High Level Content: Take 2

The new NERO season approaches and it looks like I will be running about 5 games, one of them being a 4 day. With that in mind I have started designing my plot lines for the season. A thought has been banging around in my head for some time and I am finally putting it into action, repeatable high end content is lacking in most of the nations NERO games.

The life cycle of NERO is an odd one, players mature, they play as the big dogs until they tire of the content and then they quit. Some try to start new characters and maybe they play as those for awhile but the majority are just done once they have played the top end game. This is not a good model for a mature game. A mature game should be trying to keep its best players to act as models for the new players. It should be rewarding its mature players while continuing to attract new players. The new players should aspire to compete with the older player.

NERO lacks any sort of real competition in the current model. Players can compete for components or wealth but no one displays those accomplishments so others are unaware of the benchmarks for competition. In massively multi player games, accomplishments are measured through content completion, this model is somewhat unsatisfactory in a true, story based role playing game. No one wants to be the third group to kill the Liche Lord Dalgothath, why didn't he die the first two times? What happens on the one hundredth time? Why is he still hanging around waiting to be killed? The International Fantasy Gaming Society runs games with specific level modules that are ran multiple times in a single weekend, writing these types of modules can be complicated. Running a named villain in one of these modules makes no sense but running a strictly generic villain is also unsatisfactory. The advantage that IFGS has over NERO is that their magic system for items is HUGE, they can create almost any item imaginable and the magic item lists for high level characters are more like books. NERO is severely limited by its tiny formal effect system.

The solution that I am going to try lies in a combination of several ideas, the massively multi player repeatable content, and IFGS more advanced creation system. Last year as part of a plot line, a giant castle appeared in the middle of my campaign setting, this castle is going to form the basis for the high level content that I am adding. In addition I am going to take advantage of the one, non nationally mandated, open ended part of the game left to plot people, the transform system. The basic concept is this, high level players will be able to go to specific portals within the castle that will take them to places that are important to the cosmology of the plot line, in those places there will be predetermined modules that will have as treasure resources that are only available from that particular module. These resources can be combined to produce items that make going into the more advanced portals within the castle easier, but have no real effect on basic scaling. The items that can be crafted are made by formalists( making them feel special) and they are only active when transforms are active. The idea is that I will provide reps for all of the items as well so that they are recognizable, though we will see about that last part because that could get pricey.

I am excited about this concept, I am hoping to get Mr. Tobin to help me out with the scaling of the various modules and items. In case anyone missed it Bill it pretty good at math. Players will get to experience some new content, get some new types of treasure and then brag about what they have done. Then other players will be able to aspire to do that same thing. Everyone should come and check this season out, it is going to be awesome!

Another Apologetic Post

I'm very sorry for the lack of posting the past week, and am afraid to announce that it will continue until about February. I am currently traveling internationally for work, and I'm finding it difficult to find the time and connectivity necessary to make posts on a daily basis.

I will be back in the country and posting again no later than the week of January 31st. In the mean time, if you or someone you know is interested in doing a guest post for the blog, send an email to Larp.Ohio@gmail.com.

Have fun LARPing!

Adventures in Cross Gaming: Exiles and Wastelands

So you've been wanting to try out that LARP game you've never played, but haven't had the chance to. Maybe you didn't have enough money to do it or it was too far away. Maybe you were afraid that you wouldn't like it.

Well, you'll have your chance, when Exiles and Wastelands will be running a joint game near Columbus, March 4-6th. Half of the weekend will be Exiles and the other half will be Wastelands. Get a taste for both games!

Now what could be even better than that? Oh, I know. The fact that you will get full 2 day Learnin' for Exiles, AND 2 day NPC credit for Wastelands. Amazing!

If you've been on the fence about either game, this is your chance to give it a shot. Even if you only like one of the two enough to continue playing it, you'll get full experience for your money, so the time playing the other one won't be wasted.

I hope to see more Joint games in the future. Exposure to multiple games this way is great for the hobby.

New Year Resolutions

I'm not a big fan of New Year Resolutions. I, like most people, never make it more than a month or so before breaking pretty much every single one of them. So instead, I set my sites low this year, in hopes that I would actually achieve my goals.

Here are my LARP Resolutions:

- Play a static character, and make poor decisions despite knowing OOG that they are poor decisions.

- Attend at least 2 new games. One of those will be Wastelands, but the second one is open for now.

- Try at least 3 LARP games at the Origins gaming convention this year.

- Add a significant element of horror to one of the games I'll be running. Enough to creep out/scare someone.

What are your New Years Resolutions?

The Week In LARP - January 3rd

This Week In LARP

Don't let the snow get you down, unless you're in traffic right now. And if that's the case, maybe you should put down the phone and put both hands on the wheel.

NERO

NERO Northlands will be hosting a 2-day event this weekend starting Friday, January 7th and ending Sunday, January 9th. The game will be held at Rolling Hills Lodges location, at the IG location of Redstone Village. It's $40 to PC ($35 if you pre-registered) and is free to NPC.

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!