LARP Craft - Chapter 1 - Concept and System
The last post was more or less me saying that I have been thinking about running another LARP. Well since so many people responded to my first LARP Craft post I figured I would make another one.
A good game needs a good concept behind it. This is true for both live action games and table top games. A good game concept give the person/people ( Read more... )
A good game needs a good concept behind it. This is true for both live action games and table top games. A good game concept give the person/people ( Read more... )
I think that games should definitely have e predetermined legth decided ahead of time, and a general overall storyarc (especially if the game is lasting more than a year)
One Week in Monte Carlo
-it's not fucking vampires which makes it great because its different
-a shorter length of total time played would have some definite ups and downs
-did I mention there was no vampires
The Don and the Prince
-I think this sort of game would be best if people actually didn't know anything about it going in, and over a couple game sessions hints began and people would start being swayed one way, the other, or trying to play both. If people knew about the rivalry going in, or even supposed it based on old WoD rivalries between indies and Cammies it'd be seen as relatively predictable
-make it seem like both factions are completely indistinguishable, equal, and playable (find a way to bump Giovanni PC numbers in game, make it after the NY fall and have the Giovanni actually join the Camarilla, etc)
-I think I would almost prefer to see it done in Requiem to be honest, people make too many assumptions based on the things they think they know (aka: look its an italian vamp, must be a gio - whack him)
King's Tourney
-shorter storyline
-it's medieval/ren so it satisfies the "something out of the norm" requirement
-could use the new WoD requiem system with some modifications for time period, or rules to live by
-you could possibly twist some more angles out of it than simply courtly love and courtly schemes (mystery angles, magic/supernatural, etc)
-could have PCs as lower members of the courts, servants to people on the courts, townspeople etc and not just as people going to the tourney/festival
-not necessarily vampires (weeee)
Age and Treachery
-sounds sort of like a classical storyline, again if you started a general game and moved into it that's fine but knowing what it already is going in shapes the type of characters people would play
-I detest PCs in any positions of power - it almost always unbalances the game with the PCs favouritism, or degenerates into "prince of the week" syndrome (not necessarily with princes, but you get the idea)
-would need some plot twists and new ideas to keep it fresh
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Some ideas that *might* interest you
-Victorian age World of Darkness game with new MET rules
-Chicago in the gangster years, and the vampires behind the scenes (either old WoD or new WoD)
-a pre-embrace to post embrace game (especially in either of the 2 aforementioned time periods), in which multiple sessions were used to determine how the PCs received their embrace, and how it happened. You could have it initially as a mortals WoD game and have weird stuff happen over a couple of sessions and depending on PC actions and outcomes have it become a requiem game
-WoD/Rules to Live By game that starts normal but ends up being a zombie attack like dawn/day of the dead. It could either be a shorter length game (getting the PCs to a safe place, living out the zombie attack etc) or an extended land of the dead game
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I like the idea of both the Victorian age game. Heck I would even be tempted to use the Vampire by Gaslight rules that White Wolf put out. They were actually pretty good. The book also gave some interesting ideas of how to incorporate concepts of the Victorian Era such as dueling.
All of the ideas I have given above would have a general overall story arc to them. That is a topic for another day which is why I didn't include it in the game.
I will respond to your comments
One Week in Monte Carlo - Part of the point of this game concept is to show that LARPs can be non-WoD and that short run games can have short limited runs.
The Don and the Prince - You see I disagree people should know at least a bit of what is going on when they enter the game that way they can make characters that are appropriate to the setting. I would want people to fill particular niches in the city. Also note that in this case the vampires of the city would have very limitations such that outside help is not available. The Giovanni is don't want to upset screw with the promise and the Camarilla isn't as interested in wresting the city as the resident Kindred.
King's Tourney - I would not use the MET system for this. Again in hopes of showing off/playing other systems.
Age and Treachery - You see I am the exact opposite of you. I am starting to detest the everyone starts equal go. I find that either it discourages politics in general since there is no possibility characters can reach positions of authority. Usually the members of the high court end up getting assistants and those assistants become the positions. Those assitants usually become favoured. As for plot twist keeping it fresh I have more then that in mind. The fact that it is Requiem immediately gives it the interactions of the covenents.
I gather from what you've been saying that you and I have one difference. I want people to know what the theme and concepts of games are going to be. I want them to know what types of characters that will fit in the game. That way they will have more fun playing a character that is appropriate to the type of game I want to run.
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