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shardplot
2006-09-19, 10:56 AM
Who in here plays LARPS? And which ones are your favorites?

I'm an old geyser and I have been playing for many years. I like larps that are heroic fantasy. And love to find out about new larps and try them out :)

So let me know what are your favorites and why please :)

OH YA

AARRG BETTER BE TELLIN ME OR I WILL MAKE YE WALK THE PLANK!
(talk like a pirate day :o)

BelkarsDagger
2006-09-19, 10:27 PM
My dad's co-worker LARPs... like, in realistic armor... it's funny. Y'know, the type of guy who'll go to a meeting in a formal suit, have a business lunch at a really expensive resteraunt, and work 8 hours at a computer. Only to break out the chainmail and longsword in his freetime.

I personally am not that good at it, but would like to improve. I find it fun, if playing the right one. Mostly I just freeform.

Democratus
2006-09-20, 10:04 AM
Cthulhu Live is pretty good.

But the best experiences I've ever had with LARPing were always when playing the Amber Diceless roleplaying game.

Sizel
2006-09-20, 11:18 AM
Who in here plays LARPS? And which ones are your favorites?

I do, in SE England


Mainly Frail Realities (www.frailrealities.com) which has one of the craziest, and interesting, backgrounds for an LRP system I've ever seen.
Fantastic rules too.


I've also been going along to Spearhead, Heart of Pargon, Labyrinthe, Whispered Tales, Reforged and am still looking at trying a couple of new ones in the not too distant future.

Were-Sandwich
2006-09-20, 01:43 PM
I'd like to, but don't have the time, money or opportunity. I had a go at SALUTE '06, and enjoyed it loads. I don't see the appeal of the total-freeform-RP type LARPS, but different strokes for different folks.

One problem I found, was gettin used to the boffer weapons used, as they bent. A lot. I found it really hard to parry, because I'm used to using wooden weapons, that at least stop the incoming blow, rather than just bending out of the way and letting the strike through. Obviously, this screwed up my TWF style.

wombat31
2006-09-20, 01:59 PM
My personal favorite larp is NERO. its rules can be kinda clunky at times but the player base is great and i always have fun whenever i get a chance to go.

shardplot
2006-09-20, 07:05 PM
Interesting :) I like sharded and archon. Both great games. I play Nero from time to time as well. And I have played dark ages and finalhaven. All have their appeal. :)

Too bad in the states we dont have the same appeal with one larp with 3k players that would be awesome :)

the_tick_rules
2006-09-20, 07:53 PM
how about morton's list.

shardplot
2006-09-20, 09:03 PM
what is morton's list?

Rubo233
2006-09-23, 02:48 PM
I play in a realitively small LARP located way out in Goshen, MA. Known as Drakon. It is a Boffer style larp and i do enjoy myself for the most part it is very worth the money and best off all the food is free and cabins are provided.( new-er larper have this is the only game i have played in to date...)
check it out at
www.drakon.net

Sholos
2006-09-23, 02:54 PM
:o What are the odds of three people with the same avatar posting right after each other?

ShneekeyTheLost
2006-09-24, 04:04 AM
Well, the three I'm most familiar with is SCA (If you can truely call that a LARP), Amtgard, and NERO.

shardplot
2006-09-25, 02:23 PM
Your Drakon Game looks cool. Do they only have one chapter of their game?

What is the best way to try and come out and visit a game?

Thanks

Rubo233
2006-09-26, 11:33 AM
yhea we only have one chapter.
the best way to try it out would to come as an NPC, the cost is free and it is a neat way to learn the system and meet everybody.

Email the staff a [email protected] tell them your interested in playing/npcing and they will help you out we have a game this weekend it might be a little short notice.

we also havethe last game of the season october 13-15th if that is better for you.

thatwolfguy
2006-09-27, 09:07 AM
i played nero (mass) for a long time, but haven't played in a while because i've been playing dragon crest (www.dragoncrest.com) for a while now, which is also in mass, cool game.

shardplot
2006-09-27, 10:31 AM
I agree when dragoncrest first came out it was really cool. But it seems like Bill kinda fell off the face of the planet. I live in michigan and there used to be a chicago chapter and a DFW chapter. But cant find any information about it. I think the DFW one folded. And I think the chicago one did as well but I cant find out info :) Ive played a few times and it is a decent system.

But like most larps it is about the plot more than anything. Good plot team makes good event. Bad plot make the event not so good. :)

After running larps for many years it is the spiderweb of death that makes the game the best :) Anyone else play any other systems?

www.sharded.com
www.neromana.com
www.archon.org

thatwolfguy
2006-09-29, 04:56 PM
I agree when dragoncrest first came out it was really cool. But it seems like Bill kinda fell off the face of the planet. I live in michigan and there used to be a chicago chapter and a DFW chapter. But cant find any information about it. I think the DFW one folded. And I think the chicago one did as well but I cant find out info :) Ive played a few times and it is a decent system.

But like most larps it is about the plot more than anything. Good plot team makes good event. Bad plot make the event not so good. :)

After running larps for many years it is the spiderweb of death that makes the game the best :) Anyone else play any other systems?


hmmm....well, two things;

1) we have bill here in mass. at every event, so we are very lucky and the game is still alive and very well, and a lot of fun

2) i don't know exactly what you mean by "it's the spiderweb of death that makes the game the best" but i am not sure i would agree with that.

the character i play is one of the top 10 level and power wise in the game, and my level of enjoyment really has nothing to do with anything that i would consider related to the "spiderweb of death" but please elaborate so i understand what you are speaking of.

dave

Kelmon
2006-09-30, 08:59 AM
Who in here plays LARPS? And which ones are your favorites?

I'm playing and organizing LARPs for about 3 years now. I prefer low-power low-fantasy LARPs (no matter what system is being used).

shardplot
2006-10-01, 08:47 PM
The spiderweb of death is the Plot. The plot that has layers within layers of plot. So you can enjoy the game on whatever level you want.

Some people enjoy different levels of immersion into the game world. I enjoy those with many layers so you can immerse yourself into the layers... Example

Goblins attacking town (layer one - aka crunchies)

Layer 2 - Who is leading them etc such as X gobbo the great

Layer 3 Why/What caused this to happen- Kobolds have pressured them to seek new land

Layer 4 On a reginal scale Orcs are gaining power and poop rolls down hill

Layer 5 Magnus on a national Scale is now backing many orc chieftains helping them grow in power

Layer 6 Magnus is now an icon for the plane of fire and is using it to augment his plans

Layer 7 the planes of ice and fire are at war


So if you want to hit stuff. Youve got stuff to do. If you care on a local level you can figure that out. And if you want to get really deep to the root of the problem. The players I play with it call it the spiderweb of death. So the players get to choose how much they pursue the plots. And I also like to play in games where the PC's actually influence the game world and the world is not scripted.

Hope that helped explain that :)

thatwolfguy
2006-10-02, 02:08 PM
The spiderweb of death is the Plot. The plot that has layers within layers of plot. So you can enjoy the game on whatever level you want.

...snip...

Hope that helped explain that :)


so you've met bill!

OMG that guy has more layers of stuff going on in his head than i can imagine. every time i think i have a slight handle on where something is going in the game he blows me out of the water with some situation or R/P or a choice that i'm forced between a rock and a hard place. I'm fairly intelligent but i find that compared to his dazzling intellect, i'm just a dwarf in the playground.

so i take back what i said about disagreeing, the spiderweb of which you speak definately makes the game, but i'm still going to hold on to one slight objection...the spiderweb doesn't have to be of 'death', it can be a spiderweb of 'plot' and if done as well as it is in Dragon Crest (imho) it still makes the game.

shardplot
2006-10-02, 04:10 PM
Yes I have met Bill on many occasions. I remember fighting along side of him when he played Conner. So I have known bill a long long time.

Is the midwest chapters of DC around anymore? I couldnt get any answers to that

Vack

Seffbasilisk
2006-10-31, 04:03 PM
I'm in a post apocalyptic LARP. www.systemsmalfunction.pbwiki.com

It used to be Spackets and Boffer weapons based combat.

Now it's spackets, nerf guns, and boffer weapons.

We're in NY though.

Veedrix
2006-11-01, 01:33 AM
There are a bunch of Vampire: The Masqurade LARPS across the US, Canada, and even some in Europe and Brazil.

You can find info and chronicles here: www.owbn.org

It's different from the Camarilla LARP, and as I have been told from people who have done both, quite better than the Camarilla LARP too.


Who in here plays LARPS? And which ones are your favorites?

I'm an old geyser and I have been playing for many years. I like larps that are heroic fantasy. And love to find out about new larps and try them out :)

So let me know what are your favorites and why please :)

OH YA

AARRG BETTER BE TELLIN ME OR I WILL MAKE YE WALK THE PLANK!
(talk like a pirate day :o)

Lord Iames Osari
2006-11-01, 02:15 AM
I PC a small game called Roanoke (run off a guy's farm in Maine) and I NPC my uncle's LARP, Radiant Dragon (run at Camp Lincoln in Kingston, New Hampshire). Both use the Nteraction ruleset.

ARMOURERERIC
2006-11-10, 01:07 AM
Can anyone help me find a LotR/Rohirrim LARP in SoCal? I really want to use my new Eomer harness. Also I just completed an armour order for a Darkon? Larp in the Balto/Annapolis area.

Eric C. Joseph
James River Armoury
San Diego
www.jamesriverarmoury.com

chormin
2006-11-10, 03:03 AM
Personally been around for almost the whole run of Magesry that is now just in Chesterfield Mass. Its at magestry.com and its mostly great because its small, so EVERYONE gets their own plot for their character.

Allways the Amateur
2006-11-29, 09:44 PM
Well, larps ma favorite, that A can say, and when A get the chance ta larp ya allways can count me in! That A can tell.

Whooose Larp in America?....nearly interesting. A always wanted ta know how they play it over the sea, cause A came from Germany. A heard that`s completly different then it`s here in europe. Can anybody tell?

DeathQuaker
2006-11-30, 10:53 AM
I like to play in theatre-style LARPs, usually with homebrew systems (I don't like the Mind's Eye Theatre system). I've been in fantasy ones, postapocalyptic ones, spy ones. Lots of fun, good roleplaying and social interaction. Enjoyment of these comes largely, though, from who's GMing and who you're playing with. Key is to find a good group.

I'd like to try a boffer-style LARP but the only one in the area seems to be populated by super-obsessed geeks that frighten me, which is bad because I usually think I'm about as obsessed as they come.

Idleknight
2006-12-10, 06:05 PM
I started with fools and heroes at uni, which i kept doing for years then moved onto various small systems and settings then did a few large faction based systems including LT. Then got into airsoft and am planning to combine the two.

Recently i have started my own little family and havent had time to do much, for a while but in the new year i am doing the maelstrom system.
http://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/

BunnyTVS
2006-12-13, 07:31 AM
I played a few times back in Uni. The Fools and Heroes system I think.

My favourite time was as an NPC Troll guarding a bridge (original I know). Anyhoo, the guy playing troll2 wanted to erm... add flavour to the situation and decided that we were both French trolls.

Problem 1: Neither of us spoke French

So while waiting for supper, I mean the PC's, to arrive. We cobbled together the closest phrase we could for "give us 5 Crowns", which was something along the lines of "Nous voudrons, cinq chapeaux de Royal" (we want 5 hats of kings)

Problem 2: The PC's spoke less French than us

PC1: "5 Chapeaux...? Wha?"
PC2: "Chapeaux... Doesn't that mean cat?"
PC3: "We're in the middle of the woods, and it's half past two in the f***ing morning. Where do you think we're gonna find a cat?"
PC1: "Ah sod it. Kill them."

And I apologise profoundly for all destruction that occured to the French language that night.

Hario
2006-12-13, 06:15 PM
I'm in a larp which is stationed mostly in massachusetts/New Hampshire and Conneticut, its called "The Realm." We have events ranging from free (I kid you not though only a few) to around 35$ a weekend and generally there is 1-3 events every weekend, they are very active. I have much fun with it, and its a pretty simple system, no HP the only thing that improves the move events you go to is from learning spells or gaining real life experience.

you can check the realsm out at www.realmsnet.net

Marak_Knight
2006-12-27, 12:51 PM
Check another one here. Started out in fools and heroes, currently going strong in Lorien Trust.

I also have taken part in several white wolf games, mainly vampire but with a smattering of werewolf and mage as well. To be honest i find the real life combat stuff is more fun overall.

Having said that there is one thing i need to get off my chest when it comes to combat based LARPS - IF YOU WANT TO USE A PARTICULAR WEAPON THEN FOR GODS SAKE LEARN HOW BEFORE YOU START TWATTING COMPLETE STRANGERS WITH IT, the number of times ive seen people get hurt by some muppet using a polearm they didnt know how to fight with properly is unreal. Dont be afraid to ask for a bit of help, most of us are nice people who will happily take the time to teach you a bit about how to handle your weapons (quiet at the back there :smallbiggrin:).

This has come mostly from my experiences in european rather than american LARPs, we use latex foam replicas (You can get them from manufacturers like Eldritch, Kapalo Kovac and Larpstore) rather than Boffers so you do have to pay a bit more attention to a safe fighting style.

CaptainSam
2006-12-28, 06:28 AM
Having said that there is one thing i need to get off my chest when it comes to combat based LARPS - IF YOU WANT TO USE A PARTICULAR WEAPON THEN FOR GODS SAKE LEARN HOW BEFORE YOU START TWATTING COMPLETE STRANGERS WITH IT

Amen to that, Brother! Nothing worse than having your bug (bug? I mean BIG), oober-hard Plague Demon have to stop in the middle of a fight because some numpty with a cosh has run past and whacked the demon on the back of the neck. HARD. I know, because I was that demon. Made me see stars for a bit.

Which Faction you with in LT?

ShneekeyTheLost
2006-12-28, 09:13 PM
Having said that there is one thing i need to get off my chest when it comes to combat based LARPS - IF YOU WANT TO USE A PARTICULAR WEAPON THEN FOR GODS SAKE LEARN HOW BEFORE YOU START TWATTING COMPLETE STRANGERS WITH IT, the number of times ive seen people get hurt by some muppet using a polearm they didnt know how to fight with properly is unreal. Dont be afraid to ask for a bit of help, most of us are nice people who will happily take the time to teach you a bit about how to handle your weapons (quiet at the back there :smallbiggrin:).

This has come mostly from my experiences in european rather than american LARPs, we use latex foam replicas (You can get them from manufacturers like Eldritch, Kapalo Kovac and Larpstore) rather than Boffers so you do have to pay a bit more attention to a safe fighting style.

Having played in many different boffer style LARPS for the past twenty or so years, I'd have to mostly disagree about the number of injuries. Amtgard has very strict rules about headshots which every newbie is told before he is allowed to take the field, and you're not going to hurt anyone with a legal Amtgard weapon if you hit them anywhere else, no matter how hard they hit. Trust me, I've been physically flung back by the force of the blow, but sustained no damage from the impact itself.

SCA requires you to wear significant armor, which generally will protect you from actual harm as well.

NERO is actually the least safe of the Boffer LARPS I've actually played because the weapon construction requirements suck. Granted, you're supposed to tap lightly, but this requires a greater degree of skill. Even in NERO, however, the worst I've ever seen is a welt left by someone who was 'baseball swinging' a two handed sword rep as hard as he could at someone. He got yanked by the Marshalls on the spot, they called a Hold and pulled him out of the game, and he was banned for six months from using weapons until he proved that he was able to control his swings.

In general, the number of times I've actually seen someone use a polearm in a LARP can be counted on both hands... with fingers left over. Polearm is a difficult weapon to use, and few have the patience to use it. In NERO, it's a two handed weapon, which means it plain sucks. It only does one more point of damage than a longsword, and you must keep both hands on it at all times. In Amtgard, it's a little better, being a red weapon, but a Greatsword has a longer striking edge and is faster, so it's generally perfered. In SCA, there are polearm users, but I mostly encountered Lightfighters rather than the Heavy Weapons crowd.

In every LARP which I have played in which had boffer weapons, there are plenty of people who are willing to teach safe fighting techniques, and nearly always there's someone who will pull a newbie aside and show him the ropes.

I also tend to perfer Boffer LARPS over Mind's Eye Theater. Rock/Scissor/Paper has it's place, but not in combat.

Cpt.Myers
2007-01-01, 01:18 PM
I LARP but in extremes. I taught my friends how to play Dungeons and Dragons and we play an adventure and then we re-enact everything that happens after every turn. I build cardboard things like coffins that work. I also build wooden swords and cardboard painted armor. i like to do that as long as my curtains are shut.

CaptainSam
2007-01-01, 07:35 PM
Thing is, Schneeky, the build quality is different over here. The LT (Lorien Trust) has a minimum requirement of 6mm over a weapons' core (I'm pretty certain this is true, they might have ammended it). Pipe lagging, or "pool noodles" (just discovered that term) used for the majority of boffer-style weapons is at least 20-25mm thick. Also, a lot of the guides I've found on Google advise using pipes, which are hollow. This all makes for a very light weapon.

For LT-approved weapons, most manufacturers use solid fibreglass or carbon fibre cores for durability. Then you add on a relatively high-density foam and then layers of latex and paint and finally a flexible varnish. While weapons are nowhere near the realistic weight, they can still be quite hefty. The ability to pull blows is necessary to prevent accidents and also to increase the lifespan of your lovely new £100 greatsword.

However, some people just cannot learn to pull their blows properly. I've seen and heard the results when one polearm user blocked another who has just launched a full-strength blow. The cores of the weapons actually connected, it tore the latex and the foam padding. Had that hit the defender, he could have been looking at a cracked rib or a concussion if struck on the head. Fortunately, such incidents are few and far between and are always dealt with quickly.

I will agree with you that there must be fewer injuries in boffer-style LARPs, but the weapons look less realistic. There are people out there making lovely weapons that are boffer safe to NERO standards, but you pay for the quality. Look here (http://www.latex-weaponry.com/).

Cpt.Myers
2007-01-02, 12:00 PM
My bows are those baloons that go "wwwzzzzzzzzzz..." when you let them go. I tie them up and tie a string to both ends and use a stick with a sliced end.

shootforit
2007-01-03, 02:33 PM
I am a regular player and staff member of the DFW chapter of NERO. Ive played for probably 8-9 years.

Its by far the most fun Ive had doing anything. If you have an imagination, you can really get lost in the game. Its a great release from everyday drudgery.



Polearm is a difficult weapon to use, and few have the patience to use it. In NERO, it's a two handed weapon, which means it plain sucks. It only does one more point of damage than a longsword, and you must keep both hands on it at all times.

I actually use a polearm, and rock many a faces off with it.
There are now rules in NERO that give two handed weapons minor abilities to overcome thier shortcomings, such as a one handed block.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v178/shootforit/cman.jpg

Thats my polearm and I looking awesome.



NERO is actually the least safe of the Boffer LARPS I've actually played because the weapon construction requirements suck.


Yes, the requirements stated in the rulebook make it hard to pass some weapons.
Though the rule that is followed now, is that each waepon has to be evaluated by the weapon marshal, and if they deem it safe, it can be used. Even if not made exactly how the rulebook states.

My polearm for example is made from a new technique that was developed in the DFW chapter called 'flat blade weapons'.

Instead of the regular round pvc pipe foam, the foam is actually those blue camping sleeping pads that are layered on top of each other over the core, which is typically fiberglass kitespar.

Its as safe as the other method, and the weapons last 10x as long.

CaptainSam
2007-01-05, 03:29 PM
Instead of the regular round pvc pipe foam, the foam is actually those blue camping sleeping pads that are layered on top of each other over the core, which is typically fiberglass kitespar.

Its as safe as the other method, and the weapons last 10x as long.

New? Hmm, my first LRP weapon was made of carrymats, wrapped in gaffa tape. That was, erm....15 years ago. Anyway, that's a really nice looking polearm, compared to the usual ones you see on boffer style. Are you on the lookout for some more IC pouches? They would really complete the costume. Something like these (http://www.thecuttingedgeonline.net/prop/pics/100_0770.jpg).

invisiblejon
2007-01-07, 05:59 PM
{Summary: LARPs can be lots of fun. I prefer LARPs with abstracted combat (instead of boffers). I made up and ran a LARP set in feudal Japan.}

I haven't LARPed for ages, but I used to LARP quite a bit back in State College, PA (home of Penn State U.) about 10 years ago. Being in the middle of PA with very little to do on weekends (if you weren't into the bar scene) caused a bunch of White Wolf-based LARPs to emerge. None of these were ever affiliated with The Camarilla or One World By Night, and were arguably quite a bit better for it.

In its heyday there were easily five different LARPs in State College, each with 30 or more players, meeting every other Friday or Saturday (or once a month). There were Vampire LARPs (all-Camarilla, all-Sabbat, and Camarilla-vs-Sabbat), a Werewolf LARP, a Star Wars LARP (which was excellently plotted and run), a Conspiracy X (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conspiracy_X) LARP that used a homebrew system, a short-lived Changeling LARP, and a LARP based on a fictionalized fusion of feudal Japan and China called Hiathra.

That last one was mine. Hiathra used a homebrew system I made, and was specifically designed to address some concerns I had with the mechanics and social structures inherent to the other systems. Specifically:
* No Magic: White Wolf and NERO-style LARPs have magic and other effects that require suspension of disbelief. ("I'm obfuscated. You can't see me." "Uhhh. Ooookay....") Hiathra had no magic. Everything that a character could do could be done by a person in real life.
* Power linked to Responsibility: In many Vampire LARPs, the Prince and elders of the City had lots of power to throw around, but rarely had any significant responsibilities to meet to get or maintain that power. In Hiathra, the players were organized into Houses. Each House had a Daimyo. If you were a Daimyo, you had a huge amount of power within and outside your House, *but* you were also responsible for allocating all the rice your peasants produced, building and maintaining your House's structures and army, paying your samurai and the other players in your house, and so on.
* Micro and Macro Game Events: As you can tell from the description above, there was a "micro" game - on the level of the players and their individual needs, and a "macro" game - on the level of the houses and the nation of Hiathra as a whole. Hiathra incorporated the resource-management, planning, and building that you find in computer games like Civilization or Starcraft.
* No Combat In Game: The in-game setting was the Imperial Court. No swords or weapons were permitted by Imperial decree. This made it possible for mortal enemies (in character) to be present without fear and lead to superior role-playing experiences.
* Not In Public: The game took place in the backyard of the house I was renting, instead of on the Penn State Campus. It had high fences and trees around it. This made it possible to serve saké, let the players wear honor-knotted swords and full Japanese garb, decorate with torches and banners, and really go all-out with the role-playing. It was excellent.
* Player-Managed Economy: The only economic units I set were that a koku of rice fed a person for a month (I know that's not historically correct) and the upkeep for various NPC units. The players bartered and negotiated the vfalue of everything else they created. This went a long way toward investing the players in the game and motivating them to accomplish great things.

I could go on and on. One thing about a Vampire LARP that was not mine. Mike, a friend of mine, ran Atlantic City By Night. It was a storngly-plotted game that he ran in three parts. Part one was the first game, part two was next month's game, and part three was the following month. Mike plotted it such that he could end the LARP at the end of any three-month cycle. This worked amazingly well, and ACBN ended up being one of the longest-running LARPs in State College.

(Good grief, that's a bit rambly... Isn't it?)

Best Regards,

Jonathan
Games Advocate
Invisible City Productions
http://www.invisible-city.com/play/

shootforit
2007-01-09, 01:39 PM
* No Magic: White Wolf and NERO-style LARPs have magic and other effects that require suspension of disbelief. ("I'm obfuscated. You can't see me." "Uhhh. Ooookay....")

Just a clarification:

White Wolf and vampire have stuff like that, but not NERO.

In NERO, a plot controlled NPC can be invisible, BUT it only means that the players cannot interact with that NPC.

They know 'something' is there, they just cant fight it, commmunicate with it, figure out what it is, etc.

So therefore you as your character could decide now wouldnt be a good time to discuss secret plans, as something might be listening.

Kelmon
2007-01-12, 02:31 AM
I have two questions to your posting:


* No Combat In Game: The in-game setting was the Imperial Court. No swords or weapons were permitted by Imperial decree. This made it possible for mortal enemies (in character) to be present without fear and lead to superior role-playing experiences.
Why would playing without weapons lead to better roleplaying? Their presence alone has nothing to do with players automatically fighting out everything - they can also just be decorative. In Germany, even at a LARP that have virtually no fighting (say a feast or a LARP centered around a Baron/King/... holding court) most Characters wear weapons (depending on the kind of character, of course).


* Not In Public: The game took place in the backyard of the house I was renting, instead of on the Penn State Campus. It had high fences and trees around it. This made it possible to serve saké, let the players wear honor-knotted swords and full Japanese garb, decorate with torches and banners, and really go all-out with the role-playing. It was excellent.
What has your backyard to do with being able to serve sake or light torches?

The Prince of Cats
2007-01-12, 04:33 AM
What has your backyard to do with being able to serve sake or light torches?
Well, I would assume that Penn State Campus won't let him do those things...

invisiblejon
2007-01-13, 02:40 PM
I have two questions to your posting:

Why would playing without weapons lead to better roleplaying? Their presence alone has nothing to do with players automatically fighting out everything - they can also just be decorative. In Germany, even at a LARP that have virtually no fighting (say a feast or a LARP centered around a Baron/King/... holding court) most Characters wear weapons (depending on the kind of character, of course).
I agree with you that the presence of weapons does not mean that everything will end in combat. However, the Vampire LARPS in State College had a big problem with violence in the Elysium. Many of the State College LARPs had the threat of (in-character) violence and character death hanging over them. This discouraged role-playing because... Well, it really sucks to invest a lot of mental and emotional energy into your character, only to have some goober kill you in your third game, right?

Regarding weapons: LARPS on campus couldn't have weapons - the campus police wouldn't take too kindly to that. Because Hiathra was in my backyard, the players were allowed to (and did) carry weapons. The presence of weapons (and other pieces of costuming) in a decorative role added so much to Hiathra; I was really glad that we could have the swords and other decorations that we couldn't have on campus. Granted that using them at the Imperial Court carried a death sentence (unless you're defending the Emperor or a member of the Imperial House), but that didn't mean that you couldn't fight in-game. At least one player did draw his sword (He killed himself later, as was expected.).

There was combat in Hiathra; it just had its own time and place. In fact, Hiathra has some very clever damage and dueling mechanics. It's just that it was designed so that all combat would take place outside of the regularly scheduled games. I designed Hiathra to address specific issues we had in out local LARP scene. I wanted everyone to have well-developed characters with skills that went beyond combat. De-emphasizing physical conflict worked well to make that happen. I also wanted to give the combat-mongers something to do. Creating a complex and engaging system for honorable duels outside the normal game structure, along with an army-scale warfare meta-game that ran in between the regular monthly game sessions fulfilled their needs.

I'll be answering your second question in my reply to the person whose post immediately followed your post...

invisiblejon
2007-01-13, 02:44 PM
Regarding backyards, sake, and torches:

Well, I would assume that Penn State Campus won't let him do those things...
That's precisely it. Running the LARP in a space that I controlled, instead of "borrowing" the space from Penn State, gave us much more freedom to use props, costumes, and food to enhance the game experience.

invisiblejon
2007-01-13, 03:07 PM
Regarding the presence of magic and other effects that require the suspension of disbelief:

Just a clarification:

White Wolf and vampire have stuff like that, but not NERO.

In NERO, a plot controlled NPC can be invisible, BUT it only means that the players cannot interact with that NPC.

They know 'something' is there, they just cant fight it, communicate with it, figure out what it is, etc.

So therefore you as your character could decide now wouldn't be a good time to discuss secret plans, as something might be listening.
I agree with you that NERO has far less "in your face" magic than White Wolf does.

Once of my design goals in Hiathra was to completely eliminate anything that could not happen in the real world. Some reasons for this:

* When you're playing, you know that what you see is what you're supposed to see. This helped keep the players in character. It was a refreshing change from the other LARPs that were running at the time.
* It brings the focus back to the characters and their skills, instead of on "kewl powrz".

NERO has magic. It has invisibility. If I remember correctly, it has spell casters (healing, magic missile) and magic items. As such, it goes beyond what my design goals were for Hiathra. As I ran the game, I found that finding "mundane" means to generate effects that would have used magic in other games often led to richer, more player-focused plots. For example: Instead of having an invisible NPC spying on a group of players, a princess in the Imperial House could pressure one of the PCs into spying for her.

I'm not saying that magic is bad and should never be used in any LARPs. Hiathra was designed to give the State College LARPers a refreshing break from everything else that was available at that time. Getting rid of magic was an important step toward meeting that goal.

Seffbasilisk
2007-01-27, 04:32 AM
I want to pose the question to all of you.

If dealing with an extremely limited budget, how would you go about making 'safe' boffer weapons?

The current method we use it to take PVC pipe, find a bit of pipe insulation that covers it, and coat that in duct-tape, then cut little holes in the duct tape to allow some flexability. (For tips, putting a bit of foam, wrapping in duct tape, and cutting some slashes so it can collapse).

Is there an easier way? A cheaper way? A 'better' way?

Kyrsis
2007-02-05, 06:54 AM
I've played all the old and new versions of the Mind's Eye Theater games, both Camarilla sanctioned and not. I don't care about the Cam one way or another, as long as the ST is good.
My favorite is a fantasy freeform game my friend runs, something he and his friends and people before them created about 15 years ago. He and his wife are moving back to the States soon, so I hope my husband and I can keep it alive, because it's a blast.

Darion
2007-02-06, 04:58 PM
I want to pose the question to all of you.

If dealing with an extremely limited budget, how would you go about making 'safe' boffer weapons?

The current method we use it to take PVC pipe, find a bit of pipe insulation that covers it, and coat that in duct-tape, then cut little holes in the duct tape to allow some flexability. (For tips, putting a bit of foam, wrapping in duct tape, and cutting some slashes so it can collapse).

Is there an easier way? A cheaper way? A 'better' way?

Some quick tips on making "safe" boffer weapons (note that such weapons most likely will not rise to the standards required by, Nero, Amtgard, or many other "must have insurance" larps):

First, use the right core. For shorter weapons (<3') 1/2" pvc or CPV" are the best of the cheap materials (fiberglass kite spar being superior, but you want cheap). Longer weapons, up it to 3/4". Two handed weapons should be 1", though, honsetly, if you want something like that, you would probably be better off investing in an actual core.

Second, use the right foam. Most pipe insulation is 3/8" wall diameter. For anything except the smallest of weapons, this just isn't enough padding to not sting, and the larger the weapon, the harder its swung, the less suitable this padding is. 5/8" pipe insulation can often be found in the same place in the stores, for the same cost. Use this. If you're making a larger weapon, consider an extra layer (slice it lengthwise), on the area you intend to be striking with.

Third, use tips. A few inches of seat cushion foam or air conditioner weather seal at the end of the weapon make for a squishy tip (called "Thrusting Tip" or "Waylay Tip" in most boffer larps) that will minimize tip-based pain.

Fourth, be sparing with the duct tape. Use it where necessary to attach the foam to the pipe (and the foam to the foam). Use it as little as required for asthetic reasons. Do not double layer it. Run it up the blade, not around it or (god forbid) spiral wrap it. Do not pull it to tight, or it will steal some of the give of the foam.

There are many, many better ways (kite spar, kite tape, paying a friend with experience, etc), but on an extremely limited budget, that's the best advice I can give you.

Idleknight
2007-02-11, 04:44 PM
I agree about the polearms, basically in the uk style larps if they can get away with barrell rolling all they have to do is twitch the back arm on the polearm. I found LT really bad for combat safety, F&H wasnt as bad as the branches were smaller and the LO's and refs sorted them out. LT having 5000 odd players anyone can just turn up and start playing. My other problem with LT was once when i went someone passed a 2 handed hammer which was too soft and the guy using it was doing overhead swings. The foam was like a sponge and they you felt the core.

[QUOTE=Marak_Knight;1743144] the number of times ive seen people get hurt by some muppet using a polearm they didnt know how to fight with properly is unreal. QUOTE]