Hi, I'm Scott Eerie, and I've been playing, running, and staffing larp events for over 20 years in the New England area. I'm going to be talking about behind-the-scenes larp stuff, mainly advice on running larp games.
And now for part 2 of "6 Big Mistakes When Running An Event."
4. Key Staff Members Showing Up Late
I have a habit of showing up early to events, sometimes even around 2 or 3PM on Friday. At an appallingly high number of events I've attended, I showed up before (sometimes hours before) the guys RUNNING the event.
If you're running an event and you are one of the key, top-tier staff members (I'm looking at you, Mr. Game Director), show up early. Like, show up the day before if you can. If you can't be on the site until Friday, show up at 7am. If you can't be there early enough to make sure things get done and the game can start at a reasonable time, then maybe you shouldn't be running a LARP.
Also, make sure you get the stuff you need to run the event there as early as possible. These are things like costumes, tags, props, floating skulls, etc. Trucks full of such necessities tend to break down, get stuck in the mud, get lost, run out of gas, or get stolen. All of these things have happened at least once at various games I've attended.
5. Mistreating or Misusing NPCs
Ah, the grunt. The lowly NPC. The guy/gal who's there to play the crunchies, wandering monsters, the minions. A role I've played many times.
These people can also be your most valuable asset. You can't run a good game without them, but they are often treated as second class citizens or relegated to the role of an extra.
They need leadership, guidance, and training. NPCs are there to help, but you can't just throw them out there with a stat card and some weapons. Hordes of untrained NPCs can ruin the players' fun and possibly the game. It's up to the game staff to prepare them.
NPCs are not "Non Paying Customers." They are unpaid workers who volunteer their time and effort to help entertain your players. Learn to love them for it.
6. Forgetting That Players Paid To Be There
In New England, LARP events commonly cost between $80 and $100, which may or may not include the cost of food. Throw in a yearly membership fee on top of that and it's quite a hefty sum for many to play a game.
Most games just expect their players to understand (and talk amongst themselves) when things are running late, when there aren't enough NPCs, or when nothing has been going on for hours at a time. At most businesses, this would be unnaceptable, and refunds and apology gifts would be given to the customers. At a LARP, this is just considered "part of playing a LARP".
I guess this is why expectations are so low across the board. This is where many would say the "club" aspect of LARP shows its head. I'm hoping we'll grow out of this particular attitude.
There you have it. These topics will be explored (and exploited) in loving detail in future posts. Until then, happy LARPing!
"Most games just expect their players to understand (and talk amongst themselves) when things are running late, when there aren't enough NPCs, or when nothing has been going on for hours at a time. At most businesses, this would be unnaceptable, and refunds and apology gifts would be given to the customers. At a LARP, this is just considered "part of playing a LARP". "
ReplyDeleteThe most common reply to a comment like this I have seen is someone proudly saying something like "Learn to entertain yourself!"
That reply is total bullshit and I wholeheartedly agree that staff members need to remember that a LARP, of the sort being discussed here, is a customer service experience. There are limitations and provisos and disclaimers and so on, but the core philosophy of "entertain your players all the time" is far too lacking in too many LARPs. Too many LARPs resign themselves to mediocrity, saying that it's impossible to entertain everyone all the time and then don't even try. Instead, they should be trying to meet that goal, however elusive, and by trying they will improve.
Of the many caveats to this, I will mention this: If you own the LARP, remember that your staff are also usually volunteers and so they will gauge how much effort they put in in a different way than paid employees. On the flip side, if you commit to help run a game then don't be a useless flake who doesn't do anything.
Some late night rambling replies,
Mickey