Throwing a LAN party, LPIW style

For all of you computer game junkies (myself included) who sit in your den/office/bedroom/etc by yourself for hours staring at a screen and trying to beat those predictable (after a while) bots, why not try something new?  Go to a LAN party!  There is just something really fun about being able to holler across the room at the guy who just sniped you with a pistol from across the map (or AT the guy you just sniped with a pistol from across the map).  And if you are into strategy games, playing against a somewhat unpredictable human player is much more difficult than against AI.  Some gamers enjoy a coop game, where you all play against those bots while shouting out instructions to your buddies (the bots can’t hear you conspiring a plan!).  It is all up to you and those you play with!

There are some things to consider before planning a LAN party.

– How many people are you going to invite, or more importantly, how many circuits are present in the room you are playing with?  I have been at several parties where the room suddenly went dark as the latest guy to arrive pushed the power button on his monster machine.  Ahhh, the screams of protest that filled that darkness!  The only light was from the laptop screens, and those guys were asking why they were disconnected.   I suggest having a room with several circuits available, even if it is from an extension cord from another floor or room.

– Next is how much room do you have?  Do you have a room with space for a couple of tables, or two rooms with a couple of tables?  I have seen some interesting strategies come from the guys in the next room, when they can plan out their attack without our team hearing their discussion.

While on the subject of hearing, I suggest bringing along a headset, as the ambient noise level gets overwhelming if everyone is using a speaker set (and power requirements get pretty high as well).

– What is your switch setup?  I think our record attendance was 12 systems at one time in my basement.  If you are running long cables to a central hub, that can become a hazard to life and limb (and computers), especially if the power does go down and you are left tripping over wires in the dark!  I have three 8 place switches, each with a wire that goes up into the ceiling, and come together at my network router.  The router assigns the IP addresses  (and supports wireless, by the way).  If you have any questions on this, I suggest contacting Eberly Systems, Kordel has always had good suggestions when I was in doubt.

– Last and most important…FOOD!  I usually suggest that each person brings something to eat or drink to share, and some cash for pizza (or whatever you all are hungry for).  It seems to work well.  Nothing will bring a gamer’s fun to a halt as  quickly as being hungry.

If you decide to host a LAN party, I hope these thoughts help you out.   Try to pick out games that everyone’s machines can handle, and that everyone will enjoy.  Pick a room with good power supply, and be able to cool that room (those big machines generate a lot of heat).  And keep your gamers happy with caffeine and sugar (like hummingbirds, gamer’s  reflexes require lots of these).   Happy Gaming!