you dont go and try to learn C++ straight away. before i even touched C++ i had already learned (in roughly this order):
html visual basic scheme php java (learning at the same time)
i recommend a similar path. html isn't really a programming language, but its a start. visual basic is easy and lets you know the basics. php keeps it easy but introduces parenthesis and line terminators among other things, and java introduces object orientation. you might want to skip scheme, but its useful to know about iterative programming. (btw, scheme is almost the same as lisp, with a few changes)
you'll want to do one project in each language at least (only 1000 or so lines), making sure you have learned everything before moving on. C++ introduces pointers (and a few other bits and pieces)
TF2 is like killing midgets in a circus. tragically hilarious. and more fun than stealing twenty thousand bouncy balls and releasing them at the top of a steep road. (okay, maybe not THAT fun, but it lasts longer)
in other news, people are now classified into two groups: 1. love TF2 2. FAIL choose carefully!
seriously, it's not C++ thats hard to learn. its the three-dimensional part that is a bitch.
Rabid, about the source BSP thing, i've read the BSP stuff before, and while it is fairly effective, it is far from elegant. i haven't compared it to anything tho, so it might still be better than various other popular formats (in some areas, compiling is still really annoying).
i've heard about the in-editor particle editor and wondered how it was being implemented. rabid, do you know any 1337 insider info about how flexible it is?
i know the fizzlers in portal are an entity you set to particle effect "<name here>" and set the angles, etc., but this doesn't seem to be an "editor" as such.
the Half-life engine really sucks are large, open environments. i dont think it's much of an issue anymore, because computers can run it fine these days. and in CS, maps are usually relatively small anyway. (compared to a single player HL map)
i wouldn't do that dell idea. if you're ordering from that fancy newegg site that you americans have access to, you have a much much wider selection of parts to look at. i think i've said it before, but when you're ready jump on IRC when i'm on and say how much you want to spend, and i can point out some recommended parts.
no. matching pairs are an old idea, these days you can use anything. just don't plug them into the same channel if your motherboard has dual channel, because they should be identical (size & speed) for dual channel to function properly. read the mobo manual and it should tell you if any slots are on the same channel.
edit: since it wasn't actually explained, matching pairs is basically buying a kit (for example, 2GB kit = 2x1GB sticks) and using that. its "highly recommended" for dual channel, but these days you dont need it to run normally. if you dont know about dual channel, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual_channel
basically, i think everyone here is talking about dual channel. it is unstable with different sized chips, and runs slower with different speeds. not using dua channel means the sticks will run independently, at their clock speeds.
well theres a tool to convert the VMTs so hammer can use them (obz the new ones are used in-game), vmex has been updated for the new version, and the current compile tools work for basic maps. but it's a bit if a bitch to work on with the outdated hammer.