RingersLP1-costumesWith tickets for The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug just hours from going on sale, we are now ready to open up our Line Parties for business. Well, sort of. The Line Party program has been having some quirky issues and not working for everyone. So this is a little list of what you can do with the Line Party section, and what you will want to supplement it with.

First off, let’s have a quick history on what a Line Party is. The geek in us all feels driven to attend the earliest possible screening, and with the Hobbit: DOS, that means the midnight screenings. And let’s face it, we all know we’ll head down to the theater hours before they actually open the doors, and stand in line, and stand, and stand, and stand. Unless, of course, there is a Line Party at your particular theater of choice. Because a Line Party means games, trivia, costumes, Fellowship and fun.

Anyone can host a Line Party, no special skills are required, and truthfully, prizes for the games are not necessary either because it comes down to the Fellowship and Fun. You simply decide which theater you want to host a Line Party at, talk to the staff there to make sure it is OK to do interactive games (some shopping centers and the like have rules about what can and cannot happen on their property), and then create a Line Party page here on TheOneRing.net.

lineparty_mainTo create a Line Party Page, go to the Community section, then click on the Line Party link at the bottom, and you will find a section with a list of existing Line Parties. Take a look to get an idea of what others are doing, then click ‘Start a Line’ to get the Line made. The information you will need to start a Line Party is the full name and address of your chosen theater, and if it is a multiplex, which screen or format you want everyone to get tickets in so you are all in the same Line. A few additional instructions such as when to arrive, what types of games, costumes or not, all this can and should go into your Line Party page.

We are going to add one more step, please create a Facebook Event page for your Line Party as well, and put the link at the bottom of your Line Party description there. This is simply because the ‘Join Button’ of the Line Party function has been having issues, so the Facebook Event page will be the only way for people to RSVP for your Line, and then you will be able to communicate with your Line Members. By creating the Line Party page here on TORn, you let others in your area find you, but by simultaneously creating a Facebook Event page for the same line, you are still able to communicate with your line until we get or functionality back. Win Win.

So here is where it get’s tricky.

Some people have experienced problems logging into their Fellowship account, which is required to start a Line Party. If you are already a Message Board member then you already have a Fellowship log in. But if you are new to this, you will want to register, and if you experience any type of problem with the registration process, please email me at: Garfeimao@Theonering.net and let me know of your problem, and then give me all the info you need for your Line Party and I will create it for you. For an example of a Line Party page with the Facebook event page included, please look at Irvine Spectrum line party.

We currently have just 4 Line Parties registered right now, let’s see if we can double and triple that by lunchtime on Thursday. Please email me at the above email address when you start your Line Party, even if you encounter no problems, so I can clear it from the Pending list as soon as possible.

Let’s get creative everyone, start your Line Parties and share your enthusiasm for the films and seeing them with fellow fans.