First Event: NPC/PC?
- Thread starter ratbutcher
- Start date
There are good things about doing this either way. I will not suggest what you should or should not do. I will however tell you what I did. I NPCed for an entire year before I ever PCd. Because of this, I started at a much higher level my very first event. Some one may say that is a bad thing, but I would contend that it opens up additional character concepts to you right from the beginning, with the added benifit of knowing the rules of the game your first time playing your character also.
I agree with Agahi... I came in at like 8th level, and I had time to figure out what I really wanted to do, and made sure my character concept fit with my intended class.
I was also able to take time and write a character history that I won't look back at and wish I had done it a different way (which I hear from many people about the first character history they write).
I was also able to take time and write a character history that I won't look back at and wish I had done it a different way (which I hear from many people about the first character history they write).
ratbutcher
Newbie
well I will NPC once, but I will probably PC at Seattle. If I make a PC, I want to start low, because I already have a back story, and my char is suppose to know nothing of combat or magic.
ratbutcher
Newbie
by "necromancer slayer" I meant I would be hunting necromancers and undead, just BTW. sort of like a Paliobcidian_bandit said:
markusdark
Knight
I never NPC first in any new game I go into. I want to get things from the perspective of the players first. I do it though for research with LARPs and I do it this way for many reasons.
1) If I am too confused by the rules system, then the system needs to be tweaked
2) I get to see what the world is according to the players. Then, if I NPC, I can compare their take on it to what the writers have and see how far whacked it is.
3) It lets me explore the game at my pace instead of under the timeline of plot
and so on.
1) If I am too confused by the rules system, then the system needs to be tweaked
2) I get to see what the world is according to the players. Then, if I NPC, I can compare their take on it to what the writers have and see how far whacked it is.
3) It lets me explore the game at my pace instead of under the timeline of plot
and so on.
Dreamingfurther
Baron
The biggest reason that I suggest NPC'ing first is that it gives you a chance to learn about the game in a more structured setting. Now if you are a REALLY motivated figure everything out for yourself person who wants to throw themselves into the hurly burly of the PC world right away and not worry about the consequences this might do to your long term build/character development then by all means PC right away. The advantage I see to NPC'ing first is that it allows you to pick and choose with a little bit more clear understanding OOG about how things work or end up working than if you PC right away and start making build/skill/character choices from first impressions which can be easily skewed.
ratbutcher
Newbie
Yeah I would be NPCing first. Thanks for the inputDreamingfurther said:
jpariury
Duke
in my experience, the Seattle chapter is not particularly good about taking new participants aside and working with them to get them comfortable with the game. I haven't heard anything that leads me to think that has changed. NPCing your first event works best when they have someone willing to provide structure to learning the game. Seattle doesn't really provide that. As a PC, otoh, you can totally play up the "I don't know what I'm doing" aspect furing the inevitable downtime and get instruction from, not just players, but characters who enjoy taking on the task of helping out new peeps, especially in Seattle.Dreamingfurther said:
ratbutcher
Newbie
yeah? good to know! I plan on PCing in Seattle anyway!jpariury said:
mikestrauss
Squire
I PC'd my first event. I was so clueless that I got my first PC killed twice in about three hours time (both times by other PCs).
I also PC'd during my first weekend (my first event was a fair day). This time, I had a new PC that I played for about 5 years. Despite playing him for 5 years, I don't really feel that he was that great a character. Part of it was because I was young, but a lot was because I simply didn't have experience with roleplaying in that environment. My history had nothing to do with the history of the chapter and my character simply didn't fit well.
Personally, I would recommend NPCing first, just to get familiar with the game. If you don't want to know too much behind the scenes, just let staff know. As a new player, you won't really be in on much plot anyway and talking to staff will help. After 2-3 times NPCing, I am willing to bet that some nuance of the game or plot or something will spark a really good character idea. Also, to be perfectly honest, the game kinda sucks for level 1 characters. Much like 3rd edition D&D, the sweet spot of Alliance doesn't really kick in until about level 7 or so. NPCing can get you past the really early levels where your character will be mostly worthless for all but maybe an hour of each day.
-MS
I also PC'd during my first weekend (my first event was a fair day). This time, I had a new PC that I played for about 5 years. Despite playing him for 5 years, I don't really feel that he was that great a character. Part of it was because I was young, but a lot was because I simply didn't have experience with roleplaying in that environment. My history had nothing to do with the history of the chapter and my character simply didn't fit well.
Personally, I would recommend NPCing first, just to get familiar with the game. If you don't want to know too much behind the scenes, just let staff know. As a new player, you won't really be in on much plot anyway and talking to staff will help. After 2-3 times NPCing, I am willing to bet that some nuance of the game or plot or something will spark a really good character idea. Also, to be perfectly honest, the game kinda sucks for level 1 characters. Much like 3rd edition D&D, the sweet spot of Alliance doesn't really kick in until about level 7 or so. NPCing can get you past the really early levels where your character will be mostly worthless for all but maybe an hour of each day.
-MS
markusdark
Knight
Funny thing is that most players from SF like to go to Seattle because they get more plot interactions. Seems the first event that one person attended - they got more 'personal' plot than they had in SF for over a year and a half. 
ratbutcher
Newbie
That is pretty funnymarkusdark said:Funny thing is that most players from SF like to go to Seattle because they get more plot interactions. Seems the first event that one person attended - they got more 'personal' plot than they had in SF for over a year and a half.
NPC your first event. Ask for as many different roles and to go out as much as possible. You will learn what you like and dislike. It will get you familiar with the different weapons and classes. You would hate to create a pc that you don't want to play after a few times of playing them because you didn't try it out first.
If you want the "but I want to play at level one" you can still do just that after you npc.
If you want the "but I want to play at level one" you can still do just that after you npc.
I NPC'ed my first event at Seattle in November. While I was a bit overwhelmed trying to remember all the rules for the variety of characters I played, I found most people in Monster Camp and the PC's to be very helpful. I plan on continuing to NPC for awhile until I gain a little more experience and can decide on a character.
Anna_Rainwillow
Newbie
i would say PC first if you now what character you want to play.