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?
Showing posts with label This Is Sparta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label This Is Sparta. Show all posts
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Thursday, April 19, 2012
NPC Sign Ups
Getting NPCs has always been a problem with most LARPs. There have been all sorts of tips and tricks listed - improved rewards, creating an inviting atmosphere, enticing with interesting NPC roles, etc. However, there are some times and some games where this still doesn't get enough NPCs to give your PCs a good time. So then what do you do to get the NPCs you need?
A few games are more forceful in their recruiting. They ask or require PCs to put in some sort of NPC time, whether helping in the shack, with logistics, with the kitchen, or whatever else the staff team needs.
Obviously the push-back on this is that not everyone will be okay with paying for a game they also have to work at - and I can't really blame them. After all, I don't always want to spend my weekend working! :) So I've seen in some of the more commercial/business games a reluctance to request or require NPC time.
The down side of this then is that, when you're not getting the NPCs, your games don't have enough bodies to give everyone a quality time people pay for. It's a bit of a catch-22. In more community oriented games, I see more people willing to give time with the mentality that helping just a little will ensure that everyone has more fun.
There are still issues with the volunteer method. One is that if it's volunteer, you end up leaning on the people who come to help out, and the people who don't do the work get to enjoy the rewards. The second is that there tend to be more volunteers earlier in the event - when things start winding down people get tired, they want to fit in as much play time as possible, and no one wants to miss those climactic night-time mods! And arguably, those final mods are when you need help the most - your NPCs are tired too, and you need more bodies to make those end fights tough!
One thought I've had is to request NPC time or kitchen help via a sign up sheet. We haven't tried it fully yet, but the goal is to nicely ask for help, and provide slots people can sign up for. That would allow the bodies to get spread out over the event, and give us the volume we need when we need it. Obviously we can't predict all the times extra help will be needed, but at least we'd be better covered.
It doesn't help with the inequality if some people end up doing more volunteering than others. We can try to help with this by providing more rewards to those who do step up, but we hate to require people to NPC. Hopefully this would just be fill in for those events where we don't get the NPCs.
If your game was short on NPCs, how would you feel about signing up for a shift?
On the other end, there are the games that require NPC time. I've not been to one, but I've never heard anyone who plays in one hate on the idea either - when it's built into the community as part of the game experience, people aren't as reluctant I think. If you have played in this type of game, how does mandatory NPC time work?
Or does your game get volunteers another way?
When it comes down to it, NPCing is a dirty job. You are there to give someone else a good time, and you work your butt off doing it. It's just hard to sell that. If you've got good tips, please post them up!
A few games are more forceful in their recruiting. They ask or require PCs to put in some sort of NPC time, whether helping in the shack, with logistics, with the kitchen, or whatever else the staff team needs.
Obviously the push-back on this is that not everyone will be okay with paying for a game they also have to work at - and I can't really blame them. After all, I don't always want to spend my weekend working! :) So I've seen in some of the more commercial/business games a reluctance to request or require NPC time.
The down side of this then is that, when you're not getting the NPCs, your games don't have enough bodies to give everyone a quality time people pay for. It's a bit of a catch-22. In more community oriented games, I see more people willing to give time with the mentality that helping just a little will ensure that everyone has more fun.
There are still issues with the volunteer method. One is that if it's volunteer, you end up leaning on the people who come to help out, and the people who don't do the work get to enjoy the rewards. The second is that there tend to be more volunteers earlier in the event - when things start winding down people get tired, they want to fit in as much play time as possible, and no one wants to miss those climactic night-time mods! And arguably, those final mods are when you need help the most - your NPCs are tired too, and you need more bodies to make those end fights tough!
One thought I've had is to request NPC time or kitchen help via a sign up sheet. We haven't tried it fully yet, but the goal is to nicely ask for help, and provide slots people can sign up for. That would allow the bodies to get spread out over the event, and give us the volume we need when we need it. Obviously we can't predict all the times extra help will be needed, but at least we'd be better covered.
It doesn't help with the inequality if some people end up doing more volunteering than others. We can try to help with this by providing more rewards to those who do step up, but we hate to require people to NPC. Hopefully this would just be fill in for those events where we don't get the NPCs.
If your game was short on NPCs, how would you feel about signing up for a shift?
On the other end, there are the games that require NPC time. I've not been to one, but I've never heard anyone who plays in one hate on the idea either - when it's built into the community as part of the game experience, people aren't as reluctant I think. If you have played in this type of game, how does mandatory NPC time work?
Or does your game get volunteers another way?
When it comes down to it, NPCing is a dirty job. You are there to give someone else a good time, and you work your butt off doing it. It's just hard to sell that. If you've got good tips, please post them up!
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Conquest of Appalachia
I'm super excited and can't contain myself.
You may have noticed a lot of posts recently about immersion, tents, etc. Well, as usual, I write about the things that I'm working on. And finally I can announce the thing I've been working on.
Conquest of Appalachia.
We're bringing Conquest of Mythodea to the US and we'll hopefully break through the stigma that comes with playing LARP.
For those of you who are not familiar, this is a "Fest LARP" which means it's treated a lot like a long running concert/renaissance faire. Except, everyone is in costume. We'll have vendors, inns where you can get drunk, comedians, and vomitoriums, all fully immersive and participation for all.
And all you need to bring is a costume, your wallet, and an open mind.
I don't want to get into too many details, but here are some of the things we've improved upon from the Conquest system.
Combat Everywhere
To improve upon the feel of the game, doctors are suggested to carry flasks and give shots to players that are injured as a form of anestetic. In order to keep the immersion factor up, the alcohol should be real and should be terrible (ideally grain alcohol). This also acts to balance the game, as weaker players can team up on a powerful person to force them to take shots and reduce their battle effectiveness.
Because of this, we figured there's no reason to limit combat to non-drinking areas. Players can be attacked at the inn, in their sleep, or when they're on the toilet.
Furry Friendly
In order to bring as many people into the hobby as possible, we're making the game 100% furry friendly. In order to encourage interactions between our Furry friends and the rest of the roleplayers, we've implemented an interactive and revolutionary system for mounted combat. Bronies unite!
River Styx
We've also designed the death system so that it would be fully immersive. Characters who die must go to the area that represents the River Styx and deal with Charon the boatman. Hopefully you brought your two silver, or else Charon might make you do your best rendition of Renegade to get across.
Sponsors
Players are encouraged to get sponsorship from one of the many companies that will be vendors at the game, such as Wizards of the Coast, Edhellen Armory, and Walmart. However, to keep in the spirit of immersion, characters who are sponsored by companies must come from the place that bears their name. So characters may actually be Wizards from the coast or hail from Edhellen or the Mart of Wall.
This is going to be seriously wicked. The Conquest of Appalachia will be held exactly 1 year from today. Get pumped and mark your calendar!
You may have noticed a lot of posts recently about immersion, tents, etc. Well, as usual, I write about the things that I'm working on. And finally I can announce the thing I've been working on.
Conquest of Appalachia.
We're bringing Conquest of Mythodea to the US and we'll hopefully break through the stigma that comes with playing LARP.
For those of you who are not familiar, this is a "Fest LARP" which means it's treated a lot like a long running concert/renaissance faire. Except, everyone is in costume. We'll have vendors, inns where you can get drunk, comedians, and vomitoriums, all fully immersive and participation for all.
And all you need to bring is a costume, your wallet, and an open mind.
I don't want to get into too many details, but here are some of the things we've improved upon from the Conquest system.
Combat Everywhere
To improve upon the feel of the game, doctors are suggested to carry flasks and give shots to players that are injured as a form of anestetic. In order to keep the immersion factor up, the alcohol should be real and should be terrible (ideally grain alcohol). This also acts to balance the game, as weaker players can team up on a powerful person to force them to take shots and reduce their battle effectiveness.
Because of this, we figured there's no reason to limit combat to non-drinking areas. Players can be attacked at the inn, in their sleep, or when they're on the toilet.
Furry Friendly
In order to bring as many people into the hobby as possible, we're making the game 100% furry friendly. In order to encourage interactions between our Furry friends and the rest of the roleplayers, we've implemented an interactive and revolutionary system for mounted combat. Bronies unite!
River Styx
We've also designed the death system so that it would be fully immersive. Characters who die must go to the area that represents the River Styx and deal with Charon the boatman. Hopefully you brought your two silver, or else Charon might make you do your best rendition of Renegade to get across.
Sponsors
Players are encouraged to get sponsorship from one of the many companies that will be vendors at the game, such as Wizards of the Coast, Edhellen Armory, and Walmart. However, to keep in the spirit of immersion, characters who are sponsored by companies must come from the place that bears their name. So characters may actually be Wizards from the coast or hail from Edhellen or the Mart of Wall.
This is going to be seriously wicked. The Conquest of Appalachia will be held exactly 1 year from today. Get pumped and mark your calendar!
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Acceptable Levels of Cheating
I'll be the first to admit that cheating really pushes my buttons. I'm not talking about crazy level cheating where players simply don't play by the rules of the game at all. I'm talking about throwing too many spells, taking too much damage, fake protectives, etc.
But Mickey turned me on to the idea of acceptable levels of cheating.
It's hard, but I'm starting to wrap my mind around it. You see, we're in an honor based game where cheating is going to happen. Sometimes people will do it accidentally because too many things are happening at once and they simply lose track. Sometimes people do it because they're afraid of loss and might cheese something to make their character seem cool.
And you know what? Who cares?
I mean, in a perfect world, we should all strive to be better at keeping track of things and we should all play by the rules. But fact is, cheaters gonna cheat. You can yell about it until you're blue in the face, but unless they're maliciously and severely cheating, noting will really come from this. So why bother?
You see, it's more fun to LARP with people than to LARP alone. Incidental cheating is kind of like the friend who has a lazy eye. They're fun to have around, if you can overlook the creepy eye thing*.
I think this is an important bit to hold on to when designing new policies. Almost any rule or policy change can be argued against by focusing on how the world will end if someone cheats a little bit. I assure you, it will happen and the world won't end. The real trick is making it so that malicious or severe cheating is either easy to spot or limited in some way.
But don't dwell on incidental cheating though. You'll never get anything done and you'll probably give yourself ulcers.
*It's cool, I've got a lazy eye so I can say whatever I want.
But Mickey turned me on to the idea of acceptable levels of cheating.
It's hard, but I'm starting to wrap my mind around it. You see, we're in an honor based game where cheating is going to happen. Sometimes people will do it accidentally because too many things are happening at once and they simply lose track. Sometimes people do it because they're afraid of loss and might cheese something to make their character seem cool.
And you know what? Who cares?
I mean, in a perfect world, we should all strive to be better at keeping track of things and we should all play by the rules. But fact is, cheaters gonna cheat. You can yell about it until you're blue in the face, but unless they're maliciously and severely cheating, noting will really come from this. So why bother?
You see, it's more fun to LARP with people than to LARP alone. Incidental cheating is kind of like the friend who has a lazy eye. They're fun to have around, if you can overlook the creepy eye thing*.
I think this is an important bit to hold on to when designing new policies. Almost any rule or policy change can be argued against by focusing on how the world will end if someone cheats a little bit. I assure you, it will happen and the world won't end. The real trick is making it so that malicious or severe cheating is either easy to spot or limited in some way.
But don't dwell on incidental cheating though. You'll never get anything done and you'll probably give yourself ulcers.
*It's cool, I've got a lazy eye so I can say whatever I want.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
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.
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.
Monday, February 20, 2012
The Week In LARP - February 20th
This Week In LARP
Please bring back the unseasonably warm weather in Ohio!
I could not find any events in Ohio or the surrounding area. If you know of one, drop it in the comments!
If you've got a game running this week and we didn't mention you, either drop a comment here or shoot an email to larp.plot.tips@gmail.com, and we'll add you as soon as possible!
Please bring back the unseasonably warm weather in Ohio!
I could not find any events in Ohio or the surrounding area. If you know of one, drop it in the comments!
If you've got a game running this week and we didn't mention you, either drop a comment here or shoot an email to larp.plot.tips@gmail.com, and we'll add you as soon as possible!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Props to the Propnomicon
I've always been amazed at the quality of props people can make. I mean, at least people who aren't me.
Mike, one of the staff members for Invictus, sent us a link to a super sweet blog called "The Propnomicon," where they show of some awesome Lovecraftian props, ranging from floating aliens in jars to massive monster skulls and the like.
If you consider yourself an artist of sorts when it comes to prop work, I highly recommend this blog.
Mike, one of the staff members for Invictus, sent us a link to a super sweet blog called "The Propnomicon," where they show of some awesome Lovecraftian props, ranging from floating aliens in jars to massive monster skulls and the like.
If you consider yourself an artist of sorts when it comes to prop work, I highly recommend this blog.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
New Year's LARP Resolution
Winter gives us time to catch up, rest, and prepare for spring. It also gives us time to take a deep breath and reflect both on the previous year and what we want to do in the coming one. Thus New Year's resolutions!
While most of us will have various real life goals, now's also a good time to think about what you want to do with your LARP career. I believe Bill had a post on this last year, but I think it's a great idea.
What do you want to do in LARP in 2012?
Maybe you want to make a new costume or reps, or maybe you want to hone your skills at fighting or throwing. Perhaps you've always wanted to come into game with a book of period songs, but never got around to looking them up. Now's the time to do all that crafting, research, and practicing! And in Ohio, we have a lot of different games, so if you want to try something new, keep an eye on their websites for the year's schedule and block it into your calendar.
Are you bored with your character? Think about creating goals that will keep you invested. Start sending feelers out to your plot people about what you want to do. Whether you want to get involved in plot, start up a personal quest, get involved with a faction, or anything else you can come up with; start working with someone to make it happen. They may not have anything for you until closer to the season, but plant those seeds now!
Sometimes, though, it's just time to retire an old character whose story is done. Don't hold on to a character that's not fun, this can just create a feeling of obligation and burn you out faster. You've got time to create a new persona that taps into an aspect of the game you haven't explored before. You could even bring some friends along! :)
Speaking of obligation, maybe you've been thinking about giving back to the game in some way. Get involved! They need you :) Even if it's on a small scale, the game probably has some way you can help.
Or, on the opposite end, maybe you're burnt out already - in that case, re-evaluate what you want to do with your play time. If you're just not interested in playing as often, that's okay. The community and constant momentum of a LARP tends to create the attitude that you'll let people down or get left out if you don't come to every event. Don't get me wrong, this is a good business model :) And it's also a little true - the world will move on if you're not there, sad to say. But if you just don't get the same kick out of using all your weekends to LARP; cut back. Maybe it's the heat or cold that gets you, or your characters don't mesh in one of the towns; you can start by holding back on those events. You can still stay involved by keeping in contact with other players and staff, and continuing goals for your character. But don't ruin your weekends by forcing yourself to go to games where you won't have fun. Play at your own pace.
On the staffing side, LARPs will always need volunteers, but if you are coming to think of each event with dread, maybe it's time to find a replacement or scale back your involvement. Be honest about it. It's better to be upfront than to gradually just stop contributing without telling anyone, or to quit suddenly when the game's in full swing.
There are lots of things you can do to improve your game. After all, it is still a hobby, and the point is to have fun!
So what's your 2012 LARP resolution?
While most of us will have various real life goals, now's also a good time to think about what you want to do with your LARP career. I believe Bill had a post on this last year, but I think it's a great idea.
What do you want to do in LARP in 2012?
Maybe you want to make a new costume or reps, or maybe you want to hone your skills at fighting or throwing. Perhaps you've always wanted to come into game with a book of period songs, but never got around to looking them up. Now's the time to do all that crafting, research, and practicing! And in Ohio, we have a lot of different games, so if you want to try something new, keep an eye on their websites for the year's schedule and block it into your calendar.
Are you bored with your character? Think about creating goals that will keep you invested. Start sending feelers out to your plot people about what you want to do. Whether you want to get involved in plot, start up a personal quest, get involved with a faction, or anything else you can come up with; start working with someone to make it happen. They may not have anything for you until closer to the season, but plant those seeds now!
Sometimes, though, it's just time to retire an old character whose story is done. Don't hold on to a character that's not fun, this can just create a feeling of obligation and burn you out faster. You've got time to create a new persona that taps into an aspect of the game you haven't explored before. You could even bring some friends along! :)
Speaking of obligation, maybe you've been thinking about giving back to the game in some way. Get involved! They need you :) Even if it's on a small scale, the game probably has some way you can help.
Or, on the opposite end, maybe you're burnt out already - in that case, re-evaluate what you want to do with your play time. If you're just not interested in playing as often, that's okay. The community and constant momentum of a LARP tends to create the attitude that you'll let people down or get left out if you don't come to every event. Don't get me wrong, this is a good business model :) And it's also a little true - the world will move on if you're not there, sad to say. But if you just don't get the same kick out of using all your weekends to LARP; cut back. Maybe it's the heat or cold that gets you, or your characters don't mesh in one of the towns; you can start by holding back on those events. You can still stay involved by keeping in contact with other players and staff, and continuing goals for your character. But don't ruin your weekends by forcing yourself to go to games where you won't have fun. Play at your own pace.
On the staffing side, LARPs will always need volunteers, but if you are coming to think of each event with dread, maybe it's time to find a replacement or scale back your involvement. Be honest about it. It's better to be upfront than to gradually just stop contributing without telling anyone, or to quit suddenly when the game's in full swing.
There are lots of things you can do to improve your game. After all, it is still a hobby, and the point is to have fun!
So what's your 2012 LARP resolution?
Monday, December 19, 2011
The Week In LARP - December 19th
Last Week In LARP
Did you attend a LARP event last weekend? Let us know how it was in the comments!
This Week In LARP
Let's be honest. I doubt there will be any LARPs this weekend, unless they involve a fat guy in a beard. And no, I'm not referring to Kevin Smith.
If you've got a game running this week and we didn't mention you, either drop a comment here or shoot an email to larp.plot.tips@gmail.com, and we'll add you as soon as possible!
Did you attend a LARP event last weekend? Let us know how it was in the comments!
This Week In LARP
Let's be honest. I doubt there will be any LARPs this weekend, unless they involve a fat guy in a beard. And no, I'm not referring to Kevin Smith.
If you've got a game running this week and we didn't mention you, either drop a comment here or shoot an email to larp.plot.tips@gmail.com, and we'll add you as soon as possible!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Male Privilege in LARP
I was turned on to this article by a facebook friend of mine, and I think this is something of huge import when it comes to LARPing.
Male Privilage is alive and well in LARPs. For those of you who don't want to sift through the article or wikipedia, it basically means that there are things that male players take for granted that female players tend to have to remain congnisent of or, at the very worst, actively work do dispel or defend themselves against.
It's not that we (men) are bad people. It's just that we really have no concept for how the other half lives and how much we might take for granted.
Now, the article I linked is more specific to comics, but the same rules apply at LARPs. In fact, it might be more important, based on the fact that most LARP groups are rather tightly knit social clubs, which means that one or two bad apples can ruin a LARP.
Now, I'm not an expert on this subject, so I'm not going to go in depth in fear of saying the wrong thing. But here are some things that I believe you might want to consider on the subject of male privilege and how it affects female LARPers.
No Gender Stereotyping
I know that some games like to fall back on realism to defend some forms of stereotyping, but the fact is that realism tends to be a weak argument for LARPs, as they almost always involve some form of fantasy and/or magic. Don't automatically assume that women need to be healers and men need to be fighters. And stop making sexest jokes while you're at it, even if it's "in good fun".
Don't Be an Asshole
This should go without saying but it bears repeating. Even if your "character" is an asshole, you want to gauge how well others react to your roleplaying before embracing said character. LARP is not intended to be a place where you can be a chauvenist dick without any real life consequences.
IG Love Interest
Don't fawn over someone IG unless you've discussed it with them OOG. You might think it makes for good roleplaying, but it's probably more creepy than anything else. And for the love of God, if you get turned down IG, don't keep pursuing it. If you do, you're going to make the other person think you're going to go all Wild Hunt on them.
Don't Be a Creeper
I think Doctor Nerdlove puts it best with his article of the same name.
Avoid Taboo Subjects
I really don't think any roleplay situation is improved by topics such as domestic violence or sexual assault. It's not clever or cutting-edge. It's just uncomfortable for everyone.
What do you think? Have any more tips on how to make LARPing a better environment for female players?
PS: It's my birthday, so go easy on me if I said something wrong.
Male Privilage is alive and well in LARPs. For those of you who don't want to sift through the article or wikipedia, it basically means that there are things that male players take for granted that female players tend to have to remain congnisent of or, at the very worst, actively work do dispel or defend themselves against.
It's not that we (men) are bad people. It's just that we really have no concept for how the other half lives and how much we might take for granted.
Now, the article I linked is more specific to comics, but the same rules apply at LARPs. In fact, it might be more important, based on the fact that most LARP groups are rather tightly knit social clubs, which means that one or two bad apples can ruin a LARP.
Now, I'm not an expert on this subject, so I'm not going to go in depth in fear of saying the wrong thing. But here are some things that I believe you might want to consider on the subject of male privilege and how it affects female LARPers.
No Gender Stereotyping
I know that some games like to fall back on realism to defend some forms of stereotyping, but the fact is that realism tends to be a weak argument for LARPs, as they almost always involve some form of fantasy and/or magic. Don't automatically assume that women need to be healers and men need to be fighters. And stop making sexest jokes while you're at it, even if it's "in good fun".
Don't Be an Asshole
This should go without saying but it bears repeating. Even if your "character" is an asshole, you want to gauge how well others react to your roleplaying before embracing said character. LARP is not intended to be a place where you can be a chauvenist dick without any real life consequences.
IG Love Interest
Don't fawn over someone IG unless you've discussed it with them OOG. You might think it makes for good roleplaying, but it's probably more creepy than anything else. And for the love of God, if you get turned down IG, don't keep pursuing it. If you do, you're going to make the other person think you're going to go all Wild Hunt on them.
Don't Be a Creeper
I think Doctor Nerdlove puts it best with his article of the same name.
Avoid Taboo Subjects
I really don't think any roleplay situation is improved by topics such as domestic violence or sexual assault. It's not clever or cutting-edge. It's just uncomfortable for everyone.
What do you think? Have any more tips on how to make LARPing a better environment for female players?
PS: It's my birthday, so go easy on me if I said something wrong.
Monday, December 12, 2011
The Week In LARP - December 19th
Last Week In LARP
Did you attend a LARP event last weekend? Let us know how it was in the comments!
This Week In LARP
Let's be honest. I really doubt there will be any LARPing this weekend. Unless it involves a fat man with a beard.
Did you attend a LARP event last weekend? Let us know how it was in the comments!
This Week In LARP
Let's be honest. I really doubt there will be any LARPing this weekend. Unless it involves a fat man with a beard.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Too Old to LARP?
Hitting a life milestone reminds most people that they're leaving one phase of life and entering another. Obviously there's more to age than a number or a single life event. But it still makes you think. There are things that are targeted towards certain age groups that you aren't a member of anymore and often you start to notice the generation gap.
LARP, in many games, is one of those things. I've observed that a LARP is generally made up of younger people. I’m not talking about just the physical aspect. LARPing has largely been built on people with extra time and disposable income. Those folks are often in their 20’s, have their own means of income, and don’t yet have kids & houses. But what happens when you get older, or when you do have a career, house and/or kids?
How old is too old to LARP?
The best answer is probably that you're too old when you stop being interested and when it stops being fun. Time shifts things around, and things that come with getting older can also lead to a loss of interest.
First, there's the demands on your time. When you have more free time, it's easier to keep up to date on things like rules and in-game happenings. And once you lose track of what's going on, it's hard to go back knowing you're out of touch :) Also, having more free time means that you don't mind as much using those weekends to LARP instead of to keep touch with friends & family, go to your kids' events, and do upkeep on your house. When you've got less time to do all those other things weekends can be more precious.
Returning player policies and rules change digests can help by making the return more attractive. Plot people can also nudge information the way of the returning player, so they're not completely behind on things their characters should know about. And those players should be honest with what they take on, too. If they don't have a lot of free time, it's probably best not to volunteer for too much.
People form friendships at a LARP, and a lot of folks who start playing do so with a group. If those friends lose interest, move away, or just don't have time, it's not as fun for a remaining player to keep going. It can be awkward to try to buddy up with folks a few decades your junior. Active player communities and a welcoming atmosphere can help, but this is hard to control. Game coordinators can consider holding get-togethers outside of events to help people get to know each other better.
And then there's just the general idea that as you get older, your tastes change. Things that interest us as a kid, teen, and young adult are often left behind as our lives go forward. Or you just plain get bored. A lot of LARPers have something that drives them to play, though, and by keeping that spark alive they can retain interest. In a lot of people, this is the desire to live out a great story, or defeat a challenge. So by keeping your plot and encounters fresh, creating an immersive atmosphere and trying new things, game staff can help things from getting stale.
Despite all this, though, I wonder if there's a point where you just grow out of it? Or when it IS just a little weird for the younger folks to see you there? I remember being new and giving some older players a questioning look. Now, there are some people who are awkward at any point, and some people whose ages you don't even notice. But I wonder if younger people think it's a little weird to play with people their grandparents' age? Or if older people feel awkward trying to keep up with the young'uns? :) Or is LARPing truly fun for all ages, as long as you're interested?
What do you think? Do you plan to keep playing forever? If so, how will you keep things interesting?
Friday, August 12, 2011
YouTube Friday: 300
300 posts, that is!
I love milestones like this. I get to take the easy way out and thank all our readers instead of giving you some real information.
Maybe we'll do another contest. On the cusp of some delicious discussion about game design (some between our friends, some on a recording of LARPcast soon to be posted, and some on various forums), I though I'd pose a challenge for our readers.
Your quest, should you choose to accept it, is to come up with a LARP rules set for Frank Miller's 300. Here are the guidelines.
- Must be Focused Around Frank Miller's 300.
I'm terrible at history (Jenn covers that pretty well). I only care about stabbing dudes with spears. Historical accuracy be damned.
- Must be Boffer Combat.
I know it goes without saying, but I really don't see Gerard Butler running around rock-paper-scissoring immortals.
- Rule Set Can be No Longer than 10 Pages.
I know you want to make it as complex and intricate as possible, but let's not put more thought into the ruleset than was put into the actual plotline of the movie. This is an action game. Beat ass.
- Make It Look Nice.
If you send me a 10 page wall of text, you won't win. I suggest you make the formatting look nice and include pictures if possible*. If you don't have pictures of your friends in Spartan gear, just draw some shit is MS paint. Mad points for MS paint.
- Deadline: Sept. 12th.
You've got 1 month to put your stuff together. Anything that hasn't been submitted to us by then won't have a chance to win (but we'd gladly look at your work anyways and hit each other by the rules you have dictated!)
To submit your entry to this contest, send an email to larp.ohio@gmail.com with the subject "This is Sparta" including the following:
- Your Name
- What LARPs you currently play
- Your favorite moment in the movie 300
- The rule set (preferred delivery is in Google Docs, but .doc or .txt
- A paragraph, no longer than 100 words, on what makes your ruleset the best and/or what makes it unique.
The winner will get:
- Their ruleset publicly posted on Google Docs and be forever shared throughout the land**.
- Our buddies will play at least one session of a game using your rules, and write a bitchin' review on it.
- Mad bragging rights.
- Maybe some giveaways if we can get some free stuff (this was spur of the moment)
GAME ON.
Finally, for those of you here to see a video, don't worry. Since I couldn't find any good Sparta LARPs, I had two possible choices that fit the 300 theme. The first one was the scene from 300 where he kicks the Persian in the chest. The other option was a campy "This is Sparta remix." Guess which one I chose!
Now that I've offended all our readers with this video, I won't have to worry about what to do at 500 posts.
*Any copyrighted pictures included in rulesets will be removed and won't add value in regards to the contest. You won't be disqualified, but original pictures will get you further.
**You give us the limited right to post the ruleset online and to play the game personally. We will not profit from your work, and should you choose to try and sell it, you will retain full rights (but please send us a copy of your rules!).
I love milestones like this. I get to take the easy way out and thank all our readers instead of giving you some real information.
Maybe we'll do another contest. On the cusp of some delicious discussion about game design (some between our friends, some on a recording of LARPcast soon to be posted, and some on various forums), I though I'd pose a challenge for our readers.
Your quest, should you choose to accept it, is to come up with a LARP rules set for Frank Miller's 300. Here are the guidelines.
- Must be Focused Around Frank Miller's 300.
I'm terrible at history (Jenn covers that pretty well). I only care about stabbing dudes with spears. Historical accuracy be damned.
- Must be Boffer Combat.
I know it goes without saying, but I really don't see Gerard Butler running around rock-paper-scissoring immortals.
- Rule Set Can be No Longer than 10 Pages.
I know you want to make it as complex and intricate as possible, but let's not put more thought into the ruleset than was put into the actual plotline of the movie. This is an action game. Beat ass.
- Make It Look Nice.
If you send me a 10 page wall of text, you won't win. I suggest you make the formatting look nice and include pictures if possible*. If you don't have pictures of your friends in Spartan gear, just draw some shit is MS paint. Mad points for MS paint.
- Deadline: Sept. 12th.
You've got 1 month to put your stuff together. Anything that hasn't been submitted to us by then won't have a chance to win (but we'd gladly look at your work anyways and hit each other by the rules you have dictated!)
To submit your entry to this contest, send an email to larp.ohio@gmail.com with the subject "This is Sparta" including the following:
- Your Name
- What LARPs you currently play
- Your favorite moment in the movie 300
- The rule set (preferred delivery is in Google Docs, but .doc or .txt
- A paragraph, no longer than 100 words, on what makes your ruleset the best and/or what makes it unique.
The winner will get:
- Their ruleset publicly posted on Google Docs and be forever shared throughout the land**.
- Our buddies will play at least one session of a game using your rules, and write a bitchin' review on it.
- Mad bragging rights.
- Maybe some giveaways if we can get some free stuff (this was spur of the moment)
GAME ON.
Finally, for those of you here to see a video, don't worry. Since I couldn't find any good Sparta LARPs, I had two possible choices that fit the 300 theme. The first one was the scene from 300 where he kicks the Persian in the chest. The other option was a campy "This is Sparta remix." Guess which one I chose!
Now that I've offended all our readers with this video, I won't have to worry about what to do at 500 posts.
*Any copyrighted pictures included in rulesets will be removed and won't add value in regards to the contest. You won't be disqualified, but original pictures will get you further.
**You give us the limited right to post the ruleset online and to play the game personally. We will not profit from your work, and should you choose to try and sell it, you will retain full rights (but please send us a copy of your rules!).
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