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More than just a LAN Tournament!» —>
Ultra UNREAL: More than Just a LAN Tournament!
Since the advent of networked computer games on the PC, we have had to add the words «LAN party» to our vocabulary. A LAN party can best be described as a gathering of two or more combatants in one location or facility to play computer games across a computer network of some type. LAN parties have also morphed into LAN tournaments. LAN tournaments give game players the opportunity to sharpen, as well as to put to the test, their skills against other opponents in order to crown an eventual winner. Some LAN parties and tournaments even offer prizes, whether they are cash or merchandise, which makes the time invested even more rewarding.
THG was invited to cover such a LAN event for the UNREAL Tournament community on July 19, 20, and 21, 2002. Having been to several LAN tournaments previously, I was somewhat prepared for what I might encounter. The Ultra UNREAL tournament, which features the best players of the Ultra UNREAL tournament game, was perhaps not the most lavish event that I have ever attended, but it was by far one of the most fun events. The Ultra UNREAL LAN tournament tests players’ performance via a competitive ladder system in several game disciplines. These include the following: «1 vs. 1 Death Match» Tournament, «Capture the Flag» Tournament, «Team Death Match» Tournament, and the more informal «InstaGib» Tournament. While the second annual Ultra UNREAL tournament didn’t attract as much attention as a QUAKE Con tournament, the abilities of the UNREAL players and clans (teams) who came to test their skills in these disciplines represented some of the best and most experienced UNREAL players in the UNREAL tournament community. Over 180 participants came to Columbus, Ohio from all across North America to try their hand at capturing some exciting prizes and cash rewards.
Players came from everywhere: Alabama, Kentucky, Connecticut, Massachusetts, California, and Toronto, Canada, just to name a few places. These players paid for their own transportation, food, meals and lodging, and most had the unenviable task of lugging their computer equipment with them across country just to make it to this event. While some people may not consider these participants to be real athletes in the truest sense of this word, I came to have tremendous respect for the amount of mental discipline that it takes to be truly successful in playing this game well over the course of these three days. It was also surprising to me that there remains more than just a casual interest in a game that is almost three years old. The fact that the game is almost three years old has offered players an exceptional amount of time to hone their skills and to develop techniques in some incredible first-person shooter action that can only be described as awe inspiring.
We were fortunate enough to have very open access to this event and were able to take a unique behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to put on such an event. My hat is off to both Dayne and Gary of www.completeweb.net, who donated their time, effort, energy and location to host this one-of-a-kind event. THG was fortunate enough to be able to offer you a unique perspective and behind-the-scenes look at what really happens at a LAN tournament.
Looks like we found the right place. Behind this door who knows what mayhem we will find, but we are about to find out.
It All Starts With Having To Get Here
While people may not think of Columbus, Ohio as the most centrally located place for participants all across North America to attend this LAN tournament, this is where it is held annually. As we explained above, it takes tremendous commitment to want to and attend this event, as was demonstrated by some of the attendees who experienced many types of challenges in getting to Columbus to attend the event. One attendee hit a deer on the way, another attendee blew his transmission within one mile of making it to the tournament facility, while another missed his flight, another had problems with his rental car, and another had such serious car problems that he had to rent a car in the middle of his road trip to Columbus. Once one gets to Columbus, the next task is to lug in all of your computer equipment, and believe me, for some, this is no small effort. Fortunately, the organizers of Ultra UNREAL did their best to make this process as painless as possible. Logistically speaking, it was almost too easy to load in the equipment. After pulling up to the rear dock door at the facility, you are greeted by some friendly Ultra UNREAL staff members who help you get your computer equipment loaded onto a cart and transported into the freight elevator to be taken to the second floor.
Loading in and out can be one of the most difficult parts of attending any event. It takes a lot of dedication to drag all of your computer equipment, in many cases across the country in order to get here.
Once you have arrived at the second floor, each participant was required to fill out a registration page and required to have a «mug shot» taken for the photo identification badges that everyone at the Tournament must wear. In order to prevent possible theft and such problems, each participant is required to work with an Unreal Tournament staff member to develop a complete list of all equipment, with serial numbers, that they are bringing to the event. Once their equipment is properly checked in, each attendee is assigned an IP address and is assigned a seat that will be their location during the entire event. This seating information, as well as the IP address information, is recorded at the Tournament Control Desk to prevent possible problems and to have instant access to each of the players at the event.
As with most LAN events, the next step involves the attendees setting up their computer equipment and modifying their network properties to get connected to the LAN network. Once they are connected, most of them indulge themselves in a variety of practice games before the Tournament itself gets rolling. One thing that was unique was the precision in which each of the friendly UNREAL Tournament staff members performed their duties. It was apparent to us that much thought and planning had gone into making sure that every UNREAL staff member knew his or her job and didn’t stray from it. This helped keep the Tournament on track, as well as kept the Tournament running like a well oiled machine.
Computers and people as far as the eye can see.
Another unique aspect to Ultra UNREAL that perhaps more LAN tournaments should take note of was the fact that the Ultra UNREAL Tournament organizers had local computer vendor and Tournament sponsor, Pyrinex (www.pryinex.com), on hand and tucked in an on-site booth with all computer hardware parts and accessories that might be needed for last minute replacements as well as forgotten items. It was surprising to see the number of fan failures, forgotten items that Pyrinex was called on to provide at reasonable cost to participants in serious need of these parts without having to leave the premises for replacement. While talking to Rich McLean from Pyrinex, it was obvious that this was a very welcomed and needed service that would help other LAN tournaments run much more smoothly.
When it all becomes too much and you have spent all of your money to travel down here, you are forced to make do by sleeping any place that you can find a space. Not all LAN events will let you sleep on the floor, but this is one that does.
Meet Brenton Sellati (KHYRON)
Brenton Sellati («Khyron»), as we came to find out, drove all the way from Cheshire, Connecticut to compete in Ultra UNREAL. When he got to Columbus, the 17-year-old high school senior who has been participating in UNREAL tournaments since 1999, encountered a heat sink failure with the AMD process on his motherboard. While standing next to Rich McLean from Pyrinex, Khyron purchased a replacement heat sink for his processor. Khyron then scurried off to install the new heat sink on his processor.
However, the installation process did not go as expected when the screwdriver Khyron was using slipped off the heat sink retaining clip and crashed into the motherboard. Unfortunately, Khyron returned with system in hand to Rich only fifteen minutes later to inform Rich that his system was not working. Upon close inspection, Rich located the damage to Khyron’s motherboard and told Khyron that only a new motherboard was going to fix the problem. After attempting to install a new motherboard with no success and being short on time before his first round competition, Khyron had nearly given up hope of being able to compete in this year’s Ultra UNREAL Tournament. Since «yours truly» happened to be standing next to Rich, and heard this sad and unfortunate story from someone who had traveled such a long distance to compete in this event, another solution was in order. I casually mentioned to Khyron/Brenton that I happened to have a THG test box currently in a half-built state on my workbench back at the THG lab. I then asked him if I offered to let him use this box, would it be suitable for him to play in the Tournament. After talking with Khyron for about another five minutes, it became obvious to me that THG could not pass on this opportunity to help this player in need.
Khyron lets us take a picture of his motherboard that he damaged when his hand slipped during a heat sink install. Lucky for him I happened to be standing around and offered to let him use one of our THG test boxes to play on for the weekend.
Khyron explained that the last time he had attended Ultra UNREAL, his computer was also ‘jinxed’ and dead, which left him and his Clan in the unfortunate position of Khyron’s not being able to participate. I described to Khyron the configuration of the THG system that THG could let him use:
- DFI AD70
- 512mb Kingston PC2100 DDR RAM
- AMD Athlon XP1800 Processor
- 20GB Western Digital 7200 RPM Hard Drive
- NVIDIA GeForce 4 Ti 4200 64mb
- Lite-On DVD Rom Drive
- Mitsumi Floppy Drive
- Creative SoundBlaster Live!
- SMC 1244 TX 10/100 NIC
- 350watt Enermax Power Supply EG365P-VE
- 3R Systems Neon Light Mid-tower Case
Khyron gratefully accepted THG’s offer to allow him to play on one of our test boxes. Now, the only complication was that I had to drive all the way across town and back to get the THG system, set it up, and load it before Khyron’s first-round match began. Fortunately, I was able to meet this time frame, and Khyron was able to participate in the Tournament. It was only after I had completed this task that I found out that Khyron, a member of the highly respected High Voltage Clan, had the good fortune of placing well in many other Ultra UNREAL competitions. In fact, Khyron finished in the top five in the World Cyber Games in Seoul, Korea. As Ultra UNREAL Tournament organizer, Dayne, told me, THG could not have picked a better person to sponsor for this Tournament. «Khyron has the potential to win it all!» Dayne noted. We will follow up on Khyron’s progress in the Tournament a little later in this article. In the meantime, let’s talk about some of the other things that occurred at Ultra UNREAL.
Exclusive Interview With Dayne (Bman|HV) — What It Takes To Put On A LAN Tournament
Dayne (Bman|HV) took the time to sit down and talk with us about what it takes to put on a professional LAN style tournament. Although Dayne was sleep deprived, he was still in high spirits and ready to talk to us about it takes to make this Tournament happen. Here is our Interview with him:
THG: Tell us how completeweb.net became involved in hosting the Ultra UNREAL LAN Tournaments.
Bman|HV: My partner, Gary, and I at completeweb.net became interested in LAN gaming on a personal level several years ago. This is the second Ultra UNREAL LAN Tournament that we have put on. Completeweb.net is a web hosting and Internet Service Provider company, and with the exceptional amount of talent we have on staff, it was natural (once we became involved in the Unreal community) for us to become part of the LAN tournaments themselves.
THG: So it kind of happened by accident?
Bman|HV: Well, I guess you could sort of say that completeweb.net has been looking for a way to give back to the community for some time, and hosting this LAN Tournament is one way that we felt we could make a direct impact on these gamers’ enjoyment of the software and at the same time put our expertise and knowledge to good use.
These ladders keep track of all of the players and matches and are clearly posted so that players know where they stand at anytime. It is important to have non-playing players running the ladders during the tournament.
THG: So, the Ultra UNREAL LAN Tournament is a not-for-profit endeavor?
Bman|HV: Yes, the Ultra UNREAL LAN Tournament is a 100% not-for-profit endeavor. Any monies that we happen to make in the process are put right back into the event itself. Any money that we have left over is used for cash prizes to give away to the participants/winners. Of course, this has not been without its hurdles. We learned a lot in our first attempt at hosting a Tournament of this magnitude. As a matter of fact, to be blunt, we lost our «asses» on the first Ultra UNREAL Tournament that we hosted.
Exclusive Interview With Dayne (Bman|HV), Continued
THG: Unlike some LAN Tournaments, Ultra UNREAL charges a registration fee. Why is this?
Bman|HV: Well, the registration fee of $30.00 per participant does two things, it helps us cover our immediate out-of-pocket expenses, and it shows us that the players who pre-register for the Tournament are serious about attending. When you charge a registration fee, you naturally will have fewer cancellations.
THG: It sounds like you have a tremendous amount of time invested in this event. How much time?
Bman|HV: Labor hours in order to organize and run this Tournament are donated by so many of the staff, it would be hard to try to estimate the amount of time that it takes in labor hours. What I can tell you is that it takes almost three solid months of planning to host an event of this caliber and do it right.
THG: If someone were thinking about starting or attempting to host an event of this caliber, what type of things would they have to take into consideration?
Bman|HV: There are so many factors, it’s hard to know where to start! The major things to consider are securing the facility, acquiring the needed networking equipment, power, logistics, servers, power distribution, food and beverages, and insurance and liability.
THG: That sounds like a boatload of things to have to take into consideration. It sounds like that short list is just the tip of the iceberg.
Bman|HV: Well, to provide an example, here are a few of the things that we had to supply or acquire to host Ultra UNREAL:
- 12 HP 10/100 PROCurve switches (plus one additional as a backup)
- 10 robust Servers to host the games
- 600 amps of power
- Battery backup generator
Of course, you also have all of the cabling that is required for these devices. If you don’t have good networking experienced people working with you, the network logistics alone can be a nightmare.
Dyane should us one of the cabinets housing the back bone networking equipment that is powering the tournament.
Exclusive Interview With Dayne (Bman|HV), Continued
THG: I noticed when connecting to your network that you have incredible outbound Internet bandwidth. What do you have connected to this thing?
Bman|HV: Since we are an ISP, we have fat pipe of almost 300mbits of outbound Internet bandwidth that we happen to have access to because this is what our primary business is. In most cases, you would not have access to this kind of bandwidth, but since we have it, we let the attendees have access to it during the Tournament.
THG: Security has to be a real concern. What kind of security precautions did you take?
Bman|HV: We have five full-time security people on duty throughout the three-day event. We always have at least two covering the doors at all times. Anyone who thinks about running an event like this has to take security very seriously. All equipment and gear has to be checked in, and all of the serial numbers, for example, have to be captured so we know «who» belongs to «what» equipment. Everyone coming in and out of the building must have a photo I.D., which is issued during the registration process. Once an attendee checks his equipment in during the registration process, he can feel secure knowing that we will allow no equipment in or out of the building until he is ready to check out and go home. Last year, we had «zero» thefts and losses, and as far as I know, so far this year, it is the same.
THG: Tell us more about the sponsorship logistics required to obtain prizes to offer to the participants at this Tournament.
Bman|HV: Acquiring prizes can be one of the most challenging things that any LAN Tournament organizer faces. Until your tournament becomes well known, it is difficult to get the P.R. departments at most companies to pay attention to you. What I think companies are missing is the fact that these are the people who buy the products. I’m not blind to the fact that these companies can’t donate things to every «LAN party» that people throw. Because companies don’t want to alienate the Tournament hosts, some of them have a tendency to make promises that they have little or no intention of keeping. These broken promises, naturally, put additional stress on a tournament organizer. Some companies aren’t even willing to donate small amounts of products or even P.R. propaganda for us to pass out. It simply amazes me that there are never enough prizes, and in fact if it were not for Pyrinex, Crazy Paint, AMD, NVIDIA, Gcase, and Logitech donating what they did, we would have had nothing at all to offer for prizes. Still, we did not have enough prizes to cover all of the main tournaments, so we still had to purchase items for prizes.
Unlike many LAN tournaments, we post a complete above-board breakdown on our web site of what prizes were donated, what cash was left over, and how things were distributed so that everyone knows that we have an ethical philosophy and desire to ensure our integrity of this event as far as the prizes and giveaways are concerned.
Team High Voltage in action during the Capture The Flag match at Ultra Unreal.
Exclusive Interview With Dayne (Bman|HV), Continued
THG: Do you think that all of the extra media exposure will help lend credibility to your event, which should help you obtain more prizes and products to give away at the next Ultra UNREAL LAN Tournament?
Bman|HV: I certainly hope so. I think that we didn’t spend enough time trying to get the media involved, whether in print or online, in covering our event. If the manufacturers realize that they can attract more media attention, they seem to be more willing to provide or donate more prizes for us to hand out. We were fortunate this time to get WSBN.com and tomshardware.com to agree to cover this Tournament. Of course, two local sponsors played a major role in making this Tournament a success from the prize standpoint. Both Pyrinex and Crazy Paint fulfilled a role that I would have thought only a large company could have taken on. We were very fortunate that these two local companies stepped up to support us, in addition to our corporate sponsors.
THG: What did it actually cost to put on this Tournament?
Bman|HV: That is a little personal, but by looking at our website, you can tell that it took about $4,000 just to get the ball rolling.
THG: I am puzzled by the fact that neither Epic nor Digital Extremes are involved in the Ultra UNREAL LAN tournament since UNREAL is their product. You would think they would be extremely interested in supporting their community of players.
Bman|HV: Neither Epic nor Digital Extremes has officially, on the record, recognized what we are doing. Although we certainly know that they are aware of us, they have never provided any support for UT (UNREAL Tournament) LAN events that we are aware of. Attempts to contact their Marketing and P.R. Departments about providing promotional materials for use at this event went strangely unanswered. In fact, I’m quite puzzled at Epic and Digital Extremes’ lack of response to our continued support of a product that is nearly three years old. This says something about the quality of the product, since it is still able to draw a good number of excellent players from all over North America to play it after nearly three years from its release.
THG: Do you think that the Ultra UNREAL LAN Tournament will be bigger in the future?
Bman|HV: If and when UT-2003 is released, I do believe that even more support of UT is possible. Sure, we would like to put on a bigger event. We’ve gotten our feet wet with these two smaller events, and I wouldn’t necessarily consider 200 players to constitute a small event. If Digital Extremes, Epic, and other larger corporate sponsors could provide more event support, there is no reason once UT-2003 is released that this annual event could not continue to grow in popularity and size.
While many people have already called it a night, many players continue to play till the wee hours of the morning.
THG: Bman|HV, thanks for taking the time to talk with us. We wish you the best of luck in continuing to promote this Tournament, and look forwarding to attending next year.
Bman|HV: It’s been great to have THG here covering this event for us, and I look forward to seeing you here next year. Maybe you’ll even play a little?
Building Your Own PC-Based Cave With CaveUT
Jeffrey Jacobson had his CaveUT (http://www.planetjeff.net/ut/ut-cave.html) technology on display during the entire Ultra UNREAL Tournament weekend. This modification allows you to create an automatic virtual environment that can be used for a variety of simulation uses. With the introduction of Matrox’s new game surround technology, interest is now peaked in technology that can offer its users a more immersive gaming experience.
The UT Cave project was quite interesting and has a lot of virtual reality applications that can be quite interesting. We hope to have a more in depth look at the UT Cave technology in a future article.
Jeffrey’s choice of the UNREAL gaming engine for this application is an excellent fit. Of course, this «Cave» technology has both personal and commercial applications. What is really exciting is to see Jeffery’s modifications in action! The possibilities of this technology are nearly endless, and we look forward to exploring more in depth some of these technology uses, as well as to providing more details in a future article.
WSBN — Internet Radio Providing Excellent Coverage Of The Event
The WSBN (http://www.wsbn.com) Internet Radio Network provided live play-by-play coverage of all of the key matches for those people around the world who could not make it to the event. In addition, WSBN handled music and emcee duties for the entire event. They even found time to do a couple of special video and audio interviews with some of the more high profile event attendees.
Bodyshot from WSBN.com interviews Abi Singh from Pyrinex and Steve Horch from Crazypaint for a special video and audio interview that you will be able to download and play from the WSBN site in the next couple of days.
The WSBN team added a new element to broadcasting with their exceptional live coverage of this event. The live event «John Madden style» play-by-play coverage was a first for me, and it greatly contributed to understanding the game and some of the strategy elements involved. The results of this «calling and casting» were impressive, to say the least.
Bodyshot does a special interview with Steve Horch from Crazypaint, talking about the case designs that he brought to show off at Ultra Unreal. Besides painting the three of the cases that were given away he also was showing off some of his other work.
Now, Let’s Check Back And See How KHYRON Fared!
After recovering from the initial panic of his computer not working, Khyron settled in and progressed through the brackets in the «1 vs. 1» Deathmatch Contest. Since THG loaned him a computer for the event, we asked Khyron if he could spend a little time talking with us about UT. We also wanted to give you some insight into the make-up of a typical UNREAL player.
THG: So Khyron, the games are going well?
Khyron: The competition has been tough. Some VERY good players are at this event, and you really have to stay on your toes. I am very lucky that THG was able to sort of ‘sponsor me’ by providing a back up computer to use since mine that is down.
THG: You told us earlier that you were a 17-year-old high school senior from Cheshire, Connecticut. What else can you tell us about yourself?
Khyron: I have been playing UT since 1999, and have been a member of the «High Voltage Team» for about fourteen months. My specialties are the «1 vs. 1 Deathmatch» and «Capture the Flag.» I do play other games as well when needed.
THG: I notice that most people at this event belong to a Clan/team. What exactly are these Clans?
Khyron: I don’t necessarily like to use the word «Clan,» because some people assume that word has a meaning different from what it is. A Clan in UNREAL is nothing more than a group of people that play together on a regular basis to sharpen their skills. Some of the games are «team» oriented, and you need to have other players to play with you on your side. In order to be successful at these games and win matches, you need to work with these other players and learn their strategies. High Voltage, the team I play with is nothing more than a tightly knit group of guys who share a love of gaming, but we do spend time together doing stuff that isn’t computer related, too. I would consider our team to be more social than anything. Just because we use the name clans, it isn’t something that people should get the wrong idea about.
Khyron is in the zone as he prepares to play another round. He played this weekend on a system provided by THG.
THG: How much time and effort have you put into UT?
Khyron: In order to be good at this game, you have to practice it frequently. It is no different from any sport that you might be involved in. While some might not consider this a «sport,» UT takes an exceptional amount of thought, strategy and reflex development in order to be skilled at it. When UT came out, I was spending anywhere from 15 to 30 hours a week. Now, in order to stay sharp I practice/play about 5 to 10 hours a week.
THG: What do you parents think about all of this?
Khyron: They are supportive. I have spent a lot of time working with my father to teach him to play UT, so he has an on-hands idea of what is involved in this game. Although he is more into TBS games, he has played with UT and understands most of the concepts of the game. My mother, on the other hand, does not really get into or play the game, but she is supportive. It is no different from being the parents of a kid who plays sports.
Now, Let’s Check Back And See How KHYRON Fared! Continued
THG: Any time that computer gaming is mentioned, and the talk turns to ‘First Person Shooter’ (FPS) games, that phrase seems to make parents uneasy about the violence that is inherent in some of these games. How do your parents feel about the violence in UT?
Khyron: My parents realize that I am mature enough to separate the game from reality. They don’t have a problem with the violence, because they know that I am not getting an adrenaline rush from the thought of killing something or somebody. The feeling I get is more like the rush you get in competitive sports when you score a touchdown in football, or a hit a home run in baseball. It is obvious to me that not everyone can handle the violence, and younger kids need to be closely monitored by someone older to make sure that they can separate the reality from fantasy. My parents have always taken an active role in my life and are involved in what I am doing. Of course, if more parents would do this, they would have a better grasp as to whether this is the right kind of game for their kids to play.
THG: Why do you think there are so many problems associated with professional gaming?
Khyron: In some ways, gaming is better than it was, but in other ways, it is worse. People don’t consider it as a serious endeavor and it is kind of like trying to start a professional pinball players’ circuit. Lots of the promoters with the best of intentions hold contests, but they then discover they are unable to offer prizes because the costs of promotion and of putting on the tournament are high. I have played in variety of tournaments, and it seems that adequate sponsorship is always an issue, and players who were told there would be cash and prizes then don’t get anything, which just makes the situation worse. I want to have the chance to play against the best, because I enjoy the competition. That is what is really important to me.
THG: What do you think are the important qualities that contribute to being a good FPS player?
Khyron: I think that you need to be able to handle and process the mental battle that goes on. By this, I mean you have to ‘think on your feet’ about creative strategies to handle different situations. Your opponents are humans, and you can’t predict where that player is going to go, or what they are going to do. But, over time, you develop a sort of instinct as to how a player is going to react in a given situation. You have to use your head. Intelligence is important, but it’s also important to know when to fight and when not to fight. Reflexes, of course, are key, and you have to stay sharp and be ready.
THG: Do you have a job? What are your plans for after high school?
Khyron: I had a job doing IT work in a large IT shop, but was laid off when the market went into such a free fall. I plan to go to college and study business, but those plans might change. I do intend to continue to game and see where that leads.
THG: Do you have any suggestions for people that want to start playing these kind of games?
Khyron: I suggest seeking out a gaming community that is involved with your game. Watch and learn from experienced people. Talk to them about the game strategy. We were all newbies at the beginning, so don’t be afraid to ask questions.
THG: Best of luck to you, and I hope that you do well!
Khyron: With thanks to THG, I am able to play this weekend. It is my hope that I will make you guys proud.
The «Worst Case» Contest — Sponsored By Pyrinex, Crazypaint, and AMS
The main reason for my attendance at Ultra UNREAL was to act as one of the judges for the «Worst Looking PC Case» contest/participant most in need of a new PC. Abi Singh of Pyrinex (http://www.pyrinex.com), one of the local sponsors, came up with this idea. He wanted to focus on an event where he could give away two custom painted, new PC cases to people that had the worst looking PC cases.
Abi asked Steve Horch from Crazypaint Custom Finishes, another local sponsor (http://www.crazypaint.com) who custom designed and painted the PC cases, to help judge this contest. The ground rules were simple: find the PC case that was in the saddest shape, and that PC owner would be the winner. We had much discussion among the three of us about how much ‘creativity’ to indicate need should be a factor in choosing the winner. Since this was not a ‘most creative’ worst case contest, it was a difficult decision selecting the «winners» from the vast number of PCs we looked at.
The first place winning case for the worst case contest sponsored by Pyrinex and Crazypaint.
Many attendees went the extra mile put putting forth an incredible amount of effort and creativity into the contest, but we couldn’t give them as much attention, as weren’t really focusing on creativity. Participant Mat Gilbert from www.lanparty.com won the first prize Ultra UNREAL Chieftec Dragon Tower (which featured warrior logo graphics that were painted on both sides of the case) with his PC case that featured so much dust on the outside of the case that you could write in the dust with your finger.
The second place case for the worst case contest sponsored by Pyrinex and Crazypaint.
The «Worst Case» Contest, Continued
Fred Weddington won second place and the AMS gTower with a case that featured holes that had been cut into the shell of the case and then wrapped and held together with duct tape. Fred’s design was creative, but it also indicated a case that was very much in need of replacement.
Mat Gilbert from www.lanparty.com won the UltraUnreal Chieftec Dragon Tower that was a baby brother to the Ultra Unreal Extreme case. This case donated by Pyrinex and painted by Crazypaint featured warrior graphics on three sides of the case and looked great. You can sure tell that Mat was excited and didn’t expect to win.
We saw some other great honorable mention cases, such as Excal’s suitcase computer that was a complete mess, and another case that was a computer built into a refrigerator. There were so many other exceptional efforts, in fact, that next year we are going to provide more prizes and offer both «worst case» and «most creative case» categories for attendees to compete in.
Fred Weddington won the AMS gTower that was provided by AMS. After looking at his creation for the worst case we knew that if we didn’t award him a case he would have to buy him a case. This was a very creative design and was unlike anything else that we saw.
While looking at and judging these cases, it is apparent that case modding and case customization is very popular as a pastime, and is a way for people to express themselves and have fun at the same time. The attention to detail on some of the more «tricked out» modded cases provided me with many new ideas for case customizations.
The Moment You Have Been Waiting For — UNREAL Match Results
Team Deathmatch Tournament
Semifinal round:
Sovereign vs. High Voltage: 2 convincing wins for Sovereign; Sovereign’s specialization in TDM serves them quite well.
Sovereign is for the most part a reincarnation of an older powerhouse clan named Exodus. The Exodus team was the champion of Team Deathmatch (TDM) at Ultra UNREAL last year and were also known for their solid performances in Teamplay.net’s UNREAL Tournament Invitational CTF (UTI) Tournament and UNREAL Tournament Conquest (UTC) TDM Online Tournaments. Sovereign is currently Eastern Division Runner Up Champion in UTC 3, after being beaten by the MulletMen in that Online Tournament.
High Voltage has been the pre-eminent UT clan for about a year now, having held Number One rungs on all major team ladders for CTF, TDM and DOM Online. They have also been UTI champions with extremely long Online winning streaks, going up to six months undefeated in CTF.
Xeno vs. Mulletmen: 2 map win for Mulletmen. Total blowout on Turbine, second map was just a solid win. Once again, specialization pays off, as the team Xeno is beaten by hardcore TDM performers Mulletmen.
Xeno is a well-known clan that plays many games, including Quake 3. Their UT division has long been known as a solid CTF and TDM team. Although they do not have many top spot wins to their name, they are usually in the upper levels of Online ladders for CTF and TDM.
Mulletmen is a clan that traces its roots back two years through three separate clans. They are the current UTC3 Eastern Division Champions Online, having beaten Sovereign to take that title. The finals with the Western Division Champions has not taken place yet. The Mulletmen also competed at Ultra UNREAL 1, where they took second place behind the champions Exodus.
Team Deathmatch Finals
Mulletmen vs. Sovereign. 3 map match, all maps had approximately 10 point spreads. 2-1 Sovereign, each team taking their pick and the tiebreaker pressure win goes to Sovereign.
Capture the Flag Semifinals
Xeno vs. HVS: 2 shutout maps for HVS
HVS is a pickup squad formed at Ultra UNREAL 2, with members of three very well-known and feared UT clans, C1, Retribution and Pinnacle. These teams have an extensive history of Online tournaments and ladder play with plenty of UTI experience.
Porn Star vs. High Voltage: 1 decisive victory for High Voltage, second map November Clan Edition started with Porn Star in the lead, but a player computer crash left them playing shorthanded for a couple of minutes. This led to High Voltage’s first score, which they later topped off for the win. High Voltage had a small bit of luck with their opponent’s crash, but their teamwork and fragging power are very well known, and they were definitely the favorites to win from the beginning.
Porn Star recently held the Number One spot on the Online Gaming League and Proving Grounds CTF team ladders. They have competed in UTI5 and have players from legendary clans such as 187, Vortex, Death and Horror Incorporated, High Voltage and the Mulletmen.
CTF finals: HVS vs. High Voltage: 2 map victory for HV, a shutout victory and a 6-1 win. High Voltage demonstrates exactly what near-perfect teamwork and extraordinary fragging skills can do in CTF, taking out talent-heavy, but not quite as cohesive, team HVS. Win goes to HV.
Team High Voltage were the winners of the Capture The Flag contest which should come as no surprise, where they are active in the on line ladders, they are rarely beaten.
Winner’s Bracket:
Khyron|HV vs. Xellos; 2 close wins for Khyron.
Khyron|HV is one of the world’s best Deathmatchers: an American World
Cyber Games finalist last year where he placed in the top five worldwide, Khyron has also taken top five positions in the Twin Galaxies Online 1 vs. 1 Tournament and the Heat.net Battletop Tournament in New York. In last year’s WCG games, Khyron denied fellow competitor Infinite a position on America’s team by virtue of a 1 point victory in the qualifiers.
Xellos is one of the least-known top competitors around. Various circumstances have occurred which have kept him out of the top rungs, such as running into other top competitors in early rounds of previous Tournaments. However, Xellos has been invited to the WCG and has played many of the best DMers around.
Losers bracket semifinal match:
Infinite vs. Xellos; 2 solid wins for Xellos.
Infinite was shut out of the WCG finals in America last year by Khyron by one kill. Infinite has placed Second at the Fragapalooza DM comp, Fourth in the Battletop competition, and is a two-time champion of the Ownage LAN Competition.
1 vs. 1 Finals:
Khyron|HV vs. Xellos
Map 1, Khyron comes back from a seemingly insurmountable 7 frag deficit in a single run, scoring more than ten unanswered frags. However, Xellos turned things around with a run of his own, with Khyron and Xellos tied or within a few frags of each other until the final minutes of the match, where a great piston frag by Xellos turned the tide of the match and Xellos ended it shortly thereafter, or 3 frags later.
Map 2 Khyron keeps a small lead throughout most of the map until near the end, when Xellos pulls out a small lead of his own with a respectable run and holds it for the last few minutes. This gives Khyron his first loss of the Tournament , tying them with one loss each, and requiring one more match.
1 vs. 1 Finals, the ‘Final’ Final Round
Khyron vs. Xellos: Map 1 Khyron wins an impressive victory with a 9 frag lead over Xellos, mostly garnered near the end of the map. One of the highlights included a fun little hammer dance in the middle of liandri, near the end and after it was apparent that Khyron had clinched it.
Khyron proudly accepts the first place 1 vs. 1 Deathmatch Ultra Unreal Extreme Machine donated by Pyrinex and painted by Crazypaint.
Map 2 Fatigue plays a big part in Xellos’s final downfall. Starting off strong, a few minutes into the match, Xellos cedes control of the all-important minigun to Khyron|HV, who then proceeded to fully stomp Xellos with more than a 25 frag unanswered streak. Khyron|HV takes home a well-deserved (but strongly contested!) title as Ultra UNREAL 2 1 vs. 1 DM champion!
Xenos proudly displays his 1 vs.1 Deathmatch runner up certificate for a nVidia GeForce 4 4600ti donated by nVidia.
1 vs. 1 InstaGib DM Side Tournament finals:
Due to popular demand, a side tournament (unofficial) is generated by attendees Takuhii and Zone420. Limited to 32 entrants and «set to» rules. Last year’s winner of IG DM 1v1, Hand of Fury, wins again this year, demonstrating his mastery is no fluke. Damien, Hand of Fury’s teammate in Sovereign (finals TDM), and member of the HVS team (Finals CTF), holds tight in the runner-up position.
Crazypaint and Pyrinex dontate another custom painted case for the winner of the Instagib tournament and Hand Of Fury was excited about winner again.
Conclusion
Ultra UNREAL 2 is not the largest LAN Tournament on the planet, but with the release of Unreal 2003, it will continue to grow. I hope that as grows this event will not lose its charm as a very fun and family oriented event. I look forward to being invited back next year!
Who could have foreseen and written a better ending to this story? THG’s «own» Khyron wins BOTH the 1 vs. 1 Deathmatch and, as part of the High Voltage Team in the Capture The Flag event. I had no idea when we agreed to let Khyron use the THG computer that this would end up with such a «fairy tale» ending. THG thanks Khyron for allowing us to help him win both of these contests, and we would like to thank the manufacturers who donated the products for lab use.
The matches were well played and THG congratulates each of the participants as well as the winners, as each of them played well above their given capabilities. The energy level and adrenaline at the UNREAL Tournament was exciting and great to be a part of. You are all winners in my book!
Network technology has allowed gaming to enter another dimension and it can be used for entertainment and has a social aspect to it that beats playing across the Internet. Come on out of your cave, Gamers, and find a way to make it to the next LAN Tournament in your area. You will make new friends and have a lot of fun. Even if you are not the most skilled player, it doesn’t matter! You will improve your playing skills by the time you leave, and have an even larger group of online friends to stay in touch with.
Minolta Dimage X
