LAN Parties - What they're really about.

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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Computer Game - Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine (Demo)

Let’s see if I can sum this up easily..... HOLY FUCKING SHIT!

I have been a 40K fan since I was a teenager. Even though I don’t really get the chance to piss about with little models anymore, the 40K lore has always stuck in the back of my mind. Everything from the second edition rule book with the excerpts from the different stories to the full on Black Library books, there is just something about the gothic far future of the forty first millennia that draws me in.

As for the game, it’s not out yet.....but the demo is.

I’ve played a lot of 40K computer games in my time. Everything from Chaos Gate to Dawn of War. Mostly these have been strategy games. Space Marine breaks the is a third person shooter from Relic and to say they got it right would be an understatement. The feel is just right. The weapons sound and feel how I always thought they would. Melee combat with the chainsword is the most satisfying in any third person game that I have played.

There is no cover system a la Gears of War. Yeah you can stand behind a crate, but it’s not like you crouch into it. Then again, you are a seven foot tall, genetically modified super human covered in several inches of Ceramite armour. Taking cover in this game has another name, cowardice. No servant of the emperor hides in the face of the enemies of mankind.

Sorry, got a bit carried away there. Back on track.

Gears of War will get a lot of mentions when you read about this game, a lot of that will be from the uneducated who think that Space Marine has ripped off the lancer with chainsword.

Newsflash: 40K has been around a LOT longer than GoW.

Also there is no regenerating health. The only way to recover your health is to perform execution moves with your melee weapon or use fury mode, power for which you generate during combat. There is, however, a rechargeable “Shield”. That bit I do find quite strange as Space Marines shouldn’t have shields, just their Power Armour.

There are two scenarios in the demo. First “The Inquisitor” is a full mission where you are on an Imperial forge world searching out an Inquisitor (wow, who would have guessed). You have five weapons at your disposal; A Chainsword, Bolt Pistol, Bolt Gun (Bolter), Stalker Bolter (basically a scoped Bolter) and the Vengeance Launcher (A grenade launcher). The Bolt weapons have unlimited ammo. [Edit - As pointed out by Mr Porkov, only the Bolt Pistol has unlimited ammo. The Botler and Stalker Bolter require you to pick up ammo along the way.] The Vengeance launcher doesn’t but there are plenty of ammo dumps around the levels. On the way you basically have to hack, slash and shoot your way through an entire Ork horde. This is plenty of time for you to get a good feel of the combat. It’s visceral, bloody and damn good fun. This has been rated M and Relic have made good use of that.

The second is called “Battlements” and is to give you a feel for the assault combat mechanics. The jump pack yet again feels right as you leap long distance into a horde of Orks. Pressing the melee button while in the air will cause you to drop down and smash into the enemies. When you are equipped with the Jump Pack, you can only use the Bolter or Chainsword/Bolt Pistol. Trust me though, you only need the chainsword.

I found myself playing through the whole demo just using the chainsword (or the Power Axe which you can find during one of the missions, don’t want to spoil it too much).

My biggest gripe with this is the chapter they have based it round. I can't stand the Ultramarines. Everyone is well aware that they are Games Workshops favoured chapter, but really they should have used any of the other chapters with far better lore. I would have gone for Blood Angels but Dark Angels or Space Wolves would have been awesome as well. As far as a gripe goes though, that's not much.

We still need to wait for the full game to be released but this demo is a fanboys wet dream. If you have any interest in Warhammer 40,000 or Space Marines. Go give this a try.

For the Emperor

Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine will be released on September 6th.


Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine - Playstation 3
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine - Xbox 360
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine - PC DVD