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Says a recent report:
"Two third of total PC playtime last year was on games that are at
least six years old"*
I'm sure this surprises nobody here; we're all old farts (well, most
of us anyway) and we naturally gravitate towards older games. But I
think it is indicative --and should be a loud warning-- to triple-A publishers that modern games -increasingly filled with 'live service' nonsense (and MTX and advertising and cross-promotions and all the
rest) are NOT satisfying the bulk of their customers. So, you know,
maybe stop doubling down on that?
Except... sales remain high so probably they don't care? After all, if
people are still BUYING the games, does it really matter if those
games actually get played? Then again, maybe it does. The newest games --overly expensive to develop-- absolutely depend on MTX and
live-services to keep the money-train going; the retail purchase price
is not enough for the publishers to recoup their investments. But if
gamers aren't playing these new games, then they aren't likely to pay
for the lootboxes or digital hats or pay-to-win trading cards either.
But what's a poor triple-A to do? Put in MTX and people don't buy your
game: end-result, no profit. Don't put in MTX and you don't make money
and, again, no profit. It's a catch-22!
Unless --and this is a radical idea-- maybe you reign in the cost of
your games so they don't cost $400 million dollars to develop and
sell, and then you /can/ profit on just the retail price alone. It's
the one neat trick they don't want you to know!
The game industry is struggling, and it will have to change. The
question is, can the big-name triple-A companies adapt or will they
spend themselves into obsolescence?
But 1/3 of PC Playtime is still a LOT of time. And I seem to recall
reading somewhere that the MTX-laden games rely on a small number of
"whales" who each individually pump a lot of money into the games they play. So it doesn't matter if the AAA shit is a niche, the addicts of
that niche are extremely easy to milk, *ahem*, that is highly loyal and profitable customers.
And I seem to recall
reading somewhere that the MTX-laden games rely on a small number of
"whales" who each individually pump a lot of money into the games they
play. So it doesn't matter if the AAA shit is a niche, the addicts of
that niche are extremely easy to milk, *ahem*, that is highly loyal and >profitable customers.
On Sun, 23 Mar 2025 13:46:44 -0400, Spalls Hurgenson ><spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
Tangentially related:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Pp6yfJmKFg
(okay, not really. It's a brief comedy skit about a guy realizing
games he enjoyed in his youth are now considered old. I found it
amusing. But it's games that aren't new, and I didn't want to start an >entirely new post just for the link, so I'm sticking it here ;-)
(This video doesn't have as much impact on me as it might once have,
just because I'm long past the point where I've realized all the
things I've enjoyed in the past are considered long out of date.
Nowadays I'm more surprised when things I liked are still enjoyed by >youngsters. ;-)
(although -20 points for the videographer for filming in portrait
mode.)
On Mon, 24 Mar 2025 10:55:27 -0400, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,
Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
On Sun, 23 Mar 2025 13:46:44 -0400, Spalls Hurgenson ><spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
Tangentially related:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Pp6yfJmKFg
(okay, not really. It's a brief comedy skit about a guy realizing
games he enjoyed in his youth are now considered old. I found it
amusing. But it's games that aren't new, and I didn't want to start an >entirely new post just for the link, so I'm sticking it here ;-)
(This video doesn't have as much impact on me as it might once have,
just because I'm long past the point where I've realized all the
things I've enjoyed in the past are considered long out of date.
Nowadays I'm more surprised when things I liked are still enjoyed by >youngsters. ;-)
Gaming in your 30s? Really? Try gaming after 45, when all your twitch
skills have completely left you and you can't beat the AI in a button
mashing contest any more.
(although -20 points for the videographer for filming in portrait
mode.)
Geezer. It's a phone video. It's more authentic.
On Tue, 25 Mar 2025 01:06:46 +0000, ant@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:
Zaghadka <zaghadka@hotmail.com> wrote:
On Mon, 24 Mar 2025 10:55:27 -0400, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,
Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
On Sun, 23 Mar 2025 13:46:44 -0400, Spalls Hurgenson
<spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
Tangentially related:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Pp6yfJmKFg
Gaming in your 30s? Really? Try gaming after 45, when all your twitch
skills have completely left you and you can't beat the AI in a button
mashing contest any more.
Haha, my twitch skills left after 30! :P Funny, I used to hate turn
based games, but I love turn based games. :D
I judge my rate of decline by how fast I can drive in racing games. I
used to be able to handle the turns at 280mph, no problem. Now I
struggle at half that. ;-)
Admittedly, not an exact science since modern games have more
realistic physics so comparing my performance playing
games-of-yesteryear to new titles isn't an apples-to-apples
comparison, but even going back to the original "Need for Speed" I
definitely notice I can't keep up as easily. I tell myself it's
because I'm out of practice with that map, but I inside I know better.
At this rate, I figure that in another twenty years I will be playing
the newest NASCAR lane by driving in the right lane at 20mph with my >turn-signal permanently engaged ;-)
My mind, on the other hand, is as sharp as it ever was!
(which you can take to mean however you like ;-)
On Tue, 25 Mar 2025 01:06:46 +0000, ant@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:
Zaghadka <zaghadka@hotmail.com> wrote:
On Mon, 24 Mar 2025 10:55:27 -0400, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,
Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
On Sun, 23 Mar 2025 13:46:44 -0400, Spalls Hurgenson
<spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
Tangentially related:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Pp6yfJmKFg
Gaming in your 30s? Really? Try gaming after 45, when all your twitch
skills have completely left you and you can't beat the AI in a button
mashing contest any more.
Haha, my twitch skills left after 30! :P Funny, I used to hate turn
based games, but I love turn based games. :D
I judge my rate of decline by how fast I can drive in racing games. I
used to be able to handle the turns at 280mph, no problem. Now I
struggle at half that. ;-)
Admittedly, not an exact science since modern games have more
realistic physics so comparing my performance playing
games-of-yesteryear to new titles isn't an apples-to-apples
comparison, but even going back to the original "Need for Speed" I
definitely notice I can't keep up as easily. I tell myself it's
because I'm out of practice with that map, but I inside I know better.
At this rate, I figure that in another twenty years I will be playing
the newest NASCAR lane by driving in the right lane at 20mph with my turn-signal permanently engaged ;-)
My mind, on the other hand, is as sharp as it ever was!
(which you can take to mean however you like ;-)
On Sun, 23 Mar 2025 13:46:44 -0400, Spalls Hurgenson
<spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
Tangentially related:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Pp6yfJmKFg
(okay, not really. It's a brief comedy skit about a guy realizing
games he enjoyed in his youth are now considered old. I found it
amusing. But it's games that aren't new, and I didn't want to start an entirely new post just for the link, so I'm sticking it here ;-)
(This video doesn't have as much impact on me as it might once have,
just because I'm long past the point where I've realized all the
things I've enjoyed in the past are considered long out of date.
Nowadays I'm more surprised when things I liked are still enjoyed by youngsters. ;-)
(although -20 points for the videographer for filming in portrait
mode.)
So you might be playing more old games simply because _there are more
old games to play_. ;-)
It happens in all fast faced games even in arcade games from the rad 80s
for me. :(
TL;DR: results inconclusive. Please re-run Gravitar experiment by
playing it non-stop for 3 months, then re-submit summary. ;-)
On Wed, 26 Mar 2025 14:17:23 -0400, Spalls Hurgenson ><spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
So you might be playing more old games simply because _there are more
old games to play_. ;-)
I play more old games because modern big budget games do not appeal to
me. Period. It really is that simple. I lost interest in modern games
around the year 2000 or so. I don't think it is their fault. It is
just a personal preference thing.
Re-reading this, it came across a lot more antagonistic than I
intended (what can I say, I was in a rush to finish, and I'd been
doing a bit too much doom-scrolling beforehand ;-). The gist of what I
was trying to say is that
On Thu, 27 Mar 2025 10:43:28 -0500, Zaghadka <zaghadka@hotmail.com>
wrote:
On Thu, 27 Mar 2025 08:58:14 -0400, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action, Mike >>S. wrote:
On Wed, 26 Mar 2025 14:17:23 -0400, Spalls Hurgenson >>><spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
So you might be playing more old games simply because _there are more >>>>old games to play_. ;-)
I play more old games because modern big budget games do not appeal to >>>me. Period. It really is that simple. I lost interest in modern games >>>around the year 2000 or so. I don't think it is their fault. It is
just a personal preference thing.
As soon as our "hobby" went to the frat boys and normies - it began >>sometime around the point when you didn't have to configure your sound
card addresses, manage your resident programs, and properly configure
IRQs - I knew it was the beginning of the end. But I did make some coin >>configuring such people's systems to play, say, Blackthorne. Windows 98 >>finally ended that source of revenue.
It took a while for the inertia of needing to satisfy that audience to
die down. It is now complete. Around when you say, 2015, give or take. >>Those days are gone.
Very few developers are willing to risk making games that appeal to that >>sort of intelligence. The ones that do are all indies. Games are also
more socially oriented, where single player was the established norm for >>the tech-oriented audience. We tended to be loners.
We aren't the market any more. The PC Master Race is, in fact, dead.
Speak for yourself. I'm pining for the fjords.
More seriously, while I think to some degree what you say is true, I
think it also ignores a lot of the changes made in the past ten years
too. (that mention of 'geeks vs normies also feels like gatekeeping).
True, the triple-A studios continue to push pabulum, but that's less
to cater specifically to 'normies' (and not the 'intelligent
tech-oriented player') but instead that they have to cater to the
widest possible audience.
The problem isn't so much who
specifically they are appealing but rather that their projects are so >expensive to develop that they can't afford to make a game that only a
small niche would enjoy. Smaller developers have that luxury (and so
would the triple-A's if they dared consider the benefits of more
numerous, smaller titles).
And, honestly, while there were a host of early-2000s games that were >absolutely terrible and catered to the "frat-bro" mentality (yeah, I'm >looking right at you, "Gears of War"!), there were an equal number of >terrible geek-oriented games in the 1990s that are just as
cringeworthy. Frankly, the game industry desperately needed to break
out of that niche, and I think nowadays is much better for it (Geeks
can be just as offensively stupid outside of their particular niches
as 'normies'). There's a much wider spectrum of viewpoints being
offered these days than ever before, and I'm grateful for it... even
if some of them aren't of any interest to me.
But what can I say, I'm an ultra-geek myself and own an IDIC medallion
;-P
On Thu, 27 Mar 2025 14:15:01 -0400, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,
Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
Re-reading this, it came across a lot more antagonistic than IYou're on Usenet, ffs. That was a quietly sung nursery rhyme. ;^)
intended (what can I say, I was in a rush to finish, and I'd been
doing a bit too much doom-scrolling beforehand ;-). The gist of what I
was trying to say is that
Where has that Usenet spirit gone, I wonder?
On 3/27/2025 11:48 AM, Zaghadka wrote:
On Thu, 27 Mar 2025 14:15:01 -0400, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,X (Formerly known as Twitter).
Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
Re-reading this, it came across a lot more antagonistic than IYou're on Usenet, ffs. That was a quietly sung nursery rhyme. ;^)
intended (what can I say, I was in a rush to finish, and I'd been
doing a bit too much doom-scrolling beforehand ;-). The gist of what I
was trying to say is that
Where has that Usenet spirit gone, I wonder?
Universal Flame Form (short form, #1033/UFF)
Start Flame
Dear:
[ ] Alleged Primate [ ] Lamer [ ] AOLer
[ ] "Me too" er [ ] Pervert [ ] Geek
[ ] Spammer [ ] Nerd [ ] Elvis
[ ] Fed [ ] Freak [ ] Punk
[ ] Fathead [ ] "Expert" [ ] Irritant
[ ] Psycho [ ] Nut [ ] Wacko
[ ] Other:
You Are Being Flamed Because:
[ ] You posted a "test" in a newsgroup other than alt.test
[ ] You posted warez in pieces LESS than 5000 lines
[ ] You posted a binary in a format many readers can't use
[ ] You posted something asking for warez sites
[ ] You posted a binary in a non-binaries group
[ ] You quoted an ENTIRE post in your reply
[ ] You posted in ALL CAPS
[ ] You posted an ad in an inappropriate group
[ ] You continued a long, stupid thread
[ ] You started an off-topic thread
[ ] You posted a "YOU ALL SUCK" message
[ ] You said "me too" to something
[ ] You don't know which group to post in
[ ] You suck
[ ] You brag about things that never happened
[ ] Your sig/alias/server sucks
[ ] You made up slang then used it in a message
[ ] You posted a phone-sex ad
[ ] I don't like your tone of voice
[ ] I think you might be a fed
[ ] You're an idiot
[ ] You're a moron
[ ] You're an imbecile
[ ] You can't recognize sarcasm
[ ] You posted in eLiTe CaPiTaLs
[ ] You contributed nothing
[ ] You contributed less than nothing
[ ] You posted concerning a subject you know nothing about
[ ] You posted a pyramid scheme
[ ] You pretended your pyramid scheme was legal
[ ] You are trolling
To Repent, You Must:
[ ] Give up your AOL account
[ ] Bust up your modem with a hammer and eat it
[ ] Eat your caps lock key
[ ] Jump into a bathtub while using an electrical appliance
[ ] Actually post something relevant
[ ] Read the FAQ
[ ] Be Dick Chaney's love slave
[ ] Be the guest of honor in alt.flame for a month
[ ] Post your tests to alt.test
[ ] Stop sucking
[ ] Never post again
[ ] Die
[ ] Go away
[ ] Stop using your father/mother/older sibling's account
[ ] Invent a time machine, go back in time, and
[ ] stop yourself from spamming
[ ] stop your parents from conceiving
[ ] stop your grandparents from conceiving
[ ] stay there
[ ] Get a life
[ ] Talk to someone of the opposite sex (other than 1-900-BIGTITS)
[ ] Calm down
[ ] Watch Dawson's Creek (if this seems like a reward, please do all
the above)
In Closing, I'd Like to Say:
[ ] Blow me
[ ] Who cares?
[ ] Fuck you
[ ] I pity your dog
[ ] Go to hell
[ ] Never breed
[ ] Yer momma's so fat/stupid/ugly that etc...
[ ] Take your shit somewhere else
[ ] Learn to post or fuck off
[ ] Do us all a favor and jump into some industrial equipment
[ ] See how far your tongue will fit into the electric outlet
[ ] All of the above
End Flame.
Thank you. Drive through.
On Wed, 26 Mar 2025 14:17:23 -0400, Spalls Hurgenson
<spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
So you might be playing more old games simply because _there are more
old games to play_. ;-)
I play more old games because modern big budget games do not appeal to
me. Period. It really is that simple. I lost interest in modern games
around the year 2000 or so. I don't think it is their fault. It is
just a personal preference thing.
On Thu, 27 Mar 2025 17:35:21 -0700, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action, Dimensional Traveler wrote:
On 3/27/2025 11:48 AM, Zaghadka wrote:
On Thu, 27 Mar 2025 14:15:01 -0400, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,X (Formerly known as Twitter).
Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
Re-reading this, it came across a lot more antagonistic than IYou're on Usenet, ffs. That was a quietly sung nursery rhyme. ;^)
intended (what can I say, I was in a rush to finish, and I'd been
doing a bit too much doom-scrolling beforehand ;-). The gist of what I >>>> was trying to say is that
Where has that Usenet spirit gone, I wonder?
X is but a shadow of the epic flame wars and irreverance of classic
Usenet. Less intelligent too.
Plus, though some classic Usenet users did, many did not take the age of flame wars seriously. There was often a sense of humor, as evidenced in
this vintage document (okay, this is alt hierarchy and binaries focused,
but still funny).
Universal Flame Form (short form, #1033/UFF)
Start Flame
Dear:
[ ] Alleged Primate [ ] Lamer [ ] AOLer
[ ] "Me too" er [ ] Pervert [ ] Geek
[ ] Spammer [ ] Nerd [ ] Elvis
[ ] Fed [ ] Freak [ ] Punk
[ ] Fathead [ ] "Expert" [ ] Irritant
[ ] Psycho [ ] Nut [ ] Wacko
[ ] Other:
You Are Being Flamed Because:
[ ] You posted a "test" in a newsgroup other than alt.test
[ ] You posted warez in pieces LESS than 5000 lines
[ ] You posted a binary in a format many readers can't use
[ ] You posted something asking for warez sites
[ ] You posted a binary in a non-binaries group
[ ] You quoted an ENTIRE post in your reply
[ ] You posted in ALL CAPS
[ ] You posted an ad in an inappropriate group
[ ] You continued a long, stupid thread
[ ] You started an off-topic thread
[ ] You posted a "YOU ALL SUCK" message
[ ] You said "me too" to something
[ ] You don't know which group to post in
[ ] You suck
[ ] You brag about things that never happened
[ ] Your sig/alias/server sucks
[ ] You made up slang then used it in a message
[ ] You posted a phone-sex ad
[ ] I don't like your tone of voice
[ ] I think you might be a fed
[ ] You're an idiot
[ ] You're a moron
[ ] You're an imbecile
[ ] You can't recognize sarcasm
[ ] You posted in eLiTe CaPiTaLs
[ ] You contributed nothing
[ ] You contributed less than nothing
[ ] You posted concerning a subject you know nothing about
[ ] You posted a pyramid scheme
[ ] You pretended your pyramid scheme was legal
[ ] You are trolling
To Repent, You Must:
[ ] Give up your AOL account
[ ] Bust up your modem with a hammer and eat it
[ ] Eat your caps lock key
[ ] Jump into a bathtub while using an electrical appliance
[ ] Actually post something relevant
[ ] Read the FAQ
[ ] Be Dick Chaney's love slave
[ ] Be the guest of honor in alt.flame for a month
[ ] Post your tests to alt.test
[ ] Stop sucking
[ ] Never post again
[ ] Die
[ ] Go away
[ ] Stop using your father/mother/older sibling's account
[ ] Invent a time machine, go back in time, and
[ ] stop yourself from spamming
[ ] stop your parents from conceiving
[ ] stop your grandparents from conceiving
[ ] stay there
[ ] Get a life
[ ] Talk to someone of the opposite sex (other than 1-900-BIGTITS)
[ ] Calm down
[ ] Watch Dawson's Creek (if this seems like a reward, please do all
the above)
In Closing, I'd Like to Say:
[ ] Blow me
[ ] Who cares?
[ ] Fuck you
[ ] I pity your dog
[ ] Go to hell
[ ] Never breed
[ ] Yer momma's so fat/stupid/ugly that etc...
[ ] Take your shit somewhere else
[ ] Learn to post or fuck off
[ ] Do us all a favor and jump into some industrial equipment
[ ] See how far your tongue will fit into the electric outlet
[ ] All of the above
End Flame.
Thank you. Drive through.
On Fri, 28 Mar 2025 15:50:05 -0000 (UTC), in
comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action, candycanearter07 wrote:
Zaghadka <zaghadka@hotmail.com> wrote at 14:07 this Friday (GMT):In the dark corners where I came from? Occasionally used for real, but
On Thu, 27 Mar 2025 17:35:21 -0700, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action,
Dimensional Traveler wrote:
On 3/27/2025 11:48 AM, Zaghadka wrote:
On Thu, 27 Mar 2025 14:15:01 -0400, in comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action, >>>>> Spalls Hurgenson wrote:X (Formerly known as Twitter).
Re-reading this, it came across a lot more antagonistic than IYou're on Usenet, ffs. That was a quietly sung nursery rhyme. ;^)
intended (what can I say, I was in a rush to finish, and I'd been
doing a bit too much doom-scrolling beforehand ;-). The gist of what I >>>>>> was trying to say is that
Where has that Usenet spirit gone, I wonder?
X is but a shadow of the epic flame wars and irreverance of classic
Usenet. Less intelligent too.
Plus, though some classic Usenet users did, many did not take the age of >>> flame wars seriously. There was often a sense of humor, as evidenced in
this vintage document (okay, this is alt hierarchy and binaries focused, >>> but still funny).
Universal Flame Form (short form, #1033/UFF)
Start Flame
Dear:
[ ] Alleged Primate [ ] Lamer [ ] AOLer
[ ] "Me too" er [ ] Pervert [ ] Geek
[ ] Spammer [ ] Nerd [ ] Elvis
[ ] Fed [ ] Freak [ ] Punk
[ ] Fathead [ ] "Expert" [ ] Irritant
[ ] Psycho [ ] Nut [ ] Wacko
[ ] Other:
You Are Being Flamed Because:
[ ] You posted a "test" in a newsgroup other than alt.test
[ ] You posted warez in pieces LESS than 5000 lines
[ ] You posted a binary in a format many readers can't use
[ ] You posted something asking for warez sites
[ ] You posted a binary in a non-binaries group
[ ] You quoted an ENTIRE post in your reply
[ ] You posted in ALL CAPS
[ ] You posted an ad in an inappropriate group
[ ] You continued a long, stupid thread
[ ] You started an off-topic thread
[ ] You posted a "YOU ALL SUCK" message
[ ] You said "me too" to something
[ ] You don't know which group to post in
[ ] You suck
[ ] You brag about things that never happened
[ ] Your sig/alias/server sucks
[ ] You made up slang then used it in a message
[ ] You posted a phone-sex ad
[ ] I don't like your tone of voice
[ ] I think you might be a fed
[ ] You're an idiot
[ ] You're a moron
[ ] You're an imbecile
[ ] You can't recognize sarcasm
[ ] You posted in eLiTe CaPiTaLs
[ ] You contributed nothing
[ ] You contributed less than nothing
[ ] You posted concerning a subject you know nothing about
[ ] You posted a pyramid scheme
[ ] You pretended your pyramid scheme was legal
[ ] You are trolling
To Repent, You Must:
[ ] Give up your AOL account
[ ] Bust up your modem with a hammer and eat it
[ ] Eat your caps lock key
[ ] Jump into a bathtub while using an electrical appliance
[ ] Actually post something relevant
[ ] Read the FAQ
[ ] Be Dick Chaney's love slave
[ ] Be the guest of honor in alt.flame for a month
[ ] Post your tests to alt.test
[ ] Stop sucking
[ ] Never post again
[ ] Die
[ ] Go away
[ ] Stop using your father/mother/older sibling's account
[ ] Invent a time machine, go back in time, and
[ ] stop yourself from spamming
[ ] stop your parents from conceiving
[ ] stop your grandparents from conceiving
[ ] stay there
[ ] Get a life
[ ] Talk to someone of the opposite sex (other than 1-900-BIGTITS)
[ ] Calm down
[ ] Watch Dawson's Creek (if this seems like a reward, please do all >>>> the above)
In Closing, I'd Like to Say:
[ ] Blow me
[ ] Who cares?
[ ] Fuck you
[ ] I pity your dog
[ ] Go to hell
[ ] Never breed
[ ] Yer momma's so fat/stupid/ugly that etc...
[ ] Take your shit somewhere else
[ ] Learn to post or fuck off
[ ] Do us all a favor and jump into some industrial equipment
[ ] See how far your tongue will fit into the electric outlet
[ ] All of the above
End Flame.
Thank you. Drive through.
Is this a real thing people used or just an example?
really just funny stuff that circulated back in the day. It satirized how banal flaming had become.
If used for real, the gist of it was "I don't have time for you so please accept this form." So, as a double kick in the nuts. "Not only am I
flaming you, I am flaming you with a form letter."
Yes. People put X-es in the appropriate boxes.
I think the last 'troll' of that sort we had in c.s.i.p.g.action was
over 20 years ago, in the best-forgotten Steam/DRM wars. I use 'troll'
in quotes, however, since I believe the main instigator earnestly
believed in their position; they just didn't know enough to let the
subject die even after everyone else made it clear they were sick and
tired of the subject. ;-)
Trolling in old Usenet was a real art. These days many people will
just burst into a forum (on Usenet or off), say somethign wildly inappropriate, and call it a day. But the Trolls of Usenet often put
effort into their art, saying/just/ enough to make you think they
were seriously wishing a discussion while still managing to aggravate
nearly everyone in the newsgroup.
Isn't this kind of off-topic? I come here and pay my hard-earned money
to read about games and PC systems.
On Sun, 30 Mar 2025 05:42:51 -0500, .../v]andrak|?...
<jfwaldby@gmail.com> wrote:
Isn't this kind of off-topic? I come here and pay my hard-earned money
to read about games and PC systems.
LOL!
It has been a long time since anyone here made this kind of
complaint. You really should just be happy this newsgroup is as active
as it is.
But if it still bothering you, maybe Spalls can rescue the thread. He
once turned a completely off topic thread about cooking and microwave
ovens back on topic to remembering microwave ovens in video games.
On Sun, 30 Mar 2025 07:33:13 -0400, Mike S. <Mike_S@nowhere.com> wrote:
On Sun, 30 Mar 2025 05:42:51 -0500, .../v]andrak|?...
<jfwaldby@gmail.com> wrote:
Isn't this kind of off-topic? I come here and pay my hard-earned money >>>to read about games and PC systems.
LOL!
It has been a long time since anyone here made this kind of complaint.
You really should just be happy this newsgroup is as active as it is.
But if it still bothering you, maybe Spalls can rescue the thread. He
once turned a completely off topic thread about cooking and microwave
ovens back on topic to remembering microwave ovens in video games.
Sure, but the original post was about a World of Tanks forum, and while
I don't think much of "World of Tanks", it definitely is a game and thus
I'd say it's on-topic. My vaunted powers to redirect threads will remain unused in this case ;-)
... Although now I'm wondering how many video games have in-game representations of online forums in them... I know I've seen a few. I
think "Alpha Protocol" had one on a computer you hacked (it was just a non-functional screen-grab) but I'm pretty sure I've seen others. Oh,
and there was a forum in "Uplink" too, I think! Arguably, GTA5 had one
as well (although I think it was more of a Twitter rip-off)
JAB wrote:
On 29/03/2025 14:44, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
Trolling in old Usenet was a real art. These days many people will
just burst into a forum (on Usenet or off), say somethign wildly
inappropriate, and call it a day. But the Trolls of Usenet often put
effort into their art, saying/just/ enough to make you think they
were seriously wishing a discussion while still managing to aggravate
nearly everyone in the newsgroup.
Very much so, trolling in general now is very much low grade and often
gets no more creative than, no that's your mum that is. The art of
trolling is to slowly reel people in and the don't realise it's
happened until to late.
The meaning of troll has also change so now people will call someone a
troll when they aren't but instead just obnoxious. Another one that
wasn't uncommon on the World of Tanks forum, merely disagreeing with
someone could get you labelled a troll. The worst thing was there was
a moderator who basically went along with that and seemed to think
that it was disruptive (their words not mine) if you wouldn't allow
people to state their opinions, however ridiculous, unchallenged. They
seem to not understand what a forum was. Then again they also believed
they had a spirit guide called Jesus of Nazareth.
Isn't this kind of off-topic? I come here and pay my hard-earned money
to read about games and PC systems.
On Wed, 26 Mar 2025 14:17:23 -0400, Spalls Hurgenson <spallshurgenson@gmail.com> wrote:
So you might be playing more old games simply because _there are more
old games to play_. ;-)
I play more old games because modern big budget games do not appeal to
me. Period. It really is that simple. I lost interest in modern games
around the year 2000 or so. I don't think it is their fault. It is
just a personal preference thing.
ant@zimage.comANT (Ant) writes:
It happens in all fast faced games even in arcade games from the rad 80s
for me. :(
Yah. I remember trying to beat R-Type in mame a few years ago. It wasn't
that hard to get to level 5 or 6 of the eight levels when I was 17 but
now... And the emulator lets me even save the game but even with save scumming I wasn't getting through level 4.
Same thing with other arcade games. I was never that good in Gravitar
for example but now I suck. And some games seem aggressively hard, it's
not how I remember them at all. I suspect time travelers :)
JAB wrote:
On 29/03/2025 14:44, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
Trolling in old Usenet was a real art. These days many people will
just burst into a forum (on Usenet or off), say somethign wildly
inappropriate, and call it a day. But the Trolls of Usenet often put
effort into their art, saying/just/ enough to make you think they
were seriously wishing a discussion while still managing to aggravate
nearly everyone in the newsgroup.
Very much so, trolling in general now is very much low grade and often
gets no more creative than, no that's your mum that is. The art of
trolling is to slowly reel people in and the don't realise it's
happened until to late.
"You're a troll and you're not trolling right?"
Pardon me but I reject the label 'troll'. Trolling is only a final
recourse when negotiation has failed. It's basically a way to trash on
a group that has been recalcitrant and selfish.
I enjoy conversation - does that make me a troll? I've been called
random before - does that make me a troll? I talk about old games on an
old games thread and crosspost to allow my mate to see some of the ones
I like - does that make me a troll? I crossposted to here and rec.food.cooking about carrying a P-90 into a special ed classroom two
groups I can avoid if I have to and let it play out - that makes me a
troll.
But I'm not doing that right now as we are having a conversation.
Isn't this kind of off-topic? I come here and pay my hard-earned
money to read about games and PC systems.
May I suggest you send a letter of compliant to Spalls as he deals
with these issues.
I just think you've made a demon out of a mole hill. I am here to talk about games, strategic, rpg, action. You call me a troll but that was a reflex to some rudeness I viewed in here along the way. People going
out of their way to ignore me, tell me I don't deserve to be here etc.
Can you really point to my posts in this thread and call them trolls? I cross-posted to talk.bizarre because one of my friends there is
frustrated that he buys games and then soon feels that they suck.
JAB wrote:
On 31/03/2025 08:23, .../v]andrak|≡... wrote:
Isn't this kind of off-topic? I come here and pay my hard-earned
money to read about games and PC systems.
May I suggest you send a letter of compliant to Spalls as he deals
with these issues.
I just think you've made a demon out of a mole hill. I am here to
talk about games, strategic, rpg, action. You call me a troll but
that was a reflex to some rudeness I viewed in here along the way.
People going out of their way to ignore me, tell me I don't deserve
to be here etc. Can you really point to my posts in this thread and
call them trolls? I cross-posted to talk.bizarre because one of my
friends there is frustrated that he buys games and then soon feels
that they suck.
That's fine you do that but do you think it was a wise move to come
into a small group where the vast majority of members have been here
for many years and start 'demanding' that they only talk about what
you want to talk about.
How can you think that's the way things work?
I've been here for yrs too under different pseudonyms. Why would I sit still while you label me as a troll? Just throw me under the bus, I guess...
I can still kick your ass at street fighter even with Dhalsim.
What game are you currently playing that has a troll protagonist?
On 3/30/2025 4:33 AM, Mike S. wrote:
On Sun, 30 Mar 2025 05:42:51 -0500, .../v]andrak|?...
<jfwaldby@gmail.com> wrote:
Isn't this kind of off-topic? I come here and pay my hard-earned money
to read about games and PC systems.
LOL!
It has been a long time since anyone here made this kind of
complaint. You really should just be happy this newsgroup is as active
as it is.
But if it still bothering you, maybe Spalls can rescue the thread. He
once turned a completely off topic thread about cooking and microwave
ovens back on topic to remembering microwave ovens in video games.
What game are you currently playing that has a troll protagonist?
I've reached a certain milestone in Wizardry 7
I cross-posted to talk.bizarre
On 31/03/2025 08:23, .../v]andrak|≡... wrote:
Isn't this kind of off-topic? I come here and pay my hard-earned
money to read about games and PC systems.
May I suggest you send a letter of compliant to Spalls as he deals
with these issues.
I just think you've made a demon out of a mole hill. I am here to talk
about games, strategic, rpg, action. You call me a troll but that was a
reflex to some rudeness I viewed in here along the way. People going
out of their way to ignore me, tell me I don't deserve to be here etc.
Can you really point to my posts in this thread and call them trolls? I
cross-posted to talk.bizarre because one of my friends there is
frustrated that he buys games and then soon feels that they suck.
That's fine you do that but do you think it was a wise move to come into
a small group where the vast majority of members have been here for many years and start 'demanding' that they only talk about what you want to
talk about.
How can you think that's the way things work?
On 3/31/2025 12:23 AM, .../v]andrak|≡... wrote:
I cross-posted to talk.bizarreTHAT is probably why you are labeled a troll. Cross-posting to
off-topic groups is kindergarten troll behavior and will get you
reflexively kill-filled by many.
I can't remember which level I ended up getting stuck on but I found
the hard bit was once you got to a new level you knew there would a
part that was very trial-and-error to get your moves right as it was
as much a puzzle as a shooter. One mistake and you lost all your
weapons and were basically screwed. So another 10p and start from
level one to try again. I still loved the game though.
I have vague recollections of Gravitar, looked lovely, the concept was
fun but it was just too hard so frustrating more than fun. Thrust on
the Specky 48k was a similar concept but the difficultly level was
much better.