NZLARPs Auckland Regional Committee Meeting minutes
16th January 2013.
Present: Cameron Burns, Mikaere Curtis, Hannah Jackson, Clare Stones, Cheryl Fredrick, Gareth Sandford.
Meeting opened: 7:45pm.
Sabbat:
Cheryl and Gaffy came along to the Committee meeting to present the game to us, so we could vote on whether to make it a project of NZLARPs.
Cheryl presented us with a Project form, and a Gear Requisition form for the upcoming playtest.
The main games are to be structured as whole day games, possibly some with sleep over arrangements. No full weekend games planned as of yet.
They are expecting the campaign to run for 2-3 years, with approximately 3 games a year.
Vision of game is: Epic fantasy, strong focus on roleplaying. The game is intended to be combat light- combat will be deadly, but will not be the main focus of the game. There will be lots of magic.
All 3 GMs (Cheryl, Derek and Gaffy) have some GMing experience- Derek has lots, Gaffy has GMed for Bad Dreams and one off games, Cheryl has GMed for one off games.
The GMing team has met with Tigger, Anna, Muppet and Nikki to learn more about running campaign games.
They are anticipating that the size of the game will be smallish- about 40 players. Game will be R18.
They are aware of the NZLARPs code of conduct, and have incorporated it into their code of conduct.
Question and discussion:
- Questions relating to the above information
- Will the game allow banned members? – No.
If banned members do approach the GMs, the GMs can contact the committee for advice and recommendations. - Hannah- Big prop items need to be bought away from games afterwards .
Cheryl- at this point, no giant props are planned. - Mike - GMs need to store big, game specific props themselves.
Cheryl – the props will be generic enough that they can be used by other fantasy LARPs. - Mike – given the 40 player cap, are the GMs going to operate the game so players who have played before have priority for player positions, like Witch House does?
Gaffy/Cheryl- Probably. Not for the play test, but people who attend the first game will likely get priority for future games.
Mike – Players should be committed to turning up regularly to games.
Proposal by Mike: Should Sabbat become an NZLARPs project?
Motion carried.
Treasurer Report
Deposits have been sent for the following games: Teonn 6 and 7, Chimera 2013, Witchhouse.
Anna is no longer allowing people to put expenditure receipts towards future game credit. Expenditure receipts will be reimbursed instead.
Teonn 5 made a good profit – of around $2000.
Needs a different person in the Teonn GM team for financial liason. Muppet is the current liason but there have been some contact difficulties.
Action Point: Mike to follow up with Teonn GM team re. Financial liason.
Discussion:
- Mike- Flagships are only going to get bigger in size.
- Cameron- Anna needs more notice from GMs regarding when money is required for game expenditure.
- Hannah- Need a logistics organiser who is not a GM.
- Cameron- in overseas larps, there are usually 2 roles- the Game Head, who manages logistics, and the Head GM, who manages the story.
- Cheryl- will need to find a logistics person for Sabbat.
- Mike- would be OK with logistics person having a significant game discount or not having to pay for the game. Also need a more transparent process around people who do not pay for games (ie GMs), as some do not for the really big games. Needs to be a question on the project affiliation form.
Discussion of game venues: - Anna is investigating using a camp in Hunua as a venue. Sleeps over 300 people.
- Awhitu Environmental Camp no longer available as a venue- it is owned by a charitable trust.
- Mike- we could potentially use Waikato Environmental Camp?
- Cameron – several disadvantages to Waikato environmental Camp as a venue: Not much land, has a Burma bridge which is not suitable for combat, has an area of grass which you can’t walk on. However, 3 big dorms.
- Mike – no forest, but lots of big dorms. Could decorate one up for a scene. Easy drive.
- Mike – increased cost of camp if we look outside of scout camps.
- Cameron- Christian camps are an option, but some are expensive, and some would have a problem with LARP content.
- Cherryl- Sabbat does have some pagan themes.
Action Point: Mike to follow up with Anna: What is the actual financial position of NZLARPs? Would like to get more details.
Gear report:
Hannah-
Quiet month for gear. Purchased 2 new storage boxes. Tidying up gear.
Action Points: Hannah to do: Photograph gear, and find makeup box.
- Mike – Makeup is probably at the back of shed.
- Hannah- Back of shed full of fabric boxes, these are very heavy to move.
- Mike- we could throw away some of the chain? (it is holey)
- Hannah- chain is on list of things to photograph and decide whether to keep or not.
- Cameron: we could use chain to edge tunics to make it look as if armour is underneath, or use as bandit armour.
Actions arising from last meeting:
Mike: - Investigate getting advice from counsellor – not yet done.
Mike: - Investigate grant sources for cage trailer- not yet done.
Winterdale: Zara has announced that game is on hold. - Hannah- does Zara have any NZLARPs gear for Winterdale?
- Clare/Mike- vests and pistols.
- Mike/Hannah- these could be useful for Chimera. Need to follow up.
Action Point: Hannah to follow up with Zara re. Winderdale gear.
Mike: Derek wants to build 6 shields for crew gear, at a cost to NZLARPs of $25 each. - Cherryl- foam kite shields, for civilised humans in Sabbat.
- Hannah- will sigils on shields match existing gear in shedl?
- Cherryl- will be of a simple design.
- Mike- should we issue any constraints?
Discussion about whether to make them a block color, or make sigils detachable, maybe create covers for shields.
Hannah: Can Cherryl ask Derek to consider making the color/sigil connected with existing larp gear? For example, using a sigil already used in gear?
Cameron/Hannah- we should ask Derek to create 6 generic shields.
Proposal by Mike: Should NZLARPs ask Derek to make 6 generic shields for gear shed, with a budget of $150 altogether?
Motion carried- unanimous.
Hobbiton:
Mike received an email from David (Shetland)- the French group he is associated with are interested in running a large LARP event at Hobbiton. They have previous experience in running large events in overseas locations.
NZLARPs has talked in the past about running an event at Hobbiton, but in all practicality, people within NZLARPs don’t have time to get an event like this off the ground by ourselves.
Discussion:
- Cameron: We should have a meeting with them first, to discuss this.
- Clare: Skype meeting? (as group is in France)
- Mike: Keen on the meeting idea.
- Hannah: concern- clash between French professionalism and NZLARPs volunteerism? The French group might expect to be paid?
- Mike: An event at Hobbiton is likely to be big, very international. Would be a great learning experience for us. Need to negotiate with the French group- maybe we can run small events in between the big ones?
- Cameron: Might need to check rights associated with use of names associated with the Hobbit/LOTR. Hobbiton name probably OK, some other names may not be.
Action Point: Committee to meet with the French group, to see what is likely to be involved in jointly running a Hobbiton event. See if we can preserve the right to hold smaller events at Hobbiton as well. - Cameron: not sure what the farmer who owns the site would think of a huge event. He might be imagining small events being held there?
- Mike: Farmer would require people to pay the tour fee to use the site, sounds flexible apart from that.
- Cameron: We should go down to Hobbiton and talk to the farmer about it again.
- Mike: Next step – meeting with the French group.
- Cameron: We should get the national committee involved, especially in marketing.
- Mike: Yes, we should invite the National committee to be involved. However, don’t want it to be solely a national committee thing.
- Hannah: We might want to talk to Tourism NZ once we have got the ball rolling. When we have established a date for event plus have some marketing material.
Trailer: - Mike: Trailer currently undergoing maintenance at a garage. One of the jockey wheel pins came out; getting this fixed.
Also, need to get insurance on trailer. - Cameron: AA is the best deal, and they should also cover contents.
Upcoming LARPs: - Sabbat play test
- Phoenix Rises monthly game
- Old World of Darkness Changeling
- Fri Night LARPs (Feb onwards)
- Western LARP- Jacqui and David.
- Mike planning a Skirmish game, at North Head. Child friendly, but children to be accompanied by guardians.
- Kapcon
- Hydra
- 33AR
Meeting closed: 8:55pm.