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