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Scooterboy · Mar 22, 2005, 11:05 PM

Has anyone tried this? There are a few PC-only titles (Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2) that I'd like to play and I'd rather not have to buy a new or even used PC. I only have a PowerBook (check sig) and I'd rather not have to own more stuff. Virtual PC would be cheaper than buying a real PC and a monitor. Wouldn't it? Or is Virtual PC simply not a viable gaming solution (classics only, of course)?

the_glassman · Mar 22, 2005, 11:57 PM

VPC has enough problems running the OS, you could get away with some really old classics, but you would be better just purchasing a used Dell or something and it would probably be cheaper then VPC. I do find that VPC works fine for Solitaire however.

the_glassman · Mar 23, 2005, 12:06 AM

VPC has enough problems running the OS, you could get away with some really old classics, but you would be better just purchasing a used Dell or something and it would probably be cheaper then VPC. I do find that VPC works fine for Solitaire however.

CaptainHaddock · Mar 23, 2005, 02:26 AM

Nothing that requires 3D acceleration is going to work in Virtual PC. Older, non-3D games might work okay.

Scooterboy · Mar 23, 2005, 04:13 AM

Ahh, I didn't realise VPC is so slow and can't use the video card. So I guess that means I'll be looking for a PC. But then, if I'm buying a PC, why not get a decent gaming PC? But if I do that I'll probably only buy games for the PC and then so much for Mac gaming.

I'm beginning to understand why Apple puts outdated video cards in most of their computers.

lenox · Mar 23, 2005, 05:23 PM

Using a mac as a (current pc-style) game machine is not economically feasible. Anyone who tells you otherwise is either a cultist or lying.

i play neverwinter nights on mine, and tons of old games via emulators, and that's fine. but if i was a serious pc gamer, i'd build a serious pc.

Scooterboy · Mar 23, 2005, 07:09 PM

Man, I didn't want to turn this thread into another dismal state of Mac gaming thread, but there it is. I guess I sort of fell for those Apple web pages explaining how great Macs are for games (they did that for the PowerBooks G4 1.5 GHz). Now I see they've toned that down a bit as well. Quite a change from that past keynote address with guest John Carmack. Was it so long ago?

It kind of sucks because I expect my computer to do most anything and everything. And games were in the equation. So if I want to play games more, and play them with "eye popping" performance as Apple likes to say, then my hard earned money is going to go to some PeeCee company instead of Apple. I mean a dual G5 was on the horizon looking me in the eye, but if I'm buying the PowerMac over, say, an iMac G5, because of its gaming possibilities, then I may as well buy an Alienware PC or try building one myself. And if I stop gaming on the Mac, then my PowerBook will last me much longer and I can keep that around so I can use OS X instead of feeling the need to upgrade every 3 years. I mean, really, why have the latest and greatest ATi/nVidia video thingy if I won't really use it?

Worse still is I don't like owning a lot of stuff. One computer should be enough. So if I want to game on my one computer, then why have a Mac at all?

tlrominger · Mar 24, 2005, 10:08 AM

http://www.aspyr.com/games.php/mac/complete/

They will help quench that mac gaming need.

Abit667 · Mar 24, 2005, 09:27 PM

I've played Total Anhilation in VPC with no problem, ran nice.

CaptainHaddock · Mar 25, 2005, 03:38 AM

"So if I want to game on my one computer, then why have a Mac at all?"

If all you do is play games, you might not need a Mac.

If you do anything besides games, then your Mac will be:
1. The machine that works when your new PC graphic card conflicts with your new motherboard.
2. The machine that works when your PC is infested with worms and adware.
3. The machine that works when your PC is getting Windows re-installed because of a registry corruption.
4. The machine that looks good when your eyes get sore from looking at XP.
5. The machine that does what you want when you get tired of wrestling with the Windows GUI.
6. The machine that acts like a complete multimedia studio thanks to iLife.

And gaming actually isn't so bad on a Mac. Get a Powermac and you're set. Nearly all the good games get ported to the Mac, even if we do have to wait a little longer.

Every single one of my PC-using friends now wants a Mac, since they've been around mine for the last few months. My hardcore gaming friend is the only one who probably won't switch, and he has to reinstall Windows and his drivers at least once a month to fix typical PC problems.

Scooterboy · Mar 25, 2005, 11:30 PM

Really all I want a PC for is just to play Jedi Knight as that's the only one of those Dark Forces games that never made it to the Mac. Being such an old game I suppose almost any decent used PC will do?

I'd say only about 10% of my computer use is gaming, no worries about me going over to the Dark Side.

DekuDekuplex · 12:02 PM

Read my related article, Why Apple Can�t Afford to Ignore the Gaming Industry.

The two titles that I would most like to see ported to the Mac right now are Final Fantasy XI� Online and EverQuest� II. These are both highly polished MMORPG titles with realistic (as opposed to cartoonish) graphics.

-- DekuDekuplex