Bravely hurling myself into 2005
*warning, geek post*
Always living on the cutting edge of technology, I finally made the plunge and upgraded my main computer at home to a dual-core processor that was already considered an entry-level CPU back in 2005.
Granted, my main system was actually plugging along just fine even though it had a relatively meager Sempron processor in it. But with all the recent price cuts due to Intel putting the squeeze on AMD it was an ideal time to upgrade. So, as usual, I upgraded on the cheap and got a brand new processor, motherboard and 1 GB of RAM for $200. My processor is obviously on the extreme low end of dual cores, but it'll be more than enough for what I need for the foreseeable future. It's already more than doubled my previous system's power. Plus, I'll have the option of upgrading to a CPU nearly double this speed without changing motherboards if I want to (although by then quad-core or more will be standard.)
I wanted to beef that system up for a few reasons.
- Since we have two desktops and a couple laptops we regularly use, I'm trying to consolidate all our photos, docs, music, videos, etc. on one central computer (not just an NAS unit with less capabilities for remote access, syncing, etc.)
- We're streaming a lot more video now from my main system to my HTPC. I'd like for the main system to have the horsepower to handle streaming and running its own apps flawlessly.
- Perhaps most importantly, Half-Life 2 Episode 2 is coming this fall. :) And that game will include the update to a game I've been waiting for going on seven years now - Team Fortress 2. I LOVED the original's light-hearted nature and the fact that each character class offered an entirely unique playing experience due to the over-the-top characteristics. I was relieved to see the sequel is going to hold true to that form rather than try to be yet another "realistic" game. And while my old system actually played Half-life 2 fairly well, this new version will be one of the first games able to take advantage of dual-core processors. So I'm now cocked, locked and ready to rock. Bring on the engineers and pyros.
Awww. The memories of me playing with a clan of engineers. All of us hustling and bustling about building our sentrys and ammo dumps. The constant clanking of wrenchs on metal. Cause thats how automated sentry guns are built, by beating raw metal with a wrench.
Yeah, good times.
That was one of my favorite things about the game (besides it's unabashedly goofy nature.) It actually encouraged teamwork, at least on defense. Even a team full of total strangers would work amazingly well together hustling to build up the sentries and defenses. On most other games, you usually only see that kind of teamwork on private/clan servers with public servers being a chaotic mess of every man for himself.
I'm also glad the Pyro is apparently getting beefed up a little. He was pretty much worthless in the first game as far as actual potency goes so nobody ever used him. But he was GREAT for irritating people. And since my futile attempts at attacking were little more than an irritant anyway he was an ideal match for me.
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