Newb with a couple questions

I haven't played games in a while, just been busy with school and work. I have very little time, and as much as I would like to understand computers and electronics, it just isn't something that comes easy to me. My friend on the other hand understands computers well but we haven't hung out in quite some time, save for yesterday and it was only a quick meeting due to us being so busy. I would like to by another computer for gaming he said that I should come here and ask questions. He says the people on here and knowledgeable and all for telling the truth and if they say "Hot deal," "great buy." I should trust that, because I was here sometime back but would get confused and want to know why something was a "Hot deal." So I am just going to lay out my question and hopefully one of your computer gurus can point me to a laptop that I can use for my purposes.

I want to play computer games again, such as Diablo 3 and FFXIV. I would like to find a laptop that is inexpensive, I would say $1000-$1500, less would be better if it can play those games on medium-high settings. I would like something that can basically handle those two games and handle them well.

OK my gaming future is in your hands help me and explain why certain ones would be better so I can start a learning process.

Tang