LAN party a tradition of gaming rivalry
The second floor lounge of Moen Hall was filled Saturday with computer science and engineering students gamed for competition.
Beginning around 3 p.m., the students from the third floor or “Engineering Floor” came out with their computers in tow for this semester’s official “Engineering versus Computer Science LAN Party.”
Both Moen and Greaves Halls, as well as other campus housing residences, are divided into what’s known as “themed floors.” Students are grouped by major in order to better facilitate study groups, out of class learning and networking.
There’s a tradition between the first floor of Greaves Hall (the Computer Science Floor) and the third floor of Moen Hall (the Engineering Floor) where at least once a semester many of the residents get together and play computer games.
The once tidy and well-kept lounge was soon packed with every flat surface having at least one computer on it and various networking cables strewn about connecting them all in to a Local Area Network (LAN).
A LAN allows for multiple computers to share data and send and receive signals making it possible for many players to be involved in the same game from their own computer.
Explaining that there wasn’t much rivalry between the floors, Steven Swenson, a freshmen majoring in engineering, said, “but depending on how thoroughly we beat them tonight, there may be.”
Jacob Brown, called “Tarzan” to those around him and an aerospace engineering junior, said, “We always win.”
With no official end time given or rules set up, the activities were able to go on for as long as people’s attention lasted.
Some players at last year’s event played well into Sunday. Players were also able to change games as often as they wanted.
The first game played was “Alien vs. Predator 2.” “AVP”, which came out in 1999, is actually allows players to play as marines, as well as aliens or predators.
During gameplay, players crawl through dark industrial levels as any of the three factions trying to stay alive in a hectic battle for survival. Saturday, the combatants’ favorite mode of play was survivor mode in which at first they engage in a free-for-all as marines, which are transformed into aliens when they die. For the rest of the game, it’s humans against aliens with each person killed coming over to the alien’s side.
“It’s the most versatile first person shooter there is,” said Justin Clark an aerospace engineering sophomore and owner of the game.
“Everyone can play the way that they want,” he said.
Several girls from the Deaf Education Floor (Moen first) came up to watch the festivities.
“I’m just here to make fun of them,” said sophomore Necia Farr.
However, after admitting to being the shy geeky girl in junior high, Farr said, “I’m still a big nerd at heart, that’s why I come to these things.”
Not all those who ventured up from the Deaf Education floor were so at home with the party. Freshman Caty Peck just shrugged her shoulders and said, “I’m lost.”
Everyone was welcome to play, regardless of experience.
As Patrick Jolley, a senior studying aerospace engineering, said, “Anyone can play. The guys that are really good need people who are easy to kill.”
The more experienced players were more than willing to help the newer players.
The activities continued throughout the day with many players joining and leaving the game at their leisure.
There was, however, an underlying fear of homework.
When considering his game playing habits Swenson admitted, “I need to cut back with college homework coming up.”
-steveshinney@cc.usu.edu