Here at work, we are thinking about running a LAN over our notebooks in the breakkroom for 1st person shooter action. Some of the machines are not too fast, so we were thinking of Doom2 or Quake or something... I know Quake will support LAN, but will Doom2?

Anyone have any other recommendations?

There is a port of the doom source code called ZDOOM that I really like.

Quakeworld runs nicely, even on slow machines. I recommend the port of the Quakeworld sources called QUAKEFORGE. If the machines don't have a 3D card, it can still run in software-rendering mode reasonably well.

The Quakeforge server software takes some configuring before it does decent deathmatches (you need to set up a config file for it), but it's nice because you can run the client and the server on the same machine. Then you get all the benefits of Quakeworld and don't have to sacrifice a computer for the server.

If you need help configuring these things, let me know and I can send you copies of my config files and batch files.

Just from memory,
I think doom2 supported Netbios but not IP. Could be wrong.

Yeah, it only supported one of those..I thought it was NetBeui (sp?) What were all these old protocols, anyway?

Simplified, NetBeui was IBMs workgroup protocol and NetBIOS is Microsofts extension of it.
They are non-routable hence, fail compared to IP or IPX.

They actually can be more effecient than IP at moving data though and host resolution is built in.

We just got ..um.. "advised" not to run a LAN, but were told we could run a peer to peer, so we are actually thinking of running Doom2 over serial cable!! :D Is this possible? I have a cable (came with the empeg) and no one else wants to pitch in to buy a ethernet card..

Anyone have any experience running Doom 1 or 2 over serial cable? It has been YEARS (back in the pre-pentium days) since I've played multiplayer Doom. That was a "I'm calling your computer in 2 minutes, so don't pick up?" Ten tries later "It worked!" hehe My modem was a 9600bps too! Fast as hell.

I think doom2 supported Netbios but not IP. Could be wrong.

The Zdoom port that I mentioned has full support for IP networking. The doom code doesn't support some things that we take for granted these days though (latency compensation, joining in-game, etc.), so getting a game running is a little more complicated than we've come to expect with the newer titles. But it works.

Tony, can Zdoom be run over serial cable?

We just got ..um.. "advised" not to run a LAN, but were told we could run a peer to peer

This is strange. They say it's OK to play games, but not OK to use the network to do it?

I don't understand. If it's because of bandwidth, tell 'em that these games use up incredibly tiny amounts of network bandwidth.

The very first version of Doom1 used broadcast packets which did tend to eat a little bandwidth, but they fixed that up almost immediately and it hasn't been in any version since then. Now any networked game will work fine on any network with minimal impact.

Anyone have any experience running Doom 1 or 2 over serial cable?

Yes, as you said, a long time ago. It only barely worked, and it was buggy as hell. You would get disconnected all the time, it was tough to connect, the cable had to be just right, etc.

The main limitation with a serial game is that you can only do two player. Not nearly as fun as four-player LAN action.

Tony, can Zdoom be run over serial cable?

From its readme.txt:

6-5. Playing with a modem/serial/parallel cable connection
----------------------------------------------------------

ZDoom only supports UDP games. However, using Microsoft's Dial-Up Networking (included with Windows 95/98/NT), it should be possible to also play a game on two computers connected with modems or null-modem serial or parallel cables. My only network connection is my Ethernet card, so I haven't actually tried this, but I can't see any reason why it shouldn't work.

If you're running Windows 95, go download Dial-Up Networking 1.3 from http://www.microsoft.com/windows95/downloads/contents/wurecommended/s_wunetworking/dun13win95/default.asp and install it.

If you're running Windows 98, open the "Add/Remove Programs" control panel and click the Windows Setup tab. Choose "Communications" from the components list and click "Details..." If there isn't a check by "Dial-Up Networking" and "Dial-Up Server," check them and click OK. Click OK again to close the control panel.

Now go visit http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Fortress/4004/guide.html and start reading the section entitled "Configuring the Dial-Up-Server." Once you have everything set up, start a game using the instructions for starting a LAN game above.

If you want to use two computers connected directly using a parallel or serial cable, you also have to use Microsoft's Direct Cable Connection.

Why not ``borrow'' an unused hub and set up your own unconnected LAN? I'm sure that avoiding your company's real network would suffice.

Why not ``borrow'' an unused hub and set up your own unconnected LAN? I'm sure that avoiding your company's real network would suffice.

See, that's what confuses me. If they're going to let them play games at the office, what's the difference if they're connected to the LAN or not? Like I said, these games have such a negligible impact on the LAN that it's like they weren't even there.

Well, here's the thing... It is mainly political. Originally, we were planning on all buying ethernet cards (I already have one) and a hub. But someone thought that would be too "unsightly". So, then we decided to do serial connection..

But somehow, when I was out of the room, we some how got an "okay" to build our own LAN again and are even being given a HUB to do it with.

The reason we can't use the company LAN is because we are running a corporate LAN and it is technically owned by the client. (We are a service company, I can't say who we are, but I'll give you a hint: General Motors is selling us to Echostar). Even if it has no effect, it is a liability and the second that something goes wrong and we get fined $10,000, a video game will seem rather negligant - especially to the people in charge who know little about networks.

Yeah, but many administrators remember the first and second generation of networked games (xtrek and doom), and they really would destroy a network. Many admins, especially Windows ones (sorry, Tony) are conservative enough that any possibility of badness equals badness, no matter how remote.

I personaly prefer Doom II Legacy, it's very multi-platform, supports 32player IP, GL graphics, and all the good stuff.

I tend to play quake2, which supports mid-level hardware.. (300mhz is ok)
and has a huge set of mods for doing fun stuff.

we have small laptop-lanparties at coffe shops sometimes.. normaly we just play with an ad-hoc 802.11b wirelss lan. or sometimes someone brings in a apple airport.

you have no idea how much fun it is to play quake at 2am at perkins, while waiting for the food ;)

you have no idea how much fun it is to play quake at 2am at perkins, while waiting for the food ;)

What a great idea! Scare the Mundanes with your shouts of "suck it down, lamer boy" and "I own joo!"