I’m sorry, I don’t wanna write, coz I wanna PLAY!!! 
goes and digs corset and hoopskirt out of cupboard
Oh, what? a year?!? damn… puts it all away again
I’m writing the Battlecry larp for 09. I was planning to borrow the Hindenburg model of rules - Kick Ass/Not Kick Ass/Secret Kick Ass, plus the badge symbols etc…yeah, it’s pretty perfect.
As well as forums, Google Docs would be worth looking at. I haven’t tried it, but anyone with a Gmail account can write documents together online and it just keeps one version for you. You can chat in realtime while you write together. Word processing and spreadsheets.
I think you can save straight to PDF from Google Docs, which would be very handy too as it’s best to send character sheets out as PDF.
Another good tip, thanks Ryan. While I prefer to work with other writers in person, the reality of life makes it pretty hard to meet up on a regular basis, so anything that facilitates working together remotely is a good thing.
Dave and I are definately going to continue to write this larp, whether it ends up being the Chimera larp or not, but if it is for Chimera then we’d definately want assistance. If Steve joins us that would be three writers - ideally we’d want four.
I liked the Hindenberg rules too. For a large scale larp like this simple is better.
For sure. All the complexity you could want is in the relationships between the characters, where it belongs.
It might be a good idea to acquire five writers, as a year is a long time so there could be attrition.
Also, given what a success Chimera was this year it might well grow, and the big larp with it. We will likely get some folks from Wellington too, several said they would have come this year if they hadn’t already played a number of the larps.
Sorry, you are right. What I meant to say was that ideally we’d want at least four. Five would probably be better if we can get the volunteers.
Some sideways thoughts on Victorian fictonal characters:
- Ayesha, She Who Must Be Obeyed, a Queen of Africa
- The Ancient Mariner (for someone who wants to costume a dead albatross around their neck)
- Phileas Fogg
- Anything by Dickens. And Dickens himself, though not fictional.
- Wuthering Heights characters
There’s an embarressment of choice, although much of it is obscure these days so probably not suitable.
Some of the obvious gothic characters were later Victorian, but that shouldn’t stop them appearing seeing they’re ficitonal anyhow.
Sailing and exploration was a big theme at the time, just like flying was for the 30s.
On a non-fictional note, the world’s first public toilets were at the Great Exhibition, for one penny a go, and the proud inventor was there too. Now there’s a character.
Cool ideas. Some of them we had thought of, others not. Given so far we have concepts for around 40 characters, we’d need quite a few more if it were to run at Chimera. But there is a wealth of material to draw from, especially as you say we can be flexible with the timeline of fictional characters.
You have a lot of ideas Ryan, are you interested in helping write?
Oh, and have you seen the leech barometer that was at the Exhibition? It’s so cool. I’ve been thinking about ways to recreate it for the game. Not that I have a plot for it, but it is cool.
[quote=“Ryan Paddy”]Having looked at it, the Crystal Palace and it’s Great Exhibition of 1851 does seem like the perfect venue for that era. Would be interesting to set-dress too.
Also: French revolutionaries. Victor Hugo. Karl Marx. The world’s largest diamond. Queen Victoria (who opened the Exhibition). Trouble with the “natives” of the US, Africa, and New Zealand - some of whom could be visiting. When did that Maori chief with the suit of plate armour visit the Queen? The Taiping Rebellion.[/quote]
there is only two words i can say to an idea like this
[size=200]Steam punk![/size]
Don’t forget things like magicians and spiritualism, really big stuff in the time.
Just as a side note, the BattleCry larp I’m working on is set late Victorian/turn of the century and is a gothic melodrama/penny dreadful-esque affair, but isn’t based an actual event or include historical fictioanl personages.
I think it might be best to tread lightly on the steam punk front, a light touch rather than a defining feature of the setting.
Will consider writing. Don’t want to overcommit myself, and have a lot of personal larp projects and non-larp stuff I’d like to do.
Besides, most of my ideas are more Google-based than strong personal knowledge of the era.
I’d have to second David’s vote for Steampunk, though I’d be just as happy to have one of each. 
I don’t yet have a Victorian costume (well, other than one for Jane Eyre, but that has a hoop and I want a bustle), but I’ve been wanting one for years and years and it might be expensive but if I had the slightest excuse - like a game - I would totally do it.
Second attempt at New Bretonia? I’m not sure if it would work for the big game of Chimera, but I think as part of a con might be a better way to introduce it than as a standalone evening/weekend game.
I think some characters could have a touch of retrofuturism about them to appeal to players who like steampunk, without having to rewrite the setting so much that it’s no longer grounded in the historicism that makes it conveniently familiar. Much like Hindenburg really, with Einstein’s special engine and various other bits of non-period high-tech.
I think I have to agree with Ryan on the Steampunk issue. I’m keen to include aspects of steampunk into the game and characters, but not a complete steampunk setting. To be honest I don’t think I could do justice to the genre, and it could be too distracting to the game as a whole.
The concept I have in mind for the game at the moment is definately alternative reality rather than pure historical, so I see potential to include characters that will satisfy those that want steam punk.
Oooh! The mention of Dickens made gears whirl in my mind. Cause Tolstoy and Dostoevsky were around his time too and they have a whole host of interesting characters.
Like the embittered Underground Man from Dostoevsky’s Notes from the Underground. So many others.
It would make sense for it to be grounded in British history & literature given the locale and genre, but have splashes of colour from all over the world for variety and interest.
It’d be interesting finding ways to tie characters from many disparate parts of the world together, so they have strong enough relationships to drive drama. Perhaps international secret societies could play a part in that.
I for one am pretty much sold on this concept for the next big Chimera larp, I think it’s an excellent fit. I think it will build on the strengths of Hindenburg, and then in future years concepts from genres further afield could be tried.
Heh, Anna Karenina as potential character? Miraculously survived after throwing herself under the train…
I would have offered Sonya Golden Hand as potential character, but I don’t think she’s known much outside Russia (while inside she’s an absolute legend).
I saw a T shirt the other day that said…
“But what if google was wrong?”
What about Purgatory as a theme?
Players could play historical characters that have ended up in purgatory until they get sorted through the heaven or hell door.
This would really open up the costuming to a whole range of periods (I’m died in 1375 and I’m still here…)
It’d also get the opportunity for some gruesome stage make-up 