Those who want to assume the role of an Elven wizard who employs spells to defeat the Paladin of Tyranny or lead an army of orcs into battle can find themselves at home at PolyCon, Cal Poly’s gaming club, which provides a relaxed setting for gamers to satiate their alter egos by participating in a variety of games and activities.
“When playing a fantasy game you always have to use your imagination,” said Bob Johnston, Cal Poly alumni and PolyCon adviser. “Role-playing games allow you actually take on a persona that may be quite opposite of your own. It gives you a chance to practice being that person and try it on for size.”
PolyCon puts on miniature gaming conventions, MiniCons, which emphasize social gaming. Participants pay $5 to play an array of games such as the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, the card game Magic: The Gathering and video games like Rock Band and Soul Caliber IV. PolyCon also hosts a live action role-playing game where players physically act out their characters.
“We avoid the games you play online behind a computer because that’s not what we are about,” said Garrett DeHoyos, PolyCon officer and computer science senior. “We are about any social gaming.”
The MiniCons serve as fundraisers for the annual PolyCon summer convention, a three-day gaming event held at San Luis Obispo’s Embassy Suites, said Eric Fong, PolyCon treasurer and software engineering junior. Conventions usually draw about 250 gamers from all over the world.
“We try to promote the gaming culture and dispel the stereotype that we are a bunch of nerds sitting in our mother’s basement eating Cheetos and drinking Mountain Dew,” DeHoyos said. “We are just ordinary people playing a game together.”
As members of PolyCon, gamers learn organizational leadership involved with putting on events and coordinating activities, a skill set not usually associated with gaming, DeHoyos added.
“It’s really good for leadership skills,” Fong said. “You have to reserve a room, advertise, provide incentives for participants and fundraise. Members of the club have great experience leading events.”
“PolyCon is more involved with the business side as far as planning and facilitating the events,” Johnston said. “Individuals develop those skills and learn from each other while alumni mentor younger members.”
More importantly, PolyCon events allow students to explore their personality, have relaxing social interaction and recharge while keeping their minds active and creative, Johnston added.
“You get to learn about interacting with people on a personal level,” Johnston said. “We try to promote people-to-people games because it gives people a chance to talk and learn about others.”
Cal Poly alumni and faculty members provide insight and experience to strengthen the club and its events.
“Some ex-PolyCon members, who are now Cal Poly professors, help organize and plan events,” Fong said. “We have weekly dinner where we can learn about some of the professors and the workings of the school from their perspective. It puts a different light on professors.”
Fong acknowledges the old-school approach, but also recognizes the need to integrate electronic video games to the conventions.
“Most times events are dominated by role-playing games, board games and card games,” Fong said. “As a big video gamer, we are starting to add those to the mix.”
Yet, PolyCon had humble beginnings. Previously known as Saga, the club began 26 years ago when students would rent out the dorms and spend a few nights to play games, Johnston said.
PolyCon meets every Wednesday night to stay current with the gaming scene and plan upcoming conventions in the Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering building, room 121.
During the meetings, they develop projects such as customizing their own arcade stick. The arcade stick is fashioned after real arcade games, equipped with a joystick and large round buttons. Fong disassembled the XBOX 360 arcade stick, imported buttons from Japan, scanned a high-resolution graphic from a magazine and altered it in Photoshop.
“We do everything we can to make anyone feel comfortable playing a game regardless of personal background and interests,” he added.
PolyCon will host the Super Winter MiniCon Jan. 17 and 18 of next year. More information is available at www.polycon.org.