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| Arrival
I just received the Neoya VGA pack, nicely packed, sent via USPS. Mailing label says $6.05. Glad to see the seller made off with $2 in change after charging me $8. Fleabayers, what can I say?
I'll be testing the Neoya immediately when I get home. The Max Shooter will follow sometime after, possibly Saturday afternoon or Sunday.
The review entries will go up shortly after. | | |
| Peripheral Purchases
Max Shooter Adapter
I just received my new Max Shooter KBM adapter for Xbox. TeamXbox.com gave it a perfect 10/10 (http://hardware.teamxbox.com/articles/xbox/1241/Max-Shooter-Review/p1/).
For any of you PC games out there that have been relunctant to switch
to Xbox because of your familiarity with PC games, this adapter will
help make that transition smooth beyond compare. At only $20, this
adapter is the most affordable and feature-packed KBM adapter on the
market.
-- supports most of the keys on keyboard and mouse (including scroll-wheel)
-- 9 programmable levels of mouse speed adjustment
-- programmable Y axis of mouse control inversion
-- 10 degrees of mouse deadzone setup
-- built-in memory card slot fo compatible peripherals including Xbox Live modules (ie. headsets)
-- works with any games, even without built-in KBM support
-- compatible with all Xbox consoles
-- compatible with standard PS/2 mice, including most of USB mice with a PS/2 adapter
-- compatible with optical KBM
What's not to love? I ordered my friend Repesent99 (John) one and
hopefully I can finally get him to start playing H2 on XBL (free
2-month XBL trial with your name on it, buddy).
Neoya X2VGA+ HD VGA Pack
With my new KBM adapter for Xbox, it only makes sense that I get a VGA
adapter for my Xbox (since Xbox doesn't support DVI) so I can utilize
my 20" widescreen LCD at home to play Halo 2 in widescreen format. The
Neoya VGA pack is probably the best on the market. At $64.95 for
retail**, it's a steal too (although the $13 shipping hurts). Coupled
with my KBM adapter, I can now take the VGA pack with me to work and
play on my CRT monitor. Or if I'm brave enough, head into the boardroom
to borrow the projector. Overtime never looked more appealing.
The Official Xbox Magazine rated it as an Editor's Choice. Reviews on Neoya's VGA pack, located here (http://www.x2vga.com/#reviews).
The X2VGA is a small piece of hardware about 5 by 2 inches. Extremely
lightweight, practically floating. On it, the VGA input to connect the
monitor, along with a TOSLink, and AV connections to connect speakers.
Nice simple design comprised of all black except for the two green
buttons on top.
rickytlee was actually the first one I knew to get this VGA adapter. He
had purchased a projection screen so it was only natural for him to
purchase this adapter. Although I have yet to see it on a CRT, the VGA
pack worked wonders on Ricky's projector. With a 8 foot wide screen of
Halo 2 on your wall, what's there not to love?
As soon as I get a chance to setup both the KBM and VGA adapter, I will write another entry detailing the pros and cons.
If interested, the links below take you to the sites where you can purchase the peripherals I just covered.
**I purchased the Neoya VGA pack off Ebay for $70 includ. shipping. The
manufacturer ships directly from China if you purchase off their
website.
Max Shooter (http://www.cliffracer.com/store/maxshooter.php)
Neoya X2VGA+ HD VGA Pack (http://www.x2vga.com/) | | |
| Fun With Graphs
I've generated performance graphs tha reflect 90 days of gameplay, give or take a few days. Actual days are not necessary for this exercise, as the purpose is to address a few points and corresponding variables.
Performance Graph
Gamertag: rickytlee
rickytlee's graph looks good. He's played a good amount of games which allows us to identify and track trend during this 90 day period. To recognize a relatively unskilled player, look for an inverse ratio for games played and efficiency (KApD, kills+assists per death; KpD, kills per death). rickytlee displays a rather steady performance efficiency. At one time, he reached lvl 26 and there's no doubting that it would have occurred in the first few week of July.
Performance Graph
Gamertag: STEALTH 111
STEALTH 111 has played the most games out of the three examples. His graph has some great examples of the inverse ratio that I mentioned -- i.e. ~ May 24th, his games played skyrocketed but his efficiency dropped a little. At the end of the month in June and into July, STEALTH 111 played his fewest games of the month but his efficiency was at it's steadiest. With the Banhammer update implemented since July 20th, we should start seeing a more balanced ratio across the entire H2 XBL community.
Performance Graph
Gamertag: sgtMACSwell
Since I played the fewest amount of games my graph appears less detailed. With this view, you can further see the change in the ratio before and after May 20th. I'm particularly proud of this graph because it shows that my efficiency has gone up. My goal for the month of August is to try to pull my average kills-per-death above 1.5 and kills+assists-per-death above 1.8.
Again, hats off to Bungie for supporting its fans with their continuous efforts to make our gaming experience safer and more pleasant. | | |
| Your Stats on Display
If you take a look to your left, right below my profile you should see a little Halo 2 emblem that displays leveling for each gametype. Interested one display yours? It's simple and quick.
The emblem is coded by a company named IronHive and I found it on the Podtacular Blog site (http://podtacular.blogspot.com). Click on the IronHive direct link (http://www.ironhive.com/halo2pod.cfm) and insert your gamertag in the corresponding text box.
Below will be a HTML code that you will need to place in a module (that accepts HTML coding) for your Xanga site or any other blog. For Xanga users, that would be in your Look & Feel personalization page. Insert, preview, and then approve. The emblem should be on display. | | |
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