New to the Community

Hello All,

I find this whole world fascinating and am curious about joining. To my dismay I am finding little to go on when it comes to all the questions I have. How do I go about creating a character, any tips you could give? Is there an alliance rulebook? How do you register? What do the event weekends entail (what time to get there, what to bring, sleeping arrangements), I could go on.

It feels if you already don't know how things work you are somewhat left out in the cold. It seems there are some issues with the Alliance website. Is there a way there could be a "Welcome to the Community" or "How do I begin?" section on these boards? Including links to any helpful sites and information would be wonderful as well.

I don't mind digging for information but when one visits a website devoted to the Alliance, information should be laid out for them in a convenient and accessible manner.

These are all just things I am noticing with my virgin eyes. If I have it wrong or there is something I missed then, I apologize. I mean no disrespect to anyone, I'm just curious about getting involved.

Thank you in advance! :)
 
Welcome!

There is a rule book, available in as an E-book, or in hard copy, through the Alliance website.
http://nerohq.com/books.php

The main website has much of the information you're looking for, in addition to forums where many of these questions have been answered.
http://nerohq.com/advice.php
http://nerohq.com/forum/index.php

Sleeping is generally in cabins, most of the time padded bunks are provided, but you'll need to bring a sleeping bag (an extra blanket helps). If you're coming as a PC (player character) you'll need to bring food for the weekend (cooking utensils are generally provided by the camp), all your personal effects (extra socks!), your costume and any makeup you'll need for your race. You'll also need a weapon or spell packets, instructions on making both of those are in the rule book.

The rule book has much more information on creating a character and preparing for your first event. I've never created a character, since I NPC exclusively right now, but if you look around on the national boards, there's a wealth of knowledge there.

If you'd like to check out Alliance without forking out a bunch of money to start up, I'd encourage you to try NPC'ing. All you need to bring is black clothing (preferably not jeans), some snacks (meals are provided) and your personal gear-costumes, weapons, make up, etc are all provided. Oregon has an event next weekend in Silverton and NPC'ing will be free.
Link to Oregon Event
 
A few extra things to add because I noticed the previous post as I was going to post my response =P

As far as creating a character goes I usually recommend that new players NPC their first event and get used to the different classes and play styles and find out what you like to do. If you would like to just hop right in as a player you can always read trough the book about each race and class and decide from there.

Sleeping arrangements: At the Millers site there are lots of cabins that sleep 8 and are heated. At Sheppard the cabins are quite larger and groups tend to share them.

Game usually starts between 8-10pm on Fridays and the earliest people usually arrive in the early afternoon to either begin setting up their cabins(players) or setting up the game(staff).

You should bring with you food, drink, anything you'll want to sleep with (pillows, blankets, sleeping bag, etc)

Let us know if there is any other way we can help =D
 
Those are good questions that should definitely be answered. :) We should make a sticky post to outline all of that information, like you said!

In the mean time, here are some answers to some of your questions:

blondiefan said:
How do I go about creating a character, any tips you could give?

To create a character you will need a rulebook to look at all of the advantages and disadvantages of the races, the classes, etc. and to learn about all the skills and such. Generally, when creating a character you should first try to envision what you want your character to do (which will help when picking a class and initial skills) and how you want your character to act (which can influence your race since most races have typical tendencies).

Also, your costuming may depend on your race. For instance, Barbarians require furs and a Gypsy is required to be flashy and colorful. Stuff like that. :)

blondiefan said:
Is there an alliance rulebook?

Yes! There are hardcover rulebooks you can purchase for $20 and *.pdf rulebooks you can download for $5. You can find both at this website. As a note, for this chapter you only need the rulebook and can ignore the Player's Guide and the two novels. The Player's Guide is meant primarily for the HQ chapter which is based on the East Coast.

blondiefan said:
How do you register?
Send an e-mail to "logistics (at) alliance-seattle (dot) com" with your name (first and last). That gives us the basic information required to set up an account for you. Extra information, such as address and other contact information, is nice to have, but not needed.

Registering for an event depends on if you plan to PC (play your character, basically) or NPC (be a minion for the plot team).

NPCing is a lot of fun and allows you to play various roles, learn the game, understand more about who is who and what is what and where is where all while not endangering your character; at the same time you are still getting experience for your character as if your character had attended, so when you do finally start playing your character will be greater than 1st level. When you NPC you basically play the various creatures of the land as well as other figures that are not PCs, from goblins, to trolls, Ducal Guards, to merchants, to slimes, to hobgoblins, to kobolds, to skeletons and zombies. Another perk of being an NPC is we feed you whereas a PC must provide their own food.

PCing, on the other hand, allows you to create and play your character concept. You are that single character for the whole weekend which allows you to mingle with other PCs, develop friendships and relationships, go on exciting adventures, and find treasure.

If you want to PC, you send an e-mail to "logistics (at) alliance-seattle (dot) com" stating which character you plan to play and what (if any) per day skills you may need, such as spells or magic items if you have any.

If you want to NPC send a message to both "logistics (at) alliance-seattle (dot) com" and "plot (at) alliance-seattle (dot) com" stating that you intend to NPC.

blondiefan said:
What do the event weekends entail (what time to get there, what to bring, sleeping arrangements)

Great question!

The sites we go to generally have a fully stocked kitchen (i.e. tools-wise such as pots, pans, plates, cups, etc.), but any food that was there before we got there probably belongs to the camp. The cabins generally have bunks with mattresses and are heated. There are also showers and bathrooms at each of the camps.

People generally start arriving at the event location on Friday at around 3pm or 4pm, but those are the early birds. "Logistics" opens as soon as it is able, we try for 6pm; you need to check in at Logistics so we know who all is there for both safety reasons and camp payment reasons and also so we know who to give experience and stuff to when the game is over. "Opening" is generally conducted around 10pm once enough players have arrived; this is where we welcome everyone to the game and explain anything weird and "house rules" that are in addition to the rulebook for that particular event. Game generally starts after the "Opening" shortly there-after. We generally end the event at Noon on Sunday, conduct a short "Closing" where we go over the good, the bad, and the ugly of the event, and explain what all needs to be done before we can leave (such as cleaning our cabins).

If you are NPCing you only need to bring a sleeping bag, pillow, and black clothes. I recommend toiletries as well, such as toothbrush, soap/shampoo/conditioner, and a towel so you can keep yourself clean. A cabin or set of cabins are set aside specifically for NPCs to use so if you NPC don't worry about finding a place to sleep. NPC camp provides whatever costuming and make-up is required for your excursions as the local wild life.

A PC should bring their own costuming, their own decoration for their cabin, a sleeping bag and pillow, and their own food. As a PC you'll need to find a place to sleep; sometimes a local will offer to let you stay in their cabin, other times you will need to set up your bed in a cabin that isn't being used. Once you befriend a few PCs in-game you will probably be able to get invited to their cabins, or at the very least get you a Ward or Wizard Lock (an effect that allows only certain people to enter a cabin).

In either case, bring several pairs of socks and sturdy shoes!

PCing an event costs $65 ($55 if you pre-register a week in advance, $46.60 if you pre-pay and pre-register by the due date given in the event announcement). NPCing costs $25 in Seattle ($20 if you pre-register by sending an e-mail to both Logistics and Plot) and is free to NPC in Oregon.

I hope this answers a majority of your questions! I will start compiling a "New Player's Guide for Alliance LARP in the NW" message to post both here and the website.

Thanks,
Seth
Alliance Seattle Logistics
 
Thank you so much for your extremely helpful responses.

This is something I feel I could really get into and have a great time doing. I'm a girly-girl of sorts but not afraid to get out there and get dirty. I think I will visit the Oregon event first and try NPC'ing.

I will take it from there. Thanks for the info on creating a character as well. I didn't want to show up as the bar wench with laser vision and be deemed an uneducated a-hole newbie :D

Thanks again!
 
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