Once again we find ourselves at the beginning of the convention season. Each year there are more and any attempt to schedule them so that they do not conflict with each other is beginning to make scheduling the baseball season seem simple in comparison.
The prevailing theme now that we have a surfeit of historical conventions in comparison to 10 years ago when the only exposure of historical games at a convention was when some were hidden in some closet at Origins) is whether Fantasy or Science Fiction games should be "allowed" at historical conventions.
The argument most often put forward by the "let them in" school is that this is ideal way to introduce fantasy/science fiction gainers to historical games. Let me ask you - as a historical gamer would you go to an all fantasy/sf convention to participate in the few historical games and take the rest of your expensive weekend stay to be introduced to fantasy/sf games? Right! No fantasy/SFgamer is going to come to Historicon to play in one or two fantasy games because he is interested in discovering historical gaming.
The most efficient way of introducing fantasy/sf gamers to historical games is to put on several at fantasy/sf conventions. There is no point of having these games at historical conventions unless some fantasy/sf gamers wanted to put on a demo to introduce us to their genre of gaming.
I don't believe that a convention smaller than an Origins or a Gen-Con can be all things to all people, it must stick to a theme and do it well. The larger conventions can afford to have a staff well versed in all aspects of gaming and make sure that each type of gamer is well catered to. The fact that they have usually failed to accomplish this when it came to historical gainers, is why HMGS got started and why we have historical only conventions today. If Historical conventions try to meet all expectations they will fail as did the major cons. The best way, in my opinion, is to have conventions that cater to one genre of gaming. If you are interested in both fantasy and historical, then go to two conventions each doing what they do best.
Why fantasy/sf gamers feel that this attitude is elitist, I cannot fathom. They are welcome to come to historical cons to play historical games just as I hope that I would be welcome to go to a fantasy convention to play fantasy games.
CALL FOR ARTICLES
Once again The Courier asks for articles, Sapper's Reports, Battle reports ' Rule and Scenario ideas, etc. Send a SSA envelope for the author's guides. I am especially interested in writers who can send articles on IBM or IBM clone 5 1/4" floppies though other media and computers can be accommodated.
QUOTABLE WARGAME QUOTES
Historical gamer observing a Warhammer game at Cold Wars '92
"They should be in the area with the poor lighting ....They make their own light"
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