How special interest can you get?

[Michael Hopcroft]

One of the things publishers do is go to local and regional conventions to promote their ideas. Well it just so happens that I found a con so specialized that most of you prbably wouldn;t touch it -- a convention for gamers who happen to be Latter-Day Saints 9aka "Mormons") like myself.

I'm not sure what it's going to be called, but itt's in the early planning stages. They have sent a tentative daye of July 23rd-24th, 2004. Yes, it's a two-day con with no activities on Sunday. Instead, anyoen who is still around is going to be invited to worship at one of the local wards and then get together for a really big luncheon before heading home. It just wou;ldn;t be right for a convention aimd at  Latter-Day Saints to have game programming or dealer booths on the Sabbath....

The real attraction for me is that it will be my first chance to visit Utah. If I can arrive soon enough I was hoping to spend part of the day before the con in alt lake, touring Temple Square, which I've never seen in person. Scoff if you wish (I won;t mind) but to a LDS member this is a Really Big Deal. Temple Suqare's activieties and locations are as much at the heart and sould of the Church as the Vatican is to Catholics. I;'m told it's absolutely gorgeous.

Have any of you ever been invited to a con with such a narrow focus?

[Jack Spencer Jr]

Have any of you ever been invited to a con with such a narrow focus?

Yes, but not in a gamer context. I have been to the eastern christian convention and to the international churches of christ world seminar. I have since decided that a Jewish carpenter isn't my boss after all, and never was.

Perhaps the most on-topic narrow focused con I've been to was Beatlefest. My brother had a friend and they had a "band." They mostly played Beatles stuff. My brother took this poor kid to Beatlefest and...well...he decided he didn't like Beatles so much any more. The freaks scared him a bit. Like the freaks at a sci-fi convention, those idiots who dress up like Vulcans and scare the casual Trek fans.

This is why I never go to any conventions anymore.

[Matt Gwinn]

Jack,
I think Michael was refering to narrow focused gaming conventions.
Personally I've never heard of a Mormon gaming convention, but my college hosts a Mormon Singles convention every summer, so it doesn't surprise me.

There are all kinds of narrowly focused Science Fiction cons, so there's got to be some D&D cons, Anime RPG cons, etc.  Filsinger Games has a Champions of the Galaxy con every year, but I don't know of any others offhand.

,Matt Gwinn

[Jared A. Sorensen]

Have any of you ever been invited to a con with such a narrow focus?

I'm so gonna get on the list of guests.

Lumpley, we'll need to chat about bringin' KPfS to Utah.

[jdagna]

I guess it depends on what you classify as a con... but last month, some friends of ours held "ChirosCon" for about 20 people who wanted to come wish them well before they moved to Texas.  You can't get much more specialized than that, although the mixture of a Bible study upstairs and open gaming downstairs gave it a fair variety in programming.  They even had a Virtual Guest of Honor attending via AIM on their iMac.

[lumpley]

Jared, you call me and puppies into a thread about a Mormon gaming convention?  You're a bad, bad monkey.  

Are you, um, seriously going?

But I'm fascinated, Michael.  Hey Jake, are you going to be there?  I expect it's way too early to ask.

I'd love to send a game, if one of you my former brothers would be willing to take one for me.  Not puppies of course, unless Jared's really going and he somehow talks me out of all sense and reason.  Maybe my Robin Hood game, it won't be too evil.  Maybe just fliers?

-Vincent

[Michael Hopcroft]

Jared, you call me and puppies into a thread about a Mormon gaming convention?  You're a bad, bad monkey.  

Are you, um, seriously going?

But I'm fascinated, Michael.  Hey Jake, are you going to be there?  I expect it's way too early to ask.

I'd love to send a game, if one of you my former brothers would be willing to take one for me.  Not puppies of course, unless Jared's really going and he somehow talks me out of all sense and reason.  Maybe my Robin Hood game, it won't be too evil.  Maybe just fliers?

It's too early to tell whether Jared can get on the guest list. I'll have to provide him with the e-mail address of the organizers (if I can find it) and then he'll have to make his case. I understand they're being very selective about who they invite, and concentrating on people in the industry who are actually practising Mormons. Peoiple who would actually appreciate a coinvention that took Sunday off to worship and then go to lunch afterwards.

I also anticipate it not being the easiet thing getting to Cedar City, Utah where the convention will take place -- unless you're driving yourself. In my case 9if I'm still in portland by the time the con rolls around), my plan is to arrive in Salt lake Thurdsay morning, take a tour of Temple Square, get a ride down to Cedar City (a 3 1/2 hour drive -- Utah's a big state) and then begin the convention activities bright and early Friday morning.

It'll be a very different convention, that's for sure. very little cosplay probably, no coffee or alochol anywhere, people taking a great deal of care to watch their language, and panel discussions on, among other things, RPG ethics.

Ad it turns out to be the week before Indy GenCon, so if you plan to do both conventions you'd better be willing to settle in for some long drives and get plenty of time off from your day job.

[Jake Norwood]

This is for next year?

Nah, I mean, I'm a devout, practicing mormon and all, but the "mormon culture" thing has never been my scene. Religion has always been a mostly private matter with me, and I find that surrounding myself with other falliable human beings that are trying to live the same faith as me doesn't always sit right. I love Utah, and I love the church, but I don't care so much for the two together at times. It's the line between tradition and religion, I suppose.

Anyway if I was invited I'd go, but I don't feel any need to attend. Jared-I'll get you in, man.

Jake

[lumpley]

It's in Cedar City!  My interest just went way up, not that I could go in a week of Thursdays anyway.  Some of the best times of my childhood were in Cedar City, Zion and Red Cliffs.

I think every con should have a panel on RPG ethics.

Seriously, Michael, if I can get together a game, will you take fliers for me, if not the game itself?  My design goals are: it's interesting to Mormons, it's relevant to Mormons, and it treats the concerns of Mormonism with subtlety and respect.

(What's cosplay?)

-Vincent

[Michael Hopcroft]

It's in Cedar City!  My interest just went way up, not that I could go in a week of Thursdays anyway.  Some of the best times of my childhood were in Cedar City, Zion and Red Cliffs.

I think every con should have a panel on RPG ethics.

Seriously, Michael, if I can get together a game, will you take fliers for me, if not the game itself?  My design goals are: it's interesting to Mormons, it's relevant to Mormons, and it treats the concerns of Mormonism with subtlety and respect.

(What's cosplay?)

-Vincent

Cosplay is the term Anime fans adopted for the people who go to conventions and other events dressed as theiir favorite characters. Cosplay is common at American SF and gaming conventions, but not usually referred to by that namme. Call a Klingon a "cosplayer" and you risk tasting his weapons.

I can certainly arrange to have your flyers at the con, Vincent, if you can't go yourself. And Jake, I'll pass your address on to the organizers unless you really don't want me to, because in all liklihood you might get an invitation. I'm going for several reasons -- I've never been to Utah other than passing through and that's something every practicing Mormon should do at least once in their lives, it gives mea chance to socialize with like-minded gamers and play some things I wouldn;t get to play otherwise, it gives me an excellent chance to promote my company to a small but hopefully loyal audience, and I'm advising the concom so I'd better show up.

Surprisingly given the subject matter I usually fdeal with (aninme/manga, furry) I''ve actually gotten high priase from all the Mormons who have read my books.  I guess the reason is that I present a much more positive approach towards human (or furson) nature and morality that the typical D&D supplement. I remember one pair of missonaries (I enjoy the company of missionaries almost three years after my baptism) being very favorably impressed with HeartQuest but utterly appalled when the read the violence-soaked D20 Modern. I guess it represents the difference between roleplaying in a character-based animated series and playing in an R-rated action movie (Mormons don't go to or rent R-rated movies, and NC-17 and X are right out!).

And many people have asked me to  write a game set in Book of Mormon times in Mesoamaerica. I've been reluant to tackle that project until I've actually completed the task of reading the BoM cover-to-cover.

EDIT: Direct questions about the con should be addressed to  David Fryer at  badsign_98@yahoo.com. Any poublisher who wants to be a guest, for any reason, should contact him and plead his case. he will also have the answers to most of the supplmentary questions that will come up later -- some of you, for example, may be inclined to advertise in the program book -- it shouldn;t be too expensive given the probably size of the con and David can probably arrange it for you. David can probably also take care of you if you want to ship down flyers or demo copies of your products. You'll have to think about this particular market, though, when considering which products to send down as demos.

Jake -- I've already given him you address, if for no other reason than that I still owe you for sending me a copy of Riddle of Steel

[Jake Norwood]

Mike-

A BoM mesoamerican game sounds fun. Count me in. And yeah, give 'em my name...

Jake

[Michael Hopcroft]

A BoM mesoamerican game sounds fun. Count me in. And yeah, give 'em my name...

Giving of name -- done. BoM mesoamerican game -- that'll take a little more work.

[Michael Hopcroft]

The LDS gaming convention now has a breif website and a name :Crossroads.

The dates and event schedule so far are on the website. No indiviual pre-reg games are scheduled yet, but there are set times for registration, meal breaks and open gaming. There's also a link to e-mail contact with the con chair.

Cedar City, Utah, July 16-17, 2004 (placing it two weeks before GenCon indy if I remember correctly). No financial or venue details beyond the dates yet.

[badsign_98]

No financial or venue details beyond the dates yet.

We have not firmed up financial or venue details yet. I have never hosted a con before and I have no idea what would be a fair amount to charge. I also need to get out and look at the avalible venues before I start trying to make plans for it.

[badsign_98]

[quote="Michael HopcroftI guess it represents the difference between roleplaying in a character-based animated series and playing in an R-rated action movie (Mormons don't go to or rent R-rated movies, and NC-17 and X are right out!).

And many people have asked me to  write a game set in Book of Mormon times in Mesoamaerica. I've been reluant to tackle that project until I've actually completed the task of reading the BoM cover-to-cover.

[/quote]
Ironic then that the Book of Mormon, at least Alma and Third Nephi WOULD be an R-rated movie if it ever hit the big screen. Lots of war and violence in that section.