Early stages: zombie survival LARP (Wellington)

Community Game ideas
#1

The most fun I’ve ever had crewing an event overseas was as a zombie in a semi-serious zombie apocalypse-style outdoor LARP set in the present day. There doesn’t seem to be anything like this in or near Wellington (where I live), though, so I’m seriously considering organising something myself.

Unfortunately, I’m new to this part of the process. So I’d really like to pick people’s brains about the whole idea.

First of all, does that sound like something people might go to? And if so, how many players and crew would you expect to sign up?

The current plan would be to make it an all-nighter on a weekend, i.e. from Saturday night to Sunday morning. I’m aiming to use the scout campsite at Wainuiomata if at all possible because it’s the only reliable place for outdoor LARPs I know of in the Wellington region. Do you have any comments on the format I’m planning or the site I’d like to use?

Where’s the best place to advertise an event other than here? I’m not on Facebook and don’t intend to sign up but are there other things you’ve found useful for your events in the past?

And last but not least, I won’t be able to do this on my own. I’ll need at least two more GMs during the event itself and would welcome any help with logistics, plot or gear. If that sounds like something you’d like to get involved in I’d love to meet you!

Any other questions or comments? Just post them here or PM me. I’ll be using this thread as the go-to place for discussion if this thing actually happens. (Fingers crossed!)

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One-off weekend-long games
#2

There a Wellington LARP Google group you could advertise on (nzlarps--wellington@googlegroups.com)

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#3

I would be super keen to play or crew, I love zombies! I know that survival horror games at Hydra are always super popular, so there’s definitely a market for something like this.

If you’re not on fb the google group or posters at KapCon and Hydra + word of mouth are probably your best bet.

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#4

Brookfield has a good relationship with us already, and we keep a lot of our gear there, so we’re always happy to send people in their direction. The place sleeps 96 in bunks, plus all the room in the world for tenting.
Plus many of us already know the place, we have the paths pretty well mapped out and we know where the drainage ditches are, so we feel confident running around there in the dark.
For a Wellington game, I would generally expect 60 people.

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#5

Thanks to all of you, all of this is very helpful!

I’ll get to see the site for the first time at Embers 4 so fingers crossed I’ll be able to talk to some of the people in charge then. And get a good look at it while I’m there as well.

I hope to be able to think about plot going beyond a generic ‘survive the night - or not’ after that.

#6

Oooh yesss, i would be very keen to crew this. I’m still new to the community and don’t live in Wellington so wouldn’t be helpful in any practical sense, but I would be so super keen to be involved!

#7

Oh, I think crewing would definitely be helpful in a practical sense!

#8

Long lag, but I’ve finally been able to take a look at the Wainuiomata site. It’d be perfect!

Could someone point me in the direction of Wellington’s gear officer, please? I think I’d like to have a look at the gear shed soon.

I’m also looking for the Embers GM that did the logistics and budgeting for that game - they’ve got my email address but I haven’t really got theirs. And I’d like to pick their brains about costs at Wainuiomata.

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#9

@Joker is the Wellington gear officer. He can be reached on wellington.gear@nzlarps.org.

I’m not sure which of the Embers team did budgeting and logistics - @Curuniel ?

#10

Emberslarp@gmail.com

#11

Thanks to everyone who helped out with names and tips. I’ve been able to gather some more information.

Unfortunately, some of it is bad news. Brookfield got back to me with a quote $2000 for an entire weekend, which is the figure I’d heard from other people. But they also said that it’s either the entire weekend or nothing: I can’t book half the weekend for half the price.

This is a problem. It means I’ll either have to charge players and crew what I think are stupid prices for a single night instead of two, or turn the event into something very different from what I had in mind by coming up with more plot. Enough plot to fill an entire weekend, in fact.

I don’t think I can do either.

So what I really need is a more suitable site. (Brookfield is actually far bigger than what I’d need when all’s said and done as well.) I’ve heard quite a few hints pointing towards “there isn’t one” but I thought I’d ask again anyway: does anyone know of an alternative?

#12

There are other camps, but no-one has really checked them out. Scroll down the list here:

We do know that Camp Kaitoke is expensive. Camp Elsden is urban, on the edge of the Porirua CBD. No-one has checked out Camp Wanui AFAIK.

#13

You can find a few options by searching for “Wellington school camp venues” and the like. Its hard to say what any of those places cost though.

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#14

Hmmm… This will require research. Quite a bit of it.

But not before the Christmas break, I think. I still have vague hopes that we’ll finally buy a car early next year…

#15

Another thing to consider is 2 larps, 1 weekend. Find someone else who wants to run a 1-night larp, and go splitsies on the cost.

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#16

Oh, that’s an excellent idea as well!