It’s almost that time of year again! The first part of August will be the annual Pork Chop Platoon LAN party.
So, you might be asking yourself, what is LAN? Or what is it like to attend LAN? Well, think of LAN as a big family reunion except it’s with the people that you’ve gamed with throughout the past year. At the LAN gathering we rent out a big conference room in a hotel for a 3 day weekend (note: members may turn this into a 6 or 7 day weekend, PCP is not responsible for loss of job or wife), most members bring their rigs, hook up to the network, and play games while others just come, console-free, to hang out and talk with everyone.
There is no wrong way to do LAN! There is always something going on inside the LAN room whether it be an intense card/board game, rambunctious discussion around a table, or taste testing of local fare brought in by various members from across the US, Canada, and others from even further away like Ireland. Tables are set up throughout the room, not only for gaming but also where folks can get together, relax, reminisce, eat, hang out and just have fun away from the stresses of real life for a weekend.
Being a LAN party, you will also find gaming tournaments being organized for both old school consoles that have been brought in as well as the latest, greatest Xbox titles, these are always fun to get in on the action. Even if you don’t or weren’t able to bring your rig you can still jump into gaming as there is always someone willing to lend you their seat at a console.
Saturday night is the, can’t miss BBQ dinner, oh man the Wipsy beans are so good! The plethora of BBQ and smoked meats that have been slaved over for many, many hours is reason alone to attend LAN. If you had a long drive to get to the LAN location with too many fast food pit stops to count then this home cooked meal is something to look forward to every year! Nothing beats it and you’ll be thinking about it the whole way home. The food is great for sure, but it’s a really nice capper to the weekend and truly brings the family feeling of sitting down to dinner together to our LAN gatherings.
Each year there is several different outings outside the LAN room that are planned. Impromptu excursions to local restaurants happen often to make it through the next epic gaming session. There is also a very nice golf course that is not to far away from the LAN site and is very reasonably priced. Typically the Golf outing is pre-planned and the group usually just plays nine holes as to not be away too long but long enough to enjoy the game, other golfers company, and the fresh air of a summer that is coming to a close. For those who don’t swing the club so well and want their Golf to be even more relaxed with less equipment we have you covered, the last few years there has been a group that plays Disc Golf instead. Last year we were even able take in a Cincinnati Reds baseball game renting a party bus to take us there and back. Man what a blast that was! I can promise you this; even if you are not a fan of baseball you will thoroughly enjoy the outing with the visit among friends to a great ballpark and with the bus, the party never has to stop!
A lot of members share hotel rooms to help split the cost, becoming lifelong PCP Roomies, and some even meet up to carpool, saving money on the travel side of things. For me the biggest thing that I always take away from attending LAN is the fellowship of all the people that were able to come together and even those that share in the good times by proxy through online play or Internet chat sessions. After my first LAN experience in 2015, I found the best part was the fact that you get to meet and interact face to face with the people that you’ve been bantering and gaming with on the Xbox, you may even meet people that you have not had the chance to game with before and lo and behold a new friendship is born! It is an experience that I really can’t explain other than it is just an awesome good time and the type of vacation you can’t get anywhere else.
So, if you have not yet signed up to become a member, do it now! Join our amazing community and see how our LAN experience carries over to all the events we plan out online throughout the year. If you’re new to the Platoon or even a Veteran member that just hasn’t made it to LAN yet I leave you with a saying you’ll hear a lot leading up to the LAN gathering… “Just get there!” Just get there, you’ll be taken care of and you won’t be disappointed!
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