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    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Cealocanth's Avatar

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    Default Advice on writing a LARP game

    Hello, Playground. I've been trying to put together a story for a LARP game and I wanted to hear your advice on making it good and memorable as well as other things. Bear in mind, I'm not writing a whole new system here, I just want to try my hand at writing a game for IFGS.

    So, o experienced and talented gamewriters, what's the advice you can give?
    Currently RPG group playing: Endworld (D&D 5e. A Homebrewed post-apocalyptic supplement.)

    My campaign settings: Azura; 10,000 CE | The Frozen Seas | Bloodstones (Paleolithic Horror) | AEGIS - The School for Superhero Children | Iaphela (5e, Elder Scrolls)

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    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Kobold

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    Default Re: Advice on writing a LARP game

    What sort of LARP? Boffer/theater-style? One shot/long term?

    I have experience with one shot theater games, and I'd be happy to babble about that, but I'm not sure it applies to you.
    If you like what I have to say, please check out my GMing Blog where I discuss writing and roleplaying in greater depth.

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    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Cealocanth's Avatar

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    Default Re: Advice on writing a LARP game

    Quote Originally Posted by valadil View Post
    What sort of LARP? Boffer/theater-style? One shot/long term?

    I have experience with one shot theater games, and I'd be happy to babble about that, but I'm not sure it applies to you.
    That's more of the reason I linked IFGS. Yes, boffer weapon, roleplay-and-make-it-up-as-you-go-along style.
    Currently RPG group playing: Endworld (D&D 5e. A Homebrewed post-apocalyptic supplement.)

    My campaign settings: Azura; 10,000 CE | The Frozen Seas | Bloodstones (Paleolithic Horror) | AEGIS - The School for Superhero Children | Iaphela (5e, Elder Scrolls)

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    Dwarf in the Playground
     
    Jorda75's Avatar

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    Default Re: Advice on writing a LARP game

    I suggest you don't LARP, ever, under any circumstances. If you have terrorists holding you prisoner and threaten to detonate a dirty bomb in Times Square unless you dress up like an elf and play with them in the woods I suggest you tell em to put a bullet between your eyes and die with dignity. Now that's just my opinion, if you really want to make it fun and memorable get lots of good props (you can find some really fun stuff at Craft and Hobby stores as well as Walmart and Dollar stores). Make the experience appeal to all the senses, sound effects and scented candles, accents and surprises that "spring up" out of no-where (much like a haunted house, in fact researching how some haunted house effects are made could really add some punch to your game!).

    Most of all just have fun, however you do it. Just make sure noones watching...

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    Ormagoden's Avatar

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    Default Re: Advice on writing a LARP game

    When I used to run a LARP I co-wrote most of the stuff with my best friend.

    That being said, how big is the larp you're planning on running? (how many people)

    What kind of Location is the LARP you are running taking place at?

    It looks like IFGS is a owned game, if you collect money using their rules but aren't actually a chapter you could be looking at some legal trouble.



    Also @ Jorda If you're not really into the hobby I wouldn't give any advice.
    For instance I highly recommend you do not use candles under any circumstances.

    Many camps have rules about fire staying in the fire pit...those rules are there for a reason. Trust me, I know from experience.
    Last edited by Ormagoden; 2010-06-21 at 10:40 PM.

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    Dwarf in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Advice on writing a LARP game

    Quote Originally Posted by Lostfang View Post
    When I used to run a LARP I co-wrote most of the stuff with my best friend.

    That being said, how big is the larp you're planning on running? (how many people)

    What kind of Location is the LARP you are running taking place at?

    Also @ Jorda If you're not really into the hobby I wouldn't give any advice.
    For instance I highly recommend you do not use candles under any circumstances.

    Many camps have rules about fire staying in the fire pit...those rules are there for a reason. Trust me, I know from experience.
    I'm just being a smart ass anyways. Any you can get flameless, electric scented candles, welcome to the year 2010, I think you'll like it here :D

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    Ormagoden's Avatar

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    Default Re: Advice on writing a LARP game

    Most electric candles aren't scented.
    Please don't attempt to cover up poor advice with snarkyness.

    2010, yeah, its great! I've been here all year.
    Last edited by Ormagoden; 2010-06-21 at 10:42 PM.

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    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Cealocanth's Avatar

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    Default Re: Advice on writing a LARP game

    Quote Originally Posted by Lostfang View Post
    When I used to run a LARP I co-wrote most of the stuff with my best friend.

    That being said, how big is the larp you're planning on running? (how many people)

    What kind of Location is the LARP you are running taking place at?

    It looks like IFGS is a owned game, if you collect money using their rules but aren't actually a chapter you could be looking at some legal trouble.



    Also @ Jorda If you're not really into the hobby I wouldn't give any advice.
    For instance I highly recommend you do not use candles under any circumstances.

    Many camps have rules about fire staying in the fire pit...those rules are there for a reason. Trust me, I know from experience.
    It looks like I'm going to have to explain this. IFGS stands for International Fantasty Gaming Society. We are a group of friends who go out into the woods, set up encounters, and soend the day ( or days) roleplaying out a game written by the Game Writer. Yes, it does cost money, but it all goes to the organaization in order to produce the next game and pay for props. I am planning on writing up a game and seeing if I can get it published in a game one of these seasons. I am really asking for advice on how to make your game enjoyable and fun to everyone, both NPCs and players. I am actually a member of the organaization so the organaization can help produce the game.

    Oh, and I don't get any of the money, I do get a lot of credits and stuff for my characters. IFGS is just a game, nothing more or less of a game than DnD or World of Warcraft.

    Now, on to the original question.

    The game I plan to produce is for around 3 or 4 parties, meaning groups of Players, then there are people like the NPCs and stuff. It's really who I decide can come and help produce it. The game is being written for a adventuring party.
    Last edited by Cealocanth; 2010-06-21 at 10:50 PM.
    Currently RPG group playing: Endworld (D&D 5e. A Homebrewed post-apocalyptic supplement.)

    My campaign settings: Azura; 10,000 CE | The Frozen Seas | Bloodstones (Paleolithic Horror) | AEGIS - The School for Superhero Children | Iaphela (5e, Elder Scrolls)

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    Dwarf in the Playground
     
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    Default Re: Advice on writing a LARP game

    I don't know where you live but I can find electric scented candles in about 5 minutes. You don't have a Walmart there? Walmart is everywhere!

    I'll cover up my poor advice however I like, thank you very much (adds +1d6 snarkyness). The suggestion was to engage all the senses, use insence sticks or something I dunno, just get it done man! :D

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    Ormagoden's Avatar

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    Default Re: Advice on writing a LARP game

    Fire + Swinging foam swords = Hazard.

    I guess since you've never actually been to a LARP you wouldn't know that.


    Onto more important and much less snarky answers.

    Ah! I see completely what you mean now Cealocanth!
    You want to write a event for IFGS!

    That's a good way to become a staff member but also a tough way.
    Since LARPs vary so much from place to place and company to company it might be best if you talk with some of the staff members at the chapter that is local to you. They could probably provide loads of very specific advice for the games they run; pointing you in the right direction for a story that will blend well with what they run.

    Have you thought about starting a little smaller and writing out an encounter first? Putting together the plot for some local tribe of nasties causing a brief stir could be fun!

    If you really want to write the plot for an entire event it's no easy task but I think I can help a little.

    Think about the players around you at an event.
    What do they like the most? A good fight? or maybe an awesome opportunity to role-play?

    Much like table top games LARP is about challenging the players, but with a player base sometimes in the dozens or even hundreds it can be difficult to draw up a plot everyone will absolutely love.

    BUT unlike table top the skill and level of players and characters can be drastically different. So how do you write an event that a level 20 player and a level 1 player can both enjoy?

    The easiest way to do that is to use a chart with time slots broken up into blocks of individual plots and sub plots. (it sounds complicated, and it is) Sadly you can't just write up a dungeon crawl and call it a night!

    So get a good idea for what time blocks are good and what you could run in them. Then you have to figure a location for the plots and sub plots to take place. Do the 2'oclock goblins attack the inn? rob the warehouse or waylay travelers on the road? What level are the 2'oclock goblins? (1, 3, 10?) Is the 2'oclock goblin encounter far enough away from the high level players so that they won't disturb the low level players?

    ITS ALOT TO THINK ABOUT! PHEW!

    Try working up from a story seed.

    A tribe of local goblins got ran out by some nearby orcs. How do the players handle the new goblin refugees entering the city? What happens when difficulties come to blows? Will the players try to help out and run out the orcs to get rid of the goblin nuisance?

    What kind of story seed do you have so far for your event?

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    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Cealocanth's Avatar

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    Default Re: Advice on writing a LARP game

    Quote Originally Posted by Lostfang View Post
    What kind of story seed do you have so far for your event?
    So far, I've got this. The Loremaster recieves a letter, asking the party to help a woman find her husband. A group of dark elves kidnapped him, and now she needs some brave, strong adventurers to rescue him. There will be payment in mystical items from her collection.

    As they approach the adress given on the letter they find it to be a small house, far outside city boundaries. It is trashed, ransacked, and smashed to pieces. It's hardly recognizeable as a house at all. The party continues to search through the rubble and finds the dead body of the sender of the letter, looted and muitilaed, like the rest of the house. Inside a slightly burnt chest the party finds a ring/ necklace/ other piece of jewelry. The first one to pick up the jewelry sees a bright flash of light and a 5 second knockdown. S/he is told that a voice inside the item identifies herself as the soul of the sender of the letter. In crying mourning she begs the bearer of the jewelry to rescue her husband and take vengance on those that destroyed the house.

    The bearer is compelled to put the item on and convinces the party to rescue the husband of the woman. The party follows the bearer away from the house, the bearer being lead by the ghost within...


    That's what I've got, more or less. I don't know if the bearer of the ring thing is too cliche for fantasy or not.
    Currently RPG group playing: Endworld (D&D 5e. A Homebrewed post-apocalyptic supplement.)

    My campaign settings: Azura; 10,000 CE | The Frozen Seas | Bloodstones (Paleolithic Horror) | AEGIS - The School for Superhero Children | Iaphela (5e, Elder Scrolls)

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    Ettin in the Playground
     
    BardGuy

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    Default Re: Advice on writing a LARP game

    I would make sure there is some reason the baddies left that treasure chest; the fact that is there alone should make the players somewhat weary. I don't think you'd have to worry about none of them touching the treasure, though, so your plot-hook should still work.

    How strong the compulsion is is something you should think about. Some players dislike being told they want to do something. Also how strong would they respond if someone insisted they remove the necklace or refuse to go along? I could see another player, if the one wearing the necklace acts odd, insist he remove it in case it is cursed; and if that player has to refuse, that could cause reasonable suspicion.

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    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Cealocanth's Avatar

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    Default Re: Advice on writing a LARP game

    Quote Originally Posted by JeenLeen View Post
    I would make sure there is some reason the baddies left that treasure chest; the fact that is there alone should make the players somewhat weary. I don't think you'd have to worry about none of them touching the treasure, though, so your plot-hook should still work.

    How strong the compulsion is is something you should think about. Some players dislike being told they want to do something. Also how strong would they respond if someone insisted they remove the necklace or refuse to go along? I could see another player, if the one wearing the necklace acts odd, insist he remove it in case it is cursed; and if that player has to refuse, that could cause reasonable suspicion.
    You make a good point with that "I don't want to be a GM puppet" thing. The baddies left that chest, and that magic item because it's cursed and bound to a vengefull soul. I wonder if they could have their own compulsion. Maybe the ghost tells them that they are welcome to take whatever magic items that the elves have stolen from her house, granted they find them, of course. Perhaps this makes the ghost simply give the bearer the information to the wearabouts of her husband and the elves.
    Currently RPG group playing: Endworld (D&D 5e. A Homebrewed post-apocalyptic supplement.)

    My campaign settings: Azura; 10,000 CE | The Frozen Seas | Bloodstones (Paleolithic Horror) | AEGIS - The School for Superhero Children | Iaphela (5e, Elder Scrolls)

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