So whether you support the war or not, you have to admit that there are a lot of geeks in the military right now. There must be, or their commanders wouldn't allow a roleplaying game convention in the middle of a warzone:
When President Bush ordered troops to Iraq, he probably never imagined that he would be ultimately be responsible for what very well could be the very first D&D convention/game day ever held in a war zone. Ziggurat Con, being held June 9 from 1200 to 2100 hours at Camp Adder/Tallil Airbase, is open to all allied military personnel and civilian contractors in Iraq.
More below the fold:
KBR and MWR (the army's Morale Welfare & Recreation Department) have graciously allowed service members to use part of the Community Activity Center to hold the Game Day. The Ping Pong room will be set up for RPGs (Role-Playing Games, not to be confused with the rocket propelled grenades which share the same acronym), and the DVD Movie room will be playing Anime Movies all day in support of the event.
Perhaps geek is too harsh a term. After all, RPGs (role-playing games, not, you know, rocket-propelled grenades) are getting more mainstream acceptance as a pasttime, partly because of the video games they inspired, and partly because of the massive changes in the game industry since toy goliath Hasbro bought up Wizards of the Coast (creators of Magic: the Gathering, who swallowed up the Dungeons & Dragons trademark a decade ago). Besides, the boys over in Mesopotamia must be a bit starved for entertainment. Games like D&D offer a needed escape from what is undoubtedly a stressful reality, and a team-building storytelling exercise to boot. Hmm, I wonder if any of them have tried the Dungeons and Dragons Al-Qadim setting, which is basically an 'Arabian Nights' -style fantasy setting.
In any case, the US Military is less touchy about gamers than Israel, which views D&D players as a security risk:
A security official tells Ynet there are specific criteria for deciding the level of a soldier's security clearance.
"One of the tests we do, either by asking soldiers directly or through information provided us, is to ask whether they take part in the game," he says. "If a soldier answers in the affirmative, he is sent to a professional for an evaluation, usually a psychologist."
More than half of the soldiers sent for evaluation receive low security clearances, thus preventing them from serving in sensitive IDF positions, he says.
Igor says exposing soldiers who play the game could result in the soldiers being sent to a military psychologist or even being kicked out of the army.
"Exposing them could also harm their chances at being accepted to other military courses," he says.
Matan says he has personally met soldiers whose military career was harmed due to their connection to the game. Most soldiers who play Dungeons and Dragons simply do not admit to it while they are in the army, he says.
In any event, you can help out American gamers if you have old books, dice, etc.
They're planning to run the following games (and will be happy to get additional games):
Babylon 5 RPG, Cyberpunk 2020, D&D, D&D RPGA, GURPS, Historic Miniatures Battles, Magic Tournament, MechWarrior Miniatures, Rifts, Shadowrun, Starship Troopers, White Wolf System-Vampire, White Wolf System-Werewolf, XCrawl
Got any game books crowding your shelves that you never use? Here's a great cause to donate them to. Spread the word.
SPC David Amberson says:
We would love anything we can get. We do have a White Wolf game here, but not much in the line of books, mostly the older editions. We will have a small LARP game that we are trying to get permission to have happen at the Ziggurat for which the con is named (A LARP at a historical site that has been around since Biblical times - WOW). Gamer related material would be absolutely awesome!! It takes 2 weeks or less when shipping Priority, so you still have time.
My address is as follows:
SPC David Amberson
A Co 86th Sig Bn
APO, AE 09331
david.amberson (at) iraq.centcom.mil