It has been said that you should never return to the scene of a crime. Fortunately for the TTL Gunslingers, and a few distinguished guests, that same pearl of wisdom does not hold true for LAN parties – especially when the scene in question is a beach. Thus, on Memorial Day weekend, Tied the Leader held a repeat performance of last year’s AtLANtica event.
Telling the stories engendered at a LAN party is always a tricky proposition. Photos from the scene usually end up depicting faces frozen in a mask of tactical concentration. The camera is rarely trained on the attendees when the party erupts into exaltation. The competitive electricity in the room escapes the snapshots. The tension and suspense of live competition and social camaraderie defy illustration.
Thanks to the video stylings of one Sunburned Goose, this problem is solved in living, breathing high-definition. We bid you welcome to come along with Goose on his journey. Should you crave a higher resolution of this video documentary, register for a login here, and access the Downloads menu in the lower right-hand corner.
All told, 37 attendees graced us with their presence, their gunfire, and their company. Through the execution of a [not-so] silent auction, $1,200 was raised to benefit wounded combat veterans via the Tied the Leader Foundation. It was, after all, Memorial Day!
This event was many things. It was a vacation. It was a tournament. It was a live assembly of the membership from a virtual social network. It was introductions among new friends and reunions among old friends. It was a fundraiser for charity. Above all else, it was a party.
Tied the Leader is a community that finds it roots in LAN Parties like this one. When we played Halo: Combat Evolved, we didn’t have Xbox Live. We didn’t have hotel meeting spaces or 40” plasmas, either. Events like this one are always a much-needed reconciliation with the truth – that we are gamers in a clan to enjoy ourselves, as well as to enjoy the company of each other.
Next stop… Chicago. For the third time. After all, if one scene is worth returning to, so is another.
To those who attended AtLANtica, 2.0: Thank you, and Good Game.
When you say “good game” to someone from Bungie Studios, the eponymous phrase carries with it a double-edged meaning:
1. You played well, and we enjoyed playing you.
2. Thank you for this fantastic platform for interaction.
On the Wednesday that fell on February 6th, at long last, a delegation from the Official Halo Clan of Tied the Leader had the chance to partake in this privilege. When posed with the question of who [among 118 TTL Gunslingers] would challenge the creators of our favorite virtual warzone, we selected some of the members that had a hand in founding our [perhaps not so] humble band of gamers.
On the other side of the match-up, adorned with crowns wrought from flame, were some gamers whose careers we had followed with great interest. We knew all all the news [that was fit to print] about their trials and tribulations in keeping us occupied and entertained. Until the evening of our challenge, we had been waiting for an opportunity to show them how much fun we have playing their game.
As the dance card suggests, our team was not engineered to bring home a resounding win. Such was not at all our concern. This was not our wrecking crew, any more than this was a grudge match. We fielded a welcoming committee. This was our entourage of ambassadors. If you crave the results from the scoreboard, you are welcome to peruse them at Bungie.net – along with the most colorful of commentary, provided by Lukems.
For the Gunslingers, this was our chance to rub elbows [and swap lead] with the people who enable us to enjoy the experience that is provided to us by playing Halo 3 via Xbox Live. Being a clan in the Halo Nation has added friendships to our lives. It has enriched the time we have logged ridding the couch. It has given us an outlet for our creativity.
It’s hard to shoot at someone that you appreciate for those reasons. It is with mixed emotions that you read words like “You killed Thug Larz”. You almost don’t want to extinguish those flames.
Almost.
Bungie, we say thankya.
Thanks for the games.
Thanks for the game itself.
Further to the point of creativity, check out the panoramics from TTL’s resident auteur El Burritoh. If you want a truly unique keepsake from a challenge, always field an artist.
Tied the Leader would like to take a moment and humbly thank anyone who voted for us as their choice to represent the Xbox Live Community as their favorite [nominated] team.
Of course, the accolade was only made possible by the curious podcasters at Gamertag Radio. We thank you – and them – not for the victory, but for the vote of confidence.
The Gunslingers don’t play games in an effort win an award. We game because we enjoy doing it. We are glad that is apparent. If our love for the game rubs off on some other people we cross on the paths of the grid? Well, that’s an unexpected bonus.
Any award given to us has to be shared with the entire Halo Nation. Without so many passionalely interactive people with whom we can swap ordnance, there would be no Clan of Gunslingers. There would be no need to explore the politics of multiplayer.
This blog exists for not many other reasons than to lure people into our midst to play the game with us. We like the people who engage us through titles like Halo 2, Halo 3, and Call of Duty. If it weren’t for them, we would be fragging AI in endless combinations of isolation.
The Game is the thing. We just want to play it the way it was meant to be played. If that means we get an award, we will just keep doing that.
It’s business as usual at Tied the Leader. We deal in lead. All we need are some worhty volunteers to come and collect.
On 29 November 2007, “Tied the Leader” bypassed lobby security and infiltrated the multiplayer test lab at Bungie Studios for an advanced view of the downloadable content [hereafter to be referred to as “DLC”] in the Heroic Map Pack. Since that time, we have existed in a cone of silence at an undisclosed location, honoring the terms and conditions of a Non-Disclosure Agreement that we didn’t read as carefully as we should have. With the press embargo lifted, the story can be told…
The developers behind this offering put a carefully selected press corps through the paces of what awaits the Halo Nation on 11 December 2007. Various objectives were prosecuted in test matches hosted within each new environment. They also shared with TTL their perspectives on the rigors of keeping the Halo Experience fresh and new on Xbox Live.
The hospitality of everyone at Bungie Studios was immensely appreciated. This was not a press event as much as it was a LAN Party – right down to the sprawling spread of pizza boxes that showed up at Noon. TTL was thrilled to lock horns and butt heads with everyone from HBO to IGN. The mood was casual and the gaming was good.
What’s that? Oh! You want to see the new maps? Why didn’t you just say so?
Very well then. Commencing full disclosure of all that was revealed…
This is an Official Warfare Briefing from the Tied the Leader Intelligence Agency. What you are about to see is Classified. Below the line, you will access tactical analysis and file photos for the next three theatres of combat in the Battle of the Halo Nation.
Standoff!
This skirmish zone has been compared to “Blood Gulch, except squished together, with 4000 foot satellite dishes”. While the resemblance to that coagulated classic is obvious, this map provides a more intimate gaming experience. By “intimate”, we do in fact mean more violent. You won’t find yourself joyriding across the plains of Standoff in search of targets – they will be everywhere.
On a symmetrical field that is perfect for team-based gameplay, opposing bases stare each other down from across the map. Missile silos border the midfield and add shape to the space. You can exit the map quite easily, but your time outside the boundaries will be spent in freefall – briefly.
With a Warthog [as well as a Mongoose or two] in every garage, there a lot of ways to get from one base to the other – and safely home again. Some are more dangerous than others, it should be said. Holding to the perimeter is a better means of insuring a strike team’s safety.
Love your motorpool on this map. No one gamer will carry their team to a win in a match on Standoff alone. It may be a smaller map, but it’s still a long walk home, carrying that flag all by one’s self. The Spartan Laser in the center will be the prized possession of both teams.
Anticipate a ruthless crossfire in the midfield. They don’t call this map ‘Standoff’ for nothing. When the objective is in play, both teams will find themselves fighting toe to toe to decide the outcome. The shortest distance between two points is not necessarily a straight line.
Of course, in the effort of balanced gameplay, there are many ways to take down the vehicle team that tries to skirt the fight in the center. Power weapons litter the lanscape, and a turret perches atop each roof. No free rides. Weapon control equals map control.
Foundry!
Like the name suggests, “Foundry” is the perfect companion to “Forge”. The hammer and anvil of the custom game architect will be gifted with a blank canvas to fill with howling darkness from every corner of their imagination. The default maze of scenery will provide a willing thunderdome for game variants found in every matchmaking hopper.
Prepare for close-quarters combat. Danger lurks around every corner. If you can hear that grenade bouncing at your feet, you may find that it is already too late, as you have nowhere to run! Get comfortable and make some friends – and some enemies.
Don’t let the tight spaces fool you, however. There is enough room to make the outcome of any objective uncertain. When you see your territory marker winking under the assault of your opponent, you will actually find yourself wishing Foundry was smaller.
Rule of thumb: Hold the high ground. Rain down ordnance on your opponents, or choose a route for safe passage above the carnage below. Death awaits any foolish souls who patrol the trenches. How is your crouch jump? It will be tested.
Memorizing every nook and cranny of this killzone will take more than a few games. Foundry is a camper’s delight. Cover is ample. Hiding spots are abundant. With one’s favorite power-weapon, and a little patience, the pickings will not be slim. Look to the skies for vultures if your boots are on the ground.
Everything you see in Foundry can be made to go away in Forge. Drop in your own scenery. Add your favorite weapons. Throw down a vehicle or two. Maybe even add a soccer ball [that’s right, I said a soccer ball]. The potential for customization of Foundry is as endless as any gamer’s imagination.
Rat’s Nest!
This gamerblogger’s favorite environment in the Heroic Map Pack, Rat’s Nest is an indoor track with a very hostile infield. Hit and run vehicular tactics will come into play on any objective match. The call for a race game forged onto this map is so obvious, you can almost smell the smoking rubber.
Welcome to blue base. Your objective site lives here. To your left is a multi-level passage-way [bristling with power weapons] that leads to red base. To your right, outside the arch, is your motorpool. Use it well, or perish you will.
The “outer ring” promises a demolition derby at every turn. It’s the fastest way to the other side of the map. Your opponents know this as well. Ready yourselves for some head-on collisions, as there is not much of a passing lane on this obstacle course.
You are looking at the only sunlight you will see on this indoor map. Enjoy the view, but don’t fall – or get blasted – off the cliff. You are also looking at the best way to see your flag carrier home safely. Don’t make a brother walk! It’s a tough road to travel.
Your alternative is a field trip through the middle of the structure. As you can see, it is not a quiet neighborhood. The locals have access to just about everything that makes you dead, fast. They have been known to sport itchy trigger fingers.
If you must walk home, try not to play in traffic. There are no crossing guards in the Rat’s Nest. Pedestrians were seen coming to an untimely end on most occasions. While some game protagonists travel through the ductwork, a SPARTAN rises above it.
Here endeth the lesson. Your access to the DLC goes live in a week. See you in the game. Thanks again to Bungie Studios for the sneak peak, and for the chance to learn more about the motivations behind their creative process…
As the lights came on in Halo 3, the community surrounding Tied the Leader faced a quandary that confronted many established gaming communities: “What do we do with our Clan?” Rather than complaining about the lack of an extra friends list built into our new favorite game, we set our sights on solving the problem for ourselves.
The result is an Xbox Live Status Report that allows us to view the 100+ gamers that we recognize as Gunslingers. With the development of Halo 2 and all of its various networking tools, Bungie Studios taught us all how to form up into gaming clans. As we migrate our respective fighting forces to Halo 3, it falls to us to maintain that sense of teamwork and oneness that we learned in the halls of Colossus.
For over two years, the TTL Gunslingers used Halo 2 as a foundation to grow slowly and carefully into a unit that spilled over the confines of our Clan List. On Launch Day for Halo 3, there were 117 gamers who wore the gunbelts of the official clan of Tied the Leader. That’s right. 117. Weird coincidence. Rather than downsize to the 100 gamers that could more easily be tracked on one Friends List, we created a means of tracking them when they are online.
Using our XBL Status Report, we can employ an online resource to identify the gamers that should be on our friend lists at any given moment. We can send them Friend Requests and Private Messages from our desktops, to be received while they are at the controls of Xbox Live. In essence, we turned our Friends Lists into vehicles that could carry a never-ending assortment of gamers – rather than a permanent record of who would back us up in combat operations via Halo 3.
Why are we telling you this? To brag about something that we have, that you do not? Nay, friends and worthy adversaries. The doors to this functionality have swung wide to you as well!
A version of this application has been made available to the allies who comprise our community. In Halo 3, it is the goal of Tied the Leader to be more than a blog – more than a clan. We seek to be a network of gamers who share our social ideals for recreational gaming. We are creating a hub on our forum to enable any worthy gamer to find valuable allies that will lay down covering fire for them. Tied the Leader is a potential source for opponents who will respect you, and teammates who will stand by you. That is our offering – same as it ever was – only slightly more inclusive.
This is your call to action to join the Tied the Leader community on the MidWorld Forum. Petition us for status as a TTL Ally. Enter your gamertag into the information that we compile in your Profile.
Have a clan? Send us your emissary.
Need a clan? Get acquainted with affiliated communities.
Crave a challenge that is worth your time? We still answer those, as do many of the gamers who represent their own virtual army on our boards.
At Tied the Leader, we believe in the quality of a good game, and the strength of community. With our network, we are sharing that with as many gamers as we can bring along for the ride. The table is set, and the menu is packed with fresh souls that travel the path with like minds and willing guns.
On Labor Day Weekend, the TTL Gunslingers [or, almost half of them] and their esteemed guests descended upon the Palmer House Hilton for an event that was billed under the name “ChicagoLANd”. In the relative calm following the storm of hype that surrounded the launch of Halo 3, our gaming community can recant the finer moments from the party we threw to say goodbye to the game that originally brought us together as a clan. Now the story can be told.
For the official clan of Tied the Leader, it was our second mass invasion of the city of Chicago. For the gamers who call the windy city their home, this was the fourth year that the conclusion of summer was heralded with the deafening roar of simulated gunfire.
The recipe has remained the same. A crew of gamers. Stacks of consoles. An arsenal of audio/visual equipment. Yards of infrastructure. A sprinkling of debauchery? The measurement of each ingredient in the stew of mayhem has grown year over year. This year saw almost 50 gamers converge on our national assembly.
24 square feet of projected multiplayer action was home to an organized tournament that had its participants roaring over the noise created by 16 combatants slugging it out in intimate real-time proximity. Awards were issued to the victors in Halo 2, Halo CE, Gears of War, and Project Gotham Racing. A dozen more monitor stations provided host to a menu of freestyle gaming – Geometry Wars, Duck Hunt, Guitar Hero, as well as everything from the aforementioned titles.
Rumor has it that a Wii even made it onto the network for a short-lived exhibition. At this time, such gossip cannot be substantiated with hard evidence. Sony, it can be verified, failed to make an appearance.
Why not do this? Lugging that much equipment is back breaking work. Orchestrating a symphony that can only be created by dozens of howling war junkies is enough to induce shell-shock that rings in the ear long after the last power strip is unplugged. Troubleshooting electrical blow-outs in a historic hotel before a captive audience of disappointed party-goers is enough to conjur an ulcer. Planning such an affair takes months of scrounging, plotting, and second-guessing.
Of course, when the winning team of a 4v4 tournament jumps to their feet as if they just took the gold medal in front of the watching world, all of those rigors seem well worth the trouble.
This blogger could tell you more about the memories that were created over the course of the storied weekend. Instead, you are invited to relive the event from the perspective of the Gunslinger that won top-prize at the ChicagoLANd. Once every fired shot, lap raced, and strummed chord was tabulated; it was a Gunslinger ‘tagged Pony that took home the trophy.
Last Monday, I had the pleasure of being invited to attend a Halo 3 Launch event in Seattle. I was flown in to Sea-Tac and met up with other community people in the airport. We checked into our rooms, then migrated to a local sports bar for some football and wings. After our stomachs were full, and our bills were paid, we made our way to the local Best Buy, where in about 16 hours from then, mobs of Halo fans would grace the sidewalks and streets awaiting their copy of Halo 3. We scoped out the place, and saw the first 3 people in line. Photo op!
It was almost eerie to see the inside in such a state of calm. We all knew what was happening the next night; you could almost see the employees’ hands shaking.
We made our way back to the hotel, and were greeted by Tony and Chris from the Gamerscore Blog. We told tales of our own sites/communities as we sipped our drinks and relaxed. As things started to come to a close, Nelson Rodriguez, the newest addition to the Gamerscore Blog crew, showed up and went out to eat with a few of us to bar and grill called Joey’s. The massive burger and refills of Sprite were a nice end to that day; we found our way back to the hotel and no one had any trouble sleeping that night.
The next morning everyone met down in the lobby and were carted off to the Microsoft campus for a ‘Halo 3 Lock-In’. The anticipation was building. Everyone was eager to see what changes had been made since the Beta build, and we all wanted to sink our teeth into some Forge and Campaign.
The Front of Building B, Our Destination. If You Look Close, You Can See A Dood That Rocks.
This Was On the Secretary’s Desk. Who Needs Paperweights When You Have Spartan 117?
We were ushered into one of two rooms and greeted by LCD screens that were displaying the Halo 3 menu. We found our stations, and began chugging along in Campaign; some opting for co-op, while others going ‘lone wolf’.
As we met for lunch and relaxed, we decided to try our hands at Forge. Sandtrap was the map of choice for my room, since everyone wanted to play around with the Elephants while still have plenty of room to fly around and blow stuff up.
George (Aeropause) and I Talk to Tony About Plans For Multiplayer That Afternoon
As we finished up our sandwiches and soup, both rooms prepared for some multiplayer glory. Each room had a theme; it was the UNSC room versus the covenant room. For eight and a half hours we played various custom games pitting each room against the other. We would play a few games, then swap some players in the rooms, then play a few more, and swap some more. By 8:30 that night everyone had played with and against everyone else there. As the multiplayer came to a close, we loaded up on swag to hand out, hopped on the bus and headed over to the big launch event at Best Buy. As we got there, we were greeted with “Bungie! We love you! OMG, its Bungie!!!” The Halo mob then realized we were not Bungie, so there was a moment of disappointment. That didn’t last for long when they realized we had a ton of free stuff to give away.
This Was Just the Start of the Line. It Stretched Around the Corner, Down the Side of the Building, and Through the Parking Lot on the Side
At one point, we got a chance to go inside early (essentially reserved for press or celebrities) to take some pictures and see what was going on. We found out the store was more than prepared for that night. Game discs were pilled up in huge stacks. Controllers and faceplates and anything else Halo were in mass number as well. Oh, and they had a couple Halo 3 Xbox 360s, just a couple…
All In All, There Are a Bunch of Bricks 360s In That Wall
Hundreds and Hundreds of Game Discs Ready To Spin in Your Tray
Also while inside, we got introduced to various sports stars. Pro athletes had been showing up hourly to play against people in line. Mariners’ and Seahawks’ players were hanging around with controllers in hand.
This Was the Gaming Station Set Up For Fans to Match Up Against Celebrities
We got introduced to retired NFL star Warren Moon and Microsoft Vice President of Global Marketing, Jeff Bell. It was all so exciting to hear the rumble from fans outside, and see the motionless stacks of games awaiting them on the inside. The store was empty essentially. It was the extreme calm before the most extreme storm that was headed our way.
As we went outside, we heard news of a surprise guest. It was still not confirmed to us, and many didn’t even know about it, so it is safe to say that everyone else in line had NO IDEA who was showing up. We waited at the front doors, cameras ready, and saw fans go pale in the face as Bill Gates came out of Best Buy and went around shaking everyone’s hands. He stuck around and signed the game for the first person in line, and really seemed like he was as thrilled about it all as everyone else.
Bill Gates and Warren Moon Standing Inside best Buy
As fans were rolling in to get their games, you could see all sorts of Bungie people roaming the crowds. They had arrived by buses to the event and were signing all sorts of Halo merchandise that people brought up to them. I got to meet and listen to Marty O’Donnell as he talked with Foo Mo Jive and JVB from Podtacular. It was amazing getting to see him first hand since I have a lot of admiration for him and the music he has done that makes the Halo series what it is.
Marty and JVB Posing In Front of Best Buy
As things began to settle down, we all made our way back to our bus, and eventually back to our hotel rooms. I think “tired” would be an understatement as we all found our way to our beds rather quickly. My roommate, DoodiRock from 2old2play, and I chatted about our sites and bit, then knocked out for the night. (Editor’s Note: Anyone else see the irony in a Timmy, since I am under 25, rooming with a guy from 2old2play?)
Those few days were one of the most fun and exciting experiences I have ever had. It was so amazing to be able to attend the launch event that night and see that many Halo fans first hand. JVB and I were talking about how much it meant to us to see ‘our people’ from the Halo community turn out in force like that. Beyond the launch, playing the game all day with great people that I admire so much was a blast. I have been doing various interviews here at Tied the Leader for some time now and being able to put a face to so many names, and shake hands with those I have talked and exchanged emails with before is the MOST exciting thing from that whole event for me.
Thanks so much Chris, Tony, John, and Nelson from the Gamerscore Blog for inviting me and letting me experience it all. Also, thank you reader, for showing up to your local store and grabbing Halo 3. Gamers brought so much attention to ourselves for the Halo 3 launch. Media and news really took notice. We broke many records with sales, and with that, many stereotypes as well.
The final stretch leading up to the launch of Halo 3 lengthens like the last mile of an agonizing marathon. To sweeten the waiting endgame, Tied the Leader has revisited the voice behind the central figure of the Halo Universe. Linked to this post is our second interview with voice actor and radio personality Steve Downes.
Listen as he dances on the razor-edge of Non-Disclosure!
There is very little that needs to be said here [in print] that has not already been said better here [in audio] so we will cut to the chase. Lend us your earbuds, and become better acquainted with the Man Behind the Mjolnir. Tied the Leader thanks Steve Downes for his continued friendship and hospitality. We are fans. No doubt about it.
Earlier this summer, the TTL Gunslingers made good on a promise.
It was a promise almost a year in the making.
On Labor Day Weekend in 2006, Tied the Leader announced a charitable endeavor that would add to some weight to our interactions. The launching pad for this experiment was a LAN Party that we hosted in Chicago. The following November, that same announcement was followed by the inception of a charitable foundation under the Tied the Leader banner. The working idea was that a band of geeks could be of more use to the world, and to each other, than playing video games.
At Tied the Leader, we put forth a lot of efforts towards the glorification of violence – loud, visceral, bloody, smoky carnage and violence. If you are reading these words, it is likely that you are intimately acquainted with just the sort of mayhem that we practice. We thrive on it. Our adult constituency plays war games with all the voracity of which their inner-child is capable. While this imaginery battle wages against – and sometimes alongside – the citizenry of the Halo Nation, current events that shape our nation provide the starkest reminders that war is far from a game.
Every time one of our Gunslingers barks “Copy that!” into their Xbox Live headset, they are borrowing from the culture of the men and women that fight the real war. We sit, comfortably on our couches, dodging bullets and grenades like armchair warriors. The only interruption of our fun is the five seconds it takes to magically respawn on the battlefield; fresh and ready to continue – if not finish – the fight.
The Tied the Leader Foundation was created to give back to those from whose culture we borrow so very frequently. It’s a means of offering our humblest thanks to the people that make the safety of our couches their personal responsibility. It must be said that, at tiedtheleader.com, we save our politics for the game. We seek not to make a statement about the virtue of war – or the ones currently being fought. Instead, we seek to recognize the sacrifice of the people who march when the order is given, and to help them when they fall.
Months passed after we made our intentions known. We opened a store. Many a shirt found its way onto the back of a Gunslinger. We planned yet more LAN parties, bringing together the people who had become friends defending the same bases from attackers. Some of our members made private donations to drive the cause. Others donated their time, effort, and skills to make sure that the cause had momentum. People even started asking us for our story, but we had yet to put any money where our mouths were.
On June 29th, that changed. We made our first donation. On that day, $500 went to the Azalea Charities Aid For Wounded Soldiers. This money did not go into the hands of some government bureaucracy. It paid no one’s salary. It didn’t even pay for the server space that makes this conspiracy possible. The funds that we raised in the name of the soldier went directly to new arrivals at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Again, all politics aside, we were glad to see our proceeds go where they seemed to be needed most dearly.
We paid for clothing, electronics, and personal care items for troops who were rotated stateside to receive rehabilitation for wounds they received in battle. It then came to our attention that our donation was matched by another team who calls themselves the Redskins, essentially doubling the value of our efforts. We did some research to invite this team to a challenge against ours. Unfortunately, we were unable to find these noobs listed in any of the usual places where you find teams.
Over the course of the next month, we will host another LAN Party. One year leter, the Gunslingers return to the scene of the crime. Once again, they will find themselves in Chicago on what we hope will be another beautiful Labor Day weekend. On that occasion, no matter the weather, we will have something to celebrate – aside from the obvious accomplishment of remaining friends amidst the hostile environments of Halo 2. Pints will be raised and violence will be glorified while the pictures fly through the air.
Wanna go? Get yourself to our forum and start forging an alliance.
When all is fought and won, there will be a surplus of our hard-earned cash. There always is. That money will find its way into the hands of someone more deserving than any of us.
Will we change the world? No. We will not. But we will honor the people whom we admire most, even if we have to do it one soldier at a time.
I have a secret. Wanna know how you can become fast tracked to a Promotion to the rank of Lieutenant in the Halo 3 Beta without really trying?
No. I am not talking about cheating. You take your Xbox to a LAN Party, and you let your Halo Clan [filled to the brim with gamers who are far more dangerous than you] play on your gamertag non-stop for two straight days and nights.
Well, maybe not “non-stop”. Our most recent LAN, after all, was at the beach. This past Memorial Day Weekend, the TTL Gunslingers – and the allies that love them – gathered on Florida’s eastern seaboard for what was officially dubbed [drumroll] The AtLANtica!
Following up on a tradition of staging events that are as equally heavy on the Party as they are on the LAN, we descended upon an obscure beachfront resort for the purpose of breaking down the final barrier that keeps us apart on Xbox Live.
Over twenty Gunslingers dealt themselves in on the experience. Faces were put to names. Bread was broken. War stories were shared. Lead was dealt at an even exchange rate.
In planning this extravaganza, our biggest fear was an announcement that the Halo 3 Beta would coincide with the event – separating us from precious testing time. As it turns out, that was the most interesting component of the experience – or at least, the gaming part of it.
After some troubleshooting and a strongly-worded phone call to tech-support, we managed to punch a hole in the firewall of the hotel network. The game must be allowed to flow, and under all circumstances!
Throw into the mix a projection screen large enough to induce vertigo on a jump from the man-cannon, and you have a spectacle that fills the room. An added bonus was the chance to game with our fellow Beta Testers. They made their appearances on the screen 4 by 4.
The Testing Station became a portal to the Gunslingers who could not make the trip. They were kind enough to tolerate our antics as the noise in the room [Guitar Hero] kept the team-chat channel open long after we were done asking “Who put a trip mine in the front yard?!?!”
In a rare move, our propaganda is being outsourced to our guest from the Halo Nation… Foo Mo Jive, recorded hours of audio for a Podtacular cast…
To be quite honest, the details from the event are hazy. When you plan a weekend to be a collision between sun, sand, surf, and gamer culture; the hardest thing can be keeping all of the memories straight. Say thankya that someone thought to record media for the sake of posterity.
This blog is an interactive front page for a broader online community of gamers committed to honorable conduct and fair play. Our goal is to share with our allies and our opponents a gaming experience of the highest possible quality. "Good game" is our Mantra. Sportsmanship is our Law.
Share Your Voice!
Your thoughts and opinions are welcome and highly encouraged on this open forum. Your respect for the same from others is required. Statements that you would not utter in person have no business being spoken here. Flame Wars are sure to be extinguished with extreme prejudice!
