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skyringCanCon is the National Wargames Convention, held annually in Canberra over the Australia Day weekend. My first attendance was in 1986 and I've gone every year since then, sometimes driving interstate. Except for last year, when I was in Washington, and I'm afraid that the attractions oc Cancon are no match for the wonders in the Smithsonian.
When I first went, I was heavily into PBM or Play By Mail. Which I'd designed and written my own space empire game with the ridiculous title of "Magic".
Good game but full of bugs. I had a number of players in Canberra, including Garth Nix, who was kind enough to write a review for the Cancon issue of the wargame's society newsletter.
But the real deal was the boardgames. At that stage I was heavily into collecting classic SPI boardgames. Wacht Am Rhein, War in the Pacific, all the classics and monsters.
And you could still buy them at the second-hand stall9s) for not a real lot.
I've had some great experiences over the years. Some years we'd set up a stall and flog PBM startups and my old boardgames at inflated prices. Some customers would see what I had for sale and not be able to get their wallet out quick enough!
But over the years the focus changed, and it became more role-playing and Warhammer 40K and card games and LAN games. PBM sorta fell by the wayside, and there aren't too many of the boardgamers still left.
There's a classic gamer mould. Male, middle-aged, large, sweaty and happy.
I'm sort of "wargamer lite", I suppose. It's been twenty five years since I played wargames in earnest, and five since my last PBM. But i still like to poke my nose in, check out the stalls, drink in the atmosphere, maybe have some hideous sausage sandwich and cola.
But I prefer Washington, even in the snow.
When I first went, I was heavily into PBM or Play By Mail. Which I'd designed and written my own space empire game with the ridiculous title of "Magic".
Good game but full of bugs. I had a number of players in Canberra, including Garth Nix, who was kind enough to write a review for the Cancon issue of the wargame's society newsletter.
But the real deal was the boardgames. At that stage I was heavily into collecting classic SPI boardgames. Wacht Am Rhein, War in the Pacific, all the classics and monsters.
And you could still buy them at the second-hand stall9s) for not a real lot.
I've had some great experiences over the years. Some years we'd set up a stall and flog PBM startups and my old boardgames at inflated prices. Some customers would see what I had for sale and not be able to get their wallet out quick enough!
But over the years the focus changed, and it became more role-playing and Warhammer 40K and card games and LAN games. PBM sorta fell by the wayside, and there aren't too many of the boardgamers still left.
There's a classic gamer mould. Male, middle-aged, large, sweaty and happy.
I'm sort of "wargamer lite", I suppose. It's been twenty five years since I played wargames in earnest, and five since my last PBM. But i still like to poke my nose in, check out the stalls, drink in the atmosphere, maybe have some hideous sausage sandwich and cola.
But I prefer Washington, even in the snow.
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Date: 2006-01-28 11:52 pm (UTC)Sounds like you had a good time.