A Virgin's Guide to 'The LAN'
(and kind of a post LAN report for those people who have never been to one!)
Before I go headlong into a report of the LAN from a virgin's point of view, I would like to say how much I enjoyed the weekend and how welcoming and easy (perhaps that's the wrong word to use but what the hell) everyone was. It was almost like I had been to several before - thanks guys :D
Anyways, for those of you who have thought about booking your place and didn't know whether to pluck up courage or spend out the cash or whatever other excuse you could find not to go...Here is the thread you need to read! :g:
Expectations
I've been to a couple of iSeries LANS before. That's the huge Multiplay events held in Newbury several times a year which have sometimes 1000+ people attending. Large cash prizes for competition winners and so on.
But a dMw LAN is in so many ways sooo much better! You know already that dMw is all about community and respect and that is the main difference between a dMw LAN and a large LAN event like iSeries. With iSeries you really only get to know the people you go with and who you sit next too. With a dMw LAN, you get to know everyone, noone is looked down upon or forgotten as can so easliy happen at a large event.
My expectations were that I hoped to start building friendships with the people I game with and chat with on the forums and in the servers. To put faces to names basically.
My expectations were surpassed completely! :yahoo:
Why? Well I did get to know better and start friendships with the people who attended the LAN, but it kind of went further than that. I feel so much more part of the community, now that I have been to the LAN. Believe me people, you don't know what you are missing out on if you have not been to one. :boxing:
The weekend itself
Because I have just moved into a new flat and things personally for me are just getting back on their feet, I was worried that I was wasting my cash, that to be honest I really need here. (I need a new monitor for instance - yeah yeah yeah I know I was the only person there with a CRT monitor, but did I get the pi**taken out of me for it? Hell yes, of course I did!) hehehehe
But anyway, I travelled up from Plymouth and probably went the wrong route which meant when I got past Leicester I was thoroughly thinking what a waste of time and money this was. God, I hate Leicester, no offence but it took me ages to get past and I was STILL another hour away! :crying:
But hey I carried on and got to the LAN safely.
I was sat between Dr Sadako and Jamoe. Two nicer people you couldn't meet. Well maybe you could but they are really nice people I promise you! On Jamoe's left was Venom and on the Docs right was Delan. All really cool people who I now consider my friends - cheers buds. :narnar:
Friday evening
For most the Friday evening was just chilling and eating steak. Except for Jamoe of course who had to go buy a motherboard and get his PC up and running! I turned in early (about 1am) and got a good nights sleep.
Saturday
A hearty breakfast and we were sat in front of PC's for the next 14-16 hours withe occasional break for food, drink and bright lights outside the building (god they were bright) :blink:
What a great day. Plenty of practise Deagling and CSS which lead to the CSS Team Competition which Docs team won. Four teams evenly matched lead to a hard fought final where our team lost the first round but came back to pip our opposition - just.
Later on we had the Deagle Tourney. Names were picked out of an invisble hat and by an incredible stroke of luck (bad luck for the rest of us) Dr Sadako and Buttafacio were matched with each other. This tourney was 2 on 2 which of course they won.
Also the BF2 compo which Jamoe and I had trouble with (due to PC problems honest) seemed to go down well.
Once the competitions were over, the announcements were made of the winners and prizes dished out. The only competition that wasn't announced was the competition for oldest monitor which of course I won hands down!
Finally mid evening many of us got back on CSS and Whitey started a Zombie server - have I ever had so much fun outside the bedroom? Errr no. Awesomely funny. From Benny's frustrated and humorous commentary to everyones frantic and desperate attempts to find a spot to hide from the Zombies. This was soo good we carried on going till what must have been 2:30am or later.
Note: Many people were also playing other games of course like Call of Duty 4 and World of Warcraft. :rolleyes:
Sunday
Another hearty breakfast and we were all sadly packing our kit away. A few last minute leeches and I was gone on the long trip back to sunny Plymouth.
Games played
Counter-Strike Source of course
Call of Duty 4
Battlefield 2
World of Warcraft
Live for Speed
Age of Empires
Wii and so many more.
Finally
Honestly people, I don't know what to say to make you come to a LAN soon. But do it! If you play games on dMw servers you MUST find it in yourself to come to a LAN.
Trust me - it really is worth it.
Kind regards to everyone.
Laters.
Jabbs
Quote from: Jabbs;228747Why? Well I did get to know better and start friendships with the people who attended the LAN, but it kind of went further than that.
Benny got to you didn't he? :narnar:
Glad to hear you had a great time, i hope to get myself down to one soon, definitely sounds like a lot of fun. Thanks for the blog too! :D
Thanks Jabbs:thumb:. Nice to meet you and I hope you can come again :). Nice report, it is a bit weird to begin with as you have to put voices to faces. Although most of the community have met people virtually but not in actual person this doesn't stop everyone lending a hand if someone's machine breaks or just the general dmw chit chat. It was also nice to see some old faces :). Roll on Lan number fourteen :yahoo:
Good write up Jabbs, I hope to come to a Lan soon to, as soon as I have sorted the PC (currently re-installing CSS after my system crashed 4 times and corrupted the steam files on Saturday :ranting2:)
Not that far away from either, so no excuse for me really!
How many people turn up to dMw Lans out of interest?
As a fellow LAN noob I have to say Jabbs hit the nail on the head there great fun had by all.
:dmw::withstupid::dmw:
Quote from: Snokio;228754How many people turn up to dMw Lans out of interest?
Answer here! (http://www.deadmen.co.uk/forum/showpost.php?p=219495&postcount=1) (give or take...)
Usually there are only around 40 seats available due to the size of the room, with a few day trippers turning up to hijack unattended PC's. Last minute drop outs due to unforseen issues usually knock 2 or 3 off the final tally, but 36-40 is the norm.
As TeaLeaf quoted last night to one of the hotel staff, "We could make it bigger, but we keep it to around this figure to keep it a more personal community event".
Remember to clear your diary in October and book early for "-=[dMw]=-LAN XIV" when final dates are announced.
Quote from: Snokio;228754Good write up Jabbs, I hope to come to a Lan soon to, as soon as I have sorted the PC (currently re-installing CSS after my system crashed 4 times and corrupted the steam files on Saturday :ranting2:)
Not that far away from either, so no excuse for me really!
How many people turn up to dMw Lans out of interest?
The room was packed:
Four sets of back to back tables with five people on each side effectively facing each other. Meant you could see the face of the person you just killed :narnar: except for me of course cos I had a bloody great monitor in my way!)
That means about 10 ish people in each row and so 40+ people were at the LAN this time round.
I'm sure we could have a few more without spoiling the atmoshpere :rolleyes:
And yeh Snokio, if I can get there and indeed if people like The Doc and Delan can get there, then so should ANYONE within 2 hours drive.
Of course Lib has already told you above but i think one or two more would be nice :D
:D OK sold on the idea, hopefully next time i wont be stuck being told to stay still while a great big thing rushes past my head :crying:...... would have been good to meet all you guys...
Benny and squonk seem like my kind of people and well Lib and Sn00ks i work with so thats ellementary..
Ill come as soon as im old enough. :)
see you in 3/4 years :)
I will really try to get to the November one.
Nice work Jabbs, exactly what we asked for. You're £50 is in the post. Cheers mate
..... and Benny is no one's 'kind of person' he's is just plain wrong!
Quote from: smilodon;228784Nice work Jabbs, exactly what we asked for. You're £50 is in the post. Cheers mate
..... and Benny is no one's 'kind of person' he's is just plain wrong!
£50? I thought we said £100? :D
Jabbs my comrade, great write up, I am have only been to 2 Lans, and bith times I have felt welcomed and made to fit in, First Lan I was Ninja Bitch this time it was Doc's turn.
Even thought I am not part of DMW they still put up with me.
Hope to make it to the next one gents and thanks again :)
Quote from: Jabbs;228766The room was packed:
Four sets of back to back tables with five people on each side effectively facing each other. Meant you could see the face of the person you just killed :narnar: except for me of course cos I had a bloody great monitor in my way!)
That means about 10 ish people in each row and so 40+ people were at the LAN this time round.
I'm sure we could have a few more without spoiling the atmoshpere :rolleyes:
And yeh Snokio, if I can get there and indeed if people like The Doc and Delan can get there, then so should ANYONE within 2 hours drive.
Of course Lib has already told you above but i think one or two more would be nice :D
For the record:
42 booked (38 attendees)
5 no shows / partials - (Paddy, Browne, Squ0nk and Ghoule / FatDan).
1 gatecrasher - (Sous chef / WoW fan ..... went off duty and brought his PC along).
1 Whinger - Liberator
1 purveyor of disgusting salted licorice - Dr Sadako, may he burn in hell.
Realistically the maximum the room allowed can accommodate is 44 (6 per side on long rows and 4 per side on server table). Any more than that and we're running out of space in the room as well as hotel rooms.
PEN
PS. Tobious, great to see you again - we always have a laugh. Come along to the next one dammit... :thumbsup2:
Quote from: BrotherTobious;228803Jabbs my comrade, great write up, I am have only been to 2 Lans, and bith times I have felt welcomed and made to fit in, First Lan I was Ninja Bitch this time it was Doc's turn.
Even thought I am not part of DMW they still put up with me.
Hope to make it to the next one gents and thanks again :)
You'd better be there.
I'm going to sell syrupwaffles again for serverfunding. As I can remember you seemed to like them aswell.
At LAN XII they were all sold within 10 minutes.
Well if you attend the next one, I will bring the money, I think a case full would be best, just for my order :)
Quote from: BrotherTobious;228818Well if you attend the next one, I will bring the money, I think a case full would be best, just for my order :)
:withstupid::w00t2:
Great to meet all new faces. Very well written "report" of a dMw LAN. I think you have captured what it is all about.
As someone said. If me and Delan drive for 15 hours (one way) to get to the LAN there is no excuse if you are closer by not to come.
Quote from: BrotherTobious;228803I am have only been to 2 Lans, and bith times
That spelling... tell me - you still playing?? :bleh:
who needs spelling, and yes I got some more gaming in when I got home. Yes I am addicted.
Nice write up Jabbs! Thanks for sharing your experience!
Some comments before the LAN like:"bring your own Lube" did have me a little worried..:lmfao:
I have the Lube already, all I need now is my own PC and I'm all game for the next LAN.
I'll just have to make sure Whitey, R@nger or BlueBall are going too, so we can share the ride :norty:
We had Whitey join Boomer a few times, and I have to say it did sound as though he was having fun.
Would it be wrong for me to say he was "tipsy"? (http://www.vbforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=43870&stc=1&d=1135606543)
Nah, that's just his accent :flirty:
PEN
Quote from: Dr Sadako;228822As someone said. If me and Delan drive for 15 hours (one way) to get to the LAN there is no excuse if you are closer by not to come.
Or you could drive like a man. I'm fairly sure I could make to yours in 2.5 hours, including a stop off for McDonalds.
Del said you drove like a girl, unfortunately you moan like one as well.
Quote from: Benny;228879Or you could drive like a man. I'm fairly sure I could make to yours in 2.5 hours, including a stop off for McDonalds.
Del said you drove like a girl, unfortunately you moan like one as well.
:roflmao:
Well that might be so ... but at least I stay on the right (i.e left) side of the road. ;)
I'm definately have to come to one of these things. I'll get a computer the doesn't bluescreen as frequently and then I'll sign up. The drives are not too bad for me, from either Falmouth or Swansea are both do-able without needing to refuel, though if the next one is November it's from Swansea which makes things much easier.
I'm all excited now. I'll do my best to come, when does signup start?
Quote from: no peanuts;228874I'll just have to make sure Whitey, R@nger or BlueBall are going too, so we can share the ride :norty:
With Thulsa missing this one, I'd think he'll want to go to the next. As he's a bit shy, i'd better come too :flirty:
It would be nice to have some good company for the journey, rather than having to listen to him all the way there and back. :devil:
I think R@nger might be up for it as well.
Quote from: T-Bag;228900I'm definately have to come to one of these things. I'll get a computer the doesn't bluescreen as frequently and then I'll sign up.
See the excuses are starting already! Come on! You know you wanna :D
Quote from: T-Bag;228900I'm definately have to come to one of these things. I'll get a computer the doesn't bluescreen as frequently and then I'll sign up. The drives are not too bad for me, from either Falmouth or Swansea are both do-able without needing to refuel, though if the next one is November it's from Swansea which makes things much easier.
I'm all excited now. I'll do my best to come, when does signup start?
Dates to be finalised once TL returns from his sojourn to sunnier shores.
Tentatively pencilled in for October 31st (but have yet to confirm that Amy's working that night :thumbsup2:).
Date will be confirmed in the next couple of weeks. Sign ups will be in a couple of months - I need a break dammit :)
PEN
Quote from: Jabbs;228935See the excuses are starting already! Come on! You know you wanna :D
yes it's an excuse....an excuse to buy myself a new computer :narnar:
Quote from: Whitey;228903With Thulsa missing this one, I'd think he'll want to go to the next. As he's a bit shy, i'd better come too :flirty:
It would be nice to have some good company for the journey, rather than having to listen to him all the way there and back. :devil:
You can kiss my hairy butt phat boy. :rumpy:
Quote from: Penfold;2288071 Whinger - Liberator
Oi!
Quote from: Penfold;228807Realistically the maximum the room allowed can accommodate is 44 (6 per side on long rows and 4 per side on server table). Any more than that and we're running out of space in the room as well as hotel rooms.
Make that 43 seats, we have to get TL's monitor into the room.