A draft for the Autumn issue of Immersion magazine.
This is a pretty general overview of how I go about making gear. I make some pretty wacky stuff, so this won’t help if you’re making trousers or body armour, but if you want to make a post-apocalyptic fortress, or Cthulhu, or a giant skink costume then this approach might come in handy. This is in five (easy) steps. If the step you’re on is not working, go back a step and work it out.
- GET INSPIRED
Don’t let anything hold you back here. If you want to build a space ship, damn well set about building one. You can figure out all those niggles like “but you can’t go into space!” later. Figure out what you want and don’t compromise until step 4.
- VISUALISE
Draw what you want. Again, don’t worry about how you’ll achieve it yet. Doesn’t matter if you suck at drawing, just start imagining it in real space. You’ll thank me later.
- MAKE IT NATURAL FOR LARP
It seems obvious but it’s very easy to miss. Wrangle your idea until it’s just perfect for larping. Stopping the game to brief people on a piece of gear totally ruins your big surprise moment. Figure out what the requirements are for your gear to “just work” like they’re meant to.
Don’t make stuff that’s too efficient in-game. I always design heaps of IC problems into larping gear. It’s like character creation - give them big meaty issues. Design to maximise drama. Don’t design to “win” or to make everyone think you’re cool.
- HOW CAN I ACHIEVE THIS?
It gets real tough here. Now you have to work out how to make it happen. My design phase has a very important second step that designers often miss because it’s considered to be part of construction. I say it’s a part of design.
4.1 THEORISE
Figure out how something might work, based on what you know. How can I make a comfortable full-head mask that doesn’t come off in a fight? A gas mask hugs your head, has anchor-points and is flexible so I theorise that it will make a good base. How can I naturally walk on my hands like a terrifying animal? Crutches let you easily walk on your hands so I theorise that I can costume them and walk like a terrifying animal.
4.2 PROVE YOUR CONCEPTS
Get a gas mask and run around in it. Borrow some crutches and run about on them. They both work! Hurray!
Proving your concepts is a very important step when designing gear. When you know that each of your pieces works alone you can design gear that is merely combinations of things you know to work.
4.3 COMBINE AND DESIGN
Once you know all the pieces (and know they work individually) you can plan how you’ll put them all together. Do so.
- MAKE IT.
Oh finally. Get all your pieces together and go about the build process. You should have pretty much everything figured out before you start, so the actual build process should be peaceful, satasfying and theraputic. If you’re nervous or unsure at this point, go back to step 4 until you’re confident. When you finally assemble everything and take a photo, you’ll have a solid, modular piece of kit made 'specially for larp. And that is satasfying.
I reckon with these five steps you can make anything. Prove every idea you conceptualise and sooner or later you’ll have all the ingredients. I used this process to make foam weapons, a gypsy camp, a werewolf, the game May Day and stacks of stuff for Nibelungen (proof is in the pudding this February). Remember if a step not working, go back one. Good luck!