LANventure: Where Will You Play?
From mountain tops to deep caverns and caves, there are very few place around the world where people haven’t played video games. In world record attempts, charity fundraisers, and simply for the fun of it, this sort of event has been gaining popularity for a long time, but there has been a big drawback; hardware. Being big and bulky, even gaming laptops were too heavy for a lot of people take on a journey like this. This isn’t the case anymore, though, and this post is going to be exploring some of the best ways to take advantage of this.
First, though, you’re going to have to think about the hardware you’ll be taking with you. For this sort of job, a laptop is ideal, as it will have a built in battery, along with components which will be able to charge from battery banks. If you want to have a desktop, it will probably cost quite a bit more when it comes to portable power and peripherals to help you play. There are loads of thin and light examples on the market, nowadays, and this makes it nice and easy to find a laptop which will suit your gaming needs.
For those with deep pockets, the Razer Blade series has long been one of the most popular out there for high-quality gaming. Their 2018 editions of these machines haven’t changed much compared to the older models, but this hasn’t stopped the brand from filling the small computer with respectable hardware. Pairing an 8th Generation Intel Core i7 CPU with either a GTX 1060 or a GTX 1070, you can get some serious gaming on with a laptop like this one.
This next option is for those on a slightly smaller budget. The HP Omen hasn’t been chosen because it is the best value machine in the world. Instead, to make this more useful, it is one of the most affordable light gaming laptops on the market, and this is what makes it shine. Sporting a 7th Generation Core i7 CPU and a GTX 1050 ti, you won’t get quite as much power out of this machine. Coming in at less than half the price of the Blade, though, this will appeal to a lot of people.
Planning Your LAN
Once you have a machine which is capable of this sort of travel, it will be time to start thinking about the location you’re going to choose. There are loads of options of this, and some of them will give you the chance to see the world like never before. To help you to find the perfect place for you, you can find some examples below, and there are loads more around the web if you’re willing to search for it.
On A Boat:
While water may not seem like a good idea around computers, having your LAN part on the ocean could be a great idea. Boats are often equipped with power, along with facilities like toilets and kitchens, giving you the chance to spend a few days out playing games. This sort of option will give you the power to travel the world, too. Of course, you will have to plan a boat trip of this nature with a lot of care.
One of the biggest challenges you’ll be facing will be power. A lot of your guests won’t have their own batteries with them, and this means that the boat will have to do. If you run the batteries down, you could be completely stranded, and this makes it worth doing some research. The top most reliable boat batteries can be found in reviews across the web. Using this sort of information, you should be able to plan for a long trip out on the water.
Going out to see for a few days is going to call for some provisions, like food and water. You should get all of this on board before you set out, bring extra in case you have any emergencies or people eat too much. Along with this, you’ll also need to think about the Internet. Even out at sea, you can usually find a mobile internet signal. Using a mobile WiFi router, you can provide everyone with a LAN connection to play on, alongside a link to the outside world to keep DRM running.
In The Sky:
Water isn’t the only place a game can find themselves, with the sky presenting an excellent option for anyone who isn’t scared of heights. Hot air balloon rides aren't too expensive, and can be booked throughout the year. This gives you a couple of hours of air time to get your gaming done, while also enabling you to have large groups spread between multiple balloons. Not many people have had this experience.
With an trip like this, it is unlikely that you will be left to pilot the hot air balloon, and someone will be joining you to keep everything safe. This means that you can focus on the things you want to bring with you, rather than tools to keep things going smoothly. You won’t have power on a craft like this, and this makes it important that everyone brings a spare battery or two if you want to stay in the air for a while.
Each company will have different rules which you have to follow when you want to use their flying machines. To make sure that you will be allowed to use your laptops, it will be worth asking ahead of time, as this will give you the chance to choose a company with the best terms. Along with this, it will be with reading some reviews, as this can be very helpful.
Hopefully, this post will inspire you to get out and start planning your next LAN party. For any gamer, this sort of event is a right of passage, and everyone has to experience it at some point. Of course, along with these options, you could also take yourself to one or two larger LANs which are arranged by other people.
