Maximum quality, minimum cost big fantasy

Community Game ideas
#1

There’s a rumour going around that some people would like more cheap larps. There’s another rumour that some people want big fantasy larps. Hypothetically, how could both of these be achieved together while maintaining an immersive quality?

The five big costs of larp are venue, food, costume, props, and makeup.

Rather than booking a venue, you can use a freely or cheaply available space. Public parks and private land can be cheap or free, but usually don’t include accomodation. Which suggests that the cheap big larp is unlikely to be overnight, unless it’s using something like camping.

Food adds a big chunk of price when included in the larp fee. Centralised catering in theory reduces the cost per person (we fed Mordavians for $12 over a whole weekend, which seems pretty cheap to me for 5 meals), but if that added price is going to put people off then the solution is to not include food in the fee. Players can then bring their own food, and even their own portable cooking facilities if the event runs over meal times. They can then decide for themselves how much they want to spend on food.

Players can also decide for themselves how much to spend on costumes, props and makeup. Player kit could also be supplemented from the NZLARPS gear with only the maintenance cost required.

Out of all this I see two options:

  1. Weekend-long self-catered camp-out events. This is what the big larp events in the UK look like. They will still have substantial costs to hire a suitable camp site, and suitable sites that can be booked exclusively for an event don’t seem that common in New Zealand from what I’ve seen. You might be able to run such events with quality immersive atmosphere for $15-25 a head.

  2. One-day events with no sleeping over. Run from say 10am to 6pm, with players instructed to eat beforehand and bring their own premade lunches. There could be food available for purchase with real money, as an opt-in service for those with more money than desire to pack lunch. You could probably run such events for $5-$10 a head.

Of those two, the second option will be far cheaper because you can do it for free in a public park. It would also be far easier to organise, and the barrier to entry is lower (putting a whole weekend into an event is a big ask). Such events could still have huge player numbers, complex characters and involving reactive play. They could also be run more regularly than weekend events, because they would be less work to set up and the cost to players would be lower.

#2

We also had that guy down south (check the historical venue thread) who offered us the use of that scrub land for free at particular times…more cost for travel though

#3

I have noticed that day games don’t seem to last more than a few hours. At Skirmish, Stargate and even Mordavia day games, people seem to have had enough come 3 - 4 hours. Not sure why.

#4

Adam asks the question “why do people only play for 3-4 hours at a day game?” and I think the answer is that they expect a meal about every 3-4 hours, so they need a break and a meal at that point.

As Ryan points out, food isn’t much of the cost. If you’re catering for 20 people you can usually get each meal down to $3-$4. The problem is to get a site with a kitchen that you can prepare food in costs more money than the food.

Other than that, I’m going to keep my mouth shut because when I start talking about money the people who don’t earn theirs get offended.

#5

Yes, breaking for food and rest is a factor. Also, restroom visits. I wouldn’t suggest fantasy larps where you are roaming around “adventuring” for a full day without rest as a good idea. The setup would have to include opportunities for rest and eating, preferably under cover of some sort. And with decent toilet facilities available. That does narrow down the venues.

#6

Umm, okay?

#7

I wonder if the spammer just forgot to put a link or is just spamming just cause now?

#8

Well, he was swiftly dealt with by a judo chop right to the post

#9

A big empty paddock isn’t necessarily too hard to arrange, if you know the right people eg farmers. Depending on how they rotate their stock or crops, they’re probably not using all their fields.
In my experience, going bush in a paddock for a weekend is not a small undertaking. I’ve done this several times for summer camps over the last ten or so years, and it’s a lot of fun!
It also depends on the level of immersion. Are people ok with having modern-day nylon/plastic tents in bight fluoro colours, or do we want brown canvas? One could always throw canvas over the fluoro ones though.
Cooking: gas is really the only answer. Most gas cookers look decidedly modern, but they’re compact and relatively cheap. Cooking en masse would require bigger gas cookers, which are more expensive and possible less available (you can’t really get those from the Warehouse!).
Toilets: In the past, on bush camps, we’ve dug long drops. A chemical toilet or portaloo can also work, but they’re more expensive (and also possibly less immersive).
Washing: For a weekend game people will also (probably) want to be able to clean themselves - a solar shower is good, but on past camping trips we’ve always washed in the river. It can actually be very nice in the middle of the day. Obviously, this would have to be during summer…

If everyone brings their own tent/sleeping gear (trying to be as immersive as possible), and does their own cooking, the only price would be for the venue and gear.

#10

surely people who hear ‘maximum quality’ are going to be ok with paying between $50-100? so long as it really is kick ass?

long drop = even if this was the best larp in the world NO THANK YOU!!

#11

I quite like the idea of paying only about $20 for the event, as that leaves much more of my budget available for things like costumes. If we did want to go ahead with this, then perhaps NZLARPs might want to consider putting money towards making a set of appropriate tents, and perhaps even cooking gear. A cauldron or spit roast could add to the flavour of the event and be a way of providing food for everyone, and maybe NZLARPs could look at making safe gas burners that look like a bonfire (or we could find a venue that allows bonfires). As far as toilets go, a thick cloth wall gives privacy, and a wooden seat can give comfort and not look out of place.

#12

I think you are vastly overestimating the resources nzLARPS has.

#13

Good toilet facilities with plumbing etc don’t tend to come in places that are suitable for an immersive medieval larp a la the kind of stuff they do in Europe. Having tramped/camped around various parts of NZ, you’re more likely to find electricity than plumbing in a paddock/bushy/foresty environment. Although if anyone has had a different experience, by all means post!
The only thing I can think of would be something like a scout camp, but everyone just camps out instead of sleeping in cabins.
Of course, you can always have a chemical toilet - suitably disguised as Walter suggests it could work quite well.

Anyone know what they do in Scandinavia for toilets etc?

#14

From what I read about Dragonbane in Sweden, you really don’t want to know. :wink:

Let’s just say communal nudity is the norm there.

But functionally speaking: longdrops.

#15

The original idea of this (very old) thread was to ask “how can we get a cheap larp that is still high quality?”

#16

Fair point. Another way of looking at accommodation is whether people pay for it separately or as a group. At present, when we hire out a venue, we pay for accommodation as a group. If we used tents instead, we would be paying individually. That is, unless we pool money together to put towards tenting for the community. This way, rather than pay for accommodation every time we want to run a game, there is a one off cost and from then on we only have to pay for the land we use. Granted, tents do not suit every genre. however, a basic tent design could cover fantasy, world wars, gypsy, etc. I am proposing we raise funds from the larping community to put towards a set of tents for use at games, with the aim of reducing the cost for many future events. Would people be interested in doing something like this?

#17

I agree, and I started a thread on it a while back.

Specifically, I think the society could invest in one or more larger pavilions for communal IC activity, and leave IC sleeping tents to players to acquire.

I think trying to make IC-looking cooking gear wouldn’t be a good investment of society funds, though.

#18

I agree with Ryan, and think that communal tents would be more achievable with society funds. Clare hand-made a very cool two person tent for quite a reasonable amount and is generally happy to talk about it if one asks.

#19

I know for a fact I’ve seen this sort of thing in shops around Auckland and Hamilton, but…

http://www.gdfb.co.uk/acatalog/Pots_and_Pans_and_Big_Spoons.html#aCK_2f1901900701

In saying that, the last event I was at simply had conventional barbecues hidden amongst IC style dressing. If an event were to be run where food was provided by some players as an IC sort of thing, that could be the easy way to go.

As for IC tents, most people here seem to favour ex-military or scout stuff, bells tents by name, both for practicality and simplicity of look. They can normally sleep ~3 people each;

http://www.armytents.co.uk/canvas-tents/new-canvas-bell-tent/prod_24.html

http://www.armytents.co.uk/canvas-tents/new-army-mk1-ridge-tent-/prod_27.html

http://www.tents-direct.co.uk/show_tents.php?productid=147&forsale=tents&price=cheap&onlineproduct=Scout+Group+Tents
(note the reenactors pics!)

A few of them together actually look really good, and they can be dressed quite easily to further match the setting/occupants

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?page=4&aid=139840&id=767603992#/photo.php?pid=3457412&id=767603992

But really the bottom line is that if people want to go that extra step to create an IC area like this, then by all means do so - it will not only add to the experience for yourselves but everyone else as well. As for a supplier in NZ - the surplus store on K road maybe?

#20

i know im the new guy here…

but depending on the time of year, there is always sleeping out under the stars by the fire.

bed roll and blanket and you’re all set