Re-Router For Diablo 3

With too few hours into my Diablo 3 witch doctor, I can't really complain about the game yet. Nor can I shower it with praise. I've enjoyed the little time I've spent hucking spider grenades at goatmen. However, one foe as popped up and presented a challenge that I had not suspected. Last night, whilst fighting spiders with spiders, my router melted, ate itself, and then died. In that exact order. Now I can't play Diablo 3. And I need a new router.

I know I could plug straight into my cable modem; however, I used the downtime to revert to Diablo 2 and kick some ass in Kurast. The always online issue has been a hot topic as of late. I don't see Diablo's requirement to always be connected to the Internet as a violation. But it is an annoyance. For instance, if Diablo 3 didn't require an Internet connection, there is no way that I would be running out to replace my router right away. I want to play this game. And I'm enjoying this game. But this is the first time that I've ever owned a game that I don't feel is completely mine.

I hopped over to Diablo 2 for many reasons: I was already in my click-demons-to-death mood, both games are installed on the same machine, it wasn't time to go to sleep, and I didn't have to be connected to the Internet. There are plenty of games that I love to play that do not require an Internet connection. I wish Diablo 3 were one of them; I understand why it is not. But still, if, for whatever reason, I don't have access to the Internet, I will play a game that does not require access to the Internet. Duh, right?

This might be a reason that I don't play or enjoy Diablo 3 as much as other gamers.

Picking up a new router means a trip to the local MicroCenter; it's always fun meandering through the store and checking out new technology. The old Netgear router (may she rest in peace) has been due for an upgrade; I'm pretty sure the thing is about seven years old. Old enough that my Nintendo DS can't connect to it. That should've been the reason to upgrade long ago. Must trade Pokémon.

If the replacement router can instantly connect to my DS, I might drop Diablo and move right back to Soul Silver in trading mode. Setting up the router should be quick and if I can plug and go with ethernet cables, I might be right back into Diablo 3. We'll see.

Or I might go back to Kurast and brain Mephisto. Actually, this sounds like the most fun.

What's the Password?

The new quarters is coming together well. It's not done, that's for sure, but it'll soon be complete. I've been playing Diablo 3 since Saturday night; yeah, I've had a late start because of, you know, moving. All of the Diablo 3 hype has me thinking of the fun times in Diablo 2. And they were good times. I can't really complain about Diablo 3 yet; I'm only a level 13 witch doctor. But I can complain about people complaining about Diablo 3. They suck.

Thanks to Diablo 3, I've been itching to crack open Diablo 2 again, but, I don't think my little netbook could handle Diablo 2 and its expansion pack. Although, it does play Fallout Tactics very well. I might just give it a shot. Recently, my Acer netbook suffered a serious blow, which got me thinking about backing up data. Almost a week later, I lost my 1GB USB flash drive; I have no idea where it is (but I have been packing things up in boxes); I'm hopeful that it'll turn up. Until then, I've initiated a complete password overhaul. That's right, any account of mine that has a password is getting a new password.

I've already changed a couple of them, but I have a whole list to update (and a copy of said list might have been on my missing flash drive). Being the crazy person that I am, I have many, many email address and various accounts tied to each email address. Every time I open a web browser, I feel like someone could be trolling out my passwords.

Password construction has been going all week. I have a couple good ones. The lists tops off around thirty, so I still have some work ahead. Password creation is a tricky subject; I've heard lots of ideas about how to make passwords and more specifically, how to remember passwords. Frequent use tattoos most passwords to my brain; I guess I'm just sharp like that. The ones I don't use often get written down (typed up) and stored where I can easily access them. Unfortunately, when the storage is digital, there's always the risk of corruption, theft, cash, or simply misplacement. So I make my list, print said list, store it in a Resident Evil 2 GameCube game case, and save the original file (usually a text document) in some obscure folder on my hard drive.

Oh crap, now the Internet knows where I hide my passwords.

I am ashamed to admit this, but one of my passwords I've had since high school. It's my favorite one, no doubt. I am going to change it. To honor its memory, I'll drop a visual clue.

Taken 2

So, during my half-hour lunch break, I discovered that "they"
(the infamous they of Hollywood, money-hungry retards) are making a sequel to Taken.

I found this tweet about it. Needless to say, I re-tweeted right away.



Sometimes, micro-blogging is the answer. Thank you, SoVeryAwkward.

That's What I Need: More Doom

Some pretty crazy news has surfaced about a Doom 3 re-release. Openly, I'll admit to being a rabid Disgaea, Fallout, and Resident Evil fan; I'll even quietly admit to playing the Pokémon games and older Final Fantasy games. But the fandom started with a little 3.5 in floppy disk containing the shareware version of Doom.

If I still had that floppy, I would snap a picture for this post, but I don't. I did what we all did back in 3rd grade with that disk. Someone gave it to me. I took it home and installed it. I brought the disk back to school and passed it on to the next kid. That was how sharing software worked back then. To this day, Doom is still one of my favorite games. It still ends up on all of my windows machines. When most people get bored at their computer, they open up solitaire or click through minesweeper. Not me. I open up Doom.

This is not what Doom looks like, but this is my screen capture output. I thought it looked cool anyway; fits the blog color scheme and I'm too lazy to try and fix it.

The original Xbox was a dorm room stable during my college years; we all played Halo and Halo 2, of course. But when Doom 3 made its Xbox debut, I went out and bought my own Xbox console. So I could play Doom 3 and not have to share with all the crazy Halo nuts. The Doom 3 experience was solely single-player for me; I blasted my way through the Mars UAC research facility, going late into cool spring nights with my own Xbox and 19 inch television stashed in my dark bedroom. While playing the game, I wanted to be scared. And, for the most part, I was.

Doom 3 was an excellent experience, but when I want to play Doom, I still turn to the Doom installed on my little netbook. If I'm sitting at my Xbox 360 and I get the Doom itch, I can play the XBLA version of Doom, which I downloaded on a whim when first appeared. I didn't even know it was taken down and put back up until recently. I do prefer the keyboard instead of a game controller when it comes to the original Doom games though.

Like I need excuses to play more Doom, but a graphically enhanced PS3 version with the Resurrection of Evil expansion and new levels. That's more than a good excuse to play more Doom; that's a damn good reason to play more Doom.