My youngest son recently celebrated his 16th birthday, and Stephen wanted to host a larger-than-normal LAN party for his friends. Presented with the opportunity to build new high-performance clients, how could I refuse? :-)
Computer games are often seen as a solitary activity. However, with ten players (and PCs) stuffed into our home - all within trash-talking range! - this was a highly interactive group event lasting most of the day. Typically after each game the entire crowd converged in the kitchen, munching on snacks, recounting stories of success or failure, and trading tips on strategy. Play resumed after re-balancing teams, stretching late into the evening.
Aside from the basic logistics (seating, power, networking, etc.) the most challenging obstacle was ensuring relatively equal opportunity for each of the participants. We played a popular online game ('DOTA') based on Blizzard's Warcraft III engine. Some players have nearly godlike skills, others are self-professed n00bs, with the rest somewhere in-between.
In advance of the party Stephen developed a simple handicapping scheme which proved very effective. This ensured 
that even the most inexperienced players remained competitive.
Overall the party was a huge success. While no comparison to the truly gigantic events, this was one of my sons favorite birthday parties ever.
We're already planning for next year!
