Chapter 16: How to Throw a LAN Party
It's a party!
By Loyd Case
Sometimes your little home LAN isn't enough. Sometimes playing anonymous opponents over the Internet doesn't cut it. That means it's time for a LAN party.
A LAN party involves a lot of people lugging their computers to one location, networking them together, and having a blast for a couple of days. Usually, a hotel ballroom or some similar accommodation is rented. Usually a couple of tech-savvy users coordinate it all and bring up the LAN the night before the festivities start.
The LAN party isn't a new idea. Virtual squadrons formed around Falcon 3.0 in the early '90s. But the advent of games like Doom, Quake, Command and Conquer, and the subsequent flood of multiplayer-capable titles has made LAN parties a regular feature of the PC gaming landscape. Let's talk LAN parties and gaming, and see how it all plays together.
Anyone contemplating organizing a large-scale LAN party should probably seek some serious counseling. Nonetheless, there's something very invigorating about pulling off an event where a lot of people gather in one spot and have a good time. But be warned: It will consume your life for a variable length of time, depending on the size of the event you're planning.
Next: Preparation is the key
