I sort of feel some sympathy for the guy.
I used to buy computer equipment regularly to keep up with games.
Not so much anymore. When my expensive video card broke a few years ago I dug one out of the pile of retired video cards and slapped it into the gaming rig. I got tired of the large monitor and downgraded to a 17 inch flat screen that was laying in the closet.
My gaming computer is still AGP. $75 would get me a video card that would easily run the Beta. $75 is a minor cost. I lose that much cash in my pockets on a weekly basis when it hits the laundry.
So where has my desire to upgrade gone to?
Well, the upgrades don't really change the game.
Fancy ground and water on a computer still looks like crap even if it is photo-realistic crap. The polygon count to make terrain look like anything remotely real from a fast moving airplane isn't achievable and won't be for a while.
And I have long believed that high polygon aircraft are wasted in a game with icons on.
The aerial fight is all I'm interested in and that isn't changing much, if at all. There are 6 arenas with essentially identical gameplay.
I am constantly amazed at how difficult it is to find a aerial fight in an arena with literally hundreds of players. After 11 PM central time it is extremely difficult to find a bandit outside the ack.
So......I guess I feel sympathy for the guy. More money for the same pig with new color lipstick. But I've been dating this pig for almost 13 years so I guess I'll plunk down my nickels if I absolutely have to. But you can be darn sure if i can milk a steady 24 frames out of a 6 year old clunker with a pre-historic video card I will not upgrade.
Whine over.