LyraineAlei
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The one day out of the year I check the forums, lo and behold a topic I might be able to contribute to!
Scanning through the thread I didn't find any specifics (apologies in advance if they are there), so I should ask:
1. What specific uses will this machine be required to perform while at school?
2. How often will you be carrying this machine around? How long will each of these trips be?
3. Are there any software packages that your academic program recommends you have on your personal machine to avoid the need to use the school computer lab (most engineering programs on my campus have a list)? We can see if any/all of said software will work better on a multithreaded/multicore processor (data for the mobile i5 vs. i7 recommendation).
4. Is ease and speed of setup/takedown a priority for this machine (if you have classes scheduled back to back and several blocks from each other, time is valuable)? This takes into account battery life (will you need to carry, take out, plug in, and pack away the AC adapter) and general bulk of the machine.
5. If you have been to your classrooms already, are outlets readily available for everyone who wants to plug in to do so? I've been in some older rooms that only had outlets along the outer rows so people using a laptop in the middle of the room had to be on battery the entire lecture.
Current plan is to have two laptops, current one for school, the new one for gaming. Current one is great for school and traveling about with it.
So... 1)None, stays at home but goes back and forth from my room to the living room;
2)Two-three times, about, and for the distance of a short in-house hallway with cords and mouse, so, about two minutes each packing around, max;
3) Not applicable;
4) I don't like having to sit around for five minutes waiting for taskhost to finally decide that it's done shutting down in order to shut down (but that's more likely on my end);
5) Living room has outlets, and one that's not very nice to me and like to try and kill my battery by making it think it isn't plugged in and charging;
After thinking of these answers, have you considered a desktop at home (gaming grade specs; custom build from any number of reputable sites) complemented by a tablet (light weight compared to a gaming laptop, touch screen, very easy setup) for school use? You mentioned a desktop would result in you being even more of a hermit, but in the long term I cannot honestly recommend a gaming laptop without ruling out other, more cost effective alternative setups. Quite a few of my friends and fellow researchers have been switching to a tablet (with a carrying case) as it allows for them to quickly get situated, doesn't require a lot of desk space, and because of its size allows them to forgo a backpack/briefcase/etc. Depending on the models you compare they can also have quite a respectable battery life at the cost of a smaller screen and, of course, the ability to quickly run more resource heavy software (gaming and such). Something to think about on top of all your other options.I have considered a desktop, but I don't have the room for one at this time. Touch screen would be nice for drawing with, but it's on the not-important but nice list. Current laptop travels well for a standard sized laptop.
At this point, by size I was only meaning that I didn't want to be working around something that weights more than my six-month old cousin.
On the topic of laptops, I fully support others' recommendation for Asus' Republic of Gamers line, the G750 especially. Comparing a friend's G750 to my almost 4 yr old MSI GX640, the Asus feels like it has a sturdier shell and overall better build quality whereas my MSI truly feels like plain plastic. Granted, this plain plastic has lasted through 4 years of abuse at my hands, but it still could do with an upgrade. The biggest difference I saw between my MSI and the Asus was a dramatic disparity between heat dissipation: The Asus GPU was running almost 10 deg C cooler. Some of this I attribute to the difference in GPU model, but I must also consider the cooling system of the shell itself. Another thing to watch out for is my MSI vents heat out the right side of the unit, almost directly into the area I usually have my hand if I'm using an external mouse (the Asus I saw vented out the back). Not the most comfortable spot after an hour of gaming...This is turning into a wall of text, so I'll end with some general experiences I've had with manufacturers: My first laptop was a Dell XPS that had nice performance (for the time) with a subpar cooling system that resulted in the GPU frying not once, but 5 times in 3 years, the first time at the 14 month point after purchase (luckily I bought the 3 year warranty). In the beginning, customer service and tech support were both excellent (always got someone in Knoxville, TN whenever I called), but in the third year went downhill fast. Outsourced tech support, even for what was their premium line, did not impress me. What originally was resolved in 5 min with Knoxville support (Graphical artifacts on screen? Documented high temperatures on the GPU? We'll have a tech come out and replace your GPU and heatsinks within the next couple business days /end call) turned into someone reading from a script, taking 30 min for what should've been very clear from my initial description. Since then I have not heard anyone praise Dell in any manner, either for their service or computer products (besides their monitors, but that's another story).
TL;DR: I cannot recommend a Dell computer for any purpose due to poor quality of both product and service.
A few years back I got the MSI laptop from XoticPC. I did not experience any trouble at any point in the process and would buy from them again if I need another laptop (after comparison shopping of course). You probably won't need to customize any laptop, but I find that site easier to navigate and quickly look at the options than Amazon. Of course, I'd restrict your search to Asus machines, possibly the Sager/Clevo as well (rather bland looking but you might like them, just beware of the differences in warranty).
Hope that giant wall helps!
Giant walls is very helpful! And I'm glad to have started a thread you could help in.
My family used to have Dell laptops, but they didn't have anymore luck than you with things. And I will look into that website. Thank you!
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. It also means that the bottom doesn't get hot... and that the laptop doesn't need extra cooling.
This is one of the primary problems with non-gaming laptops. They aren't designed to take load on both the CPU and the GPU, and for SWTOR, that means that you end up cooking your lap and your fingers as the laptop struggles to find someplace to put all the heat.
Ahem, excuse me while I wipe the drool off my face. No hot laps? No more melting the fan's frame? No more side-of laptops feeling like they're on fire?
Well... That's certainly worth a long look-see.
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Yeah so if you don't want to move a fan with it all the time maybe go for one similar to the one I linked. As for the SSD it will also produce less heat as it has no moving parts. You can actually build a Dell Inspiron 15 or 17 with Dell themselves ( well they build it ) too and it has a slightly newer I7 processor and then you could just set an SSD instead of the basic model hard drive , might be a bit more money than the two I linked though.
Cheers,
BadOrb.
I have a laptop fan I use currently, and so move from room to room, and if I knew how to build a computer, I would in a heartbeat, after saving up and getting each piece.
Thanks, I now have a decent list of different computers to go through and consider.
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I have no doubt that Asus would have taken care of me. However since my wife didnt like the size and weight I decided to just return it to Amazon and get the MSI. Don't let me scare you from Asus tho I love most of their products. I currently use Asus Motherboards exclusively and I did really enjoy the design of the Asus Laptop.
Ah, I see now. I have relatives who has an Asus, but they don't game with them. They love their laptops though since they're apparently user friendly.
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The Asus one I got her originally was the
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EZ8BJNK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It looked awesome but was very big and very heavy. My wife wasn't comfortable with it. However it would have been fine but it starting having issues reading DVDs and after 5 days stopped charging. Pretty crazy to have two distinct issues right out of the box.
Going back to the MSI my wife also loves the Multicolored Keyboard options with regards to lighting. Its just overall a nice laptop
Okay, wow. Surprised the issues weren't solved by warranty.
But lot of points to consider, that is!
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I must point out that the laptop I pointed to will work as laptop i.e. on your lap. Now some others like my current one are basically desktop replacements so they will need a fan underneath and as you mentioned your battery being dead I guessed you wanted a portable take anywhere laptop hence my choice that I have been studying for 2 months.
The SSD situation is indeed a great one that people have mentioned , I won't ever go back to non SSD in my PC's. SWTOR and Windows load up in next to no time at all.
Cheers ,
BadOrb.
My original battery is dead, and I would like to move the new laptop at least from one room to another, since I have my current one that can handle being standard do-not-gaming stuff just fine. Except for the Gimp program from time to time, but I don't run that all the time.
I've been reading that SSDs are really nice and likely worth it. If nothing else than for the sound factor.
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I should bloody well hope it plays with everything maxed, for $2,700!
*spits out her water* Nearly 3K? I agree it better have everything at best settings. I'm still busy reading HDD vs SSD stuff.
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I bought an MSI Laptop last christmas for my Wife and she loves it.
It plays SWTOR with all settings maxed easily.
Here is a link to the one I bought
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CU9GM06/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I had originally got her one of the Asus ones and had multiple problems with it so we replaced it with the MSI and it is great.
What kinds of problems did you guys have with the Asus? Just asking because all I seem to find are pretty good reviews.
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Have you considering having both a laptop and a desktop?
Laptops that are good at gaming tend to be quite expensive. A desktop at half the price will run rings around it.
Might not be an option for space or other reasons, just something to consider.
Would love to, but I don't currently have the space for both.
Edit: And I generally play in the evening after work, while watching TV and spending family time, and the only place for a desktop (maybe) would be far from everyone and then I'd be even more of a hermit.
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And one more thing I missed: Touch screen.
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Touch screen was just for bonus points, a kind of wish list point, but I figured it wouldn't happen.
As for what everyone has suggested, thanks.
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Currently, when a companion has a quest to complete for affection, they will only talk to you on your Starship. It would be a nice touch if we could talk to them in our strongholds as well.
They do, but if they have the little ship icon next to their name, it has to be the Ship. But other conversations are available in the stronghold.
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So, you're solution is to hold hostage any credits that a player may have placed into legacy storage until they subscribe again?
Isn't that called blackmail?
I think the credits-hostage was a hyperbole.
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Many companions hate the opposite faction.
Why would Eric Jorgan, Elara Dorne, Fourex, Corso Riggs, Kira Carsen, to name a few Pubside comps alone, willingly switch sides with you? And it can't be just because of your sheer awesomeness and charisma. They need to have reasons.
Impside examples include Quinn, Pierce, Andronikos, Kaliyo, and the vast majority of the BH comps after a point in BH story who are also not fond of the Republic, so they're going to need reasons, deep, believable reasons for the switch.
Hence my fifty credit bet that it will never happen.
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Yes, I actually do. MMOs adapt and change to order to progress. Smart companies always do. Before the shutdown of this game, mark my words, there will be an option to change faction.
*places 50 credits down on the table* Fifty creds says it ain't gonna happen. It has been said no by BioWare staff before. Run a forum search if you don't believe us. Go ahead. We can wait.
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Did a forums search using the keyword "Keybinding" in titles alone, and a bunch of topic came up.
Most are dead, so to avoid necromancy, I'm making a thread and posting links to the dead ones others had posted. This is clearly a popular idea, and it would be awesome to have. And time saving for each new alt a person could roll.
I don't have anything complicated beyond setting my second quick bar to ctr+numpad1234567890-* and unbinding r for a quick reply in chat (cuts down on my personal genchatting numbers) but I've read some pretty complex ones.
It would be nice to have global keybindings for all account like User Interfaces.
Links:
Keybinding and multiple characters
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How about giving an option via a series of quests that allows to switch factions at the end of our class stories. Here are some possible suggestions:
The Imperial Agent has enough of the Empire and decides to go rogue and join the Rebellion.
The Smuggler decides it can be more profitable to chase bounties and starts handling contracts for the Empire.
The Trooper has seen the corruption of war and figures he can turn a buck turning him into a soldier of fortune.
The Bounty Hunter becomes employed as an instructor with the Republic to train their troops.
The Jedi give into their hatred and fall to the dark side.
The Sith see the goodness and pledge to light.
Of course, this would be optional and can simply serve as a means to switch factions.
It would give the Rebellion an Agent and BH.
It would give the Empire a Smuggler and a Trooper.
And it would satisfy the force wielders who wish to have an alternative.
What do you think?
Mentioned before, many times according to my Forums Search.
Won't likely happen because defecting conventions would require a serious rewriting of how the stories go. Fun idea, yes, but not likely to be implemented.
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I think they were meaning the credit-storage part of a legacy bank being Subscriber-only.Meh, why even allow access to Galactic Strongholds for fu2p and preferred if this answer keeps popping up? Tighten the noose a little more...why not? -
Maybe because the amount of potential it had was relegated to just being glorified storage for crafters? Its almost completely useless for everyone else.
I use it to send gear one toon bought off to GTN to another. Usually CM gear that the other would be more suited for and wouldn't take up space in the first's storage.
Send gear, comp gifts, mods...
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Please do not tell me to build a new one. I do not have the patience nor the knowledge on what is needed.
Alright, now with that being said, I have a slightly older laptop (about two and a half years), and the battery is <bleeping> out on me so I had to go buy a replacement. This has got me thinking, however.
Current laptop is great for writing essays and school work. Yay for that.
Gaming-wise, meh. I can play the game except for Makeb (and yes I've been deleting that pesky bitraider folder to get the load screen to stop freezing and that doesn't usually work for me) at a custom graphics setting I enjoy. Or low, depending on what I'm doing.
But I want to upgrade to a new laptop, and the sheer number of them is vast, and I do not speak MBs and GBs and RAMs. Well, GBs are bigger than MBs, but I made my point.
So I'm asking for help in narrowing down the list.
What I need:
CD/DVD player to keep playing KOTOR I and II from time to time. And other CD-ROM games I have.
The ability to at least play the game in Full screen Medium Graphics setting, so whatever that means.
At least three USB ports (or two if the laptop has a ten-key) for a mouse, keyboard and an extra (external laptop fan, phone charger etc)
Things I would like:
Touch screen for when I draw
Not huge and bulky
Price range: Not in a hurry, so I can save up.
Links would be appreciated more than spouting out what numbers I need, since I dare to call myself a gamer without understanding all the numbers and tech involved.
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You sure? Because I'm only getting the pretty new ones for the planets that have had strongholds added to them. The others still have the crappy low-res ones that look awful. Maybe I'm bugged.
As I said in my post above, the fleet ones aren't new (I just went and checked). They were added months ago.
Oh, for some reason I never got to see them. Just went from clicking on the ship door and then loading screen.
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There's a unit of Imps you have met before that turn up again during the Alderaan bonus quests. Can't remember where you meet them the first time, Balmora maybe?
Bug Hunter Squad from Balmorra, but I don't remember actually meeting those guys in particular. It is nice that they like my Imperials since I can't leave side missions alone.
Okay, so we do have reoccurring NPCs...
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I see your point, but not everyone playing has a name-ne for the Alt because for them the Alt is not a person. And some characters in-game have names that seem like random letters thrown together.
A few examples:
Alde.
Kashyyk.
Qyzen.
Khem.
Ulgo.
Who are you to say my Jedi Consular Nau'ur has a random set of letters anymore than Lyraine the Bounty Hunter?
And there are ways to pronounce words without vowles. What is a name in one language is not a name in another.
I totally understand your point of view, we have enough Obeewan and LuukeSkystroller and other names like that, but the staff has done what they can to protect the copyright names as best they can.
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So far, I've found them for every planet except Make, though the latter is likely just my computer and the game disagreeing.
Even the fleets have them.
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There's also Lord Malichose on Alderaan and Corellia. If you've previously done the heroic mission on Borederaan for him he has a few comments on that. It got patched in at some point so they could do something similar with other NPCs though they'd have to change some as there are next to no recycled mission givers out there.
Awesome. Guess I need to drag my JK back to Ald for the hose.
1 feature missing from swtor that a wow player doesn't understand.
in General Discussion
Posted
We don't have faction leaders in our cities. They're usually in mission instances. So you can't walk up and kill them.
Invasions like you suggest would also raise your PvP flag is you survive for the ten seconds it takes to flag you.
And honestly, even as a 55, a person still gets killed pretty fast by the NPCs. And why invade the other faction's city when you're busy on quest missions?