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[antitrop]

I hate to be one of those 'can I run it' guys, but I could easily rig my machine up to my tv, and play it with an Xbox controller, so I might as well decide now between PC and PS3.

Could someone more savvy than I advise on which option would get me more mileage?

Processor: 2.6 GHz i7

16 GB of DD3 ram

Geforce GT 650 M

I'm not very familiar with mobile GPUs, but that looks pretty decent to me.

You should be able to max this out. Not 60fps, though.

 

[hey_it's_that_dog]

And don't use a pad unless you want to be locked to two weapons.

Where is this information coming from? There's a 2-weapon limit on console but not on PC? That's unprecedented. And using a pad on PC eliminates the option? What's going on?

 

[Burgess_101]

I hate to be one of those 'can I run it' guys, but I could easily rig my machine up to my tv, and play it with an Xbox controller, so I might as well decide now between PC and PS3.

Could someone more savvy than I advise on which option would get me more mileage?

Processor: 2.6 GHz i7

16 GB of DD3 ram

Geforce GT 650 M



Thanks!

You'll be fine, just turn off AA and fiddle with the settings until you get a decent framerate.

 

[phantomspiker]

I am really not concerned about a 2 weapon limit. I played Bioshock 2 all the way though the other day and only really used the Shotgun and Plasmids unless I ran out of ammo, then it was the Gatling gun.

Same here, I stick to what I think works the best.

 

[ironcreed]

Yeah, I'm good. The PS3 version looks and runs fine.

 

[Ridesh]

Smooth as butter so far,

Spoiler

if 30fps is butter

. There was one moment where you enter an area with a large crowd and it hiccuped for just a fraction of a second but nothing major.

You can of course unlock framerate as well, which increases screen tear.

Have you seen some PS3 footage and compared if the versions are alike? (for example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkQSmW5_Dmc)

I'm still hesitant between picking the 360 or the PS3 version.

 

[LastNac]

I'm still hesitant between picking the 360 or the PS3 version.

Likewise

 

[Plasmid]

Does it come with GFWL?

 

[CambriaRising]

Where is this information coming from? There's a 2-weapon limit on console but not on PC? That's unprecedented. And using a pad on PC eliminates the option? What's going on?

No way that the game's design fundamentally changes if you play with a controller on PC.

Which weapons does it keep if you do?
Do those weapons just drop?
What if I press F12 to take a screenshot, then go back to my controller?
Will it switch as seemlessly as other games?


I just don't think it will be like that. If there is a 2 weapon limit, I am pretty sure it will be on the Pc version as well.

 

[DukeBobby]

Does it come with GFWL?

Nope.

 

[Bread]

are you using the move perchance?

i'd like to see some move impressions as well

 

[Daft_Cat]

I'm not very familiar with mobile GPUs, but that looks pretty decent to me.

You should be able to max this out. Not 60fps, though.

PC it is then! Thanks!

 

[Grief.exe]

Does it come with GFWL?

IDK if this is sarcastic or not, but GFWL is pretty much dead.

 

[Burgess_101]

No way that the game's design fundamentally changes if you play with a controller on PC.

Which weapons does it keep if you do?
Do those weapons just drop?
What if I press F12 to take a screenshot, then go back to my controller?
Will it switch as seemlessly as other games?


I just don't think it will be like that. If there is a 2 weapon limit, I am pretty sure it will be on the Pc version as well.

IGN review said it wasn't a problem on PC so I presume there isn't any limitations with the keyboard.

 

[electricpirate]

From what I read it sounded like this

In both versions you can hold all weapons in your inventory.
In the console version you can only "Equip" two weapons at a time, and swtich with a button.
To change the "Equipped weapons" you have to bring up a menu that pauses the game.
So in a firefight, it mostly plays like you have a two weapon limit, but you could in theory switch out at any time, same with plasmids.
On the PC there's no need for this, since you can have all your weapons available all the time available via hotkeys.

 

[hey_it's_that_dog]

No way that the game's design fundamentally changes if you play with a controller on PC.

Which weapons does it keep if you do?
Do those weapons just drop?
What if I press F12 to take a screenshot, then go back to my controller?
Will it switch as seemlessly as other games?


I just don't think it will be like that. If there is a 2 weapon limit, I am pretty sure it will be on the Pc version as well.

I just read the relevant part of the IGN review, and he says that when using a controller, you can only hot swap between two weapons. You have to "pause" the game to get at the rest.

If he's just talking about the menu that pops up and freezes the action, that's just like Bioshock 1 with a gamepad and it doesn't bother me at all. If he means you have to fiddle around in a menu, equipping shit to your hot key, that seems crazy to me. That would be a big step back in design.

But at least it's clear from his description that you do keep all your weapons at all times. It's not a Halo situation.

 

[Plasmid]

IDK if this is sarcastic or not, but GFWL is pretty much dead.

Forgot about that. I was playing BS2 and it did keep crashing on me. :/.

360 version it is.

 

[CambriaRising]

From what I read it sounded like this

In both versions you can hold all weapons in your inventory.
In the console version you can only "Equip" two weapons at a time, and swtich with a button.
To change the "Hot keys" you have to bring up a menu that pauses the game.
So in a firefight, it mostly plays like you have a two weapon limit, but you could in theory switch out at any time, same with plasmids.
On the PC there's no need for this, since you can have all your weapons available all the time available via hotkeys.

This would make a lot more sense for sure.

I just read the relevant part of the IGN review, and he says that when using a controller, you can only hot swap between two weapons. You have to "pause" the game to get at the rest.

If he's just talking about the menu that pops up and freezes the action, that's just like Bioshock 1 with a gamepad and it doesn't bother me at all. If he means you have to fiddle around in a menu, that seems crazy to me. That would be a big step back in design.

But at least it's clear from his description that you do keep all your weapons at all times. It's not a Halo situation.

Right, thats what I thought. That isn't such a huge issue. I am sure they came up with the hot swap button in order to help keep a quick pace for lack of buttons.

 

[RoboPlato]

I just read the relevant part of the IGN review, and he says that when using a controller, you can only hot swap between two weapons. You have to "pause" the game to get at the rest.

If he's just talking about the menu that pops up and freezes the action, that's just like Bioshock 1 with a gamepad and it doesn't bother me at all. If he means you have to fiddle around in a menu, that seems crazy to me. That would be a big step back in design.

But at least it's clear from his description that you do keep all your weapons at all times. It's not a Halo situation.

That's what I thought too but some people who have played the game have said you only have a menu for vigors, strict two weapon limit for guns. It's really weird and makes no sense. I don't know who to believe.

 

[Zeliard]

Where is this information coming from? There's a 2-weapon limit on console but not on PC? That's unprecedented. And using a pad on PC eliminates the option? What's going on?

It's a mix of that IGN review and GAF poster Maddog, who's beaten the game on consoles. It does seem pretty unprecedented and I found it amazing for just that reason.

If true, you're looking at a huge difference: being limited to two weapons at ANY TIME on consoles (i.e. you have to drop what you're carrying to pick up a new weapon, which Boddog confirmed), versus having every single weapon you've picked up at your disposal at any time on PC.

Can that actually be how it is? Nuts if so.

And I have no idea what effect plugging a pad into your PC would have on that, especially if you start off a session with kb/m then just stick a pad in. Like, how would that even work on weapons you're carrying?

Don't ask me.

 

[jim2point0]

I'm terrified to look around in this thread for fear of spoilers, but is the original BioShock a digital download or is it on disc?

In mods we trust.

No seriously. Spoilers will get you banned and edited in a matter of seconds. You'd have to watch the thread like a HAWK to see a spoiler.

That's the impression I get. Makes me feel safe.

 

[Zeliard]

I just read the relevant part of the IGN review, and he says that when using a controller, you can only hot swap between two weapons. You have to "pause" the game to get at the rest.

If he's just talking about the menu that pops up and freezes the action, that's just like Bioshock 1 with a gamepad and it doesn't bother me at all. If he means you have to fiddle around in a menu, equipping shit to your hot key, that seems crazy to me. That would be a big step back in design.

But at least it's clear from his description that you do keep all your weapons at all times. It's not a Halo situation.

The confusion is that there's apparently no menu for weapons on consoles, radial or otherwise. You have to drop a weapon to pick up a new one once you hit the 2-weapon limit.

 

[hey_it's_that_dog]

From what I read it sounded like this

In both versions you can hold all weapons in your inventory.
In the console version you can only "Equip" two weapons at a time, and swtich with a button.
To change the "Equipped weapons" you have to bring up a menu that pauses the game.
So in a firefight, it mostly plays like you have a two weapon limit, but you could in theory switch out at any time, same with plasmids.
On the PC there's no need for this, since you can have all your weapons available all the time available via hotkeys.

The crucial question for me is whether it's just an overlay that pops up or if it's a Resident Evil briefcase situation, where you pause, have to select items, then hit a button to equip, and so on. I mean, it's not a huge deal if the menu is quick, but it would be an odd change.

 

[ironcreed]

It's a mix of that IGN review and GAF poster Maddog, who's beaten the game on consoles. It does seem pretty unprecedented and I found it amazing for just that reason.

If true, you're looking at a huge difference: being limited to two weapons at ANY TIME on consoles (i.e. you have to drop what you're carrying to pick up a new weapon, which Boddog confirmed), versus having every single weapon you've picked up at your disposal at any time on PC.

Can that actually be how it is? Nuts if so.

And I have no idea what effect plugging a pad into your PC would have on that, especially if you start off a session with kb/m then just stick a pad in. Like, how would that even work on weapons you're carrying?

Don't ask me.

It is two weapons and two abilities hot keyed at any one time, with the rest on a radial wheel that you can select from. A compromise for consoles, but one I am used to. I don't mind a wheel.

 

[Zeliard]

It is two weapons and two abilities hot keyed at any one time, with the rest on a radial wheel that you can select from. A compromise for consoles, but one I am used to. I don't mind a wheel.

Again, there's apparently no such radial menu for weapons (only for vigors), at least according to Maddog. I have no idea whether that's true or not.

 

[Superimposer]

Have you seen some PS3 footage and compared if the versions are alike? (for example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkQSmW5_Dmc)

I'm still hesitant between picking the 360 or the PS3 version.

It's hard to say on the basis of that video. That's the opening of the game where nothing really hardware-intensive happens. There is no clear answer after watching that... so I guess it's close.

On another note, even if we know there's a weapon limit on consoles, who even said it's not on PC as well in the first place? No way there's a difference. PS3 may edge it if anything.

 

[hey_it's_that_dog]

The confusion is that there's apparently no menu for weapons on consoles, radial or otherwise. You have to drop a weapon to pick up a new one once you hit the 2-weapon limit.

So are you saying the PC version would operate the same way as Bioshock 1 with a gamepad, with a hot swap button AND a radial pop-up that pauses the action?

I really can't believe they'd alter the design so dramatically between versions. Isn't 2-weapon vs. full loadout a central issue in shooter design?

Again, there's apparently no such radial menu for weapons (only for vigors), at least according to Maddog. I have no idea whether that's true or not.

Maddog also said you have to beat the game to unlock 1999 mode... but I guess it's easy to not know there's a code if you've been out of the pre-release info loop, which is entirely possible.

The IGN console review says nothing about being limited to 2 weapons. I think they'd have mentioned it as it's clearly new to Bioshock and antithetical to the game's expressive combat design.

 

[Vasilisk 2038]

Goddam we need Move impressions!!

 

[PRjumpman124]

Goddam we need Move impressions!!

We do?

 

[Fried Food]

just preordered the 360 version. The ps3 version will have to be much better in order for me to switch. I have a fresh 360 controller (official xbox controller for pc)

 

[ironcreed]

Again, there's apparently no such radial menu for weapons (only for vigors), at least according to Maddog. I have no idea whether that's true or not.

Hm, interesting. I just recall the wheel being brought up in the IGN video review and they said it pauses the game to allow you to select from other abilities beyond the two hot slots. But if it is just for Vigors, then I guess I will have to make do with two weapons at a time. Should be fine.

 

[stktt]

Smooth as butter so far,

Spoiler

if 30fps is butter

. There was one moment where you enter an area with a large crowd and it hiccuped for just a fraction of a second but nothing major.

You can of course unlock framerate as well, which increases screen tear.

Good to hear. I'll probably keep v-sync enabled.

 

[hey_it's_that_dog]

Shawn Elliott! OneLetter!

Please, tell us about this weapon selection situation!

Thanks!

 

[CambriaRising]

Shawn Elliott! OneLetter!

Please, tell us about this weapon selection situation!

Thanks!

According to the Bioshock Wiki's Weapon section:

Booker can only carry two weapons at a time, and so will have to drop one of his current guns if he picks up another. (Possible Weapon Spoilers)

They must have gotten their information from somewhere because there are threads on the 2k forums dating back a year complaining about the change.

 

[ironcreed]

According to the Bioshock Wiki's Weapon section:

Ah, so the wheel is indeed only for Vigors. I'm fine with that.

 

[Zeliard]

The 2-weapon limit also being on the PC version is what makes the most sense. But that would certainly suck, and the IGN review seems to directly refute it. Then again, they weren't terribly clear about the radial menus for consoles, either.

 

[hey_it's_that_dog]

The 2-weapon limit also being on the PC version is what makes the most sense. But that would certainly suck, and the IGN review seems to directly refute it. Then again, they weren't terribly clear about the radial menus for consoles, either.

It would be ludicrous if the site that got the exclusive review spent a whole week jerking off about the game yet failed to notice a massive change to the weapon system and then also completely fabricated a weapon change menu.

 

[ViewtifulJC]

It would be ludicrous if the site that got the exclusive review spent a whole week jerking off about the game yet failed to notice a massive change to the weapon system and then also completely fabricated a weapon change menu.

Well, you have to consider this is IGN we're talking about here. Anything's possible.

 

[OneLetter]

Shawn Elliott! OneLetter!

Please, tell us about this weapon selection situation!

Thanks!

I AM HERE TO CLEAR CONFUSION!

You can hold two weapons at a time, switching between them, and pick up different weapons to replace the weapons you're holding along the way. This is the same on console and PC.

For Vigors, on console, you can also hold any two for quick swapping, or load up the radial which will pause the game while you select your options. On PC, you can quickly select your other Vigors via 1, 2, 3, etc. keys, or you can use your mouse wheel. You can change the default keyboard controls also if you don't want 1, 2, 3, etc.

 

[Geoff9920]

Any idea when the real reviews come out? Monday?

 

[Zeliard]

Oh well I think the mystery's been solved, IGN was just wrong and has since edited their review.

It used to read:

Oddly, only two weapons and two vigors can be hotkeyed at any given time (via a quick tap of the Xbox’s shoulder buttons or the PS3’s triggers). The rest of your arsenal is accessible, of course, but you must pause and go into a menu in order to get to them. That can break up the fun flow of an otherwise high-octane encounter, and picking the right tool for the job during the fight was something I found myself avoiding. As you might expect, though, these are non-issues on the PC, where the number keys offer instant access to vigors and the mouse scroll wheel zips through your full list of guns.

They've since removed the bolded.

Did the reviewer not even bother to try it?

Edit: thx OneLetter, but bah @ strict 2-weapon limits :<

 

[hey_it's_that_dog]

I AM HERE TO CLEAR CONFUSION!

You can hold two weapons at a time, switching between them, and pick up different weapons to replace the weapons you're holding along the way. This is the same on console and PC.

For Vigors, on console, you can also hold any two for quick swapping, or load up the radial which will pause the game while you select your options. On PC, you can quickly select your other Vigors via 1, 2, 3, etc. keys, or you can use your mouse wheel. You can change the default keyboard controls also if you don't want 1, 2, 3, etc.

Thanks for the clarification. Whatever the weapon system is, I just wanted to make sure I wouldn't be playing an entirely different game by using a gamepad on my couch.

 

[ironcreed]

I AM HERE TO CLEAR CONFUSION!

You can hold two weapons at a time, switching between them, and pick up different weapons to replace the weapons you're holding along the way. This is the same on console and PC.

For Vigors, on console, you can also hold any two for quick swapping, or load up the radial which will pause the game while you select your options. On PC, you can quickly select your other Vigors via 1, 2, 3, etc. keys, or you can use your mouse wheel. You can change the default keyboard controls also if you don't want 1, 2, 3, etc.

Thank you. Two weapons at a time actually makes sense when you factor in having to choose wisely for any given situation. Plus, with the Skyhook and Vigors at our disposal, I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunities to experiment and approach combat scenarios differently. It sounds fine.

 

[CambriaRising]

I AM HERE TO CLEAR CONFUSION!

You can hold two weapons at a time, switching between them, and pick up different weapons to replace the weapons you're holding along the way. This is the same on console and PC.

For Vigors, on console, you can also hold any two for quick swapping, or load up the radial which will pause the game while you select your options. On PC, you can quickly select your other Vigors via 1, 2, 3, etc. keys, or you can use your mouse wheel. You can change the default keyboard controls also if you don't want 1, 2, 3, etc.

Thank you so much for posting.

IGN gunna IGN.

 

[Superimposer]

So the IGN reviewer just made up this menu bullshit if there are only 2 weapons at any time anyway?

 

[OneLetter]

I should mention that during my playthroughs, I haven't really had any issue with not having the right weapon on me. When you're in various battles, there will be some weapons around, or Elizabeth can open a tear containing a different weapon. Also, enemies you fight will drop weapons as well, so there's always options depending on what you're looking for in the heat of the moment.

 

[ironcreed]

I should mention that during my playthroughs, I haven't really had any issue with not having the right weapon on me. When you're in various battles, there will be some weapons around, or Elizabeth can open a tear containing a different weapon. Also, enemies you fight will drop weapons as well, so there's always options depending on what you're looking for in the heat of the moment.

I trust in the gaming gods at Irrational to factor in balance. No worries.

 

[ViewtifulJC]

As long as the weapons are actually effective and I don't spend most of the back-half of the game using the wrench like BS1...

 

[FartOfWar]

Shawn Elliott! OneLetter!

Please, tell us about this weapon selection situation!

Thanks!

Busy day, sorry. Two weapons at a time is same on consoles and PC. Upgrades persist on weapons once you equip the relevant gear. So by tossing aside your handcannon to use an MG cos you have ammo for it at the time, then grabbing another Handcannon later won't eliminate your upgrade.

 

[Raxus]

Any word on a NG+ option OneLetter?