Okay. Here's how it works:
1. Host machine connects to Sony, room established.
2. All Guest machines then connect to and communicate with Host machine directly.
3. So long as all guest machines are on the same switch, the network speed is limited by the switch and cabling. Any external machines connecting to the room hamper the connection for all local machines.
So here's the plan*:
1. All prospective UKGTP attendees create a UKGTP account on the machine you intend to bring. I suggest UKGTP_ prefixes to make it all look teh awesome. For the time being, keep them to yourselves (I have another plan. Shhh!)
2. Don't worry - you won't need to make any progress on this account at all, unless you want to. It won't matter how much or how little play is made on this account.
3. Keep only UKGTP attendees on your friends list (or other accounts of your own). On the day of the actual event, it'd be helpful to, as housekeeping, delete any non-attending members - remember, any machine connecting from outside the local area will ruin the connection for all of us.
4. You'll need to be familiar with cloning - I will start to distribute cars soon. You'll need to receive the car, backup your save, gift the car out to another UKGTP member and restore your save. This will need to be done every day that a car is gifted out as there is only a one car a day gift limit. If you miss a day, anyone expecting to receive cars from you will fall behind and unless you're keeping track they may miss cars completely. This will be incredibly difficult to fix (although I've planned a system to do so - it's very complex and will take hours out of actual UKGTPing time) on the days of the LAN itself, so turning up and asking "So, what cars do we need?" will be met with pummelling to death and being fed to the dogs, VEXD.
5. Keep the cars stock as they are received. It is unenforceable - just as TCS/ASM use has been in all previous UKGTPs - but we're UKGTPers so it shouldn't need to be enforced. GT5 gives us the chance to fine-tune our LAN cars so we can fill gaps that previously existed, to prevent the big steps down like we've had in handicaps or to artificially increase or decrease performance of a rabbit/slug car to give us a larger pool of cars for Pick'n'Mixes. This can be undone by even an oil change so please get the car and leave it alone.
6. Add the cars to your favourites. This can be done on the day - particularly because, again, there's a small favourites list. The upside is that it doesn't take the same cocking about that GT4 did - exit, defavourite, favourite, save, rejoin - and the whole LAN doesn't need to be dropped for it.
That should be about it for now - and this will all apply no matter where the event will be hosted. I will guess that it needs about two months' of preparation and car gifting, so if we're going for a Spring Bank Holiday LAN, we'll need to start in March. Don't worry, I have this sorted.
VEXD summary:
1. Make UKGTP_ account. Don't tell anyone what it is yet.
2. Do whatever you want with it.
3. Except adding friends who aren't also UKGTPers.
4. Receive car/s every day. Clone them out to other UKGTPers.
5. Don't touch them at all. No, don't tune them. No, don't change the oil. Don't touch them at all. AT ALL.
6. Except to add to favourites, but we'll be doing that on the day.
👍
