Is it cheating if you learn to play better watching other gamers?

[Jonn]

I just looked at Battlefield. It is expensive. Thank you for the suggestion though.

I don't think the older ones are.
I will check.

 

[Jonn]

@grommet Battlefield 4 is $50 Australian
That would would be much cheaper in American dollars.

Battlefield V, is another $AU10.

This was on steam.

 

[Jonn]

Origin crap opening up online when I just wanted to play the Sims....maybe Tiger Woods PGA Golf 2003 as well.

I haven't seen that sort of things for many years.

On Steam, I just press "Play", and bob's your uncle.

 

[Judge]

@grommet

If you do decide to buy a 1440p monitor, just remember that you'll need to buy an upgraded cable for it.

For 144Hz at 1440p, you will need at least HDMI 2.0 or DisplayPort 1.2 while for 4K 144Hz you are going to need HDMI 2.1 or alternatively, DisplayPort 1.4 with DSC 1.2.

 

[grommet]

@grommet Battlefield 4 is $50 Australian
That would would be much cheaper in American dollars.

Battlefield V, is another $AU10.

This was on steam.

It is showing more expensive when I looked on Steam. I wonder why. Maybe it is sold for less in Australia.

 

[grommet]

@grommet

If you do decide to buy a 1440p monitor, just remember that you'll need to buy an upgraded cable for it.

For 144Hz at 1440p, you will need at least HDMI 2.0 or DisplayPort 1.2 while for 4K 144Hz you are going to need HDMI 2.1 or alternatively, DisplayPort 1.4 with DSC 1.2.

I did not know that. Do they tell you things like this when you buy a monitor or do they think people know?

Since trying my television as a monitor and then my PC monitor again, I want to save money just now and try to use the monitor I have. The newest game I have is Tomb Raider. I do not know how much better it would look on a good monitor but also I do not like the game. I have to learn about gaming on my PC first, play something I like and then see if I can get a good monitor.

Thank you for telling me about the cable, if I did it on my own I would have connected a new one incorrectly. There is so much to know.

 

[grommet]

Are any of the new good games that can be played by beginners? Youtube talks about games I should get in 2024 but the person does not explain if you must be experienced or if they have difficulty levels.

I am asking because I loved Lies of P but now I won't play it because it stopped being fun because I could not leave the first level in the game. I played the same one over and over and getting killed by the boss. I want to have fun and learn and get better. I need games that can let me do that.

Do you have suggestions?

 

[Judge]

I did not know that. Do they tell you things like this when you buy a monitor or do they think people know?

The "bottom line" is that you cannot depend on salespersons to properly inform a customer when it comes to high technology. Some are on top of their game, while others will just be the average retail salesperson on minimum wage who doesn't know much of anything.

One thing for sure, since building my last computer around 11 years ago, the industry has changed a lot. To where I must research each and every component and study these kind of details. And it's not easy. Especially when you consider that portion of the retail market literally dependent on what their customers don't know to maximize profits and sales commissions.

 

[grommet]

The "bottom line" is that you cannot depend on salespersons to properly inform a customer when it comes to high technology. Some are on top of their game, while others will just be the average retail salesperson on minimum wage who doesn't know much of anything.

One thing for sure, since building my last computer around 11 years ago, the industry has changed a lot. To where I must research each and every component and study these kind of details. And it's not easy. Especially when you consider that portion of the retail market literally dependent on what their customers don't know to maximize profits and sales commissions.

This is very interesting to me, I did not know that. I forget get term that was used but I watch Linus Tech Tips on YouTube and he talks about people who buy computers and game but are not experienced or experts and that they would not know what companies are doing to them. He recently talked about the naming and numbering scheme for CPUs. He said he is an expert, he runs a tech media company and even with that and his experience team he could not make sense of the recent changes by AMD to their naming. He broke it down, showing how they moved the generation to another position, the series etcetera. He said (using the term for inexperienced people) would have no chance and would think they were buying something new and better but it was only repackaged.

I have had lots of other hobbies and I think I know quite a lot about some of them but none of them seem to be like computers where things are so confusing, it seems, and how the companies seem to be trying to confuse people with marketing.

I would love to info-dump on my hobbies and give examples but I do not think it would be liked if I did so I will just say that the numbers mean something and when something new comes out it is better, not marketing.

Bad for me is that I think literally so I believe marketing. When the ad says it is better I now know it is better and I should get it. Everyone tells me this is wrong. I understand I am making mistake but it is how my brain works and I have to catch myself.

The new 4000 series graphics cards came out. Very very expensive. But I noticed that a lot of people were gaming hard on cards slower than my RTX 3070 Ti and people kept saying what I had was very good and on LTT (Linus Tech Tips) they sometimes do blind comparison with their employees with good stuff and very high-end new expensive stuff and most of the time the employees cannot tell the difference.

Linus says .. he talks about diminishing returns. He says something will be better but maybe 3% and for twice the price. He says most people do not need or would not notice. He said not to buy the new M4 iPad Pro because no one needs it except professionals.

I need a lot of help with this new hobby because I believe marketing and I do not know about computers. I keep hoping one day someone on Aspie Central will need help with something I know about, I would like to give back for all the help I get.

 

[Judge]

Let me give you an example of the things I'm studying to make the most of what I have:

I know a type B760 motherboard cannot be overclocked. So I was able to save a little money by purchasing an Intel i5-12400F cpu. (The "F" denotes that this cpu cannot be overclocked and is subsequently cheaper in price.)

It also operates at a lower threshold in temperature, which is a good thing considering all the problems Intel is having with subsequent generations (13/14) regarding excessive temperatures. It defaults to a power consumption of 65 watts, but can get up to 117 watts in turbo mode. Less default wattage=a cooler running cpu.

Though while this cpu cannot be formally overclocked, it can still operate in turbo mode, though the process with a 12th generation Intel cpu is now automatic and beyond my control to configure in the BIOS. Another consideration of a cpu is relative to understanding what kind of memory to purchase. Some B760 motherboards support overclocking memory while others don't. Quite often people buy all this stuff without considering the details, and they end up posting negative comments about memory and/or motherboards because they don't understand what works and what doesn't.

Then consider that some of us who build our own systems tend to shy away from overclocking anything, whether memory or a GPU.

LOL....and all this is just to determine a suitable motherboard (MSI B760 Tomahawk) for a suitable cpu (Intel i5 12400f) and 32 GB of DDR4 memory. (Buying DDR5 memory if your motherboard supports it won't give you a considerable boost in performance.)

The average computer user isn't likely to understand such considerations, and it's tragic when they purchase the wrong components. Worse still when they post negative reviews over their purchases, when the reality is their own ignorance rather than product integrity.

Buying "high-end" stuff just for performance is a trap for unsuspecting buyers. What counts is that all the components you purchase work together for an optimal outcome without producing excessive heat. Not an easy thing to achieve, and you cannot depend on anything pre-built that automatically reflects such results.

 

[Judge]

This is very interesting to me, I did not know that. I forget get term that was used but I watch Linus Tech Tips on YouTube and he talks about people who buy computers and game but are not experienced or experts and that they would not know what companies are doing to them. He recently talked about the naming and numbering scheme for CPUs. He said he is an expert, he runs a tech media company and even with that and his experience team he could not make sense of the recent changes by AMD to their naming. He broke it down, showing how they moved the generation to another position, the series etcetera. He said (using the term for inexperienced people) would have no chance and would think they were buying something new and better but it was only repackaged.

I have had lots of other hobbies and I think I know quite a lot about some of them but none of them seem to be like computers where things are so confusing, it seems, and how the companies seem to be trying to confuse people with marketing.

I would love to info-dump on my hobbies and give examples but I do not think it would be liked if I did so I will just say that the numbers mean something and when something new comes out it is better, not marketing.

Bad for me is that I think literally so I believe marketing. When the ad says it is better I now know it is better and I should get it. Everyone tells me this is wrong. I understand I am making mistake but it is how my brain works and I have to catch myself.

The new 4000 series graphics cards came out. Very very expensive. But I noticed that a lot of people were gaming hard on cards slower than my RTX 3070 Ti and people kept saying what I had was very good and on LTT (Linus Tech Tips) they sometimes do blind comparison with their employees with good stuff and very high-end new expensive stuff and most of the time the employees cannot tell the difference.

Linus says .. he talks about diminishing returns. He says something will be better but maybe 3% and for twice the price. He says most people do not need or would not notice. He said not to buy the new M4 iPad Pro because no one needs it except professionals.

I need a lot of help with this new hobby because I believe marketing and I do not know about computers. I keep hoping one day someone on Aspie Central will need help with something I know about, I would like to give back for all the help I get.

Linus Tech Tips? They used to be at the top of their pyramid on YouTube. Until they were outted for performing flawed presentations over all kinds of components. Some things he gets right, but other things not so much.

If you want really detailed, pedantic presentations over technology, IMO watch Steve Burke who represents Gamer's Nexus. He consistently reviews computer hardware products and quantitatively analyzes and ranks them like no one else on YouTube. Though conversely I also like other YouTubers like "Jayz Two Cents" and "Kit Guru's" Leo Waldock.

One thing for sure, when people like Steve Burke, Jason (Jayz Two Cents) and Leo Waldock are all on the same page about ASUS, and Intel (13th/14th gen cpus) you should listen.

As for Linus Sebastian....let's just say he's been sidelined as he reorganizes his "wounded" corporation.

 

[grommet]

Linus Tech Tips? They used to be at the top of their pyramid on YouTube. Until they were outted for performing flawed presentations over all kinds of components. Some things he gets right, but other things not so much.

If you want really detailed, pedantic presentations over technology, IMO watch Steve Burke who represents Gamer's Nexus. He consistently reviews computer hardware products and quantitatively analyzes and ranks them like no one else on YouTube. Though conversely I also like other YouTubers like "Jayz Two Cents" and "Kit Guru's" Leo Waldock.

One thing for sure, when people like Steve Burke, Jason (Jayz Two Cents) and Leo Waldock are all on the same page about ASUS, and Intel (13th/14th gen cpus) you should listen.

As for Linus Sebastian....let's just say he's been sidelined as he reorganizes his "wounded" corporation.

I tried watching Steve, I was not able to stay interested.

Changing subjects, I just looked on eBay for PS5 consoles and the first three listings were for new PS5 consoles for $228.99 and around that price. All three sellers had no previous sales. I asked ChaptGPT about this because it seems very wrong. It said they were fraud, the sellers would send nothing, send something fake and that would be very hard for me to get refunded for or delay and delay while keeping my money. I only looked because someone in a YouTube comment said they bought a used one on eBay for about $100 less than new. I thought that would be very good. This is all hard.

 

[Judge]

I tried watching Steve, I was not able to stay interested.

LOL...that's why I included the term "pedantic". It's all about number-crunching with Steve Burke. Which Jayz Two Cents often makes a little fun of from time to time. He tends to avoid all those quantitative analyses, and keep talk simple. But there's that saying, "The devil is often in the details".

Changing subjects, I just looked on eBay for PS5 consoles and the first three listings were for new PS5 consoles for $228.99 and around that price. All three sellers had no previous sales. I asked ChaptGPT about this because it seems very wrong. It said they were fraud, the sellers would send nothing, send something fake and that would be very hard for me to get refunded for or delay and delay while keeping my money. I only looked because someone in a YouTube comment said they bought a used one on eBay for about $100 less than new. I thought that would be very good. This is all hard.

Sadly to complicate it all even more, here are my thoughts:

1) IMO you cannot depend on Chat GPT for anything so dynamic in the marketplace. Though I find it amusing that it concluded the fraud factor, which leads to my comments below.

2) I have an intense personal bias against purchasing anything from an unknown source, let alone anything that is used. Too many scams operating openly on the Internet. Making it at best a "50-50" proposition as to whether you receive something as advertised, or not at all.

Save up and purchase something new- and from a reputable retailer. And in the case of Amazon, again to buy only that which Amazon is both the seller and retailer to provide the highest degree of trust and satisfaction over any product purchased.

And if Amazon only packages and distributes the product, click on the ratings of an unknown retailer to see how good- or bad they are over time. I usually decline any rating under 90%. Subjective, but then at least I'm using some kind of metric to mitigate purchases with unknown retailers who might give you problems in the event of a RMA.

Otherwise you are buying something that may well be in a deteriorated condition that you may or may not be able to identify.

 

[Misery]

Are any of the new good games that can be played by beginners? Youtube talks about games I should get in 2024 but the person does not explain if you must be experienced or if they have difficulty levels.

Just to point something out: Pretty much every video of that type is going to be assuming the viewer is already into the hobby and understands all the usual stuff.

Also remember that "top whatever" or "games you should get" is typically VERY subjective. What the video creator likes VS what the viewer likes can be very different things. And in some cases, it isnt even about the video creator at all, but is instead what they are being paid to say. So, they may not even be the video creator's *actual* opinions. It can be very hard to tell.

There isnt really a way to find a "best" anything, to be honest. It's just all too subjective. Like, I've watched a lot of videos of that sort, usually out of curiosity, but I dont think I've ever once gone and bought any of the games listed in them, as for the most part, I'm aware I would not like them. Typically the only thing I get out of those videos is learning what NOT to buy. But someone else maybe would just adore the same things I would hate.

To some degree, you need to understand that this hobby is one where you, the player, need to be willing to explore and try things. And you're never going to be able to really find that perfect experience that has everything you want but without anything you dont want. I've been doing this my whole life, and while I certainly have my favorite games, even with those, I could rattle off a list of things about them that I dont like one bit. Like, my all-time favorite game is The Binding of Isaac, and while I *adore* the game, I could sit down and just rant for 20 straight minutes about the bits in it that I just loathe. I still love the game, I just understand that it has bits in it that are bloody stupid. I cant really have one without the other, and that's how it is with the hobby as a whole.

There's always going to be that mechanic that is difficult to grasp, that boss that is really hard to beat, that one puzzle that just makes no sense, that bad interface element, or stuff like that. If you go around just trying to buy each new shiny expensive thing, hoping that THIS time it'll be the one that has none of those issues, you're going to be disappointed. But like I said, if you stick with what you already have and learn from them, suddenly, maybe "that one boss" aint so tough anymore, and so on.

I know with a new hobby it's REALLY tempting to just go on a wild buying spree (been there, done that, with other hobbies), but I'd *highly* recommend against doing that. Slow down and breathe instead. The games and products and whatnot aint going anywhere. But your money could fly off a cliff and go on a wild adventure of its own, straight into a blender, if you rush and arent careful.

 

[Judge]

Just to point something out: Pretty much every video of that type is going to be assuming the viewer is already into the hobby and understands all the usual stuff.

Agreed. Even as long ago as when I worked for a major software game publisher and developer the interpretation of the market was basically construed as a "cult audience". Where designers made any number of assumptions of customers relative to gaming in general as opposed to focusing on beginners or advanced users.

A generalization, but then in terms of business it works for them. Of course that doesn't automatically translate into it working for the customer. But then the same dynamic could apply to the Apple corporation as well. Big money in a "cult following" when it's properly exploited.

 

[grommet]

My monitor has settings. I did not know that. I chose Graphics and the colors are great. It's like a bought whole new monitor. I am playing Tomb Raider using the IGN guide and Gamefaqs guide so I know what controls to use. I got out of an underground tunnel with a river. None of it made sense. I got stuck, some man grabbed my legs and I kept getting crushed by a boulder. The onscreen instructions did not make sense to me but I tried different things then I got free.

Climbing up a cliff with boulders coming down I did not understand the directions either but it wanted me to use the left and right paddles to climb, then move right or left to avoid boulders. This is fun. Games are starting to make sense.

 

[grommet]

LOL...that's why I included the term "pedantic". It's all about number-crunching with Steve Burke. Which Jayz Two Cents often makes a little fun of from time to time. He tends to avoid all those quantitative analyses, and keep talk simple. But there's that saying, "The devil is often in the details".


Sadly to complicate it all even more, here are my thoughts:

1) IMO you cannot depend on Chat GPT for anything so dynamic in the marketplace. Though I find it amusing that it concluded the fraud factor, which leads to my comments below.

2) I have an intense personal bias against purchasing anything from an unknown source, let alone anything that is used. Too many scams operating openly on the Internet. Making it at best a "50-50" proposition as to whether you receive something as advertised, or not at all.

Save up and purchase something new- and from a reputable retailer. And in the case of Amazon, again to buy only that which Amazon is both the seller and retailer to provide the highest degree of trust and satisfaction over any product purchased.

And if Amazon only packages and distributes the product, click on the ratings of an unknown retailer to see how good- or bad they are over time. I usually decline any rating under 90%. Subjective, but then at least I'm using some kind of metric to mitigate purchases with unknown retailers who might give you problems in the event of a RMA.

Otherwise you are buying something that may well be in a deteriorated condition that you may or may not be able to identify.

Thank you, I think this is outstanding advice. Save up, buy it new from Amazon and then not have the grief and worry. That is worth a lot, especially to autistic people since many of us have anxiety and I worry a lot when I do not understand things or things don't work. It is worth twice as much money to know something will just work and also know it is a good company I am buying from.

I can say thought I buy refurbished from Apple and they are always perfect. Exactly like new. I have never had a problem all these years and it really does look and work like new but maybe only Apple can do that.

Thank you again for the advice. I will remember that from now on and not think about buying used. This will help me a lot.

 

[Judge]

I can say thought I buy refurbished from Apple and they are always perfect. Exactly like new. I have never had a problem all these years and it really does look and work like new but maybe only Apple can do that.

Good point.

Dealing with a major corporation over a major product is a bit different than dealing with any one individual or small business entity. Yeah, in the case of Apple I'd definitely consider them an exception.

Though to give you an example to the contrary, I would no longer put the ASUS corporation in such a category. So it depends, given that "bigger isn't necessarily better". They have a horrible recent history of dealing with their customers and returned or defective merchandise.

 

[Judge]

My monitor has settings. I did not know that. I chose Graphics and the colors are great. It's like a bought whole new monitor. I am playing Tomb Raider using the IGN guide and Gamefaqs guide so I know what controls to use. I got out of an underground tunnel with a river. None of it made sense. I got stuck, some man grabbed my legs and I kept getting crushed by a boulder. The onscreen instructions did not make sense to me but I tried different things then I got free.

Climbing up a cliff with boulders coming down I did not understand the directions either but it wanted me to use the left and right paddles to climb, then move right or left to avoid boulders. This is fun. Games are starting to make sense.

Uh-oh. Should I assume you've never calibrated the color of your monitor within your OS? (Something you do inside your OS, and not the monitor).

Presumably Windows? That should keep you busy learning how to do so. To make the color of your monitor be in sync with your computer's OS. Best to also learn about "ICC Profiles" and which one works best for you visually, as well as your hardware. I stick with Adobe 1998 RGB (Windows) or Artifex A98 (for Linux). Based largely on visualization through a monitor. For priority visualization through print media you need a different ICC profile like "CMYK". (Something I temporarily change in Photoshop if and when I print something.)

There's actually a lot to learn about color, particularly if you print in color. If not, you still want a good RGB ICC profile to use.

https://www.tomshardware.com/how-to/calibrate-your-screen-windows-11

 

[grommet]

And in some cases, it isnt even about the video creator at all, but is instead what they are being paid to say.

I am shocked. I did not know this was a thing. I thought they were all individuals making videos because they wanted to and were saying what they thought. I never knew they .. could be paid to make a positive review video. I said it before but I am shocked. This will take a few days to settle. People paid on YouTube to say what they are saying. I am not being sarcastic, I really mean it, it never occurred to me. They seem so natural and honest. I am not well prepared as an adult. Maybe I am more than I think since I have my own apartment and I am okay, I must know how to do some things but I have been watching YouTube for years and years and never knew some people were doing commercials.

I know with a new hobby it's REALLY tempting to just go on a wild buying spree (been there, done that, with other hobbies), but I'd *highly* recommend against doing that. Slow down and breathe instead. The games and products and whatnot aint going anywhere. But your money could fly off a cliff and go on a wild adventure of its own, straight into a blender, if you rush and arent careful.

You are right. I agree, it makes sense to me but I am weak in this part. You know better than anyone else could. You taught me about VR, the most I ever spent on anything. Over the years I spent several thousand on another hobby. Get very excited and all I can see is how fun all the new interesting stuff is. I do not think I will do better this time though I learned how to use my monitor and did not not buy a new one, I saved hundreds of dollars. Maybe I do better at things than I think but I cannot tell, I am in the middle of them.