[The Darklord]

We have a pretty huge range of experience between us all, from absolute new comers to the hobbey to old hands (like me wagh does this make me old?).  Just wondered if anybody would like to comment on previous rpg and larp stuff they have experienced either good or bad and how their views on the hobbey have changed (or not).

[ryan666]

well im pretty new but i love larp! Cousins have dun it for a while so glad i got involved, look forward to wednesdays now usually bored out ma face on a wednesday.

[The Darklord]

Ok, you are new to larp - good.  But did you ever do anything at all similar?  How about those adventure game book things or rpgs on computers?  If so how did they contrast to larp as you have experienced it so far?

Any one else?

[Artemisia]

As an ancient teacher/artist, the only experience I'd had until a year ago was a term's role play with Chris and our classes of 10 year olds - especially when we had an school advisor watching and Chris decided to cause his character to lie on the floor unconcious, occasionally surfacing enough to cry 'witches,-evil' in a dodgy scottish accent, leaving me to improvise like mad. Talk about being thrown in at the deep end! Now I love the freefall of roleplay, the intensity of emotions and the twisting plots.
I originally only wanted to build the Inn and make art and artefacts to go in it (much better than theatre where my scenery and props were used then put in a skip), but now I can't resist joining in.
Occasionally I watched D&D games in sixth form but it's taken over 20 years to become involved. I'm now a warhammer newbie and am building a skaven army.
Advice - don't get me talking about role play as I'm becoming obsessive - the family have to sit on me to make me shut up. My 11year old daughter is horrified at the thought the I might go out onto the dunes for a linear event IN PUBLIC.
But I think you guys are cool.
It's like being inside a story.

Darklord - this took me ages to type (spend far too much time thinking) - another reason why I don't post very often- will try to speed up in future.

[The Darklord]

Thats cool - and its nice that you are getting into the hobbey from a fresh perspective.  It adds something new - the fact that you are more interested in the creative/imaginative side.  As for building your warhammer army - good luck with the remortgaging!   My lord or the rings armies have cost me far too much.

I dont know if its cos we've been isolated from most other larp groups for quite some time but skeg has always been a bit different to other stuff that I have come across.

[The Darklord]

Actually, Artemisas post made me realise - I shouldnt have called this thread "prior larp/rpg experience" because I don't want to limit it just to that - what other experience have people had that affects their view of this hobbey in general and skeg role play in particular?

[ryan666]

I always used to read these books where you are the character and you have a character sheet in the front of the book and you flick to different pages in the book and different things happen. They were pretty cool and i have some warhammer to ( a dark elf army  ). And i play a lot of rpg games on my pc.

[Elmyra]

I shall go through mine, as i dont belive Tom's would fit on one of these pages. Now i have only been Rolplaying for around 6 years and only LARPing for nearly 4. But i have dabbled in a few things,
The reason i got into roleplay, was due to a drama friend of mine, my intrest in drama and acting (up) was my main reason. Something felt right about it all! OK i have played tabletop versions of Hunter, shaddowrun, D&d 3.5/ 3.0/ AD&d etc etc etc pretty much 90% of the add on business, exalted, Vampire the masquraide and the old time one which name escapes me, fung sui, crimson moon, supermegatopia, the ultimate hero game, wearwolf, GURPs and some others to numerous to mention. (Games you look at and go we will give it a shot then you convert into a system you know to make it playable!
I play forum games, i did/do co-gm a forum game but it has died on its arse recently due to me not having time to play propperly (dam work encroching on my RP)
Larp wise i play LT, and the wolf. I used to play the vampire nationals,but the politics of upsetting the local prince was too much!
I think that is about it. I have started writing more in depth stories about my characters and thing, i read fantasy books and play rp games (belive it or not i am playing bards tale at the moment for the millionth time). I dont really war game, but i do paint figures when i can!
Oh and i met tom at an LT event by roleplaying (a giant white blurr)

Before you all ask, Because i can see you all itching to! My favourite characters are:

1 Loom - First Dnd character, first RP character, became an avatar of nerul some how!
2 Runzoffwithunicorns- Second generation Uzzzzzzz and i loves her
3 Lanni - Forum game about zombies she was the big whore with an even bigger gun, and she was the first character to have prosthetics. She got eaten though!
4 Dave the Ninja Troll - A shaddowrun troll that thought he was jackie chan, he did things like hide under lampshades and kick people!
5 Perriwinkle - Because she is lubbly and a lady boy!

Phew i think that is a fine RP CV

[The Darklord]

Elmy has packed a lifetime of rp into 6 years!  But then she always was special (some argued it was special needs but I knew better  ) But how have the different stuff you've played influenced each other - taken ideas from one into another etc?

My only experience of the bigger "fest" type events has been from too many years at the gathering.  I think most people go through a similar process when they go to the gathering, they look around the 1st time and say "wow, this is fantastic"  and it sort of is, well a little bit.  Then next year you go back with a bit more of a clue and get into it a bit more. Then by your third year you are convinced you are going to be the next big thing and you pretty much know it all.  A variable amount of time after that the shine wears off and you see it for what it is.  Compared to that, humble homegrown larp has a much greater apeal somehow.

Though it is fun (but not very) to have some noob start telling you all about how it works when its pretty damn clear they don't know one end of a sword from the other.

In the realm of table top, I find feng shui has made me such a lazy gm.  If a system is much more complicated than that I find I just want to steal the ideas and setting and feng it up. The white wolf stuff can be ok but I much prefer to play than ref in that. 

Interesting thing I read on a website for a group that run larps based around RE Howerds Hyborian age is their attitude towards reality.  They pretty much stated that if you want to play a warrior type character (or in fact survive on any adventures) then you should expect  to need a reasonable degree of fitness.  It kinda made sense to me - afterall in more drawn out combats fitness is going to come into play to a degree anyway so why not aknowledge it?  What do people think?

[Artemisia]

Chris on Christine's computer

I have to agree with those thoughts wholeheartedly (and more so)

Rules to me are and always will be a pain in the arse (real life as well as games) - "rules are simply a way of letting the unimaginative have a chance at success"

If you want to fight with a big sword use one - if you want to hide in the dark you hide in the dark. If you want to know about herbs read a botany book, poisons read a toxicology book. No one expects you to become a professor in these skills but you wouldn't be with just one purchase of a skill anyway. OOC - if I designed Chris as a character I would have bought poison lore at least half a dozen times.

These skills should be used to boost your actual ability - not be used instead of. I would much rather see someone trying to pick the locks on the private rooms in the wolf than calling a GM and shouting pick locks.

And to be really controversial - I also like to think that a combat that reduced me to within an inch of my life should physically hurt a bit as well. In no way would I ever suggest this as a group or club fighting policy,but as a personal preference, whilst being healed up from death's door I do like to contemplate how intersting the bruises will be the next day. I also where possible brief NPC/monsters to watch for realism - don't take hits from those who flick you with a claymore or reload a flintlock six times a minute. Equally a backstab delivered precisely and confidently is likely to be fatal to most low level monsters.
We have begun to achieve a high level of realism now - people are taking on in character jobs, songs and sagas are being developed it is becoming a much more in depth world again let's not spoil it with rules over realism.
Who remembers heroic fighting at the knights events?

[The Darklord]

The Heroic combat system (TM) was a damn good and soooo simple additon to the lore of larp that its just not funny.  In fact I often fantasise about taking a group of larpers, sticking steel swords in their hands for a training session and making them see why the dumbass wrist flicking is just so crap.  Because not only does it look shit (and despite what any one out there thinks - it really does) but it is so unrealistic.  Larp should not have to be 100% accurate, or even 100% sensible but I do believe that weather you are doing cheesy high fantasy or grim and nasty low down dirty stuff, the combat should be something that makes your adrenaline flow.  That makes onlookers actually enjoy watching and in fact be so damn good fun and exciting you don't mind losing becasue it was damn good all the same.

[alec42]

The Heroic combat system (TM) was a damn good and soooo simple additon to the lore of larp that its just not funny.  In fact I often fantasise about taking a group of larpers, sticking steel swords in their hands for a training session and making them see why the dumbass wrist flicking is just so crap.  Because not only does it look shit (and despite what any one out there thinks - it really does) but it is so unrealistic. 

Here here.

larps based around RE Howerds Hyborian age is their attitude towards reality.  They pretty much stated that if you want to play a warrior type character (or in fact survive on any adventures) then you should expect  to need a reasonable degree of fitness.  It kinda made sense to me - afterall in more drawn out combats fitness is going to come into play to a degree anyway so why not aknowledge it?  What do people think?

On a side note, do  you remember the Conan linear I ran once? Everyone died... (proof if it were needed that LARP, as with all things, requires a careful study of walking before any ideas are had about running).

As to the general issue of knowledge, skills etc, I am inclined to agree that you ought to have a measure of real life knowledge to back up IC skills. For example, if you want to Read/Write Dwarven, learn the English letter equivalents of FUTHORC. I would add the caveat however that this ought not to preclude one from playing a character with aspirations to martial proficiency (or whatever) who practiced and improved their skills IC. 

[The Darklord]

Yeah I remember that one alex!  It was good fun too as I recall - as for the dying horribly part it was mainly the fault of the players I suspect - we should have had it away on our toes when things started to go horribly wrong but because we were all feeling over confident we got slaughtered to a man.  Have you still got that system somewhere - could be a giggle to try it again sometime?

[The Darklord]

Chris on Christine's computer

And to be really controversial - I also like to think that a combat that reduced me to within an inch of my life should physically hurt a bit as well. In no way would I ever suggest this as a group or club fighting policy,but as a personal preference, whilst being healed up from death's door I do like to contemplate how intersting the bruises will be the next day. I also where possible brief NPC/monsters to watch for realism - don't take hits from those who flick you with a claymore or reload a flintlock six times a minute. Equally a backstab delivered precisely and confidently is likely to be fatal to most low level monsters.

Coming back to this, yes I see why we cannot implement this as a policy for the whole group "ouch that blow hurt me a lot"

"No it didnt it only hurt you a little bit" *shudder*  But I have to admit I do tend to side with Chris on that a little bit, you should feel as though you have been in a bit of a knock about.  Of course its impossible to dictate the level of this exactly as we all have different ideas of what is an acceptable level of pain - for me, fairly solid shot to the body that lets me know I've taken a hit - no problem, full on smash across the face and I'll start hitting back. Of course there are a lot of different people in the club, I'm not going to fight Chris or Tom the same way as I would fight a complete newcomer or someone who had restricted movement for whatever reason.  Equally someone who is actively moving and involved in the combat is likely to be dealt with differently than someone who is sat with their back to me having a quiet drink.

What do people think though? Do we need guidelines on acceptable contact?  Personally I hope not, different aspects of larp are actual skills we can learn and improve through experience.  Judgement of a given situation has to be one of those skills surely?

[alec42]

The Conan system exists somewhereI think, although I'm fairly sure that any electronic copies will have been lost by now. I shall have a root around...