> This is a modified version of an article I wrote for the LPC.  It will be subject to constant updates.

> So you want to run your own BYOC LAN party. (BYOC = Bring your own computer).  Well you have come to the right place.  Over the weeks, months, and years ahead you will be able to find anything and almost everything you ever wanted to know about throwing a LAN party right here.

> Before we start please remember, this is an on going rundown of some key points on how to run a LAN party. This is in no way to be construed as a complete or rational list of the only way to run a LAN party!! Please consult with your physician, clergyman, and mom before taking any of this advice. This is how things look in hunter's world.  I am sure at least some of this will conflict with other peoples experience.  

So that all may benefit, we will soon be opening a section that allows people to send in their ideas, experiences, and suggestions.

> The first and best bit of advice we can give you is to START SMALL!!  Stop it!  Don't even start with all the BS and rationalizations about how you and your buds can pull it off.  You have absolutely nothing to lose by starting small.  You have a lot to lose if you screw up.  It costs very little to put on a small event, but medium to large events take cash to pull off and if (when) something goes wrong someone is going to be in the hole in a serious way!

FWGG, the event I helped host, went from 13 to 235 in 4 events.  That was too fast, even with all the help we had.  We had 5 Core members and many volunteers, and still felt as though we were chasing our tails at times.  Even if we would have had a guide like this to refer to, I think some of our mistakes would have been made just due to heat of the moment situations.  Basically, you don't know what you don't know until you need to know it.  Later we will be adding a check list to this guide to help alleviate some of the more drastic surprises.

Lets talk about party size.

> Small party [ 5 - 20 ]

Doing small parties are not real difficult at all and can be a blast!! You will need at least one or two Ethernet hubs or switches, preferably 100 base t.  Hubs are ok at this size because there isn't that much traffic but switches are always better. How many you need really depends on how many ports they have and how many guests your expecting. 

Admission could be free or up to about $10 per person depending on what expenses you have and if you will be feeding the crew or not.  Most people do not expect to pay for house parties, although you can ask them to bring food and drink.

You should have a couple of machines set up to serve the games, but in a pinch you can just host them off of a computer that someone is playing at (non-dedicated).  Pick the fastest one of the bunch if you are going to do this though. If you don't have any servers, ask for people to bring them.

Unless you already know how to set up DHCP and really feel the urge, just hand everyone an IP addy when they come in.   You could use your broadband router for DHCP at small events like this if you have one.

Clean out the garage, basement and / or chicken coop and invite over some frag bait.

> Medium party [ 20 - 50 ]

At these numbers there will be some issues and your guests will expect more. Check with local colleges, reception halls, legions, hotels, golf club houses, whatever for space but you need it to be cheap.  You will have some expenses so it is normal to charge $5-$10 / day.  Don't lose sleep on having tons of prizes. People are coming to play and socialize!  You are better off to offer free pizza in my opinion.....people love food and no one feels left out.  Ask local businesses to cough up some stuff. They are easier then national companies, as they don't get hammered as bad.

You MUST pay attention to your break even point and don't expect to make money.  See Venue Cost

Think real hard about doing a DHCP server and having 2-4 dedicated game servers going with different games. A file server or FTP server is a great idea for patches and the like, especially if you have a machine sitting around that is not quite good enough for a game server.  If you are impaired by a slow network to begin with you may want to spend a few bucks and burn some cdr's with the latest patches and files! Of course expect to lose them in all the commotion : )

> Large party, lots of work [ 50 - 150 ]

DHCP is the way to go and you will need 5-10 dedicated servers going with dif games and a file server. You need to be running a 100mb switch as your backbone! Gigabit is great but not needed.  Not a hub a switch. You can run hubs out at the tables as a last resort,  but get all the hubs plugged into a switch and all the servers too. Note that I said you could, but at this size of a party your guests are really going to expect a switched network.

Pay close attention to the power availability of the venue and what restrictions they have.  You are also now going to need more things then you can borrow most likely.  Things like extension cords, power strips, switches, etc...  People will expect to pay $10-$20 for one day or $20-$30 for two days.  At this time $30 seems to be the upper mark gamers are willing to pay in our area unless you are a premium party which might go for $45 for 3-4 days. (Midwest)

Ok you should go after some prizes and sponsorship. Give an honest estimate of attendance (if you ever want to get crap again).  Make a place on your site to post their banner, logo or whatever.  Most importantly be nice EVEN IF they say no!  

You must keep a close eye on registration to make sure you will have enough tables, chairs, equipment, and SPACE! You could end up with a very different number then you think you will get.  This would be a very good time to switch to a pre-pay preferred or pre-pay only system!

You will need some help putting this deal on!! Contact LPC, and / or some of the other big parties for possible equipment help.

> You need Psychiatric treatment [ 150, 200, 400+ ]

You will need some considerable space and even more power! We are talking 5000 sq ft or better here. Big space usually equals big $$. You just have to charge accordingly or not have an event. As an LPC poll pointed out, about $10 per day is what gamers are comfortable with, however up to $30 for two days is ok if the party is established.  Do the math to see what you can spend on a building. Don't forget your other expenses though.  See Venue Cost

Not only is space a big concern but you are talking about a lot of man hours to set this deal up and tear it back down! In short you will need a lot of help!

A common and helpful practice is to hold onto a nice prize to get some work outa these geeks! If everyone chips in to help with tables, chairs, power cords, etc... you may actually get to sleep the next day. Maybe.

Its a wrap

Why do LAN parties? Well cause the small ones are fun as h3ll, even for the hosts, and the big ones....well they get you the NOD that Norwell9 of the LPC talked about a while back. You are providing something for your fellow gamer and that can give your group a great deal of satisfaction. You are also depriving your self of a lot of sleep and game time : ) 

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