FAQs

L3 Lans

When's the next LAAAAaaannnn....?

If it isn't listed on the events page, then we don't know either. We usually announce our events with a month warning.

What sort of network do you have?

We run a wired network. We have a mix of 100Mb and 1000Mb equipment, with all the links between switches being 1000Mb. About a third of the actual client ports on the network are 1000Mb as well - first in, first served! We occasionally have a wireless router or something like that for other services such as PSP lannage, but nothing to support over ten concurrent users.

Why is L3 R18?

L3 has not always been R18 - and most other LAN events aren't R18 (although many larger events are R16), so this is a very common question. There are actually quite a large number of reasons for this, so here's the list:

Legal
If you're over 18, you're an adult. And anything you screw up falls on your head. If you cause damage to something, or commit a crime - it is your responsibility and you take the rap. Not so with under 18's - we effectively become your guardian for the duration of the event.
Alcohol
We often have a quiet b33r or two at events. And while we could do that even with minors present - it's hardly a smart idea.
Games
While very few games are rated R18, it is quite common for even top-shelf games to be rated R16 (which is why many larger LANs do have R16 policies). It's just not right to be playing a game of something like Doom 3 with young kids around.
Atmosphere
Kids play CS all the time, and b1tch and complain every time they die. Which is not fun to listen to. They have shorter attention spans, and tend to annoy other LANers. If you think that's not the case - we've run 40+ LANs now, you are wrong. Wrong.

Those are the four big reasons. And sure - we know there are responsible under-18's that wouldn't drink, wouldn't be annoying and would be fun to LAN with. But to be blunt - they're the minority. So L3 is R18. If you're under 18 and you really want to come, just wait until you're 18. Besides, you'll probably be able to afford a decent rig by then!

Can I reserve a table or seat?

Yes. While signing up to an event is still free, you can also prepay for an event and reserve a seat by buying tickets. This is a necessary evil because it isn't uncommon for people to sign up on our website and to not turn up.

I've left/lost something at the Lan what can i do?

We do have a lost & found box which we add found items to during the after-LAN clean up. Chances are pretty good we'll have your misplaced item. If you've misplaced something, please contact us.

What don't I do at L3?

L3 Website

Why does FEATUREX/PAGEY not work in Internet Explorer 6?

Either it's a problem we haven't seen before (see below), or it's because Internet Explorer 6 is an abomination of a web browser. We'd encourage you to upgrade your browser to something more standards compliant - it makes our life as web developers so much easier. Some good standards-compliant browsers (and yes of course they're all free!):

Thanks for making the web a more accessible, standards based place for everyone! However, if you believe that there is a problem with our website please contact us to report a problem.

This bit of the site looks broken...

...and it just may be! If you find something broken - we may not have noticed it before. Either post a thread in the forums, or contact us about it. It generally helps us a lot if you include the following information:

...and we'll try and hunt down the problem and fix it.

Who are those companies down the bottom?

People that rock. Nuff said.

How do I become one of those companies down the bottom?

L3 has been an independent lan for a long time, over seven years now, and we enjoy the independence. However, there is always room for sponsorship and so forth, as long as there are no conflicts on interest. If you feel you'd like to become affiliated with us, please contact us.

LANs In General

What is a lan?

With the invention of the modem, came the ability to transfer data to and fro from places far away such as America, and to have real-time chat with people from all over the world through the internet. One instantly popular application to take advantage of this was the 3D game. Games could now involve more than one or two people, who could interact with the same world and each person was able to play on their own computer, with their own mouse and keyboard configurations. The modem, as much as it was better than playing on your own, had its flaws with its constant problems of disconnecting or people wanting to use the phone while you were playing and other such common problems. You're also constantly battling lag and low speeds. LANs are the ultimate solution!

Lag in games, caused by the fact that the signal take some time to shoot around the planet, is a big problem - just like the delay you get on the phone when you're talking to somebody in England. You probably know that when playing an online game, a 50ping is good, a 100ping OK, and a 200ping bad. 400+ and you may as well just hold down a key and hope for the best - other players will be literally running rings around you. Well - standard LAN pings are between 0 and 8. Yes, I said zero!

LANs are also incredibly fast. Think your internet connection is fast? Probably not compared to a LAN! The proof? Here's some standard connections and their speeds (note the stupidly fast 100/1000Mb LAN speeds - that's what we run! ):

Which in short means, if you need the latest patch or mod for a game and it's a large download - it won't take long to get at the LAN!

What do I do at a lan?

Well almost anything you want really, within New Zealand and International law and our rules. You can play games, one on one or organise a 16 player lan game with people at L3. Hell, play a 40-person game if you've got a machine fast enough to serve 40 people and everyone wants to play! The possibilities with gaming at L3 are endless, and we try our best to support popular and new games. Do not play Counter-Strike. Counter-strike may be popular amoung the younger segment of people on the net, but not here. We have found that once people start playing Counter-Strike they don't stop at just 'playing', they get aggressive, and besides - Counterstrike sucks! We've found that when people circulate around a variety of games, playing racing, strategy, FPS and other games that they have a lot more fun - as does everybody else! Besides, most of the guys that attend L3's probably wouldn't be interested in the first place. See the forums for details of what's popular at the moment.

Another major feature of LANs is the file-sharing. If it can be downloaded, and somebody on the LAN did download it at some stage, then it's probably accessable and fast to get over the LAN. Needless to say - that doesn't make us a warez convention, and we won't take kindly to becoming one.

And best of all there are a whole lot of people that probably enjoy a lot of the same things you do. Well, you've got at least one thing in common once you're a LANer... Mill around, have a chat - you'll probably make another few friends easily.

Why should I come to a lan?

If you've read through the above, and still don't 'get it', then come along and have a look. We don't charge spectators - and you'll only need to take a quick peek before probably thinking about bringing your computer. If you've tried that and still don't know why, then you're either Amish, dead, or reading the wrong website...

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Packing List

Here a simple check off for what you should bring or purchase before coming to a L3 event:

Note that you no longer require a network cable or multibox for power - we provide both of these for everyone.