On Tue, 16 Oct 2007 00:13:51 -0700, "Slime" <fak### [at] emailaddress> wrote:

>I think if the Orange Box didn't contain HL2 or HL2:E1, they would have
>still priced it the same. 

Perhaps, but it sure makes me feel like I'm getting the shaft, since I already own the
prior games.  Now, if I purchase the Orange Box and "gift" my two games, then some
other poor sap is stuck in the
same position that I am.

Post a reply to this message

BTW, has anyone played Episode 2 yet?  It looks like, according to the trailers, that
there are some pretty cool open areas to fight in.  Is it still as linear as the prior
episodes?

Post a reply to this message

Played it. Can't complete it (because the ending is absurdly hard). But 
definitely the most enjoyable game in the HL2 series so far. (You'll 
recall I loved HL1 and was rather dissapointed with HL2 and friends.) 
Yes, it's still mostly linear. But it doesn't "feel" quite so linear, 
and you get to see stuff that's actually *interesting* along the way...

Post a reply to this message

Kyle wrote:
> ... makes me mad.  What happened to the black box, anyway?  The whole gifting your
old games idea is
> a steaming pile of crap.  All I want is Episode 2 and Portal.  I've already got HL2
and Episode 1.
> I don't really care about Team Fortress 2.  If I only buy the two I want, it'll be
as much as The
> Orange Box.  Not cool.  I guess I'll wait until Episode 3 comes out so that I can
get Episode 2 for
> 9.99.  Portal should be around 5.99 by then.  Thanks for taking care of your current
customers,
> Valve.  :-p

Er... if you just want Portal, just buy Portal. If you just want EP2, 
just buy EP2. I'm not seeing the problem here...?

Post a reply to this message

Orchid XP v7 <voi### [at] devnull> wrote:
> Er... if you just want Portal, just buy Portal. If you just want EP2, 
> just buy EP2. I'm not seeing the problem here...?

  Only available through steam. Thus requires a credit card, which not
every person owns. Can't buy on stores separately.

  Besides, if you want EP2 *and* Portal, they will cost the same as the
whole Orange Box package, so you may as well just buy the latter.

-- 
                                                          - Warp

Post a reply to this message

>> "Another compilation, The Black Box, was also planned. This would have
>> contained only the new material (HL2: Episode Two, Portal, TF2) but
>> was later canceled for retail, and will only be available through Steam"
>>
>>   Ok, I can live with that, but it continues:
>>
>> "to owners of the ATI Radeon HD 2900 XT graphics card. These owners
>> receive a voucher for a free copy of The Black Box through Steam which
>> can only be transferred along with the graphics card."
>>
>>   What the hell?
> 
> I'm glad I stopped playing videogames. It's getting foolish.

I still play videogames. You know, like bejeweled or tetris. Preferably 
games that use little CPU, since videogames are to have some fun while 
waiting for a render to finish.

Right?

Post a reply to this message

Nicolas Alvarez wrote:

> I still play videogames. You know, like bejeweled or tetris. Preferably 
> games that use little CPU, since videogames are to have some fun while 
> waiting for a render to finish.
> 
> Right?

Hahaha!

Now you know why I have a dual-core CPU, even though I don't have a 
version of POV-Ray to use it yet. ;-)

(Cubase seems to use it all though, which is nice...)

Post a reply to this message

> Nicolas Alvarez wrote:
> 
>> I still play videogames. You know, like bejeweled or tetris. 
>> Preferably games that use little CPU, since videogames are to have 
>> some fun while waiting for a render to finish.
>>
>> Right?
> 
> Hahaha!
> 
> Now you know why I have a dual-core CPU, even though I don't have a 
> version of POV-Ray to use it yet. ;-)
> 

To fold proteins on the other core? My CPU is currently calculating 
primes on one core and simulating the Large Hadron Collider on the 
other. On low priority, so POV-Ray would get over them if needed.

Post a reply to this message

"Orchid XP v7" <voi### [at] devnull> wrote in message 
news:472629e1$1@news.povray.org...
> Nicolas Alvarez wrote:
>
>> I still play videogames. You know, like bejeweled or tetris. Preferably 
>> games that use little CPU, since videogames are to have some fun while 
>> waiting for a render to finish.
>>
>> Right?
>
> Hahaha!
>
> Now you know why I have a dual-core CPU, even though I don't have a 
> version of POV-Ray to use it yet. ;-)
>
> (Cubase seems to use it all though, which is nice...)

Cubase is good that way.  CPU0 handles the UI updates.  CPU1 handles the 
sound engine.  If any leftover capacity on CPU0, threads for the sound 
engine are put there when processing demand calls for it.

Post a reply to this message

Brian Elliott wrote:
> "Orchid XP v7" <voi### [at] devnull> wrote in message 
>> Now you know why I have a dual-core CPU, even though I don't have a 
>> version of POV-Ray to use it yet. ;-)
>>
>> (Cubase seems to use it all though, which is nice...)
> 
> Cubase is good that way.  CPU0 handles the UI updates.  CPU1 handles the 
> sound engine.  If any leftover capacity on CPU0, threads for the sound 
> engine are put there when processing demand calls for it.

Indeed, Cubase is one of the few applications I have that can light up 
the whole of both cores when needed... Nice to see all available power 
being used. (I have at least one track that wouldn't play otherwise.)

Post a reply to this message