Remembering Characters

This week was Memorial Day here in the good ol' U.S. of A., and I hope everyone took a moment to remember those who served/are serving.  And although LARPing is a pretty far cry from that, it did make me think about how we remember characters in the games we play.

Whether a character was heavily involved in plot or only known to a few, the player behind that persona probably spent a lot of time and effort on them.  We use our free weekends to be these other people, we spend our money on their costumes, and we get excited about their stories.  When they're gone, it's often a pretty bitter pill to swallow.

Bill has already talked about character death, but I was thinking more about how a game can remember those characters when they have died. 

One option that was discussed is making the character part of the game world.  Making them an NPC the player can play is dangerous, since allowing people to continue to play the same character, even as an NPC, can devalue the danger of death.  It can also make people who don't get this option feel left out, but there are certainly times when it might be appropriate and good for the story.  Just be careful! 

Another option, though, is to make the character continue, but not have them come into game.  In NERO with elemental transforms, this is easy to do - the character's spirit becomes a player for that element, and they become a Name talked about by others, or even a contact of some kind.  You can do it in other genres as well - maybe they are resurrected as a messenger for a deity, or turned into a steampunk cyborg.  Whatever happens, that character goes on into the sunset, as it were, and Plot can integrate them into their stories (they're just not the hero anymore).  This can be a fantastic way to nod towards a character that was heavily involved, though it can still run the risk of devaluing death.  And Staff should make sure to set clear boundaries with the player or as a policy!

So, what can we do that doesn't "cheat death"?  :)  Well, one thing is simply to keep a list of the fallen.  You can have it as a graveyard, or even get a plaque made, or write it on a banner to hang in your tavern.  That kind of thing can add gravity to your setting, but also it's an easy, meaningful way to keep characters in everyone's thoughts. 

Staff could also keep a more extensive record, something that could be posted on their website.  Maybe when a character dies, that player can write a short (or long, as you prefer) biography.  Who they were, what they did, and how they met their end.  This lets the player say good-bye, and also allows the character to be remembered for their contribution to the setting. 

I think that it's a nice idea to have options that can be done for any character, regardless of whether they had a transform (etc) or not.  It's hard to see your character just disappear as if they didn't matter, especially if you played them for years.  Having options like these can help players feel more like their stories mattered, and maybe help ease the disappointment that comes with character death and encourage them to keep playing. 

What other ideas do you have for remembering departed characters?

Assemble! Grouping up in LARP

So, hopefully you all saw "Avengers" at least once by now - if not, make it a mission! :)  My second viewing got me thinking.  Movies, like LARPs, only rarely have a group as the main focus.  There are some books that involve groups, often getting killed off one by one, but they still usually focus on one main character.  In a book or movie, that's because you want your audience to relate to your characters, and it's harder to do that with multiple protagonists.

But in LARP, where your audience IS your character group, why aren't awesome PC groups more common?  Well, most everyone wants to be the main character.  The groups PCs tend to join are usually NPC groups, where they are chosen for the Fellowship, or passed the test to be the Warden, and enter into the ranks of the elite. But they get to have all the attention from that group, since they're the only PC.

I can't argue too much with that - it's awesome to be the hero :)  But there's certainly a case for a PC group instead.

First, by forming a unit with your friends, you have a built-in reason to hang out with the people you like.  Maybe you want to get away from them at games, but if not, why not share your adventures with people who will appreciate it?  The stigma at LARP is "I don't care about your character" - but your friends will!  You can share your awesome moments and experiences with people who share your enthusiasm for that cool game moment.

A group also allows you to more mobility.  As an individual, you usually need to attach yourself to other people in order to go do things. But if you've got your group already in place, you are set for action.  You can set it up with a mix of classes to ensure you're ready for anything. Usually 2 fighters, a healer, a combat caster, and a utility rogue/templar is a great combination.  But try it with whatever works for you!  An all mage group who can pull it off will be that much more legendary :)

And let's talk about style!  Don't groups who coordinate look pretty awesome?  Everyone proudly wearing the symbol on tabards & shields, a banner flapping by their camp... One person wearing a uniform probably just looks like a costume.  Multiple people look pretty badass. :)

As you get higher level and more powerful, you can turn your group into its own epic force.  The group will go on mods together, and have those stories to tell that others will repeat.  And as a big plus, they'll be more active and visible than any NPC organization.  This will ingrain your group into the general consciousness much more than NPC groups that are only around for a plot or personal interaction. 

As you build your organization, if you want people to look at is as an elite force, you can make membership difficult, so it's a privilege to join.  You can take people based off of their combat, their knowledge, their cunning, their baking prowess, whatever!  Build up the group and they can be a legend in the game, and you didn't have to rely on NPC favor to get it. Contact Plot to let them know your intentions, and they can tailor things for your team to suit your goals.  It's a plus for them as well, since any mod for one of the group will (hopefully) entertain the whole unit :)

And you don't have to give up individuality.  Like our Avengers, each member can be unique.   Each character can pursue their own path, and it's a lot easier with help.  As the characters' stories are told, they just add to the atmosphere of being a hardcore unit.  You've got the only known survivor of an alien race?  Your healer is the chosen of the Fae Queen?  Your rogue is an assassin for the Emperor?  And they've all come together to form the Badass Patrol?  Pretty awesome if you ask me.  :)  All of that individuality can go into making the group that much stronger, and you still get the benefits of having support.

So think about it.  Maybe for your next character idea, get together and form a group! 

Have you seen PC groups that work?

Jaded

A lot of LARPers have been playing for a long time.  They've seen so much and heard so much.  They've experienced highs and lows, both IG as their characters and OOG in the community.

So it's no surprise that so many people end up jaded.

Hell, I myself am jaded when put into certain situations.  I often have to take a step back and ask myself why I'm getting all worked up or upset about something that often has no real bearing on me.

This post is a response to something I noticed at Exiles.  I'm not saying these people are bad people in any way, but we have a few players who are known for being jaded at NERO.

But you know what?  You would never know that by playing Exiles with them.  Having them around was a blast.

This clearly indicates to me that it's a problem with a particular community rather than a player themselves.  If someone is mistreated too many times, or has the goals that he has for a LARP game (immersion, gamist, storytelling) broken too many times, that player is more likely to become jaded.  LARP communities have the same problems as any other community, such as gossip, cliques, and the like.  We people stop acting decent to each other, players get jaded.  

The obvious solution is just to start being nice to each other.

So next time you see a player who's jaded, just be aware that there's a good chance that there's a reason why they're jaded.  And if your particular game breeds jaded players, then maybe a holistic look at the health of that community is in order.  

Oh yeah, and do your best not to be a dick.

Why Anecdotal Evidence is Balls

Everyone who is involved in anything thinks that they're an expert. They think they have a pulse on what the people want, simply because they've heard some people talk about stuff. And then they use this information to guide judgement.

So here's your public service announcement, followed by a wall of text!

Friends don't let friends use anecdotal evidence to make decisions on how a game should operate.

New In Blogroll - FSLE and State of Play

For those of you with an eye for detail, you might have already noticed there were two additions to the blogroll this week. I'm excited about both of them.

Foam Swords and Latex Ears
This is a blog that talks about general tips and information regarding LARPing. It's been around since July, with a new post every Thursday. Some great information can be found there, so I highly suggest giving it a read.

State of Play - The Gaming Blog
This one is more of a general gaming blog with heavier focus on Video and board gaming. But still, some great stuff there, and the site updates regularly.

I know I've gone about this in detail in the past, but I'll say it again. If you know of some blog/forum/content site that you believe is a treasure trove for gamers/LARPers, send it to us at larp.ohio@gmail.com, and we'll get it up on the blogroll.

Be A Mentor

Note: This is a guest post by Dave J. He's a player of both NERO and Exiles, and has some staff experience at both. Remember, the LARP Ohio contest is still accepting entries. Get your shot at a free game in Ohio.

I have broken Dave's post into three parts, as he's got three main independent points.

Bill and Tim, it seems, spend most of their time talking about either LARP theory (rules, playtests, mods, etc) or running plot. Although this is great info, I think it also behooves us to think about how we, as players, approach the game.

Naturally there are all the standard messages: take your hits, don’t cheat, blah, blah, blah. Not that those are bad things to hear, but I think we can all just agree that we’ve heard those before and have no need to go over them again. I did have a few ideas that don’t seem to come up too often.

Be a Mentor

This is a big deal, and important to the survival of the game as a whole as it ensures a continued player base. Everyone agrees that Plot teams need to run “newbie plot” but the responsibility for new players doesn’t end with them. I know; as a more experienced player new people can be frustrating because OH MY GOD THEY DON’T KNOW ANYTHING. While it is true that they don’t know anything, in a way, it’s actually a plus. Someone who doesn’t know anything is someone who can be taught. As a teacher, let me tell you that people can be molded into whatever you want (shout out to B.F. Skinner! Holla’!), and in LARP we have the added bonus of a motivated person. Nobody comes to LARP saying, “Gosh, this game looks fun. I’m going to go, but my big goal for the weekend is to suck as hard as humanly possible.” New players want to be good at the game, they want to be involved, and they want to be paid attention to (really, those motivations can be applied to just about any situation). If we want to play with good players, we need to train good players.

If you see a few new players sparring among themselves, and it’s apparent that they take their ideas on combat from Japanese cartoons, take a few minutes to show them the ropes. Take a passel of new players modding and stand in the background while they push forward. Push them out of your circle and tell them to kill that 10-body orc. Talk to them out-of-game about costuming, role-playing, and character development.

Remember, if we don’t teach people how to play the game, we have only ourselves to blame when they don’t know how to play it.

Support your LARP Community, and Post!

LARPs can be run as a business, but most are instead run as a club. We tend to depend on the players to take roles in playing NPCs, writing plot, doing logistics, and any other jobs associated with the game.

In order for the community to grow, it has to look good to outsiders. There are many public displays of the LARPing community, normally associated with forums or Facebook pages.

If you want to support your community, post on the forums!

The truth is, forum activity is a sign of the success of a LARP community. If all the posts are about the game, it's going to look less like a community. A lack of forum activity can often be a turn off to new players who are trying to find an active group. However, a highly active forum is inviting and makes it easier for people to join the club.

So if you enjoy a LARP game you're playing, go post on the forums with something. It could be a funny YouTube video. It could be a fact or a news article about something interesting. It could be Lolcats. Just go out and post!