[IMG]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/2668640/TG14/Title.png[/IMG]
Welcome to an early, and brand new, actual effort-thread! As I was slightly tired of every The Gathering thread looking exactly like the previous year’s thread, this year I decided to make a new thread, somewhat based off the old one, but completely rewritten! (Except for the "Useful"-part, which there's not much to change on anyways.
So please, if you don’t know what The Gathering is, or if you’re planning on going, give it a read, and please do join in on the discussion!
First off, some useful links:
[B]Official The Gathering Webpage:[/B] [URL]http://www.gathering.org[/URL]
[B]Last year’s thread:[/B] [URL]http://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1230228[/URL]
[B]Ticket website:[/B] [URL]http://www.geekevents.org[/URL]
[B]Official Youtube channel:[/B] [URL]http://www.youtube.com/gatheringorg[/URL]
[IMG]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/2668640/TG14/What.png[/IMG]
The Gathering is the world’s largest computer party held in one Arnea, and the second largest computer party overall, behind Dreamhack, with around 5200 participants. The Gathering is however unlike Dreamhack, held only once a year, during the Easter week, from Wednesday 09:00 until Sunday 13:00.
The Gathering is about more than sitting in one place from Wednesday until Sunday, it’s about hanging out with friends, meeting up with people you’ve only talked to online, doing fun activities, attending seminars, the great mood and feeling that’s there, and much more.
There are also competitions of all sorts, games, creative, programming, and lectures and seminars that are worth seeing!
All this makes The Gathering an interesting event for more people than just the hardcore gamers.
[IMG]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/2668640/TG14/Where.png[/IMG]
The Gathering takes place in Hamar, Norway, about one and a half hours north of Oslo when driving. The arena is called “Vikingskipet” or “The viking ship” in English, and it looks like this:
[IMG]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/2668640/TG14/Skipet.png[/IMG]
Getting there can be done in a few different ways, by car, by bus (sometimes organized by other participants, it can be real economical if you get enough people), by train or any other way you fancy (bicycles are not recomended).
[IMG]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/2668640/TG14/fprow.png[/IMG]
Every year we give this a shot, and so far it hasn’t really taken off, but I’m not gonna stop trying! If there’s interest, I think it would be really cool to have a row of Facepunchers sitting together. We had a few people in 2012, and that was quite the blast, so I’m definitely reccomending joining in.
This row is also not exclusive to Facepunchers, if you have friends you are going with, they are welcome to sit with us!
Below is a list of people who are currently planning on sitting with us, if you’d like to join, let me know. Putting yourself on this list is in no way a final say that you will sit with us, you are free to change your mind any time without anyone thinking any less of you!
The seating arrangement list of our row will be completed once we’re closer to the event.
[B]List:[/B]
»LarparNar
»Sjokolade / Hans
[IMG]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/2668640/TG14/Useful.png[/IMG]
[B]What's the price?
[/B]The admission fee for 2013 was 1050NOK + a 49NOK ticket fee. At the time of writing this is $190.57
Foreigner tickets are about half that, and can be purchased if you have proof that you live outside scandinavia.
[B]How old do I have to be?
[/B]If you're 15 or less you need a special form signed by your parents, but there's no set age limit.
[B]How fast is the Internet?
[/B]Very fast, expect something like this:
[IMG]http://www.speedtest.net/result/2605314455.png[/IMG]
[B]How big is this?
[/B]Over 5000 participants each year, second largest computer party in the world, only smaller than the Swedish "Dreamhack" (But The Gathering is in one big hall and not several smaller ones, so this obviously makes it better, fuck off swedes).
[B]Are there girls?
[/B]Yes.
[B]Does it smell?
[/B]No, the hall is a sports arena, so it's very well ventilated, and most people are (believe it or not) at least slightly hygienic.
[B]Is alcohol allowed?
[/B]Nope, this is advertised as a cultural and drug/alcohol free alternative to other stuff kids do in their free time. This means you pay no tax (or whatever you call it) on your ticket, and it can be used as an argument when you ask your parents.
[B]I'm hungry, what do I eat?
[/B]You've got several options:
1: Buy a food ticket, this gives you breakfast and dinner on the second, third and fourth day (you arrive on the first and leave on the fifth, so there's nothing on those days).2: Buy hamburgers, pizza or other shit at the stands inside the arena.
2: Buy food from the in-house stands, pizza, kebab, hamburgers, etc.
3: Buy food at the stores in the area.
4: Order pizza/other food, they deliver straight to the arena.
[B]
Can I sneak into the girls showers?
[/B]No you perv, the girls showers requires a special entry card you get at the information desk.
[B]Where do you sleep?
[/B]You can sleep in the seating areas at the sides of the arena, or you can sleep in the heated sleeping tent outside.
There are also hotels that have special The Gathering deals, but sleeping at a hotel kind of ruins the whole feel of the event.
[B]What do I have to bring?
[/B][I]From gathering.org
[/I]• The check-in proof. We say this every year, and every year hundreds of people forget it. Do not leave home without it or you may end up spending this Easter on the streets of Hamar - a mighty cold pleasure we might add. Do not forget to complete the pre-check-in, either.
• Valid identification (picture ID, driver’s license, bank ID card).
• A consent form from your parents if you are under 16 years old. The form is found here.
• Your beloved computer.
• A minimum ten meter network cable.
• Power cable, sound cables, monitor cable, power pad.
• A mouse and, for those who can't live without it, a mouse pad.
• Headphones.
• Network card. Do not think you will be fine on wireless among 5000 others...
• We cannot stress this enough: Tooth brush, shaving equipment, soap and deodorant.
• Towels, we recommend you bring two. Drying off with your t-shirt is useless.
• Clean clothes, four or five sets (yes, we prefer you wash every day).
• Socks in all shapes and colors, especially the warm ones as the concrete floor gets cold.
• A bag or two to keep your dirty laundry in.
• Food. We recommend you buy some sliced bread + things to have on it. Food will be sold at the party, but living on those torched lumps of meat might be a bit expensive in the long run.
• Stuff to drink. We highly recommend water - it's good for you! Bonus: If you bring a bottle, you're sure to find places to re-fill it in the venue.
• An Easter egg filled with your favorite sweets. Ask your mother. It is a holiday, and sugar is of the essence.
• Money! This is very important. And no, we will not lend you any.
• Cell phone, so you can call your mother every time you feel homesick.
• Sleeping gear: Sleeping bag, mattress, pillow.
• A USB memory stick.
• Pen and paper (you never know!).
• A camera, because no one will believe you when you say that you have been to the second largest computer party in the world!
• Magazines/books. Nice pastime on the journey to and from Vikingskipet.
• Sanitary pads and tampons (that is, if you are female)
• Condoms/birth control. However, we do not recommend carnal pleasures in public areas as they are very crowded.
• A paper/plastic bag or two for trash. We like it nice and clean :)
• Any and all medication you may need during the party. You should also carry any necessary medical documentation on you at all times.
• Duct tape. Shouldn't need an explanation but if you must: it's really useful for protecting your wrists from the edge of the table and thus prevents bruises (No, we did not say "Use it on other people"!).
[B]Don't bring[/B]
• Refrigerator.
• Microwave oven.
• Kettle.
• Speakers suitable for The Who concerts. Do not worry - we'll bring the noise :)
• Other devices that require massive amounts of power.
[B]Why did you forget this one question I had, but remember all the other shit I don't care about?
[/B]I'm sorry, please ask your question in the thread and I'll do my best to answer.
[B]And finally, some pictures for you to enjoy:[/B]
[IMG]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/2668640/Artisticphotos/TG11/pizzaisgood.jpg[/IMG]
[t]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/2668640/Artisticphotos/TG11/pan3medium.jpg[/t]
[IMG]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/2668640/Artisticphotos/TG11/3x.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/2668640/Artisticphotos/TG11/oview.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/2668640/Artisticphotos/TG11/folk/pizza.jpg[/IMG]
Still Sweden's Elmia halls are larger...sure it's not a single room - but still a single building.
Hey OP, how is it with getting there from Sund and vacation days there and stuff, I mean if you don't know anyone who can drive you home or heim or anything?
[QUOTE=mac338;40170660]Hey OP, how is it with getting there from Sund and vacation days there and stuff, I mean if you don't know anyone who can drive you home or heim or anything?[/QUOTE]
Train home for the whole vacation then train to Hamar again for The Gathering is your best bet.
I guess but that sounds a bit tiresome.
I am happy to see that you included the picture of me.
Also yes, I shall be going!
[QUOTE=Runar;40170842]I am happy to see that you included the picture of me.
Also yes, I shall be going![/QUOTE]
With us? :)
[QUOTE=LarparNar;40170951]With us? :)[/QUOTE]
I am not quite sure right now, but it seems like I'm sitting with some other people next year
Runar, what if I come? Will you sit with us? <3
[editline]5th April 2013[/editline]
... I don't even know if I'll sit with you guys :v: I probably will though.
You can all invite your friends to sit with us too you know!! :D
I hate living in the US.
do you also need to bring a monitor?
[QUOTE=Flarey;40173163]do you also need to bring a monitor?[/QUOTE]
You need to bring everything except a chair and table. Bringing a chair is recommended though.
Fun fact, "The Gathering" is also the name for the annual Juggalo festival held in the Central US.
Have you ever had anyone wearing clown makeup wander in and immediately look really confused?
I was kind of excited until I saw "In Norway". Another thing I'd like to do but can't. Oh well, looks fun regardless.
i'd come to this fest, only few years later (because i don't have a car, money, a compact gaming laptop)
I probably wont be seating with FP this time around either, we were a seating group of 98, which let us choose spots first, or close to first.
My mate and his friend also combined their speakers, which won them 10000kr(1700$) for best speaker setup.
It would suck not to sit next to them next year, as even though I couldn't hear a lot of Bioshock Infinite while I played it through in [I]one sit[/I],
I was never bothered by the shitty music taste by everyone else around us. The few minutes the spotify playlist was stopped, I heard repulsing Norwegian rap, list-pop and people trying too hard to be funny when playing music.
Next year i will probably seat more people than just me and my two friends.
[QUOTE=DaMoggen;40181739]Next year i will probably seat more people than just me and my two friends.[/QUOTE]
If you're up for it, we can merge so that we can seat earlier?
[QUOTE=LarparNar;40181783]If you're up for it, we can merge so that we can seat earlier?[/QUOTE]
Guess i will think about it when i know exactly how many i'll seat.
[QUOTE=DaMoggen;40181795]Guess i will think about it when i know exactly how many i'll seat.[/QUOTE]
Cool :)
i thought this would be about the gathering of the juggalos :(
severely disappointed
[video=youtube;JukCSj9a1fM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JukCSj9a1fM[/video]
When the light gets turned off you know it has officially started.
I might go to this next year
Looks cool
I'll attend next year as always as long as nothing special happens, will be my 9th year.
Will as always go and seat with an uncertain number of friends though.
But if we can plan some meetings and shit before the event starts this year, then that would be great. It easily falls way down on the list of "things I want to do" when you are there and have your brain on autopilot and just sitting there mindlessly staring at the screen seems like a better idea than anything else.
[QUOTE=dgg;40182871]just sitting there mindlessly staring at the screen seems like a better idea than anything else.[/QUOTE]
Goddamn every year :v:
[t]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/14605659/883553_400777756688270_1591550717_o.jpg[/t]
Had these speakers less than 10 meters away from me, wasn't too bad for my ears though.
They were pretty loud, but the guys hadn't done a lot to make them sound as good as possible.
I attended this at least 2-3 times, but haven't been there in a couple of years now.
Watching the vid of the lights being turned off reminded me that I MUST attend at least once more before growing old and beardy :v:
Damn. I'd attend this if I (didn't live in Russia) had english-speaking friends. Seems fun
DreamHack master race.
Sorry, you need to Log In to post a reply to this thread.