• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

New to PC and have some questions.

Fbh

Fbh

Member
So I had to buy a new laptop since mine died and decided to spend a bit more to get one with some entry level gaming capabilities (Gtx1050ti).
I know I could have gotten a desktop with like a 1070 for what I paid but for various reasons which aren't the point of this thread it really needed to be a laptop.

Anyway, from what I've seen it should be able to handle most newer games with pretty decent framerates and medium settings.

The last time I owned a half decent PC was quite some ago so I don't tend to keep all that up to date with the PC side of the industry and I have a few questions:

What's the best PC controller?: Aside from Shooters and RTS, I like to play pretty much all other games with a controller (depending on the game I even preffer a controller for shooters).
I want something that is comfortable to use but, mabye more importantly, easy to use. Ideally a controller I can just turn on and have it connect automatically via bluetooth without needing a dongle or some sort of software I have to launch before connecting the controller.

Steam Still the best?: So from what I know Steam is still the biggest and best digital marketplace on PC, right? Aside from that I only know of the humbe bundle, GOG, Origin and Battle.Net. Are there other good alternatives I should look at?
I often see people talking online about how they purchased a basically new game for $35 or something but I don't want to go places of shady reputation.

Best exclusives?: There's some exclusives that are already on my radar like Ori and the Blind forest, STALKER, Pillars of Eternity and some of the Microsoft games.
I'm interesting in getting into RTS's but I'm not quite sure which ones are good (aside from the very big and obvious ones like StarCraft). I tend to like RTS's that are more about the combat and visual spectacle than slowly building your civilization or focusing on diplomacy. I remembr LOVING the Battle for Middle Earth Games back in the day.


THX
 
L

luulubuu

Junior Member
Fbh said:
So I had to buy a new laptop since mine died and decided to spend a bit more to get one with some entry level gaming capabilities (Gtx1050ti).
I know I could have gotten a desktop with like a 1070 for what I paid but for various reasons which aren't the point of this thread it really needed to be a laptop.

Anyway, from what I've seen it should be able to handle most newer games with pretty decent framerates and medium settings.

The last time I owned a half decent PC was quite some ago so I don't tend to keep all that up to date with the PC side of the industry and I have a few questions:

What's the best PC controller?: Aside from Shooters and RTS, I like to play pretty much all other games with a controller (depending on the game I even preffer a controller for shooters).
I want something that is comfortable to use but, mabye more importantly, easy to use. Ideally a controller I can just turn on and have it connect automatically via bluetooth without needing a dongle or some sort of software I have to launch before connecting the controller.

Steam Still the best?: So from what I know Steam is still the biggest and best digital marketplace on PC, right? Aside from that I only know of the humbe bundle, GOG, Origin and Battle.Net. Are there other good alternatives I should look at?
I often see people talking online about how they purchased a basically new game for $35 or something but I don't want to go places of shady reputation.

Best exclusives?: There's some exclusives that are already on my radar like Ori and the Blind forest, STALKER, Pillars of Eternity and some of the Microsoft games.
I'm interesting in getting into RTS's but I'm not quite sure which ones are good (aside from the very big and obvious ones like StarCraft). I tend to like RTS's that are more about the combat and visual spectacle than slowly building your civilization or focusing on diplomacy. I remembr LOVING the Battle for Middle Earth Games back in the day.


THX
Click to expand...

1 the best that suits you, really, try the general brands and see for yourself, the regular xbone controller is my choice for some games

2 nah, install every launcher and buy games with no drm by default, if you find a better offer in other launchers go for them, having all the stuff in steam just because steam is dumb and useless.

3 Pretty much everything is multiplat nowadays, but play Wow
 
T

theRizzle

Member
Xbox One is the "best" controller, but it causes issues with some (mostly older) games... for best compatibility get a 360 controller.
 
S

Steiner

Banned
I still use a wired XB360 controller for my PC gaming am very happy with it.

Also, yeah, Steam is still the norm. But if you intend on playing the major AAA releases prepare to install proprietary launchers for Bethesda, Ubisoft, Blizzard, etc.

Also, be sure to check out Bundle Stars often for deals. They've been sporting the lowest prices I've ever seen on a lot of great games over the months. I just scored Overcooked there last week for $8.
 
The Lamonster

The Lamonster

Member
I like the X1 controller, and prefer the Elite version so I can use paddles.

Steam is still the best but EA Origin, Blizzard, Windows Store all have some good exclusive games.

Blizzard games are mostly exclusive to PC and all of them are worth checking out.
 
Kadin

Kadin

Member
I'm in no rush to replace my wired 360 controller. I'm sure having something wireless would be nice and I love my XB1 controller, so you can't go wrong with either.

Steam is still very good and many of the popular sites like GMG, HumbleBundle and others give keys to redeem on Steam.

QuantumSquid said:
Cdkeys.com sells steam keys for cheap, and they're not shady. Tons of people on GAF buy their games there.
Click to expand...
I'm one of them as are many of my friends.
 
V

Vash63

Member
QuantumSquid said:
Cdkeys.com sells steam keys for cheap, and they're not shady. Tons of people on GAF buy their games there.
Click to expand...

Just because the keys they sell work does not make them 'not shady'. They are a grey market just like G2A, just with less aggressive marketing.
 
T

The Futurist

Member
Don't get too hung up on exclusives on PC.

One of the best parts of playing on PC is being able to play everything better than on consoles.

Not trying to shit on consoles as I play on all of them as well, but when you compare the Witcher 3 at 60fps on a high end PC vs Witcher 3 at 30fps on consoles....
 
P

Poot Poot Splash

Member
Basically reiterating what everyone is saying

1. Xbox one Elite Controller. Expensive but its worth it.

2. Steam is still top dog but to get the most out of PC gaming you need to download other clients (Origin, GOG, Battle.net, bethesda,) and so on. You can use microsoft online store if you want the play anywhere feature.

3. You have over 30+ years of games to play, so hurry up before your backlog gets too large.
 
E

Euphony

Banned
Fbh said:
Is there some sort of rechargable battery add on?

Having to use batteries is the one thing keeping me away from the XBO controller.
Click to expand...

I swear my original XBO controller came with the rechargeable battery because I certainly don't remember buying one of the batteries separately. When I changed to the Dawn Shadow version it only came with standard batteries. I guess at some point they stopped including it.
 
Fbh

Fbh

Member
The Futurist said:
Don't get too hung up on exclusives on PC.

One of the best parts of playing on PC is being able to play everything better than on consoles.

Not trying to shit on consoles as I play on all of them as well, but when you compare the Witcher 3 at 60fps on a high end PC vs Witcher 3 at 30fps on consoles....
Click to expand...

Yeah I know but since it's not a high end PC it's not going to be such a big difference.
From what I've seen it can handle some games in 60fps that are 30fps on consoles but honestly I doubt I'll rebuy them.

Since it has been a while since I had a decent PC I wanted to play some games I haven't been able to play before.
 
Z

Zap Rowsdower

Banned
1: 360 controller is really reliable and cheap
2: There are legit sites where you can buy Steam Keys, isthereanydeal.com is a great resource for finding them.
3: There's a shitton of quality exclusives so it'd be hard to list a bunch really.
 
rodrigolfp

rodrigolfp

Haptic Gamepads 4 Life
keep in mind that multiplats can be so much better on PC that are worthy replaying them. also give a chance to be used to mouse&kb for FPS/TPS...
 
dr_rus

dr_rus

Member
1. 360 gamepad is easy to setup and use, same goes for XBO's. Note that this is for the wired versions though as wireless setups require some tinkering.
A proper alternative here with an added bonus of DirectInput support is Logitech's F710. You can also use DualShock4 as PC controller these days although it's much less straight forward.

2. Steam > GoG > Origin/Uplay/Blizzardapp/WinStore

3. There are literally hundreds of PC exclusive indie games worth your attention.
 
M

Mifec

Member
Vash63 said:
http://www.pcgamer.com/pc-game-stor...u-need-to-know-about-retailers-and-resellers/

This seems to be the best sourced article I could find. They aren't a marketplace but also are not a direct authorized vendor. They claim to only purchase directly from distributors though, so not quite as shady as a direct marketplace like G2A or Kinguin.
Click to expand...

They buy boxed copies from cheap regions. That's all they do. So while you might find that shady, they're not even close to G2A or Kinguin.
 
1

120v

Member
don't make it more complicated than it is. just download steam and get a wired xbox controller (or wireless xbone if you want to go the extra mile)

you'll be able to figure out the rest from there. enjoy
 
Buggy Loop

Buggy Loop

Member
After many many years with 360 controller, i'm actually adapting really quickly with Steam controller, been 1 week with it.

Fast mouse tracking for camera + gyro controls for refinement is a game changer :eek:

Rise of the Tomb raider & Resident evil 7 have some amazing user profiles for the above controls.
 
Z

Zap Rowsdower

Banned
Oh and I forgot to add if you want older games (Like pre-2000) that are on both Steam and GOG, go with GOG. GOG puts in the extra work to make sure old games run on modern OSes. You're not always guaranteed that with Steam releases.
 
T

Tagyhag

Member
Fbh said:
Best exclusives?: There's some exclusives that are already on my radar like Ori and the Blind forest, STALKER, Pillars of Eternity and some of the Microsoft games.
I'm interesting in getting into RTS's but I'm not quite sure which ones are good (aside from the very big and obvious ones like StarCraft). I tend to like RTS's that are more about the combat and visual spectacle than slowly building your civilization or focusing on diplomacy. I remembr LOVING the Battle for Middle Earth Games back in the day.
Click to expand...

Focusing only on RTS'es, I'd recommend these to start off with:

Company of Heroes*
Dawn of War 2*
Command and Conquer Red Alert 3*
Age of Empires 2
Age of Mythology
Rise of Nations

*More about action than building your civ/diplomacy.
 
Y

Yudoken

Member
Almost all pads are working on pc.

The Xbox One pad Bluetooth Edition (fixed a lot of issues from the previous ones) is an great allrounder pad.

The DS4 is also fantastic and has special benefits especially if you use SCP Toolkit drivers.

All have pro's and con's and you need to decide if you like one over the other.

About sales install enhanced steam addon for your browser or use isthereanydeal directly to get the best price from a 2nd hand seller.

Humble bundle and r/gamedeals are also quite a good wqy to get great deals.

If you're willing to buy from a 3rd party bulk seller like cdkeys you can do that too but always Google and research on unknown gamestores and if the key is region free.

I wouldn't support kinguin or g2a with their shady practises.

Steam big picture is fantastic and once set up you can start games from desktop with a pad directly into steam big picture mode.
 
rodrigolfp

rodrigolfp

Haptic Gamepads 4 Life
Tagyhag said:
Focusing only on RTS'es, I'd recommend these to start off with:

Company of Heroes*
Dawn of War 2*
Command and Conquer Red Alert 3*
Age of Empires 2
Age of Mythology
Rise of Nations

*More about action than building your civ/diplomacy.
Click to expand...

Also Dawn of War Soulstorm, that is much better than DoW2 skirmish/multiplayer wise...
 
ISee

ISee

Member
1. Xbox One Controller, but DS4 is also usable and has now native support on steam.
2. Buy Steamkeys from cdkeys.com. They're pretty cheap. But you need to use other clients like Origin, GoG or Uplay aswell to get the full PC experience.
3. Do Microsoft games count?

-Civilization 6
-Tyranny
-Hollow Knight
-Forza Horizon 3
-Divinity: Original Sin
-Total War:Warhammer
-Gears of War 4

(Just to name a couple more recent ones)
 
Rei dos Vermes

Rei dos Vermes

Member
1. A wireless Xbox One S controller is a good start, but I recommend specializing later. Take advantage of the open-ended nature of the platform and get controllers designed for specific genres. I like using an 8bitdo SNES30 gamepad for 2D platformers and a Thrustmaster T-16000m for flight/space sims.

2. Steam is the biggest digital distribution store on PC, but I recommend checking other stores like CD-Keys, Humble Bundle and GreenManGaming to get better discounts. GOG is a must if you prefer DRM free titles.

3. If you like combat/spectacle focused RTS, get Total War: Warhammer and Company of Heroes 2 ASAP. I also recommend trying older titles like C&C 3 and World in Conflict.
 
C

currynation

Neo Member
Cities builders are one my favorite types of games. All of them are exclusive to PC.

Try out Cities: Skylines, Rimworld, or Prison Architect. Great games.
 
K

Keinning

Member
age of empires II is still the king
you need nothing else

currynation said:
Cities builders are one my favorite types of games. All of them are exclusive to PC.

Try out Cities: Skylines, Rimworld, or Prison Architect. Great games.
Click to expand...

two of the games you mentioned are on consoles though
 
Q

QuantumSquid

Member
Vash63 said:
Just because the keys they sell work does not make them 'not shady'. They are a grey market just like G2A, just with less aggressive marketing.
Click to expand...

I've been buying games from CDkeys for years and I have never had a key from them revoked. I bought one game (ONE) from G2A and it was revoked in a matter of weeks.

Don't lump CDkeys and G2A into the same category when that couldn't be further from the truth.
 
H

Helznicht

Member
Fbh said:
The last time I owned a half decent PC was quite some ago so I don't tend to keep all that up to date with the PC side of the industry and I have a few questions:
Click to expand...

What's the best PC controller?:
The latest Xbox controllers have bluetooth, or a used older xbox one controller has a micro-usb port. Windows will detect both immediately and have seemless integration in steam. Beyond that they are just solid.

Steam Still the best?: Yes, but you really need them all as not ALL games are on steam. You will need GOG, and Humble bundle. Uplay (for ubisoft) and the EA store. Also keep an eye on websites such as Greenman Gaming and CDKeys for sales on steam games. Also, the Microsoft store for xbox games.

Best exclusives?: Don't understand what you mean by Exclusives. On the RTS front, you can look at the older Dawn of War 2 series. No base building, all combat strategy. Also look at the Halo RTS games.
 
daninthemix

daninthemix

Member
Your first two questions kindof go together in a way - if you use Steam for everything you can use Steam's amazing controller configurator to use any gamepad you like (lots of us use DualShock 4) to emulate KB+mouse or Xinput as needed.
 
DevilDog

DevilDog

Member
1. XBOX controllers, whichever you want.

2. The ones you listed are more than enough.

3. Hearthstone, MMORPGs (try wow), Civilization 6, Player unknown's battlegrounds and most importantly try MOBAS. If you were a fan of the middle earth games, there is a high chance youll love them.
 
M

martincrimson87

Banned
For me the 360 controller is still the best for PC gaming, and cheaper than xbox one. Otherwise get the xbox one ... one.

Steam is the standard, but has gotten worse over the years as it has consolidated it's dominant position in pc gaming. Their games are crazy expensive for pc standards.For me is just a launcher...Assuming you have no games on pc yet, Humble Bundle and Humble Monthly are your best bet. Otherwise GoG has cheaper games than steam and it's DRM free.

PC has more exclusives than all consoles combined, just not AAA cinematic third person adventure which get the most attention on consoles. I first started playing console ports and then pc exclusives. PC exclusives are akin to obscure rock bands, you gotta search for them, they won't shove those in your face like big console games.
 
GMAK2442

GMAK2442

Member
I did not try any other and I say that Xbox One is the best one. Best controller.

Steam is still the best because of the large collection offer but other like Origin or Uplay could please you by its layout.

Totalwar is a good exclusive series. The new Warhammer is a good one.
 
P

Planx

Member
If you're at all interested in couch PC gaming the Steam Controller makes for a great controller/mouse hybrid

For RTS battle games look no further than the Total War series. You got your ancient Total Wars (Rome 1&2), your middle ages-dawn of gunpowder Total Wars (Medieval), you got your 'modern' (muskets/rifles) Total Wars (Empire and Napoleon), you got your best Total War that combines all those eras into one game (Shogun 2, just drops the unit variety ball a bit because everyone is a Japanese Daimyo), you got your crazy fantasy Total War with powerful hero spellcasters and gigantic monster (TW: Warhammer)

You do have to build your empire a bit and play a turn based over-map in between the battles, but the games are great
 
S

Saucycarpdog

Member
1. I would recommend either the Xbox one controller or the Steam controller. Easily the best on the market.

2. Steam is still good to use. However if you're looking for cheaper games I would suggest CDkeys. If you don't want DRM on your games, use GoG.

3. There's a lot of exclusives. Indies and RTS dominate. If you're a fan of shooters you're going to be looking at more tactical ones. PUBG or Insurgency are great.
 
O

OmegaTreeFish

Banned
1. I use the XboxOne wired controller. All round decent controller. D-pad is a touch small for fighting games but what still usable. I also have steam controller and bar the rare mouse only game I want to use a pad for i am not a fan. Some people really take to it. Others like my self dont.

2. Steam is still the big one but instal origin as well if you want some EA games and make sure you check out the other like GOG. Also look at humble bundles (most add the games to steam anyway).

3. few suggestions for you:
Civ Games.
Dawn of War games.
the 'Total War' Games
Try a MOBO like League of Legends or DOTA 2.
Gigantic (Playing currently which I really like and its FTP)
Counter Strike GO
Shadow Run games (Returns, Dragon fall and Hongkong)
Touchlight 2 (diablo like game)
Sunless Sea
FTL
Grim Dawn (another Diablo like game)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Couch PC Gamers - How do you do it?
2 3
108
5K
Buggy Loop replied
New to PC. Recommend some good horror games on Steam.
2
55
2K
The Infectious Paradox replied
GAF how do we turn a PC into a full console experience?
2
50
2K
Krathoon replied
Annoying shenanigans in old PC games.
2 3
141
4K
BlackTron replied
on PC, everything's a remaster!
2
64
4K
Koenigssee replied
Top Bottom