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St. Cloud State University
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Gaming fest alive, kicking
By Joe Palmersheim
Published:
Monday, October 21, 2002
The phrase “role playing game” conjures images of a fantasy world full of mysticism and magic, where outsiders are witnesses to rituals not fully understood. Role playing games are alive and booming, despite attempts in the 1980s to demonize them as tools of the devil.
Saint’s Con 2002 is evidence that role playing games are still alive and kicking. The festival has met annually for the past 13 years, and is the largest convention of its kind in Saint Cloud. The gathering took place in the Atwood Memorial Center Ballroom from 5 p.m. Friday afternoon to 6 p.m. on Sunday evening.
The event is hosted by the SCSU Games Club, which is dedicated to “pen and paper” role playing games and Magic. Magic is a role playing game in card form, with mystical themes and use of magic.
Attendance at the convention was estimated to be over 100, consisted with attendance in past years. Attendance has decreased slightly over the past few years due to more and more conventions of this type, but Games Club vice-president Luke Price was optimistic about Sunday’s turnout, saying, “There should be more people here tomorrow. Sunday is a big tournament day.”
The tournaments Price spoke of consists of a Super Smash Brothers Melee, a Battletech Tournament and a Dance Dance Revolution Contest. Super Smash Brothers is a popular Nintendo game, and Battletech is a role playing game set in the future where players control vast armies of huge robots. Dance Dance Revolution is a popular arcade game from Japan. The game involves a huge footpad where one has to complete dance moves in a correct order to achieve a high score. Think of it almost as a huge version of Simon, only using feet instead of hands.
“Dance Dance Revolution has been a huge draw so far,” said senior Robb Smith. Smith is also treasurer of the Games Club.
Door prizes were awarded at random and included Star Wars card sets, magazines and Battletech sets, among other role playing game-related prizes.
Lord of the Rings, a game based on the beloved books by J.R.R. Tolkien, also proved to be a popular subject with two nights of activity centered around it. Friday night included a Lord of the Rings event at 6 p.m. and another was held at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. With the release of the second movie this Christmas, the popularity of the game is bound to increase.
Conventions like this are about gaming,but are also about meeting new friends, and people who have the same interests. According to SCSU alumnus Lon Heligas,
“I think role playing games are growing again thanks to what they’ve done with the Wizards of the Coast Third Set. I think they also got over the Mothers of America trying to brand all role playing games as evil.”
