New to LAN parties? Just want to know what to bring?
General Stuff
What does LAN stand for?
Lan stands for "Local Area Network". This is basically a small network of computers.What do LAN parties involve?
Lan parties are where lots of people meet in one place, bringing there own computer, and connect then all together in a network. Everyone then settles down to a day of playing games against each other. This should also hopefully involve a lot of fun etc. :)What is the point in a LAN parties?
Playing games on your own can get boring. It is more fun to have interaction with real people rather than just a computer. Also out network will use extremely fast network equipment. It is approx 20 times faster than ADSL! This means that unlike playing games online there is practically no lag, which makes the games much fairer, and more fun.What do I need?
Practically any computer can be networked (although we dont pretend that anything will do). You will need a fairly decent computer. Whatever game you want to play we suggest that you have the recommended requirements at least for it. Also a network card would be useful, although there are a limited number that can be supplied for use.On the day
What shall I bring?
Bring your computer, screen and all wires etc. If you dont have a network card dont worry, that will be sorted (but make sure you tell me before the day!). Snacks/food/drink are all a good idea. There is a kitchen available at the event, that you can use for preparing food etc. The nearest food place is quite a way away, but we might send people on a food run :).If you have any network equipment please bring that as the more the merrier :). There are a limited number of plug sockets, so bring a 4/6 way multi adapter. Also make sure you have all you OS and game CDs, incase you need to install/add/edit something during the event. The latest drivers of all your hardware will also help. Dont forget things like mouse mats. Before you leave make a check list of everything you want to take, because there would be nothing more annoying than turning up and finding out you have left you power cord at home, this will mean you have nothing to do! Please make sure you label everything that is yours, so that if something does get lost it can be returned to you safely. Please leave things like weapons, drugs etc at home as we dont want or need them. Also rember your headphones, as we may have a quiet hour, where speakers will be banned :)What games will be played?
You can play any game that you like if you host it on your own machine. There will definitely be a dedicated server for CS, and possibly for UT. I would like to host some better games, but the server isn't really up to it. Any one can host their own servers, UT2K3, and things like Red Alert (1 and 2) also seem quite popular.What network equipment will you be using?
The network will be based around a full-duplex 10/100 24 port 3com managed switch, with an 8 port 10/100 switch and an 8 port 10 hub for backup (but hopefully we will not need to use these). The dedicated server is an AMD 500MHz, with about 128MB RAM iirc. This bascially means that it will be a VERY fast network, and even if that fails, we have backup equipment that can be used.What happens if my computer doesn't work?
There will be no official support, and there will also be no refunds. This is not all bad news though, as most people there are pretty computer literate and kind, and will probably help you out. There will be geeks :) on hand, so you will probably be fine in the end. If you are using a more common OS (98SE/XP) then other people will be running this an able to advise you.Preparation/Other
What OS should I have?
I suggest Windows 98, 98SE, (ME), 2000, or XP. You can actually use any OS you like, it just might not work (see above question). These are the ones that can easily be setup to work on networks, and play the most common games.What happens if I break the rules?
You will be banned from all futher TwigLan events. I will probably ask you to leave, without a refund. Obviously this depends on the nature of it.Do you have insurance?
No, there is no insurance, and everything you bring is your own responsiblity. This means you can not blame me if some idiot trips over a wire and your computer goes flying. If you are worried you may be able to get your own private insurance.What are the prizes?
There may be sponsors of the event, I am working on that at the moment. There will be a couple of RAM keyrings as little prizes :).What should I do before I come?
Make sure your computer plays all the games you have. If you have a network card please set it up with TCP/IP, and clean out your hard drive, it might also be a good idea to defrag it.