Wot I did with my weekend
So this weekend I bailed on Indiecon and went with w00hoo to my second lasertag game which was outdoors.
We could really consider this to be my first proper game as the last one I went to I got stuck in a room, shot as collateral damage and never fired a shot. It's the first of five games so in places I'm going to be a bit vague about stuff.
We played at http://www.jlw.me.uk/ which is a scout camp in Leicestershire.
In advance of the game I was extremely apprehensive about it especially after the last game, worried about shooting at someone even with a lasertag weapon, and worried about playing outside, falling over in the dark, breaking some bit of myself, that kind of thing. Fortunately I didn't have to worry about kit having been lent it by my lovely chums, didn't have to sleep in a bunk bed because janiejynx lives 15 minutes away and I got to sleep in a real bed (with a hot water bottle) and have real hot showers! Also after my last game, and after a slightly underwhelming response to my character concept* from the GMs (although an excellent character briefing) I did worry that I wouldn't get enough role-playing particularly since I really only knew a couple of the players well although it turned out that I knew several other people.
The game was set in the Joss Whedon's Firefly Universe and we had been sent to retrieve something from a backwater planet. Our spaceship crashed just before landing due to an EMP pulse buggering the engines. That was time in.
From then on in I had a really great time. I got my feet wet, as it were, on Friday night talking to as many people as I could, I went out into the woods and watched people carrying a massive box then when a lot of shooting started I retreated back into the warm, and kind of got used to what people were doing. I met up with a fan of the actress I was playing and got us a deal on the welding equipment** we needed to fix the ship, so whatever I did I was happy that I'd done something in character that had justified my participation.
At the end of Saturday morning the box got opened and then my game really opened up. I had proper role-playing with lovely angst, serious dilemmas and some great character interaction, including a very interesting interchange with the captain in his cabin with the door shut whilst people kept banging on the door to find out what it was that the actress was doing in there with the captain. It's a shame we didn't have a bishop. I ended up walking around outside the building with my torch off whilst people a foot in front of me were getting shot. It was really scary! I had a massive adrenaline rush which you rarely get in a freeform where people are resolving things by exchanging cards or doing rock paper scissors. Time out was called very early because we did the plot too quickly. At the end of the night I still had all my hits and hadn't fired a shot. I wrote a vaguely coded message (coded in words as I had no skill) which I think is one of the best I've ever done in a game.
Sunday morning the man I was there to protect gave me enough of a convincing argument the night before that we went out into the woods to try and assist with disabling the EMP device. That was really scary, there was shooting and hiding in the trees and I got shot enough to lose 5 of my 6 hits but succeeded in getting back in the ship without having to fall over shot somewhere and I shot an NPC enough for them to fall over with their hits gone, and pointing a gun at someone is much easier once they start shooting at you. I didn't go into the thick of the fighting, but did the best I could covering other people. This was partially due to my lack of shooting experience but was mostly an in character decision. Not dying was right at the top of my objectives, I had information to hand over after all.
I got separated from my charge in the fighting and had major angst about leaving without him, but he got back in time for the ship taking off and he made a great speech which I chipped into to rally everyone. This was a hair's trigger from devolving into a firefight but was saved by time out.
I got a dinner invitation from the Captain, and have made a couple of trusted allies going into the next game.
Things I learnt
Tag can have great role-playing
Time out can be called at the time that really works for the game not the exact time on the schedule
Wearing black is really important out in the woods both at night and in the day
It's really hard not to have name badges to read on people, but I'll be in a much better position for the next tranche of the game
I want a bigger gun
I never used one of my skills which I thought was something my character should have (instinct) but I decided that I was never going to use it because I rely on my own instincts.
Sleeping in a real bed is an excellent idea
Don't drink immediately out of your metal insulated mug because you burn your lips
Women's clothing REALLY needs more pockets
Bop it http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vivid-Imaginations-BF1851-Travel-Game/dp/B0032VEW7Q/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1320703482&sr=8-4 was an excellent engineering skill facsimile.
I want the next game now - and if it's the same time as Indiecon again then I'll be out there with a bigger gun in the woods
*This is the first of five games so there is time for stuff to come in, but I didn't expect that every suggestion I made for possible character links wasn't taken up on. I do think I would have been easier if I had served with someone in my past or they had known me or my brother or something.
** And a fruity oaty bar
We could really consider this to be my first proper game as the last one I went to I got stuck in a room, shot as collateral damage and never fired a shot. It's the first of five games so in places I'm going to be a bit vague about stuff.
We played at http://www.jlw.me.uk/ which is a scout camp in Leicestershire.
In advance of the game I was extremely apprehensive about it especially after the last game, worried about shooting at someone even with a lasertag weapon, and worried about playing outside, falling over in the dark, breaking some bit of myself, that kind of thing. Fortunately I didn't have to worry about kit having been lent it by my lovely chums, didn't have to sleep in a bunk bed because janiejynx lives 15 minutes away and I got to sleep in a real bed (with a hot water bottle) and have real hot showers! Also after my last game, and after a slightly underwhelming response to my character concept* from the GMs (although an excellent character briefing) I did worry that I wouldn't get enough role-playing particularly since I really only knew a couple of the players well although it turned out that I knew several other people.
The game was set in the Joss Whedon's Firefly Universe and we had been sent to retrieve something from a backwater planet. Our spaceship crashed just before landing due to an EMP pulse buggering the engines. That was time in.
From then on in I had a really great time. I got my feet wet, as it were, on Friday night talking to as many people as I could, I went out into the woods and watched people carrying a massive box then when a lot of shooting started I retreated back into the warm, and kind of got used to what people were doing. I met up with a fan of the actress I was playing and got us a deal on the welding equipment** we needed to fix the ship, so whatever I did I was happy that I'd done something in character that had justified my participation.
At the end of Saturday morning the box got opened and then my game really opened up. I had proper role-playing with lovely angst, serious dilemmas and some great character interaction, including a very interesting interchange with the captain in his cabin with the door shut whilst people kept banging on the door to find out what it was that the actress was doing in there with the captain. It's a shame we didn't have a bishop. I ended up walking around outside the building with my torch off whilst people a foot in front of me were getting shot. It was really scary! I had a massive adrenaline rush which you rarely get in a freeform where people are resolving things by exchanging cards or doing rock paper scissors. Time out was called very early because we did the plot too quickly. At the end of the night I still had all my hits and hadn't fired a shot. I wrote a vaguely coded message (coded in words as I had no skill) which I think is one of the best I've ever done in a game.
Sunday morning the man I was there to protect gave me enough of a convincing argument the night before that we went out into the woods to try and assist with disabling the EMP device. That was really scary, there was shooting and hiding in the trees and I got shot enough to lose 5 of my 6 hits but succeeded in getting back in the ship without having to fall over shot somewhere and I shot an NPC enough for them to fall over with their hits gone, and pointing a gun at someone is much easier once they start shooting at you. I didn't go into the thick of the fighting, but did the best I could covering other people. This was partially due to my lack of shooting experience but was mostly an in character decision. Not dying was right at the top of my objectives, I had information to hand over after all.
I got separated from my charge in the fighting and had major angst about leaving without him, but he got back in time for the ship taking off and he made a great speech which I chipped into to rally everyone. This was a hair's trigger from devolving into a firefight but was saved by time out.
I got a dinner invitation from the Captain, and have made a couple of trusted allies going into the next game.
Things I learnt
Tag can have great role-playing
Time out can be called at the time that really works for the game not the exact time on the schedule
Wearing black is really important out in the woods both at night and in the day
It's really hard not to have name badges to read on people, but I'll be in a much better position for the next tranche of the game
I want a bigger gun
I never used one of my skills which I thought was something my character should have (instinct) but I decided that I was never going to use it because I rely on my own instincts.
Sleeping in a real bed is an excellent idea
Don't drink immediately out of your metal insulated mug because you burn your lips
Women's clothing REALLY needs more pockets
Bop it http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vivid-Imaginations-BF1851-Travel-Game/dp/B0032VEW7Q/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1320703482&sr=8-4 was an excellent engineering skill facsimile.
I want the next game now - and if it's the same time as Indiecon again then I'll be out there with a bigger gun in the woods
*This is the first of five games so there is time for stuff to come in, but I didn't expect that every suggestion I made for possible character links wasn't taken up on. I do think I would have been easier if I had served with someone in my past or they had known me or my brother or something.
** And a fruity oaty bar