So I’m sitting here patiently awaiting the arrival of my new video card and monitor so that I can transform my computing experience on this machine.

I desperately need the 6800GT. When I built this computer a year ago, I grabbed a 5700 FX. It held its own for a little while, but I knew when I bought it that it wouldn’t be a contender for very long (what in the world of computers ever is?), and recently she’s been struggling. On the F.E.A.R. demo, if I want it to run smoothly I have to drop the resolution to an embarrassing 800×600. I didn’t even trying maxing anything out with B2, because I figured I’d be met with the same resistance. So I waited, and once I get the new card put in, I’ll fire it up with settings maxxed, and see it how it was meant to be played.

And I’ll be playing on a brand new LCD monitor, which is a first for me. For years I’ve been one of those guys that shrugged off LCD, saying “I really don’t need one. If I needed the extra desk space, maybe, but CRT works just fine”. Also, I just wasn’t all that impressed with with LCD monitors I had seen. Some ghosting on fast-paced action games, and sometimes the colors just didn’t look very good.

Well apparently with some of the latest LCD monitors, especially that VP201B, all of these issues appear to be non-existant. Everyone I’ve asked says that once you try one, you will never go back to CRT. So we’ll find out today when the nice Fed-Ex man brings it to my door.

I played a bunch of B2 last night. The game is pretty well executed. There can be some damn frustrating moments, like spawning into a camp that is in the process of being overrun, only to be promptly killed before you get your bearings. It happened to me last night. I respawned just before the flag went neutral, and I pop in staring down the barrel of a ginormous tank. Loud explosion, and then another ten second wait.

It really just adds to the overall experience though. Getting shot from god-knows-where, getting stuck in the open running for cover while an enemy aircraft does a strafing run at your heels. Last night I spent the majority of my games having a little sniper war with this guy on the other team, over by the construction checkpoint.

Among the crane, scaffolding and surrounding buildings, it became a game of cat and mouse, who could find Waldo first and put a bullet into his skull. This guy was pretty good, but I got a drop on him more than once. And thank for for ragdoll physics, for when I shot him on a crane landing and got to watch his body tumble down 60ft worth of ladder and steel bars.

I’m thinking I may have to rent a server just for CAD. I’ll definitely be picking up retail, and why just choose a random server when I could get my own and welcome a whole bunch of awesome CAD fans to come play on it?