LARP Sense

My Opinions on What Makes a Good Live Roleplaying Game (LRPG or LARP)
(and on the challenges of running one)
2001

I am posting this to offer my experience to anyone interested just for the general good of live gaming. I recognize that there is a subjective "matter of taste" to what each person likes in a roleplaying game (or even how to spell roleplaying...). On the one hand, I agree, but I also have the experience of seeing people who thought they wouldn't like these principles find that they were preferable. So go figure.

These are general principles. For specifics, just ask.

Immersivity

Part of the fun of being at a LARP is the feeling of being in a fantasy world, something larger than life. Anything that takes me out of that world is bad, and therefore it’s desirable to absolutely minimize pulling people out of the game moment.

Examples of problems:

· "Time outs" or "holds" that stop game play

· Anachronisms: maximize period costuming, architecture, decorations, etc.

· Breaking the "you see what you see" principle (e.g., bad monster costumes) Anytime a creature needs a verbal, out-of-game explanation it is inherently problematic

· Breaking character (for everyone at the game)

Minimize metagame opportunities

My definition: metagaming is when the player knows something his/her character doesn't/shouldn't. My assumption here is that it’s not good to have knowledge of things your character(s) have knowledge of, in general. Having metagame info is not only less fun, but it too often leads to what can only be called cheating.

When I was running Legends Roleplaying, we handled it this way: we said that there was no such thing as metagaming, by and large. That is, if you, the player, learned something, your character could assume to have learned it as well. For instance, if some knucklehead goes bragging after the event about having pulled off the secret theft of some item, and you overhear that in the parking lot, it’s a problem. But you shouldn’t be expected to pretend you don’t know that (or believe it). It should be the responsibility of the thief to keep his/her mouth shut, so you are justified in assuming your character just learned something since you did.

The implications of this are very broad, and when we first instituted it at Legends, there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth. But over time people not only got used to it, they also came to like it. And we were convinced that it was best move.

Some LARPs might have rules that make this idea too radical. This rule doesn’t work as an absolute for staff/NPCs, generally, either. But I suggest that it should be the standard assumption, the guideline for approaching the issue. Make it the goal.

The KISS Principle: "Keep It Simple, Stupid"

There is a tension between having inspiring and complex rules and having rules that are so simple that they seem invisible. Some feel that in order to create a rich world full of potential, elaborate rules are needed. I lean in the opposite direction. I think that simple, streamlined rules that allow for smooth, seamless game play are best. Complexity and richness can be maintained by having plots and a milieu that are packed full of detail and intricacies.

The idea also applies to writing plots, by the way, as a generality. Sometimes plot writers conceive the most amazing, elaborate ideas, and they might make wonderful movies, but they often don’t work well as plots. This happens when plot writers don’t get into the mind of a player when they’re writing. This is when it’s better to simplify, usually.

Miscellaneous Good Ideas

• Have enough staff/NPCs. Staff-to-Player ratios vary from game to game. We liked a 1:2 staff to player ratio at Legends. Do what you need to do to get a good ratio. (I think there is a way to change the black and white idea of PCs & NPCs, and we worked toward this at Legends, but we never really figured it out. I think there's a way to find a middle ground, somehow. I think there are some live roleplaying systems that do this, but they are very different in their structure. (Would the ILF fall into this category?)
• Have enough plot. Don’t run an event until you are ready with enough plot.
• Have enough events. Too few and people lose interest, too much and they are over-committed or frustrated that they miss events.
• Be organized and have great communication. Think of the organization as a business, a highly successful business. This is true within the staff and between staff and players.
• Be professional. Following from above, treat the game not as your personal "thing" but as your business. Do everything in a way you can be proud of, from decision making to plot writing to dealing with people.
• "There's always a way." Often we run into walls when we want to try something. It feels like there's no way to accomplish something you want to do/create. But generally it just takes some out-of-the-box thinking to find ways to make things happen. Questioning your assumptions is usually a good start.
• Spend your money wisely. Along with this is the importance of identifying what your biggest problems are. Don't spend time and money on something that's not as important as the key problems. What will it take to give your players a better game? What changes will have the most dramatic impact, the biggest bang for the buck in both the short and long terms? It's easy to get caught up in a "cool idea" that isn't really important. Yet there are times that you need to be willing to leap into a solution with both feet.

The Truth About Running A Live Roleplaying Game

· The Bad News:
--It's basically impossible to make a living just by running a LRPG/LARP. Face that, if you haven't already.
--Running a good LARP becomes a black hole for time and energy (and money, at least at first). If you're not willing to pour those three things into it, the game will not thrive. No one really understands this until they've run a successful game, I think.
--Running LARPs has lead to broken friendships, wrecked marriages and bankruptcy filings. This can be minimized by the presence of the qualities below.
--You need a great core of people, and they must all be mature and professionals. PLAYING a LARP may be a swell way to work out your personal issues (although I don't recommend it!), but running one requires dedication, management skills, maturity, professionalism, humility, discipline, wisdom, the ability to accept criticism and good business sense -unless you're rich...
--You get to do the crummiest of the work, or you should at least be ready to do it.
--My highly unscientific study shows that most LARPS fade before their third birthday. (And I've heard statistics that 80% of American small businesses fail before their fifth year is out.)

· The Good News:
-It's hard work. If you like hard work, it's fun.
-You'll have the satisfaction of knowing that you have helped create something that is truly rare and wonderful.
-You'll have the satisfaction of knowing that you are helping lots of people have a great time (staff and players).
-That's about it. -It is not all fun and games. But it can be great.

If this sounds bitter, it's not. It's just hard-nosed. Would I do it again, ever? Yes, if the circumstances described above were right, but I rather doubt that this will happen in the foreseeable future. The key things for me would be a great core of people I knew well enough, adaquate money and free time, and a situation where an affordable site was reasonably near a decent-sized population center.