I just popped in BF3 for the first time since December/January. The first download was 1300+ MB and it was titled v1.05. It's been so long I don't know if that's what supposedly is coming out today, or if it's the update from a couple months ago. In any case, it took about 25-30 minutes. Then once that finished and the game started, a message popped up on the title screen saying I need to re-download Back to Karkand. So I did via the in-game store. The Karkand pack is ALSO 1300+ MB. So another 25-30 minutes to install that (your times may vary obviously... I have a pretty good internet connection and my PS3 is wired with a CAT-5). So just a heads up, if anyone's looking to play BF3 that hasn't played in a while, plan for at least an hour to download the updates before you can start playing.

I personally would love to get back into BF3. Especially now since they have the server rental feature. It's only $1.49 for a 24-hr rental. Might be worth it for all of us that haven't played in forever. Do an invite-only thing with DVDTalkers and their friends. Maybe it will even the playing field a bit so we don't get owned by randoms.

Hooked up just the TV and PS3 and will worry about setting up the sound system and mounting the TV later. Had to get at least the minimum setup going so my wife has Netflix / Hulu Plus / DVDs / Blu-ray while I'm out of town.

In the meantime...

I'm going to wash the baby bottles for tomorrow and hop on in the next 10-15 minutes or so for a good hour. Anybody up for some BFBC2 tonight?

I saw you were on as I was logging off. I'm still playing this most every night, but I'm mainly playing Vietnam right now, as I've finished all of the trophies for the main game except for leveling up to 22, so I've been working on the Vietnam trophies as I level up to 22 for the Plat.

You're welcome to join me anytime, but if you don't feel like playing Vietnam, I can jump into whatever game you like. Don't know how long you had been playing before I logged off, as that was the first time I noticed you were online.

It was my first time playing in like a month or so. Nabbed a few Ace Pins so either I've still got it or the team I played against never had it to begin with.

I missed that you were on, Cactus, so I hopped on with my bro. I'm not as good at Vietnam (that color palette wears on my eyes) but it's a fun one to do here and there. There's a handful of weapons that have shared stats between the two games and it's a good way to rack up some kills toward stars with them in a new setting.

Will likely sneak on once or twice before the weekend and then I'll be off again for a couple weeks.

Wanted to add my favorite moment last night: attacking on Valaparaiso, a chopper dropped me off at the first set of M-Coms. I set Bravo and ran back to set Alpha. I set it just as they disarmed Bravo. I ran back to Bravo, took a few of them out, and reset it... just as they disarmed Alpha! I ran back, shot them, armed Alpha again, and ended up taking out both objectives. Then I got a triple mortar strike kill.

That was awesome.

I don't know if it's that Vietnam is somehow easier for me, or if less people are playing it, or if I just didn't realize how good I've gotten because I was playing Recon for so long to get those M-95 SPECACT Sniper Rifles kills (and as I said before, I suck at sniping), but I've actually been doing really well playing a Medic in Vietnam. I don't have many Ace pins, but I got a couple, and I've usually been near the top of the leaderboard at the end of most rounds. Now that I've got gold stars on all the medic weapons (finished that last night), I'm moving on to the next class, so I guess we'll see how good I really am without all the heal/revive points to boost my scores.

Ok, to update the above, I played a few hours of Vietnam as an Engineer last night, and I did really well, and got 2 or 3 Ace Pins (which just about doubles my total for Ace Pins). So it's not just the Medic class. So either I'm better at this game than I thought, or Vietnam is just easier for me for some reason.

If anybody's going to be around, I'll see if I can hop on for a bit tonight.

Thinking I might hop on after the game.

Shit...played till 4AM.

Pretty good times...late night arrival of a clan of shotgun douches, which provided some late challenge. They took the first game they jumped in on Nelson Bay by about 20, and we staged a pretty epic comeback on Oasis and won by 3 or less.

I probably snagged a half dozen ace pins and at least one or two combat excellence pins. It's just a shame I didn't catch anybody on.

Anyone around this week?

I'm in for Friday night...100% will be there and will probably play pretty late...especially now that I'm on EST.

I'm mostly playing Vietnam, but I've been on quite a bit. If you guys wanted to get together and you'd rather play the main game though, I'm game.

Also, does my graphic on the first page still say level 21 for everyone or is there something screwed up with my cache? I'm on level 23 and I've updated my stats several times since I was at level 21, but that's still what I see. When I click on it and go to the site, I get the correct information though.

I still see 21 on yours.

Graphics aren't updating for me either. My level isn't going to change, but I'm short 6 ace pins.

I'm afraid Spatch is going to catch me...only 300 to go!

There is some interesting stuff in Vietnam, but I really only like two of the five maps...the Valley and Operation Hastings. The other 3 remind me very much of the the things I don't like about BF3 with unbalanced battles of attrition and not much room for creativity.

Anyway.

Friday. Bitches.

i have the game on 360. eventually i won't be able to play anymore from running out of HD space. I still just have my 20 gig. Can patches be put on flash drives. The patch sizes in the game are utterly ridiculous.

I know on PS3 I have a 500Gig passport hard drive connected thru the usb and I am usually given the option to download dlc, videos and demos to it but usually patches go straight to the hard drives.

Good times tonight with R2 and OG.

It's fun to watch OG mine whore...reminds me of me.

Funny moments:

- R2 mines the drive into Bravo on Port Valdez, and later a tank has us pinned down there pretty bad. We run around the barriers to evade it, and as it pulls around to get us, I ask "Is that tank still up?", and just as it explodes from driving over the mines, R2 says "Not any more."

- Me driving a tank in an area I had previously mined: "I sure hope those mines are mine."
- BOOM
- "Guess not."
- R2 and OG:
- "Only one way to find out!"

- Me reviving this blueberry wookie over and over from around a corner.

Wish I could figure out why the graphics aren't updating. It definitely seems to be on the server side, as I tried some other graphics and got the same (lack of) result.

Hit 408 Ace Pins...on my way to 500. Lately, it seems I get them more often with the engineer than I do the medic...those mine kills add up.

Sorry I missed the fun. I've been up late too many nights this week and it caught up with me. Crashed hard after my kids went to bed.

I need to play. I need to pick a night. And I need you assholes to be online.

Say when dingleberry.

Tonight?

We're going out for dinner, I think, but afterwards...yup.