TusLAN: the 2008 LAN Party & Computer Gaming Room at TusCon35

WHAT:  LAN party and computer gaming at a Science Fiction Convention

WHEN:  November 7-9, 2008

WHERE:  the Inn Suites Hotel in downtown Tucson, Arizona

HOST:  TusCon, the 35th annual SF convention in Tucson, Arizona

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:  TusLAN FAQ

Here is a link to a two-page PDF TusLAN Brochure 

Ground Rules 

Hours. Friday 3PM to 11PM;  Saturday 10AM to 11PM;  Sunday 10AM to 4PM

Games.

Sponsors.

REGISTRATION  Please pre-register!

Volunteers and Staff  I can use all the help I can get!

FORUMS:  See the TusLAN thread in the Games forum at What's In Your Box? 
          See the TusLAN thread in the LAN Parties forum at http://www.reckingcrew.com/

NETWORK:  10/100/1000 switched.  We will have a limited number of Gigabit Ethernet ports!  If you want one, please say so when you register.

Three days of LAN!  You can bring your hot gaming PC on Friday afternoon to set up and LAN for a few hours, then leave your rig set up overnight in our secure hotel ballroom so you can come back Saturday morning for a full day of LAN action! And you don't have to worry about packing until Sunday afternoon after another night's rest and several more hours of LANning.  If you don’t have a gaming PC, we will have many computers for you to use, graciously provided by our sponsors.  We will play multiuser computer games without the time lag experienced on the Internet, and with personal interaction with the other players.

TusCon members are also TusLAN members!  TusCon membership fees are $35 until 5/9, $40 until 9/12, and $50 after that and at the door.  All TusLAN participants must become members of TusCon.  Discount for TusLAN participants!  Every TusLAN participant who brings a computer (Bring Your Own Computer: BYOC) will only have to pay $15 for Saturday, $30 for all three days!  But they must register with TusLAN first.  Participants who volunteer for staff duties will only have to pay $20 for their TusCon/TusLAN membership.  Participants who bring additional computers or other LAN equipment for TusLAN use will be considered a Sponsor of TusLAN and be given additional discounts.

Members bringing computers (BYOC) must register with the TusLAN director to obtain your discount and to assure space is available.  Then, you must register with TusCon, which is where you send your money. 

With the large room, reserving table space should not be a problem as there should be capacity for about 50 computers, but registration will reserve your spot.

Computer gaming is in the Copper Ballroom!  The convention takes place at the Inn Suites Hotel in downtown Tucson.  This hotel has great wiring, since it is a site used by the Gem Show, so power for multiple computers will not be a problem  
Here is a plan layout of the gaming room (Copper ballroom):

Computer gaming will be in the Copper ballroom which is 70' x 60' (see floor plan, above).  But, this will be shared by the RPG and board games.  In the floor plan the round tables are all RPG and board games, while the computers are on the rows of rectangular tables.  NOTE: Most of the chairs for the RPG/board game (round) tables have been left out.

Here is a rendered view of the console gaming area, with plenty of seats for spectators. 

This is a rendered view of the computer gaming area from above the gaming tables, with the main entrance and gaming registration tables on the right.

Another rendered view from above the ballroom stage where the game servers will be located.  Console gaming will be around the corner on the right, while the main entrance is shown on the left.

1.  Ground Rules:

Ground Rules, Liability Waiver and Parental Permission:

Please read the Ground Rules.  This PDF document includes the liability waiver that all participants (except minors) will have to sign.  It also include the parental permission form required by TusCon to allow underage attendees to game on these computers.

2.  Hours:

Computer gaming room hours of operation:
Friday: 5PM to 11PM (setup starts at 10AM)
Saturday: 10AM to 11PM
Sunday: 10AM to 3PM
These hours may be extended if there is popular demand and volunteers become available.

3.  Games:

The preliminary gaming schedule is shown below.  Plans are still being made, and suggestions welcomed.  Since TusLAN is facilitated by a science fiction convention, we will feature games with a science fiction or fantasy theme.   The primary games anticipated at TusLAN are:

Unreal Tournament 2004 and mods, especially
ChaosUT, ChaosUT2004, ChaosUT2 and the ECE Bonus Pak
Star Wars: Battlefront2
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
Unreal Tournament 3

Other games being considered include:
Battlefield2
Battlefield 2142
HL2/CounterStrike:Source/Team Fortress 2
Serious Sam2
Call Of Duty 4
Serious Sam Second Edition
Halo 3
Call Of Duty

New games we will try to have demonstrated include:  Dragonshard, and Starship Troopers

 

TusLAN 2008 Computer Gaming Schedule

 

 

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

 

10:00 AM

Setup - No Gaming

Open Gaming

 

10:00 AM

 

 

11:00 AM

11:00 AM

 

 

12:00 PM

Setup - No Gaming

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars

UT2k4 DM

Team Fortress 2

UT2k4 DM

12:00 PM

 

 

1:00 PM

1:00 PM

 

Two 8 Player Teams

8 Player Teams

16 Players

16 Players

 

2:00 PM

Highest Score

Highest Score

Highest Score

Highest Score

2:00 PM

 

 

 

 

 

 

3:00 PM

Setup

Open Gaming

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars

UT2k4 DM

 

 

3:00 PM

 

 

 

 

4:00 PM

Pack up & move out

Pack up & move out

4:00 PM

 

Two 16 Player Teams

16 Player Teams

Two 8 Player Teams

8 Players

0 Players

0 Players

 

5:00 PM

$0.00

 

Highest Score

Highest Score

CLOSED

CLOSED

5:00 PM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6:00 PM

Star Wars: Battlefront 2

UT:2004 Chaos DM

Battlefield 2

UT:2004 Chaos DM

CLOSED 

6:00 PM

 

 

7:00 PM

8 Players

Two 8 Player Teams

8 Players

Two 8 Player Teams

0 Players

7:00 PM

 

Highest Score

Highest Score

Highest Score

Highest Score

CLOSED

 

8:00 PM

Star Wars: Battlefront 2

UT:2004 ONS

Team Fortress 2

UT:2004 ONS

CLOSED 

8:00 PM

 

 

9:00 PM

8 Player Teams

Two 8 Player Teams

8 Player Teams

Two 8 Player Teams

0 Players

9:00 PM

 

Highest Score

Highest Score

Highest Score

Highest Score

$0.00

 

10:00 PM

Star Wars: Battlefront 2

UT:2004 Invasion

Team Fortress 2

UT2k4 DM

CLOSED 

10:00 PM

 

 

11:00 PM

Two 8 Player Teams

Two 8 Player Teams

Two 8 Player Teams

Two 8 Player Teams

0 Players

11:00 PM

 

Highest Score

MP - Cooperative

Highest Score

Highest Score

CLOSED

 

12:00 AM

CLOSED FOR THE DAY

CLOSED FOR THE DAY

CLOSED 

12:00 AM

 

 

1:00 AM

0 Players

0 Players

0 Players

1:00 AM

 

CLOSED

CLOSED

CLOSED

 

 

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

 

 

TusLAN (TusCon Computer Gaming)

 


Our network is based on 10/100/1000 MB Network Switches.

 

Typically, we have "open" game sessions, with mixture of pure deathmatch, team play and cooperative play, usually by request. If there is an expression of interest, I will set up tournaments.

4.  Sponsors:

Sponsors for this year’s TusLAN are TBD. 

We are seeking additional corporate sponsors.

Prior year sponsor include:

Hardcastle Cards and Games  Visit their website at the following URL:  http://www.hardcastlegames.com/

Pelstar Computers   2351 North Alvernon Way Tucson, AZ 85712  520-323-7775 

Technical Data Systems http://www.tdscomputer.com (TusLAN2003 and TusLAN2002)

Tucson Gaming Center [GameAmerica - Tucson] has sponsored TusLAN for several years with use of about 15 computers.  Thank you, TGC!  But, TGC has gone out of business L   http://www.tucsongaming.com (TusLAN 2005, 2004 & 2003)

 

5.  LAN PARTY BYOC PARTICIPANT REGISTRATION:

If you are interested in bringing your own computer (BYOC) to participate, please register with the director of TusLAN by email

tuslan@earthlink.net

Please include the following information:

* Gaming nickname:
* Name:
* Street Address:
* City, State, Zip:
* Preference from Seating Chart:
* How many computers you will bring.
* Whether your computer(s) meets minimum or recommended requirements (see below)
* Exactly when do you anticipate you will arrive at TusLAN?
* Exactly when do you anticipate you will depart from TusLAN?
* Are you willing and able to help supervise the computer room during the convention?

NOTE: This email is for TusLAN registration only.  All participants must also separately register with
TusCon.
The TusCon web page has a link to PayPal for online registration.
Regular TusCon membership rates can be found at the TusCon web site. 

Discount for TusLAN participants!  Every TusLAN participant who brings a computer (Bring Your Own Computer: BYOC) will only have to pay $15 for Saturday, $30 for all three days!  But they must register with TusLAN first. 
When registering with TusCon, make sure you state “TusLAN BYOC membership” to get the discount.

Participants who volunteer for staff duties will only have to pay $20 for their TusCon/TusLAN membership. 
When registering with TusCon, make sure you state “TusLAN Staff membership” to get the discount.

The director of TusLan is Avery Davis.  Please contact me at my email address if you have any concerns not addressed here:

tuslan@earthlink.net

SEATING CHART -  Select your seat from the following plan view:

Send your seating preference to the TusLAN Director.

Computer Requirements:
If you can run the games in the list above, your computer should be OK for this, but here is what I would like to see as a minimum:
* Pentium3 or AMD Athlon 1.0GHz (2.0 GHz or greater RECOMMENDED).
* Memory: 256 MB RAM (512 MB or greater RECOMMENDED).
* Video System: DirectX 8.1a compatible 3D Accelerator card with 32MB or greater VRAM (DirectX 9 & 64MB VRAM recommended)
* 100Base-T compatible Fast Ethernet NIC.
* Sound Card: Direct Sound (DirectX 8.1a) compatible.
* Several GB hard drive space free if the above games are not already installed.
* O/S: Windows98/ME/2000/XP with DirectX 9.0c (or later) installed.
Also, don’t forget your monitor, keyboard, mouse, headphones (not speakers), and a surge protector power strip.  Having your own long (20 to 25 feet) Ethernet patch cable will likely expedite your connection to the LAN.
If you have extra items that might be useful, such as network cables, hubs/switches, NICs, power cords, even a complete extra computer, please consider bringing them also.  For your protection, please clearly label everything you bring with your name and address, and make sure all of your critical data is backed up.

6. Volunteers and Staff:

I am looking for staff members to help setup, take down and supervise the operation of TusLAN.  Staff membership gives a further discount on your TusCon membership: you will pay only $20, just like I do.  Here are some of the jobs I need done:
Tech Support - Client:  Troubleshoot problems with participant PCs, especially network problems.  Helps set up network.
Tech Support - Network:  Design, organize, setup and manage the network.  Troubleshoot server PC problems.
Tech Support - Power:  Design, organize, setup and manage the electrical power distribution.  Troubleshoot power problems.
Dedicated Server Host:  Setup and operate game servers.
Tournament Host:  Plan, organize, setup and operate gaming tournaments.  Obtains and awards prizes.
Tournament Officials:  Conduct and score gaming tournaments.  Monitor for cheating.  Assist the Tournament Host.
Customer Support - Reception:  Check-in and seating of participants.  GoTo person for participant's questions and requests, and general assistance.
Customer Support - Stationkeeping:  Monitor the level of trash and litter in the area, and assist participants in cleaning up their stations.
Customer Support - Backup:  Assist other support personnel when they need help.

I am also looking for volunteers to lend equipment needed to build the LAN.  This includes:
Unmanaged 100Base-T switches: at least one 24-port, plus several 16-port.
Several server PC's for game servers, plus maybe one for a DHCP server.
CAT5 Ethernet patch cable, or volunteers to help build some from the cable and plugs I have.

Please let me know if you are willing and able to help with this: 

tuslan@earthlink.net

Click HERE for previous TusLANs.

Links to sites listing TusLAN:

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