By Adam Donnelly

Gamers gather in Kamloops over weekend

Sep 12, 2016 | 5:24 PM

KAMLOOPS — As long as people have been around, so have games, and as society has become more advanced, so have those games. This weekend, hundreds of gamers packed into TRU’s Grand Hall, bringing with them some of their favourite games, and facing off against one another in friendly competition.

At first glance, it looks like a quiet European village, which is exactly what you’re supposed to see; but it also serves as a space to play ‘Flames of War,’ a World War 2 era strategy game, played with meticulously painted miniatures.

“It focuses on the company level, as opposed to the much larger battalion battles, or the much smaller platoon battles,” explained Bryan Corbin, who travelled from Vancouver for the event. “It has all of the main nations [who fought in] World War II, and many options for smaller nations.”

It’s just one of a multitude of games being played over the weekend at AttackX – a tabletop war gaming expo – which was held at Thompson Rivers University.

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“It’s just evolved over the years,” Vinny Bulloch told CFJC Today. Vine was just one of many organizers who helped host the event. “Back when I first started, there was really three games you could play. Now there are 3-, 40 different games.”

Now in its fourth year, the event has grown exponentially since the first time it was held. One reason is the chance to meet up with players from different parts of the province, and beyond.

“It’s a great time,” Vinny said about the event. “You get to meet new people, or see old friends you probably haven’t seen in awhile.”

‘You really get to meet a diverse group of people, that do have at least one thing in common. And that’s the love of gaming,” Bryan Corbin said.

While there are prizes on the line for the competition, Corbin says there’s a strong sense of sportsmanship for most competitors.

“I enjoy the game, and I don’t try to be super competitive about it,” he said. “Usually it’s just ‘Play the Game. Enjoy the Game.’ If you win the game, great.”

Like most competitions, it’s about spending time with others who share your passion, and having a little fun doing it.