Handlers: Experimental logistics system for campaign Larps

Community Larp discussion
#1

So Thom (Dagr) Nick (Tetrajak) and I have been trying to get 33AR to be as awesome as humanly possible. Which included coming up with ways to make sure all your emails get answered and all of you have plot to play. We are keen on some input from you guys in our current solution to this problem.

Each player, or potential player, gets assigned to a handler - one of the GMs. This handler is responsible for answering emails, talking to the other GMs about any changes needed for the character concept (for example to fit the system better) and generally be an advocate for that characters involvement in the plot. The handler would be this players primary contact in the game.

We thought of this system to reduce emails being missed, or answered 3 times with potentially different answers, and to make sure no-one gets forgotten in all the hubbub. Also, because I really hate getting emails from “The Team” and not knowing which member of the team wrote it.

What do you guys, especially those who have been involved in campaigns before, think of this plan?

#2

It seems like the old “primogen” system told in the old vampire books. Each clan of vamps had their own gm and needed to contact them personally for stuff relating to a clan.

its not new thinking and a good idea, one question what happens if the handler is away or sick?

#3

One problem that you get with multiple gms answering emails is that you can get different answers for the same question unless you talk to each other every time you make a call. We found that a horizontal approach is better than a vertical approach: by which I mean each gm has a certain area they control (exp, money, particular types of plots) and then we get together and talk about what happened.

#4

@Paulie: Ah, it seems there is nothing new in the world, no matter how we try. Or we could view as huzzuh, we successfully reinvented the wheel? :smiley: If one of the GMs can’t make it to a game, we’re in serious trouble, on account of there only being 3 of us (though we’re going to rope in some folks to help referee). And I guess if it does happen, we’ll just slice the missing GMs player set down the middle and those of us who made it to the game will carry on as best we can - possibly with more caffiene than initially expected.
During the inter-session times, we are keeping everything in spaces where we can all reach it, so if one of us gets hit by a bus then the survivors can pick up where the departed left off, hopefully without too much hassle. All hail cloud computing! ignores megaupload

@Muppet: I like the horizontal idea! We’ll have to see whether we want to incorporate something like that into the logistics system as well.

Thanks for the feedback guys.