Old School Lan Party

Have you ever done a LAN party? It is not as common as it used to be, for a few reasons: computer games are not as popular as they once were, most multiplayer games are played online and well, as we get older and move further away it is harder to get together with our computers.

To celebrate the release of StarCraft 2, myself and seven other people got together in a well organized basement to play StarCraft 2. Of course, we had to log onto Battle.Net and we were, in fact, playing over the Internet. But speaking over a microphone or typing a few lines of text are definitely not the same as a shared experience. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all who were present. That was one of the most fun weekends I've had in a very long time. I have also learnt a lot about the game, knowledge that will come in handy as we continue playing together on a regular basis.

Most importantly, an immense thank you to Corsaire for organizing everything (the lodging, the basement, the tech support, the food, etc.).

I hope we get to do this again sooner rather than later because it was, EPIC!

Jeff, signing out and logging on Battle.net!

Why I care about StarCraft

What is StarCraft, beyond the game? I am not talking about the licensed merchandise, the books, the boardgame and other such things; I am talking about when you played the game. Was it late at night in a LAN party? Were you a crack player on Battle.net? Were you simply into the narrative and single player experience?

For me, StarCraft was like many blockbuster games, an impulse buy. If memory serves right, I picked up the Protoss box. I nerve finished the single player campaign nor did I play much of the multiplayer. In fact, one could say that this game was not a significant one for me. I recall saying at some point that I preferred the look of Red Alert (I was a foolish young man once :) ).

So why am I so excited about StarCraft 2? "Friends" is without a doubt the answer. Friends who now live far away, friends I cannot see as often as I'd like, friends with whom gaming is always a blast. Sure, the single player campaign sounds fantastic, the game fascinating, the story exciting, the extra pet for World of Warcraft... But what it all comes down to is having a regular gaming night, with friends I've shared so many things with...

This entry is for you guys, let's hunt some Zergs!

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