LAN gaming has stormed campus, leaving a swath of bleary-eyed students shirking their studies for the joy of fragging their peers.
Local Area Network games, such as Unreal Tournament or Counterstrike, are played on a group of computers networked together so your opponents are controlled by real people rather than just the computer. Currently, there are two places to play LAN games on campus: the Campus Cove and Crypton Computers in the ICT building.
But why play on campus, when you can play against people on the Internet? First, if you’re on dialup, there’s a name we have for you: fresh meat. It’s extremely bourgeois, but the slower your connection, the faster you’ll get shredded into bloody giblets. Second, the LAN gamers at
U of C are ten times nicer than those on the net–but that doesn’t mean they won’t kick your ass. At the Cove, I tried the immensely popular Counterstrike, which is a realistic first person shooter in which the players are assigned to one of two teams: the terrorists or the counter-terrorists. Players must communicate and work together in order to win. As I kind of sucked my first time out, conversation between my teammate and I was rather short-lived.
“Silly Drak, always getting herself blown up,” was the first message that popped up on my screen.
However, the player sitting next to me, who went by the screen name Krod, was willing to take the time to help me learn the game. After a few more rounds the hunted became the hunter. And after that, I really started enjoying the game.
Brian Sander of the Campus Cove said the new LAN games have been extremely popular so far, with many people having to wait during peak hours.
“We’re planning on adding even more computers soon to ease the strain,” Sander said. “Also, we’re adding new games all the time.”
Across campus, Crypton Computers spokesman Donny Chau had a few words of advice for Counterstrike neophytes.
“Never camp,” Chau said. “Good players study the maps well and know where all the hiding spots are.”
He also emphasized that since this a team game, you should work with your team. Finally, learn your weapons and always aim for the head. Good advice for a multitude of situations.