What to bring/What not to bring!

As its only a weekend stay, all you will need is the following:

* A few Clothing items
(T-shirts etc)
* Money
* Gaming Accessories (Wired Controller, Hard Drive, Headset)
* Identification
* Toiletries (Tooth Brush, Shower Gel etc)

I must stress on the importance of the money issue. Only bring what you
intend on spending. An example is to set a limit and stick by it. As if
going to a tournament isn't costly enough, overspending can be quite
dear and you will most probably regret it. You can find more details
below under the spending section. Also, leave yourself enough to use as
an emergency.

Identification also has its importance. If you intend on going out with
team-mates/friends, then bringing your ID would seem to be the natural
thing to do. Also, you will need to bring ID with you incase you are
asked to prove your age/details to gain entry to the LAN event. It
would be preferable if you was to bring your Drivers License or
Passport.

Unless you want to game in the nude (awaits sarcasm), then obviously
bringing clothes to last you a weekend is the "normal" thing to do. I'm
positive there will be an awful amount of sweat and the smell of
unwashed balls will be flying around, so bringing toiletries for
hygiene would seem a step in the right direction; this would include
deodorant, shower gel, and a toothbrush.

Make sure to bring your own controller and hard drive. If you are
unlucky enough to forget these two items then you may have to rent out
a wired controller and/or Xbox hard drive. If you know someone who has
a spare, then by all means, sponge off them as it's for the benefit of
you and your team. ESGN will provide spares, however there will be
limited amounts. It's imperative that you bring a wired controller
otherwise you will not be allowed to play.

The following are items that are preferred if you do not bring for your own benefit:

* Xbox 360
* Unnecessary Items that will overload you
* Too much money

Bringing your own Xbox 360 is a waste of time and effort.

When I say unnecessary items I mean bringing items that cause unwanted
hassle. It is preferred that you only bring items to the event that you
will need, such as gaming equipment, money, clothes etc.

Don't bring too much money as it will attract unwanted attention to
yourself. Flashing the cash will most probably result in you loosing
it. My advice would be to bring a set limit of cash with you so that
you don't overspend and leave some for emergencies.

Spending

If you are not looking to spend a lot of money at the event then take
read this part carefully. If you are filthy rich, then by all means
skip this part.

From my past experience, I do not advise that you bring your cash card
with you, unless you are pretty awesome at managing money. Spend wisely
on only what you need and not what you want. Bring money for
food/drink, emergency, travel to and from hotel.

I cannot give an exact amount of money that would be suitable to bring
as prices of the above could vary. An estimation is also hard to give
as different people have different needs and opinions on what is enough
or it just depending on how tight you are. My last event that I
attended I brought with me a total of £60 to pay for
food/drink/travel/emergency over a space of 2 days and it lasted me
well.

If you are a team who happen to be sponsored by an organisation that
provide LAN support, then speak to your manager or whoever is relevant
on how much support you will be getting. This could help to in the
final decision on how much you intend on bringing.

Valuables

The main importance of this section is to advise people to KEEP YOUR VALUABLES SAFE.

Also most LAN locations will not be held responsible for items missing,
so be sure to keep valuables safe and secure with you at all times.
Only take with you your phone and some cash in a wallet at the event.

What to Expect

When going to a LAN event, expect people to be really friendly face to
face. Even the ones you don't get along with online. People tend to act
different away from an event because there is a physical barrier,
whereas there is none at the event.

You will find it weird when you meet team-mates/other players in real
life. Meeting people in real life is fun and enjoyable. You will most
probably think "You sound completely different than you do on XBL" or
"I can recognise your voice from a mile away" - or along those lines!

Expect the gaming face to occur once competition gets under way. What
you will find great (hopefully) about LAN is that you play opposite
your opposing team, therefore alot of smack talk will happen, and it's
damn right brilliant. Apart from competing for money on a fair
connection, it's what LAN is all about. But expect to be shouted back
at and if you shout loud enough, you may draw quite a crowd round your
table. This is a good thing really, unless you are quite contempt in
having people watching you play and hearing a few "tuts/aww's" in the
background. But one thing you will find, is people genuinely support
the underdogs, so expect major support everytime you win a round or
kill. It is a real turn on in fact and can make you play brilliantly.

There will most probably be free play around so you can warm-up or just
play games for fun. This is always helpful to beat bordem or even an
ice-breaker. However there is always a game going on whether it be
Halo, GOW, COD4 or FIFA that has its importance, so you can always sit
behind and watch quietly or even if you want, talk smack.

Also expect to have your "e-rep" on the line or so to speak. You will
feel the difference when playing on a LAN connection opposed to playing
online and the difference is a positive one. But don't go into the
event thinking that you will choke, go into it with a positive mindset.
Even the people who were tipped to play well at an event, Failed.

The important thing is to be yourself and enjoy the weekend. You get to
meet some interesting characters and you may even see a certain player
bang out their lime green ASDA T-shirt or a guy dressed as a cowboy.
Everyone is out to have a good time and play their particular game and
get as far as they can.

Questions and Answers

In this section, LAN warrior Millo will answer some questions questions that a gamer attending their first event virgin may ask.

Riddlez: Hi there Millo, lets start off simple. What is the whole atmosphere like during an event?

Millo: Every game feels like a tournament final at LAN, with the
pressure being so high and there being no excuse for a bad performance
it seperated the men from the boys. With crowds behing you cheering
your every clutch it definitely brings a great atmosphere that you just
can't get from online play.

Riddlez: Were people like what you expected or was you completely taken by surprise?

Millo: In some cases they are exactly what you expect, you generally
get a vibe from people if there genuine in who they are. Some people
though completely catch you by suprise, there was one BsE guy who never
ever had a mic but he was that good we kept him anyway. We got to the
LAN event and he was 47 and had his children with him who also played.

Riddlez: Did you spend alot whilst attending the event and what
would your advice be to those who wish not to spend an awful amount?

Millo: My first XL I spent £20. Pot noodles and cheap lager from Aldi
got me through that weekend. If you have money to burn, then do it..
there's always events to enter and banquets to buy but if you are on a
tight budget you will be fine.

Riddlez: What is your overall opinion in attending a LAN event?

Millo: I love it, it's a great weekend and you get to have fun with a
completely different set of friends to that what you normally do. In my
opinion it's well worth the effort even if you don't walk away with
first prize


Riddlez: And finally, as you have attended many different LANs, what
advice would you suggest to those who are attending for their first
time?

Millo: Well, dont be daunted by the preconceptions that it's a festival
of fat nerds who have no life. Most gamers are normal people and are
people you can have just as much of a laugh in real life with as you do
online. Make sure you be yourself, alot of people go to LAN trying to
hard to impress people and end up looking silly. Gaming wise, before
each game try and sit down with your team and talk over your opponents
strengths and weaknesses, LAN is alot different to online as everything
is equal so adapt your gamestyle to fit that.

Riddlez: Thanks for your time Millo, are there any last words you wish to say?

Millo: Make sure you buy your tickets early so your confirmed a place,
With the COD4 community booming at the moment I think we could go one
better than XL4 and actually run out of tickets

I hope this guide was helpful to those who are thinking about attending
their first LAN event. It always helps to ask those who have been
before.



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