Here is how I do it and yes I know I am very privileged.
Have a DISCORD with everyone who might attend in it.
Pick 3-4 dates at least a month in advanced. Have people list witch dates work for them. Pick the one with the most open spots.
Tell my work building supervisor that I want to use our training room for a LAN party (We have a good history of this and it brings in other coworkers. So like team building stuff).
(Optional but effective and makes it seems like you have a plan) Draw up a tentative schedule with which games you are playing and how long you are going to be playing. Add Chill Time/Extension time in case people want a break between games or want to play more.
I bowed out of a friend's recent LAN bc every time they just play Halo and Age of Mythology and they're all super good at both and I'm terrible at both (and not interested in playing either game tbh).
Whiskey & coke back when I was in college. Now it's just beer. It was mostly a joke about vodka red bulls being what we drank when we were trying to get drunker than we've ever been.
We actually always just went with coffee, even as teenagers. I guess as early millennials, we weren't yet the energy drink generation.
I 100% agree, though: alcohol beyond a beer or two isn't recommended for a LAN at all. Although I guess I have a "fond" memory of sitting there, playing Left4Dead with friends at a LAN, when one who didn't play himself at that moment piss-drunkenly leaned on my shoulders from behind, slurring directly into my ear: "You have to shoot them! Shoot them! You have to shoooooot them!!"
I mean if anything balls existed back then, marketed specifically for that. I don’t know a ton of people who actually did but I mean, if it was anyone drinking energy drinks back then it was gamers.
Maybe it was just my circle of friends, we used to all hate Red Bull irrationally and didn't know anyone who liked it back then. It just felt like a crappy, "juvenile", "non-nerdy", "commercial" brand somehow. Might have been a subcultre thing.
I'm so happy seeing so many indie titles that are all about LAN and split-screen play. It's definitely happening! You just won't always see it front-paged and have to keep an eye out. :)
Edit: Plus, GoG brought back stuff like Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, Unreal Tournament 99 and 2k4, that are still an absolute blast. :D
in college, I was renting a house with 3 roommates who were all gamers. We used to host a LAN party every month or so. Our record was 30 people in the house playing at the same time.
Disposable income is awesome. Don't care for the rum, but: Only the proper name brand snacks and drinks, good pizza, proper blow up mattresses, transportation is easy, people either have cars or can trivially rent some, and our computers are also way better these days.
Used to be able to have 4 OG Xboxes with 4 players on each back for Combat Evolved. I remember playing a full 16 player game, where the 4 TVs involved were only 13 inch black and whites. You had like the space of a GameBoy screen for your guy lol
Lol, that's the reason I wouldn't LAN anymore. One, my computer is massive, and two, it's been in the same place for the last 10 years. I'm pretty sure it's bonded to it's support structure.
Those PCs we had back then weren't necessarily smaller. 😅 I think we just cared less.
That said, Mini-ITX builds are pretty nice and also in fashion right now. And when it comes to beloved old games anyone can just get an old laptop for the price of one Domino's Pizza off of ebay and start playing.
Got one of those here. Some old 15€ junker with Intel HD 2000, but that thing will chug through anything from Unreal Tournament to Quake, Age of Empires, Warcraft, Forsaken, Total Annihilation, Dungeon Keeper, Command & Conquer, NFS…
I would carry my PC around if all that plugging stuff in and out wasn‘t so annoying. In fact my PC needs a special power brick because it cannot fit a regular PSU inside. My next PC will be likely one with a Fractal Design Ridge case. It‘ll be roughly as large as a PS5 and fit a PSU inside. That alone will make it much less annoying to carry around.
Although my GPD Win Mini is really great too for mobile PC gaming.
real :'(
True, these are valid problems.
Here is how I do it and yes I know I am very privileged.
Good Luck!
Matrix /s
I bowed out of a friend's recent LAN bc every time they just play Halo and Age of Mythology and they're all super good at both and I'm terrible at both (and not interested in playing either game tbh).
Oof, your loss mate. Real shame.
I cri
Maybe it’s not everyone, but at 37 I feel much less interested in socializing in the first place.
Sorry, I can't make it. But only because I have no fucking idea why I agreed to it in the first place...
we can LAN if we want to
we can leave your friends behind
cause your friends dont LAN
and if they dont LAN
well they're no friends of mine
Well they're no clan of mine.
That’s fucking good bro I’m posting that on my social media
Everybody look at their hands.
I prefer red bull. Drinking isn’t conducive to all night gaming.
No happy memory ever starts with a vodka redbull
Whiskey & coke back when I was in college. Now it's just beer. It was mostly a joke about vodka red bulls being what we drank when we were trying to get drunker than we've ever been.
Oooh, that sounds delicious! Amaretto is like the only alcohol i actually like.
Nut lickers?
Hard disagree, next day is rarely pleasant but .
Not with that attitude.
We actually always just went with coffee, even as teenagers. I guess as early millennials, we weren't yet the energy drink generation.
I 100% agree, though: alcohol beyond a beer or two isn't recommended for a LAN at all. Although I guess I have a "fond" memory of sitting there, playing Left4Dead with friends at a LAN, when one who didn't play himself at that moment piss-drunkenly leaned on my shoulders from behind, slurring directly into my ear: "You have to shoot them! Shoot them! You have to shoooooot them!!"
I mean if anything balls existed back then, marketed specifically for that. I don’t know a ton of people who actually did but I mean, if it was anyone drinking energy drinks back then it was gamers.
Shit I was drinking red bull in 1996. Pretty sure it had been around for awhile at that point too.
Wow it’s been around since 1987, had no idea lol. It didn’t gain the popularity it has now til the 2000’s tho.
Red Bull has been around since the 90s. I used to drink red bull, bawls, and surge during ye olden days of lan parties.
I was about those Jolt Colas, but Bawls were a good fallback at the LAN cafe when the jolt sold out.
We also had Vault.
*Volt, but I like your safe-themed version
I meant Vault, it was essentially Mountain Dew with 50% more caffeine.
Maybe it was just my circle of friends, we used to all hate Red Bull irrationally and didn't know anyone who liked it back then. It just felt like a crappy, "juvenile", "non-nerdy", "commercial" brand somehow. Might have been a subcultre thing.
What about just coffee or tea? As a grown up you can ignore the marketed sugar and go straight to the caffeine.
But there's people awake around you that can disturb your session at this time.
Shadow people.
People living in the same home.
+1, coffee and sativa 👌
I like red bull.
No love for Bawls? When I was younger the best LAN parties had Bawls. I think they still make it; no idea if it tastes the same.
This meme was made pre-tariff.
The only sucky part is, of course, that a lot of games no longer support LAN play.
Though I suppose you could just stick to ones that do.
I'm so happy seeing so many indie titles that are all about LAN and split-screen play. It's definitely happening! You just won't always see it front-paged and have to keep an eye out. :)
Edit: Plus, GoG brought back stuff like Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, Unreal Tournament 99 and 2k4, that are still an absolute blast. :D
God damn it, you made me listen to my childhood again.
Coop console games support LAN play, even if they don't support it on PC
Right, only get the pizza thats actually good and not a fake Instagram hype
Not sure who was drinking cola and eating pizza on LAN nights... We were drinking vodka and eating beer, then polish with weed.
in college, I was renting a house with 3 roommates who were all gamers. We used to host a LAN party every month or so. Our record was 30 people in the house playing at the same time.
I miss those days
Instagram is my trigger word.
I don't have an account there, so it's surprising to hear that it has pizza smeared all over it.
You can LAN if you want to You can leave your friends behind
Cause I wanna lan
and if you don't lan, then you ain't no friend of mine
Everybody look at your pants.
It was work first in my day
This is such peak old school cool haha
I don't miss carrying 20 kg CRTs.
Yeah baby, two more months until our next one.
Disposable income is awesome. Don't care for the rum, but: Only the proper name brand snacks and drinks, good pizza, proper blow up mattresses, transportation is easy, people either have cars or can trivially rent some, and our computers are also way better these days.
IDK I start getting real sleepy around 1:30. Especially if alcohol is involved. I can push through it but it's not really a fun time after that.
Discord + online games means it still kind of happens
LAN and discord are entirely different vibes
Yeah, someone needs to invent a BO protocol.
Body Odor Over Internet Protocol, or BOOIP.
Speak for yourself, the university student union runs weekend lans open to alumni and they sell 50 cent energy drinks
Its me. An Alum who didn't hear de news.
I bought 2 Xbox 360, can do 4 players halo lan party with friends now
Just need to buy 3 friends now
Are they cheaper if you buy a 6-pack of friends?
I don't know, I don't have a six pack only a single big pack of beer
Beer? We're talking about buying friends!
I thought we were talking about bodybuilding!
Only up to 4 players with two 360's?
Used to be able to have 4 OG Xboxes with 4 players on each back for Combat Evolved. I remember playing a full 16 player game, where the 4 TVs involved were only 13 inch black and whites. You had like the space of a GameBoy screen for your guy lol
If I get drunk I get extra sleepy. Unless I get really drunk, then I get insomnia despite feeling sleepy as fuck
I’d rather sleep ay night
We can afford to buy massive PCs that will die of boredom as we play Minecraft. And if we can't we sure as hell can afford a loan.
Lol, that's the reason I wouldn't LAN anymore. One, my computer is massive, and two, it's been in the same place for the last 10 years. I'm pretty sure it's bonded to it's support structure.
Those PCs we had back then weren't necessarily smaller. 😅 I think we just cared less.
That said, Mini-ITX builds are pretty nice and also in fashion right now. And when it comes to beloved old games anyone can just get an old laptop for the price of one Domino's Pizza off of ebay and start playing.
Got one of those here. Some old 15€ junker with Intel HD 2000, but that thing will chug through anything from Unreal Tournament to Quake, Age of Empires, Warcraft, Forsaken, Total Annihilation, Dungeon Keeper, Command & Conquer, NFS…
I would carry my PC around if all that plugging stuff in and out wasn‘t so annoying. In fact my PC needs a special power brick because it cannot fit a regular PSU inside. My next PC will be likely one with a Fractal Design Ridge case. It‘ll be roughly as large as a PS5 and fit a PSU inside. That alone will make it much less annoying to carry around.
Although my GPD Win Mini is really great too for mobile PC gaming.