The lan xix

[BrotherTobious]

THE LAN

The LAN's are the cornerstones of our community they bring us together twice a year to meet new people, finale see if people look like they sound.  But most of all to have a shead load of fun.  

Each LAN is basicly the same format,

Thursday Night Club - Some of our members make the trip the night before, usually a few drinks at the bar catching up, dropping out to town for some food. If we can the room will be set up with the Network.

Friday The hordes arrive people arrive in dribs and drabs over the morning and afternoon, setting up machine catching up and get that first important pint while you machine boots up for the first time.

Also followed by the Steak Night most of the attendees in the dinning room drinking and have a great laugh.  The hotel puts this on for us every LAN and has become one of the traditions.  But if Steak is not your thing they have full Al Carte menu too.

Saturday Compertitions this is where we seperate the men from the boys or girls  A number of compertions will be run and sometimes there are prizes.  It is great fun to have the whole room playing in teams agaisnt each other.  Also watching the finals for example the deagle comp.

Sunday few last games before home pack up clear up and get home in time for Sunday Lunch or for our further a field Dinner

But there is always a few subtle difference as the LAN admin team changes from time to time.

So has this moisten you appetite??  Well there are still space for LAN XIX sign up or ask those who have been if you want more information, they have a green or red suitcase badge.  

On that note a guide to a LAN

Jabbs wrote this some time ago, but it is worth pinning for those who have not yet attended one of our LAN parties.  

Many thanks Jabbs!

TL.

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

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.

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

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

Hope to see you there!!!!