IG Atmosphere

[Seattle_Jim]

I cannot begin to tell you how many photos we have not been able use because a bag of chips or jerky was in the shot, or the worst is all the soda cans! It has been something that some staff have been grumbling about for awhile, but now we had more than a few comments about it from players and we talked with some other players last night and we would actually like to do something about it, but of course this takes everyone working on the same page. Please fill out the poll and share your comments.

Also, we are exploring ideas to hide all the damn chairs and looking at other options for decorating the tavern. Problems in the past have been is they electric candles were all broken within two events and the table clothers are too costly to use new ones each time (the cheaper kind- not paper, but a step above is what we used) and plot does not have the time set the tavern and deal with washing/cleaning things after. One player suggested the idea of a team who sets up and maintains the tavern decorations. If this is something you would be willing to do, please email props at neroseattle dot com. We are interested in everyone's thoughts on the tavern as well.

 

[Ashe]

I cannot begin to tell you how many photos we have not been able use because a bag of chips or jerky was in the shot, or the worst is all the soda cans!

First off let me say 'WOW' did you read my mind.

I'm in the process of filling out the event summary and I thought I would post my general thoughts on OOC Atmosphere here to see what other's think as well. For me, the thing which really did the most to 'impact' or 'lessen' the tavern going experience was the feeding of the NPCs. The reason for this is that they tended to congregate 'enmass' in one area with white headbands on and by doing so created an 'OOG' area generally right in the center of the tavern itself. Is it possible in the future to send the NPCs out as Merchants, Peasants, etc. to the tavern to eat? This could add a lot of Atmosphere to the tavern, and even help plot to spread information that they wished spread through the form of 'random chatter of tavern patrons'.

 

[Kauss]

I was wondering if we might go half and half. In general the tavern is rarely if ever crowded, and we often have some semi ooc things that have to stay out like sewing macheans for example. How about look over the tavern, and before game up set some tables up as semi IG. Have that part of the tavern be where the NPCs eat, where PCs who eat OOG for whatever reason (like needing to remove makeup and such) and where PCs who have ooc objects like cans and such can also sit and eat. Then set up some tables with obvous (and donated?) tablecloths where PCs can be fully IG when they have funny IG eating gear or ar in the tavern doing other things fully IG. That way, as the PCs and the chapter get more IG tavern stuff we can make the IG area bigger, but it will always give a more IG area for pictures or mood.

 

[Cerulean Jax]

I cannot begin to tell you how many photos we have not been able use because a bag of chips or jerky was in the shot, or the worst is all the soda cans! It has been something that some staff have been grumbling about for awhile, but now we had more than a few comments about it from players and we talked with some other players last night and we would actually like to do something about it, but of course this takes everyone working on the same page. Please fill out the poll and share your comments.

Also, we are exploring ideas to hide all the damn chairs and looking at other options for decorating the tavern. Problems in the past have been is they electric candles were all broken within two events and the table clothers are too costly to use new ones each time (the cheaper kind- not paper, but a step above is what we used) and plot does not have the time set the tavern and deal with washing/cleaning things after. One player suggested the idea of a team who sets up and maintains the tavern decorations. If this is something you would be willing to do, please email props at neroseattle dot com. We are interested in everyone's thoughts on the tavern as well.

well, you know how i am at wanting everything to be as IG as possible, but to be honest, i don't think any solution is applicable at this time, because as much as could be done about the soda cans, food packages, etc, you still have a full modern looking kitchen. I think that you'd have to have a tavern actually built in order to create the kind of atmosphere that woul be ideal. But then, that's just me. I know that i drank water from glasses and hot chocolate from mugs, and used the canteen i brought for most everything not at the tavern itself,as i tried to stay IC as much as possible, but i doubt that i or a lot of the other players could afford to buy everything we'd need food-gear wise, and with as many people as i encountered drifting IG and OOG all the time, i think seeing a pop can is the least of my worries.

 

[Polare]

Wooden plates, cups, metal or faux-metal steins, wooden eating implements, etc. are all readily available at your local thrift store for pretty darn cheap.

I bring a wooden plate and cup to every event (and usually have it somewhere visible in my cabin) but rarely use them due to everyone else having non-period stuff out and making the effort rather wasted...

-Bryan

 

[Anonymous]

The kitchen itself could be hidden from the view of the common room with some fabric hangings and closed doors. Bryan is correct that cheap trappings can be located at almost any thrift store.

Jax, I've often found that with outer trappings that are IG players staying IG more often follows. So while soda cans are the least of your worries getting rid of them could be a partial solution to your worries.

-Brett

 

[Diego_Salvetore]

First off let me say 'WOW' did you read my mind.

I'm in the process of filling out the event summary and I thought I would post my general thoughts on OOC Atmosphere here to see what other's think as well. For me, the thing which really did the most to 'impact' or 'lessen' the tavern going experience was the feeding of the NPCs. The reason for this is that they tended to congregate 'enmass' in one area with white headbands on and by doing so created an 'OOG' area generally right in the center of the tavern itself. Is it possible in the future to send the NPCs out as Merchants, Peasants, etc. to the tavern to eat? This could add a lot of Atmosphere to the tavern, and even help plot to spread information that they wished spread through the form of 'random chatter of tavern patrons'.

I vote a Lumberjack Guild, or something that requires their workers to take breaks at (Enter random dinner time here)

*shrugs*

 

[Seattle_Jim]

I vote a Lumberjack Guild, or something that requires their workers to take breaks at (Enter random dinner time here)

*shrugs*

There are items on the Crunchy Board for PCs to eat and we always try to send them in as characters (farmers or what have you) but we have been having some issues with NPCs not wanting RP roles (even tossing the crunchy board stuff away) and I also think that they may need a break from time to time to not be in-game... though I don't know where we could feed them if that is the case.

 

[Kasuni]

I think that for drinking packages, glass bottles could be cleaned and painted. Things could be poured into them =D If this idea is apealing, and people would donate glass bottles, and maybe some brown or earthy paint, I would make them =) I can probably also make some for Monster Camp with Sobe and other such bottles from school.
And some tablecloths for the tables would be really neat =D I might be able to help with those ^^

 

[skedros]

Photo Suggestion(s)

In regards to pictures that are deemed un-usable due to 'mundane' objects appearing in them, how doing some photoshop magic and removing them?

:duel:

 

[Alavatar]

I actually sent Shane a PM about something similar to this last week. I offered (starting at the April event) to purchase several bottles and fill them with various beverages (i.e. Sobe, cranberry juice, Kool-aid, etc.) and have them sold from the Tavern. I would also purchase some dollar store goblets for Tavern use (both by PCs [who clean their dishes{we would need some sort of tracking system}] and NPCs) and donate them to the cause.

I thought that having the Tavern actually offer drink would add to the atmosphere (as well as be something mundane players can spend their money on).

 

[Kauss]

I actually sent Shane a PM about something similar to this last week. I offered (starting at the April event) to purchase several bottles and fill them with various beverages (i.e. Sobe, cranberry juice, Kool-aid, etc.) and have them sold from the Tavern. I would also purchase some dollar store goblets for Tavern use (both by PCs [who clean their dishes{we would need some sort of tracking system}] and NPCs) and donate them to the cause.

I thought that having the Tavern actually offer drink would add to the atmosphere (as well as be something mundane players can spend their money on).

actally the tavern does offer drinks, but not to many. Some dwarvish ale and some tea's have been it mostly.

 

[obcidian_bandit]

I would (and usually do) bring my own feast gear, however, like Bryan, I leave it in my cabin, as it is unnessecary in the Tavern with all of the other garbage clogging up the atmosphere. I think that those who have their own gear should be encouraged to use it in the tavern and at the same time, make it mandetory to put anything in a can or bag or other obviously oog container into a container provided by the site. A clear plastic cup of pop is still a plastic cup of pop, but it's not a can of Coke.

I think that this would be an easier adjustment then requiring everyone who barely has the time or money to attend nero to have to purchase more equipment to eat. The downside is that doing this would be the creation of more dirty dishes, which persists as its own problem.

 

[Ashe]

In regards to pictures that are deemed un-usable due to 'mundane' objects appearing in them, how doing some photoshop magic and removing them?

:duel:

I actually met with Shane and Jim today, and we discussed they're sending me images to Photoshop. I'm a graphic arts professional and photoshoping is part of my day-to-day routine. I also volenteered to design some flyers to promote Nero Seattle which leads to the following question: If i design them, can i get help distributing them? The more places the flyers can be distributed, the more luck we will have finding interested parties!

-M

 

[Egor]

Same here with me I would love to see more tapestrys wine bottles. Less soda cans less plastic glasses ect. Table cloths would do wonders. I feel so oog when I am in the tavern because I am staring at those stupid plastic tables. Also that would make clean up realy realy easy all we would have to do is remove the table cloth take it home and throw it in the wash, and presto clean table cloth. Also if we could cover all the stacked chairs with something that would keep them out of sight. I would have to agree on candles they would be impossible to keep from being broken with the amount of combat that goes on in the tavern. As far as the can problem goes I think the bast way to solve that would be to put the contents of the cans in bottles. If somone has a setup for bottling wine that would be very useful for bottling canned beverages. If people brought there own bottles and corks and someone brought the setup to put corks in ect I think alot of people would switch to corked bottles insted of cans.

 

[Kauss]

Same here with me I would love to see more tapestrys wine bottles. Less soda cans less plastic glasses ect. Table cloths would do wonders. I feel so oog when I am in the tavern because I am staring at those stupid plastic tables. Also that would make clean up realy realy easy all we would have to do is remove the table cloth take it home and throw it in the wash, and presto clean table cloth. Also if we could cover all the stacked chairs with something that would keep them out of sight. I would have to agree on candles they would be impossible to keep from being broken with the amount of combat that goes on in the tavern. As far as the can problem goes I think the bast way to solve that would be to put the contents of the cans in bottles. If somone has a setup for bottling wine that would be very useful for bottling canned beverages. If people brought there own bottles and corks and someone brought the setup to put corks in ect I think alot of people would switch to corked bottles insted of cans.

2 things. one reason I noted tablecloths is becouse if we have part of the tavern down the tablecloth would be a cue to not put anything ooc on the table. So in thory any covered table would be fully IG at all times.
Also, to be honest we dont need them to be great or even fully unstained. If they are of colors that are semi dark, then authenticly they might not need to look great.

 

[Anonymous]

Although I'd love to have the npcs get every meal as some sort of rp role and add to the feel of a town, I can understand how you need some downtime. If you don't want to go in and rp, then what I'm used to doing is either eatting in the kitchen (which I found to be very oog here anyway) or to take the food that you want and bring it back to monster camp. That way there isn't a group of people in headbands eatting in the middle of the tavern.

As far as ig containers to eat from, I always bring my own things to eat from, but I understand that not everyone wants to do this. A little bit of duct tape on a can or ripping the label of a sobe bottle can go a long way. In NH we have a completely ig tavern (it was actually built for nero) and no out of period things are allowed (within reason). I've actually been told to leave because I had some rice that I was spooning out of a tupperware container, so I know that it can be done without much of a problem. A simple mug or just hiding a bag of chips under a cloak can go a long way.

Jen

 

[jpariury]

Other.

Plates, silverware, mugs - use the site's. I am not a fan of woodware, to be honest, for hygiene reasons.
Cans, obvious plasticware cups - ban them.
Bottles - remove the labels.
Chip Bags - I don't know. Put them in a pillowcase???

• I don't want to have to know how many chips I plan on eating
• Pouring them all out into a bowl and then having half of them go stale sucks.
• C'mon, chips??? How period are Doritos anyway?

Tablecloths: buy some sheets from Goodwill.

Also, I bought a tall tankard once. It got used for a mod (the weird prophecy with the flame kid, child of stone, Pearl's blood, etc.) and I never saw it again. I am not encouraged to buy another one for that exact reason.

I am all for having an IG atmosphere. I would prefer just to declare the tavern a no-combat area for much the same reason people shouldn't shield-bash, wrestle, etc. Then we could have candlelight, flamey lamps, etc., in the tavern.

I think you could talk Holly into making some wall art, with some sort of massive incentive. Knowing that NERO chapters in general can't afford to give big discounts, it might take a lot of gobbies, though.

Having a props master/mistress who maintained all of the tabards and physreps between events would be good, but as a small chapter, I can see where that's not viable.

 

[Egor]

Although I'd love to have the npcs get every meal as some sort of rp role and add to the feel of a town, I can understand how you need some downtime. If you don't want to go in and rp, then what I'm used to doing is either eatting in the kitchen (which I found to be very oog here anyway) or to take the food that you want and bring it back to monster camp. That way there isn't a group of people in headbands eatting in the middle of the tavern.

Jen

BRILLIANT that is a great idea I always would love to see more than just PC's in the tavern. It would be great to get to know the townspeople and that would be a great way to get us to trust the NPC's more. I realy like that idea. There will of course still be some white headbands but less than usual.

 

[Kasuni]

I actually sent Shane a PM about something similar to this last week. I offered (starting at the April event) to purchase several bottles and fill them with various beverages (i.e. Sobe, cranberry juice, Kool-aid, etc.)

If you'd want help with that, let me know ^^ It's a good idea and I have some really neat bottles and bottle-decorating skills =o

~Emily