Online gaming guru has advice for novices

By MICHAEL FOREMAN

Newcomers to the world of online gaming should avoid jumping into a live session of a "shoot 'em up" such as Quake until they have practised offline first.

That's the advice of Auckland-based computer games expert Thomas Mahoney, who says fast-paced 3D action games give those with fast computers and internet connections a significant advantage.

Most serious players of Quake, a gorily realistic 3D action game requiring tactical thinking and quick reflexes, use high-speed connections such as Telecom's Jetstream digital subscriber line (DSL) service.

Sitting behind souped-up PCs, such players may spend up to six hours a day practising, and will make mincemeat of "newbies."

"But newcomers still crank it up and give it a try," says Mr Mahoney. "They get absolutely beaten ... It puts people off."

His advice: learn to play it offline first, or at an internet cafe, where players with more knowledge can share techniques in person.

Mr Mahoney has been playing computer games since he was seven, so he knows more about online gaming than most.

After working in a computer games store, he began writing for several gaming websites before becoming editor of Game Planet, a site devoted to online games launched this month.

Created and maintained by a staff of 15, Game Planet contains the usual games news and reviews but also maintains several specialised games servers.

Games servers, which act as a go-between computer allowing a number of people to play online, are usually dedicated to a certain game.

Game Planet has servers for Counterstrike, Quake 3 and Unreal. A fourth server for Team Fortress will come online soon. It also hosts the downloads, modifications and patches needed to play the games, as well as providing forums where players can set up games with others at their own experience level.

"We want to create a place for New Zealand gamers to organise, not only Quake but flight simulators or driving games. At the moment, the communities have to do too much of that organisation themselves," he said.

At home, Mr Mahoney enjoys playing role-playing games (RPGs) such as Diablo and Baldur's Gate. In these, the electronic successors to the board game Dungeons and Dragons, the player assumes a character who develops skills and powers to defeat other players.

As RPGs require less information to be passed between the player's computer and the server, Mr Mahoney finds his modest Celeron 400MHz PC and an ordinary dial-up connection quite adequate.

"Generally, RPGs don't need a high-specification machine, as they are slower-paced and more about clever thinking, interacting with other players and community building. People tend to play these games in groups or tribes - it's a combination of chat room and game, really.

"When I play Quake I am only doing it for a laugh, I'm not taking it seriously. If people want to play competitively they can go to a friend's house with a fast connection or an internet cafe. Many are now offering DSL connections for game-playing - people book time to compete against Australian players, for example. On a dial-up connection, that's not possible."

Almost all recently released computer games now include an online playing option, and most of these may be played free. But several new titles, including Ultima Online, EverQuest and Asheron's Call, ask for payment of a server fee, usually $US10 ($24.50), after a free introductory period has expired.

Most of the large local internet service providers, including Xtra, Clear and Paradise, provide free servers for the popular titles.

Many software manufacturers also offer servers for their own games. Most Microsoft games, for example, can be played on the company's gigantic MSN Gaming Zone site, but these are usually based overseas.

A local server is always preferable, as it reduces "latency" problems, or transmission delays that may cause a game to jerk or run slowly.

General games websites like www.nzgames.com and www.videogames.co.nz or the specialist Quake site www.challenge-nz.com are all good sources of information on servers.

Mr Mahoney say New Zealand online gaming is "very alive." But the number of players is unknown, as people tend to play in small communities based on one game.

"It's a lot bigger than I expected it to be [but] in terms of organisation - one big scene - I'm not sure it exists yet."

Game Planet

MSN Gaming Zone

www.nzgames.com

www.videogames.co.nz

Specialist Quake site