Convention attracts game enthusiasts
Rick Dixon and Andrew Malone, Conference coordinators,
woric the registration table at the gaming convention.
By JOHN LAPOINT
The Greensboro
Science Fiction Fantasy
Federation, a student
organization with 75
members at UNC~
Greensboro, held
Hexacon, its annual
gaming convention on
Nov. 22-24, 1996, in
the Bryan School of
Business Building.
m
Games at the
convention included
Advanced Dungeons and
Dragons (AD&D),
Shadowrun, RoboRally,
Laser Challenge, Star
Wars Live~Action, and
the popular card game.
Magic: The Gathering.
The cafeteria area
was reserved for card
games such as Magic.
i/ti/X. ' *
The Role-Playing
Same Association
(RPGA), a group for
players of games
produced by the TSR
company, had AD&D games
for club members only.
The most popular
game by far was Laser
Challenge, which ran in
20-minute sessions
throughout the entire
convention.
Similar to the older
game, Laser Tag,
players wore targets
around their necks and
carried Laser Pistols
that shot invisible
light waves, setting
off the targets.
Divided into teams
of 2 or 3, players ran
through the halls of
the building, trying to
shoot each other enough
times to take players
out of the game.
By far the most fun
game was the Star Wars
Live-Action game run by
Kevin Tredway, UNC-G
s tudent.
It was very much
like pretending to be
Luke Skywalker or Han
Solo the way kids do,
only with rules to
handle combat.
The game was set in
a time period on a
space station.
The players were
divided into one of 4
teams; Rebels,
Imperials, Mining
Guild, and Black
Market, all of whom
were vying for control
of the station.
Costumes and props,
such as toy blaster
rifles, added to the
effect.
Players acted out
what their characters
would do and interacted
with other players'
characters.
Combat was resolved
by drawing cards from a
deck. The person
drawing the highest
card won.
A computer game room
was set up so that
convention attendees
could test the new
Quake game, similar to
the popular computer
game Doom.
In the Dealers*
Room, participants
could purchase T-shirts
and Magic cards.
Also in the Dealers'
Room was a table for
the fantasy-science
fiction fan club.
Interstellar Beinghood
of Aliens (IBOA), which
held a meeting at
Hexacon.
Discussed at the
meeting were plans to
march in the Greensboro
Christmas parade
dressed as aliens from
Star Trek, the new Star
Trek movie, and up
coming parties and
conventions.
Part of the fun of
the convention was not
only playing the games,
but also meeting people
with similar interests
to discuss previous
game experiences.
A similar
convention, Stellarcon,
is being held at the
Holiday Inn in
Greensboro in March.
Students interested
in gaming or science
fiction should contact
the Science Fiction
Fantasy Federation at
UNC-Greensboro,
910-334-3159.
l^aCarico's
ItaCian Cuisine
"QoCc[s6oro's
LittCe ItaCy"
Serving since 1951
^PftiHy Cheesesteaks, cHicl^n &
vea[parmigiana, and more
100 Center Street
(Donmtozim QoCdsSoro
f1
731-4040
Conference participants play Star Wars Live Action game
at Hexacon '96. PHOTO: JOHN LAPOINT
I - A' ^ ^ i ^
Come Get
kf Mnae: SrM{«nft|JP
HOBBIE QUEST
112P. S. Berkeley Blvd. Adamsville Plaza
751-2992
^