Josiah825 :

I wouldnt worry about upgrading the RAM or CPU at the moment, they'll both hold their own for now (especially if your motherboard can handle a little overclocking).  I'm not sure what GPU your running at the moment but a GTX 960 would match your CPU pretty well (and just guessing your PSU is at least 420W).  I haven't had any dramas with Windows 10, especially gaming-wise. 

julianmia :

I would recommend a new system.  The costs VS benefits involved in upgrading your current HP system are not worth it.  The pre-built PC you've specified is pretty decent, however I'd recommend upgrading the R7 370 to something a little more future proof and making sure the power supply is a good quality 80+ (550W minimum).  If your going to spend that much on a new system, you may as well spend the little extra and have a system that will last longer. 

NovemberJoy :

I've been using it for a few months now and I cant really complain about it; its a pretty good operating system.  It's certainly the update to Windows 8 that I think everyone needed.  I was hesitant at first because in my own personal opinion, Windows 7 was (and still is) a solid operating system.  From a gaming perspective though, if you own an Xbox One; the gaming app on Windows 10 is pretty cool.

I think its a very touchy subject for a lot of people which has brought out a lot of bias reviews, so I'd probably take most of the negatives with a spoon full of sugar. 

I'm not sure what release type it is, but it's available on -please no advertising other sites- , just set yourself up with Dosbox and a nice front-end.  Otherwise, have a look for the disc image file (.iso etc.) and run it with daemon tools-lite. 

Before I begin I'd like to make an apology for my lack of contributions to the board this year.. and last.. probably the year before too.  Parenthood takes up most of my time now day's.  Whilst being busy I have managed to keep track of this years events and thought it was such an interesting year that it was worthy of a little article. 


2015 has been quite a roller coaster for the gaming industry.  This was one of those year's which affected gamer's in only one of two ways - good or bad.  No intermediates or in-bet weens. I personally can't exactly remember the last time we've had such a year of advancement and diversity.  It has also been a year of development branch closure - or consolidation (whichever way you look at it) with many major companies buying out smaller companies.  The era of AAA games is shining brighter than ever with less minor releases and now an emphasis on developing fewer but more rich-blockbuster titles.

This year shows the first real signs of a slow and painful last-gen closure, with many new games only available on current-gen.  The PS3 and XB360 have provided us with many years of enjoyment and if your looking to play the latest titles it seems now the time has come to upgrade. 

This year's more "popular" events in brief:

- Sony sold it's "Sony Online Entertainment" to Daybreak Game Company (known for MMO's like Everquest, Star Wars Galaxies and Planetside)
- Nintendo and DeNA created a partnership to develop games for smart devices.  SDK's were deployed.  
- Microsoft deploys its Windows 10 + Xbox One cross platform program.  
- Microsoft begins its backwards compatibility program
- Major developmental signs of VR with Playstation showing a very keen interest.  
- Activision and Blizzard establish film studio - Activision Blizzard Studios.  
- Hideo Kojima breaks free from Konami and reestablishes independant studio Kojima Productions.  
- Tatsumi Kimishima is apointed Nintendo's new president following the death of Satoru Iwata.  

This years more anticipated releases:

- Bloodborne
- Dying Light
- Evolve
- The Order: 1886
- Batman: Arkham Kight
- Battlefield Hardline
- Mortal Kombat X
- The Witcher 3
- MGS: Phantom Pain
- Assassins Creed: Syndicate
- Starwars: Battlefront
- R6: Siege
- Rise of the Tomb Raider
- Fallout 4
- COD: Black Ops III

Just about all of this year's anticipated releases made it on schedule with the exclusion of Tom Clancy's The Division.  The major title which is being developed across 3 studios -  Ubisoft Red Storm, Ubisoft Reflections and Massive Entertainment; was originally due to be released in full working order this year.  Due to set-backs, a Beta version was due this decemeber, this also was set-back.  Instead a
select few were offered a closed-alpha testing with the new completion deadline of early 2016. 

Among this years top sellers, there were 5 titles in particular which held up almost equally as good this year, as last.    

- Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (released November 2014)
- GTA V (released september 2013)
- Minecraft (targeted release date sept 2014)
- Super Smash Bros (released oct/nov 2014)
- NBA 2K15  (released oct/nov 2014)

As you may have noticed GTA:V has held up particularly well as always.  This is partially due to its late release on PC platform.  

On a more personal note; the game that won this year for me was Fallout 4, what a game.  

I'd like to wish all of the vizzed board a very Happy Christmas and stay safe.  

- Garth

tRIUNE : Have you given Windows 10 a go? I didn't like it at first but I've kinda warmed up to it. The XBOX tool is great if you have an XBOX One and the whole OS works great with solid state drives.

Give this a read, it helped me remove it on my windows 7 system.

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/how-to/windows/how-remove-windows-10-nag-messages-not-madatory-3614204/

I tried using it but prefer Firefox.  Edge is a huge step up from IE though, and it did seem a lot faster/more clean looking.  Just not for me. 

Nice work!  Theyre bringing back a lot of good memories.  What about Super Metroid?

EDIT:

NVM found it lol

I 100% agree, overheating is more than likely the issue.  If you have a small form factor case I would recommend purchasing a mid tower case and moving your components over, if you have a mid or larger case I would be looking at your fan arrangement.  Your cpu and gpu fans are blowing air into their heatsinks so make sure each have sufficient cool air intake.  Also make sure your case has sufficient air intake and sufficient extraction.  The gt620 can play modern games at OK settings but a common issue not everyone considers is your using that gpu to its max, I would be upgrading to at least an R7 260 or GTX 560.  

I've been in the same situation before more than once.  If the ribbon cable is damaged, simply replace it.  They're all just about the same connection.  On a desktop pc you can cross the bwr on pins with a screwdriver when a pwr button is non existant, however on a laptop the circuitry is small and hard to manage.  Here is a power button board replacement if you cant find a ribbon replacement http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/like/191352155152?limghlpsr=true&hlpv=2&ops=true&viphx=1&hlpht=true&lpid=107 ribbons should exist for this one.  Alternatively you could turn it into a desktop PC http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkVhY-Bvt6U 

Before I begin I’d like to mention this article is targeted at 3D games (fps in particular) as they make up the majority of modern games we play today.  This article covers my own personal views/opinions and does not intentionally represent the views of Vizzed Board. 

 

Like most gamers I like to discuss video games with friends both near and far; one of the major things I’ve noticed is they all talk about the characters, the stories and the weapons, but one thing I’ve noticed is level and map design are rarely brought to topic.  It’s funny that one of the most important aspects of video game quite often goes unnoticed; level and map design can make or break a game.  This concerns me when I’m reading a game magazine or online article the most.  The review will cover just about everything except the level design; the closest it usually gets is critiquing the graphics and ambiance of levels. 

 

For a large chunk of my life I have developed levels and maps for various game mods, and I’ll be the first to admit that just like most cases in life; it’s easier said than done.  So today I’d like to bring this to topic, I’ll be going through some of the most basic elements of level and map design in an attempt to raise awareness on the subject matter. 

 

Let’s begin with the most common and simple elements; in-game decor.  I’m talking interior and exterior; barrels, crates, gas tanks, stationary vehicles, trees and all around room-fillers.  Usually the first thing a level designer works on is the layout of buildings, walls and pathways.  These then get filled with in-game decor; what kind of decor is dependent on the theme of the level.  You wouldn’t expect to see an ammo crate in the middle of a living room or a dining room table in the middle of a war-torn field. 

 

Two of the most commonly used features to video games are barrels and crates, they can serve multiple purposes such as explosive aid, cover from enemies, ammo/health supply and simply a stationary platform which can be used to gain higher ground.  You would typically see these in an industrial setting, but the thing I tend to look at is are they really necessary?  Could they have been placed better?  Are the textures on them decent and appropriate?  Could something else have filled the space?  One thing I’ve noticed time and time again is these being used to inappropriately fill an empty section of a room or area, when a little more thought could have been put in to make the room more ambient.  The same thing can apply to most objects you come across in a game, have a look next time you play through one of your favourite titles. 

 

 

 

Moving on to nature, trees and greenery are an essential addition to an outdoor area.  A great example regarding the use of these would be the crysis and far cry titles.  Until these games, trees were mostly an ambiance which gamers would pass by without much notice.  However one thing most developers fail to do so every time is provide a variety of different models and textures.  Just about every tree you come across in most games will be the exact same model, just positioned differently.  If you were to take a walk through a jungle or national park, you would notice every tree or plant is unique in its own shape or colour.  One thing I did to address this issue when I modelled trees and plants was to create at least two different models of each, then I would create two different textures for each; showing imperfections such as decay and browning of foliage. 

 

Getting the exterior objects right is a breeze compared to interior.  Just about every game I play I notice too little “going on” inside a room.  One principle I follow during the design process is more is better than less.  One title I will never forget is Rainbow Six: Lockdown.  The overall system of play was solid, simple and enjoyable, however Just about every level I played had an empty room; not just too little, but nothing at all and you will come across the mentioning of this in many reviews.   Another common mistake is the scale of internal objects.  The next time you are travelling through a house or interior room in a game, have a look and see if you believe the size and scale of its objects correct. 

Moving on to the general layout of a level.  Every level has an objective, usually as simple as getting from A to B.  I’ve broken down the most common bellow and added illustrations. 

 

Railed maps take the most control over the player and as they are given only one way to play out the map.  There is generally no choice in the way you handle the situation.  Most players hate this style of level but what they don’t always notice is the developer may want control over you for a reason.  There may be an underlying cinematic experience or in some cases it is the easiest way to control the difficulty of the game.  An example of this style would be FEAR. 

 

Bottleneck maps control the way you enter a scenario, in some cases they give you a choice of which way to approach once your there.  This is a moderately controlled layout which can give the player a taste of “sandbox” style play as he or she handles the situation the way they feel best.  These maps can also allow the player to flank the enemy.  A great example of this style of level would be the Brothers in Arms titles. 

 

 

Open world maps give the player control over how he or she handles the situation, usually the player can approach the area from any angle they seem fit and it also gives the player the opportunity to retreat.  Generally stealth elements apply to these maps and levels.   Many of today’s AAA games give the player this choice, such as GTA, Far Cry, Skyrim and Assassins Creed. 

The key to a good open world map is disguising your boundaries; Skyrim is a perfect example of this.  The boundaries are mountains, which in a standard game with a flat playing surface seems out of place.  In Skyrim, mountains are placed as part of the main game and are scattered throughout the map accordingly, this disguises the boundaries perfectly.  However one thing people generally fail to notice in Skyrim, is for an open world game, it also is slightly bottlenecked.  The mountains are designed with generally only one path which the player can take on his or her way up.  Bethesda takes advantage of this an always places enemies close to the path; making it near impossible to avoid. 

 

A perfect example of bad boundaries in video game, which we all have come across, is the dreaded invisible wall of “nothing going on back here”.   You’ll find these not only on surface levels of the map but also on the edge of rooftops, disallowing you to venture on top of them.  This is something which can be avoided with better placement and planning; if there are crates or other objects below the rooftop, make sure they are developed/placed in a manner which won’t let the player reach the rooftop. 

So as your playing (or replaying) your games, see if you can identify some of these things.  Personally, I believe it should be covered during critiquing process more often.  On the other hand if you ONLY notice these things from now on, I’m sorry.  But now you know how I feel.  Thanks for reading. 

 

Gtwalq

I built mine a few months back... its all outdated except for the gpu but it plays the latest games 1920x1080 on medium or higher.  

Motherboard is a foxconn p43a I picked up second hand.
Cpu is core 2 quad q9400 I pulled from an ex government system.
6gb ddr2 800mhz ram I pulled from 3 different broken computers.
250gb hdd I pulled from an external seagate hdd enclosure.  
Dvdrw pulled from a half burnt system a friend gave me

... the only 3 parts which are new are the 550w psu, gmc r-4 bulldozer case and a r7-250 2gb graphics card.

Cost me $180 all up so I cant complain.  

Request accepted, did you know if you update it at the moment theres a treehouse of horror special running for a couple more weeks?

I'd like to create a list of origin usernames of players who would like to become friends on the Simpsons tapped out.

legacyme3 :

I saw it last week, definetely worth seeing at the movies.  Mark Wahlberg plays an awesome part, I never liked the girl (the one from that 70's show) but she plays a good part aswell.  My wife loved it too, I think were going to go back and see this weekend. 

PS
Best teddy bear fight scene ever

In regards to video games there have only been a few moments in my life; so few I could count on one hand, where an up-and-coming video game has grabbed my full and undivided attention.  This is one of them, introducing Perspective, the first of its kind, a 2d Side-Scroll Platformer inside of a 3D first person perspective game.  Created by students at the DigiPen Institute of Technology, this title is another example of how INDI games have the potential to match AAA+ titles.  Here is the website with video...

Basically you move around 3D rooms/spaces which have glowing lines on the walls, you also have a little man who reminds me of Megaman, whom you have to navigate along these lines.  You have to move your 3D perspective around to create a viable path for your 2D character.  I for one cant wait till it's release, it looks awesome. 

Similar titles: Portal, Prey

xXRendanXx :

We have a winner!
Congratulations xXRendanXx, 15,000 Viz is coming your way!



To recap on the answers,

1. Assassin's Creed 2
2. Metal Gear
3. Legend of Zelda - Ocarina of Time
4. Banjo Kazooie
5. Counter-Strike: Source
6. Call of Duty - Modern Warfare 2
7. Kingdom Hearts
8. Fable
9. Golden Eye
10. Final Fantasy VII
11. The Punisher
12. Shadow of the Colossus
13. Teken 3
14. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4

Ill be working on the next game shortly.  Any suggestions?

Could this please be closed in a few days please?  Thanks. 

mourinhosgum :

13. Correct, Teken 3 it is.  Well done. 

Only 2 more to guess everyone. 

Ness7281992 :



8: Correct, it is Fable.  Well done. 

Updated List:

1. Assassins Creed 2
2. Metal Gear
3. Ocarina of Time
4. Banjo Kazooie
5. Clue: Gulag, popular FPS
6. Clue: Office, popular FPS
7. Kingdom Hearts
8. Fable
9. Goldeneye
10. FF7
11. The Punisher
12. Shadow of Collosus
13. Clue: Popular PSX fighter, 3D characters, 3rd of the series. 
14. THPS4