Good Games for LAN Parties?

An Anonymous Coward asks: "I'm trying to figure out what games are good for LAN parties and especially what games don't require a CD after installation or at least allow multi-player games with only one CD. I'd like to have friends over to play over a LAN without everyone needing to own the same game. Starcraft will let you do this but I couldn't find much info about other games so I thought I'd turn to Slashdot. Which games do you like for LAN parties and why, and especially which games allow a group of people to play if only one owns the CD?"

Comments

Goooo Old School!

[FreeForm Response]

A lot of older games, such as those from 3+ years back, work rather well at LAN parties for a number of reasons.

• Often, the game has to be chosen to run on the slowest computer in the bunch; running an older game ensures that everybody can play.
• Older games tend to rely a little less on flashy 3D graphics and a little more on gameplay, especially team play.
• Extremely old games (read: those that came on floppies) usually have a trivial form of copy protection which can usually be avoided. Not that I'd ever advocate such a thing. ;) Even older CD-based games with first-generation Safelock and such are easy to copy. Just make sure that all copies are destroyed at the end of the night.
• Finally, older games are less immersive. I don't mind forgetting myself when I'm playing Silent Hill 2 or something similiar, but I go to LAN parties to socialize. Games with MIDI soundtracks are just asking to be talked over.

All that said, some of my personal recommendations for fun games:
Total Annihilation (one of my favs)
Starcraft
Warcraft 2
Counterstrike
Quake 1 (yes, 1)
Descent
Diablo/Diablo II
Duke Nukem 3D
Worms 2/Armageddon
Grand Theft Auto 2

One final note: go download GLTron before the party starts. While it's only a 4-player game at max, I guarantee your guests will get a couple of hours out of it, more if you show it on a large TV so everybody can watch. =)