nov 28, 2004, 10:32 AM

Those aren't exactly gaming machines.

Capt Underpants

Nov 28, 2004, 11:26 AM

How in the world is the mac platform the best for, "The visual effects of the game"? You aren't going to get very good effects on either of those machines. I'm still curious as to what games you play on those machines. They can't be new games...

I do give you props for using an inferior gaming platform, inferior hardware, and inferior games, but still seem to think you are playing and using the best.

pgc6000

Nov 28, 2004, 01:56 PM

Maybe he is new to the computer gaming world.

Mr_Ed

Nov 28, 2004, 02:10 PM

You game on a 467 MHz G4
And a 300 MHz G3 :eek:

What games do you play?
Pong? Breakout? Space Invaders? :D

Don't get me wrong, I love my Macs. I just don't see those system specs as being up to par for most of the modern 3D games.

applekid

Nov 28, 2004, 03:50 PM

I sense some sarcasm somewhere in that post.

If you want to do any gaming at all, the cheapest alternative is buying a console. The next cheapest is building a PC or even buying one. Then of course there's always buying a Mac.

markjones05

Nov 28, 2004, 03:58 PM

WhiteSavage

Nov 28, 2004, 07:46 PM

I think this Mac Gaming forum should be "disqualified" for unsightly anti-Mac gaming remarks in a Mac forum. All these people are telling me how bad Mac's are for games... it makes me think some of you work for Microsoft or something...

I have stated before, and I will state again.

I'm on a Dual 1 Ghz G4 1.5 GB RAM.

...And I play Unreal Tournament 2004, Call of Duty, and plenty more "newer" line games. And I have NEVER had a problem. People are coming on here and saying they're brand new G5 shoves games off their left nostril. And it seems this attitude has been taken on by a large # of Mac gamers here. Why are you in a MAC GAMING FORUM if all your doing is telling all us LOYAL Mac users how bad our Macs are when it comes to Gaming. What ever happened to being positive?

Oh yeah, I have a 1-year old P4. I choose to use my Mac for Gaming.

Whew, I feel a lot better now.

applekid

Nov 28, 2004, 08:29 PM

I think this Mac Gaming forum should be "disqualified" for unsightly anti-Mac gaming remarks in a Mac forum. All these people are telling me how bad Mac's are for games... it makes me think some of you work for Microsoft or something...

Some of them are only being realistic. However, on the other hand, some of them are the most negative and pessimistic "Mac gamers" I have ever seen. They moan and groan all the time, and you can only hope they'll just shut up. And, you have to wonder if some of them are trolls. For too long, they've been pushing away casual gamers that just want to play a few games on their Mac. What's their solution when you want to play one game? Build or buy a PC! That is not the best reply at all.

Some of them don't even sound like they're playing games on the Mac. I know many of the forum visitors have Macs, but are using PCs just for games. No games on their Mac, yet they talk only about how their PC was playing games so well. And they're just trolling at that point.

Inside Mac Games and MacGamer have a much nicer gaming community that is very enthusiastic. They actually accept their machines, and don't expect so frickin' much from them. When we can play a game with the highest settings, without AA on a 9800 Pro, and then you complain about the game with AA and how a PC plays it smoothly, but a Mac can't, you're just being an @$$.

Mac gaming has come such a long way now. If you're moaning now, I hope you didn't have to suffer what was happening at least 5 years back.

rccola70

Nov 28, 2004, 08:34 PM

I think everyday.."there should be more games for the mac, there should be more games"

I game on a mac, because my PC is even slower. I have an iBook (look in signature).

But it doesn't matter if you've got a 2.5 Dual G5 tower, you still can't play Half Life 2 or Far Cry..

WhiteSavage

Nov 28, 2004, 09:08 PM

...But its worth waiting an extra month or so.

pgc6000

Nov 28, 2004, 09:49 PM

Many of us are just saying that Mac are not the best gaming machines. Does that mean we don't play games on them? No! I do most of my gaming on my iBook. As applekid said some of us are just being truthful. Yes, some of you do compalin a lot. But why shouldn't we warn someone if they are going to buy a game that won't work?

ScottDodson

Nov 29, 2004, 01:27 AM

Some of them are only being realistic. However, on the other hand, some of them are the most negative and pessimistic "Mac gamers" I have ever seen...

Couldn't have said it better myself. The trolling/negativity between here and the classifieds are getting out of control.

And I don't recall the original poster asking if a game worked on his system...he was just interested in meeting some fellow gamers that use the mac platform. The guy wasn't even given a chance...I'm pretty dissappointed in the way people treat newbies on this forum sometimes. If the guy asks about sys. requirements, everyone is more than willing to open up and let him know if it will play or not. But to take his post...and basically tear him to shreads...it's not acceptable. Who cares what games he plays...maybe he does play space invaders, but you know what...it's still a game, and that is why he's posting. I'm glad we got another guy on a mac...and a gamer at that!

Welcome to the forums Dane D.

applekid

Nov 29, 2004, 05:44 AM

But to take his post...and basically tear him to shreads...it's not acceptable. Who cares what games he plays...maybe he does play space invaders, but you know what...it's still a game, and that is why he's posting. I'm glad we got another guy on a mac...and a gamer at that!

Welcome to the forums Dane D.

I think there's some sarcasm in his post. That's the assumption I'm going with. But, if I'm wrong, my apologies to Dane D.

If he wants to get with the Mac gaming crowd, the first thing I want him to do is purchase a new machine.

KrysBaz

Nov 29, 2004, 06:07 AM

I enjoy gaming on my little Mac.
We have looked into getting a PC for Gaming, but by the time you have got a decent processor, graphics card, enough ram etc to run the newest games, and ones that are due out in the next 6 months, you may as well forget it.
You can't get a decent PC platform for gaming on (off the shelf - not got the skills to build one) for much under £1,000.00
My little 867 12" PB, runs Warcraft 3 OK, it's not brilliant, but it runs, Sim City 4, works great for as often as as long as I play it, yes you get time slowing up when the city becomes a thriving metroplois, but my friend has the same problem on a 3Ghz P4.
If I want a bit more speed and a more intensive session I used the Dual 1Ghz G4 upstairs, that works really well.
On a wet sunday afternoon, trying to avoid the washing and theironing it's great to dip in and play. I don't have nough time to spend 2-3 hours plus a day gaminig so dip and enjoy occasionally.

If I really wnat fun I will dig out the old LCII and play worms. Old but still fun.
- not done that for a while, might be good for a laugh on friday night when the boys are round.

:D

WhiteSavage

Nov 29, 2004, 02:09 PM

All I can say is I'm glad there's SOME pro-Mac Gamers in this forum. :D I was begining to think I was the only one who enjoys Gaming on a Mac :eek:

markjones05

Nov 29, 2004, 03:44 PM

benpatient

Nov 29, 2004, 03:50 PM

you guys might want to re-read that first post...it's more anti-PC than it is pro-mac...

and it sounds like something that should have been written in 1998, not 2004.

You won't see me attacking the poor guy, though.

I hope he enjoys starcraft and quake 3.

You guys mis-understand the negativity on this board as something always bad. There are a lot of newbies who get on here and post things like "is this a good gaming machine? I want to switch to mac because I don't like M$"

They then go on to describe an iBook or an iMac or something. Then those of us who actually do play games around here take our time and try and ward off any hopes they might have of being able to play Doom 3...especially if they are coming from the PC world where 1500 dollars pretty much guarantees being able to play the latest games. A 1500 dollar Mac can usually play last year's games pretty well.

usually.

There is just this expectation that people (rightfully, i think) have that they should be able to buy a dual 1.8 G5 straight from Apple and have it play games as well as any cheapo bargain-basement PC. The reality is, this often isn't the case. My dual G5 is for work, and I couldn't work without it. But it is really sub-par at gaming if you want modern games, unless you spend the cost of a console and a few games upgrading it with a new graphics card and about 1GB more RAM (because OS X hogs the RAM like a...)

It's fair warning, and there's nothing worse than reading a thread that goes "hey, why am I getting 10-15fps on my new G5? I thought this was a supercomputer! Is my computer broken?"

We've had more than our fair share of those threads over the last year that I've been here.

WhiteSavage

Nov 29, 2004, 04:22 PM

If you want all the latest and greatest games your probably a hardcore Gamer. Being a Hardcore Gamer you wouldnt buy a Mac anyway. But if you want to play some good games and actually USE your computer on the side then... well, thats why I have a Mac.

Benpatient: So your saying a cheapo basement-bargain PC is better at gaming then a G5? I beg to differ. Why dont you go throw your mac out a window and buy a $200 Dell? I'm sure you'll love the greatness of the cheapest recycled plastic ever to hit the mainstream computer market. Oh and, Negativity IS bad.

If, as you say some kid comes on here wanting a Mac and the newest best latest fastest most CPU strenuous game(s) on the market, then yeah, tell him he's better off with a medium-priced PC. Now, if the guy wants a good quality computer and wants to play a few games on it, how DARE you tell him how entirelly "gay" (Notice: This is directed to all you anti-Mac gamers, not specifically u benpatient) the Mac is for any type of gaming short of tetris.

People dont come here to hear baiased opinions, kids and adults want to know the truth about Macs. And since half the world already has they're baiased views toward Macintosh us Mac gamers do NOT need people going around telling people lies all because of Half Life 2 and Halo 2 hasn't come out for mac yet. Thats the last thing we need, your discouraging Mac gamers for bad reasons. The more people that dont play Mac games the less games us Mac users get to choose from.

Dane D.

Nov 29, 2004, 09:56 PM

Hey just wanted people to know that gaming on a Mac is fine. I may not be able to play the latest games, but the games I play are fine, visually and performance is to my liking. As far as PC's being a superior gaming platform I don't care,I will never own one . My Mac runs Unreal Tournament 2000 Game of the Year, play me at [CSHP] Cinci RR UT Deathmatch\24.29.3.200 and my childrens games just fine and never have a problem. Besides the computer is only a tool; it is the skills driving the computer that count. As far as you people who say "go buy a new computer" fine, loan me the money, I have 2 kids, a home, 2 trucks and a car, bills, etc., etc. To those people I say, get back to reality. Also get back to supporting and promoting the best platform, not belittling it.

Converted2Truth

Nov 29, 2004, 10:41 PM

It's fair warning, and there's nothing worse than reading a thread that goes "hey, why am I getting 10-15fps on my new G5? I thought this was a supercomputer! Is my computer broken?"
Geez you make me laugh... i wondered the same thing when i first started playing games on my powerbook...
We've had more than our fair share of those threads over the last year that I've been here.
...that's for sure

Hoef

Nov 29, 2004, 11:08 PM

Hey Dane,
Joing TEAMG5 for Unreal Tournament 2004 .... I play once every so often. Pretty sweet blasting.

5300cs

Nov 30, 2004, 03:56 AM

Hey just wanted people to know that gaming on a Mac is fine.
More power to ya!!

Also get back to supporting and promoting the best platform, not belittling it.
Amen to that

Veldek

Nov 30, 2004, 04:35 AM

Hey Dane,
Joing TEAMG5 for Unreal Tournament 2004 .... I play once every so often. Pretty sweet blasting.

He talked about UT2000, not 2004. And I doubt his Macs would be capable of running UT2004.

rdhatfield3

Nov 30, 2004, 03:10 PM

We can all take solace in knowing that we can play the original marathon while none on the PC can. That is all i need to know about mac gaming.

Dane D.

Dec 28, 2004, 02:21 PM

Really know how to lift one's spirits with all those negative comments about Mac gaming. One last comment concerning PC vs. Mac gaming; it takes a lot of extras for the PC crowd to even think about gaming. I know my brother just build one and spent many dollars for the needed components (cpu, 10/100 card, sound card, video card). At least my mac came with that stuff.

5300cs

Dec 28, 2004, 04:51 PM

Sorry everyone's been so negative :(

While I'm not sure if the Mac is the superior gaming platform (a. I don't play that many games and b.)if I say so all the bickering children will jump all over me) I do enjoy gaming on my Mac much better than on any pc.

What games do you play on your machine? Do you run MAME? How's the performance?

And welcome to the forums ;)

Hoef

Dec 28, 2004, 05:36 PM

He talked about UT2000, not 2004. And I doubt his Macs would be capable of running UT2004.

Huh UT2K?

applemacdude

Dec 28, 2004, 05:49 PM

Huh UT2K?

The first UT

Rezet

Dec 28, 2004, 05:54 PM

He talked about UT2000, not 2004. And I doubt his Macs would be capable of running UT2004.

They (his macs) will probably be launching UT2004 longer than he will be playing it hehe. :D

Classic UT is alright though...

Eric5h5

Dec 28, 2004, 06:32 PM

While I'm not sure if the Mac is the superior gaming platform (a. I don't play that many games and b.)if I say so all the bickering children will jump all over me) I do enjoy gaming on my Mac much better than on any pc.

Me too. I do actually play quite a few games, but while I wouldn't claim this as a good thing generally, the "lack" of games is a good thing for me personally, since I have Mac games from the 1990s that I haven't finished. Or even started. And that's with a semi-narrow range of interests. (Not really into WW2, for example, which removed, like, half the games released in the last year or so from my list right off. Not being into the Sims removed another 50%.... Having a distinct aversion to licensed games, except Star Wars, removed a bunch more.)

I don't really have any performance problems with games either, but then I do have a dual 2.5GHz G5 (with "only" a 9600XT however). Sure, there are some PC-only games I'd enjoy playing, but I'm enough behind in my gaming that it's hard to care much whether they're ever ported. And still I keep buying games...*sigh*...I remember when I used to finish them....do you people have *lives*? Or what? ;)

Really, I think Mac gaming is good enough for all but the more hard-core types. I wouldn't recommend that anyone get a PC for gaming, unless you HAVE to have the latest releases, now. I guess the PC/Mac online play issues would be a problem for some people too, but I don't do online gaming so it doesn't bother me.

--Eric

TDM21

Dec 28, 2004, 08:22 PM

Personally, I miss being able to play games on a PC. I grew up with a Mac and when I switched to PC (not by choice) I started to get into computer gaming. From there I slowly started playing more and more pc games. It got to the point where my pc couldn't play the latest and greatest games. To fix this problem I upgraded the inside of the machine to an AMD 1800+ with ATI 8500 video card. (this was 2 years ago). That computer was able to play games such as Call of Duty and C&C Generals with ease.

Now that I'm at college and do not have that computer, I use my PB for gaming. Jumping from pc to mac, in the sense of gaming, was disappointing. As I play Call of Duty on my PB the results are below what you would expect. I get on average of 20 to 30 fps with the setting on normal with the resolution on 1024x768. On my PC, I got around 50 and 60 fps. Genreals, also, runs slow.

I also miss being able to go out to Wal-Mart or the mall and buy the latest game the day it comes out. I am impatient and having to wait for games agrivates me.

i guess I better start saving up money for a gaming machine again. Don't you just hate impulsive buying (new 4g 40gb iPod) :D

crachoar

Dec 28, 2004, 09:25 PM

...Why dont you go throw your mac out a window and buy a $200 Dell? I'm sure you'll love the greatness of the cheapest recycled plastic ever to hit the mainstream computer market. Oh and, Negativity IS bad.

...People dont come here to hear baiased opinions..

Oh jeez...

First of all, I have a 2.4GHZ P4 (that I got for free, plus $200 extra) with 768mb of 1066mhz RD-RAM and a Radeon 9800pro AIW from Dell, and I have to say, it screams with any new game and it is an excellent computer. This PC is only half a year older than my Dual 1ghz G4. The performance on my PC has surpassed my Macs, and also, any G5 I've used in the past year for gaming. Mostly, because companies like 'Macsoft' and 'Aspyr' are lazy and make terrible ports that aren't optimized for anything (see: Splinter Cell, Halo, and Doom 3, the min. req. being a G5, etc.).

I love my Macs as much as the next guy, but bashing PCs like that is just stupid. There is nothing wrong with this Dell. It's one of the best PCs I've ever owned. I'm sure there are others here that have a Dell that are perfectly content with it. I'm sure there are also people that have had bad experiences with Dell computers. Maybe their laptops broke. Well, I've had problems with Powerbooks. Dead backlights, broken keyboards, etc. So we're all even.

And I beg to differ with your comment on biased opinion.

People may indeed, come here for an unbiased opinion; however, people like you give them exactly the opposite.

The enclosure of the G5 vs. the highest end Dell has nothing to do with how it performs. I could throw my Dell into an aluminum casing, and it would be the same computer. Get off of your 'Apple makes pretty computers, so they're better' high horse.

And negativity is not bad. It's realistic when it's called for. Not everything in life is 'peaches and cream'. Especially not 'mac gaming'. So when someone suggests to a 'hardcore gamer, considering a mac' to 'build a cheap PC for gaming, but use your mac for work' - that makes perfect sense and it's a good suggestion. Most of us do that because PCs (cover your eyes if you're so 'loyal') are in fact better for gaming. Sorry. That's how it goes and how it will go until the porting companies clean up their act.

Now I didn't say that 'macs suck' and I didn't say that 'mac hardware is worthless, and just can't run games'. I'm saying, the porting companies and the publishers are lazy and don't care to treat us (mac gamers) with respect, so screw them. Why should I buy Halo for my Macs when it runs twice as nice on my Xbox (a system about a third as powerful as my Mac desktop)? There's a catch with Halo though. It ran like crap on PC and OSX.

It's not that either platform wasn't capable. It's just that the game wasn't optimized.

The problem? Lazy publishers and porting companies.

Why be loyal to something that is years late, buggy, not opitmized for your hardware and hardly supported by the company that ported it?

Futhermore, why be loyal to a corporation or a company at all? You're just as bad as the supposed 'M$ trolls'.

I don't associate myself with a company, and blindly endorse their products as the 'end all - be all' without at least trying the competition. In fact, I don't really consider myself 'loyal' to any company or product. It's foolish.

You want some constructive criticism about this forum?

Well, the majority of the people here have your 'loyal' attitude and treat unbiased people like myself and the others you're yelling at like dirt. Claiming that everybody that disagrees with you is a 'M$ heretic'.

Well, 'the PC world' (actually, just people in general) has a term for people like that. It's called a 'Mac Zealot'. Way to prove them right.

Shut up or agree to disagree. It's a computer. Use it or don't. Like one and hate the other if you prefer. Just don't go around spitting out false claims left and right and then crying for 'wasteland' when somebody proves you wrong.

...it takes a lot of extras for the PC crowd to even think about gaming. I know my brother just build one and spent many dollars for the needed components (cpu, 10/100 card, sound card, video card). At least my mac came with that stuff...

.........

He built it from parts!

What do you expect? You just buy a motherboard and everything 'just works'?

You don't need to 'Think Different'. You just need to think in general. :rolleyes:

5300cs

Dec 28, 2004, 10:15 PM

Almost from the get-go this degenerated into a Mac vs PC fight. What an absolute waste of time. I'm unsubscribing.

KrysBaz

Dec 29, 2004, 05:22 AM

Oh jeez...

(Way to long to requote all the way !!)

You don't need to 'Think Different'. You just need to think in general. :rolleyes:

Calm down, and stop being so rude and inflamatory.

It's bad enough being at work over the holidays listening to people rant at me over the phone without seeing another lambasting of Mac gaming and performance issues on here.

Mac Gaming for me is just fine, sometimes the games are really slow and could use a little boost, but I don't game 8 days a week, blasting my way through 1st person shooter (I don't like them at all).

I do own a PC, and most of my games that I enjoy run like a dog on that too, the PC is a few years old, and although it was OK before I switched, even then it was struggling with the more complex games.

Star Trek Bridge commander won't run full stop, and I'm not spending £299 on a new PC just to play one game, when I might only play once a week.

Yes there are other games that I would like to see come to Mac, but I know they won't and chances are I would probably only play them a couple of times before I get bored, I've had the same issues with PSone & 2, some are still in the wrappers.

Dane D.

Dec 29, 2004, 10:51 PM

Wow, didn't want stop upset people, just telling my experience. To all you people out there that say buy a new computer....I don't think so at this time maybe a G4/1 ghz or close to that. My concern is OS X, I run 9.2.2 with all my needed SCSI devices and programs plus my games I bought are OS 9.x. Besides I do not really like OS X with the exception of Safari browser. This needs to go to another forum topic not here. Bottom line---Macs can game and enjoy your favorite game---just keeping supporting Apple.

They'll have to rip my Macintosh from my cold dead hands before I switch to PC, ahhhhhhhhhhhhh.

socamx

Dec 30, 2004, 02:48 AM

Dane just so you know..

The current OS X port of UT is a really shoddy beta program and won't run well on anything, it doesn't even do in game music, so unless turning off all the pretty effects is up your alley..but still not perfect fps. So keep this in mind for OS X if you ever get that new mac. Of course you could just do a dual boot OS 9/X, and boot into 9 to play. (Wish my G5 or iBook could do this... but never will.)

Currently www.utpg.org is making a patch that will be released in hopefully the upcoming weeks so you will want to keep an eye on that. (The update will also apply to the OS 9 version of the game.) Its a cross platform update, windows, linux and both mac os's (atleast I think OS 9.).

And in regards to the rest of the negative posts, ignore them... If you are proud of your mac, which you are, then just ignore the negative crap, its their fault for making an uproar anyway... (This is one of the reasons I avoid this mac game forum..)

pgc6000

Dec 30, 2004, 09:11 AM

It's one thing if you tell someone a game won't work, it's another if you start complaining about gaming in general on the mac.

Too those who say "Buy a new computer", most of us can just whip out $1000 from our pockets, thank you very much.