#liveaction roleplay

[encounter21]

Some Musings on Rule 7

This is as much my personal feelings on the matter as it is game design advice. Take that for what its worth.

Rule 7: Do not take the Piss. I don’t know the origins of rule 7, and I don’t particularly want to. It has an almost mythological quality, rule 7. It gets thrown around by almost all larpers I know, no matter what system. It is the cardinal rule of Larp. The one everyone is meant to follow.

It is of course not that simple.

Everyone’s definition of not taking the piss is different. And I am terrified whenever I go to a game I will violate this sacred trust. It’s awkward this, I acknowledge other people break it (or at least in my view they do), and it doesn’t particularly bother me (well there are some extreme cases where it has impacted my game directly, but mostly I don’t care). But the idea I might fuck up terrifies me.

Which brings me to an interesting dichotomy. Player led and ref led systems. I personally much prefer ref led. I like rules. For me they define the parameters I can play within. I had a very bad experience a couple years ago with breaking unwritten rules (I’m still sure exactly *what* I did, but apparently it was a problem) and getting pulled up on it by the head ref (out of a player base of 600). I do not like unwritten rules. I do not like not knowing where I stand. Knowing the edges of things keeps you safe.

I recently attended a player led game, the only rule was rule 7. Most people were amazingly good with that, much more than I had expected (player creativity was mainly used to make things *worse* for our band of horrible misfits not better). It was awesome. But I did not get involved in much. I was very scared that my ideas would not be good enough, that I would accidentally contradict the refs or other players, that I would in short fuck up. So I left things vague and my interactions focused on uptime. I solved no problems (I created none either. It was a bit of a wash for me as a participant though I very much enjoyed the experience). And I am ok with that.

Ref led games  are much more my comfort zone. I know where the boundaries are. I know what I can and cannot do. I know who and what my character is. Pre-written characters take this further. My character is designed by the refs. She fits into setting by default. There can not possibly be something I missed. Nothing for me to screw up. I can simply get on with playing her. My motives are beyond reproach, I have been given permission.

I am most definitely an achievement larper. What I get out of games is the feeling of having *done* something, of mattering for good or ill. In some ways the rules light games feel less like an achievement, the triumph of narrative over my actions. I am unworthy of the spotlight unless I earn it. Again the specter of Rule 7 lingers.

I have enjoyed both types of game, and also despised both types of game.  There is more to good game design than your approach to rules (I also think both of these systems are as valid as each other), and more to an enjoyable event than game design. But I find it interesting that I find the myself much better to function in a restricted game, where theoretically I have much less freedom.

I guess my thoughts are these. Different people have different comfort zones. For me having pages of brief and a well defined world is freedom. I know the edges, I can find my space. For other people freeform larp preferable. 

[larpforge]

(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWT4VYY9NLE)

LARPer QuickTip no 67 - 3 advices to event organisers

Big thanks to Morten for the LARP QuickTips. A few good advices for when your are making a LARP event.

In short bring: 1 - check out your location 2 - know your crew 3 - chocolate and soda

If you have any things you want me to put up on the wall in the LARP cave. You can send it to email: [email protected]

- the LarpForge team

YouTube: http//www.youtube.com/lazylarper Tumblr: http://larpforge.tumblr.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/lazylarper Twitter: https://twitter.com/larpForge Pintrest: https://pinterest.com/lazylarp/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larpforge/

[encounter21]

The Good, The Bad, and the Playable: A mission statement

The purpose of this blog is to discuss different approaches to running games and the affect these choices have on your finished game. It is not my place to say what constitutes good or bad larp nor am I claiming to have an exhaustive knowledge of larp. I aim never to reference specific games or make value judgments but rather to discuss the many factors that go into running different types of games. I welcome questions and discussion.

[larpforge]

Go to the video see how the gravestones was made

Gravestones - GearingUp for ConQuest 2014 

ONLY 4 days left to enter your video in the give competition for a Palnatoke sword!?! See how to enter in our video here http://bit.ly/giveaway500

Taking on the new profession of undertaker so is Gearing Up by making some updates to the gravestones.

Old gravestone tutorial: http://bit.ly/oldgravestoneepisode

- the LarpForge team

Tumblr blog: http://larpforge.tumblr.com

Facebook: http://facebook.com/lazylarper

Twitter: https://twitter.com/larpForge

[shinshayoriginals]

LIve Action Roleplaying @ Traders Crossing, Austin TX 6/30/2013 Mystic Crossing by ZitPopGoblin Games

Pictures of my newest character Sa Ru, a pooka! I'm a bit embaressed to say, I've been a cosplayer for nearly 16 years now, and this was the first time I ever dressed up as any kind of "cat girl". However it was quite fun to just walk into people's guild halls, lay down on their work benches and go take a nap, demand fishes, and play with a ball of yarn in the sunshine. We had alot of fun, the whole town is in Chaos since the Baroness left the leadership int he hands of a Faye that never shows up to govern his own town! Silly Fire Lord!

Also, it was WICKED hot out today, I'm surprised we all didn't melt! (but my makeup sure did!)

[shinshayoriginals]

Pictures I took at our LARP game this past weekend!

My character, The Lady Gloriosalily threw a winter Gala for all the people's of traders crossing! (That's me in the white gown!) There was a scavenger hunt, and an archary tournament, feasting, s'more making, cake and death! It was great! It was my first time creating and running a LARP event.

My gown was made entirely from thrift store bed sheets and curtain (save the fur trim which had been in my stash for years now)!

The game is called Mystic Crossing, and our group meets once a month in Round Rock, Texas. Please message me if you'd like more info on the game, or join our group!