I have a new PC and never really gotten into computer gaming. I was wondering what some of you guys would recommend. I like most genres of games so I am open to anything. My system is not a huge gaming machine either though. Here is a basic rundown of the specs

Win 98
xp2400 cpu
40gb hd
256 ddr ram
radeon 9200 vid card

Start out with some basics:

First-person shooters:
Half-life
Quake 3
Deus Ex

Real-time strategy:
Starcraft
Age of Empires or Age of Mythology
Warcraft III

Role-playing:
Baldurs Gate I & II
Diablo II
Fallout

Strategy:
Civ III
Combat Mission

Most of these can be found for pretty cheap because they're older games, but they're still some of the best games made for a PC.

Adventure
the Longest Journey
Escape from Monkey Island

RPG
System Shock 2
Planescape Torment

Strategy
Any of the Sims games
Rollercoaster tycoon

FPS
Jedi Outcast
No one lives forever

Fallout 2, Thief II, Grim Fandango.

Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri/Alien Crossfire (it can be found in a $15 package called "The Laptop Collection" that comes with SimCity 3K Unlimited & C&C Red Alert 2)

Max Payne 1/2

Excellent suggestions, I have heard nothing but good things about most of those games.

The games I have been mostly interested in as of late are games like Metal Gear Solid, Splinter Cell, Max Payne, Mission Impossible, etc.

I'm playing through Max Payne now. I picked it up at Best Buy for $9.99. Absolutely great game and for that price, you can't go wrong.

Mafia is also just $9.99 at WalMart... most likely at other stores too. I second Max Payne also... you could pick up both for under $20!

The machine I currently own is almost exactly the same specs as yours... and I know both of these games run just fine on it!

Edited to add: I forgot you are running Windows 98! If possible, I'd upgrade to XP... just a thought

Mafia would be an excellent choice. I'm playing through that now.

If you don't know, it's like GTA3/VC, but it takes place in the 1930's, it has better graphics, it's more realistic, and it has a better storyline. It's fairly linear though if you are playing through the actual storyline mode, but that's not necissarily a bad thing... the story is very cinematic.

Brian

Chaser is a really cool FPS.
Mafia of course
Homeworld...
wait a minute - didn't this get asked a couple weeks ago? I feel like I type up the same list of pc games every other week.

You do. Set up a macro; it'll save you time...

that's a good idea

Hmm..I do not PC game much..but here is what I like and play once in a while

Sim City 3000 Unlimited [4 is out, so get that, although 3000 is very cheap and really fun]

Half Life [also very cheap, 2 is coming out and I am waiting for it, this is probably one of the only FPS I like]

Dues Ex [For $5 it is a nice FPS with an okay story]

Planescape Torment [one of the RPG's brought up when talking about CRPG's, I really like this game]

Princess Maker 2 [a life simulator, raise a little girl, really fun with tons of endings and endless gameplay, you can't buy it, download it online in English..just look around..produced by Gainax]

Serious Sam: this wasn't mentioned, REALLY fun arcade style FPS, fast and always keeps you on the trigger..I like it very much..

Sega Mega Pack: it's anywhere from $15 to $20 at Walmart and has the following games for PC: Sonic CD, Sonic R, Sonic and Knuckles [which includes Sonic 1-3 with Sonic and Knuckles], Crazy Taxi, Sega Bass Fishing, Virtua Fighter 2, and Sega Smash Pack 1 and 2 [14 Sega Genesis games, including Shining Force and Phantasy Star 2, the others ar egreat too]

All these run perfectly on my Athlon 1900, so your computer should work with them as well...best of all..it won't cost you more than $50 to buy all of the above

If you can still find the Heroes of Might & Magic Platinum Edition pick it up. Some of the best turn based strategy/rpg you'll ever play. With 3DO out of business it may be kinda hard...you can check ebay though.

McFrugals [Big Lots] and Ross has it for anywhere from $2.99 to $6.99

I bought it today for $3.99.

BATTLEFIELD 1942

then go ahead and download these mods for FREE:
Desert Combat
Eve Of Destruction (nam)
Forgotten Hope (historically accurate and realistic ww2)
Interstate 82
Wasteland 2040 (mad max type)
Galactic Conquest (star wars)
Silent Heroes
Finn Wars

and about 20 other mods coming soon.
Cant beat that with a bat

It is the NUMBER 1 ONLINE PC GAME ..PERIOD.

I'll second the Heroes of M&M package. 3DO has released a few different collections of HOMM over the years, but any of them are good, as long as they include Heroes II Gold, which IMO is the best of the series. It's insanely addictive, the graphics have a charming storybook feel to them, and the gameplay has a good balance of depth & accessibility. Heroes III was good too, but it just felt bloated and less fun than HoMM2 (the darker art style contributes to this).

Oh, also Freedom Force is excellent and fun, especially since it's super cheap nowadays.