the_Monk

Reply to EA hands-out a 'freebie' as apology for SimCity problems in PC Gaming Stardock Forums

Last night, my friend and I started brand new 'cities' in a larger region (our original region only had 1 city space for each of us). We gave the *mostly* residential [i]strategy[/i] a try and while you [u]can[/u] grow your city-pop really fast that way, we found it is also the single best way to bone your traffic situation really hard since without local commerce and industry they will all try to leave and re-enter your city at the same time. We have als

Reply to EA hands-out a 'freebie' as apology for SimCity problems in PC Gaming Stardock Forums

[quote who="Lord Xia" reply="13" id="3331859"] It's just one example of many ways the game does not simulate the development and growth of a city, the point of the game. The things you build in your city do not work as part of a simulation, and in many ways act counterintuitively to that simulation. They only serve to facilitate the shallow facade of a simulation, when in reality, it doesn't really matter. [/quote] The legitimat

Reply to EA hands-out a 'freebie' as apology for SimCity problems in PC Gaming Stardock Forums

[quote who="Lord Xia" reply="11" id="3331843"] It's not a simulation at all, I think my favorite example I have seen was a guy who made a city that produced millions of income that had no population at all.[/quote] Since when is how someone [b]can[/b] manipulate a game the example of how a game [u]will[/u] or [u]must[/u] be played? My friend and I have spent quite a few hours with SimCity already and have not experienced any o

Reply to EA hands-out a 'freebie' as apology for SimCity problems in PC Gaming Stardock Forums

[quote who="Heavenfall" reply="9" id="3331827"] I'm not even kidding, they should give full refunds for how bad Sim City is. [/quote] I don't think that's a fair assessment of the game in my opinion. Obviously the game has issues, some of which have been patched and some of which still need to be patched. RCI definitely needs some rebalancing/fixing and the way regional traffic/trade/influence is handled could use some attention as wel

Reply to EA hands-out a 'freebie' as apology for SimCity problems in PC Gaming Stardock Forums

There are only 2 games on that list that I don't already own (DS3 and ME3). So unless EA want to expand the options (apparently there are some on their forums complaining about the selection......go figure) it'll have to be one of those two for me. I'm leaning towards ME3 but I'll take a few extra days to think about it..... ;)

EA hands-out a 'freebie' as apology for SimCity problems in PC Gaming Stardock Forums

I have received the email referenced in the blog-post linked above. It indicates that anyone having registered their copy of SimCity before March 25, may claim a free game from EA before March 30th. Those of you with SimCity 5, check your email..... Here is a second link with additional information: http://forum

Reply to Always on DRM *cough* Sim City *cough* in PC Gaming Stardock Forums

[quote who="G_Bison" reply="129" id="3330875"] This game will be heavily pirated in the days to come. The very opposite of what they were trying to do...[/quote] [b]Every[/b] PC game is heavily pirated. Hell.....my wife and I lost friends when I overheard the sons of friends of ours laughing at how nice it was that Sins of a Solar Empire (the original) was so easily pirated and I took the sons to task over their comments.

Reply to Always on DRM *cough* Sim City *cough* in PC Gaming Stardock Forums

I agree Lord Xia. The more you play the game the more you realize it isn't about that 'balancing act' the previous SimCity games required but more about being a city-builder version of "the Sims". I still see potential there. It does however seem like the game should have been delayed. Some things needed to be taken back to the drawing board.

Reply to So the computer finally is showing it's age in WinCustomize Talk Stardock Forums

Alright......alright people.......so apparently the 'seconds' I count in my head are really long seconds! hehe [e digicons]:blush:[/e] I timed it with a watch and my systems boot to the desktop between 44-54 (SSD's at 44) seconds not the 20-30 I originally claimed. [e digicons]O:)[/e] My apologies for misleading anyone in this thread.

Reply to So the computer finally is showing it's age in WinCustomize Talk Stardock Forums

There are 3 gaming rigs, 3 notebooks, a few other desktops/servers etc. in the home. With the exception of the servers which take much longer to boot all of the desktops (not only the gaming rigs) and notebooks boot their respective Windows OSes in 20-30 to the desktop. Anything longer than that would be unacceptable to my family members and I would need to 'fix' it asap! ;) I should also mention that I run a 100% Intel proc-shop (no

Reply to So the computer finally is showing it's age in WinCustomize Talk Stardock Forums

[quote who="kona0197" reply="645" id="3330480"] Like I said, it was acting fine before SP1. Don't get me wrong, it's a very snappy system, better than my old one bu far, I was just curious if this slow boot time was normal. [/quote] Well you didn't mention before that the boot time was fine before SP1. Regardless of SP1 or not, even my 2005 1.6GHz mobile proc can boot to the Windows 7 desktop in under 30 seconds. There is something ami

Reply to So the computer finally is showing it's age in WinCustomize Talk Stardock Forums

[quote who="kona0197" reply="643" id="3330462"] I'm averaging around a minute and 30 seconds. You would think it would boot faster being a quad core. It was booting quickly until I added SP1. [/quote] Once you're in the 20-30 seconds for boot to desktop realm, CPU speed etc. has nothing to do with anything. As stated previously, my 1.6GHz Pentium M with a 5400rpm HD booted Windows 7 Pro to the desktop in the same 20-30 seconds

Reply to So the computer finally is showing it's age in WinCustomize Talk Stardock Forums

Guys, if he's been having the slow-boot/sluggishness from day-1 on a [i]fresh[/i] Windows install it is not likely to be software/registry/etc. etc. related. I have never in the many years of owning PC's had a fresh Windows install take longer than about 20 seconds (certainly no longer than 30 secs) to boot to desktop.

Reply to Does PC Gaming have a future? in PC Gaming Stardock Forums

[quote who="Major Stress" reply="55" id="3330274"]It is no big secret that Windows 8 sucks. People don't like it. PC makers don't like it. PC sales are plummeting largely because of Windows 8. I don't need to post articles about it. Just google it up, and see for yourself.....[/quote] I can 'google' too..... <span style="color: #0

Reply to So the computer finally is showing it's age in WinCustomize Talk Stardock Forums

[quote who="kona0197" reply="635" id="3330131"] Wow. That Kingsoft PC Doctor has the system booting in about a mintue and 20 seconds. Very impressive, thank you. I'm still noticing a very big lag time when launching apps. Firefox and iTunes take minutes to start up. I will also look into those USB sound cards, thanks. Does anyone screw with services and disable some to improve performance? If so what ones?[/quote] &n

Reply to What is the best turn-based strategy game you've ever played? in PC Gaming Stardock Forums

Steel Panthers......or......no....that's it....just Steel Panthers. ;) EDIT: Damn.....I had to edit. I just cannot decide between the V for Victory series or Steel Panthers . Well.......either way I loved em both equally so you pick one.......hehe

Reply to Always on DRM *cough* Sim City *cough* in PC Gaming Stardock Forums

Fantastic game by the way. Personally I couldn't care less about any "always ON stuff".....

Reply to What to do about Internet trolls? in Personal Computing Stardock Forums

[quote who="Jafo" reply="71" id="3329067"] the_Monk .... I'm not 'the moderator' .... I'm just probably the most 'visible' as I've been doing it the longest [regularly]...[/quote] Oh great.....so I can get banned by any number of people now eh? [e digicons]O:)[/e]

Reply to What to do about Internet trolls? in Personal Computing Stardock Forums

Your post ( reply #67 ) reads like " let's-absolve-the-troll-of his/her-responsibility-by making-the-community-responsible-for-trolling-or-the-lack-thereof-instead." Does it really matter (at least to this discussion) why some communities seem to suffer more than others at the hands of [i]trolls[/I]? Anyone doing any kind of 'trolling' with the intent of finding <span style

Reply to What to do about Internet trolls? in Personal Computing Stardock Forums

[quote who="Seleuceia" reply="61" id="3329005"] Have you ever pulled a prank on someone before? Why do people prank each other? BECAUSE IT'S FUNNY...and most pranks don't actually bring the "victim" all that much harm... But pranking, just like trolling, has a line that some cross but most don't...there's a point where the prank or trolling is just downright mean and truly hurtful...that's not the level I'm playing devil's advocate

Reply to What to do about Internet trolls? in Personal Computing Stardock Forums

[quote who="Jafo" reply="55" id="3326578"] Some things are simply indefensible. There can be reasons, but not excuses...[/quote] [e digicons]k1[/e] I have used that time and again with my children..... [e digicons]:thumbsup:[/e]

Reply to What to do about Internet trolls? in Personal Computing Stardock Forums

[quote who="Seleuceia" reply="51" id="3326539"] Finally, don't assume trolls act the way they do just because they are on the internet... I troll people all the time in real life...I troll my friends, I troll total strangers, I troll my students (*GASP*), I troll troll troll every day... The internet isn't the only place where one can get anonymity...additionally, one doesn't need anonymity in order to reach the "troll goals" like getting a rise or ente

Reply to Lumia 920–Best Smartphone I Have Owned in Personal Computing Stardock Forums

Those with a Nokia Lumia device should check back to the "Nokia Collection" in the app store from time to time. Nokia has been steadily growing their own app offerings from month to month. I am not sure about this, but I was under the impression that those apps in the "Nokia Collection" were Nokia exclusives so they may not show up anywhere else....

Reply to So the computer finally is showing it's age in WinCustomize Talk Stardock Forums

Well with Windows 8 a lot of 'least privilege' seems finally properly [i]built in[/i]. I linked an article in the "Win 8 Sux" thread that goes into more detail about those things (in better wording...hehe).

Reply to Lets face it Win 8 Sux in Personal Computing Stardock Forums

I'm not trying to [i]convince[/i] anyone of anything with this old link. People on both sides of this [i]debate[/i] have made their position(s) abundantly clear. Just thought it an interesting/informative read if nothing else. http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/10/better-on-the-inside-under-the-hood-of-win