Dear Future Gamer,

With many people new to PCs and online gaming, would a feature be amiss? I mean, while I enjoy my current game of Half-Life multiplayer, imagine the fun I would have if I could get accepted by a server without making 100 failed attempts!

Once I am connected my frame rate (?) is so low that the game is unplayable or it crashes and more often than not I have no sound. I read that you can make in-game adjustments and that certain ISPs are better than others - please expand.

Do graphic cards make a difference? (I think it's wise to wait for the TNT2 cards). What with Quake 3 - I think an idiot's guide to getting the best possible connection would be popular. The rare moments of quality multiplayer gaming (usually in the small hours of a weekend morning when I'm too drunk to care) make me forget about Zelda and my 4Mb RAM.

Anon

FG: We've got an excellent online gaming feature in the pipeline that should help everyone who wants to explore this exciting area of multiplayer gaming.