All throught i34, Trowa has been chained to a laptop forced to do nothing but write down his observations made over the weekend at Multiplay's M Festival-i34.

Update 1 - And so it begins

With a comfortable mid-day start under way, the 11:25 train came as scheduled. Travelling through Welsh countryside is quite a surreal feeling. Calming to the eyes, it certainly beats travelling through repetitive run down mining towns, which are unfortunately a shadow of the selves they once were many decades ago. The trains have been for the most part far from full allowing comfortable breathing room however for the people who have a taller physique such as myself certainly wouldn’t say no to a table seat allowing my knees to lay idol uninhibited from anything in front of them. As with most journeys, the train goes through numerous tunnels making phone contact to the outside world quite a novelty. Javax and Tobes are meeting in London with a minibus at hand. They will then await the CS:S team and drive from the airport to the event in Coventry.

Stonleigh Park allows the attendees of i34 to recreate in many ways that don’t include being behind a computer screen. The paintball field will be active throughout the weekend with many teams already signed up after looking at the multiplay forums. The 4x4 trail is certainly an enthralling experience. There is nothing quite like sitting in a land rover which is inverted 80 degrees on it’s back axis staring at the sky with nothing but the handbrake and a tonne of earth bellow you holding you there. Of course the 4Kings booth will be set up today. Hopefully this will be quite a spectacle and I am looking forward to seeing it in action. There were a couple of team booths last I-series most notably the fnatic one housing multiple computers and plasma screens allowing spectators to marvel at the teams game play. The only thing that is a possible detrimental effect was the comedic named game, which the fnatic team played being ‘Call of Guitar Hero’. Being on the exhibitions hall, everyone is subject to the bright lights, loud noises and constant distractions from the surrounding environment. Fnatic were situated right next to the guitar hero 3 stand with constant queues of participants waiting a turn at the newly released game. All this noise made gaming immensely trying and in game noise was almost completely drowned out by other stalls music and general noise. This I hope will not be the case with any team at the event, especially 4Kings. We come to the event confident in our abilities and only want an environment were we are not subjected to detrimental distractions. All that being said, I’m looking forward to seeing what the new hall will be like. Like all things at the event, it is much bigger. 4000metres squared if my memory serves me correct. A pretty decent size if you ask me. This will provide more, bigger stalls at the event and I am optimistic about the quality of them.

I also cannot wait to get to the local Tescos as I will be damned if I have to live off the food at the event. As nice as I’m sure it will be, I think I would have a stress-induced hernia If I found out any of the nutritional values. That being said I can’t wait to ‘test’ out the new bar. Newburry’s bar was renowned for serving less than tasteful pints and I will head in one night with my chin up ready and waiting.

I’ll be trying to get a fair few interviews at the event and of course will post updates on how all of our teams and players are getting on in the tournaments. I also have my trusty camera awaiting action. The photos will more than likely be uploaded on uGame so check them out. I will of course post links to these once they are up.

It will be a fair few hours until I am in Stratford upon Avon were I would take up residence for the night prior to taking a leisurely 9oclock drive down to Coventry. The I-series is known for being one of the most social LANs in Europe and I hope i34 will not be the exception. All that being said I will sign off for now and bid you all farewell.

Update 2 – 21:30 Aug 07, 2008-08-07

Bathed, fed and chilled out. Nothing like a good dose of ‘the hotel inspector’ and a drink to kick back with. Early to bed, early to rise will be on my mind. Aiming off for an 8.00 kick off to leave the house, a comfortable 20-30 minute drive and then meet up with the gang at i34. Quick and easy. Looking extra forward to an exodus to Tescos whilst at i34 as after living a day on crappy first western cheese and water cress sandwiches and extortionately priced drinks, the concept of living on the food for a long weekend is mind crushing.

Update 3 – Aug 08

8:30 am and I’m here. Early to bed, early to rise…so early infact that there is still a climate of activity and hurry as some of the stands are still being set up. The 4Kings.Packard Bell stand looks amazing. We have a pool table, 4 racing seat simulators, 10 or so computers and a couple of f-bombingly huge plasma screens. Mavy and his crew of Packard Bell people are currently stressing. The distinct lack of power seems to be slightly disheartening and relatively key to the tournaments, and the events running.

For now I’m just going to kick back and look good… as people with important looking tshirts rush around me to attempt to sort out the mounting list of proplems and issues. On a sidenote, Max ‘Goodeh’ Silver from Cadred.org also came and said hello this morning and had a bit of a chat. Pretty sound guy if I do say so. Enjoy the event everyone who is here…bare in mind my battery is running low and seeing as there is no power I guess I’l sign off. Come say hello, keep it four kings, and have a good event.

Update 4 – Day 1 of LAN

The day is under way. The doors are open and players have flooded through the doors. The majority of the BYOC room is full with most people having checked in by now. The stand is busy with a good turn out. Computers aren’t quite sorted but for the most part it is under control. Only a few headsets and other peripherals needed to be plugged in. However the spaghetti junction of headset and microphone wires and microphone wires all tangled up in one box made kitting the 10 or so PC’s out more of a chore than it should have been. The racing sim has been full since the doors have opened and players have enjoyed what the have seen also. You cant step more than 10 paces without receiving a freebie with people walking around with all sorts of bags, balls, boomerangs and other gaming paraphernalia.


On a side note and observation, the number of hot booth babes and general booth employees has increased 10 fold from previous I series. Be it an advertisement ploy, or just some decent eye candy in this otherwise geeky festival is a real treat. I have been back to the WCG ass-phault booth a fair few times, pics included in the 4K Gallery.


All in All; i34

This blog is pretty much the views of my own. Their just opinions and are far from factual. Only and idiot would think that…so if I say something that offends you, take a chill pill and take it like a champ, because it’s probably true.

This was my first LAN which provided me with a purpose other than stomping random teams in a crappy game which had only been released a few weeks prior to the event…*cough* STALKER *cough* so it has certainly been a new experience for me. I would like to say thank you to 4Kings for being a decent crew of homoerotic socialites as it just wouldn’t have been such a fun LAN if they were any different. Also, seeing as I am not rewarded economically for my services at the event, it means I can finally tell my teachers at school to gtfo and stop nagging me…Apparently we’re expected to do some voluntary work to help ourselves become ‘well rounded people’. According to them, if we don’t complete our ‘key skills A-level’, we will fail at life and work in McDonald when were 30. It’s quite funny how she can say that to people who are near enough acing through their A-levels

The event itself was pretty good compared to other LANs of similar scale. The whole site of which the event was based had quite a dreamhack esc feel to it, however brilliant British weather gave us the middle finger a few times so the outdoor activities and beer glass coolers were not put to optimal uses and some resorted to using the glass coolers as deflated arm bands. The huge event hall was…pretty huge really. The first thing you saw when you came through the main event was the 4K Packard Bell stand with computers, racing sims and Lego Indiana Jones (which is fricking awesome!) all on show and ready for the public to get their hands on. The stand was packed pretty much all the time the hall was open. There were always people ready and waiting to have a few laps on the race driver: GRID game where we had 4 racing chairs and steering wheels as peripherals for the players to use. This resulted in one of the most difficult games I have ever played in the world. And sods law, whilst being interviewed by some bird with some pretty hot piercings and tattoos, they wanted to film me and her racing. It threw me into the deep end a bit but I could hardly decline the offer. Needless to say, I totalled my car going round a bend obliterating it into a crash barrier and she won the race…however she stayed in 2nd flipping gear all race and didn’t go over 60 mph. At least people were entertained by watching me slide around the track as if the car was racing on an ice field. Oh and in a bout of ego bashing, and self-preservation, I did claim my role in 4Kings was ‘assistant manager’ when she asked me what I did. Can you blame me though? I’m hardly going to say I’m a lowly peon that is only ordered to do things and have pretty much no responsibility within the org am I. But I like to think I was technically managing some meagre matters within 4Kings whilst at the event…bought some people a few drinks, moved a few tables about and all that. Mabey I am just kidding myself, but atleast I did enough work on the stand to not get fired and am hopefully welcome back next LAN.

There where always Crowds of spectators about during the teams tournament games which was good to see. I am really happy with the 4K win over fnatic in CoD4. There has been a fair bit of 4K bashing when it came to the CoD4 teams worth in recent months and watching the astonishment of a few opinionated spectators in the 4K stand crowd as we got the 13th round was entertaining to say the least. It was good to see the CS:S in action as well. Although they possibly didn’t play as well as they did in TEX, life goes on and can’t mope about it now. Watching Hellblindes motivational CHU CHU’s was a marvel in itself. The noise in the hall was not quite the equivalent that Fnatic had to endure last I-series however it was comparable, and had a slight detrimental effect on the players. But having the players play in public was an entertaining sight for many onlookers making it almost worth it. I think the whole 4K crew are really thankful that they’re where Packard Bell staff there to manage the stand also. They where always at the stand before us. It may be something to do with the rowdy socialising that some of the management partook on, but who knows. But thanks a bunch to the PB crew with Charlotte and Chris leading the troops.

4Kings donned new team t-shirts for the first time this weekend. As far as I know, everyone who saw them where impressed and complimented the quality and aesthetic appeal. There where still a few teething issues when it came to printing and they where a little rushed by the company whilst they where being produced but we will have that sorted before the next event.

The hotel we stayed at was fine. Not quite the ritz, but far above a travel lodge, and infinitely better than staying in a tent for the weekend resulting in epic amounts of win and greatness. We awoke to a buffet of continental and full English breakfasts, which was a welcome gauge of cholesterol and calories. It was really good and was a good basis on which to start the day. I’m pretty surprised we had no complaints formed against us though to be honest. Considering I awoke from my coma-like sleep hearing some of the 4K management stumble out of their taxi on the side of the road at 5am, coupled with the other nights where offensively bad drum and base (sorry tobes) was being played from laptops with our doors open whilst we gossiped about the days goings on, allowing the noise the flood into the echo’ee hallway afoot. We also watched one of the funniest zombie films in the world. God knows what it was called but all the boxes were ticked in it…mad scientist wanting to train them as pets, token Jamaican voodoo superstitious black guy, red neck hick, the over sensitive woman and an emotionally numb Rambo styled army dick… It was good anyway.

I was surprised at the amount of official press people that turned up to the event actually. The M-festival was on local midlands news, 4K were interviewed by X-league, the chick I raced against who I’m pretty annoyed I didn’t get her name…or number :P, and radio1 turned up to talk to us aswell. Hopefully you will be able to see or hear 4Kings some time soon. Apparently the 4K radio1 interview was meant to be played today on newsbeat at 12:45 however the selfish basts in Russia and Georgia seem to want to have a bit of a spat so their was an extensive feature on that instead.

The 1v1 Qtour had mixed success if I’m honest. The CS:S tournament was well publicised with constant queues and spectators to it. Unfortunately for me at least, as soon as CoD4 was loaded, everyone seemed to dissipate onto other stalls and where not interesting in watching anything but CS:S. In a futile attempt to get a wildcard spot into the CoD 1v1 version, there seemed to be no one interested in wanting to play. The only people who seemed to be playing the tournament were CS:S players who had nothing better to do but to bash around in a game they have never played 5 rounds at a time. But oh well, I’m not too bitter about it. The Qpad fellas gave me a 1gig memory stick in the form of a poker chip from XL-bet. It looks really cool and is a good trinket from the whole event. And even if I did get in, lets face it, I’d do nothing more than fluke myself a few rounds and get annihilated as soon as I came up against a decent assault rifler. Oh well…life goes on.

I am pretty glad I wasn’t in the computer hall for the whole weekend. It got pretty warm in there. And when you consider it was hardly warm summer weather, I’m pretty thankful it was a bit crap outside. But seeing about 2000 gamers sitting row by row was certainly a memorable experience. I was also impressed at the lack of CS:S kiddie style yells that I normally associate with the I-series. It was relatively calm with only the occasional verbal orgy of ‘NIIIIIIIIIICEE!’ just to remind you where exactly it is you are.

I was expecting a bit more from the outside activities also. The airsoft really did look quite good and all the armour, weapons and other such paraphernalia did seem good, but that was all that impressed me. The quadbikes were certainly aimed at younger children. The track was a small donut shape surrounded by inflatable sleeves, far from what I was expecting. The paintballing field was absolutely tiny also. It looked smaller than half a 5-aside football field. It didn’t really seem worth the effort when the environment it was situated in was so half hearted.

Back in the exhibition hall, the main stage did look quite good. The first day, they seemed to insist to use smoke machines to try and add an ere of half arsed dramatic atmosphere. But I assume once they figured out that it looked pretty rubbish, they soon stopped and the events on the stage soon went ahead.

When I managed to skive off the 4K stand I managed to kick back with some good friends at team Packard Bell who had their PCs set up in the gaming hall. We had some good TF2 games and absolutely relished played Soul Calibre 4! Yoda is clearly overpowered though and needs to be removed from the game in tournament play. It’s not a situation where a simple ‘nerf’ is applicable. Due to Yoda’s short stature, swiping attacks, which make up over half of your base melee attacks simply brush above him and resulting in 0 damage caused, opening a window of opportunity for Yoda to literally jump onto your face and slit your throat and plunge his light sabre into your face resulting in an absolutely absurd amount of damage caused. But aside from this overpowered green blur, Soul Calibre is a must have for PS3/360 owners. It’s way way way better than any other fighter that is out on the market, and I am pretty sure I will still favour it even when the new street fighter game is released. Blasphemus to some I know, but it’s a proper good game!

The other stalls where fine. It was a little challenging playing UT3 on the intel stand with computers that ran the game with abysmal fps but that seemed to be part of the fun. I also had a dabble with Quake Live for 20 minutes or so. I am absolutely terrible at it, which was to be expected, as I have never played Q3, however I was really impressed with it. Despite my best efforts I still went away empty handed with no beta key for it. Guess I’l have to wait for its release in a few weeks like almost everyone else.

Tournament-wise I thought the event was lacking slightly. The mainstream tournaments went off without a hitch and had no major problems but I probably would have liked to have seen a ‘random’ team game feature a sponsored tournament. Tournaments such as STALKER, or Crysis is what I’m talking about. Sure, they where terrible games full of bugs and glitches, but the game put all other players on event standing and allowed the average gamer to be put on equal paring and give them the chance to be able to batter about a top gaming org that only started playing the game hours previous. Of course I am in the minority when it comes to appreciating this little gem seeing as the Crysis tournament at i33 saw the grand total of 3 teams enter it. Whether that was because there were only 15 people with decent enough computers to run it, or just lack of interest is debatable. But I’m crossing my fingers for next I-series for these tournaments. Hopefully there will either be a stalker2, farcry2, flashpoint2, Crysis Warhead, or some random FPS which is being featured at the tournament.

I’m not sure if I rather Stoneleigh Park to Newbury Racecourse. Stoneleigh is clearly the easier of the two to manage for the Multiplay admins, computer techys and network admins. The network was up and working 6 hours before it was expected to be finished. I guess just having the 2 massive halls do provide beneficial and efficient means to allow the event to run at an acceptable standard. I guess Newburry Racecourse is just an instant connotation of the I-series. Perhaps I’m a bit too conservative. But in realistic hind sight, taking 10 flipping minutes to go to and fro the team booths on the top floor of the 2nd complex down to the main building just to get a pot noodle was a bit of a quest. Too much if you actually ask me, so fine. I do like Stoneleigh, and hopefully it will grow on my a bit more. I guess change is good in the context after contemplating it. I feel it was a good idea to re-brand the I-series to the M-Festival. It certainly didn’t feel like an I-series. A new name and venue means a new LAN in my opininion. Sure it’s by the same company but it’s not the I-series of old which I’ve been used to for a year or so. But I was expecting a new experience, and I got one.

Fingers crossed I’ll be back at what ever my next LAN event will be with a 4K t-shirt on and access to the Packard Bell sofas and been bags. They are honestly the most comfortable things I’ve ever lay, sat, collapsed of generally chilled out upon. Even when Charlotte from Packard Bell rolled one of the bean bags over whilst I had my eyes shut, having the 6 foot bag of foam balls smothering me was a soft and lavish experience.

All in All from 4K’s perspective, i34 was pretty good. PR wise the stand was amazing and provided a memorable arena where players could participate, spectate and generally enjoy being in a professional eSports environment. Results certainly leave room for improvement but considering a lot of people had assumed our CoD team wouldn’t even get out of the group stages, I think we did pretty well. 4Kings did pretty well seeing as we also finalised agreements with Razer and are now proudly sponsored by the peripheral producing company. So next event, expect to see rows of glowing tri-headed snaked illuminating the faces, hands and arms of our players. 4K will be visiting Stoneleigh Park twice in the next two months with PC Gamer LAN next month, and then i35 at the end of October.