Contributor: Beth Fallon
Submission: non-fiction guide to PELs
System: Accelerant (but all take heed)
Years LARPing: 21
Email: efallon@earthlink.net
With the end of the Mirror, Mirror Revel, and Aralis and Lost Eidolons on their ways (not to mention a host of non-Accelerant games), the Post Event or Summary Letters are probably flooding inboxes. Or they should be. When I first started LARPing, I didn't really care too much about PELs, because I was too busy gushing about The Magic of the First Event (trademarked). Then, as I became jaded (literally and figuratively for Madrigalites), I had my First Real Event Complaint (also trademarked). It was minor, but I was a little devastated. What if staff hated me? What if they told the offending person? What if someone complained about me? What if I hurt the person's feelings-- it really wasn't that big a deal, was it? When I finally sat down to write the letter, however, I was a little dismayed. How could I frame it without sounding whiny, overly aggressive, or mean-spirited? How long should I spend talking about it? What if, in writing about the module, the reader ignored all the good things I had to say about the game? What if they ignored my personal character requests because they were worried about fixing the single bad part of my experience?
I think we've all been here. PELs, especially if something went less than perfect, can be difficult to write. We often have close friends who are on staff, and LARPing is a small community. Therefore, I'm giving you Beth Fallon's guide to PEL writing. As an experience LARPer and staff person, she gives a good perspective on not only how to deal with OoG problems, but also how to make staff aware of IG desires and goals. So, read on, and incorporate her advice into any post-game summary you might submit.
Player Event Letters, aka Summary Letters, aka PELs, are a great method of feedback between the players and Plot Staff. They permit us to take the overall pulse of the event - did the PCs have fun? The NPCs? Was it busy enough? - as well as having an easily-searchable database of PC goals and feedback, such that we can make plans for the next event - "Sargon The Great said he wanted to take over the Shire next event - when do we have time to run that encounter? Do we have enough "burned Hobbit corpse" phys reps?"
(Madrigal's version can be found here, but there are any number of other versions.)
Here's a few tips and tricks that I'd LOVE for more people to know, and keep in mind, when submitting them. This is all personal opinion, and please feel free to disagree or comment thereon, but I think it's worth putting out there!
1) Your Feedback: We Desire It.
If you are feelin' no love, or are tangentially involved in a plotline and want more of it, or are involved in a plotline but something about it is just not working for you, or even if you just have a comment about what sort of plotlines you'd like to see more of, PLEASE feel free to mention that in your PEL. We can't promise that we can make all of your LARP dreams come true, and in some isolated cases we can't run certain plotlines a certain way - for either IG cosmological reasons, or OOG logistical concerns... and we can't always tell you that. But it never hurts to mention it to us - we're always interested in helpful feedback. We're only human(ish), and sometimes we can miss the obvious, or honestly believe you're enjoying yourself when you are not.
2) PELs ARE The Correct Place For Concerns and Complaints About Other Players:
If another player within your game (any game!) makes you uncomfortable on an OOG level, or repeatedly displays poor sportsmanship towards you or other players, it is within your rights as a player - nay, your duty as said - to PEL it.
The PEL/Summary letter systems are in place not only to allow for feedback to staff about what they're doing, but about your overall gaming experience. Some things cannot be helped (bad weather, for example), but things which humans can control (interactions with staff and other players, issues with the campsite or food service, etc.) - if they're causing you to have bad time, chances are the staff wants to know about it, rather than lose you as a player. Maybe they can't do anything about it immediately, or what they do won't necessarily be visible to you, but it's generally always better that they know (and know in writing, which can be referenced later, when said staff person has actually slept, eaten, and knows what their real name is).
Also: understand that staff cannot act without written complaints and specific examples of said poor sportsmanship - "So-and-so is a jerk" is not specific: "So-and-so shoved me on Saturday afternoon after the field battle, and threatened to beat me up in the parking lot after game" is specific, and actionable. People have been asked to leave games due to poor attitudes; it is not just cheating which can/will get players removed from play.
3) No, Really:
Staff wants you to have a good time - PC, NPC, all of you. Heck, WE want to have a good time! Sometimes, though, Things Happen. You feel like you got passed over for a plotline, an NPC fell out-of-game on you, you're worried that another player might not have a great grasp of the rules, something. Maybe it wasn't huge, but it was enough that you Noticed. And it bugged you, enough so that you thought about it, talked about it, and it colored your experience of the event.
Now, henceforth, and forevermore: Yes. We want to know about it.
Please do not assume we heard it, saw it, or were there (physically or mentally) when it happened. Please do not assume that the other 20 people you talked to about it PEL'd it, even IF they said they would. Please do not be worried that you will come off as whiny, or that we don't want to know, or that because it involved a staff member/long-term player/big face NPC/monkeys/your mother, that it's somehow above reproach or you should just "suck it up". Please: tell us. We'll make the decision as to what we need to do, going forward. But give us that chance!
4): However. We Do Ask That You Be Nice:
The linguistic difference between "this plotline/NPC/encounter completely sucked *ss, what the f*ck were you thinking?" and "I really didn't enjoy the plotline/NPC/encounter, and here is why..." is pretty small, but the difference in emotional and intellectual impact is vast. I know I am personally a lot more willing to step back and consider carefully what I might have done wrong, and how better to entertain you in the future, if I understand your issue was with an aspect of the game I was involved in... and not with me personally, as a human being.
Remember kids, Plot is not a nameless, faceless entity out to screw you. We're real people, your friends, volunteers who for whatever twisted reason REALLY LIKE running LARP plotlines for people, and put a lot of time and hard work in for our mighty 2CP per event. We all have off events, forget important aspects of plotlines at inopportune times, lose track of how many points of damage we just took from the 35 people hitting us at once, etc. Not that it's a good thing, or is an excuse, but it does happen.
If you have a concern, TELL US. We really, really do want to know, so that we have a prayer of making it better or at least trying to address it in the future! But please, cool off first. Eat, sleep, think on it. Write out the hot-blooded ARRGH WTF version... even share it with friends, if you need to get it off your chest! But then, let it sit a day or so. Maybe do a bit of editing. And send us the "Just The Facts" version, or as close to it as you can.
[And let's be clear: I have been just as guilty as Pressing The Send Button Too Soon as anyone else. I admit it, and I'm learning from my mistakes, and thus I share with you.]
You wouldn't play the game if it wasn't important to you. And we wouldn't be running at the game if the game itself, and you as players, weren't important to us. Things that are important to us can cause strong emotions, and those strong emotions can sometimes lead to harsh words.
Let's Be Awesome Together!
Submission: non-fiction guide to PELs
System: Accelerant (but all take heed)
Years LARPing: 21
Email: efallon@earthlink.net
With the end of the Mirror, Mirror Revel, and Aralis and Lost Eidolons on their ways (not to mention a host of non-Accelerant games), the Post Event or Summary Letters are probably flooding inboxes. Or they should be. When I first started LARPing, I didn't really care too much about PELs, because I was too busy gushing about The Magic of the First Event (trademarked). Then, as I became jaded (literally and figuratively for Madrigalites), I had my First Real Event Complaint (also trademarked). It was minor, but I was a little devastated. What if staff hated me? What if they told the offending person? What if someone complained about me? What if I hurt the person's feelings-- it really wasn't that big a deal, was it? When I finally sat down to write the letter, however, I was a little dismayed. How could I frame it without sounding whiny, overly aggressive, or mean-spirited? How long should I spend talking about it? What if, in writing about the module, the reader ignored all the good things I had to say about the game? What if they ignored my personal character requests because they were worried about fixing the single bad part of my experience?
I think we've all been here. PELs, especially if something went less than perfect, can be difficult to write. We often have close friends who are on staff, and LARPing is a small community. Therefore, I'm giving you Beth Fallon's guide to PEL writing. As an experience LARPer and staff person, she gives a good perspective on not only how to deal with OoG problems, but also how to make staff aware of IG desires and goals. So, read on, and incorporate her advice into any post-game summary you might submit.
Player Event Letters, aka Summary Letters, aka PELs, are a great method of feedback between the players and Plot Staff. They permit us to take the overall pulse of the event - did the PCs have fun? The NPCs? Was it busy enough? - as well as having an easily-searchable database of PC goals and feedback, such that we can make plans for the next event - "Sargon The Great said he wanted to take over the Shire next event - when do we have time to run that encounter? Do we have enough "burned Hobbit corpse" phys reps?"
(Madrigal's version can be found here, but there are any number of other versions.)
Here's a few tips and tricks that I'd LOVE for more people to know, and keep in mind, when submitting them. This is all personal opinion, and please feel free to disagree or comment thereon, but I think it's worth putting out there!
1) Your Feedback: We Desire It.
If you are feelin' no love, or are tangentially involved in a plotline and want more of it, or are involved in a plotline but something about it is just not working for you, or even if you just have a comment about what sort of plotlines you'd like to see more of, PLEASE feel free to mention that in your PEL. We can't promise that we can make all of your LARP dreams come true, and in some isolated cases we can't run certain plotlines a certain way - for either IG cosmological reasons, or OOG logistical concerns... and we can't always tell you that. But it never hurts to mention it to us - we're always interested in helpful feedback. We're only human(ish), and sometimes we can miss the obvious, or honestly believe you're enjoying yourself when you are not.
2) PELs ARE The Correct Place For Concerns and Complaints About Other Players:
If another player within your game (any game!) makes you uncomfortable on an OOG level, or repeatedly displays poor sportsmanship towards you or other players, it is within your rights as a player - nay, your duty as said - to PEL it.
The PEL/Summary letter systems are in place not only to allow for feedback to staff about what they're doing, but about your overall gaming experience. Some things cannot be helped (bad weather, for example), but things which humans can control (interactions with staff and other players, issues with the campsite or food service, etc.) - if they're causing you to have bad time, chances are the staff wants to know about it, rather than lose you as a player. Maybe they can't do anything about it immediately, or what they do won't necessarily be visible to you, but it's generally always better that they know (and know in writing, which can be referenced later, when said staff person has actually slept, eaten, and knows what their real name is).
Also: understand that staff cannot act without written complaints and specific examples of said poor sportsmanship - "So-and-so is a jerk" is not specific: "So-and-so shoved me on Saturday afternoon after the field battle, and threatened to beat me up in the parking lot after game" is specific, and actionable. People have been asked to leave games due to poor attitudes; it is not just cheating which can/will get players removed from play.
3) No, Really:
Staff wants you to have a good time - PC, NPC, all of you. Heck, WE want to have a good time! Sometimes, though, Things Happen. You feel like you got passed over for a plotline, an NPC fell out-of-game on you, you're worried that another player might not have a great grasp of the rules, something. Maybe it wasn't huge, but it was enough that you Noticed. And it bugged you, enough so that you thought about it, talked about it, and it colored your experience of the event.
Now, henceforth, and forevermore: Yes. We want to know about it.
Please do not assume we heard it, saw it, or were there (physically or mentally) when it happened. Please do not assume that the other 20 people you talked to about it PEL'd it, even IF they said they would. Please do not be worried that you will come off as whiny, or that we don't want to know, or that because it involved a staff member/long-term player/big face NPC/monkeys/your mother, that it's somehow above reproach or you should just "suck it up". Please: tell us. We'll make the decision as to what we need to do, going forward. But give us that chance!
4): However. We Do Ask That You Be Nice:
The linguistic difference between "this plotline/NPC/encounter completely sucked *ss, what the f*ck were you thinking?" and "I really didn't enjoy the plotline/NPC/encounter, and here is why..." is pretty small, but the difference in emotional and intellectual impact is vast. I know I am personally a lot more willing to step back and consider carefully what I might have done wrong, and how better to entertain you in the future, if I understand your issue was with an aspect of the game I was involved in... and not with me personally, as a human being.
Remember kids, Plot is not a nameless, faceless entity out to screw you. We're real people, your friends, volunteers who for whatever twisted reason REALLY LIKE running LARP plotlines for people, and put a lot of time and hard work in for our mighty 2CP per event. We all have off events, forget important aspects of plotlines at inopportune times, lose track of how many points of damage we just took from the 35 people hitting us at once, etc. Not that it's a good thing, or is an excuse, but it does happen.
If you have a concern, TELL US. We really, really do want to know, so that we have a prayer of making it better or at least trying to address it in the future! But please, cool off first. Eat, sleep, think on it. Write out the hot-blooded ARRGH WTF version... even share it with friends, if you need to get it off your chest! But then, let it sit a day or so. Maybe do a bit of editing. And send us the "Just The Facts" version, or as close to it as you can.
[And let's be clear: I have been just as guilty as Pressing The Send Button Too Soon as anyone else. I admit it, and I'm learning from my mistakes, and thus I share with you.]
You wouldn't play the game if it wasn't important to you. And we wouldn't be running at the game if the game itself, and you as players, weren't important to us. Things that are important to us can cause strong emotions, and those strong emotions can sometimes lead to harsh words.
Let's Be Awesome Together!
This is really useful, even to players who have written more than their fair share of PELs. To add a couple thoughts:
ReplyDelete1) This goes for NPCs too. Seasoned/big NPCs often have almost as much stock in the game as players (though they don't pay, they do spend a huge amount of time invested in the game-- Melissa of 7V has a really interesting perspective on this, and I'll have to ask her to contribute some time...). It's important for these people to express what they want out of a game. However, little NPCs are important too-- they're often the flesh of a big game. If you're an NPC, and something doesn't feel right, even if you only went out for two crunchy modules-- say something! They more voices the better. If a player is swinging too hard, or has a weapon that is breaking, it concerns everyone.
2) As Beth mentioned, these rules pertain to any game. Obviously, cross-system authority is difficult and puts people in an awkward situation. However, Accelerant is run in such a way, that you can always talk to Rob about a problem in game. (I suspect NERO is similar, but I'm unsure.) If you are uncomfortable reporting a significant problem to the game staff, talk to Rob or someone who is a senior staff member, and can help you with the situation. Clearly, this shouldn't be used for things like minor cheating, hard hits, and easily addressed problems. But, if someone is doing something that makes you uncomfortable and unsafe (assault, theft, threats IG/OoG), and you don't know the game staff well enough to address the issue, talk to the owner of the game or people directly working with that person. Finally, most GMs I know are really decent people. They want the game to run safely, and they'll anonymously deal with the issue. If it's severe enough to threaten your safety, they'll generally contact the owner. Also, Accelerant is pretty great, so this rarely happens.
At the risk of appearing competitive, I also recently created my own version of a "Guide to Writing Effective PEL's". The audience in my case was the players of another Acellerant game who for the most part came from other games where event feedback letters were not used or encouraged. Ironically, some of the anecdotal feedback I got from my post on the subject was that it made it more difficult for some people to write their PEL's because it suggested we have an exacting standard for what we expect that would be difficult to meet. This is not the case, and I had to backtrack a little bit on other forums assuring people that my article was meant to suggest some best practices, and that any and all feedback is encouraged and appreciated.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, it is at http://numina.freeforums.org/advice-for-writing-effective-pels-t28.html if you want to take a look.
A great idea to highlight PEL's and what to include! I think Beth sums it all up very well with: Let's Be Awesome Together!
DeleteLarping is so much a collaborative experience both between player & staff, IG & OOG. Pels form a more formal & detailed point of dialogue than the fun, albeit rambling, chat sunday after an even when everyone is tired, sore, hungry & (hopefully) grinning ear to ear from a good weekend.
I think George had a some really important things as well in his guide that I wanted to highlight. Such as write as you, not your character (thou a mini character IG dialog or journal in addition is cool too) as a pel is a Player summary. Being expansive in your summary is great & including details of mods & npc's helps guide staff on what is remembered/ epic/ fun. Also it's a way for staff to give Kudos to npc's who may have enjoyed a role & will encourage them to come back again.
Thanks both of you for giving guidance on positive ways to affect the game & positive experiences between staff & players. Pels really are a great springboard for plot!
Hey George!
DeleteLater in the LARP season, when people have given and received more than a few PELs, would you mind if I reposted the text of that forum entry here? I think it's good to get more than a few perspective on PELs. They really are the oil that keeps the wheels of a successful game turning.
You are free to repost this at any time.
DeleteI've been LARPing since 1989, staffed, NPCd, PCd, the whole 9 yards. PELs are amazing tools and we as staff prize them highly.
ReplyDeleteI have been asked on many occasions what I do in my PELs that make them so seemingly successful. Back in September of 2007 I started an experiment that I continued for a couple of years. I opened an LJ group and invited friends who were interested to read and comment on my PELs. The only stipulation was that I would not put information in there that was sensitive to other players without their permission.
This was incredibly successful and a lot of people took away various techniques for their own PEL writing. These are still out there and I can point you to them if you have an LJ account. If you're interested in some examples of real life PELs, you can get me on LJ at http://kumir-k9.livejournal.com. Let me know that you're interested in being on the PEL filter.
If I'm not on the PEL filter, I'd love to be. ^_^ That's a good idea. Sharing PELs can also bring up similar issues that other players have with a game. Like, "Oh, they've repeated that trap module 3 times for your group too? Maybe I should say something." or "Wow-- that header really is unbalanced." Staff appreciates multiple people politely stating the same issues, but not in a ganging-up sort of way. Peer-feedback is one of the best ways to streamline writing to be effective.
DeleteSome additional PEL thoughts in no particular order:
ReplyDelete1) Staff love PELs. We really do crave having feedback. Negative feedback isn't as much fun as positive feedback, obviously, but having someone remember something you did rocks. So doing PELs rewards the staff for their efforts.
2) PELs are generally discussed from the point of view of the obligations and motivations of the writer, but there's an additional element worth mentioning; the staff themselves. Not in the sense that staff should also write PELs (and they should), but that the writing of a PEL generates an obligation on the part of the staff. That obligatiion is to read it and give it due consideration. Nothing kills PEL writing in a game faster than the perception that the staff ignores them. I have played in games where that perception exists and the staff wonder why they don't get feedback or don't get it from everyone. I have had PELs ignored, or sometimes just particular issues in them, for long stretches of time. It's monumentally discouraging to PEL writing motivation when that sort of thing occurs. As mentioned above, not everything can be directly acted upon, but everything has to be considered. If a staff doesn't do this they are failing in their responsibilities.
3) I have been thinking lately that a LARP should list who has access to PELs somewhere where players can see. I'm not 100% certain, but I feel like if you're inviting players to complain about fellow players and NPCs than some degree of foreknowledge about who is reading would be warranted. Because sometimes you'd rather they not read what you have to say about them. I know that, for example, when I have an issue with a staff member that is actually personal, I don't PEL it because I know they'll read it. i take it up through different channels. Similarly, I can see someone not wishing to PEL certain kinds of issues if they think the person they're talking about is going to have the PEL autodelivered.
That last point is a really good one. If you have an issue with a close friend/spouse of a senior staff person, then you may feel awkward communicating with that person. Similarly, if you have a problem with a small part of a module, you may want to be clear about the specific issue, especially if the person who ran the module is reading. More positively, you may gush and gush about a minor staff person (with no access to PELs) who may never receive that positive feedback unless you give it to them personally (though I'm of the opinion all staffs should share positive feedback with NPCs).
DeleteAlso on that point-- screening PELs. Clearly the GM and maybe another person should have access to the PELs. But if there is a personal issue one player has with another person, that should be screened. Monster Camp directors, for instance, work very hard, but can have bad moments due to stress. An NPC responding to a snappy comment made under duress may be within his rights, but the MC director may also have simply been really tired. If it's a one time thing, even if the MC director reads PELs, you may want to screen it out, apologize to the NPC in question, but maintain the good faith of your senior staff person.
Delete