As time goes on, I notice that I find increasing solace in video games. I used to play because they are fun. I used to play to beat them and feel like I had accomplished something. These days, I play to keep my mind un-bored.
I play a lot, too. I mean, seriously.
I play Team Fortress 2 quite a bit. I like that game because it is the most well balanced multiplayer FPS that I have ever played. I have fun when I play, and for the most part the others I play with online aren’t a bunch of Xbox Live, 12 year-old retards. It is summer though, and that means the potential for the aforementioned folks to be playing is higher as school is out. The servers I play on aren’t competitive, and most of the time there are people having funny conversations as well. There isn’t any taunting, name-calling, or insulting talk. I like it this way. Just an easy, fun and low-stress environment.
Incidentally, the server I play on the most has me ranked at 10th overall by number of points earned. I was 9th but someone passed me up one of these last days when I was working long hours.
I like switching my brain off and not having to care about anything. Sometimes people in the game will get wound up and try to coach the team into a strategy, but I just go with the flow. If the team needs a particular class, I usually jump in and try to fill the gap. I don’t get stressed though, it is just a game after all.
I also had a great time putting together the intervalometer setup for my Nikon D40. I have it enclosed in a shoddy case now, but it should serve its’ purpose well. That is to say the circuit board isn’t exposed. I also got a hold of this USB recharging device to power the intervalometer during my camping trip. It is designed to recharge cell phones and iPods and such, but works equally well at powering my Arduino board. I don’t know for certain how long its’ charge will last, but I am fairly sure it will last longer than the battery in the camera itself. I should do a trial run with the setup here in the next couple days to work out any kinks before I have to leave…
You should post some of the results of your intervalometer project here. It’d be pretty cool to see some of your time-lapse videos.
I’m newly addicted to Modern Warfare 2… Its bad. I play every single chance I get taking up all of my free time. I stink and need a shower but I just want to kill more virtual soldiers!