FAQ
What is GamingThe term 'gaming' when used in this context does not refer to gambling or any such nefarious pastime. Rather it refers to a grouping of pastimes which share some links in common. There are a number of categories of 'gaming'. Indeed, there is even some contention over what counts as gaming and what doesn't. Below are listed the main types of gaming, which will be running at Gaelcon and at Games Nights in Cassidy's. There will be other games like a vast array of board games which can take anything from 10 minutes to 10 hours to play. |
What are Roleplay Games (RPGs)?While all children roleplay (Cops and Robbers, Cowboys and Indians), the first formalised roleplay game was released over thirty years ago under the name of Dungeons & Dragons, which has flourished to the extent that there are now many different breeds of roleplay game commercially available. At its core, roleplay is the practice of pretending to be some one else for a while. Each player creates a character, which they guide through events and (mis)adventures, which are thrown in their path. The players try to put themselves in the position of the character.
What are Collectible Card Games (CCGs)?Collectible Card Games are strategic games which use cards. There are many different types, each with their own rules and with every card that comes into play the possible outcome of the game shifts depending on how it is used. Each card tells you what effect it has. Examples of these games are: Pokemon, L5R, Yu Gi Oh and Magic: The Gathering all of which have been played at Gaelcon and at the Games Nights in Cassidy's.
What Gaming is NOTThere have been many misconceptions about gaming in the past, ranging from accusations of devil-worshipping from some of the more...misguided...Christian sects, to people thinking of it in terms of sexual roleplay. Neither of these could be further from the truth. Roleplaying is merely a social pastime, based on storytelling and imagining yourself as a character within the story.
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What are Live Action Roleplay Games (LARPs)>These are a relatively recent development. In games of this type, players leave the table and interact with their environment directly. In games of this type, the role of the Games Master (GM) is not as prominent as there are less gaps in the surroundings to fill in. There tends to be more players involved in LARPs as characters which would usually be portrayed by the GM are now taken by other players.
What is Wargaming?Wargaming is one of the very oldest types of gaming. It started with generals wanting to have models to move about on their maps to keep track of troop movements and soon battles were being planned and played out with those models. They moved on from being a general's tool of war to a hobby and pastime for many. Miniature games involve players making strategic decisions about simulated battles. These days the models are no longer cast by players themselves, but they are still lovingly assembled and painted with the colours of the armed forces they represent, be it soldiers of the Napoleonic era, armies from fantasy settings or creatures and beings from the far flung future. All these and more will be battling it out at this year's Gaelcon and at the Games Nights.
What is Gaelcon?Gaelcon is a gathering of gamers, who all come together in a certain place at a certain time for the same reason; to play games and have fun. This is a tradition, which has been on going for the last 20 years. Each October bank holiday weekend for 3 days the convention opens to provide a place were dice are rolled, cards are played, imaginations run riot, old friendships are renewed and new ones forged. Gaelcon welcomes anyone who wants to come and play and there is a large range of games from scheduled events to casual pick up and play games running all weekend.
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