I have see plenty of ideas come here to die (sadly) and was wondering if some more experienced GMs could give out tips on starting your first larp.
I mainly want to know because I had an idea to run one but was hesitant to get right into writing the rules etc and find I have missed a crucial part of the design out.
Unless you’re thinking of writing a very small larp with all pregenerated characters (a living-room “pregen” larp), you probably need some co-conspirators.
I recommend getting together with some friends (or larpers you get on with well), and deciding together what kind of larp you might want to run together. That way you’ll have a team of larp runners who buy in to the concept. Designing an idea by yourself and then trying to enthuse people to help is harder, people like to be on board a project from the ground up.
Having a team is important because running a larp is a lot of work, and it pays to spread the work around. The creative input of a team will make a game bigger and more diverse than a single person. Also, on the day you need a team to help manage players (and potentially crew) across a spread-out play area, and you want them to be people who understand the project inside-out.
A two-person team is okay to start with. Once you’ve run a good game, other people may want to come on board to help.
In terms of the design of the larp itself, my tip is to avoid importing ideas wholesale from other media or larps without consideration for whether they suit your larp. Picture yourself playing the game, at the venue, with a bunch of different types of character, consider whether the setting ideas and rules you’re considering would give those characters stuff to do in play, and enable them to do it in an easy and fun way. Strip your larp structure down to what players will make use of or by inspired by, and leave gaps for players to hang their own creativity on.
[quote=“Dan”]I have see plenty of ideas come here to die (sadly) and was wondering if some more experienced GMs could give out tips on starting your first larp.
I mainly want to know because I had an idea to run one but was hesitant to get right into writing the rules etc and find I have missed a crucial part of the design out.[/quote]
I think the first one would be that you’ll hit a couple of points of writer’s block. For me, the first one is usually after I’ve had the initial surge of ideas and I have to start filling in the gaps of things that aren’t easy, the second one is going from ‘a great idea’ to actually booking a venue and signing people up. If that happens to you, I would recommend ‘embracing the anxiety’ and going ahead anyway. If nothing else, committing to producing something by a set time and place can be a great motivator. (I find promising to run something at a convention good for that.)
What style of game are you interested in running?
Oh yeah, volunteers. Also important.
You won’t be able to produce your game in isolation - even if it’s a small game it helps a lot to have a writing partner, or at least someone who likes the same kind of things you do who you can bounce ideas off. For anything above a very small game, like Ryan says, you’ll need help to do setup, source props, help run the game, be NPCs or whatever. People can have a lot of reasons for volunteering for other people’s projects: they like you, they enjoy the activity, they enjoy a sense of community, they want something creative to do in their hobby time, probably other stuff. But make sure you say please and thank you, and check that they’re enjoying themselves while they’re helping you. Letting someone walk out of a project feeling unappreciated will lose you volunteers like nobody’s business.
Ok cool Im kind of half way through the first draft of the rules now.
I’ll submit the first draft by the end of the week (hopefully).
I started writing once I found that the thing I liked most about creating a PC was the player creation, thinking of storyline etc.
After that I could never decide on a single character to play, probably the reason I spend my time as crew.
The main problem I think I’ll have is the funding. I don’t have any props or anything to offer my players.
How hard is it to get backed by NZ larps (let me use some of the weapons etc for “crew”)
[quote=“Dan”]The main problem I think I’ll have is the funding. I don’t have any props or anything to offer my players.
How hard is it to get backed by NZ larps (let me use some of the weapons etc for “crew”)[/quote]
Well, that’s what they’re for.
It’s standard that if you’re a member of NZLarps they’ll let you borrow gear. If you want financial backing, you’ll need to prepare a business case (what your expenses will be, what your expected income is) and submit it to your local committee - they may ask for some revisions based on their own experience of running games. And you’ll have to report back on how the game went, and provide a report on actual costs and income. But yeah, one of the reasons the society was created was to be able to fund games upfront.
If you’re new to running games, I recommend starting modestly and/or getting someone with more experience on board just from a project management point of view. What’s the concept of your game? And where are you based?
What Steph said.
Although if you want to borrow gear, it’s best to run your game as a project of the society. Just asking as a member might be declined.
Running as a project of NZLARPS is a good idea if:
- You have no interest in making a personal profit. Profit from NZLARPS projects goes back to the society to invest in future games. Any props you make for the game using funds provided by the society become property of the society, to be used at future games.
- You’re happy to provide NZLARPS with a financial forecast (profit and loss estimate) for the game beforehand, to modify it if necessary in order avoid making a loss, and to report on it afterwards.
For that, you get:
- The society will lend you gear like costumes, weapons, props, treasure, decorations, etc.
- The society will pay any up front costs like venue hire, even before you get booking payments from players.
- The society will absorb any loss made by the game, it won’t hit you. Although it’s preferable to make a small profit, and you’ll be guided in that direction.
One question that I had as I’m trying to write my own is regarding, well not plagerism, but a sort of homage to a TV show/movie/books. I know there are a couple of Lovecraft “style” larps and Star Wars games and I’m just wondering exactly how much they borrow from their sources? Are people using characters directly or just the world? I know in the Chimera flagship there were some pretty direct copies of science fiction characters but with different names…
Thanks for any help!
In terms of intellectual property my opinion is that you can do whatever you want, in order to achieve the kind of game you have in mind. It’s all fair “fan” usage of the material. So use the characters and setting exactly, or modified versions, whatever suits your creative agenda.
The only rule is: if you’re directing using material that is under copyright, give the original authors credit and don’t try to make a profit off it. Trying to make a profit or claiming that it’s your own material is where it crosses the line from fandom to theft.
I’d actually advise checking what the IP owner’s stance is regarding unsanctioned use of said IP, but its not necessarily a good idea to ask them outright, especially around plot stuff.
There’s no point in checking because they’re all the same. They ask people not to use their IP at all, but they look the other way when people use it for non-profit fan stuff, because they know that cracking down on that makes them look like dicks and upsets genuine fans.
Another question is about GM involvement. It seems like all the LARPs I’ve been in have either had the GM either a servant type person or just not involved in game at all. Is there an unwritten (or written? I haven’t seen a handbook!) rule about the GM’s not playing a character? I realise this is not feasible in big LARPs but I feel like they could be involved in an under 10ppl setting…
That’s just the games you’ve been in. Some games will have the GMs play important NPCs just because they’ve got a really good knowledge of what the part requires and what direction they want the game to go in. Just that it will eat into the time and attention you have for directing crew and dealing with player questions in game.
[quote=“Stephanie”][quote=“Dan”]The main problem I think I’ll have is the funding. I don’t have any props or anything to offer my players.
How hard is it to get backed by NZ larps (let me use some of the weapons etc for “crew”)[/quote]
Well, that’s what they’re for.
[/quote]
Yes, it is indeed why we exist. Hi Dan, I’m the friendly treasurer on the Auckland and National committees, and I’ve managed a fair chunk of larp finances in recent years, so I am very happy to talk you through the nzLARPS process and help you prepare are realistic, workable budget Drop me a PM or email me on treasurer@nzlarps.org
Anna
That’s just the games you’ve been in. Some games will have the GMs play important NPCs just because they’ve got a really good knowledge of what the part requires and what direction they want the game to go in. Just that it will eat into the time and attention you have for directing crew and dealing with player questions in game.[/quote]
What Steph said. As a GM, you don’t have time to ‘play’ in the game, because you’re running around like a crazy person organising crew, answering player questions, solving problems, trying to figure out what’s going on…
Servant characters are really useful because you can wander around unobtrusively and figure out what the hell the players are up to. And you end up playing a lot of information-heavy NPCs.
Try to keep your rules and character sheets simple. Time players spend In Game re-reading material is time they’re not spending playing.
Ah yes good point.
Also I’m most of the way through the general concept of my game, “Sepulturum” has that name been taken?
As you can tell from the name, I’m planning a zombie invasion game, medieval style.
Think medieval meets Left for dead with wizards. (every nerds fantasy)
Any idea if this has been done to death?
[quote=“Dan”]Think medieval meets Left for dead with wizards. (every nerds fantasy)
Any idea if this has been done to death?[/quote]Nope, I think you’re good. Bryn was talking about something a bit like that a few years ago in Wellington, but I think he moved onto other projects since and it hasn’t played.
[quote=“Stephanie”][quote=“Dan”]Think medieval meets Left for dead with wizards. (every nerds fantasy)
Any idea if this has been done to death?[/quote]Nope, I think you’re good. Bryn was talking about something a bit like that a few years ago in Wellington, but I think he moved onto other projects since and it hasn’t played.[/quote]As I recall, there was a ‘Zombie LARP’ back a year or so ago (maybe two?), but I think it was a modern day setting. Certainly zombies have come up in games with fantasy/medieval settings (I’m pretty sure I’ve been a zombie in both St Wolfgang’s and Teonn), but they’re just a small part of the game. To the best of my knowledge, there has been no ‘survive the zombie horde’ game with a fantasy setting run in Auckland for at least six or seven years, quite possibly more if ever.
Yep, walking dead have been a common element in various fantasy games in Auckland, probably with some of the largest and most persistent shambling hordes at Mordavia (where a big area of the setting was overrun with “ghouls” that were basically self-animated zombies) between 2001-2006, but “surviving a zombie outbreak” hasn’t been the main focus of a medieval/fantasy game yet that I know of.
Not that it would matter… it’s all about how you execute it, every version of a concept has its own flavour.
Curious to hear from Latin language fans (i.e. Steph) how that name translates. “The Burying?”