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Theta
rank 2
Posted:
Sat Jan 19, 2013 8:37 pm
quote : #1
profile : pm
Posts: 6
Type: NTSC-U/C
Hello, I am new to both the site and Dreamcast and would love to play Quake 3 online (PC is not convenient for me). Before running off and purchasing a console, there were a few questions that I hope can be answered:

1) Would simply plugging a phone cord from Dreamcast to phone jack and inputting the number of a free dial-up isp be sufficient for online play?

2) Is a keyboard necessary for connecting to servers?

3) Is it difficult playing with a controller? (only a single joystick)

4) On average would one be able to find players on week-ends?

Sorry to be a bother in any way, and thank you all in advance!

I hope to enter the arenas soon and begin fragging

Very Happy
 
lordnikon
rank 87
Posted:
Sat Jan 19, 2013 11:41 pm
quote : #2
profile : pm
Posts: 5902
Type: NTSC-U/C
Theta wrote:
Hello, I am new to both the site and Dreamcast and would love to play Quake 3 online (PC is not convenient for me).

Hey welcome to the site.

Theta wrote:
1) Would simply plugging a phone cord from Dreamcast to phone jack and inputting the number of a free dial-up isp be sufficient for online play?

Your mileage may vary. Yes it is possible to find a free ISP, but the connection rate can vary wildly. You have to have patience if you want to go this route.

Theta wrote:
2) Is a keyboard necessary for connecting to servers?

It is not necessary, but very helpful. There is an onscreen keyboard, but a real keyboard helps out a lot.

Theta wrote:
3) Is it difficult playing with a controller? (only a single joystick)

It is not difficult to play with a controller, but mouse users will most definatly have an advantage. Even if the DC controller had dual analog sticks, mouse users would still be thrashing you. Those using the mouse don't taunt or brag, so if you are a controller user, you just might be at the back of the bus in terms of score ranking. However, people usually take that into account online.

Often times if you get like 8 frags with a controller, mouse users such as myself will says "hey man great job!" We understand that there is a gap between the controller and the mouse, so don't be afraid to use whatever control method you feel most comfortable with. At the end of the day, most people are going to say "hey, good game!" regardless of what you decide to use or what your score is.

Theta wrote:
4) On average would one be able to find players on week-ends?

This is the biggest question people always ask regardless of the game. Finding people to play with will be difficult. Especially due to the server DDOS issue that has sort of made it hard for us to host proper dedicated servers for Quake 3.

Quake 3 Arena on Dreamcast still has bots so you can always play offline against bots to get some frags in. Even though it can be hard to find people online sometimes, I still feel that the experience of meeting up with someone on a random saturday night in such a dark and secluded place on the net, and having a fun gaming night, is one of the coolest things about online gaming. It becomes a special experience and I think it is one of the reasons why so many of us enjoy DC online, or "niche" online gaming in general.
  _________________
I'm already numero uno on Dark Helmet's hit list...
Theta
rank 2
Posted:
Sun Jan 20, 2013 1:21 am
quote : #3
profile : pm
Posts: 6
Type: NTSC-U/C
Thank you for the response, it was very helptful! Very Happy
If you could please answer these questions it would mean a lot Mr. Green :

*Would a free dialup access number about 3 hours away (driving) provide sufficient connection for near lagless(or slight fire delay) play? I know you might not know exactly but a prediction would be great

*As for population, would one be able to find at least a few matches within 10-30min on a friday, or weekend afternoon? Once again
an estimate would be helpful as well. Wink

*And finally, is strafe jumping and decent rail aim possible with the controller? (Sidenote, can the console be opened from controller? just curious)


Sorry to bother once more- I'ts just nice to have an understanding before starting anything.
Thanks again!
 
lordnikon
rank 87
Posted:
Sun Jan 20, 2013 5:14 am
quote : #4
profile : pm
Posts: 5902
Type: NTSC-U/C
Theta wrote:
*Would a free dialup access number about 3 hours away (driving) provide sufficient connection for near lagless(or slight fire delay) play? I know you might not know exactly but a prediction would be great

This is impossible to predict because there are so many factors that can impact performance.

Theta wrote:
*As for population, would one be able to find at least a few matches within 10-30min on a friday, or weekend afternoon? Once again
an estimate would be helpful as well. Wink

No. You need to work with other players to schedule games. No matter how you slice it, Dreamcast Online is not convenient. It takes a bit of effort to get matches going. However this is not a "Dreamcast" problem, but rather a problem with any online game that has passed its prime. It is easy to get online with Tribes Aerial Assault on the PS2, but there are just as few players on that game than DC Quake 3. The same goes for many PC games. It is just the way it is.

I keep the site up, I run servers, but in the end, it is up to the players whether they want to play or not.

Theta wrote:
*And finally, is strafe jumping and decent rail aim possible with the controller? (Sidenote, can the console be opened from controller? just curious)

Nope. You will need a mouse to land accurate rail hits. Remember how I said controller users are usually at the end of the score list? If you could hit people that well with the rail on a controller than that wouldn't be the case. It would take a lot of practice to get good with the rail on the controller.

To open the command console you will need a keyboard.
  _________________
I'm already numero uno on Dark Helmet's hit list...
Theta
rank 2
Posted:
Sun Jan 20, 2013 4:36 pm
quote : #5
profile : pm
Posts: 6
Type: NTSC-U/C
Thank you for responding, it is much appreciated =)
I'll wait for a good console deal to appear and purchase then, perhaps play PSO or another RPG when no one is on, and Quake on Fridays

Once again sorry to be a bother
Mr. Green
 
lordnikon
rank 87
Posted:
Tue Jan 22, 2013 10:24 am
quote : #6
profile : pm
Posts: 5902
Type: NTSC-U/C
It's not a bother Smile The support area is design to help, where you can ask questions and more knowledgeable members can assist you
  _________________
I'm already numero uno on Dark Helmet's hit list...
bytesaber
rank 1
Posted:
Sun Aug 31, 2014 4:12 pm
quote : #7
profile : pm
Posts: 1
Type: NTSC-U/C
lordnikon wrote:

Quake 3 Arena on Dreamcast still has bots so you can always play offline against bots to get some frags in. Even though it can be hard to find people online sometimes, I still feel that the experience of meeting up with someone on a random saturday night in such a dark and secluded place on the net, and having a fun gaming night, is one of the coolest things about online gaming. It becomes a special experience and I think it is one of the reasons why so many of us enjoy DC online, or "niche" online gaming in general.


Well said. This is exactly how I feel too and why i've joined the site. Hoping for something similar for PSO as well.
 
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