There is only one rule when it comes to LAN games...you must match the game to the crowd. That right there makes or breaks the experience.
e.g.
I had a good friend that was on the same level as me in terms of RTS...so we held 2 man LAN playing hardcore RTS...like 6+ hour games. That was legendary.
I had a group of friends that jammed counterstrike...so we played hours of that CS rats map with the kitchen. Legendary fun.
I had another group of friends that jammed warcraft 3 tower defenses...wild times.
Another group rocked unrealT, and yet another rocked dota (I can hold my own ground in all of them...except this one)
Point is each was legendary, but the crowds don't mix...at all. The overlap between those 5 groups is minimal...except for me...but all of them were fun because the game suited the crowd & vibe. I really can't imagine any of the groups playing any of the other games for more than a little bit.
Only sad part is that *all* of the crowds above kinda disappeared as time went past.

I miss lans.