Guest Post: 6 Big Mistakes... (Part 2)

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!

Guest Post: 6 Big Mistakes When Running an Event (Part 1)

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.

or, What the Hell Am I Doing Running a LARP Event?!

Well, here I am. Rather than hitting you, genteel reader of this blog, with an in-depth essay on one of the innumerable LARP topics I consistently rant about to my friends, I'll just ease you in with a post that hopefully isn't too heavy. And we all love numbered lists, right?

Running a LARP isn't easy. I get it. I've run them before.

There are also WAY more than 6 mistakes. I could write a book full of them, but for the sake of simplicity (and sanity) we'll just stick with a nice, even 6.

And you might think some of these mistakes are so basic that no one could possibly mess it up. Well, you'd be wrong. These are common mistakes, as I've seen them again and again, and many larps never seem to get it right.

So here they are, in no particular order of importance:

1. Improper Planning and Preparation (Or Rather, "pre-event, last-minute chaos")

This is a big one which almost every LARP I've been to is guilty of, even games that have been running for years. This is a broad topic that, quite frankly, needs its own book, let alone a couple of paragraphs in a numbered list. I'm sure many of my future posts will concentrate on this one.

All I can say here is, you can never prepare enough or plan too early. And, if possible, get a project manager or two on your team.

2. Lack of Scheduling

Some games run without a schedule. Some games have a schedule, but only use it before the event for planning the "big stuff". Some games think they have a schedule, but instead have a random list of encounters. And at some games, only the few people on top of the staff hierarchy ever get to even see the schedule.

Schedules are critical to running a smooth game, and must be implemented properly. It should be prepared well in advance of the event. Every major encounter, module, and field battle must be listed with the time, number of NPCs needed, and the staff members running them.

Everyone on staff, "low ranking" NPCs included, needs to be able to see the schedule prior to the event. It must be prominently displayed in NPC Camp so everyone knows what's going on at the event. I know things will be way off time-wise, but the benefits far outweigh the extra planning involved.

3. Bad Staff Communication at the Event

Writeups are good. All the major encounters and modules, minus the top secret plot goodies, should be written up and made freely available to the NPCs and staff. Include simple, one sheet guides for playing common monsters and common things every NPC should know both in and out of game.

Walkie-talkies are good but can break immersion, so use them cautiously. Have them in key areas so staff can get in touch with home base when they need to. Even better are cell phones using text messages only. No one wants to hear "The Final Countdown" ringtone while they're trying to figure out a way into Zardon the Lich King's garden.

Tune back in next Wednesday for Part 2 of 6 Big Mistakes When Running an Event!