I think it was 2002 when I first attended a real LAN party.
I can't actually remember the name of the even now but it was hosted in a University in Glasgow and had about forty people there. To me as a gamer, it was unreal. Forty like minded people there for a weekend to play games over a LAN (Local Area Network), how could it get better than that. Much fun (and Unreal Tournament) was had that weekend.
I think a full explanation for non gamers is probably in order. LAN Parties are gaming events where people pack up their PCs and head to a centralised location, be it scout hall, university campus, racecourse, someone's house, and connect their PCs together over a network to play multiplayer games together and against each other. It's not a new concept and has been going on since the mid nineties at least.
My first LAN, and in this case I use the term VERY lightly, was going to my friend Euan's house and playing Doom and Civilisation over a null modem cable. This then developed into a four man house LAN at one of Euan's friends houses using old coax cable networks.
2002 was the first of me experiencing a proper LAN party, and that was just the tip of the iceberg.
I can't remember what year it was that I went to my next LAN but it was the one that really got it's teeth into me.
Multiplay's i15 event was held at Newbury Racecourse and had around 1000 gamers there, which at the time was a lot for a UK LAN. I was competing in Team Fortress Classic at the time and went met up with two of my clan mates when I was there.
This is where I go off a bit and start talking about the social side of LANs. Most people have this stereotypical image of a gamer being in a dark room hunched over his keyboard/gamepad all alone. Most of us, in actual fact, are pretty sociable creatures. OK, we find it difficult to relate and interact with non-gamers at times but when we are with other gamers, it's a different story.
Case in point is the first of the two clan mates I met up with. Foxdie, or Jason as I call him these days, has become a close friend that I still speak to regularly to this day. I have made a lot of close friends through the gaming scene, most of which I have met outside of games and even LANs, and even more regular friends.
Anyway, back on track.
i15 I entered the TFC competition at the LAN with Foxdie and Metahawk (our clan leader) and we "merced" for another clan who's name has escaped me. Mercing is basically playing for another clan to help them make up numbers. In this instance, the TFC tournament was eight players versus eight players and the other clan only had five, hence we joined them.
More side notes: Little did I know that one of my now close friends, King-Kodiak, was playing on one of the opposing teams.
We came dead last in the tournament but I didn't care. This was an experience unlike any other LAN I had been to. The scale and the comraderey between all the players was amazing.
I've been to several other LAN events of varying sizes (everything from twenty people to fifteen hundred) since. Several more i-series, the now dead CentralLan and ScotLAN events, Epic.LAN and even started my own LANs in Aberdeen called BreachLAN (which I am no longer a part of but the events do still run). Yes I have played a lot of games at those events but more importantly I have met like minded people I never would have if I didn't go to these events. Friendships have been made and rivalries forged. These are all etched into what makes me who I am and I wouldn't have it any other way.
So why have I decided to write this now?
For a couple of reasons really. Firstly because I do get the "You're 32 years old, why do you still play computer games, they are for children" which to be fair I generally ignore as if you think gaming is for children you know nothing about gaming.
And because on Thursday night, when most of you are settling down and getting ready to turn in, I will be on an epic roadtrip with my friend Robbie heading down to Stockport for a house LAN (and Bobs first ever LAN). The metal shall be playing and the Monster flowing. When we get there Angelu5 will be waiting (or I hope so seeing as it's his house). KK and Supafly will be joining us either that night or the next day.
Yeah we will have our PCs there, and games will be played. More importantly I will be spending three days with four of my friends, three of whom I don't see very often. Laughs will be had and memories made.
And that's what LANs are all about.
Some LAN links for you:
Epic.LAN - LANs based in the midlands (Uttoxeter and Bagnall) - Next LAN Epic.Nine
Multiplay - Largest LANs in the UK based in Telford, Newbury and Stratford - Next LAN - insomnia 45
BreachLAN - Smaller LANs in Aberdeenshire - Next LAN - BreachLAN 21
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