Gaming philosophy part 1: On Stuff
I've three Legynds events to post about that I am probably going to summarize at some point when I feel more inspired. In the meantime, I will write a series of posts outlining my gaming philosophy as it pertains to LARP and roleplaying in general.
The first thing I would like to cover is stuff. My guiding philosophy on items, whether it be in a tabletop or (especially) in a LARP can be summarized thus:
Characters should always be cooler than the stuff they carry.
We're not playing a roguelike. This isn't Angband or NetHack (both excellent games, just not ones I'd drive 300+ miles 2-3 times a month to play). I do not wish to be defined by the items I carry. I don't want to have to have a +1 sword just to be competitive. My favorite character traditionally carries zero items. A playstyle that doesn't require fifty billion items should be viable.
With that said, items aren't inherently bad in and of themselves. Playing the paladin with the holy avenger can be fun. An archmage should probably carry an ornate staff. The paladin should still be a paladin with a mundane longsword, and the archmage should still be able to control the universe with basic mahogany. When items enhance the character, it's cool and awesome. When items become the character (insomuch that his power would vanish without them), then it becomes a problem.
Any time any of my characters get items, I run a personal litmus test: if I were in a field that supressed or destroyed my items, could I still play the character? If yes, then all is good. If no, then I need to spend some build/skill points/figure out a new playstyle. Relying on items is bad, especially in most LARPs.
I believe it is bad game design to require special items to make characters function. I believe it is a sign of too much inflation if having a magic item is the rule and not the exception. Magic items should be at the least uncommon. In the case of LARPs, requiring lots of stuff is potentially bad in that it increases litter. Players also tend to lose things during the course of play.
The first thing I would like to cover is stuff. My guiding philosophy on items, whether it be in a tabletop or (especially) in a LARP can be summarized thus:
Characters should always be cooler than the stuff they carry.
We're not playing a roguelike. This isn't Angband or NetHack (both excellent games, just not ones I'd drive 300+ miles 2-3 times a month to play). I do not wish to be defined by the items I carry. I don't want to have to have a +1 sword just to be competitive. My favorite character traditionally carries zero items. A playstyle that doesn't require fifty billion items should be viable.
With that said, items aren't inherently bad in and of themselves. Playing the paladin with the holy avenger can be fun. An archmage should probably carry an ornate staff. The paladin should still be a paladin with a mundane longsword, and the archmage should still be able to control the universe with basic mahogany. When items enhance the character, it's cool and awesome. When items become the character (insomuch that his power would vanish without them), then it becomes a problem.
Any time any of my characters get items, I run a personal litmus test: if I were in a field that supressed or destroyed my items, could I still play the character? If yes, then all is good. If no, then I need to spend some build/skill points/figure out a new playstyle. Relying on items is bad, especially in most LARPs.
I believe it is bad game design to require special items to make characters function. I believe it is a sign of too much inflation if having a magic item is the rule and not the exception. Magic items should be at the least uncommon. In the case of LARPs, requiring lots of stuff is potentially bad in that it increases litter. Players also tend to lose things during the course of play.