Your first Friday at Harbour LAN: a practical guide
Walking into a room full of strangers and PCs can feel like a lot. This guide, from our guides editor, takes you from the front door to your first lobby.
Take your time
I still remember my first Friday: I carried a monitor in through the wrong door and nearly knocked over the kettle. Nobody laughed, somebody found me a power point, and by the tea break I had been talked into a team. Patrick Sullivan here, and this is the guide I wish I'd had that night.
The most important thing to know is that nobody expects you to be good, or fast, or even certain what you're doing. Everyone in the room was once the person who didn't know where the cables lived.
Before you leave home
Pack light
A laptop or tower, a mouse, headphones and a power board will do. If you'd rather not carry anything, come empty-handed; there are spare controllers for the retro corner and plenty of board games on the shelf.
Update at home
Run the updates for your games before you set out. A large download during a lobby slows the network for everyone, and it's the one thing that can make a good night feel long.
At the door
Say hello to the person at the entrance table and tell them it's your first night. They'll point out the tea corner, the toilets and a seat with a power point nearby.
Once you're in
- Plug into the board you're shown, not a neighbour's.
- Watch a round before joining; nobody will mind.
- Tell your team it's your first game and ask for a role that suits.
- Come to the tea break, even if you're deep in a match.
Before you go
Help roll a cable or stack a box. It takes ten minutes and it is the quickest way to feel like part of the place. Then tell the crew what you enjoyed and which night you'd like to try next.