Writing "freeform" games

Community Larp discussion
#1

Here’s an article about writing freeform LARPs:

freeforms.org.uk/article-fre … ocess.html

“Freeform” is a name used in the UK to refer to LARPs like the Chicago 1930s game that ran a little while ago in Auckland. They’re games where all the characters are written by the organisers and tie into each other, and where typically all the important interaction is between player characters.

In the USA the term “theatre-style” refers to something similar.

I’ve run a couple of games like this, and the advice in the article seems pretty reasonable as an overall structure for going about it, although it doesn’t give much advice about the actual writing.

#2

I’ve played one that was based on a riverboat (we used my villa and had many areas for the gameplay to take place in). It was pretty cool, although the combat system was a bit limited.

One aspect of the game I played that was very good and wasn’t included in the above article is Game Resolution. Players will either succeed or fail in their objectives/mission. It was very useful (and entertaining) to resolve the game by the GM reading out what predicament or reward was in store for each character based on their performance in the game. Naturally, the outcomes were very humerous.

Also, I would advise that games that are designed to be played in NZ should not worry about the Single Room rule that is discussed in the article. This is a cultural artifact from Europe where houses are small and the climate to cold (or hot) for gaming outdoors.

#3

I think the single room idea might also relate to play at roleplaying conventions, where a single room might be all you’re given. I think this sort of game is often run at conventions.