Contributor: Zoe
Submission: A non-fiction look at bringing newcomers into an existing LARP group.
Bringing people to a game can be one of the most fun parts of a LARP. After months, maybe even years, of trying to convince friends to play with your team, you may find yourself wildly excited, and nervous, to bring new sheep to the flock. But why nervous? You may ask. Well, because suggesting a LARP to someone is like recommending a favorite restaurant to a friend. What if, despite your gushing and glowing, the friend hates the apple pie at Mimi's Diner? Or what if they get food poisoning from the seafood platter? Or what if, worst of all, the restaurant staff is rude to your friend? After a bad experience, your friend will, of course, still be your friend... but something is undeniably different-- you, O' Sage Suggester, have demonstrated that, despite a nigh familial bond with Friend XYZ, you either have a) poor judgment or b) no understanding of Friend XYZ's tastes. Despite everyone's good intentions, when you lovingly recommend something to a friend, and things go poorly, trust is a bit shaken. This probably resonates with many people who have or would consider bringing a friend to a LARP.
Obviously, LARPs just aren't for some people. I like to think these people don't like fun, but, hey, that's why there are different flavors of ice cream. For most people, LARPs are awesome-- for many, however, LARP-fun might require a bit of social lubrication. This is especially true if you, the seasoned LARPer bringing friends to a game, is well-established in the LARP community. So, here are a few tips to consider before you usher in your companions.
1) Character Backgrounds
The larger your group, the more likely it is for Sally to want to play a gnome-squashing Bard from East Oshkosh, while Melvin favors a peace-loving Orc from the Wink-and-Nudge Dunes. Meanwhile, Josie just wants to wear fox furs and fight, while Hortense prefers to be the fox in question.
In short, cohesive character backgrounds are difficult-- even more so when you've been playing for eight years, and have more secret headers than you do fingers-and-toes. However, it's important to, at the very least, try to run a thread through the various character lines. For example, you're a vampire-slaying highborn with family in a slaver country. Maybe melodramatic Monica could be the daughter of a slave who worked for your uncle. Or Leopold could play a roaming bard with merchant contacts who specialize in vampire-bane. And for Amelia? Well, she wants to be a highborn too, so maybe you two met at a soiree.
However, these various contacts might be a bit much for some people-- if you're not the Captain of the Ship type, responsibility for all these people can get tiresome. That's when Orders, Companies, and Guilds become very useful. In the above example, the vampire-slayer leaves the most room for a variety of character builds.
Above all, it's important to consider how your friends' individual backgrounds and ambitions will fit into the larger story of the group. If you're a newer group, this is relatively easy-- you're making your goals, and can remain relatively flexible. However, for an establish group, group resonance is important: it's lame for the new player to spend the event picking goblin flowers, while you're off dueling blood spirits.
2) Skill Sets
One of the most rewarding parts of forming a group is strategic skill-set building. It's exciting, after a few years of wandering the plains Druid-less, to be able to welcome to the fray Dedicated Healer Miranda. If you're a one or two person team, it's even more exciting to be able to put together the odds-and-ends that make up a solid module group. However, don't limit people. If Heidi really doesn't want to be a polearm fighter, even though you really need one, don't make her-- she won't have fun. On the flipside, if you all want to be casters, think of a reason for such a homogeneous group. If you have a homogeneous group (such as the House Beacon polearmers from Madrigal), think of different specialties for individual people-- you can all use polearms, but people should take different skill sets to make an effective group.
3) Existing Plotlines
Cogent backstories are well-and-good, but, if you're an established player in a game, think of how new players will figure into an event with existing plotlines. Take the following situation: Kendrick, who loves to fight, has written himself the dynamic startings of a werehunter plot. However, you, plot-hound that you are, are knee deep in imperial political intrigue. While you do plenty of fighting, there are no weres to be spotted. What to do? If you want to play together (and, by the power of numbers, generate plot), then try to compromise. Maybe Kendrick was training to be a werehunter, but, in pursuit of a magic weapon, found himself in the big city-- there you found him. In need of a bodyguard, you quickly hired him. He was happy to take up arms in favor of your cause-- maybe later down the road, he'll continue his original were-stomping dream. It's highly unlike that a brand new player will get be able to snag all of the plot fish they've attempted to bait: if you fit their goals into your plot, however, they're far more likely to get the experience for which they've hoped.
4) Alliances
We all know that PC and NPC alliances-- established through luck, hardship, and perhaps baked goods-- make the game world go 'round. They take you on modules, give you advice, and help you achieve plot goals. Share your alliances with new players. Introduce them to people. When I was a new troubadour, Zephyr had me sing for an important noble. Shaman players, in Madrigal, are eager to take new shaman under their wings-- the same goes for most any class. Chances are, even if you're relatively new to the game, you can help new friends make contacts in the game world. This will not only make their experience better, but will alleviate some of the responsibility of entertaining 8 Initiates. Finally, if you know two or three people who simply love to help new players, make sure your group members meet them-- chances are the new people will receive refreshes, buffs, and advice from established Good Samaritans.
5) Group Goals
Sure, you have your individual plot, and, in the interests of seeing this plot achieved, you want everybody you bring into game to help you. Be flexible and generous. If you've had the good fortune to convince a bunch of people to join the game, reconsider your plot ambitions. If you've dedicated yourself to one-person stealth missions, chances are your friends won't have much fun. You have experience in the gameworld-- generate a larger goal for your group that goes beyond individual backstories. Again, Orders and Companies are useful here: brainstorm a common enemy, homeland, or treasure that interests everyone in your group.
And, remember, a common goal doesn't need to necessarily require the same motivation from each person. For instance, perhaps you all want to slay the lich lord. For Heidi, this is a matter of revenge. For Kendrick? He just wants to prove himself to his Knight uncle. And Melville? He's interested in the weapon the lich lord is said to hoard. Finally, Amelia just likes to kill undead-- any and all undead. This sort of group goal allows for individuals within a group-- finally, when you've achieved the mission, you've learned to accomodate a variety of personalities, skill sets, and goals. This leads to a more cohesive group with more potential for future adventures.
6) Making the Switch
This doesn't pertain to all players, but is certainly common enough to include: the switch from tabletop to live-action. If you're bringing seasoned tabletop or videogamers to a LARP, make sure your address their expectations. (I'll have another post on this topic soon.) Most importantly, make sure they understand the ramifications of choosing a particular character build. For example, let's pretend that you have a friend who always without fail plays the sneaky bard who loves traps, lockpicking, and stealth missions. In reality, this friend has no talent for songs or performance, can't pick a lock or trap, and isn't particularly stealthy. However, he has a great talent for complicated numbers, and has decent hand-eye coordination. Gently suggest to the this friend that, given his predilection for numbers and accurate pitches, he might do really well as a combat caster. Of course, people will be people, and might need to experience the gameworld for themselves-- it's their choice, so don't be pushy. However, do emphasize that a roguish bard will need to sing songs, and pick locks, while a dueling swashbuckle will in fact need to actually duel and swashbuckle.
7) The OoG Community
Finally, one of the best parts of the LARP world is the OoG community. You, as an experience LARPer, have access to a world you may not even acknowledge: you have friends, even second family, in the LARP world. Give your friends access to this too. After game, introduce them to PCs and NPCs. Invite them to after-game clean up and dinner. Take them to pregame Spar-B-Que's. The more people they know OoG, the more likely they are to have fun IG.
What are some of the problems you've run into when bringing new players into the game? How have you dealt with these problems?
Submission: A non-fiction look at bringing newcomers into an existing LARP group.
Bringing people to a game can be one of the most fun parts of a LARP. After months, maybe even years, of trying to convince friends to play with your team, you may find yourself wildly excited, and nervous, to bring new sheep to the flock. But why nervous? You may ask. Well, because suggesting a LARP to someone is like recommending a favorite restaurant to a friend. What if, despite your gushing and glowing, the friend hates the apple pie at Mimi's Diner? Or what if they get food poisoning from the seafood platter? Or what if, worst of all, the restaurant staff is rude to your friend? After a bad experience, your friend will, of course, still be your friend... but something is undeniably different-- you, O' Sage Suggester, have demonstrated that, despite a nigh familial bond with Friend XYZ, you either have a) poor judgment or b) no understanding of Friend XYZ's tastes. Despite everyone's good intentions, when you lovingly recommend something to a friend, and things go poorly, trust is a bit shaken. This probably resonates with many people who have or would consider bringing a friend to a LARP.
Obviously, LARPs just aren't for some people. I like to think these people don't like fun, but, hey, that's why there are different flavors of ice cream. For most people, LARPs are awesome-- for many, however, LARP-fun might require a bit of social lubrication. This is especially true if you, the seasoned LARPer bringing friends to a game, is well-established in the LARP community. So, here are a few tips to consider before you usher in your companions.
1) Character Backgrounds
The larger your group, the more likely it is for Sally to want to play a gnome-squashing Bard from East Oshkosh, while Melvin favors a peace-loving Orc from the Wink-and-Nudge Dunes. Meanwhile, Josie just wants to wear fox furs and fight, while Hortense prefers to be the fox in question.
In short, cohesive character backgrounds are difficult-- even more so when you've been playing for eight years, and have more secret headers than you do fingers-and-toes. However, it's important to, at the very least, try to run a thread through the various character lines. For example, you're a vampire-slaying highborn with family in a slaver country. Maybe melodramatic Monica could be the daughter of a slave who worked for your uncle. Or Leopold could play a roaming bard with merchant contacts who specialize in vampire-bane. And for Amelia? Well, she wants to be a highborn too, so maybe you two met at a soiree.
However, these various contacts might be a bit much for some people-- if you're not the Captain of the Ship type, responsibility for all these people can get tiresome. That's when Orders, Companies, and Guilds become very useful. In the above example, the vampire-slayer leaves the most room for a variety of character builds.
Above all, it's important to consider how your friends' individual backgrounds and ambitions will fit into the larger story of the group. If you're a newer group, this is relatively easy-- you're making your goals, and can remain relatively flexible. However, for an establish group, group resonance is important: it's lame for the new player to spend the event picking goblin flowers, while you're off dueling blood spirits.
2) Skill Sets
One of the most rewarding parts of forming a group is strategic skill-set building. It's exciting, after a few years of wandering the plains Druid-less, to be able to welcome to the fray Dedicated Healer Miranda. If you're a one or two person team, it's even more exciting to be able to put together the odds-and-ends that make up a solid module group. However, don't limit people. If Heidi really doesn't want to be a polearm fighter, even though you really need one, don't make her-- she won't have fun. On the flipside, if you all want to be casters, think of a reason for such a homogeneous group. If you have a homogeneous group (such as the House Beacon polearmers from Madrigal), think of different specialties for individual people-- you can all use polearms, but people should take different skill sets to make an effective group.
3) Existing Plotlines
Cogent backstories are well-and-good, but, if you're an established player in a game, think of how new players will figure into an event with existing plotlines. Take the following situation: Kendrick, who loves to fight, has written himself the dynamic startings of a werehunter plot. However, you, plot-hound that you are, are knee deep in imperial political intrigue. While you do plenty of fighting, there are no weres to be spotted. What to do? If you want to play together (and, by the power of numbers, generate plot), then try to compromise. Maybe Kendrick was training to be a werehunter, but, in pursuit of a magic weapon, found himself in the big city-- there you found him. In need of a bodyguard, you quickly hired him. He was happy to take up arms in favor of your cause-- maybe later down the road, he'll continue his original were-stomping dream. It's highly unlike that a brand new player will get be able to snag all of the plot fish they've attempted to bait: if you fit their goals into your plot, however, they're far more likely to get the experience for which they've hoped.
4) Alliances
We all know that PC and NPC alliances-- established through luck, hardship, and perhaps baked goods-- make the game world go 'round. They take you on modules, give you advice, and help you achieve plot goals. Share your alliances with new players. Introduce them to people. When I was a new troubadour, Zephyr had me sing for an important noble. Shaman players, in Madrigal, are eager to take new shaman under their wings-- the same goes for most any class. Chances are, even if you're relatively new to the game, you can help new friends make contacts in the game world. This will not only make their experience better, but will alleviate some of the responsibility of entertaining 8 Initiates. Finally, if you know two or three people who simply love to help new players, make sure your group members meet them-- chances are the new people will receive refreshes, buffs, and advice from established Good Samaritans.
5) Group Goals
Sure, you have your individual plot, and, in the interests of seeing this plot achieved, you want everybody you bring into game to help you. Be flexible and generous. If you've had the good fortune to convince a bunch of people to join the game, reconsider your plot ambitions. If you've dedicated yourself to one-person stealth missions, chances are your friends won't have much fun. You have experience in the gameworld-- generate a larger goal for your group that goes beyond individual backstories. Again, Orders and Companies are useful here: brainstorm a common enemy, homeland, or treasure that interests everyone in your group.
And, remember, a common goal doesn't need to necessarily require the same motivation from each person. For instance, perhaps you all want to slay the lich lord. For Heidi, this is a matter of revenge. For Kendrick? He just wants to prove himself to his Knight uncle. And Melville? He's interested in the weapon the lich lord is said to hoard. Finally, Amelia just likes to kill undead-- any and all undead. This sort of group goal allows for individuals within a group-- finally, when you've achieved the mission, you've learned to accomodate a variety of personalities, skill sets, and goals. This leads to a more cohesive group with more potential for future adventures.
6) Making the Switch
This doesn't pertain to all players, but is certainly common enough to include: the switch from tabletop to live-action. If you're bringing seasoned tabletop or videogamers to a LARP, make sure your address their expectations. (I'll have another post on this topic soon.) Most importantly, make sure they understand the ramifications of choosing a particular character build. For example, let's pretend that you have a friend who always without fail plays the sneaky bard who loves traps, lockpicking, and stealth missions. In reality, this friend has no talent for songs or performance, can't pick a lock or trap, and isn't particularly stealthy. However, he has a great talent for complicated numbers, and has decent hand-eye coordination. Gently suggest to the this friend that, given his predilection for numbers and accurate pitches, he might do really well as a combat caster. Of course, people will be people, and might need to experience the gameworld for themselves-- it's their choice, so don't be pushy. However, do emphasize that a roguish bard will need to sing songs, and pick locks, while a dueling swashbuckle will in fact need to actually duel and swashbuckle.
7) The OoG Community
Finally, one of the best parts of the LARP world is the OoG community. You, as an experience LARPer, have access to a world you may not even acknowledge: you have friends, even second family, in the LARP world. Give your friends access to this too. After game, introduce them to PCs and NPCs. Invite them to after-game clean up and dinner. Take them to pregame Spar-B-Que's. The more people they know OoG, the more likely they are to have fun IG.
What are some of the problems you've run into when bringing new players into the game? How have you dealt with these problems?
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