Pantagraph
- Sunday, July 21, 2002
Gamers endure heat
at Shirk convention
By Karen Blatter
Pantagraph staff
NORMAL -- Imagine an adventurous character,
then mix in the strategy of chess, some painted miniature iron
figurines and a set of dice. Now you've got a game that could be
played at this weekend's FlatCon.
Along with several gaming vendors, players
took part in three different genres of gaming Saturday. They
worked with role-playing, miniatures and cards during the first
day of the two-day event at the Illinois Wesleyan University's
Shirk Center.
Gamers from Illinois and from outside the
state make up the nearly 300 people attending the extravaganza of
FlatCon.
Events continue today from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.,
with role-playing games based on NASCAR, DC Comics and cavemen, as
well as more traditional games. Entry fees differ by game.
All the games use different structures,
strategies and characters. They draw on elements of traditional
board games, but with a unique spin that makes play more
interactive.
Tournaments were held, and participants
experimented with new and different games.
This weekend gamers have had to deal with a
new challenge -- the temperature. One of the two air-conditioning
units for the Shirk Center is broken. But despite the heat,
players kept at it.
"They are here to play," said Dave
Ross, an organizer of FlatCon. "They do it to have fun."
Jess Ray of Normal came out to play and said
the heat did not make a difference to him. "If I was out
playing football with my friends, I'd be sweating too," he
said. "It is just a good time, and it is interaction."
Many gamers play at home with a small group,
while others play on the computer. However, the convention gives
players the chance to meet new people and experience the challenge
of different games. "It is a change to get a human player,
rather than the limits of the computer," Ross said. "It
is an imaginative place. A lot of people come for the tournaments
and find out if they are really the best player."
Ross started the event three years ago,
inspired by other gaming festivals. And what began in the basement
of a local gaming store with about 40 participants has now grown
substantially. "There were a lot of people who were gaming
around town with their friends," he said. "This is a way
to try new games and get new players."
He said such events also demonstrate how the
games work, which is good for people who are not familiar with
them.
This
year, Ross was able to round up more than $6,000 worth of
gaming-related prizes. He said there should be door prizes for
everyone, as well as prizes for overall game winners.
