The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.
I've recently noticed a habit I've been picking up. I will almost always leave a game of some kind up in the background, no matter what I'm doing. This game is always pausable, has gameplay that works well in short bursts, and isn't a huge resource hog.
I often Alt+Tab while a website loads, video streams, on the flightpoint to Dustwallow Marsh etc. I even leave games up while I'm doing things like writing papers or reading news...I really enjoy taking a quick 5 minute break sometimes.
These are often browser games, or pop-cap style arcade games. Lately, it's been Plants vs Zombies. It even auto-pauses if you just alt+tab back to what you were doing originally. Thinking back, the first game I would do this with was Nethack. Roguelikes lend themselves well to this, being turn based in nature, and often long.
I'm just curious if anyone else has a similar habit, or has any other good suggestions for games like these.
Stay the hell away from all Source games (Half-Life 2, etc.) is all I can say. For some reason, they still don't like being minimized out of. I think other STEAM games are okay.
I do the same a lot, especially for stuff like WoW that requires consulting information online.
I found I did much the same thing when it came to WoW. Peggle was the first (it was a running joke for a while that any time I talked on vent during a raid, people would hear Peggle in the background and know I wasn't paying attention... but I was one of the guild masters :-P). Popcap games are clearly designed to be played like that, and I appreciate it a lot.
I seem to remember that Diablo 2 when played in Windowed mode works reasonably well, though I haven't played it in a while.
Torchlight also supports windowed mode, and I haven't had any problems with switching in and out of it. It's not a huge resource hog or anything.
I have even found that I can jump in and out of Borderlands when it's in Windowed mode without any particular problem. It's fun to pick up and shoot some guys and then just pause and come back later (although obviously not for multi, as your friends might get a tad irritated).
In fact, I play most games in Windowed mode if they support it. I like to be able to flip over to IM people, open up web pages and do whatever else.
schmads on
Battle.net/SC2: Kwisatz.868 | Steam/XBL/PSN/Gamecenter: schmads | BattleTag/D3: Schmads#1144 | Hero Academy & * With Friends: FallenKwisatz | 3DS: 4356-0128-9671
I hate to be that guy, but dwarf fortress is nice for this. Hell, you can keep it milling about if you just change focus to another window without minimizing it. It'll auto-pause when just about anything of note happens too, so you won't miss much of anything while you're off doing something else.
Kings Bounty. The battles are all turn based, and there's a lot of game there. I'm often playing this with the TV on, so I'll pay attention to the TV while the enemies are taking their turns if they happen to go together. It generally doesn't require a lot of attention, though you do want to think things through when in battle.
Cronus on
"Read twice, post once. It's almost like 'measure twice, cut once' only with reading." - MetaverseNomad
i leave Armagetron Advanced running in the background almost all the time. It plays itself until you jump in, and then its freaking addicting. 2 buttons, too many options.... even playable with 22 people on the net or network, and by yourself is just fine. Love the game, such a perfect time killer.
I think Mount and Blade would lend itself to this gameplay.
You can track down a enemy party, do a battle, and it auto pauses once your done, you can pause at any point on the main map. It also alt-tabs out of full screen very well, there's been a lot of times where ill alt-tab out to look up troop trees or other information about the game, its very useful when your playing a new mod that you don't quite know a lot about.
Ive heard that you can run X3 Terran Conflict in the background, which would be very nice for generating money, just sit in some corner of the universe, turn on your time accelerator, and alt tab out to youtube or something. But ive only alt-tabbed out once, so it might not be consistent with letting you do that.
Jaramr on
0
Handsome CostanzaAsk me about 8bitdoRIP Iwata-sanRegistered Userregular
edited November 2009
Majesty 2 is pretty good about that. As long as you build up your town a tiny bit before alt tabbing.
Of course then you have to worry about leaving it alone too long so that all your little characters are level eleventybillion.
Word. It's a clock-based RTS and a fast-paced match can be played through in ten minutes, but there's also an "office mode" gametype where the game lasts eight hours.
I can't believe no one has mentioned the -noborder launch option that works on Source games set to Windowed Mode. Its a god send. It works like L4D's Borderless Window Mode, except it works on Source games without that option, like TF2 and HL2.
Posts
I do the same a lot, especially for stuff like WoW that requires consulting information online.
I seem to remember that Diablo 2 when played in Windowed mode works reasonably well, though I haven't played it in a while.
Torchlight also supports windowed mode, and I haven't had any problems with switching in and out of it. It's not a huge resource hog or anything.
I have even found that I can jump in and out of Borderlands when it's in Windowed mode without any particular problem. It's fun to pick up and shoot some guys and then just pause and come back later (although obviously not for multi, as your friends might get a tad irritated).
In fact, I play most games in Windowed mode if they support it. I like to be able to flip over to IM people, open up web pages and do whatever else.
Pretty much any turn based game is a recipe for success when you're just popping in for minutes or less at a time periodically.
Sid Meier's <blank>
Master of Orion
Laser Squid Nemesis / X-com
stuff like that
"Read twice, post once. It's almost like 'measure twice, cut once' only with reading." - MetaverseNomad
PSN - sumowot
I think Civ IV lends itself well to this type of gameplay.
You can track down a enemy party, do a battle, and it auto pauses once your done, you can pause at any point on the main map. It also alt-tabs out of full screen very well, there's been a lot of times where ill alt-tab out to look up troop trees or other information about the game, its very useful when your playing a new mod that you don't quite know a lot about.
Ive heard that you can run X3 Terran Conflict in the background, which would be very nice for generating money, just sit in some corner of the universe, turn on your time accelerator, and alt tab out to youtube or something. But ive only alt-tabbed out once, so it might not be consistent with letting you do that.
Of course then you have to worry about leaving it alone too long so that all your little characters are level eleventybillion.
Resident 8bitdo expert.
Resident hybrid/flap cover expert.
PSN - sumowot
Thank god for dualscreens.
World of Warcraft - Calbert, Azjol-Nerub (PvE)
Word. It's a clock-based RTS and a fast-paced match can be played through in ten minutes, but there's also an "office mode" gametype where the game lasts eight hours.
Pretty much any Unreal engine game supports windowed mode or doesn't crash when alt+tabbed.
NintendoID: Nailbunny 3DS: 3909-8796-4685