Love the new intro! More of a low-key ambient music choice, but honestly, I kinda prefer that. Heroic fanfares on every larp video get a bit old after a while.
Taking up a side project can definitely help. For the character clothing one, after you pinterest it out and want to make your costume : search local thrift stores, Goodwill, Ross, re-use & exchange shops or whatever they're called in your area. Look for inexpensive clothes that you can alter and customize. Tip : you can modify too-big dresses and shirts into tunics, or too small clothes can be incorporated into pieces you already own to refresh them or patch worn bits. Plain old bedsheets = cheap dyable cloak material or practice-run cloth before you modify other pieces for real. . Or a related hobby is good, too -- like rpg online / an irl theater group to practice character making and playing, or a martial arts class to develop your physical strength and grace as befits your character.
Can you tell us about any instances where you've had to deal with a problematic person? Do you have any methods for handling cheaters/abusers without breaking character? Also, what are your pet peeves in Larp?
So I've taken a while to answer this because this is not my general area of expertise. I have assisted in running events but never been a full organiser so I have limited experience dealing with problematic players in a professional capacity. But I can say what I would expect from an event if they encountered problematic players. I expect a clear code of conduct before I even go to an event, outlining clearly expectations of behaviour and consequences for people who break the code of conduct. I expect a zero tolerance policy for discrimination, harassment and violent behaviour, and I expect players to receive bans for violating that. And I expect a clear line of escalation for any issues I have with conduct in game. Players should always know who they should be able to speak to if they have a problem. Cheaters/abusers of the rules are by far some of the most annoying people in LARPs, and I really hate it when they get away with stuff. I will always start with the assumption that they have forgotten the rule they have broken. We're human after all, mistakes happen. Most people stop poor behaviour when it's highlighted to them that someone's noticed. However if it's repetitive or they ignore you after you've brought it to their attention, then I would highlight it to a referee/GM or whoever is running the event. They will have created the rule for a reason, so it is in their best interest to enforce them. Confronting players directly after the initial conversation rarely goes well, most people get over defensive and you don't want to get in trouble yourself for reacting negatively. If the behaviour continues after the ref has been made aware, then I personally would leave it until after the event is over and then provide written feedback about the incident, and about how you felt it was dealt with by the organisers. I would advise to keep in mind any factors that you might not be aware of before you make a complaint. There may not be anything like this at your larp but at my main one, one of the biggest complaints people have is 'players not taking their hits' as in they are pretending to have more hit points than they should have. But there are personalised factors that a lot of people aren't aware of, e.g. more hit points that their opponent thinks they have or the ability to regenerate hit points. So to one person it looks like someone isn't taking hits, but to the other, they still have plenty of hit points left. So keep in mind any nuances that could be taking place if you see someone potentially breaking the rules. In terms of pet peeves, I have many. The video is scripted and will be up soon ☺️
Love the new intro! More of a low-key ambient music choice, but honestly, I kinda prefer that. Heroic fanfares on every larp video get a bit old after a while.
Yeah, I love a good bit of fanfare, but it's not very "me" if you know what I mean ☺️
Taking up a side project can definitely help. For the character clothing one, after you pinterest it out and want to make your costume : search local thrift stores, Goodwill, Ross, re-use & exchange shops or whatever they're called in your area. Look for inexpensive clothes that you can alter and customize. Tip : you can modify too-big dresses and shirts into tunics, or too small clothes can be incorporated into pieces you already own to refresh them or patch worn bits. Plain old bedsheets = cheap dyable cloak material or practice-run cloth before you modify other pieces for real.
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Or a related hobby is good, too -- like rpg online / an irl theater group to practice character making and playing, or a martial arts class to develop your physical strength and grace as befits your character.
All excellent advice. I will be taking some of these up as well ☺️
Love the new intro! Kinda miss the old one a bit, but I am excited for whatever you've planned for us this year!
Yay! Thank you!
I haven’t fully watched the video yet but thank you for responding with so many useful suggestions!
You are very welcome!
Can you tell us about any instances where you've had to deal with a problematic person? Do you have any methods for handling cheaters/abusers without breaking character? Also, what are your pet peeves in Larp?
So I've taken a while to answer this because this is not my general area of expertise. I have assisted in running events but never been a full organiser so I have limited experience dealing with problematic players in a professional capacity. But I can say what I would expect from an event if they encountered problematic players. I expect a clear code of conduct before I even go to an event, outlining clearly expectations of behaviour and consequences for people who break the code of conduct. I expect a zero tolerance policy for discrimination, harassment and violent behaviour, and I expect players to receive bans for violating that. And I expect a clear line of escalation for any issues I have with conduct in game. Players should always know who they should be able to speak to if they have a problem.
Cheaters/abusers of the rules are by far some of the most annoying people in LARPs, and I really hate it when they get away with stuff. I will always start with the assumption that they have forgotten the rule they have broken. We're human after all, mistakes happen. Most people stop poor behaviour when it's highlighted to them that someone's noticed. However if it's repetitive or they ignore you after you've brought it to their attention, then I would highlight it to a referee/GM or whoever is running the event. They will have created the rule for a reason, so it is in their best interest to enforce them. Confronting players directly after the initial conversation rarely goes well, most people get over defensive and you don't want to get in trouble yourself for reacting negatively. If the behaviour continues after the ref has been made aware, then I personally would leave it until after the event is over and then provide written feedback about the incident, and about how you felt it was dealt with by the organisers.
I would advise to keep in mind any factors that you might not be aware of before you make a complaint. There may not be anything like this at your larp but at my main one, one of the biggest complaints people have is 'players not taking their hits' as in they are pretending to have more hit points than they should have. But there are personalised factors that a lot of people aren't aware of, e.g. more hit points that their opponent thinks they have or the ability to regenerate hit points. So to one person it looks like someone isn't taking hits, but to the other, they still have plenty of hit points left. So keep in mind any nuances that could be taking place if you see someone potentially breaking the rules.
In terms of pet peeves, I have many. The video is scripted and will be up soon ☺️