Online Gaming: An Introduction

Over the past few years, the gaming industry has gone from low-end amateur (when compared to gaming systems such as the Sega Genesis or Super Nintendo) to a powerhouse, forcing constant improvements and innovations in the whole industry. Not long ago, games like Wolfenstein 3d and Doom were among the most noted titles in computer games. Those predecessors, who first brought forth the first-person view shootout game, have spawned development of some of the most vivid, shocking, and amazing experiences that can be found on any type of gaming setup.

The game Wolfenstein, has been widely accepted as the precedent, the one-true-game, which created the 3d shootout genre. The whole basis of the game is for you, a prisoner of the Nazis, to escape your imprisonment by any means necessary - which basically comes down to you blowing away a ton of generic Nazi soldiers on a variety of levels. Although you start off with only your humble pistol and knife, later, you will find more advanced weapons, such as the machine gun, to help aid you in your cause.

This officially established the components for the 3d shooter: 1) 1st person view, 2) variety of weapons, 3) some type of rather straight forward mission, 4) a large number of enemies to kill.

The games which followed Wolfenstein continued to (almost always) carry the same four main components. Games such as Doom, Quake, Half-Life, Blood, Unreal, etc., have maintained this same concept. Of course, many of the newer games have added more advanced plot lines, puzzles, and a greater variety of enemies and monsters. But, one of the greatest advancements in 3d shooters has been online gaming, which pits real player against real player.

So, what exactly does this 3d online gaming entail? In its most basic form, it is nothing more than a number of people (usually from 8-32) running around a level, grabbing whatever weapons they can find, and then trying to kill any, and all, of the other players. However, in these games, once you are killed, you get to come back fresh, ready to fight again. So, once again, you find your weapons and look for people to kill. This type of game is usually simply called "a deathmatch." To win a deathmatch game, a player must reach a certain number of kills (also known as Frags or Gibs in the gaming world). The number of kills required differs depending on where you are playing, but common limits are 20 or 30. After a game is won, the next begins and usually takes place on a new map to change things around and keep things interesting.

Over the last couple of years, game makers have really started to develop other gaming forms for online play. Although deathmatch is still one of, if not, the most popular forms of online shootouts, many other games have been designed which allow more strategy, teamwork, and planning. One of the popular add-ons for Quake and Quake 2 was that of Capture the Flag (CTF)- which is nothing more than a version of the school yard game put into a gaming setting filled with guns. For those of you who are not familiar with Capture the Flag, it is a game where one team invades the other team's base in order to capture their flag. It would go much like this: Part of Team A attacks Team B's base. They somehow grab Team B's flag, and then rush back to their home base. Upon arriving back at the home base, as long as Team A's flag is still in place, Team A gets a point because they "Captured the Flag." Of course, online, the game is a little more fun because just to get to the other team's flag usually involves making your way through a defended base, and then running for you life back to your own base. Capture the Flag is not the only popular new gaming mode. Other new ones include, but are not limited to: Assault, Last Man Standing, Domination and Team Deathmatch.

Entering into the world of online gaming is not necessarily an easy endeavor. It is hard enough to find ways to get kills when beginning, but not knowing much of the basic slang and the way the games are setup can be an exercise in frustration. So here is a short glossary of words and a basic description of some game modes.

Gaming Modes
(There are also other modes out there, but these are the most commonly seen.)

Deathmatch: Simply an all out kill-a-thon against anyone and everyone. Whoever gets the most Frags wins that match.

Team Deathmatch: Basically the same as a deathmatch game except it's two or more teams doing battle. You may or may not be able to inflict damage upon your teammates as well, depending on the game. In this style of game, teamwork and planning can really come into effect.

Assault: This is a mode in the game Unreal Tournament (UT) which splits players into two teams. One team is given a set of objectives that they must complete in order to defeat the other team, or conquer the base. Such objectives are usually in order - meaning that one must be completed before the others can be done. While one team is attacking, the other team must defend the base at all costs.

Domination: This is another style of game found in UT which allows teams to battle for control of a certain number of "control points," and every time a control point is secured the team scores a point and then must defend that control point from the other team. Whichever team reaches a certain number of points first wins the match.

Last Man Standing: Found in UT, and is a basic deathmatch style game, except that your goal is to stay alive. Each player is usually given around 25 lives. Whoever loses all their lives is out, and the last remaining player is the person who wins.

Capture The Flag: Has already been described, but the game itself truly develops and brings forth the concepts of offense, defense, and the proper planning of each. The game revolves around scoring points by capturing the flag, and number of kills is rather irrelevant. Such games can become very nerve racking, as well as competitive. Some games have been known to last for hours - with both teams stuck with zero captures!

A small, sample Glossary

Frag: A kill.

Gib: A kill, or sometimes refers to splattered body parts.

Server: The computer the game is played on; the computer all users connect to.

Lag: A slowdown of the server, which usually causes the game to run choppy for a period of time. Also can refer to the delay caused by a high ping.

Ping: This is the delay from the moment a computer user presses the button on his computer to when the server carries out this action, and is most seen when pressing the fire button. In full definition, ping is the delay (latency) between data sent from your computer to the server. If you have a high ping, you will usually have some lag time. Ping itself is measured in milliseconds, which although not long in real time, can last forever in gaming. Different games are more ping friendly than others, however, a ping less than 300 is not too bad in any game. Anything from 140-230 is about par, and anything below 100 is something many players would die for.

Rocket Jump: Is a jump which allows a player to reach higher places. This is done by firing a rocket at your feet and jumping at the same time it explodes.

CTF: Capture the Flag.

Bot: A player who constantly repeats the same pattern, usually in the same area, to kill people. This can get terribly annoying to many players, as such practices can show a complete lack of skill.

Camper: One of the most hated terms in online gaming. A camper is someone who hides out in one place and picks off people with a long-range weapon. This is usually done with a Rail Gun in Quake games, or a Sniper Rifle in UT. This practice is also usually viewed with scorn, as players who earn their frags in a fire fight actually have to use skill, determination, and a bit of luck, while campers just sit in a secret place and shoot at victims, much like fish in a barrel to those with low pings. Often, the words camper and bot can be interchangeable, depending on the situation.

Spawn Camper: Actually not a commonly used term, but is surely a class of camper, the saddest class. A spawn camper is nothing but a player who sits at the areas where players reappear after being killed, and shoot them as soon as they appear. This takes very little skill and only a little timing. These are the most hated types of campers.

Weapon Camper: Once again, not a common term but is a camper who sits at an area where weapons appear and kills those who come to pick them up. This again takes only a small amount of skill.

FPS: Frame rates per second. This is a measurement of how many game screens are shown per second. A minimal number is usually noted at about 30 FPS. At this speed (approximately), a game will usually run smoothly without any choppiness. A number around (or above) 50 FPS is more acceptable for many gamers.

So, now that you are familiar with a bit of the lingo of the online scene, let's introduce you to some of the necessary components you'll need to get started. I will say outright that this list, in no way, should be considered conclusive. At the rate which computers and games are evolving, some of the things I will mention in the later parts of this article may soon be out of date. So, without further ado, here are my basic recommendations for a gaming system which will allow you to play most of the games out there, with reasonable performance. (In no way should this be considered a list for an ultimate system, but rather some of the basic requirements to allow players to have a good time experiencing most games.)

Processor: When looking at the processor, it is good to know that as with everything else, it really influences the speed and performance of games. Without a fast processor, it is basically impossible to play almost any of the newer games. To just get online and play, I would recommend one with a minimum speed of 300mhz - although some new games only require a speed of around 233mhz or 166mhz. (You are free to try such games, but remember, you will be running bare minimum at such a speed.) If you want to get heavily involved in gaming online, you should at least have a 500mhz processor from a name brand such as Pentium III, Athlon, Duron, or Thunderbird. The faster processor will generate a much smoother game, especially at higher resolutions. (also speed, load time, etc.)

RAM: Without a doubt, if you do not have a large enough amount of RAM, you will find yourself struggling with choppiness and slow down in almost any graphic intensive game, online or not. The RAM itself is the temporary cache where your processor goes to pull information. If almost an entire game can be loaded into the RAM while playing, it will help game speed immensely. For today's gaming, 64MB of RAM is a low-end borderline. Anything below 64MB will highly hinder performance, with the computer constantly going to the hard drive to find data. 128MB is more of a standard for today's gaming, it is not too little in most cases, but also not too much, being that one can never have too much RAM. Many hardcore gamers prefer to load their computer with RAM amounts of up to 384MB, or above. A little extra RAM is definitely worth the extra money.

Graphics Card: A classic bottleneck to any powerful system when it comes to gaming can actually be the graphics card - and truly, all graphics cards were not created equal. You can have the fastest computer anywhere, but if you are pumping your graphics through an old s3 Virge or Voodoo1 card, the games could care less. So, you will need a solid card to play today's power hungry games. A super graphics card, paired with a fast system, can often pump out all the eye candy you can handle with today's games. One problem when choosing a good graphics card is the fact that the market itself is one of the fastest developing in all of the computer industry. But to just get involved playing the 3d games of today, I would recommend at least a voodoo3 or a graphics card powered by the Nvidia Tnt2 chip. In truth, these are both aging cards, but were top of the line last year and are priced nicely at the moment. I will not say either is a better card, each has its own positives and negatives, and a little discussion would easily spark an online debate. Go to a website review of each card, and judge for yourself which would be right for you. I, personally, have a Diamond Viper v770 ultra graphic card powered by a Tnt2 chip (which is roughly equal in power to a voodoo3) and it has plenty of power for me to play almost any games out today, at very high resolutions and graphics settings. Only Quake3 and UT have brought my computer to a halt at the highest resolution on my 19" monitor, however, that Tnt2 card is also running on a computer with a 700mhz Athlon processor with 256 RAM. For those who crave either a card which will last them a longer time, or just want the best at the moment, I would advise a card powered by either the Geforce, or Geforce2 chip, or one of the new voodoo5 cards just coming out. Of them all, the original Geforce looks to soon give the best bang for the buck, due to the fact that the Geforce blows the Tnt2 away, and the Geforce2 itself is not that noticeably better than the original Geforce, except at higher resolutions.

Modem: Just as graphic cards are not created equal, neither are modems. A modem that has a pretty 56k v90 sticker taped onto the box does not mean anything if the chipset is worthless. For both internet speed and fast gaming, many commonly think that a modem is a modem. This is a horrible misconception, as many gamers find out when they get online and see their pings sitting above 500, and the game running at almost a stall. Of course, all of these problems can be solved by getting cable, dsl, or other broadband internet access. But for those of you who are still sitting at a 56k connection and either do not want to spend the extra cash, or just do not have access to a broadband connection (like me), there are still things to consider. First off, and most important, there are two kinds of modems: winmodems and hardware modems. A winmodem is a modem which is software based and uses your processor to run. Anything a winmodem downloads is still decoded by the modem; however, the modem drains your processor horribly. This causes slowdowns in normal internet browsing, and especially in gaming. Because games draw so much of your computer's resources, adding a load from running a modem only further hinders your efforts in becoming an online king. A good solution to this problem is to get a hardware modem. These modems do almost all of the work of decoding, etc., by itself, and uses very little processor power. In gaming, this is a must. Also, many hardware modems allow lower pings than their software counterparts.

Now, the question is, how to tell if a modem is a hardware modem, and also, is the modem a good brand? A key to finding a hardware modem is usually as simple as looking at the box. If the box says winmodem, that's what it is. Almost all external modems (except USB modems) are hardware-based. Another key to look for is in the system requirements. If a modem requires only a 486 processor, or low end Pentium, it is also a hardware modem. The other place to look is to see if a modem requires win95, 98, etc. If it does, that is usually a bad sign. However, such a requirement might also mean that the product only has drivers that can be used in Windows. In the end, the key is to ask a salesperson, if possible, or look at some good online message boards (hardwarecentral.com and anadtech.com come to mind). The last tip when picking up a modem is to look at the brand. Brands such as 3com and Diamond are known for good modem performance, but many other brands can also perform admirably. A quick look for some reviews can be helpful there, as well.

The previous four categories have more influence than any others in the gaming performance of a system. However, to get the true online gaming experience, you should really have a few more things. Now, these are not for everyone, but they will enhance your feel for the games.

Sound: This includes both a sound card and a speaker system. To really get the full feel of any type of frag contest, you should really equip yourself with a nice sound system. To start a sound system, you must first get a good sound card. The most commonly noted card which seems to be dominating the market at the moment is the Sound Blaster Live from Creative Labs. First off, it is the most noted card for 3d sound, as well as quality. Secondly, the SB Live comes in many shapes and sizes. There are numerous flavors to choose from at the standard level, which includes a card targeted at gaming, mp3s, or just the standard edition of the card - each running for about $100. For high-end, there is the SB Live Platinum, which adds even more features and is priced at about $170. For the low-end, there is the SB Live value, which cuts out a few features, but can be picked up online for around $50, shipped. This is a great deal for such a superb card. The only thing the card really lacks is a fifth output channel, and unless you have a surround sound speaker system lying around, it isn't really worth the bother. You will also miss out on some software bundles that are packaged with the higher editions of the card, but the extra $40 is not always worth it. One nice thing about computers is that you can easily hook them up to your home stereo, as long as it has an audio input. With the aid of just one cable you can turn your old computer system into a screaming entertainment center. For those of us who do not have access to such a system, there are many other options. There are several nice little speaker systems out there that can change your whole computer. Altec Lansing, Boston Acoustics, and Klipsch are among the companies noted for supplying great sounds. You can find all kinds of speakers that sound great, but my one tip is to get a sub woofer. With a nice system equipped with a sub, you can feel the shots as they are fired, or as you are hit, as well as the sounds of the battle around you.

Monitor size: To have the real fun of gaming, you will want a large monitor. Of course, this isn't always in everyone's budget, and is not a "need," but it is a very nice "want." If you get a large monitor and want to play games at high resolutions, you should also have a loaded system to carry it. A 19" monitor can really add a new dimension to your gaming fun. At higher resolutions, games can get so vivid and detailed, you sometimes have to stop and just look at the scenery. But don't try it while online, else you will quickly find yourself "dead." A good bargain buy at the moment, with monitor prices at a low, is a nice 17" monitor. You can pick most up for under $250, and it can be a great step up from that old 14" or 15" monitor.

Games: What is online gaming without games? Now, I am not going to start by stating which games are better than others, because I have yet to play them all, but I can tell you some of the better games out at the moment. The two biggest games out now are Unreal Tournament (UT) and Quake 3 (Q3).

To make things simple, both games cannot only be played online, but also in single player mode. UT, in my opinion, is a much better game than Q3 in single player mode. This is not just because of the many different modes of play, but also because the computer players act more like real people whether they are your friends or your enemies. The AI (Artificial Intelligence) in UT seems to be superior. In Q3, as the difficulty gets higher, the computer controlled players only cheat more and more, such as shooting as soon as you peek around a corner - as if they had a lock on you the whole time. In net play, the games are a tossup. Both support a nice built-in server search feature, and both have nice fluid net play. The differences come in when you compare game modes. Q3 is plain, and simply a game for the fans of deathmatch. If you like a good deathmatch, be sure to try Q3. UT supports more of a variety of modes, as well as some great team modes, such as capture the flag and assault. I can personally play CTF almost endlessly, because some of the games are so intense it is amazing. Another aspect of UT which some consider an advantage is each of its weapons have two types of firing: a primary and an alternate fire. This can be very cool, making it seem as if you have twenty weapons, versus the ten you have equipped. Others have a more blase attitude. "Who cares? A kill is a kill." There are, of course, many other games out there that you can try. These include Rouge Spear, Half-Life, Shogo, Sin, and numerous others which have found their places online.

Hard drive size: Last, but not least, is hard drive space. Although HD space will not have a direct influence on your games, it will have an effect on the number of games you can load on your system, and when you play ten or more games it is all that counts. I would say a total of 15GB-20GB space is almost enough for anyone out there. I fill up about 10GB right now, and with many games taking up 1GB or more with a full install, space will become less and less. Having too small of a HD will only result in having to juggle resources and pulling out a game when you want to play another. A year ago, I was doing this on my old Pentium 120 system with a 1GB HD. Now, I am sitting with 10GB free, and I could not be happier.

Now that you have seen what you need to play all the new games online, what can you do if you don't have an appropriate computer setup but you'd like to give gaming a try? A first option would be to try out an older game which would work on your computer, or one that has lower system requirements. My first online gaming was with Quake 2, which is still widely popular and only requires a Pentium 90. It ran nicely on my Pentium 120 system with 40MB ram and a 3com winmodem. You can easily find Quake 2 at almost any location that sells software, often in the bargain bin. Q2 will introduce you to what a deathmatch really is, and it also has an add-on for CTF which can also be a good introduction. For many people (even with more advanced systems) Q2 is still a game they often play. Another option would be to find a place that allows people to play online. Many places in malls now have computers set up just for customers to play online. Of course, they charge per hour, but you might just discover a new love. A final option would be to just wait until you upgrade or buy a new computer. Soon, a Pentium 200mhz will not be able to handle the stress of today's software and you will have to pick up a faster system anyway.

So, now that you are familiar with the language and requirements for playing online, go ahead and give it a shot, you might just find it is a good stress reliever, or just a fun time. Sometimes, picturing the boss as the guy you are playing against can be a rather enjoyable way to let off steam. If you happen to see a person with the call sign "Reaper" running around, give out a shout and I'll see what you've got, or maybe you will see what I've got. If you still want to know more, or you've tried a game and are experiencing problems, be sure to come back next month when WNN will be discussing some basic tips and tactics for gaming online. Until then, happy fragging.