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Show HN: I built a(nother) house optimized for LAN parties

(lanparty.house)
1092 points kentonv | 9 comments | 16 Nov 24 15:52 UTC | HN request time: 0.419s | source | bottom

I wasn't quite sure if this qualified as "Show HN" given you can't really download it and try it out. However, dang said[0]:

> If it's hardware or something that's not so easy to try out over the internet, find a different way to show how it actually works—a video, for example, or a detailed post with photos.

Hopefully I did that?

Additionally, I've put code and a detailed guide for the netboot computer management setup on GitHub:

https://github.com/kentonv/lanparty

Anyway, if this shouldn't have been Show HN, I apologize!

[0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22336638

Show context
echoangle ◴[16 Nov 24 21:12 UTC] No.42159387[source]▶
This is so cool. But the keyboard disturbed me, wouldn’t you at least want a mechanical keyboard?

> Keyboard: Logitech K120 Wired — The world's cheapest keyboard at $13 a pop. Works perfectly fine for all gaming needs.

I can’t imagine playing stuff like overwatch on a membrane office keyboard for $13 when having spent more than 100k on the setup. Especially when cheap mechanical keyboards are not that much more expensive either.

replies(6): >>42159445 #>>42159512 #>>42159848 #>>42163994 #>>42171276 #>>42188259 #
1. kentonv ◴[16 Nov 24 21:19 UTC] No.42159445[source]▶
Honestly I've never felt it made any difference to me when gaming. I would never code on such a keyboard but for the old WASD it seems fine.

That said, guests are welcome to bring any peripherals they want. There's a USB hub at each station to plug stuff in.

replies(2): >>42160192 #>>42177427 #
2. TheAceOfHearts ◴[16 Nov 24 22:55 UTC] No.42160192[source]▶
I guess it depends on what sort of games you're playing, but isn't it possible for the lack of n-key rollover to be a problem? My understanding is that many of these keyboards fail to register inputs if too many keys are pressed at the same time.
replies(5): >>42160321 #>>42160370 #>>42162294 #>>42163340 #>>42163522 #
3. ikrenji ◴[16 Nov 24 23:08 UTC] No.42160321[source]▶
he said they don't play competitive games.
4. kentonv ◴[16 Nov 24 23:13 UTC] No.42160370[source]▶
Hmm, I've never had an issue with this.

We generally don't play competitively but we do play fast-paced FPS and such and I just don't recall this ever having come up. (We had the same keyboards in the last house FWIW.)

5. Aeolun ◴[17 Nov 24 06:00 UTC] No.42162294[source]▶
Edit: I was wrong.

> I recall reading something like 13 keys, and wondering what kind of lunatic tries to press 13 buttons at the same time.

My recollection was wrong though, and most keyboards support at least two keys held down at the same time (plus shift/alt/ctrl).

6. michaelt ◴[17 Nov 24 10:48 UTC] No.42163340[source]▶
Generally it's fine - in the 1990s barely anyone had a mechanical keyboard. Instead, game developers learned to test their products on the most common keyboard models. That's why so many games use WASD+Shift+Ctrl+Alt+Space and a handful of other keys in that area.

It doesn't look like they're hoping to play split-screen fighting games with both players using the same keyboard :)

7. smolder ◴[17 Nov 24 11:25 UTC] No.42163522[source]▶
Yes, without an n-key rollover keyboard you run into situations where perhaps running diagonally, plus reloading or throwing a grenade won't register the last button press. (E.g. Shift + W + D + R/G) It's kind of infuriating to run into that problem on cheapo keyboards that have it.
8. Suppafly ◴[18 Nov 24 21:42 UTC] No.42177427[source]▶
Don't you run into issues with n-key rollover with those old membrane keyboards?
replies(1): >>42177585 #
9. kentonv ◴[18 Nov 24 22:00 UTC] No.42177585[source]▶
Nope, I've never experienced that issue, in a decade of using these keyboards for gaming.