Ropecon

Ropecon is Finnish roleplaying convention organized every summer since 1994. With more that 3000 visitors each year, it's considered to be the largest non-commercial roleplaying convention in Europe. The three day convention is held in late June or early August in Dipoli conference center in Espoo. Ropecon offers different programs and activities covering the role-playing game field including, not only larp and tabletop, but also board games, miniatures and collectible card games. The program contains games, tournaments, lectures, panels and workshops. Entrance fee to the event is 25 €.

Association

Behind the convention Ropecon, is the association Ropecon ry. Its purpose is to promote, build up and improve roleplaying, collectible card gaming, boardgaming and miniature gaming in Finland. Not only it organises the roleplaying convention Ropecon every summer, it has also organized Solmukohtas 2004, 2008 and 2012 and Arpacon conventions for beginners at 2009 and 2010.

The association uses the profit it gets from the events to support projects in the Finnish roleplaying scene. It has supported financially different kinds of roleplaying events, larps, conventions and gatherings, published one roleplaying book and two academic books about roleplaying and lends its walkie-talkies and other belongings to different kinds of roleplaying events for free.

Members of Ropecon are five big Finnish roleplaying organisations: Live-action roleplayer's association SuoLi, Helsinki University roleplaying club Alter Ego, Aalto University roleplaying club ORC, history re-enactment and live-action roleplaying group Harmaasudet and The Role and Strategy Game Association of Southern Finland ESRSPY.

Guests of Honor

Ropecon has a strong tradition to bring Guests of Honors to diversify the event. First larp-GoH was Eirik Fatland at 2002 and the most of the larp GoH:s have been from Nordic countries.

• 1994: Steve Jackson
• 1995: Sandy Petersen
• 1996: Tom Dowd & Andy Chambers
• 1997: Greg Costikyan
• 1998: Ray Greer ja Mark Rosewater
• 1999: Mike Pondsmith & Rick Priestley
• 2000: Steve Jackson & Richard Dansky
• 2001: N. Robin Crossby
• 2002: Justin Achilli & Erik Faitland
• 2003: Jonathan Tweet, Ramon Laan & Martin Ericsson
• 2004: John Kovalic, Erick Wujcik & Emma Wieslander
• 2005: Greg Stafford, Bill Bridges & Claus Raasted
• 2006: Kenneth Hite, Bruno Faidutti, Olle Jonsson & Tobias Wrigstad
• 2007: Robin D. Laws, Emily Care Boss & Jakob Rune Nielsen
• 2008: Chris Pramas, Greg Stolze & Peter Andreasen
• 2009: L. Scott Johnson, Suzi Yee, Malik Hyltoft & Antti Malin
• 2010: Keith Baker & Friedemann Friese
• 2011: Frank Mentzer & Erik Mona
• 2012: Peter Adkison & Larson Kasper

Kultainen lohikäärme

Kultainen Lohikäärme, Golden Dragon is the award given to lifetime achievements on the Finnish roleplaying field.

• 2003: Lauri and Jyrki Tudeer, brothers who came up with Fantasiapelit, our first and still largest roleplayingbookstore.
• 2004: Magus Laaksonen, the editor-in-chief of Magus roleplaying magazine.
• 2005: Ville "Burger" Vuorela, Finnish roleplaying game wright.
• 2006: Risto "Nordic" J. Hieta, columnist who write about roleplaying and computergaming on different magazines between 1985 and 1998.
• 2007: ELF Vesala, one of the main persons starting Finnish larping at early 1990:s.
• 2008: GNiko Mikkanen, the man who found Ropecon.
• 2009: Killeri Kivimaa, main treasurer of Ropecon and SuoLi for last more than ten years.
• 2010: Mike Pohjola, larpwright and roleplaydesigner.
• 2011: Markus Montola and Jaakko Stenros, roleplaying academics who edited Nordic Larp.

Resources

• The Ropecon website
• Flickr group of Ropecon photos