Needing a clue about online mulitplayer gaming

I'm not new to gaming, but have generally preferred to play single. Now, I'm considering multiplayer, but am not sure where to start.

Is there a good place to get up to speed?

Some questions I have are:

1. Is Steam the only game in town? The best?

2. If I already own a copy of a game (i.e., I bought Crysis 2 via amazon), will that game be playable on Steam (for a subscritption fee, I would think...)?

3. Is security of my network an issue...viruses, hacks, data theft, whatever?

Any information is appreciated.

Thanks!

Thank you for your response, MrNeeds. Confusion describes it :).

But if I'm understanding you correctly, the multiplayer is a function of and is built into the game, as is the cost (so no monthly fees)? And this standardly applies to all MP?


And do I have to know someone hosting a game or is there just a log in for anyone who has the game and wants to play? My interest is Crysis 2.

Thanks for addressing what must be elementary to routine gamers.

I know it's a bit dated, but so am I...
And you said any info was appreciated...
Some non-steam options...

If I can get NWN1 to install onto Win7x64, I would like to revisit that online game. It may be complicated to get running (especially since different sites may require different mod/packs), but if you really love DnD interaction, this might be worth the trouble? There is also NWN2 online (which I believe works with Win7?), but I have never tried the servers; I only played the campaign online with a friend, with myself as the server (we were using XP32 at the time). Back when I played, most servers were free. Follow requiements and ettiquette/rules for unlimited game time.

Another friend of mine plays Minecraft with his son as a way to 'hang out' since they are currently living in different countries. He has set himself up as the server... but there are likely public servers of that game. It's not my kind of game, so I have never played it. You can youtube search for video examples, to see if you might be interested.

World of Warcraft and Everquest are favoured online games of my housemates, but those have a monthly fee, which I am adverse too.

My understanding (limited tho it is) is that the games I mentioned should not put your computer at any undue risk for malware. I really don't know anything about steam, other than what has already been said.

Cheers and Happy Gaming! ~Nom

M1GU31 said:

Yeah all mp are free and the only time they use steam is if you bought it from the steam store in the client or it's a valve game.No subscription fees unless its a game like world of war craft or teria,games like those that require a fee.All other games let you play free. Crysis 2 as long as you bought the game you can play online free as much as your little heart desires.Hopefully I cleared this out for you.

That helps. Thanks.

NomDeKeyz said:

I know it's a bit dated, but so am I...
And you said any info was appreciated...
Some non-steam options...

If I can get NWN1 to install onto Win7x64, I would like to revisit that online game. It may be complicated to get running (especially since different sites may require different mod/packs), but if you really love DnD interaction, this might be worth the trouble? There is also NWN2 online (which I believe works with Win7?), but I have never tried the servers; I only played the campaign online with a friend, with myself as the server (we were using XP32 at the time). Back when I played, most servers were free. Follow requiements and ettiquette/rules for unlimited game time.


My understanding (limited tho it is) is that the games I mentioned should not put your computer at any undue risk for malware. I really don't know anything about steam, other than what has already been said.

Cheers and Happy Gaming! ~Nom

Thanks for the additional info, Nom. Every little bit does help. I had to google NWN1, as I've never heard of it. YouTube videos of NWN remind me of an old game called Heretic, if you go back that far. Not in gameplay I would imagine, as Heretic was an FPS, but the environment and era. FPS's are the type of game I generally play, although I did just order the 1st and most recent versions of Deus Ex, which I understand has a bit of both FPS and RPG. Not sure if it's something I'll like or not.

I have to say that Crysis 2 has been my favorite game for quite some time now. Playing at 'Post Human' level keeps it challenging.

But, having read reviews of some of the online multiplayer games, I'm not quite as enthusiastic to check it out. Many of the reviewers are unhappy with the server experience of games like the latest version of COD MW and BF3, which fall into my preferred genre. Seems like bots and cheats are prevalent, as well as overcrowding of servers and a 'lobby' server format, where players wait 20 mins to get into a game with random people only to get killed quickly by a cheat. Too bad, really.
I don't know if that's the common experience, though.

Again, thanks to all for the info.