Hi Everyone!

The countdown to SAO:13 is on (its less than 5 days time!) so heres a bunch of info you should be aware of as time gets closer!

Click the banner above to sign up, You must be logged in!

First things first.  If you haven't already registered for the event (to say you are coming and to stake your claim at a vent spot!) then I suggest you LOG IN to the site and then click the banner above to go to the registration page where you can sign up.  Vent has been packed this last 3 SAO events and this one is gonna be even busiesr, so if you are coming it's another reason to sign up!

Checklist for the night!

Ok, there's a few things that will be going on throughout the session, so here's a checklist of stuff for you address so you can have the best experience on the night.

1. Sign up. It gives you the best chance of getting a slot in vent

2. Stock up on drinks/snacks

3. Download the latest Left 4 Dead 2 Addon Installer, and double check you have the latest version by going to help -> check for updates.  Also, REMEMBER to update your Addon List by pressing the button at the BOTTOM of the addon installer.  We will be playing games on the "modified L4D1 series" on the night, so be sure to have Dead Air Modified, Death Toll Modified, No Mercy Modified and Blood Harvest Modified installed.  its VERY important to keep an eye out in the forums, as more maps will be announced for the event soon for you to get, and I think Peter may have an announcment or 2 to make about the Addon Installer program itself.

4. Sort your vent out.  Be sure BEFORE the event that your ventrilo works, you can hear others and others can hear you.  No sound? chances are you've hit the mute button by accident at the bottom of the vent window, crazy fool!

5. Have L4D1 AND L4D2 installed (and Bad Company 2 if you play it!).  There's been tons of requests for L4D1 gaming, so make sure you have it on ice so if we do decide to play it, you can get in on the fun!

6. Defrag/Antivirus your PC before the night.  It's sods law that theres always 1 or 2 people have PC problems on the night.  Avoid it being you by giving your machine a spring clean beforehand and test.

7. Spread the word, invite other clans to both register, and come along.  It's open to Non-SAO members, other clans and publics alike, so please help us out and spread the word.  Feel free to organise a clan match or 2! if you DO organise one, PLEASE speak to a gameserver admin/mod to sort it out.  Teams for clan matches are on a first-come-first served basis, unless the person organising it has specifically set up a team.  Please use common sense with this, and put a post in the forums if you have organised a match, so others are aware (and we can allocate a server for it!).

On the night there's gonna be a few of our brutal 7v7 matches, L4D1, Modded L4D2, Bad Company 2,  L4D1 Maps on L4D2 and some community maps also.  Although there will be a LOT of SAO members around to play with, please allow a few Non-SAO members get in on games too, get them involved and interested and show em what we are all about.  Feel free to give out our ventrilo details to them (if there is space at the time) and invite them to join in.

For those of you who have never been to an SAO event before, heres 2 taster videos, one for our last event ([SAO]12:Disorder) and one for the Bad Company crew among us.

There's a ton of work that goes on behind the scenes at SAO, especially on our gaming event nights.  I'd like to thank all of our staff at SAO, from the gameserver admins to vent and forum mods.  As ever on the night theres bound to be chaos in vent due to 20 people all talking/wanting to play a game at once.  If you get a game set up, move all your players into a separate lobby so you can down to the game.  Similarly, if you see players in a "Gaming lobby" (ie, any other lobby than AFK or Chillout room) then assume they are in a game.  Only go in to ask a question or 2 and respect they are playing, not to take up residence and talk while others are trying to have their game.

One more thing which has became a hot topic at SAO recently.  If you are about to start a game of L4D or L4D2, for the sake of our sanity check that:

You have enough time to play the WHOLE game. if you don't, tell your team BEFOREHAND.
For the foreseeable future, you don't need a piss within the next 30 minutes at least. if you do, go for one BEFOREHAND.
Do you have enough beers/crisps? if you don't, get some BEFOREHAND.
If you have to leave, give notice BEFOREHAND and either WAIT TILL THE ROUND IS OVER, or at least REQUEST A PAUSE so someone else can join.  It will make things easier for the other guys to replace you

A great game can quickly become a crap one if you have to sit there for 10 minutes at the beginning of each round, or pausing continuously mid round.  Following the simple guidlines above can help keep games running smooth and everyone happy.

As usual its looking to be a huge event, so a little preparation and co-operation will go a long way!

Cheers

BigC90210 and The SAO Staff