So while I'm working on a couple of videos...
I haven't updated on Pokemon X in some time. I actually hadn't played in a while, but due to some sleeplessness last week I made some progress. I am now up to 6 badges, and finally, all those Pokemon (including my favorite, Blastoise!) will now behave for me (the badges cover me for Pokemon up to level 80). I can also Mega Evolve my Pokemon, which came after the 3rd or 4th badge. The gym leader has the item needed to accomplish this (it combines with a Pokemon held item, such as Blastoisinite) and even gives you a Lucario. Well, technically the Lucario decides to travel with you and she agrees, but whatever. I can Mega Evolve 4 Pokemon: Lucario, Blastoise, Charizard (to Mega Charizard X) and Gengar (the other Pokemon came with their element but I came across a Gengarite later). My team currently consists of Golett (Ghost/Ground), Charizard (Fire/Flying, or Fire/Dragon when Mega Evolved), Lapras (Water/Ice), Lucario (Fighting/Steel), Delphox (Fire/Psychic) and Tyrantrum (Rock/Dragon). I will probably shift things around; now that Charizard can Mega Evolve into a Dragon type I don't really need Tyrantrum. Also it's redundant to have 2 Fire types so I will likely drop Delphox at some point, as well as Lapras (I need to fit Blastoise somehow!). I will probably add Amaura to the team (replacing the loss of Lapras' Ice type and Tyrantrum's Rock type; will need to level up to evolve to Auroros though). I don't currently have a replacement Psychic type but if I can fit on a Dark type that might be OK too.
World Of Warcraft: Warlords Of Draenor dropped last week. I haven't played a significant amount, but my wife and I have played through the intro and have started our garrisons. That seems like a cool feature; you seem to finally be getting some acknowledgement for everything you've done in service to the Horde or Alliance and you are getting your own base of operations. We'll see how far along I get with it.
I don't remember if I mentioned it before, but I have a problem: I want to get GTA V for PC, which doesn't release until January. Fine. Here's the issue: The money that has been allocated might be staring down a Steam Holiday Sale before the pre-order becomes available. Which would really mess up my plans. See, there's a few games I've been pining for recently as well, most notably Chronicles Of Mystara (the old Dungeons & Dragons arcade beat 'em up) and Scribblenauts Unlimited. There's also Shovel Knight, The Stanley Parable, Democracy 3, DuckTales Remastered (the remake of the old NES game), Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon (an homage to '80s action films and Saturday morning cartoons) so, yeah. A Steam sale would probably drain my funds. We'll see how it goes.
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Saturday, November 15, 2014
My PC's: A history of Dakka's time playing PC games
I guess you could call it that. Here's all the PC's I've had over the years (including family PC's that weren't technically mine). I'll try to recall the details as best I can. Also something of an age test, proof that I am over 30 years of age :)
IBM Intel 286-pased PC (x2)
These were the first sort-of family computers we had (I supposed technically it was the TI-99/4A but that was more of a game console). They were actually issued by my dad's employer and he used them for work, but he had a few games on them. Initially Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune and Family Feud (and Leisure Suit Larry, but I wasn't allowed to play for reasons you can probably figure out) which I was terrible at. The first one had an amber screen monitor with a (built into the monitor!) 5.25" floppy drive (remember floppy disks? Hell, remember 5.25" floppies?) while the second one had a 3.5" floppy drive and color monitor. They didn't even run Windows. They ran MS-DOS (Remember DOS? The last remnants of DOS can be found in modern Windows as the Command Prompt), and an early one at that (no later than v3.3). The second one got a couple more games added to it. There was a Space Invaders-esque shooter called Galactix, which basically had to be reinstalled every time I ran it, and Eye Of The Beholder 2: The Legend Of Darkmoon (based on Dungeons & Dragons), which after a time just quit. So not a great gaming experience, but you have to start somewhere. I'm not sure what happened to the first one, but my dad gave the second one to someone else in the family who upgraded it to DOS 6.22 and even installed Windows 3.1 (which ran very poorly).
Packard Bell Intel 486-based PC
This was the first family computer (in the days before everyone got their own) my mother bought after my parents divorced. I believe it was my freshman year of high school (so 1994) and that was part of the reason she got it, that it would be a helpful tool for school. This was the family computer through my high school years.It ran an Intel 486 DX2 running at 66 MHz (Yes, MHz, there was a time before GHz speed multi-core processors) with 4 MB of RAM (yep, we didn't have GB of RAM at the time), later upgraded to 8 MB, a 420 MB hard drive (no GB hard drives either? Damn! Wait, those are in TB now...), a 2x CD-ROM drive, and a 14.4 kbps modem (You see, kids, back before broadband internets, we had to use a device called a modem, which dialed a phone number through your land line to the service provider... wait, you don't know what a land line is either? Ah, forget it...). This was still before discrete GPU's were a thing. I think it had a Cirrus Logic video chip. It ran MS-DOS 6.20 and Windows For Workgroups 3.11. While it came with a few games, the most notable of which was one called Mega Race, this is the system where I got started PC gaming and began to morph into the computer geekstanding before you typing this blog today. The first PC games I ever purchased were Falcon 3.0 (which led to getting the full Falcon Gold package that Christmas) and the shareware for a little game you might have heard of called DOOM (remember shareware? OK, kids, back then we didn't really have Internet and free downloadable demos and such. Shareware was basically getting a demo for a small fee. DOOM shareware, which contained the first of 3 4 episodes, cost $5). I added more games down the line, to my mother's dismay. Warcraft II, TIE Fighter, and Mechwarrior 2: Mercenaries, plus the demo of Duke Nukem 3D (included on the disc with the very first issue of boot magazine, the precursor to the excellent MaximumPC). Unfortunately it was tough getting to play on a computer that had to be shared with everyone else, plus it aged pretty quickly. I had a few games that I bought that I pretty much never played due to aging hardware (Betrayal In Antara and Blood come to mind. I think I left those with a friend).
Side note: I remember spending around $70 on a shiny new 33.6 kbps modem towards the end of this computer's usefulness. We were using AOL and I figured this would help out, you know, faster speeds and all. First, Packard Bell apparently used motherboards with insanely tight expansion slots (this was the old ISA architecture, for the record). Even tapping it with a hammer didn't help. Second, once we finally got the damn thing in, I was never able to get it to work. These were the days before Plug and Play (well, technically Plug and Play existed, but it was in its infancy so it wasn't too reliable), so you often had to manually deal with I/O conflicts. It had a conflict with the old modem, unsurprisingly, but I couldn't just go and rip it out as it was also the sound card. So money wasted. thanks, Packard Bell.
Gateway Intel Pentium-based PC
My dad got this in 1996. It ran a Pentium processor clocking in at 166 MHz (insanely fast at the time), with 16 MB of EDO RAM, a 2 GB hard drive (if memory serves anyway), a 4 MB Matrox Millenium GPU (THIS IS A THING NOW!), a 28.8 kbps modem, and either a 4x or 8x CD-ROM drive. It ran Windows 95, the last Windows OS where DOS mattered (it was still hanging around in Windows 98 but it was barely relevant).
My time on this computer was limited. While an intelligent person, my work ethic in school, well, sucked. So I was often heavily restricted on video game time outside of summer. Still, I managed to get some games on there. Mechwarrior 2 (with the Ghost Bear's Legacy expansion), Quake, and Police Quest 4 come to mind. My dad had Fury3, Eurofighter 2000 and Myst (I hate Myst). I think I had worked my way up to Star Colonel in MW2 (yes, that stood for Mechwarrior 2 years before Modern Warfare 2 came out. Deal with it). Anyway, my first online gaming experience came on this PC, in the form of Multiplayer BattleTech:Solaris.
eMachines AMD Athlon-based PC
My mom got this after I graduated high school. It rocked an AMD K6-2 at 300 MHz (later upgraded to the 350 MHz version), 32 MB of SDRAM (later upgraded to 96 MB and then 128 MB), a 2 MB ATi 3D Rage GPU (later upgraded to a 16 MB 3dfx Voodoo 3), a 2 GB hard drive (later had a 20 GB drive added in), a 24X CD-ROM drive, and a 56k modem. It ran Windows 98. I don't think I had too many games on here, mainly Baldur's Gate, but after my brother got it he used it as a gaming system. Quake II and Quake III were featured. I believe he had the original Thief as well.
Compaq Pentium-based Laptop PC
Bought this cheap off ebay. Pentium 133 MHz, 16 MB RAM, 1 GB hard drive. Swappable floppy drive and 4x CD-ROM. Mostly played old DOS games on it. Sound didn't always work.
Compaq Intel Pentium II-based Laptop PC
My mother bought this sometime after the emachines. I'm having a hard time remembering the specs, which is sad since I used to have it, but I think it was a Pentium II at 333 MHz, 156 MB of SDRAM (which is a weird number, I know, but for some reason that's what happened), a 10 or 20 GB hard drive, CD-ROM, and a 56k modem. I messed around with it a bit but mostly stayed away from gaming. Probably explains why I can't remember the specs/
IBM Pentium II-based PC
My then-girlfriend's father had this while we were living with him. Pentium II 400 MHz (I think), 64 MB of SDRAM, 2 MB ATi 3D Rage II (later added in a 4 MB 3dfx Voodoo as a strict 3D card. Yes, that's how it was done then). I forget how big the hard drive was, and how fast the CD-ROM drive was, plus a 56k modem. I added an external CD burner as well. It ran Windows 98.
Starcraft, X-Wing, TIE Fighter, and X-Wing Alliance, especially notable as this is when I began online multiplayer for real (joining The Rebel Alliance, originally as DashRendar01, then changing my name to Solid_Snake). I also had MechCommander, Diablo and a few other games.
HP Pavilion Intel Pentium 4-based PC
Aha! Now I remember the model! This was truly my first computer, as I bought it myself. I even remember the date: September 11, 2001. I think the towers had just fallen. Anyway, this was something of a mistake, as, possibly being distracted by the days events, I walked into CompUSA and bought more or less the first package we came across. It had a Pentium 4 running 1.3 GHz, 128 MB of PC600 RDRAM (Remember RDRAM?), later upgraded to 256 MB, a 32 MB nVidia TNT2 (later upgraded to a 32 MB GeForce 2 MX400, then a 64 MB GeForce 2 MX400. I'll explain in a bit), a 40 GB hard drive, a 48x CD burner and 16x DVD-ROM (remember when mulitple optical drives were a thing? Hell, they aren't necessarily even standard anymore), and a 56k modem. It ran Windows Millenium, later upgraded to Windows XP. It also included a 17" monitor, printer, keyboard (which I actually still have) and mouse.
This computer did give me some problems. The original had a sticky power button, and one day it stuck completely. I had just upgraded to 256 MB of RAM and to the 32 MB GeForce 2. My girlfriend asked why I replaced a 32 MB graphics card with a 32 MB graphics card and had to explain that not all GPU's are created equal. Anyway, so I had a replacement plan with CompUSA. I brought it in and had a replacement within a week. Unfortunately, it was back to stock. So I trudged on with the replacement as-is until the hard drive failed. The next replacement got the upgrades, albeit with a 64 MB GeForce 2.
It was also briefly used as a Freelancer server.
Dell Dimension 4600 Pentium 4-based PC
Not only the model, but the number too! My soon-to-be-wife helped me get this shortly before our first anniversary. Pentium 4 3.0 GHz with Hyper-Threading, 1 GB of PC2700 SDRAM (later upgraded to 2 GB), 80 GB hard drive (later adding a 40 GB hard drive as well), 128 MB nVidia GeForce FX 5200 (later upgraded to a 256 MB GeForce 6600), a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS sound card, 19" CRT monitor (it was 19" CRT, 17" CRT or 15" LCD. Which would you have chosen?), keyboard (which I still have) and mouse (I do tend to go through mice). Also a 48x CD burner and 16x DVD-ROM. Ran Windows XP. Notable as the last computer I purchased with a floppy drive and modem. At the time I couldn't quite bring myself to give them up, and they were cheap options. Of course, I ended up never using them. The floppy drive was eventually removed as I needed its power adapter for the second hard drive. I eventually bought a 1 TB external hard drive as well.
HP Pavilion Pentium 3-based PC
Got this when my mom no longer needed it. Pretty much the same as my other HP, but with a 933 MHz Pentium 3 and PC100 SDRAM. I added in a GeForce MX-4000 card as well. Ran Windows Millenium but upgraded to Windows XP.The only PC I've killed in a fit of rage (it was pissing me off and I slammed my fist onto it. Did you know hard drives are sensitive to shock? I do).
Dell XPS M170 Pentium-M based Laptop PC
I helped a friend of mine purchase this as his first new computer in several years. It has a Pentium-M 2.2 GHz processor, 2 GB of SDRAM, a 256 MB nVidia GeForce GTX 7800M GPU, a 120 GB 7200 RPM hard drive, 16x DVD burner, and a 17" 1920x1200 screen. Runs Windows XP Professional. This computer eventually became my wife's when my friend opted to buy an Alienware laptop several months later (never got my hands on that one though). It was pretty solid for a while, though one of the weakness of laptops (limited ability to upgrade) eventually caught up to it. Had a couple of issues that Dell covered under warranty (not impressed with their customer service btw) when first, one of the fans went out and it would overheat (took 2 weeks of telling this to Dell before they finally said the fan and heatsink needed to be replaced. Duh.) and after that the GPU failed (Dell was much more agreeable this time). We still have it although it doesn't see much use anymore (I may start using it here and there as it's the only Windows XP system we have now).
Gateway DX4300 AMD Phenom II-based PC
This is a computer my friend got as a backup when his other computer was down for repairs. He gave it to me when I built him a new system. It has an AMD Phenom II x4 running at 2.66 GHz (it's a quad core, my first multicore system) with 8 GB DDR2 SDRAM, a 1 TB 5400 rpm hard drive, an ATi Radeon HD 3200 (upgraded to an 896 MB nVidia GeForce GTX 260) and a 16x DVD burner. It runs Windows 7. This eventually became my oldest son's computer while he was living with us and is now sort of my youngest so's computer (he uses it to watch WALL-E every night) and is the guest gaming computer.
Gateway LX Series Intel Core 2 Quad-based PC
This was my friend's computer after he got rid of his Alienware. It briefly became my wife's computer to replace the aging laptop. It has a Core 2 Quad 2.66 GHz, 8 GB DDR2 SDRAM, a 650 GB hard drive and a nVidia GeForce GT 120. It ran Windows Vista. It started having an issue with randomly rebooting so it's been cannibalized.
Omega Game Tech Ed Mk.I Intel Core i5-based PC
First system I ever built. My friend decided he was all set with off-the-shelf desktops and wanted a custom built system. So we took to Newegg. It has an Intel Core i5-750 2.66 GHz with 8 GB DDR3 1600 SDRAM, 1.5 TB Western Digital Caviar Black 7200 RPM hard drive, 1280 MB GeForce GTX 470 graphics card, all on top of a Biostar motherboard, powered by a Cooler Master 600W power supply, with a DVD burner, all wrapped up in a Lian Li aluminum mid-tower case (with side window and blue LED front fan). Runs Windows 7 Home Premium. I eventually added in a Cooler Master Hyper 212+ CPU cooler with 2 fans and overclocked the CPU to 3.3 GHz, although it apparently didn't stick (I blame the crummy motherboard. Lesson learned). This was my PC for a time when my friend decided he wanted a laptop as his backup computer, and is my wife's current system.
Omega Game Tech Ed Mk.II Intel Core i7-based PC
Second system I ever built; based on a Maximum PC design. My friend wanted an upgrade, so to Newegg we went. Ordered an Intel Core i7-2600 (sadly not the 2600K which allows overclocking) with 8 GB of DDR3 1600 SDRAM, a 2 TB Western Digital Caviar Black hard drive, a 120 GB OCZ Vertex 2 SSD, a 1280 MB nVidia GeForce GTX 570, all on top of an Asus motherboard, powered by a Corsair 750W 80-plus Gold certified power supply, all wrapped up in a Cooler Master HAF 922 mid-tower case with a Blu-Ray/DVD burner combo drive. Ran Windows 7 Professional. Eventually became my PC (which I am still using) when my friend decided he wanted another laptop instead. Not the same computer when it started; the stock CPU cooler crapped out and was replaced by a Rocketfish cooler (best I could do on short notice), the SSD died within a few months (never replaced, since it was a nice performance boost but was not mission critical), the hard disk failed (replaced by a 1 TB Seagate Barracuda 7200 RPM hard drive; not a big deal since I still have the external drive), and it runs Windows 7 Ultimate (which I had purchased for a PC that was ultimately never built).
IBM Intel 286-pased PC (x2)
These were the first sort-of family computers we had (I supposed technically it was the TI-99/4A but that was more of a game console). They were actually issued by my dad's employer and he used them for work, but he had a few games on them. Initially Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune and Family Feud (and Leisure Suit Larry, but I wasn't allowed to play for reasons you can probably figure out) which I was terrible at. The first one had an amber screen monitor with a (built into the monitor!) 5.25" floppy drive (remember floppy disks? Hell, remember 5.25" floppies?) while the second one had a 3.5" floppy drive and color monitor. They didn't even run Windows. They ran MS-DOS (Remember DOS? The last remnants of DOS can be found in modern Windows as the Command Prompt), and an early one at that (no later than v3.3). The second one got a couple more games added to it. There was a Space Invaders-esque shooter called Galactix, which basically had to be reinstalled every time I ran it, and Eye Of The Beholder 2: The Legend Of Darkmoon (based on Dungeons & Dragons), which after a time just quit. So not a great gaming experience, but you have to start somewhere. I'm not sure what happened to the first one, but my dad gave the second one to someone else in the family who upgraded it to DOS 6.22 and even installed Windows 3.1 (which ran very poorly).
Packard Bell Intel 486-based PC
This was the first family computer (in the days before everyone got their own) my mother bought after my parents divorced. I believe it was my freshman year of high school (so 1994) and that was part of the reason she got it, that it would be a helpful tool for school. This was the family computer through my high school years.It ran an Intel 486 DX2 running at 66 MHz (Yes, MHz, there was a time before GHz speed multi-core processors) with 4 MB of RAM (yep, we didn't have GB of RAM at the time), later upgraded to 8 MB, a 420 MB hard drive (no GB hard drives either? Damn! Wait, those are in TB now...), a 2x CD-ROM drive, and a 14.4 kbps modem (You see, kids, back before broadband internets, we had to use a device called a modem, which dialed a phone number through your land line to the service provider... wait, you don't know what a land line is either? Ah, forget it...). This was still before discrete GPU's were a thing. I think it had a Cirrus Logic video chip. It ran MS-DOS 6.20 and Windows For Workgroups 3.11. While it came with a few games, the most notable of which was one called Mega Race, this is the system where I got started PC gaming and began to morph into the computer geek
Side note: I remember spending around $70 on a shiny new 33.6 kbps modem towards the end of this computer's usefulness. We were using AOL and I figured this would help out, you know, faster speeds and all. First, Packard Bell apparently used motherboards with insanely tight expansion slots (this was the old ISA architecture, for the record). Even tapping it with a hammer didn't help. Second, once we finally got the damn thing in, I was never able to get it to work. These were the days before Plug and Play (well, technically Plug and Play existed, but it was in its infancy so it wasn't too reliable), so you often had to manually deal with I/O conflicts. It had a conflict with the old modem, unsurprisingly, but I couldn't just go and rip it out as it was also the sound card. So money wasted. thanks, Packard Bell.
Gateway Intel Pentium-based PC
My dad got this in 1996. It ran a Pentium processor clocking in at 166 MHz (insanely fast at the time), with 16 MB of EDO RAM, a 2 GB hard drive (if memory serves anyway), a 4 MB Matrox Millenium GPU (THIS IS A THING NOW!), a 28.8 kbps modem, and either a 4x or 8x CD-ROM drive. It ran Windows 95, the last Windows OS where DOS mattered (it was still hanging around in Windows 98 but it was barely relevant).
My time on this computer was limited. While an intelligent person, my work ethic in school, well, sucked. So I was often heavily restricted on video game time outside of summer. Still, I managed to get some games on there. Mechwarrior 2 (with the Ghost Bear's Legacy expansion), Quake, and Police Quest 4 come to mind. My dad had Fury3, Eurofighter 2000 and Myst (I hate Myst). I think I had worked my way up to Star Colonel in MW2 (yes, that stood for Mechwarrior 2 years before Modern Warfare 2 came out. Deal with it). Anyway, my first online gaming experience came on this PC, in the form of Multiplayer BattleTech:Solaris.
eMachines AMD Athlon-based PC
My mom got this after I graduated high school. It rocked an AMD K6-2 at 300 MHz (later upgraded to the 350 MHz version), 32 MB of SDRAM (later upgraded to 96 MB and then 128 MB), a 2 MB ATi 3D Rage GPU (later upgraded to a 16 MB 3dfx Voodoo 3), a 2 GB hard drive (later had a 20 GB drive added in), a 24X CD-ROM drive, and a 56k modem. It ran Windows 98. I don't think I had too many games on here, mainly Baldur's Gate, but after my brother got it he used it as a gaming system. Quake II and Quake III were featured. I believe he had the original Thief as well.
Compaq Pentium-based Laptop PC
Bought this cheap off ebay. Pentium 133 MHz, 16 MB RAM, 1 GB hard drive. Swappable floppy drive and 4x CD-ROM. Mostly played old DOS games on it. Sound didn't always work.
Compaq Intel Pentium II-based Laptop PC
My mother bought this sometime after the emachines. I'm having a hard time remembering the specs, which is sad since I used to have it, but I think it was a Pentium II at 333 MHz, 156 MB of SDRAM (which is a weird number, I know, but for some reason that's what happened), a 10 or 20 GB hard drive, CD-ROM, and a 56k modem. I messed around with it a bit but mostly stayed away from gaming. Probably explains why I can't remember the specs/
IBM Pentium II-based PC
My then-girlfriend's father had this while we were living with him. Pentium II 400 MHz (I think), 64 MB of SDRAM, 2 MB ATi 3D Rage II (later added in a 4 MB 3dfx Voodoo as a strict 3D card. Yes, that's how it was done then). I forget how big the hard drive was, and how fast the CD-ROM drive was, plus a 56k modem. I added an external CD burner as well. It ran Windows 98.
Starcraft, X-Wing, TIE Fighter, and X-Wing Alliance, especially notable as this is when I began online multiplayer for real (joining The Rebel Alliance, originally as DashRendar01, then changing my name to Solid_Snake). I also had MechCommander, Diablo and a few other games.
HP Pavilion Intel Pentium 4-based PC
Aha! Now I remember the model! This was truly my first computer, as I bought it myself. I even remember the date: September 11, 2001. I think the towers had just fallen. Anyway, this was something of a mistake, as, possibly being distracted by the days events, I walked into CompUSA and bought more or less the first package we came across. It had a Pentium 4 running 1.3 GHz, 128 MB of PC600 RDRAM (Remember RDRAM?), later upgraded to 256 MB, a 32 MB nVidia TNT2 (later upgraded to a 32 MB GeForce 2 MX400, then a 64 MB GeForce 2 MX400. I'll explain in a bit), a 40 GB hard drive, a 48x CD burner and 16x DVD-ROM (remember when mulitple optical drives were a thing? Hell, they aren't necessarily even standard anymore), and a 56k modem. It ran Windows Millenium, later upgraded to Windows XP. It also included a 17" monitor, printer, keyboard (which I actually still have) and mouse.
This computer did give me some problems. The original had a sticky power button, and one day it stuck completely. I had just upgraded to 256 MB of RAM and to the 32 MB GeForce 2. My girlfriend asked why I replaced a 32 MB graphics card with a 32 MB graphics card and had to explain that not all GPU's are created equal. Anyway, so I had a replacement plan with CompUSA. I brought it in and had a replacement within a week. Unfortunately, it was back to stock. So I trudged on with the replacement as-is until the hard drive failed. The next replacement got the upgrades, albeit with a 64 MB GeForce 2.
It was also briefly used as a Freelancer server.
Dell Dimension 4600 Pentium 4-based PC
Not only the model, but the number too! My soon-to-be-wife helped me get this shortly before our first anniversary. Pentium 4 3.0 GHz with Hyper-Threading, 1 GB of PC2700 SDRAM (later upgraded to 2 GB), 80 GB hard drive (later adding a 40 GB hard drive as well), 128 MB nVidia GeForce FX 5200 (later upgraded to a 256 MB GeForce 6600), a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS sound card, 19" CRT monitor (it was 19" CRT, 17" CRT or 15" LCD. Which would you have chosen?), keyboard (which I still have) and mouse (I do tend to go through mice). Also a 48x CD burner and 16x DVD-ROM. Ran Windows XP. Notable as the last computer I purchased with a floppy drive and modem. At the time I couldn't quite bring myself to give them up, and they were cheap options. Of course, I ended up never using them. The floppy drive was eventually removed as I needed its power adapter for the second hard drive. I eventually bought a 1 TB external hard drive as well.
HP Pavilion Pentium 3-based PC
Got this when my mom no longer needed it. Pretty much the same as my other HP, but with a 933 MHz Pentium 3 and PC100 SDRAM. I added in a GeForce MX-4000 card as well. Ran Windows Millenium but upgraded to Windows XP.The only PC I've killed in a fit of rage (it was pissing me off and I slammed my fist onto it. Did you know hard drives are sensitive to shock? I do).
Dell XPS M170 Pentium-M based Laptop PC
I helped a friend of mine purchase this as his first new computer in several years. It has a Pentium-M 2.2 GHz processor, 2 GB of SDRAM, a 256 MB nVidia GeForce GTX 7800M GPU, a 120 GB 7200 RPM hard drive, 16x DVD burner, and a 17" 1920x1200 screen. Runs Windows XP Professional. This computer eventually became my wife's when my friend opted to buy an Alienware laptop several months later (never got my hands on that one though). It was pretty solid for a while, though one of the weakness of laptops (limited ability to upgrade) eventually caught up to it. Had a couple of issues that Dell covered under warranty (not impressed with their customer service btw) when first, one of the fans went out and it would overheat (took 2 weeks of telling this to Dell before they finally said the fan and heatsink needed to be replaced. Duh.) and after that the GPU failed (Dell was much more agreeable this time). We still have it although it doesn't see much use anymore (I may start using it here and there as it's the only Windows XP system we have now).
Gateway DX4300 AMD Phenom II-based PC
This is a computer my friend got as a backup when his other computer was down for repairs. He gave it to me when I built him a new system. It has an AMD Phenom II x4 running at 2.66 GHz (it's a quad core, my first multicore system) with 8 GB DDR2 SDRAM, a 1 TB 5400 rpm hard drive, an ATi Radeon HD 3200 (upgraded to an 896 MB nVidia GeForce GTX 260) and a 16x DVD burner. It runs Windows 7. This eventually became my oldest son's computer while he was living with us and is now sort of my youngest so's computer (he uses it to watch WALL-E every night) and is the guest gaming computer.
Gateway LX Series Intel Core 2 Quad-based PC
This was my friend's computer after he got rid of his Alienware. It briefly became my wife's computer to replace the aging laptop. It has a Core 2 Quad 2.66 GHz, 8 GB DDR2 SDRAM, a 650 GB hard drive and a nVidia GeForce GT 120. It ran Windows Vista. It started having an issue with randomly rebooting so it's been cannibalized.
Omega Game Tech Ed Mk.I Intel Core i5-based PC
First system I ever built. My friend decided he was all set with off-the-shelf desktops and wanted a custom built system. So we took to Newegg. It has an Intel Core i5-750 2.66 GHz with 8 GB DDR3 1600 SDRAM, 1.5 TB Western Digital Caviar Black 7200 RPM hard drive, 1280 MB GeForce GTX 470 graphics card, all on top of a Biostar motherboard, powered by a Cooler Master 600W power supply, with a DVD burner, all wrapped up in a Lian Li aluminum mid-tower case (with side window and blue LED front fan). Runs Windows 7 Home Premium. I eventually added in a Cooler Master Hyper 212+ CPU cooler with 2 fans and overclocked the CPU to 3.3 GHz, although it apparently didn't stick (I blame the crummy motherboard. Lesson learned). This was my PC for a time when my friend decided he wanted a laptop as his backup computer, and is my wife's current system.
Omega Game Tech Ed Mk.II Intel Core i7-based PC
Second system I ever built; based on a Maximum PC design. My friend wanted an upgrade, so to Newegg we went. Ordered an Intel Core i7-2600 (sadly not the 2600K which allows overclocking) with 8 GB of DDR3 1600 SDRAM, a 2 TB Western Digital Caviar Black hard drive, a 120 GB OCZ Vertex 2 SSD, a 1280 MB nVidia GeForce GTX 570, all on top of an Asus motherboard, powered by a Corsair 750W 80-plus Gold certified power supply, all wrapped up in a Cooler Master HAF 922 mid-tower case with a Blu-Ray/DVD burner combo drive. Ran Windows 7 Professional. Eventually became my PC (which I am still using) when my friend decided he wanted another laptop instead. Not the same computer when it started; the stock CPU cooler crapped out and was replaced by a Rocketfish cooler (best I could do on short notice), the SSD died within a few months (never replaced, since it was a nice performance boost but was not mission critical), the hard disk failed (replaced by a 1 TB Seagate Barracuda 7200 RPM hard drive; not a big deal since I still have the external drive), and it runs Windows 7 Ultimate (which I had purchased for a PC that was ultimately never built).
Saturday, November 1, 2014
Extra Life update and Power Rangers follow-up
Damn, didn't realize how long it's been.
Anyways, mysterysquick and I had our Extra Life live stream last weekend. Great fun, and this far raised $430 combined for Hasbro Children's Hospital! So thanks to everyone who donated and/or watched, we really appreciate it. I am currently working on a highlights reel to put on my YouTube channel.
I promised a follow up to my Power Rangers blog, so here are my favorite team up episodes:
Honorable Mention:"Shell Shocked" (Power Rangers In Space)
Doesn't really count since the Space Rangers aren't teaming up with another Power Rangers team. Instead, in a bid to remain relevant, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (the rather sad live action ones from the Ninja Turtles series) appear first as mind-controlled villains, then helping the heroes. It actually ended up being surprisingly entertaining
5. "To The Tenth power/The Power Of Pink" (Power Rangers Lost Galaxy)
This two-parter teams up the Space Rangers with the Galaxy Rangers and kicked off the (usually) annual tradition of teaming up This Year's Rangers with Last Year's Rangers. As you might have guessed, the Pink Rangers feature rather prominently, and (SPOILER) culminates in the death of Kendrix Morgan, the Lost Galaxy Pink Ranger (first Ranger to die in the line of duty; handled bloodlessly to keep it kid friendly).
4. "Reinforcements From The Future" (Power Rangers Wild Force)
This one (might also have been a two-part episode but I haven't seen it in a while) brings the Time Force Rangers in to help the Wild Force Rangers counter a new threat: Mutant-Orgg hybrids. It also teams them up withBennett Ransik, the villain from Commando Time Force, who is now a good guy it appears. After the action dies down we are treated to a nice little get-together among the new friends.
3. "Thunder Storm" (Power Rangers Dino Thunder)
The Dino Thunder Rangers team up with the Ninja Storm Rangers. But first, Mesagog and Lothor team up and mind-control the Ninja Storm Rangers (at least the Wind Ninja Rangers), giving us some awesome Ranger vs Ranger action. It also featured one of (in my opinion) one of the most epic morphing sequences outside of an anniversary show. Plus we get to see villain vs villain!
2. "Once A Ranger" (Power Rangers Operation Overdrive 15th Anniversary Special)
This one was overshadowed by the fact that it took place during what was arguably the worst Power Rangers series ever. Rita and Zedd's (i.e. the villains from Mighty Morphin') son Thrax (no idea when this happened) is back for revenge and manages to de-power the Overdrive Rangers. Sentinel Knight brings in a team of veteran Rangers (Ninja Storm Blue Ranger Tori, Dino Thunder Yellow Ranger Kira, Mystic Force Green Ranger Xander, SPD Green-but-promoted-to-Red Ranger Bridge, and most awesomely, Mighty Morphin' Black Ranger 2, Adam). In addition, Alpha 6 makes a return to bring the Morphing Grid back online and restore the Overdrive Rangers. This is also probably my all-time favorite morphing sequence, with each classic Ranger getting their moment.
1. "Forever Red" (Power Rangers Wild Force 10th Anniversary Special)
The remnants pf the Machine Empire from Power Rangers Zeo (in this case, they are old Big Bad Beetle Borg costumes) return to resurrect Lord Zedd's Zord Serpentera. Word of this reaches Tommy (who is somehow retaining his Zeo powers) and calls in the Red Rangers (and a Sixth Ranger who happens to wear red) to take them down. This was originally supposed to be a two-part episode; the second part was to feature each Ranger call in their Zords. this was nixed due to money concerns, as the Zords were no longer featured in the toy line and would have been expensive to produce. However, what we got was still awesome, featuring:
Jason (Mighty Morphin' Red Ranger) Yep, Jason is back and he kicks ass!
Tommy (Zeo Red) As opposed to Mighty Morphin Green. Or Mighty Morphin' White. Prior to Dino Thunder Black.
TJ (Turbo Red) Another former Tommy role.
Andros (Space Red) Also advance scout
Leo (Galaxy Red) Late to the party
Carter (Lightspeed Red) Sent to retrieve Cole
Wes (Time Force Red) Got a job at his dad's company
Eric (Time Force Quantum Ranger) Got to ride along because he happens to also wear red
Aurico (Alien Red) Space Ninja Ranger hitched a ride with Leo
Cole (Wild Force) The hero of the story for the most part. Gets showed up by Jason early on.
Anyways, mysterysquick and I had our Extra Life live stream last weekend. Great fun, and this far raised $430 combined for Hasbro Children's Hospital! So thanks to everyone who donated and/or watched, we really appreciate it. I am currently working on a highlights reel to put on my YouTube channel.
I promised a follow up to my Power Rangers blog, so here are my favorite team up episodes:
Honorable Mention:"Shell Shocked" (Power Rangers In Space)
Doesn't really count since the Space Rangers aren't teaming up with another Power Rangers team. Instead, in a bid to remain relevant, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (the rather sad live action ones from the Ninja Turtles series) appear first as mind-controlled villains, then helping the heroes. It actually ended up being surprisingly entertaining
5. "To The Tenth power/The Power Of Pink" (Power Rangers Lost Galaxy)
This two-parter teams up the Space Rangers with the Galaxy Rangers and kicked off the (usually) annual tradition of teaming up This Year's Rangers with Last Year's Rangers. As you might have guessed, the Pink Rangers feature rather prominently, and (SPOILER) culminates in the death of Kendrix Morgan, the Lost Galaxy Pink Ranger (first Ranger to die in the line of duty; handled bloodlessly to keep it kid friendly).
4. "Reinforcements From The Future" (Power Rangers Wild Force)
This one (might also have been a two-part episode but I haven't seen it in a while) brings the Time Force Rangers in to help the Wild Force Rangers counter a new threat: Mutant-Orgg hybrids. It also teams them up with
3. "Thunder Storm" (Power Rangers Dino Thunder)
The Dino Thunder Rangers team up with the Ninja Storm Rangers. But first, Mesagog and Lothor team up and mind-control the Ninja Storm Rangers (at least the Wind Ninja Rangers), giving us some awesome Ranger vs Ranger action. It also featured one of (in my opinion) one of the most epic morphing sequences outside of an anniversary show. Plus we get to see villain vs villain!
2. "Once A Ranger" (Power Rangers Operation Overdrive 15th Anniversary Special)
This one was overshadowed by the fact that it took place during what was arguably the worst Power Rangers series ever. Rita and Zedd's (i.e. the villains from Mighty Morphin') son Thrax (no idea when this happened) is back for revenge and manages to de-power the Overdrive Rangers. Sentinel Knight brings in a team of veteran Rangers (Ninja Storm Blue Ranger Tori, Dino Thunder Yellow Ranger Kira, Mystic Force Green Ranger Xander, SPD Green-but-promoted-to-Red Ranger Bridge, and most awesomely, Mighty Morphin' Black Ranger 2, Adam). In addition, Alpha 6 makes a return to bring the Morphing Grid back online and restore the Overdrive Rangers. This is also probably my all-time favorite morphing sequence, with each classic Ranger getting their moment.
1. "Forever Red" (Power Rangers Wild Force 10th Anniversary Special)
The remnants pf the Machine Empire from Power Rangers Zeo (in this case, they are old Big Bad Beetle Borg costumes) return to resurrect Lord Zedd's Zord Serpentera. Word of this reaches Tommy (who is somehow retaining his Zeo powers) and calls in the Red Rangers (and a Sixth Ranger who happens to wear red) to take them down. This was originally supposed to be a two-part episode; the second part was to feature each Ranger call in their Zords. this was nixed due to money concerns, as the Zords were no longer featured in the toy line and would have been expensive to produce. However, what we got was still awesome, featuring:
Jason (Mighty Morphin' Red Ranger) Yep, Jason is back and he kicks ass!
Tommy (Zeo Red) As opposed to Mighty Morphin Green. Or Mighty Morphin' White. Prior to Dino Thunder Black.
TJ (Turbo Red) Another former Tommy role.
Andros (Space Red) Also advance scout
Leo (Galaxy Red) Late to the party
Carter (Lightspeed Red) Sent to retrieve Cole
Wes (Time Force Red) Got a job at his dad's company
Eric (Time Force Quantum Ranger) Got to ride along because he happens to also wear red
Aurico (Alien Red) Space Ninja Ranger hitched a ride with Leo
Cole (Wild Force) The hero of the story for the most part. Gets showed up by Jason early on.
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Omega Game Tech rides again!
So since you're probably confused by that title, Omega Game Tech is what a friend and I came up with as a name for a PC repair business with an emphasis on gaming computers. I had my sister design some logos, and we built a couple of systems, and that's as far as it went.
My friend built his system and assisted with building another for a mutual friend (and is actually the PC I am using right now). I built a prior system for that friend (which my wife is currently using. This guy likes new computers.) as well as a system for another friend (a very budget build) and that was it. Until this week.
My sister-in-law wanted to get a budget gaming PC for her son's birthday (he turns 13 tomorrow if memory serves). She asked her oldest son (he's almost 24 and a bit of a geek himself) about it who directed her toward me. So after getting the budget and realizing I had to work in a monitor, I came up with this.
So not a lot of legwork for me, simply picking a MaximumPC bundle on Newegg. But it came with nice discounts and allowed me to work within the budget. For those who don't want to look, here's the parts list:
I'm mostly happy with the parts. The motherboard is not one that I am crazy about. I used a Biostar on the first computer I built. It's been solid but is sorely lacking in some areas (like overclocking). But again, discounted. Fits in the budget. Also I prefer Intel CPUs and nVidia GPUs but this is a budget build so you take what you can afford, and getting a 6-core proc for that money is not entirely a bad thing.
So I got started. Prep the case:
Into the trash (in this case the diaper pail).
I then snapped the rear I/O shield onto the case.
The mobo actually has a bracket already installed to accomodate the stock AMD cooler (Intel coolers use plastic pushpins that snap into the motherboard; bravo AMD for having a sturdier cooler as well). This had to go to make room for the Hyper 212.
You can see once that was gone I installed the backplate. Then I installed the graphics card.
I am pleased to see that it came with a dual fan cooler. I have used EVGA boards in the past (I mentioned my loyalty to nVidia right?) but I will likely look for a GeForce card with a better cooler next time.
I popped in the DVD burner next.
Just pop off the faceplate on the case, slide it in and bolt it down (it's somewhat toolless as the brackets lock it into place as well). I then started getting a bit lazy with the camera. I installed the HDD and PSU.
I skipped the SSD for the time being as it turns out Crucial doesn't include a drive bay adapter (my OCZ did, but it also crapped out within 6 months...) Now it was time for the Hyper 212. Start with the thermal paste (I use Arctic Silver 5).
Just a little BB-sized dab. Now for the beast.
That's no moon....
It comes with a 120mm fan (set to push out the back, venting the hot air; you could also reverse the rear case fan and set the Hyper 212 fan to push cold air onto the heat sink if you wish). A second fan is pretty cheap and works insanely well for what amounts to a $50 cooler (push-pull is very nice; I use it on my wife's computer with the old Hyper 212+).
Once I got a drive bay converter I installed the SSD. I had to move the hard drive as the power cables needed more space to work. I connected the SATA cables, all power cables, all the headers I could (there's sadly a USB 3.0 port on the front of the case that went unused as there was no motherboard connection; perhaps there's an adapter I can get to connect it to USB 2.0 but that kind of defeats the purpose...). Unfortunately i didn't have time to pretty up the cables so it looks like a serpent's nest. If we ever install front fans (there's room for 4 more fans on the case) I will have to try rerouting some underneath the motherboard tray and tie up the rest.
A couple of notes:
I did not connect the hard drive SATA cable right away. I read a while back that Windows Vista would get a little wonky if it saw two drives and would install the OS on one drive and the system volume on the other. This means if one drive was removed (say, installing a larger capacity HDD) it rendered the system unusable and required Windows to be reinstalled. It may have been fixed but I still take the precaution (it takes no time to connect the cable afterwards).
The Hyper 212 EVO ended up a little tall for this case. Everything seemed to fit flush as far as I can tell so perhaps the case is not as deep as reported. Others have reported this problem while still others find it fit just fine. So keep that in mine; you ideally want a pretty deep case for a skyscraper-style heat ink (and you want this heatsink). My PC uses a Cooler Master HAF 922, and I highly recommend it as it is huge and will more than easily accept it. I went with the NZXT Totally-Not-A-Stormtrooper as it was part of a discounted package. I recommend Corsair cases if you have the money and Cooler Master cases if you don't.
My friend built his system and assisted with building another for a mutual friend (and is actually the PC I am using right now). I built a prior system for that friend (which my wife is currently using. This guy likes new computers.) as well as a system for another friend (a very budget build) and that was it. Until this week.
My sister-in-law wanted to get a budget gaming PC for her son's birthday (he turns 13 tomorrow if memory serves). She asked her oldest son (he's almost 24 and a bit of a geek himself) about it who directed her toward me. So after getting the budget and realizing I had to work in a monitor, I came up with this.
So not a lot of legwork for me, simply picking a MaximumPC bundle on Newegg. But it came with nice discounts and allowed me to work within the budget. For those who don't want to look, here's the parts list:
- Case: NZXT Source 210 Elite White (aka Imperial Stormtrooper)
- CPU: AMD FX-6300 Vishera 6-core APU Black Edition 3.5 GHz
- GPU: Sapphire DUAL-X AMD Radeon R7 265 2GB
- Motherboard: Biostar TA970 AM3+ ATX motherboard
- PSU: Corsair CX-500 500-watt power supply
- RAM: Crucial Ballistix Sport DDR3-1600 8GB
- SSD: Crucial MX100 256GB
- HDD: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200 RPM
- Optical Drive: Samsung 24x DVD burner
- CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
- Monitor (not pictured): Samsung 22" 1080p LED monitor
- OS: Windows 8.1 64-bit
I'm mostly happy with the parts. The motherboard is not one that I am crazy about. I used a Biostar on the first computer I built. It's been solid but is sorely lacking in some areas (like overclocking). But again, discounted. Fits in the budget. Also I prefer Intel CPUs and nVidia GPUs but this is a budget build so you take what you can afford, and getting a 6-core proc for that money is not entirely a bad thing.
So I got started. Prep the case:
Start by installing the motherboard standoffs. It doesn't bolt down directly to the case; it rides on these little guys. This case came with a tool to help screw them in tight; if your case lacks such a tool, get some needlenose pliers.
Then I prepped the mobo.
It's easier to install the CPU and RAM right now while the board is on a flat surface rather than standing on the case.
This is the most nerve-wracking part of building a PC for me as CPUs are pretty sensitive and often the most expensive part (though not necessarily in a gaming computer, especially a budget build. That's reserved for the GPU).
RAM is easy, just unlock the clips and snap them into place. Now, CPUs typically come with a heatsink and fan as well.
I have to say, AMD's stock heatsink is beefier than Intel's, as is the fan. That said, we also have the Hyper 212 EVO, which is the best bang-for-the-buck heatsink on the market right now. So there's only one thing to do with the stock cooler.
I then snapped the rear I/O shield onto the case.
I was suprised as a lot of cases come with one, which then has to be discarded so that it can be replaced with the one that comes with the motherboard. Thanks for saving me a step NZXT!
Then I bolted in the motherboard.
You can see once that was gone I installed the backplate. Then I installed the graphics card.
I am pleased to see that it came with a dual fan cooler. I have used EVGA boards in the past (I mentioned my loyalty to nVidia right?) but I will likely look for a GeForce card with a better cooler next time.
I popped in the DVD burner next.
Just pop off the faceplate on the case, slide it in and bolt it down (it's somewhat toolless as the brackets lock it into place as well). I then started getting a bit lazy with the camera. I installed the HDD and PSU.
I skipped the SSD for the time being as it turns out Crucial doesn't include a drive bay adapter (my OCZ did, but it also crapped out within 6 months...) Now it was time for the Hyper 212. Start with the thermal paste (I use Arctic Silver 5).
It comes with a 120mm fan (set to push out the back, venting the hot air; you could also reverse the rear case fan and set the Hyper 212 fan to push cold air onto the heat sink if you wish). A second fan is pretty cheap and works insanely well for what amounts to a $50 cooler (push-pull is very nice; I use it on my wife's computer with the old Hyper 212+).
Once I got a drive bay converter I installed the SSD. I had to move the hard drive as the power cables needed more space to work. I connected the SATA cables, all power cables, all the headers I could (there's sadly a USB 3.0 port on the front of the case that went unused as there was no motherboard connection; perhaps there's an adapter I can get to connect it to USB 2.0 but that kind of defeats the purpose...). Unfortunately i didn't have time to pretty up the cables so it looks like a serpent's nest. If we ever install front fans (there's room for 4 more fans on the case) I will have to try rerouting some underneath the motherboard tray and tie up the rest.
Booted up with no issues and started to install Winblows Windows!
The Omega Game Tech TK-421 (ok, even I thought that was kind of lame...)
A couple of notes:
I did not connect the hard drive SATA cable right away. I read a while back that Windows Vista would get a little wonky if it saw two drives and would install the OS on one drive and the system volume on the other. This means if one drive was removed (say, installing a larger capacity HDD) it rendered the system unusable and required Windows to be reinstalled. It may have been fixed but I still take the precaution (it takes no time to connect the cable afterwards).
The Hyper 212 EVO ended up a little tall for this case. Everything seemed to fit flush as far as I can tell so perhaps the case is not as deep as reported. Others have reported this problem while still others find it fit just fine. So keep that in mine; you ideally want a pretty deep case for a skyscraper-style heat ink (and you want this heatsink). My PC uses a Cooler Master HAF 922, and I highly recommend it as it is huge and will more than easily accept it. I went with the NZXT Totally-Not-A-Stormtrooper as it was part of a discounted package. I recommend Corsair cases if you have the money and Cooler Master cases if you don't.
Monday, September 15, 2014
Minecraftin'
I kinda regret not recording or streaming this game. iHavoc was over for the weekend and we decided to play some Minecraft. But not Pixelmon or any minigames we had been playing recently, we decided to actually play a game of classic Survival.
We spawned in what appeared to be a Forest biome, right next to a Desert biome and right near a cave. iHavoc tunnelled an entrance/shelter while I gathered wood to make tools and a crafting bench (we also started with a bonus chest so we had at least some basic wood tools and a couple of apples) We spent some time mining and making stone tools before I noticed a village off in the distance. So after collecting some iron and making a couple of iron pickaxes and a couple of pieces of armor we set out to build a house near the village, so that the villagers could do all the farming and we can steal their food. There was also what appeared to be a large cave nearby as well.
So we began gathering wood and started building the house. I built the walls and iHavoc decided on granite floors (at least on the first floor). In the meantime a cow took up residence in our house, so we named him Steve and built a pen for him once the house was completed. There were quite a few cows around and since we started raising them we are all set for food (mmmmmm steak). Unfortunately we only found a couple of sheep and so we don't have enough wool to make a bed, since iHavoc decided to kill them rather than pen them in so that we could shear their wool. He probably thought we would find more.
Once the house was finished (double door with pressure plates, glass panes for the windows, a couple of double capacity chests, crafting table, furnace, some decor) I started tunneling under the house so that we have a secret entrance to the
Then came exploring the cave itself. I think at this point iHavoc has put both a crafting bench and furnace down there as we found SO MUCH STUFF and don't want to have to always run all the way back to the house to prep it. I have never found so much iron in a game of Minecraft, so I'm pretty sure frequencies of raw material spawns have been increased (this was a game on default settings; we didn't even know about the new custom game option when we set it up).
As I continued on my way, gathering iron and some coal (we found so much iron that the two of us are wearing full iron armor and using iron swords, plus I made six buckets and there's still a pile of ingots left), and killing a few monsters (some creepers helpfully exploded entrances to new sections of the cave network as well), I came across some gold ore. I carefully moved around it as there was a pool of lava nearby, trying to get a better sense of how much gold there was, and calling to iHavoc to bring an iron pickaxe as I had forgotten mine, there it was. DIAMOND ORE. The first I had seen in a legit game of Minecraft. Needless to say iHavoc hurried his way down there even faster. Initially we saw 2 ore. Mining the gold and surrounding stone revealed a third. Happy that we found 3 diamonds, we scooped them up to find 3 more underneath! So we have a total of 6 diamonds now.
iHavoc proceeded to make a diamond pickaxe and mine up the obsidian that I had found not too far away while I kept exploring. I then discovered craploads of redstone ore. Altogether I think we came away with 75 redstone on the day. So we've discussed plans to make powered minecarts leading to the village and around our cave network.
All in all a fun and productive weekend in Minecraft!
Monday, September 8, 2014
Guilty Pleasure: Power Rangers
Yep, that's right. I like Power Rangers. I was pretty happy when Netflix picked up the franchise. My youngest son loves the show, primarily Power Rangers: Dino Thunder (he likes dinosaurs after all).
Yes, I realize the acting is comically bad, the writing often incoherent and the villains ridiculous. That's part of the show's charm though. The costumes are pretty cool (particularly when the Rangers' helmets are lacking a mouth) and the action sequences enjoyable, even with the sometimes ludicrous special effects.
What some of you may not realize is Power Rangers is the American version of a Japanese show called Super Sentai (collectively; each season has its own name), which has been running since the mid-1970's. Starting in 1993, Saban Entertainment began porting the show produced by Toei Co., renaming it Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Generally the footage used from Japan is the action sequences after the heroes transformed, with the rest filmed domestically, though they will also shoot their own morphed action footage when necessary.
Mighty Morphin was the first, and for a time, only multi-season run of Power Rangers, and actually utilized footage from multiple Super Sentai shows (Sentai had long since adopted a self-contained season format), primarily Kyoryo Sentai Zyuranger, but later adding Gosei Sentai Dairanger and Ninja Sentai Kakuranger, mainly for new Zords (the Rangers' giant robots). The costumes were from Zyuranger, though towards the end they used the costumes from Kakuranger. Originally a team of 5 Rangers assembled by a powerful being called Zordon, this show also began the tradition of adding a "Sixth Ranger" later on. They originally fought a villain named Rita Repulsa, who was replaced by Lord Zedd, who then ended up marrying Rita. It's a bit of an odd show...
After 3 seasons Saban adopted the new-team-per-season format (at least partially) with Power Rangers Zeo (adapted from Chouriki Sentai Ohranger) , though this retained the characters from the end of Mighty Morphin. Now they started bringing new footage from Japan annually and didn't try to make the hodgepodge that Mighty Morphin had become toward the end. Ironically, the Red Ranger for this show was Tommy, who was the original Sixth Ranger in Mighty Morphin (originally the Green Ranger, but later became White Ranger and was promoted to leader), while the Sixth Ranger in Zeo (the Gold Ranger) was Jason, who was the original Red Ranger in Mighty Morphin. The enemies this time were the Machine Empire.
The next season saw the Zeo Rangers become Power Rangers Turbo (adapted from Gekisou Sentai Carranger) and adopt a car theme. This time however there was a casting change partway through, and for the first time we had an entirely new cast of Power Rangers. They fought a villain called Divatox. Sixth Ranger was the Phantom Ranger, whose identity was never revealed. SPOILER This season actually ended with a full defeat of the Power Rangers and the capture of Zordon, probably the only true downer ending the franchise has ever had. This resulted in the Rangers (minus the Phantom Ranger and the Blue Ranger, who was a 12-year-old kid for some reason) seeking out another Ranger in space, leading to...
Power Rangers IN SPAAAAACE!! Joking aside, this is the last, and arguably best, season of the so-called Zordon Era (adapted from Denji Sentai Megaranger). The Turbo cast was mostly intact, though they changed roles within the team. The Red Ranger became the Blue Ranger, as they brought in an entirely new character named Andros to take on the role of Red Ranger. The villain this season was Astronema. Sixth Ranger was the Silver Ranger. This was expected to be the last season of Power Rangers due to Power Rangers Turbo being generally bad, and the finale certainly felt like it. However, as people got on board with it and ratings went back up, it was renewed once more, and the next season was...
Power Rangers IN SPAAAACE AGAIN!!! Or, officially, Power Rangers Lost Galaxy (which actually had more of a nature theme, just set off-world. Adapted from Seijuu Sentai Gingaman). Where Space Rangers was still set on Earth (the Rangers base of operations was a starship they kept in orbit), this took place on a space colony called Terra Venture, and this season began the annual tradition in full of New Season/New Rangers/New Theme. This also began the tradition of This Year's Rangers Should Team Up With Last Year's Rangers, teaming the Galaxy Rangers with the Space Rangers. It also had the first Ranger to be SPOILER killed in the line of duty (of the noble sacrifice variety). The villain was Scorpius, followed by his daughter Trakeena, and then (upon being sent to the eponymous Lost Galaxy) Captain Mutiny (though they escaped the Lost Galaxy and fought Trakeena again). Sixth Ranger was the Magna Defender. Next came...
Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue (adapted from Kyukyu Sentai GoGoFive). These Rangers were rescue workers (sort of: they were a firefighter, lifeguard, stunt pilot, nurse, and extreme sports athlete), and were the first to openly act as Rangers as well, rather than concealing their identities. There was also no mysterious source of their powers and Zords, it was all some kind of government superhero project. Villain this season was a group of demons, originally led by Diabolico, then Prince Olympius. Sixth Ranger was the Titanium Ranger, who, interestingly, had no Japanese counterpart and was created solely for the American version. This was followed by...
Power Rangers Time Force (adapted from Mirai Sentai Timeranger). This team of Power Rangers was from the future (mostly, as SPOILER the Red Ranger was killed and they needed someone with the same DNA to unlock the rest of the team's morphers so they recruited his identical grandfather). The show's intro implied a time travel theme but this ended up not being the case, as the show took place in the present-day (the Zords were stored in the future however). That said, this is considered one of the strongest Power Rangers seasons, in terms of writing, special effects, even acting (it was actually decent for a change) and is the only Power Rangers series to be nominated for an Emmy Award (for sound editing, but a nomination is a nomination). Interestingly, the Red Ranger was not team leader this season, it was the Pink Ranger (the Red Ranger was a rookie after all) The villain this season was
Power Rangers Wild Force (adapted from Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger). This team featured a VERY heavy nature theme. The Red Ranger was a kid who grew up in a South American tribe and had to find a way to not only fit in with the team but also lead them despite the other Rangers being much more experienced. This was a transitional year, as the series went from Saban to Disney, and arguably suffered for it. Still featured great team-up episodes. Villain for the season was Master Org. Sixth ranger was the Lunar Wolf Ranger, who for some reason got to have 3 Zords all to himself. This was followed by...
Power Rangers Ninja Storm (adapted from Ninpu Sentai Hurricanger). The Rangers are trained Ninja (duh) with a bit of extreme sports thrown in, and this series played with the traditional 5+1 format of the team. The original team is only 3 Rangers from the Wind Ninja Academy, and are pitted against 2 Rangers from the Thunder Ninja Academy who are brainwashed into working for the villain. They eventually team up but it leads to duplicated colors: there are 2 blue and 2 red Rangers rather than a team of 5 different colors. This was thought initially to be a reboot of the franchise due to the transition to Disney, as well as the lack of a team up episode (this was due to production moving to New Zealand). This is proven to be untrue in later seasons. The villain is space ninja Lothor. Sixth Ranger is the Green Samurai Ranger. This was followed by...
Power Rangers Dino Thunder (adapted from Bakuryu Sentai Abaranger). The team is dinosaur themed again, and this season features the return of Tommy, who has somehow managed to become a respected paleontologist in an absurdly short period of time. This did, however, give us a clip show featuring each season to this point, as well as Tommy having to battle his previous Ranger forms (it makes sense in context, as much as Power Rangers can anyway) before becoming a Ranger yet again himself. This season actually never had six Rangers, though the fifth was functionally the Sixth Ranger. The original team was 3 Rangers again (red, blue and yellow, as the previous season) with Tommy joining as Black Ranger later on (with some lampshades being hung in the process). Villain was a dino-man named Mesagog. Sixth Ranger (despite technically being the fifth) was the White Dino Ranger. Followed by...
Power Rangers S.P.D. (adapted from Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger). Basically Power Rangers as Space Police. There is an entire academy of S.P.D. Rangers, and as I recall multiple Ranger teams, though the focus remained on one. The main squad is the B-Squad and is pressed into front line duty when the A-Squad vanishes. The season started off strong but became very inconsistent, and was criticized for some decisions made on the team up episodes. Villain was Emperor Gruumm. There were multiple Sixth Rangers: primarily it was the Shadow Ranger, but they also added the Omega Ranger, Nova Ranger, and briefly the Kat Ranger. This was followed by...
Power Rangers Mystic Force (adapted from Mahou Sentai Magiranger). Power Rangers with magic powers (and capes). These Rangers didn't summon Zords per se; rather, it was another transformation sequence as they themselves became their Zords. This season was the first in a while to lack a team up episode. The villain was Octomus the Master. Multiple Sixth Rangers again: White Mystic Ranger, Solaris Knight and Wolf Warrior. This was followed by...
Power Rangers Operation Overdrive (adapted from GoGo Sentai Boukenger). Power Rangers as adventure archaeologists. Generally regarded as the worst Power Rangers series, nearly ending the franchise. It still managed to feature an awesome team up episode (though not with the full Mystic Force team). The Rangers have to collect a set of jewels to keep the bad guys from getting them. Villains are Flurious and Moltor. Sixth Ranger is the Mercury Ranger. Followed by...
Power Rangers Jungle Fury (adapted from Juken Sentai Gekiranger). Power Rangers with Kung Fu animal powers. Team of three with multiple Sixth Rangers. Also these guys transform into their Zords like the Mystic Force Rangers. Considered an improvement over operation overdrive but no one watched it because Operation Overdrive was just that bad. No team up episodes. Villain was Dai Shi. Sixth Rangers are the Wolf Ranger (the first Purple Ranger) and Rhino Ranger. Followed by...
Power Rangers RPM (adapted from Engine Sentai Go-Onger). Power Rangers in an alternate universe post-apocalyptic world (but with cool cars again). The last Disney produced series and regarded as one of their best, but no one watched it because Operation Overdrive was just that bad. The franchise would go on a brief hiatus before being reacquired by Saban. No team up episodes, though the Red Ranger appeared in a couple of episodes in the next season. Villain was the Venjix Computer Netowrk (yes, it's basically Skynet). Sixth Rangers are the Gold and Silver Rangers. Followed by...
A hiatus as Disney re-aired Mighty Morphin for a bit and eventually sold the franchise back to Saban. Followed by...
Power Rangers Samurai (adapted from Samurai Sentai Shinkenger). Power Rangers as Samurai (obviously). Saban switched to a two-season format starting with this series, the second season billed as Super Samurai. Basically they gain a second-level, more powerful morph for the second season. Goes back to a lighter tone after RPM's rather dark setting. Villain is Master Xandred, and later added Serrator as a second Big Bad. Sixth Ranger is the Gold Samurai Ranger (the team is 5+1 again). Followed by...
Power Rangers Megaforce (adapted from Tensou Sentai Goseiger and Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger). Another two-season series. No specific theme, sort of an animal theme but not a huge part of the series. Second season billed as Super Megaforce and as the 20th Anniversary season features many past Rangers. Villain is the Warstar led by Admiral Malkor, followed by Prince Vekar. Sixth Rangers are the Silver Megaforce Ranger and Robo Knight. This will be followed by...
Power Rangers Dino Charge (adapted from Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger and Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters). Power Rangers with dinosaur powers yet again, because dinosaurs are awesome. Looks like 8 Rangers slated to appear, so expect multiple Sixth Rangers.
So there's an overview of the series so far. I'll follow up with my favorite team up episodes.
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
GTA V mayhem
My wife went to visit her parents for Labor Day weekend and took the little ones with her. I had my oldest son for the weekend so I stayed home (long story). We recorded a Minecraft video that I hope to have up this week. It was originally supposed to feature Pixelmon, but it wasn't working out the way we had hoped so that plan was scrapped and we featured some minigames. It's also the official introduction of my son as iHavoc (this will be his YouTube channel when he gets a computer that can actually produce gaming videos)
But the most fun was had in GTA V.
I believe I've pointed out before that GTA V is the first in the series I've played. Never appealed to me before (I don't really know why). I have played some GTA IV since, as iHavoc gave me his copy (he acknowledges it was a great game but it's completely outclassed by GTA V).
He has completed the story mode on his PS3, so we had to start fresh on mine. After playing some story missions, which didn't go entirely well as I'm getting used to the controls, we ended up deciding to A) cause some general mayhem and B) steal a fighter jet from the airbase.
General mayhem was accomplished by me. I busted out The Liberator monster truck, then pulled out my RPG. I proceeded to blow up a bus, the person walking next to the bus, and the car driving by the bus (all with one rocket). I then climbed into the monster truck and proceeded to run over all the cops. I eventually got away by going off road but fell into a bit of a ravine and the truck blew up.
The jet heist we both attempted, and we each pulled it off once, only to be foiled by my terrible piloting skills. iHavoc flew a helicopter near the base and then bailed. Free falling for a bit, he parachuted pretty close to one of the jets and was able to take off before the military could mount a defense. He then handed me the controller so I could try to see what flying is like and I promptly ejected.
The other strategy we devised I dubbed "Fast & Furious". We take a fast car (such as a Zentorno or Turismo R) and drive through the tunnel under the airbase. We turn around and use the side of the hill as a ramp to get over the fence. It usually takes a minute to figure out there's an intruder, and with one of these high powered exotics you can cover a lot of ground. Then it's a matter of getting into a jet before the tanks show up. This succeeded once. I then promptly flew the jet into a mountain. But it was all in good fun.
Then I started up a GTA Online game and had some pretty bad luck. I didn't get to race Lamar one on one as another player apparently started the same time, then bumped me off the road. So I came in second place as Lamar has a crappier car than you get to start with. One of the first jobs was to knock over a gas station. Which would have gone OK had the cops not responded so quickly and immediately shot out the tire of the Vapid Dominator I had stolen, making getaway fairly difficult. I ended up ditching the car in the aqueduct but I was able to steal a Sabre Turbo shortly after.
But the most fun was had in GTA V.
I believe I've pointed out before that GTA V is the first in the series I've played. Never appealed to me before (I don't really know why). I have played some GTA IV since, as iHavoc gave me his copy (he acknowledges it was a great game but it's completely outclassed by GTA V).
He has completed the story mode on his PS3, so we had to start fresh on mine. After playing some story missions, which didn't go entirely well as I'm getting used to the controls, we ended up deciding to A) cause some general mayhem and B) steal a fighter jet from the airbase.
General mayhem was accomplished by me. I busted out The Liberator monster truck, then pulled out my RPG. I proceeded to blow up a bus, the person walking next to the bus, and the car driving by the bus (all with one rocket). I then climbed into the monster truck and proceeded to run over all the cops. I eventually got away by going off road but fell into a bit of a ravine and the truck blew up.
The jet heist we both attempted, and we each pulled it off once, only to be foiled by my terrible piloting skills. iHavoc flew a helicopter near the base and then bailed. Free falling for a bit, he parachuted pretty close to one of the jets and was able to take off before the military could mount a defense. He then handed me the controller so I could try to see what flying is like and I promptly ejected.
The other strategy we devised I dubbed "Fast & Furious". We take a fast car (such as a Zentorno or Turismo R) and drive through the tunnel under the airbase. We turn around and use the side of the hill as a ramp to get over the fence. It usually takes a minute to figure out there's an intruder, and with one of these high powered exotics you can cover a lot of ground. Then it's a matter of getting into a jet before the tanks show up. This succeeded once. I then promptly flew the jet into a mountain. But it was all in good fun.
Then I started up a GTA Online game and had some pretty bad luck. I didn't get to race Lamar one on one as another player apparently started the same time, then bumped me off the road. So I came in second place as Lamar has a crappier car than you get to start with. One of the first jobs was to knock over a gas station. Which would have gone OK had the cops not responded so quickly and immediately shot out the tire of the Vapid Dominator I had stolen, making getaway fairly difficult. I ended up ditching the car in the aqueduct but I was able to steal a Sabre Turbo shortly after.
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