Regarding Valve's commitment for individuals who pre- ordered The Orange Box... Did Team Fortress 2 go live for us on Monday, September 17th. Well, that all depends on your longitude, doesn't it. The much-hyped beta for the team shooter hit a bit of a bump in the road – something about the Linux version, or so the digital grapevine whispered. This glitch moved the launch to approximately 11:45 PM Pacific Time. Sure, Valve met their deadline in their own backyard; however, for anyone further east, let's just say many of us were tapping our feet and checking our watches with great impatience.
The adventure wasn't over even when it eventually fluttered to life. All those enthusiastic players—including myself—who had been on the edge of their seats for almost a day then had to burn even more midnight oil just to get a taste of the action.
Deep in it until 3 AM Pacific were my friends Norm and Jeremy and I. That was a terrible 5 AM for Jeremy, who was out in Chicago. But you know what. It was a complete riot. Was it a pain that the beta stumbled out of the gate. Naturally, If you see the word "beta" connected to anything and expect flawless perfection, however, you might be missing the point of what a beta is. It's a test drive, warts and everything.
I was rather well with the Soldier and the Sniper, surprisingly so. Jeremy, though, was entirely about the Pyro and Medic. And Norm. That man was legendary. Mostly playing as the Medic and the Heavy, he excelled on our server by a mile. About as productive as a bear in deep hibernation, we are all wandering about like sleep-deprived zombies; but, it was well worth it. Gold was those late-night wars.