The Fading Art and Community Building of LAN Parties

[kmiller1610]

All the software manufacturers are pushing toward on-line play. Since you are a captive audience, you can be forced to consume a certain number of ads and suggestive messages on the way to and from your games.

I may be dating myself, but I have been part of a community of LAN party players since 1986, with our first game being Midi-Maze and the very latest, Sins of a Solar Empire. The social contact and playfulness of the LAN party, is vastly superior to the cold, antiseptic exposure of on-line play.

If anyone from the CT area has a similar interest, I might be persuaded to host.

Otherwise, let's hear from you bleached out, caffeine infused on-line players. Defend your obsession!

[michiganFats]

All the software manufacturers are pushing toward on-line play. Since you are a captive audience, you can be forced to consume a certain number of ads and suggestive messages on the way to and from your games.

I may be dating myself, but I have been part of a community of LAN party players since 1986, with our first game being Midi-Maze and the very latest, Sins of a Solar Empire. The social contact and playfulness of the LAN party, is vastly superior to the cold, antiseptic exposure of on-line play.

If anyone from the CT area has a similar interest, I might be persuaded to host.

Otherwise, let's hear from you bleached out, caffeine infused on-line players. Defend your obsession!

I've done the same thing, but not as long as you have. I found a WWII simulation game back in 2005 that I like a lot, and I've gotten the most enjoyment out of it by hosting a "game server". I play with people in my geographic area and we have a good time. I would hate it if we had to make it world-wide and accept everyone. A LAN game allows you to decide which members join and which do not. It's like a private party with all members having a say in what happens, and I think it's awesome. My best gaming ever has happened in LAN games, except for Vice City, that was just me and my PS2.

[Oberdan]

I play one online game at a time, through a client. I stopped doing LAN parties when I was working for Dell in the late 90's. It's 15 bucks a month for unlimited play time after an initial investment to buy the game which comes with the first month free. That's my only entertainment since I don't go out. Basically a shut in, especially during the times I can't walk. Before I used to do 2 movies a month, eating out at restaurants, a normal social life and by spending only 15 bucks a month to replace all of that, I saved a tremendous amount of money. One movie a month at the theater, complete with concessions, is around 25 bucks for one person. 9 for the ticket, 4.50 for the popcorn, 3 for the drink, another 5 to 7 bucks for any sweets to munch on, and before you know it you've spent way too much for just a movie that lasts only for one to two hours.

So 15 bucks a month for me is worth it. Keeps me from going completely out of my mind by looking at the same walls month after month.

[kmiller1610]

My main on-line gaming experience was Kelton Flinn's Air Warrior (Genie - 1989 to around 1992). But it was supplemented by a strong local community.

What games do you like Ober?

[boontito]

I never got into online gaming. This isn't because i viewed it as dumb, not entertaining, or a waste of time. Quite the contrary, I have sampled a few games and watched the long term fun that some friends have had developing characters and progressing through sometimes literary worthy story arcs. I fear that if I allowed myself to dip a toe in the water that I am obsessive-compulsive enough to spend my life neck deep in the swamp. With a two year old and a six year old, I tend to view my activities from a standpoint of "how does this positively enhance their lives". It's not to say I don't have fun or "me time", because I most certainly do. It's just that the top 100 moments of my life all have something to do with my kids... and I'm good with that.

That being said, I participated in about five LAN parties in the early 2000's and those were something completely different and a great deal of fun. I could easily see myself getting involved in a semi-regular group that did that.

[kmiller1610]

In one of our typical parties, we make a nice strong punch (Absolute Citron, Raspberry-Cranberry Juice, Sliced Oranges), meet around 8:30 and play till 7 or 8 at night. The PC gaming world (Lan wise) has gone way downhill in the past 5 years, focusing more on glitz than game play. For example, Need for Speed Porsche Unleashed is still the best LAN driving game (2000?), Age of Empires: Conquerors (1998?) is still the best RTS (real time strategy) and for head to head shooters, including co-operative, the best is still Unreal Tournament 2004. The very best combination of these games is Battlezone II (1998), which is a combination RTS and FPS game with a huge user supported community. We also play Delta Force Extreme which is a reprise of a game developed in the late 1990s and is a terrific co-op game.

The only thing that's new that I like is Sins of a Solar Empire, an absolutely massive space based RTS game. I'm doing a day long party of this one game in a few weeks. It's pretty unique in that you make far fewer decisions than in a typical rts game and the implications are much larger. Sins is an RTS adaptation of the old turn-based 4x games like Masters of Orion. (4x means eXplore, eXpand, eXploit and eXterminate)

[Inkslinger]

I play one online game at a time, through a client. I stopped doing LAN parties when I was working for Dell in the late 90's. It's 15 bucks a month for unlimited play time after an initial investment to buy the game which comes with the first month free. That's my only entertainment since I don't go out. Basically a shut in, especially during the times I can't walk. Before I used to do 2 movies a month, eating out at restaurants, a normal social life and by spending only 15 bucks a month to replace all of that, I saved a tremendous amount of money. One movie a month at the theater, complete with concessions, is around 25 bucks for one person. 9 for the ticket, 4.50 for the popcorn, 3 for the drink, another 5 to 7 bucks for any sweets to munch on, and before you know it you've spent way too much for just a movie that lasts only for one to two hours.

So 15 bucks a month for me is worth it. Keeps me from going completely out of my mind by looking at the same walls month after month.

A WOW addict, eh Oberdan? Two of my employees play it religiously, they build up the characters and sell them.

[boontito]

A WOW addict, eh Oberdan? Two of my employees play it religiously,

"Play it religiously"?... do you mean they play it...

in church?

on their knees?

while knocking on doors and handing out "literature"?

facing east?

during confession?

while molesting altar boys?

while not marrying gays?

once a week?

as a way to justify an actual war?

[Oberdan]

My main on-line gaming experience was Kelton Flinn's Air Warrior (Genie - 1989 to around 1992). But it was supplemented by a strong local community.

What games do you like Ober?

My first online game ever was in 1997 or 98, can't remember which year, it was a long time ago lol. Meridian 59. Today, I enjoy Star Wars Galaxies. I bounce between that and Dungeons and Dragons Online, 6 months there, 8 months here, etc.

A WOW addict, eh Oberdan? Two of my employees play it religiously, they build up the characters and sell them.

I don't do WoW, though I did play it for a little while. You know, can't condemn a game I haven't played.

I'm waiting for Star Wars: The Old Republic to go online early next year. I only do multiplayer games because the element of different people making their own decisions around you keeps the elements of monotony(sp?) away and boredom doesn't settle in as quickly. I don't do single player games. I have played one or two in the past, but only when technology changes and they advertise the newness. Like when Oblivion came out, and then much later, when the graphics were updated and Mass Effect came out. I 'beat' Mass Effect and ended the game's storyline in 14 hours. Not enough of a challenge.

Now for some 'other' types of games I get far more enjoyment out of... I play Wolfteam. It's a PvP game where you can blow the heads off of people through multiple maps and weapon types. Shoot them full of holes. And they shoot back. But the coolest part ever is where you can 'werewolf' out and rip people apart at will with claws. You can even climb and run on walls in the werewolf form. And if another player has a better gun and you kill him, you can pick up his gun and run with it, blasting away.

I would offer a link, but I am not setting myself up to be accused of spam. Just google Wolfteam and you'll find it quickly if it catches your interest. It's free to play, and upgrades through premium purchases are cool, but not reequired to enjoy yourself. I haven't put penny one into it and I rip apart Premium players with gusto. Very balanced.