Egyptian Campaign 1998
Egyptian Campaign 1998 was held over the weekend of March 27-29 at the Student Center on the campus Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. This annual event is a gaming convention, which means that it caters primarily to gamers rather than general science fiction fandom.
The primary activity is gaming, and there are several rooms filled with tables at which gamers can play various kinds of games, including role-playing, board games, collectible card games (such as Magic: The Gathering) and miniatures games. There is also a dealers room, which primarily focuses upon gaming supplies, although there are some books and jewelry available. There is a costuming contest and some art-related contests, but very little in the way of panels or other programming. There is no con suite (at least partly due to restrictions set by the catering company that holds the contract for the Student Center
The biggest problem with the con was the heat. We got an early heat wave that weekend, but the schedule for the university's HVAC system still said it was supposed to be heating season. Thus the function space was almost unendurably hot. While I was participating in the on-location miniatures painting contest, I was in a room which was so hot I thought I was going to melt. The area where the dealers' room was located was only slightly more endurable, and that was only because it had windows which could be opened for air circulation.
Copyright 2012 by Leigh Kimmel
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Last updated October 21, 2012.