Question What is the first thing you do when starting a brand new game?

[neogunhero]

I was thinking back to a time where my friend and I were in my bedroom starting up a brand new game together. I instinctively went straight to the Options menu, and he says something like “I’ve never seen anyone go straight to Options when starting a game”. I do it with every game! I need to make sure my resolution is set correctly, usually turn down music a little to 75%, tinker some graphics settings like Motion Blur to off, and just get an overall view of the graphics settings so I know where I’m starting and where I need to adjust in case of bad frame rates, all before ever starting the actual game.

What about you guys, what is the first thing you do when starting a brand new game?

 

[Kaamos_Llama]

Same, always graphical options first. If there's a canned benchmark I might play around with it and the settings for a bit. If not I just set everything to max, motion blur off and AA to something on the low end, see how it goes.

Most other stuff depends on the game, if it doesnt run fast enough with the basic set up then I'll look for some settings guides online to see which I can lower for most gain/least loss of fidelity.

 

[Colif]

Start playing?

Sorry, seemed obvious answer.

I rarely look in options... maybe recently I have a good gpu, just to see what its chosen... diablo 4 chose max everything. I left it alone.
Only other times I would look there is for key bindings if I didn't feel like finding instructions.

maybe if you been playing games since the time a computer (not a pc, it didn't exist at this time) could only just draw a triangle on screen to now, you don't really need amazing graphics to impress you. Its still way better than what an N64 looked like and I still enjoyed the games. I don't need them to look amazing, just be fun. (Now get off my grass )

 

[D10S]

1. crank up the settings and rip the knob off
2. set up a custom clock/voltage profile for the card in afterburner voltage curve editor (trial and error, the longer you know your card, the faster it is). anywhere from 750mv/1600mhz for less demanding games, to 1900mhz/850-875mv for more demanding ones
3. cap it in rtss to whatever feels smooth to me

If the game has dlss, importing 2.5.1 dll is step one.

I don't like heat and noise, I always uv and cap my 3080 (not the 6800 tho)

 

[Brian Boru]

I assume by 'brand new' you mean first-time launch of a game, rather than one released today.

♣ First, check I have all the mods I want in place and ready to go.
♦ Launch, check mods have loaded properly.
♥ Options, scan general gameplay and video settings.
♠ Options, close look at and change key bindings.
♣ Check out 'Create Game' choices, select 'first toe dip' preferences.
♦ Launch game.
♥ Go do other stuff—eg coffee, bathroom, dinner—depending on how long unskippable intro is.
♠ Alt-Tab to confirm I can switch out as needed.

Above is for a fairly large game, which would have the choices and content listed. If it's just a little time-filler, I'll usually launch and play directly.

 

[ZedClampet]

Depends on the game. If it's a AAA game, sometimes I will go to the options and check the graphics settings where I'll crank almost everything to max and then turn the rest off.

If it's a survival game, I go look at the game options and turn down things like thirst and hunger. Otherwise, on non-AAA games, I just launch into the game and only go back to the options if I have some sort of problem. For a lot of small developer's games, the key bindings are all the help you are going to get on how to play the game.

 

[Slasken]

Options menu. Turn off ray tracing.

 

[Pifanjr]

I go to the options menu to check if subtitles are turned on. While there, I check out the other gameplay options as well. If it's a game I play with mouse and keyboard I typically check the keybinds before playing too, in case I want to move something to my extra mouse buttons. Quite often there are keys that aren't mentioned in the tutorial as well that add a little quality of life.

 

[Zloth]

Yep, Options first. Turn off motion blur, maybe turn down the FoV a little, turn off depth of field, look over the game options so I know what I can change after the game starts. Oh, and look at the achievements to see if I get one for playing the game on Hard. If so, I'll probably try it on Hard at first.

No modding until I run the game at least once to establish that it does actually work. Then I can start fiddling with it.

P.S. If there are a ton of game options, I won't be able to remember most of them when playing and won't know to change them!

 

[ZedClampet]

I go to the options menu to check if subtitles are turned on. While there, I check out the other gameplay options as well. If it's a game I play with mouse and keyboard I typically check the keybinds before playing too, in case I want to move something to my extra mouse buttons. Quite often there are keys that aren't mentioned in the tutorial as well that add a little quality of life.

I usually play a little before I start changing the keys and moving things to my mouse because I like to see what is going to work best with my playstyle, and even then I can end up changing it. In V Rising, I initially had my ultimate bound to a mouse button, but when I played more, I realized that the cooldown was so long that it would be better to put something I would get more use out of on my mouse.

 

[ZedClampet]

Yep, Options first. Turn off motion blur, maybe turn down the FoV a little, turn off depth of field, look over the game options so I know what I can change after the game starts. Oh, and look at the achievements to see if I get one for playing the game on Hard. If so, I'll probably try it on Hard at first.

No modding until I run the game at least once to establish that it does actually work. Then I can start fiddling with it.

P.S. If there are a ton of game options, I won't be able to remember most of them when playing and won't know to change them!

I usually don't mod on a first playthrough unless I reach a point where I'm just not enjoying vanilla

Oh, and turning down FoV is wrong. Stop it.

 

[Pifanjr]

P.S. If there are a ton of game options, I won't be able to remember most of them when playing and won't know to change them!

It's often a good idea to go through the options again when you've put a couple of hours into a game. I often forget to do it myself, but if a game has a lot of options there's a good chance there's some QoL options in there that can (vastly) improve the game, which you wouldn't recognise before playing.

I usually play a little before I start changing the keys and moving things to my mouse because I like to see what is going to work best with my playstyle, and even then I can end up changing it. In V Rising, I initially had my ultimate bound to a mouse button, but when I played more, I realized that the cooldown was so long that it would be better to put something I would get more use out of on my mouse.

I'm right more often than I'm wrong about what I want to rebind, so I prefer doing it beforehand so I don't get used to the wrong buttons and have to unlearn those.

 

[ZedClampet]

I prefer doing it beforehand so I don't get used to the wrong buttons and have to unlearn those.

That's exactly why I wait. If I decide to move things around after having already moved them around once before, it gets confusing.

 

[Brian Boru]

If there are a ton of game options, I won't be able to remember most of them when playing and won't know to change them!

Well that's why you have OneNote or similar open on your second monitor, with the Options screenshots you took! Works for in-game attributes too—good luck playing Civ6 without tables telling you what the various city state suzerain bonuses are, or what buffs the natural wonders offer.

it gets confusing

I only change a set bunch of main key bindings to my default keys—eg sprint, crouch, use, grenade, heal, jump, map. Also the number keys for ordinance, sometimes the F keys. Unless there's some big problem, I prefer not to mess with muscle memory.

 

[Colif]

Options menu. Turn off ray tracing.

still yet to play a game that has it.

I tend to just use keybinds as they are.
Diablo 4 lets you move the attack order of skills around in game (don't need to go into options), that is the same as changing keybinds as your brain gets used to keys being a certain thing. respeccing makes it worse. I accidentally swapped wrong move in once and had to survive combat without my main attack... i swapped a spammable attack for one that had a 30 second cooldown. That wasn't funny.

 

[Frindis]

Motion Blur to off, FOV up if the game is suitable for it, depth of field off if needed, subtitles on, ultra on all if it is not a poorly optimized game, sprint to CTRL instead of SHIFT (hate that key for sprint) and switching from left click to right click mouse button for shooting so I can use my index finger for fast clicking.

 

[Johnway]

The first thing i usually do is hit up the options. Sometimes theres a benchmark to run so i hit that first and if i'm satisfied, i go into Graphics to turn off/on settings vsync/blur are turned off, subtitles on. followed by sound settings before moving to controls.

Whilst i'm an old hand in games, i do ease myself into any new game with tutorials just in case there are any curve balls in game ideas or familiarizing myself with a few items to look out for. Mostly boring, but np.

 

[DXCHASE]

The very first thing i do, usually, is make a loud sigh sound at having to sit there and see the 100 screens before the menu.

 

[Colif]

Whilst i'm an old hand in games, i do ease myself into any new game with tutorials just in case there are any curve balls in game ideas or familiarizing myself with a few items to look out for. Mostly boring, but np.

oh I do that before even starting game. It depends on type of game, arpg I need to look at builds to avoid wasting time... all games I watch videos on them to see if I actually want to play.

you all making me wonder if I should look in options more

 

[neogunhero]

Oh, and turning down FoV is wrong. Stop it.

If a first person perspective game doesn’t let me turn the FOV to at least 100, I don’t want to play it. *stares at Starfield*

 

[Solareus]

Try ray-tracing and then scream "WHY AMD !"
For me , key binds are probably the most important. Do I use regular keys are can I use G-keys.
If I get to make a character, spend at a minium of 3 days making my perfect adventurer.

 

[Johnway]

oh I do that before even starting game. It depends on type of game, arpg I need to look at builds to avoid wasting time... all games I watch videos on them to see if I actually want to play.

you all making me wonder if I should look in options more

i recommend watching a bit of twitch footage from some random person to see what it looks and feels. Youtube reviewers does help but is it representative of how the game plays? not sure...

there are some games i sort of study or read up on before i play. path of exile initially i played it and did my own thing and hit a brick wall in progress. These days before a league starts, i just look for builds and pick one. hell, my boneshatter build i've got a notepad with 2 or 3 pages of notes and checklists as to what I'm looking out for.

The other game i'm considering to look up is darkest dungeon. i mean i'm tempted to figure out which of the mod classes are worth downloading and whether i need them to beat the game. Probably not, considering how brutal it can be, i might have to.

 

[mjs warlord]

1. look at what the game graphics are set to , put them on highest everything and monitor task manager.
2. customise key bindings.
3. play around with the game for a while until i get a feel for how it works.
4. start the game proper

 

[WilhelmScream]

Explore and customize the settings and UI.

 

[Zloth]

Oh, and turning down FoV is wrong. Stop it.

60-65 is good. 70-75 is survivable. Beyond that and I start getting mad at all the distortion going on in the corners. THE MOON DOES NOT LOOK LIKE AN EGG!! Also, things on the sides of the screen are much further than they appear.

It's often a good idea to go through the options again when you've put a couple of hours into a game. I often forget to do it myself, but if a game has a lot of options there's a good chance there's some QoL options in there that can (vastly) improve the game, which you wouldn't recognise before playing.

Yeah, I sometimes do that, when I remember to go look. Gameplay options make far more sense 20 hours into the game.

Well that's why you have OneNote or similar open on your second monitor, with the Options screenshots you took! Works for in-game attributes too—good luck playing Civ6 without tables telling you what the various city state suzerain bonuses are, or what buffs the natural wonders offer.

In a Civ game!? Wow! They've always been great with putting the information you need in tooltips so you wouldn't have to resort to things like that.

But... you don't want to validate my pain about how having tooooo many options is BAD??