[waffffffle]

I am not a gamer so I need some help with this project of mine. I just recently got hired by Apple to be the Campus representative for my school. I just got the job, so I'm not on the payroll, and I don't yet have access to Apple's tools. However I feel that here is where I will find my best answers.

My school has a giant display wall in our campus center, which is basically a giant 8 ft VGA monitor attached to a PC running Windoze. This display wall is new, and I am in a class that designs uses for the wall. There is a consensus that there should be computer games on the wall. Here is where I need the input of some gamers.

As campus rep I plan to bring in a whole lotta G4s (maybe Cubes) and have a giant gaming tournament on the wall. I think it would be great.

My question to you guys is: What game should it be? I know nothing about serious gaming, or even what titles are available for the Mac, so any imput you can provide would be great.

Also, a hardware question: This display wall is actually 8 giant 1024x768 displays arranged together, and the PC connected to it has 2 video cards, each with 4 VGA ports. The guy in charge of the wall want to divide up the screen into 2 halves and have 2 giant screens playing 2 games at a time. My only experience with multiple monitors is with my Powerbook and an external display. Do G4s support more than 2 monitors? Can I arrange 4 monitors in a square configuration on a G4 (using 3 more video cards-I have to work on where I can get those)? Also, will any games support this setup? The idea is to make use of the display wall's high resolution and also show off Mac gaming.

Any suggestions from you guys would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks all.

[Chimpmaster]

A g4 can support more than 1 monitor if it has the right type of video card, or more than 1 video card. I dont know alot about this but i do know that much.

Games - Definitely Quake 3 Team Arena. You will get suggestions of many other games from hardcore gamers, but trust me, nothing is more visually impressive than Q3TA at the moment. It had beautiful grpahics and it will attract crowds as it is an excellent multiplayer game, and extremely fast paced.

[mac freak]

This may piss you off, but...

If you want to play games, you'd be better off buying a bunch of Athlons or P4's than a slew of G4's. Games just run better on PC's...

Everything else is better on a Mac though

------------------
Be Happy.

[mindwaves]

Rune, Rogue Spear, Bugdom

[clifhirtle]

Originally posted by waffffffle:
I am not a gamer so I need some help with this project of mine. I just recently got hired by Apple to be the Campus representative for my school. I just got the job, so I'm not on the payroll, and I don't yet have access to Apple's tools.

Waffle...

Congrats on the CR position. As a fellow CR (SCSU) i'll tell you straight-up that being a CR is one of the most incredible working and learning experiences you will ever have access to. Use it, learn it, and have all the fun you can - the people and places it will take you are truly amazing. Example: annual week-long training in Cupertino rocks!

On the issue of how to hook up to your school's screen i would actually recommend 2 things (neither of which have to do with MacNN sorry guys!).

1) Get signed up with Apple's Learn and Earn webservices. Depending on your AE, you may be able to use your L&E time as CR hours and the site covers everything from setting up KidSafe to configuring a LAN. I can almost guarantee you'll find info on setting up dual monitor displays there.

2) Talk to you regional Systems Engineer. Your AE has at least one SE working under him/her to service the higher ed institutions in your area. These are all HIGHLY trained individuals who just happen to also available be available to CRs as a resource. Talk to him/her, get to know him/her and your job as a CR (and the many curious educators you will meet) will only benefit in the long run.

PS: Game-wise i would definitely recommend a highly-visual 3D game, but also keep in mind the audience that is watching and company you are representing. Older professors and/or parents may not be terribly fond of seeing life-sized extremities of Q3A flying around and/or hearing the mild profanities such as "Die b*tch!" of UT. You utilize a milder, newer/hotter game such as Driver or Rune. Check out "http://www.apple.com/games/" for the latest and greatest games on the Mac.

Any other questions feel free to ask!
Again, welcome aboard!

Clif C Hirtle
SCSU
clifhirtle@mac.com

[quitbanningme68]

Don't listen to anyone else. Play unreal tournament. Why? It's more colorful than the other games, it'll run faster, and it has a better soundtrack, and more 'attitude'.

Q3 might be better for deathmatch, but for sheer 'impressing people' ness, you can't beat UT.

- Ca$h

Rune !! http://www.runegame.com

[This message has been edited by Dragonlance (edited 03-03-2001).]

[Cipher13]

Originally posted by quitbanningme68:
Don't listen to anyone else. Play unreal tournament. Why? It's more colorful than the other games, it'll run faster, and it has a better soundtrack, and more 'attitude'.

Q3 might be better for deathmatch, but for sheer 'impressing people' ness, you can't beat UT.

- Ca$h

Yep, definately UT.
Q3A is lame and boring in comparison.
And unless you're a hardcore fragger, you'll be bored playing it too. UT is more fun.

I'd also have to agree with Mac Freak - get a few Athlons with nice GeForces or something to run it.
I don't think you'll find quad head vid cards for the Mac like you have on those PC's either... but I could be wrong.

Cipher13

[Tristrami]

Three words: Age of Empires!

I KNOW it is a microsoft product, but it's damn cool, great graphics and massively multiplayer (8 on a lan) plus it will definately appeal to any history & classics majors at your school...what's more there's v. little gore to turn off squamish parents.

Nope...QIII Arena. Just imagine your entire class tryiung to frag eachother...

Play it cool

[Cipher13]

No way, UT it is
But, if you're using Wintels - what about Half Life?
Like Half Life Team Fortress or something?
I still think UT kicks, but HL is just another thought...

Cipher13

[austeros]

dont forget about blizzard games... starcraft is still INSANELY popular at my school (University of Illinois)...

but if your going fps... definately go ut...

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-rok

[waffffffle]

The point of this is to show off Macintosh gaming so uding Wintels is out of the question. How about sports games? Those are the most popular games that my friends play on console systems. Are there any good sports games for mac?

Try Madden NFL 2000. Wait....oh yeah, that's the ONLY decent sports game for the Mac. So, if you want sports, go Madden.

[austeros]

i would steer clear of sports games, since we only have the one...



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-rok

[Tristrami]

I still say that a strategy game will appeal to the most number of people without turning off the parents and sqeamish. As cool as fragging the hell out of people over a LAN is, flying chunks of blood & gore on the screen are NOT going to make Mom & Dad whip out their chequebooks. It would actually have the opposite effect, as in "I'm not paying $$$$$$ for college to have my daughter/son do this." As for strategy games, AoE is still my favorite, although Risk II might be a good bet as well, but stay away from the ones with lame or stilted graphics (Civilization Gold II or Master of Orion II). Let us know what you decide on!

[Leonard]

Too bad ONI didn't have multiplayer support... it would have been good for this. There's nothing like hand to hand combat. Then again, it may be too tame for college students.

UT definitely would get everyone's attention, especially if you have some speakers hooked up to the machines running this wall.

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aka SniperKillerLaw in UT - I snipe snipers

[mithral]

The concern for your audience is valid. I know that UT has some preferences where you can tone down the "gore-level", and I believe you can turn off the vulgar taunts (or just nix them entirely, if you're worried about parents' reactions). Just checked: there is an option to "Remove Vulgar Taunts".

I would go with UT, for many of the same reasons listed by others:

• Brighter colors
• More impressive sounds/ soundtrack
• More variety in the levels

Remember, you're putting on a show here, so you want something interesting for the people watching to look at. Good luck - sounds like a great opportunity.

[This message has been edited by mithral (edited 03-09-2001).]

Unreal Tournament should do the trick. Anything else would just be a shame....:-)

Since gore level may be a problem, especially since the dean of students may not get a big kick out of UT, definately go with Cro-Mag Rally. First off, great game. It's damn funny and pretty challenging to play against each other. Second, good for ALL age levels. Third, it looks great. Bright colors, the whole deal. If it were anywhere else but a school, I would go with Q3A, but this is a "learning center" cough cough.

[felixgv]

Actually the GeForce 3 will come out first for the mac. If you can wait until april, then wait and buy a bunch of dual 533 G4 with like 512mb RAM, it will cost you about 3000$ US each I think so it's worth the price. And about the game suggestion, Starcraft is a really nice multiplayer one, Warcraft III will definitely be nice too but it will come out in like 2 years. Diablo II is very nice too but if the people don't have enough time to build their character they'll probably find it boring. So what I suggest is to divide your screen in 2 parts and put Starcraft in one screen ant UT or Q3A on the other.