WASD 2025 Runners Guide
WASD 2025 will be on-site at the University of Warwick, UK, in the Students' Union Atrium or newly in the Esports Centre (this hasn't been confirmed!), and streamed live to Twitch. For 2024, we don't currently plan to accept online runs.
Got a question about any aspect of the event? Please don't hesitate to reach out on our Discord, either in public channels or directly to an @Organiser.
For changes in tech requirements or run estimates, edit your Oengus submission and let us know! We all want things to run as smoothly as possible on the day.
Timeline
-
Submissions Open
-
Submissions Close
-
Schedule Released
-
WASD!
Our Setup
PCs and Consoles
The PCs are kindly loaned from the Warwick Esports Centre, and should have more than powerful enough specifications for your runs. We can provide a controller, or you can bring your own gear if you prefer - just let us know.
The Computing Society can provide the following consoles - again, let us know if you need one for your run:
- Xbox: Xbox One X and Xbox 360
- Nintendo: Switch, Wii U, Wii, and GameCube
- Playstation: PS4
We can pre-install many games, however if you have requirements for specific versions, DLCs, or settings, let us know. We'd always recommend you bring a USB with everything installed as a backup, just in case.
If you're bringing your own device, please note that we'll be using a HDMI capture card to record your device’s output. Older devices may need an adapter.
On the Day
Please arrive at least half an hour before your scheduled slot, and come talk to the tech crew so we can set things up beforehand. Our layout should look something like this:
We will be set up on a stage with three computers - two for runners on either side, and one at the back for tech. Most runs will alternate sides to help with setup times, or both can be used at once for a race! Commentators will be in front of the audience, and we'll have a practice area to the side (a couple of PCs & some monitors for consoles).
Commentators
During your run, we will have some commentators to introduce your run, talk to you about your run, and read donations. We will provide some ourselves, but we'd love you to provide a commentator for your run, as it's always better to have someone who knows the game and knows you! No worries if you can't, we'll do our best to find/match our commentators to games.
We can have in-person or online commentators, though in-person is a better experience for everyone. We have equipment for up to three commentators, although try to let us know as early as possible if you find someone.
Donation Incentives
We've had some great donation incentives in the past, and there's nothing like messing with the runner to separate people from their cash! (it's for a good cause after all)
Donation incentives can be almost anything:
- An upgrade to the run: "do x bonus level", "enable hard mode", or "collect a bonus collectible"
- A bid war over a basic choice: "which character to play with?", "clothing choice"
- Trigger an event: "will do x for every donation" (towards that incentive)
- Something silly (e.g. install a funny cosmetic mod or pet a dog in the game)
- Or something completely wild -- my favourite from last year was donations sending players in our Celeste Race fetching strawberries in game while eating a strawberry in real life!
Don't worry if you can't think of anything, we still have plenty of time, and we don't need one for every run.