Let's change our name to Tuakoi

nzLARPS
#1

Tuakoi is Maori for “Imagine”. That’s quick to explain, and immediately gives some insight in to where we are from and what we are about. Everybody thinks imagination is a good thing: your friends, random strangers and even your parents.

nzLARPS has struggled to put together an appealing brand and identity that attracts membership and properly represents the plethora of awesomely creative events we have a hand in. Tuakoi is a simple name with a brief explanation that can be understood by gamers and non-gamers alike.

A couple of days ago I was interviewed by Marcus Lush on Radio Live about some of the things nzlarps is up to at the moment. Though I was confident and direct, I wished that I could have dropped our name a few more times - I found myself referring to the society as “the society” or “We” or other vague references like “our crew”. Listeners would have trouble finding out more about us because there was no opportunitiy to spell out “nzlarps.org”.

I own the domain name tuakoi.co.nz, and switching over the nzlarps.org site would be a simple exercise.

This is a real proposal and I think changing our name to Tuakoi would be great for larp in NZ.

#2

Do you have a copy of the interview with Marcus? I’m sure many would be keen to hear it.

And I agree, yes.

#3

I think Anna taped it, the whole thing was a very last-minute-organised ordeal so we couldn’t get notice out in time! Funny enough, there’s another tape Anna and I want to digitise so the chances of getting an mp3 in the near future are not that bad.

#4

I’ll check my Williams when I get home, not sure if tuakoi has the meaning you state.

Asserting the principle of biculturalism, we could have two names: nzLARPS and tuakoi (or similar).

#5

I don’t heavily advocate a name change but if we are going to change it I think it should be Tuakoi LARP Society, not just ‘Tuakoi’. That doesn’t say a thing.

#6

Everyone would shorten it to TLS, which is an abreviation of an abreviation. I also happen to think that Tuakoi LARP Society kind sounds like something my Grandma is in at her retiement Village…

#7

Actually, breaking news.

Our name is not the New Zealand Live Action Role Playing Society Incorporated.

As per our constitution, it’s the New Zealand Live Action Role Play Society Incorporated.

#8

Why can’t we write Imagine in English? More people read English.

#9

[quote=“Exquire”]Actually, breaking news.

Our name is not the New Zealand Live Action Role Playing Society Incorporated.

As per our constitution, it’s the New Zealand Live Action Role Play Society Incorporated.[/quote]

So shall we start organising the date for the SGM now?

#10

I was envisaging something akin to:

University of Auckland
Te Whare Wananga o Tamaki Makaurau

ergo:

nzLARPS
Te Roopu Tuakoi

(which translates to “Society of the Unreal”) *

Apart from the obvious mondagreen viz-z-viz the name Imogen, there is the question as to what is so wrong with utilising one of the officially recognised languages of Aotearoa.

  • Haven’t found my Williams, tuakoi may yet have a different meaning.
#11

[quote=“Exquire”]Tuakoi is Maori for “Imagine”. That’s quick to explain, and immediately gives some insight in to where we are from and what we are about. Everybody thinks imagination is a good thing: your friends, random strangers and even your parents.

nzLARPS has struggled to put together an appealing brand and identity that attracts membership and properly represents the plethora of awesomely creative events we have a hand in. Tuakoi is a simple name with a brief explanation that can be understood by gamers and non-gamers alike.

A couple of days ago I was interviewed by Marcus Lush on Radio Live about some of the things nzlarps is up to at the moment. Though I was confident and direct, I wished that I could have dropped our name a few more times - I found myself referring to the society as “the society” or “We” or other vague references like “our crew”. Listeners would have trouble finding out more about us because there was no opportunitiy to spell out “nzlarps.org”.

I own the domain name tuakoi.co.nz, and switching over the nzlarps.org site would be a simple exercise.

This is a real proposal and I think changing our name to Tuakoi would be great for larp in NZ.[/quote]

I meant to also mention that “the society” is much more difficult to say than nzLARPS as its 5 syllables and a beat vs 3 syllables. Tuakoi is also 3 syllables so no easier to say than nzLARPS. Likewise you’d have as much problem spelling out tuakoi.co.nz as nzLARPS.org

Using nzLARPS rather than “we” or “our crew” is just a matter of learning better public speaking discipline as we’re not normally used to speaking of ourselves in the third person.

I’m not keen at all on a rebranding exercise to replace nzLARPS with Tuakoi. Having said that though, I’m not adverse to Mikes suggestion.

Craig, I know from previous discussions that you dislike the term LARP and our association with it, but its a term in international usage and to our target audience it is relatively familiar. We’d be doing ourselves a disservice not using it.

#12

What Scotty said. I’m not seeing how the name Tuakoi fixes the supposed problems, and indeed see it opening up another level of explanation.

“What is Tuakoi?”
“Oh, it’s the-- um, the Live Action Roleplaying Society.”

I think distancing ourselves from the term LARPing runs the risk of the whole thing becoming a bit pretentious.

#13

[quote=“Scotty”][quote=“Exquire”]Actually, breaking news.

Our name is not the New Zealand Live Action Role Playing Society Incorporated.

As per our constitution, it’s the New Zealand Live Action Role Play Society Incorporated.[/quote]

So shall we start organising the date for the SGM now?[/quote]

By the way, this is a serious question.
As I said, I’m not keen on a rebranding exercise, so we need to bring this in line with our other printed/published material.

#14

[quote=“Scotty”]
Craig, I know from previous discussions that you dislike the term LARP and our association with it, but its a term in international usage and to our target audience it is relatively familiar. We’d be doing ourselves a disservice not using it.[/quote]

I just wanted to comment on this, as well.

I like this stance in that it wants to bring our hobby a more mainstream audience and reduce some of the flak it gains in the public eye, but I don’t think that trying to repackage the hobby as some kind of performing arts venture which is in some way more legitimate than a roleplaying game is a very good thing to do.

I feel that it’s far more sensible to embrace that we are, in fact, playing games that sprouted from D&D. We can dress it up as a high-concept art form all we like, and it is definitely a creative art, but trying to deny or shirk around its roots is deeply based in an insecurity about the hobby, an insecurity which stems from the mockery of roleplaying games-- the very problem that we want to get past.

We need to help LARPing and roleplaying games have a stronger public presence as (fairly) normal, sociable and healthy hobbies. LARP is a very physical, artistic, and sociable venture when played well, just as any drama troupe is, and it should be seen as such. This cannot be achieved by sidling away from “LARP” as if it is a dirty word, and disguising it with labels drawn from more ‘acceptable’ past-times. This is only giving into the insecurity and social stigma and adding to the problem.

In short I guess my ultimate point is, when we’re booking a venue or (further down the line) applying for some kind of funding, we should be able to confidently say that it’s for our LARP society, not white-lie that it’s for our improv acting group.

#15

After thinking about it some more, I would very much like Craig to give an explanation for why ‘Tuakoi’ would be any easier to say or spell during a radio interview than nzLARPS.

“Tuakoi” has the same number of syllables as nzLARPS and adds an unnecessary layer of pretension and vagueness to what is already a clear-cut and mostly self-explanatory name, whereas simply “Tuakoi” would almost be on the order of .

I cannot see any purpose being served by changing nzLARPS to “Tuakoi” other than an attempt to try and use the word “LARP” as little as possible, which is purely an issue of self-consciousness about people finding out that we like to play adult pretend. That is an issue, but it’s not one that I wish to indulge by denying or trying to disguise what I enjoy doing under a thin film of pretense.

#16

In my experience, “larp” means absolutely nothing to non-larpers. In fact, we don’t even have consensus within the diatribe community that “larp” is more appropriate than “lrp”.

At least with tuakoi*, we are using an actual word that has lexical provenance and historical usage in Aotearoa which goes back beyond the mid '90s.

Plus it does not come with the tabletop associations attributable to lrp/larp.

I’m not sure we would need to change the constitution in order to provide an alternative (and unofficial) name for the society.

  • Couldn’t find my Williams (the authoritative Maori to English dictionary), but my Ngata (the authoratative English to Maori dictionary) lists tuakoi as a translation of imagine. My daughter says her bilingual unit prefers to use pohewa instead.
#17

The difference in LRP vs LARP is just semantics, but you’re right. LARP means nothing to most people as its just an acronym. Kinda like Laser started out, or radar, or scuba that have now become anacronyms.
Maybe in time LARP will also become an anacronym.

But i digress, because it is an acronym you have to take the full name “New Zealand Live Action Role Playing Society” at which point even to the general public it becomes relatively clear what we’re about.

However with Tuakoi even after giving the meaining…
“Whats Tuakoi?”
“Its Maori for Imagine”
“So you’re called Imagine? What does that mean?”

Having slept on this now I’ve decided I was wrong to say I was not adverse to Mike suggestion of

nzLARPS
Te Roopu Tuakoi

If we were going to do this then I think the translation needs to be an accurate reflection.
With the above example its not. 'Society of the Unreal" while sounding cool, does nothing to allude to what we do. “New Zealand Live Action Role Playing Society” does.

So, given my Maori skills are about as rusty as my French please forgive me if I mangle this attempt at "New Zealand Live Action Role Playing Society.

Aotearoa tupu kaha whakatau roopu

Mike?, help please?

#18

[quote=“Scotty”]The difference in LRP vs LARP is just semantics, but you’re right. LARP means nothing to most people as its just an acronym. Kinda like Laser started out, or radar, or scuba that have now become anacronyms.
Maybe in time LARP will also become an anacronym.[/quote]

We’re working on this one. You’ll notice that nowhere in Immersion is larp spelled in all caps.

#19

[quote=“Anna K”][quote=“Scotty”]The difference in LRP vs LARP is just semantics, but you’re right. LARP means nothing to most people as its just an acronym. Kinda like Laser started out, or radar, or scuba that have now become anacronyms.
Maybe in time LARP will also become an anacronym.[/quote]

We’re working on this one. You’ll notice that nowhere in Immersion is larp spelled in all caps.[/quote]

Yes I had. :slight_smile:
Incidentally there was a good article on the changing nature of irregular verbs in the Herald the other day. Very interesting.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/6/story.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=10469252

#20

There is nothing wrong with it…but if you a mearly saying the word people may have a harder time spelling it than a word that they are more fimilar seeing and spelling. I mean if we were in wales we may call the society the welsh galeic word for “imagine” which would give a head nod to the offical local language but would be spelt “Llwybmllwy” and pronouced in a totaly different way. While maori isn’t as hard to spell as welsh, and im just using it to show the difference between a recognised language and one that the general population can use easily, some people may have an issue getting the correct vowels if they (or the person saying it) aren’t totaly familiar with maori vowel combinations and their pronounciation.

But im all for putting a maori version of the name with the nzLARPs name we have now (much the same as government departments do)