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Back in the heydey of Motherlode BBSs (1988-1996) I had attended a few BBS parties, (for users of a particular BBS). Usually they were held at pizza places and sometimes at sysop's (the person who ran the BBS, or System Operator) houses, most of the activities included eating and some talking and not too much later, everyone leaving.
I and many of my friends find playing games a more entertaining "social event" so I based my 'BBS Party' on a mini-games convention idea. The first SiliCon was held in 1993. With the idea to give people time to meet, eat, talk as well as play each other in friendly games, of course without alcohol tobacco or drugs.
At SiliCon, the BBS users of the area (usually callers of the Silicon Realms and other area boards like CCOE BBS, Brown Bag BBS, Multiversal Dreams, Starbase XV, Crash's Polymorphic Psuedoverismilitude, Mekton II, Log Cabin) and other gamers would gather, meet each other and play various games. The different 'groups' arranged their own mini-events like Miniature games, Doom tourneys, or Magic contests, with others invited to join in as space was available.
SiliCon has been held on a "semi-whenever" basis, some years we have had up to three SiliCons (3, 3.2, and 3.3), and the past couple years I was too busy to arrange any, but the demand is still there. Even though most of the BBSs are now gone, SiliCon remains as one of the best places in the area to meet others in the area interested in gaming.
Fantasy/Sci-Fi Miniature Wargaming
(Click here for my Gaming Page) One of the standards of the SiliCon is Fantasy and Science fiction miniatures events, these games use small 25mm scale figures in usually in small combat scenarios, from fantasy swords and dragons combat, to futuristic spaceship manuvers. These games are decided by abilities, tactics, tape measures, and dice. Standard miniature games last three to five hours. Miniatues games usually involve from 3 to 8 players controlling their miniatures as individuals or groups.
We usually also have some
small 'short-run' miniatures contests like the ever-popular fun-for-all-ages
Play-Dough combat Clay-O-Rama and the Knights of the Dinner Table Miniature Scenario "Rumble for
the Dinner Table"
(Knights of the Dinner Table Comic Issue #37.)
Computer Games
Another SiliCon favorite, though we do have single player computer games, the intent of the Silicon is interaction and I try to get as many multi-player computer games running. From multi-player games on a single computer to a cluster of PCs playing a networked competition.
I also try to bring out a classic computer or two for attendees to experience "computing's past" where playability and diversity made up for the limited graphics of vintage systems.
Board
Games & Role-Playing Games
(Click here for my Gaming Page) Board games are another favorite, for those who are not involved in one of the longer competitons or to play something new. Many of the games that have been popular are based on strategy or fantasy and science fiction, but more main-stream games like Scrabble pop up from time to time.
Role Playing Games (RPG for short) are usually fantasy or science fiction based where the players 'role-play' a fictional character through various scenarios in the RPG's world, learning abilities, fighting evil and interacting with the other 'characters'. Most RPGs usually run for months (played a few hours during weeknights or weekends), which makes it difficult to run in a 12 hour stretch, but they are encouraged at Silicon.
Made popular with Magic: the Gathering and later with Pokemon; Collectible Card games have become a new gaming category. Where you collect various game cards (which have advantages and disadvantages in play) and then play with others and their collected 'decks' to see if you can better them with your combination of cards and tactics; it is not always the best cards or the best tactics the make the winner. Some games you use your decks and others you have to play from un-opened 'sealed' starter packs, to add to the difficulty and random luck. Individual games could last under an hour, competitions can last several hours.
There is also other collectible
games such as those which use collectible dice instead of cards.
