Despite the stereotype of the anti-social role playing gamer, Roxanne Morrison, a sophomore at Plymouth State University, said she became a gamer because of the socialization factor.

"Sitting around a table, playing Dungeons and Dragons or MAGIC with a bunch of people is so much better than sitting alone, staring at a computer screen or chatting with strangers online," Morrison, who is president of the university's Gaming Club said, Saturday, during the first day of the 11th annual Econocon Games Convention.

The convention, which welcomes role playing, board, and video game players as well as anime aficionados, was held Saturday and Sunday at the university's Hartman Union Building.

Morrison, along with other Gaming Club and in conjunction with the university's Anime Club members, helped organize this year's event.

RAY MONGEAU/CITIZEN PHOTO ARIANNE KNAP of Hartford, Vt., draws cards from one of several decks of Munchkin during the Econocon games at Plymouth State University. * Order a print of this photo

"It's just a good chance for people to get together, do something they love and meet new people while playing," Morrison said.

Morrison said the convention is called 'Econocon' because it is one of more economical such conventions held in the country. The entrance fee is $5 a day for those who preregister and $10 for people who show up a the door.

Similar conventions, while larger, also have more expensive admission fees, some between $25 to $50 dollars.

During the two-day event there are many gaming tournaments and plenty of spontaneous game playing, along with anime screenings.

Also at the convention were a number of vendors selling everything from role playing game books and accessories to role playing and Renaissance Fair costumes and weaponry.

Chris Goguen, of Springfield, Mass., was busy working on a leather drawstring satchel Saturday, while sitting near a colorful display of his leather and armor work. His wares include jewel-toned hued leather gauntlets, vests, hair accessories and much more.

Goguen said his leatherworking started as a hobby.

"It's a hobby that got out of control and now I do this full-time," Goguen said, adding that as he has always been interested in Medieval history, he became curious as to how things were created.

RAY MONGEAU/CITIZEN PHOTO MARC BERNIER of Durham, owner of Hickory Arms, applies leather to one of his handmade wooden swords. His medieval wooden weapons are for sale at the 11th annual Econocon Games Convention held at Plymouth State University this weekend. The event was held Saturday and Sunday at the Hartman Union Building. * Order a print of this photo

Goguen said walked into a leather shop one day, bought some tools and some scrap leather started experimenting.

"I found out I had a knack for it," Goguen said.

At the tables next to Goguen, Marc Bernier of Durham, owner of Hickory Arms, was hard at work, fashioning wooden swords for role playing masses.

The guest of honor at this year's convention is Steve Long, co-owner of HERO Games, a role playing game book publisher.

Long, 42, started out his working adult life as a lawyer but remained a passionate gamer in his spare time.

Long said he got into role playing games in the early 1980s, when games like Dungeons and Dragons were hitting their zenith.

By 1992, Long said he was writing freelance gaming articles for several gaming magazines published at the time.

"In 1991, I saw a call out for articles from one of the publishers of a role playing magazine, so I decided to give it a try," Long said. "I had so much fun doing it, the writing bug bit me and I just kept writing."

His first role playing book, "Dark Champions," was published in the mid-1990s.

In 1997, Long left the lawyerly life and became a game developer and book author, writing for various companies, including HERO. In 2001, Long bought the company with a group of partners.

RAY MONGEAU /CITIZEN PHOTO MUNCHKIN, A COLLECTIBLE card game based on dungeon crawling, was one of the games played at the annual Econocon game convention held at the Plymouth State Campus. Chris Strickler of Deering plays his hand the game of many cards. * Order a print of this photo

Now, Long heads the company's East Coast office in Greensboro, N.C., where he is the head HERO System Line Developer, which means he plans, writes, edits and develops manuscripts for publication. He said he writes between six and 10 books a year and the company publishes more than a dozen books annually.

A book Long just finished lays out the setting for a fantasy HERO role playing game set in the mythical Atlantean Age, a time Long estimates as being around 30,000 BC, well before the utopian island society of Atlantis sank into sea.

Long said the company is working to launch an online, live, multiplayer version of a HERO game.

Long was host at panel discussions and mingled with gamers during both days of the convention.

Also at the convention was Steve Jackson of Steve Jackson Games, an Austin, Texas-based company founded in 1980 that now publishes books, games and magazines for gamers.

The best known Steve Jackson game systems include GURPS (General Universal Role Playing System); Munchkin, which is described on the company's website as an "irreverent game of dungeon crawling"; and, last but not least, Chez Geek, a game of apartment life.

Morrison began playing video games as a grade schooler, using her brother's Nintendo system to hone her skills. When Morrison was 12 or 13, she said, she was introduced to Dungeons and Dragons, one of the first and most widely recognized role playing games.

As a freshman in college, Morrison began playing Magic and was introduced to the Gaming Club, becoming its secretary, then president.

"I'd say I'm even more of a gamer now than when I was in high school," Morrison said.