LF: Laptop/Airline Friendly Game

[KC]

I'm looking for a laptop friendly game that can be played on long cross-country flights without risking the ire of fellow travelers who may be looking over my shoulder.  I have a trackpad and mouse nub on my laptop.

I generally like RPGs and strategy games.  I really wanted to play Fallout, but decided that it may be too violent for a crowded flight.  I also considered Civ4, but decided that the game takes too long to make much progress (did they ever make Civ Revolutions for the PC)?

Anyone have a suggestion?

[MaxSteele]

I'm looking for a laptop friendly game that can be played on long cross-country flights without risking the ire of fellow travelers who may be looking over my shoulder.  I have a trackpad and mouse nub on my laptop.

I generally like RPGs and strategy games.  I really wanted to play Fallout, but decided that it may be too violent for a crowded flight.  I also considered Civ4, but decided that the game takes too long to make much progress (did they ever make Civ Revolutions for the PC)?

Anyone have a suggestion?

If I understand correctly, you're asking what game you should get so people sitting next to you aren't offended when you're playing it?

Why do you care what other people think about the games you're playing on your laptop?

[Qantaga]

Why do you care what other people think about the games you're playing on your laptop?

 
I would most definitely care what other people think about the games I'm playing on my laptop, if I am sitting on a plane.
   
It is a community space and I have a responsibility not to take away from their airplane experience just because I feel like playing something that they may not wish to have cluttering up their field of vision. I would be careful to choose a game that I could enjoy, but that also wouldn't bother someone else.
 

[KC]

I'm looking for a laptop friendly game that can be played on long cross-country flights without risking the ire of fellow travelers who may be looking over my shoulder.  I have a trackpad and mouse nub on my laptop.

I generally like RPGs and strategy games.  I really wanted to play Fallout, but decided that it may be too violent for a crowded flight.  I also considered Civ4, but decided that the game takes too long to make much progress (did they ever make Civ Revolutions for the PC)?

Anyone have a suggestion?

If I understand correctly, you're asking what game you should get so people sitting next to you aren't offended when you're playing it?

Why do you care what other people think about the games you're playing on your laptop?

I'm just trying to be polite to my fellow passengers.  I was on a flight a few weeks ago and the person next to me was watching a movie on their Ipad that would definitely not be appropriate for the young or faint of heart.  I wasn't snooping, but it was hard not to notice.

[frost]

Why do you care what other people think about the games you're playing on your laptop?

 
I would most definitely care what other people think about the games I'm playing on my laptop, if I am sitting on a plane.
   
It is a community space and I have a responsibility not to take away from their airplane experience just because I feel like playing something that they may not wish to have cluttering up their field of vision. I would be careful to choose a game that I could enjoy, but that also wouldn't bother someone else.
 

+1

Courtesy is a wonderful thing.

[Destructor]

Minecraft! It's inoffensive (all about blocks) and so engrossing you'll completely forget you've been flying across the country.

[CeeKay]

Minecraft! It's inoffensive (all about blocks) and so engrossing you'll completely forget you've been flying across the country.

until a creeper sneaks up on him, goes boom and cause him to jump in his seat.

[Lee]

Minecraft! It's inoffensive (all about blocks) and so engrossing you'll completely forget you've been flying across the country.

While I would agree, that game requires more resources than it looks. It cripples my MacBook Pro. Probably because I only have 2 gigs memory though.

[Qantaga]

Civ 4 and Alpha Centauri/Alien Crossfire have always been my go-to games for long trips. (I don't think there ever was a Civ Rev for PCs).
 
Others I rely on are Out of the Park Baseball and Football Manager, if you like sports sims.
   
You may even want to consider oldies like Heroes of Might and Magic III, Titan Quest, Fallout 2, Icewind Dale 2 and the likes. They have combat, but are mostly inoffensive.

[wonderpug]

Age of Wonders II: Shadow Magic
Galactic Civilizations

[MaxSteele]

Why do you care what other people think about the games you're playing on your laptop?

 
I would most definitely care what other people think about the games I'm playing on my laptop, if I am sitting on a plane.
   
It is a community space and I have a responsibility not to take away from their airplane experience just because I feel like playing something that they may not wish to have cluttering up their field of vision. I would be careful to choose a game that I could enjoy, but that also wouldn't bother someone else.
 

+1

Courtesy is a wonderful thing.

It's one thing if you're playing a game on a plane and you don't have headphones, but 'cluttering up their field of vision'?  Huh?  This just doesn't make sense to me.

I say play Fallout 3 if that's what you want to play.  Enjoy the game you're playing on your own laptop and let people watch or not.

Or just fit a privacy screen over your laptop monitor and then you don't have to worry about what others see you playing.

[Caine]

Adjust civ iv to a faster speed on a smaller world and drop the other civs to match. It will be over much faster that way.

[Canuck]

Just don't play an "aircraft hijacking" simulator and I'm sure you'll be just fine.  Oh and don't watch porn.  Other than those two common courtesies I can't see anyone being upset about what kind of game you play.

[KC]

I'm thinking about one of the Worms games.  Can any of them be installed on the HD and played without the CD?

[jersoc]

buy a DS

[wonderpug]

buy a DS

Especially if JRPGs are included in his like for RPGs.

Lots of great options for his strategy itch on the DS, though. Various Advance Wars games have made airplane rides zip by, the aforementioned Civ Rev is there, there's that tank strategy game that was well liked but sold horribly, and more I'm sure I'm forgetting.

[heloder]

Give The Battle for Wesnoth a shot. It's a fantasy turn-based tactical strategy game. I haven't put much time into it yet, but I've been very impressed so far. And it's free!

He's also released a freeware platformer game called Frogatto & Friends as well. Looks fun.

[WarPig]

Any of the SimCity franchise would be inoffensive and engaging...as well as any of the Tycoon games; Railroad Tycoon, Roller Coaster Tycoon, etc.

[EddieA]

How about Puzzle Quest 1 or 2?  PQ2 is only available on Steam right now, so I'm not sure that would work.

[kronovan]

Actually if a JRPG would work for you and you don't have, or want to buy, a DS, try and track down a copy of Grandia II or get Septora Core from GOG.COM. Both of those will run on PC's with minimal specs and neither has very offensive content. I also remember Anachronox as being fairly JRPG like and not too mature.

Otherwise, I think many of the strategy/sim games suggested so far are good bets.