OnSite FAQ
Onsite FAQ
General Event and Location
Where am I? (Hotel Address & Phone)
Hilton Anatole Hotel
2201 N Stemmons Freeway
Dallas, TX 75207
USA, Planet Earth
(214)-748-1200 – Main Hotel Information
How long is the event?
Quakecon is held from August 2-5, 2007. The event starts in the morning on the
2nd and continues until noon on the 5th.
Where is the hotel?
At the end of the registration line is an outdoor walkway that leads back to
the hotel. If you make a left inside and go past the elevators, there’s a
staffed front desk at the Tower Entrance.
What are the check-in and check-out times for the hotel?
Check-in for your room is 3:00PM.
Check-out for your room is 11:00AM.
Where can I park? How much will it cost?
All hotel guests book at the 'QuakeCon' rate will be charged $5 per day for
parking. All non-guests will be charged $15 per day by the hotel.
Where are the restrooms?
There are restrooms located near the entrance of the Trinity Exhibit Hall, as
well as the far opposite corner of the room. Additionally, there are larger
restrooms in the Trinity Pre-Function Area outside the BYOC.
Where is the Lost and Found?
The lost and found is located at the Information Desk.
Where is there a phone?
There is a bank of pay phones located in the Trinity Pre-function area.
(hallway outside BYOC)
Can I have an announcement made?
The announcement system is for event use only, and in case of emergencies. If
you have a BYOC tournament that you want announced, we can do that for you. If
you are looking for your friends, we will not do that for you. If you are
looking for your child, we can help you, but please, do not use us as a paging
service.
Where’s the best place for food around here?
There is a list available places to get food, and also a list of places that
will deliver to the hotel. Here are electronic versions. (nearby) (delivery)
Registration
When do First Come – First Serve (FCFS) BYOC spots open?
This happens typically when the line for pre-registered spots goes down, but
can vary on specific timing. There will be posted waiting areas for people
wanting to get in line for FCFS.
I lost my sheet…
If you can prove who you are with photo identification, registration will be
happy to print out another sheet for you. It is very important that you keep
track of your sheet, as it will allow you to remove your computer and other
equipment from the BYOC, and you will be unable to do so without it!
I won this, how do I add it to my sheet?
Make sure to ask or a coupon or receipt from the vendor/sponsor who you won
the item from. They will only be available from Quakecon staff or
Sponsors/Vendors/Exhibitors of the event. Bring your receipt to registration
with the item, and they will add it to your listed equipment.
When can I checkout my computer/equipment?
There is a similar process to checking out as was checking in. You must match
your equipment from what you brought in, to what you are bringing out.
Depending on the staffing situation for that evening, checkout may not be
available at all hours. You can and will loose your seat and BYOC spot if you
are removing your computer daily. Taking this into consideration, it is
recommended you leave your equipment overnight, unless you are leaving the
event. Please check with Registration of the Information Desk on checkout
hours. (needs director clarification)
BYOC & Network
I can’t connect to the network…yet, I can still read this FAQ…
Stop and see the Tech Help Desk if you are having a technical or networking
issue. People at the Information Desk will be unable to help you with a
technical problem.
Where’s the Help Desk?
The Tech Help Desk is located next to the Network Operations Center (NOC), the
area on risers in the middle of the room.
What games are going to be played in the BYOC?
Any game you want. While we expect the most popular games will be DOOM 3,
Quake 3 and 4, Enemy Territory and their various mods, many other games will
also be played in the BYOC. Chances are good that if you want to play a game
there is someone else who also wants to play that game. Please note that any
multiplayer game you want to play must support TCP/IP. (Most do)
Will Quake/DOOM be the only official games played at QuakeCon?
No, we will have servers for other games including Return to Castle
Wolfenstein, Enemy Territory, Counter-Strike, Call of Duty, and many others.
We will also provide servers for the most popular mods. While the name is
QuakeCon, more than Quake will be played. QuakeCon is a celebration of all of
id’s games and id’s game engines! If you would like to see a particular mod or
game run, feel free to suggest it on our Forums.
How late is the BYOC Open?
The BYOC will be open 24 hours a day. There will be no stop to the multiplayer
action throughout the event!
Can I give my BYOC spot to someone else?
No, once you register for a spot, it is yours. If you will not be attending
send an e-mail to info@quakecon.org and let us know. Your spot will be given
to the next person on the waiting list.
BYOC seats are non-transferable; selling or giving your BYOC spot to another
person is strictly not allowed.
Can we save seats for friends/clan mates in the BYOC? Are seats assigned?
Not officially. All of the seats in the BYOC are first come-first serve and
people can sit wherever they want. Whoever gets there first gets the first
choice of seating, second gets what's left over, etc.
Groups or clans may ask others to leave space for their friends. Sometimes
people even make signs to place on the tables. Generally, people are willing
to accommodate and are friendly about it. It's rare that friends end up very
far apart. But when space gets tight, you may not deny someone that needs your
"reserved" space.
Do I need to do anything with my PC to be able to play in the BYOC area?
Yes, the BYOC is an Ethernet based TCP/IP network. This means that you will
need an Ethernet network card, and have it installed in your computer. You
will also need to make sure that you have the TCP/IP protocol installed for
that network card. And because this is a free network you should be very
careful with sharing files. If you are unfamiliar with file sharing please
turn it off. This is to prevent others from reading all your files (which
might contain CD-keys), and maybe even deleting the contents of your hard
drive.
I have no idea what you are talking about, can you guys help me out?
Yes, we will have network staff available in the BYOC to give you any
assistance with setting up your machine that you may need. Just bring your
computer, an Ethernet network card, and any driver disks that come with it and
the installation CD for your operating system. Also, you may want to ask the
people that are sitting around you to give you a hand. Don't worry about
looking like a newbie, we're all glad to help out.
How can I protect myself from viruses and people trying to hack into my
computer?
Quakecon has a dedicated staff of network security technicians that will be
monitoring the network throughout the event for worms, viruses, and other
anomalies. They will identify and act upon any perceived threat to either the
network security or performance.
If your computer is found to be infected with a virus, it will be unplugged
from the network until you can get it un-infected. Network staff will try and
assist people in getting cleaned up, to the extent of that they have time.
All attendees should have their computers patched up to date before attending,
and running a virus scanner is *highly* recommended.
As for hacking, well, if you discover that somebody is doing nefarious things
on the network then just talk to somebody in the NOC and the situation will be
dealt with very swiftly. In the past, people doing stuff like that have been
ejected from the BYOC. QuakeCon is about fun. People who harm other people's
computers are not fun. The QuakeCon staff can and do prosecute those who do
illegal acts.
Will there be Internet access in the BYOC?
Yes, there will be Internet access in the BYOC. We will cap the bandwidth
usage of each person in the BYOC at a reasonable limit so that you can use
e-mail, chat on IM clients, IRC and, of course, browse the web. Large
downloads, however, are strongly discouraged. We ask that you keep the line
free for your fellow gamers. We will provide a file server which will have as
many mods and patches as possible so you can download them locally. If anyone
abuses the Internet access they will be blocked from further access. And if
that doesn't help, we will shut of Internet access to the whole BYOC, so
please do not ruin it for everyone.
Can I play MMORPG's in the BYOC?
Access to MMORPG's such as Everquest, EVE Online, DAoC, Second Life, and WoW
will be restricted if not blocked completely. DO NOT EXPECT TO HAVE ACCESS TO
ANY INTERNET-BASED GAME WHILE AT QUAKECON.
Will there be WiFi access in the BYOC/ Can I setup my own access point?
The hotel provides a for-money wi-fi network, and the Event itself may (or may
not) provide a free network. But bear in mind that the performance of the
actual connection would degrade rapidly as more and more people used the
connection. Picture hundreds if people plugged into a 10MB hub and you get
some idea what its like.
Also, don't try running your own access point either. Essentially that
introduces a backdoor to the BYOC that is just another security risk. The
network security staff WILL be checking for this type of thing, so just don't
do it.
Will file sharing be allowed on the BYOC network?
Yes and No.
No, in that Windows SMB/CIFS file sharing will be disabled. You will not be
able to browse the network via network neighborhood or connect to other
computers directly by IP address. All SMB traffic will be blocked at the core
router. This was a decision made in response to the incredible number of
viruses on the network in 2003 that exploit specific holes in Microsoft
Windows.
Yes, in that we will be operating a DirectConnect server on the network for
any file sharing or patch distribution needs. You can get the client software
here.
Can I run my own DirectConnect server or other network services?
No. Non-official services like DC++/DHCP/etc will not be tolerated on the
QuakeCon network. You are free to run game servers from your personal
machines, however.
The final call on permission rests with the network staff. Violating this rule
can lead to your ejection from the event or simply a stern warning
Can I rent a monitor from QuakeCon?
Not directly from QuakeCon, however you are able to rent monitors from our
friends at Bit-by-Bit. They will be on-site and the procedure for renting
equipment is usually painless (they arrive with the equipment and bring it
into the BYOC, you get it from them and use it. Then, on Sunday, just return
it to them right there in the BYOC)
Can I sleep in the BYOC?
No, you may not. It is against the hotel's policy. We also do NOT recommend
sleeping in your car. Texas temperatures can get very high, and we don’t need
any of you getting heat stroke or worse.
Is Alcohol or Smoking allowed in the BYOC?
No, neither alcohol nor smoking is allowed IN the BYOC, however space for
smoking will be provided. And if you want to drink head on up to your room.
What kind of security will be at QuakeCon?
QuakeCon will have 'round the clock security provided by the Dallas Police
Department. There will be several uniformed (and armed) Police Officers on
duty at all times. An inventory sheet is filled out upon arriving at QuakeCon,
and what you leave the BYOC with is checked against that sheet. Some years we
have not allowed late-night checkouts. If you are planning to take your
computer out of the BYOC late at night, please check with a member of the
registration staff first.
I'd like to run my own tournament in the BYOC. How can I organize that?
BYOC tournaments really bring the Quakecon community together like few other
things can. They're a great idea for you and friends, neighbors, or the whole
BYOC to take part in!
However, there are a few rules to follow when starting your own tourneys in
the BYOC that we ask that you please follow:
-
You may not accept sponsorship from any third-party companies for your
tournament or use your tournament as advertisement for any company or
group.
-
You may not publicize your Tournament as being officially sanctioned by
QuakeCon.
-
Any prizes for your tournament must be offered out of pocket or from the
generosity of donors.
-
You may not charge any kind of entrance fee for your tournament, even if
it is to be used as prize money. That's called gambling and is illegal.
-
The QuakeCon staff reserves the right to impose additional restrictions at
a later date or to cancel any tournament at any time for any reason.
Once you've read the rules then head on over to the BYOC Tourneys forum to get
organizing! If you need some advertisement for your tourney, stop by the Info
Desk, and we can post it on a bulletin board, or possibly make an announcement
if conditions permit.
Volunteers
Why should I volunteer?
Quakecon may be hosted by id Software, but it is run by
volunteers. Without volunteers, Quakecon would not happen, plain and
simple. If you are enjoying this free event, give back and pitch in.
How do I volunteer?
Stop by the Volunteer Desk. They will be able to let you know what jobs are
available and how you might be able to best help support the event. Jobs range
from simple tasks like, watching a particular door, data entry at
registration, or answering questions and giving technical help at either the
Info or Help Desks. Remember, volunteering does have its perks.
Where is the Volunteer Desk?
On the opposite side of the Information Desk.
Tournaments
When/Where are tourney signups?
Tournament signups will be from 9 to 11:30 for pre-registered spots only.
First-come first-serve spots will be opened at 11:30. ET: Quake Wars tourney
first-come first serve, MUST have a complete team at the time of signup.
When is my match?
Match times will be calculated once the system is filled. There will be a live
system for you to check at both the tourney area and from a BYOC computer for
your match time.
Where is the Tournament Area?
The tournament area is located in Trinity I exhibit hall, the room adjacent to
the BYOC.
Where is the Tournament Help Desk?
The Tournament Help Desk is located at the Tournament Area, they can better
answer specific tournament questions.
Contests, Announcements & Scheduling
What is the Quick Draw Tournament?
How do I sign up for Guitar Hero 2?
Registration will start at 10:00 AM on Friday Aug 3rd at the
Information Desk
How do I get a shirt?
Our best advice to get a shirt is: Participate!! Quite often being in the
right place at the right time will yield excellent results. Shirts are tossed
into crowds, handed out randomly and won through various means including,
trivia and extraordinary feats of human talent. This usually occurs at
scheduled happenings throughout the event. Make sure to stop by and see what
sponsors have lined up on the main stage, or at other events. The next best
way to get a shirt: Volunteer!
When/Where is the Sinus Show?
The Sinus Show will be showing DOOM on the Main Stage on Thursday, Aug
2nd at 10:00 PM.
When/Where is the keynote by John Carmack?
The Carmack Keynote will be on the Main Stage on Friday, Aug 3rd at
6:00 PM
Where do I turn in the Photo Scavenger Hunt?
Friday – still more info…
When is the Bawls Chugging Contest contest?
The Bawls Chugging Contest will be in 3 rounds on the Quick Draw Stage on
Friday, Aug 3rd at 10:30 AM and later at 5:00 PM. Finals will
conclude on Saturday at 1:00 PM
Where is the Main Stage?
The main stage is in Kymer Pavilion, which is located in the Atrium II area of
the hotel. Head back to the hotel through the doors next to the Gossip Bar,
and take the passage through the construction area. Take the escalator near
Common Grounds to the second level. Here’s a handy map.
Where is the Quick Draw Stage?
The Quick Draw Stage is located in Trinity I, near the Tournament area.
Sponsors & Vendors
Where is the vendor area?
The vendor area is adjacent to the BYOC, in Trinity Exhibit Hall I.
Where can I get Bawls?
Forums