QUOTE (dead_man @ Jan 19 2009, 10:10 PM)
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TF2 didnt end up running unfortunatly due to reason outside of my control, i spoke to several players at the LAN some of who could and some couldnt run TF2 for some reason. apparantly an update of some sort (though this isnt mentioned on steam)
i had this issue of tf2 wanting to update even though it said it was updated 100% and copying over other people GCFs didnt help either.
[offtopic]
for future reference if that happens... Grab the updated GCF files from someone. Get UCL. Set up UCL to run under your Steam username and to use your steam apps folder. Right click game, "Install Minimum files". That will extract the updated files out of the updated GCF files and place them in the game's folder. You could also do it the other way around.
I didn't see any TF2 update though. There was one on Tuesday though.
[/offtopic]
A few more small things I've thought of. Constructive criticisms. This post is bound to sound negative, but as per my previous post, it was an aboslutely epicly awesome LAN. But not perfect - there's no such thing as a perfect LAN (maybe when full VR comes along...
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)
-Carpet squares across cables really need to have a little bit of tape on them. Almost all of them were completley off the cables they were covering by the end of the LAN. It's a bastard of a job to do when you're flat out and exhausted (been there, done that, drawn substantial blood from trying to do it too quickly), but it is a rather important one, especially when you're running fibre cables around which may get damaged by a high heel/wheelie chair, along with huge bunches of mains cables. Duct tape is cheap and effective.
-Perhaps have the projector cycling through various information when it's not being used for other stuff, such as upcoming comps, server info (what servers are running. If you can manage it, whcih ones are populated), any other major information (food at xPM, etc). I do really like the idea that was mentioned of spectating a competition. I think I saw Source: TV running on the CS: S server already? Not hard to set up for source servers, anyway. Then when nothing's happening, switch it to Tank's folder of 4000 funny images which he
will bring next time
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-Don't have a CS: S competition scheduled over 5 hours for just the qualifying rounds
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(a quick comp is a good comp. Perhaps a time limit of no more than an hour for any single competition, unless otherwise posted)
-Announcers should have an energy drink 15 minutes prior to announcing and/or presenting prizes. I do realise you've been working your arses off for the previous 30+ hours, but a few times people on staged looked/sound like they were about to fall asleep
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If it's possible, some form of coloured lights around would be good. I think someone mentioned it in the IRC channel the night before the LAN. The hall already has stage lighting hung. That probably means there's spare lights around you could hang without screwing up their default lighting layout, and then add coloured gels in. I don't think it's worth paying for though., so only if you can get them off the hall for free already
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If you got some funky party lights, such as a colour changer / wave effect light / what not, it'd be even better.
Other good things I didn't mention last time.
-Awesome decorations. I loved the clear tarps hanging down from the mezanine. Very well done to whoever made them.
-Custard chugging and hard drive throwing were fantastic. It's always great to see half the hall participate in something, or at least go out and watch. I found it to be a great way to talk to randoms I'd never seen before, not to mention getting the vital vitamin D for which we're often starved
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It's a pity not as much enthusiasm was shown for the other AFK comps (I keep going to call them smacktard events like we call them up here... >.> )
-Flatout 2 comp was awesome. Again, I'd love to see more participation like that. Need to find a game that supports an epic amount of people in one server, then try and get as many people as possible in the game. Quake III was cool too. The second time ever I'd played the game, and I won. Perhaps a game mode that requires skill next time
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-Complements to the check in chicks (and any guys that were doing it. There weren't any when I checked in though). I was expecting a few minute wait, minimum, when checking in. Instead, it was pretty much "Hi. I'm SirSquidness. 'sup?", handed them money, got the envelope, then done!
Perhaps next time along with the dog tags, a small badge or something to stick on the front of your PC/monitor. I, for one, am shit at remembering names, so I met a few people then forgot who they were while talking to them at their PC. I hung up the envelope that the dog tags came in on the front of my PC, and a few people said hi. One guy in particular initated a conversation with me on IRC becuase he was in the next row across and recognised the name from said envelope on my PC. It's just another small way to encourage people to mingle etc, which I reckon is the best part of LANing - meeting fellow nerds.
That's all from me for now.
Love,
-Sirsquidness
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