Something That Sucks. How do we make it not suck?

[RuneBrighteyes]

Anytime someone says, "I only have 1 Left Spell/1 slay/1 dodge or whatever."

I HATE THAT. It basically CRUSHES me when people say things like that. And it sadly hasn't just happened once or twice. LARP has given me the ability to do AMAZING things and to feel AMAZING. And I want everyone to share in that buzz.

I get that there is a HUGE disparity in the power level of this game, and that it is unlikely to go away. Here are some things that I think can help players to NEVER have to make the above statements. Some will be popular some will not. Please only ADD ideas to the list- no need to nay say. I am not trying to get everyone to drink my cup of tea. I am trying to generate ideas that might make for the most tasty cup. My tea is deep and nutty, just like I like my Roleplay.

- have a lvl cap. Either for a few games or even for a chapter (Crossroads).

- do not make low level mean SILLY GOBLINS. I really like goofy encounters, but I cannot stand that sometimes players equate low-level to silly or goofy. You can throw a fight as an NPC (if needed) and still do it in a terrifying and very gritty way. No reason to ask for shinies.

- only let people activate magic items for spells/skills that they can actually cast/use. "I have one life spell. How many do you have fighter?" Yeah I get that then the high lvl play will be all templars/adepts- and I have NO problem with lower damage calls and smaller pyramids.

- make it a point to send out NPC townies that are in AWE of even basic magic/weapon skill. Let the NPC's develop crushes on the PC's, or bring them cakes when they are saved from the zombies from the old graveyard, or ask them to teach them. I get that the assembled players have near GODLIKE power, but we can send out RP that counter balances that.

- just decide that some characters are important. Choose some RANDOM characters below a certain lvl at a game. Ask them if they would like to be the center of a prophecy OOG. Then make them that center. Then they get to do something that no one else can do and that just rocks. The higher lvl/more powerful characters have been doing cool stuff for years (if not something is wrong with the game).

- just decide that some characters are important. Choose some characters above a certain lvl at a game. Tell them that there is a job that ONLY they can do, and then let them do it in secret- but make sure they know they always have to be ready. If they fail make sure it was a good fail. If they succeed have the Queen come in, let an advisor whisper in her ear, and then ask them to come eat at her table. Because they did that un doable thing.

Any other ideas to make one Life spell feel like the AWESOME thing that it should be?

 

[prashka]

- make it a point to send out NPC townies that are in AWE of even basic magic/weapon skill. Let the NPC's develop crushes on the PC's, or bring them cakes when they are saved from the zombies from the old graveyard, or ask them to teach them. I get that the assembled players have near GODLIKE power, but we can send out RP that counter balances that.

- just decide that some characters are important. Choose some RANDOM characters below a certain lvl at a game. Ask them if they would like to be the center of a prophecy OOG. Then make them that center. Then they get to do something that no one else can do and that just rocks. The higher lvl/more powerful characters have been doing cool stuff for years (if not something is wrong with the game).

I have problems with both of these from both an IG and an OOG perspective. For the first one, there is, in most cases, absolutely no reason for denizens of Fortannis to be awed by magic and weapon skills. They are a natural part of the world. Throwing in townies that are like "zomgs magic!" for the sake of making the low-level characters feel good strikes me as ingenuine and would likely take more from the game than it gives.

That being said, there are ways to make townies that are awed by magic. Our current Seattle plot wrote a whole setting that plays around with this idea, and it has been amazing. But even then, I found it way more awkward and uncomfortable (although it led to some GREAT RP) than morale-boosting.

I also don't like the idea of NPC's being asked to do things like "fall in love" with PCs for all of the reasons that people dislike Love 9.

As for option 2 up above, that is going to lead to all kinds of drama OOG. Everyone wants to be the center of her own story. We're a game of main characters in each of our own separate stories. What I have found as I have progressed through the levels is that PCs have to seek out some plot involvement, they can't just lie back and wait for it to happen. I tried that for a while, but it didn't work. It wasn't until I started sending in downtimes and getting myself into serious trouble that my PC started getting some more attention. That isn't the fault of the plot team, that was my fault. I wasn't communicating with them that I was interested in more stuff, and what that stuff might be. As much as each of us is the star of our own private story in Alliance, plot isn't clairvoyant, and they aren't reading our books.


As for feeling bad about only having 1 life spell, I don't think that's a bad thing. It indicates a desire for self-improvement in the world. Don't you hear friends and family in real life saying "gee, i'm only making $XXX a year" or "man, I wish I had a better car." It's part of a desire to become better. If what you are seeing is that players making these statements are really frustrated about their means, then that's unfortunate. But some of it is also about becoming a better and more advanced character. Me, I've only got 4 prisons from memory a day. I would love to have more. And I'll work to get it. That's part of the fun of the game.

 

[RuneBrighteyes]

Prashka-

Please remember one important part of my post. I re-post it here-

Please only ADD ideas to the list- no need to nay say. I am not trying to get everyone to drink my cup of tea. I am trying to generate ideas that might make for the most tasty cup. My tea is deep and nutty, just like I like my Roleplay.

Here is why I feel that is a simple and reasonable request. So far you are the only responder to this post, even though it has had 30+ views. This likely means that either I am one of the minority (online) about this issue- maybe noone else thinks its a problem. Either that or people do not have any ideas about this issue, or have barely considered it.

Do you have any constructive ideas? If you don't see it as a problem then that's fine to. Again I drink from my own cup of tea.

I will address one thing that you said that made me sad (bolded emphasis mine- I did not want to pick and choose what I responding to).

As for feeling bad about only having 1 life spell, I don't think that's a bad thing. It indicates a desire for self-improvement in the world. Don't you hear friends and family in real life saying "gee, i'm only making $XXX a year" or "man, I wish I had a better car." It's part of a desire to become better. If what you are seeing is that players making these statements are really frustrated about their means, then that's unfortunate. But some of it is also about becoming a better and more advanced character. Me, I've only got 4 prisons from memory a day. I would love to have more. And I'll work to get it. That's part of the fun of the game.

I get wanting to become better, but my guess is people that LARP might be doing it to fufill fantasies that have some component of control over their existence to them. Why buy hundreds of dollars of costume and spend hours of prep and money on events to end up that same disinfranchised/powerless geek you were in high school? I know that there will always be have nots. What I am suggesting its lets populate the "loser" tables with NPC's so that no PC has to sit there (unless by choice).
As to magic power and martial skill being part of the game world that is a choice by plot committees (and largely based on past practice). The game takes place on 10+ acres of a WHOLE WORLD (and sometimes sadly less just around a tavern or a few picnic tables. While where the PC's are might be a nexus of sorts for craziness there is no reason for the WORLD to be that). A few plot decisions and NPC roles can start to sort that out a bit. For example- make the King a 5th lvl artisan. He don't get out much, and was born into it.

 

[prashka]

I appologize for missing that sentence as I read.

Since you replied to what I wrote, however, do you want to discuss it, or shall I remove the previous post entirely?

 

[RuneBrighteyes]

What's done is done- and it did provide insight.

If you did want all players to be able to feel more powerful, what do you think could be done to support that?

 

[Alavatar]

So far you are the only responder to this post, even though it has had 30+ views. This likely means that either I am one of the minority (online) about this issue- maybe noone else thinks its a problem. Either that or people do not have any ideas about this issue, or have barely considered it.

While I have read your post I did not respond because:

(a) I don't agree with your OP, per se, and you essentially made posting comments disagreeing with you not allowed so I didn't see any reason to contribute to the thread.
--- To be clear, I do think there are problems in the game and sometimes I do agree with your Point of View. I just don't agree with the perception provided in the OP for this thread.

(b) Most of your suggestions are extreme. The only one that is not extreme is the one about making low level plot meaningful (i.e. not equating low level plot to silly plot). Since you requested no nay-saying I didn't feel it was within the scope of your OP for me to respond.

(c) I don't get the point of this thread. With per-day skills, finite healing, and finite ability to contribute to a marshal encounter it stands to reason that when there is attrition in combat and resources are low that people get worried and start to consider alternate tactics (and make the people "in charge" aware of their supply). Wanting to make it special that your limited and finite resources have dwindled confuses me immensely.

(d) Saying something to the effect of "only post ideas, don't post anything saying an idea is bad" effectively kills discussion. Someone could come on here and say "Pink swords and magic fairy dust would make that 1 Life spell awesome!" and, without anyone to contradict that statement someone in the powers-that-be may take it as a viable suggestion and implement it somehow, despite it being inane. Discussion is what vets out the bad ideas from the good ideas; preventing that discussion makes the entire thread moot.

 

[prashka]

Apparently sarcasm doesn't translate well over the internet.

I don't really see the point of spitballing ideas without others taking them apart and putting them back together. That isn't a discussion, that's a list without the benfits of addressing the merits and flaws of each idea.

I think I'm just going to go back to lurk mode instead of participate more in this. If no one is going to challenge my ideas, and I can't challenge those of other people, there's no point in thinking about it, because I won't learn or grow as a result of it. Too bad, this could have been an interesting discussion about the philosophy of playing the game from an OOG standpoint, and the merits versus flaws of playing low-level characters and having to earn your respect and your place in society.

 

[phedre]

I think Ray's idea might be to gather suggestions and then break them down and discuss, rather than have it be a free-for-all that will tangent off and miss out on some good stuff.

 

[RuneBrighteyes]

I think Ray's idea might be to gather suggestions and then break them down and discuss, rather than have it be a free-for-all that will tangent off and miss out on some good stuff.

+1

Then again Lauren knows me and understands how I think- which I hope is a good thing?

As for extreme suggestions I really am all for them (and I believe not all that I made were that extreme- I think only the MI one is). The reason I make them is that I believe that the "status quo" is not really that effective, engaging, or exciting anymore. I think we need BIG ideas to do big things- like make Alliance THE destination LARP.

So I will back up and make this point instead-

Do you think all PC's at LARP should be able to feel heroic/larger than life regardless of level? What can we do to achieve this?

Apparently sarcasm doesn't translate well over the internet.

Nope.

I think I'm just going to go back to lurk mode instead of participate more in this. If no one is going to challenge my ideas, and I can't challenge those of other people, there's no point in thinking about it, because I won't learn or grow as a result of it. Too bad, this could have been an interesting discussion about the philosophy of playing the game from an OOG standpoint, and the merits versus flaws of playing low-level characters and having to earn your respect and your place in society.

That does sound interesting. Why don't you set it up, provide some framework for the discussion, and then see where it goes. I would be happy to participate.

 

[Tyson]

As a general concept, by putting it into perspective. 1 slay/dodge/life spell guy only Sucks if you continue to compare it to 5 slay/dodge/life spell guy.

The world is unscaled. If everything in the game increases in power to match the upper bend of the power curve, anyone not there is likely to feel relegated to a sidekick. When the roving goblins are, well, goblins, then the higher level guys shouldn't find them that fun to fight. This becomes more of a problem when the higher level guys are bored - then one-shotting goblins is way more fun than not engaging in anything.

Mutual trust between players, plot, and NPCs. Plot, trust your NPCs to engage PCs not just intelligently, but with consideration for the player behind the character. (Note: Instruct your NPCs to engage PCs with consideration for the player.) PCs, trust the NPCs to treat you with respect. NPCs, trust the PCs to treat you with respect and have consideration for the player behind the monster. PCs, trust that Plot will provide you with something entertaining and appropriate for your power level - you don't need to hunt down every wandering goblin on site. Plot, have something entertaining and appropriate for various PC power levels and a way to deliver that something to them.

Power disparity is the hardest to manage when everyone is all together - like wave battles. People like them, so I won't say get rid of them, but realize that's where you're likely to find direct consequences of power disparity.

 

[SkollWolfrun]

I guess I am basically missing the meaning of your post.

Almost all of your OP is based upon things PLOT can already do.
My characters 2nd-5th games had more than a few plot related things happen and he was pretty central to them getting done. I understand that that torch will get passed around so that Swift (or Loans, or Jane Doe, or Joe Blow) gets to have that for a few games. Will it get back to me? Probably, but that is dependent upon me doing things IG and with downtime.

In Seattle, we are in a semi-low magic area right now. So the NPC townies were kind of in awe of us. (Again, Plot driven).


As for the other stuff on Magic, skills, etc...as I posted in another thread, all skills are open to everyone. It just comes down to costs and how you spend them. So I only have 1 Dodge, but I am swinging big (or able to Parry a ton, or whatever)...

 

[RuneBrighteyes]

I guess I am basically missing the meaning of your post.)

Restated here-

Do you think all PC's at LARP should be able to feel heroic/larger than life regardless of level? What can we do to achieve this?

Almost all of your OP is based upon things PLOT can already do.

Agreed- I want to make sure that they do. Or at least consider it.

My characters 2nd-5th games had more than a few plot related things happen and he was pretty central to them getting done. I understand that that torch will get passed around so that Swift (or Loans, or Jane Doe, or Joe Blow) gets to have that for a few games. Will it get back to me? Probably, but that is dependent upon me doing things IG and with downtime.

In Seattle, we are in a semi-low magic area right now. So the NPC townies were kind of in awe of us. (Again, Plot driven).

As for the other stuff on Magic, skills, etc...as I posted in another thread, all skills are open to everyone. It just comes down to costs and how you spend them. So I only have 1 Dodge, but I am swinging big (or able to Parry a ton, or whatever)...

True- but only based on build that they have. In my DREAM LARP every character (1st through 101st) can feel cool and heroic when compared to the world. That's what I want.

 

[beboped]

What you propose is:
1) extraordinarily difficult to achieve, on a purely human psych level.
2) not the kind of game I want to play in even if it is possible

To explain briefly:

1. You want 100 different people to all attend the same event and share an communal experience, but also all feel uniquely and personally special. Part of humanity's essential make up is comparative; you've done it several times in this post alone. As long as people compare, and judge themselves or their experience worse for the comparison, there will be someone who feels less cool than someone else. "Oh, I'm not that good, I've only got 6 slays; Joe Bob over there has 10, and he's got a pocket Earth tree to boot." There are also people who no matter how many moments of cool they have, they won't judge the whole event as cool. Period. Call them bad sports or whiners, but they exist.

2. To even attempt to achieve what you're talking about, you'll have to even out the power curve. If one of the primary sources of your discontent, as listed in the OP, is power level imbalance, you won't get what you want without "fixing" that. Now, I've written at length before about the inevitability of the upper and average power levels increasing infinitely unless a hard limit is introduced, I won't repeat that here. To fix imbalance forever, you will need to either completely flatten progression or eliminate leveling entirely. And even then, players who have been playing longer, players who are more connected socially to the other players and to the NPCs will always be "better" in some way. Pure equality sounds like a great idea, until you actually look at it closely. I am simply not interested in a game which has perfect PC equality as a goal.

 

[mguarino]

Do you think all PC's at LARP should be able to feel heroic/larger than life regardless of level?

I didn't respond earlier per OP's request against "nay-saying," but it looks like we're all overlooking that in order to actually have a discussion . But to answer this bluntly: no, they shouldn't, at least as far as combat is concerned (which is what I think you're asking about since most of your proposed fixes address that).

Lowbies should feel like lowbies in combat. I'm not saying they can't feel heroic or larger than life in other aspects of the Alliance world, though. Let me present my elf as an example. I feel comparatively ineffective at Killing Stuff, though I admit this is partly attributed to spending build "inefficiently" and having literally no melee skills. However, I've become so involved in one of the story arcs of HQ to the point that I'd consider myself one of the three Main Characters (it'd be five, but two of them no longer play the chapter). Do I feel like a hero? (IG: no, I'm angry and it sucks, but) OOG: hell yeah!

 

[RuneBrighteyes]

Do you think all PC's at LARP should be able to feel heroic/larger than life regardless of level?

I didn't respond earlier per OP's request against "nay-saying," but it looks like we're all overlooking that in order to actually have a discussion . But to answer this bluntly: no, they shouldn't, at least as far as combat is concerned (which is what I think you're asking about since most of your proposed fixes address that).

Lowbies should feel like lowbies in combat. I'm not saying they can't feel heroic or larger than life in other aspects of the Alliance world, though. Let me present my elf as an example. I feel comparatively ineffective at Killing Stuff, though I admit this is partly attributed to spending build "inefficiently" and having literally no melee skills. However, I've become so involved in one of the story arcs of HQ to the point that I'd consider myself one of the three Main Characters (it'd be five, but two of them no longer play the chapter). Do I feel like a hero? (IG: no, I'm angry and it sucks, but) OOG: hell yeah!

BE ABLE TO FEEL HEROIC regardless of level. Not all the time. Not in every fight. But when compared to the WORLD I want all PC's to be able to feel heroic/larger than life. Even at first level. I want more representation of truly common and low level NPC's for PC's to complare themselves to

What you propose is:
1) extraordinarily difficult to achieve, on a purely human psych level.
2) not the kind of game I want to play in even if it is possible

To explain briefly:

1. You want 100 different people to all attend the same event and share an communal experience, but also all feel uniquely and personally special. Part of humanity's essential make up is comparative; you've done it several times in this post alone. As long as people compare, and judge themselves or their experience worse for the comparison, there will be someone who feels less cool than someone else. "Oh, I'm not that good, I've only got 6 slays; Joe Bob over there has 10, and he's got a pocket Earth tree to boot." There are also people who no matter how many moments of cool they have, they won't judge the whole event as cool. Period. Call them bad sports or whiners, but they exist.

Countered by the point above in this post.

2. To even attempt to achieve what you're talking about, you'll have to even out the power curve. If one of the primary sources of your discontent, as listed in the OP, is power level imbalance, you won't get what you want without "fixing" that. Now, I've written at length before about the inevitability of the upper and average power levels increasing infinitely unless a hard limit is introduced, I won't repeat that here. To fix imbalance forever, you will need to either completely flatten progression or eliminate leveling entirely. And even then, players who have been playing longer, players who are more connected socially to the other players and to the NPCs will always be "better" in some way. Pure equality sounds like a great idea, until you actually look at it closely. I am simply not interested in a game which has perfect PC equality as a goal.

While I would love to even out the power curve I do not need to. Give me more NPC's and with some thought and follow through I can set up a game world where EVERY player can have a level appropriate challenge almost all the time. I can provide details of past times that this has been done.

 

[Draven]

So.

I have two rather significant concerns regarding the subject matter at hand here. The first is the way this thread has been presented to the rest of us as a whole. As members of the Alliance community, when one is making suggestions as how to make modifications to the game for what they feel would positively impact their experience, which is entirely a valid reason to make said suggestion, it's, frankly, rude to request that only those who would thus post positive things, and not those with criticism, however constructive, as it implies you don't think they'd have valid things to contribute to this discussion. It creates the idea that their experience is inherently less valuable than your own, however unintentional that might be. Also, by labeling the thread "Something That Sucks. How do we make it not suck?," also implies, however unintentionally, that those who actually find this experience in the game to be wholly positive to be contributing to the game, or aspect therein, to "suck." Anything that impacts the changes of this game that we all equally enjoy, or hypothetically would do so, should also allow us to add our own commentary equally.

Now, to the subject itself.

I don't think I'd like a world where, as a completely new character, I could feel somehow superior or heroic or larger than life. Not that my -character- wouldn't want that, of course he would. When Zeth first started adventuring, he and his coon-kin brothers were 2nd level nothings that got rolled in a heartbeat by a Chaos Dragon. We felt absolutely powerless. But
because of that, our early level build growth felt -awesome-. First event to second event increased our BP by 10 (2nd to 3rd). That's a near 50% increase in character strength. Over the next two years, two of the three coon-kin are nearly 18th level. We feel amazing...because we once felt weak. We feel accomplished, and now we feel like we can do things far more capable.

Last event, an orc adventurer went running into the darkness to locate an item important to her, and her tribe sister needed help looking for her. Zeth ran into the group of adventurers, and seeing they had no healers, he joined them. Then he noticed that the people walking with him were pretty much all younger adventurers...and they were using -him- for protection. That was genuinely the first time Zeth felt powerful, or "larger than life." Heroic. And it felt awesome.

It wouldn't have felt that way if he'd always felt powerful. He came a long way to get there, and it makes it better that way. To make the world around us weaker just to make weaker adventurers feel better about themselves, in my opinion, would be a crippling impact to characters who want to feel ambition and accomplishment. This isn't D&D, where only a small handful of players, roughly equal in level, need to be taken into consideration. This is a game that's been around for a long time, and has a wide breadth of characters to cater to. Your way wouldn't do that well.

 

[jpariury]

You asked for only adding, not nay-saying, so here you go:

Quit focusing on the stat lines. Don't talk to one another about how awesome it is that you have access to X effect or can do Y so many times a day.

• Talk about the awesome things you've seen people try. Celebrate other people's successes.
• Try things you have no reason to succeed at. Win or lose, enjoy the experience.

 

[RuneBrighteyes]

So.

I have two rather significant concerns regarding the subject matter at hand here. The first is the way this thread has been presented to the rest of us as a whole. As members of the Alliance community, when one is making suggestions as how to make modifications to the game for what they feel would positively impact their experience, which is entirely a valid reason to make said suggestion, it's, frankly, rude to request that only those who would thus post positive things, and not those with criticism, however constructive, as it implies you don't think they'd have valid things to contribute to this discussion. It creates the idea that their experience is inherently less valuable than your own, however unintentional that might be.

Completely unintentional- thank you for bringing this point up. My intent was to first generate some ideas and then figure out the best ones. I have seen too often ideas get crushed by the weight of side conversations, devil's advocate involvement and people debating for "points". As my father always says, "There are no bad ideas in a brainstorm." I was trying to create a guided storm I guess.

Also, by labeling the thread "Something That Sucks. How do we make it not suck?," also implies, however unintentionally, that those who actually find this experience in the game to be wholly positive to be contributing to the game, or aspect therein, to "suck." Anything that impacts the changes of this game that we all equally enjoy, or hypothetically would do so, should also allow us to add our own commentary equally.

I intentionally used the language "suck" to encourage people to read it. Those who know me (VERY few people here) know that if I think that something/someone sucks I will just say it. Thank you for providing me insight into unintentional effects.

Now, to the subject itself.

I don't think I'd like a world where, as a completely new character, I could feel somehow superior or heroic or larger than life.

Here is the VERY narrow edge of my main point. I want a world where all characters, regardless of level, have SOMETHING that they can SOMETIMES feel superior or heroic or larger than life in comparison. In my experience I have too often seen situations where that is not happening. I have no problem with the farm boy with a sword being nothing compared to the knight that killed his father- but I DO want him to be "more than" the farm boy that NEVER picks up the sword.

I want to make sure that there is also that LESSER than represented. And I would prefer it if it didn't as often have to be a different PC.

Achievement and progression are an integral and important part of our game. I think of it this way. In the D und D world of Eberron less than 1/2 of 1% of the WORLD population has a character level. I feel like in the Forgotten Realms you cannot throw a rock without hitting an Archmage. I prefer more of the first, because it allows ALL players to be the "hero". With a game with such an AMAZING and challenging level spread I think there is ALOT of value added by putting in NPC's that provide a yardstick that is less than even 1st level characters. I will provide some anecdotal support for this.

A low level team that I was on interacted with a group of farmers AFTER we had freed them from goblins. BECAUSE they RP'd with us about how much they needed our help and how dangerous the situation was for them we took it upon ourselves to teach them Two Handed Blunt, Read and Write, Teacher and Blacksmith. We then worked over time to equip them with Two Handed Blunts and small suits of armor and taught them more skills through write-ups and the OCCASIONAL visit from our own militia. Two years later in the game a few NPC’s (2-3) dressed as farmers equipped with Two Handed Blunts came to the town’s defense during a war and really helped the town. Then they told us how our help saved their families. And that was amazing.

Standard module format again. We were 2nd level. A baker had his supplies stolen and needed them retrieved. After we had gotten the stuff back the NPC TOOK THE TIME to comment how hard it was going to be to start his bakery now- how he was poor and the road ahead looked grim. We asked him how much money he needed- and he indicated a small sum to us. We handed it over, and he asked how he could repay us. We said after his bakery was set up he needed to bring us some rolls. 6 months later the same NPC came to town in his baker outfit, told us that he was able to get going quicker because of the money we had given him, and then gave us a store bought black forest cake during the breakfast hour. He cut it up and served us our HERO CAKE in the middle of breakfast.

The game will give people all sorts of goals to work towards/power to accumulate (and that’s GREAT).

I want more people to get their HERO CAKE.

 

[Avaran]

It's just as important for PC's to do those things as it is for NPC's.

It's a two-way street.

If someone can't take time away from being Barney BadAss to say "thanks" to everyone (low-level, mid-level, etc.) that's on them, NOT on plot.

Plot can't fix everything, and I think that PC's forget the kind of inherent power they have with regard to helping everyone have fun.

Some questions to consider (I'm not trying to attack anyone, so please don't take it that way; they're just questions):
Are the teams and groups there so segregated that none of the "higher level" teams knew about this low-level group's actions? Did the PC nobility give them a "thanks"? As a PC noble, I try to make it my goal to let everyone know their help is appreciated and that my character thinks they are valued (assuming the character knows about it). If a PC noble doesn't do that, then what they hell are they there for; what does it mean to be a "noble" in that chapter? As a general comment, I think that's part of the noble's "job" (when appropriate, of course).

Putting all of this stuff on Plot's Plate™ isn't fair to plot, and frees players from taking responsibility to this "situation" as well.

 

[RuneBrighteyes]

It's just as important for PC's to do those things as it is for NPC's.

It's a two-way street.

If someone can't take time away from being Barney BadAss to say "thanks" to everyone (low-level, mid-level, etc.) that's on them, NOT on plot.

Plot can't fix everything, and I think that PC's forget the kind of inherent power they have with regard to helping everyone have fun..

Totally agree with all players working harder to help everyone have more fun. But I also think that plot (and even NPC's) can do simple things that can help everyone feel more heroic. In my above examples all plot did was-

write a few emails and have 3 NPC's come out with Two Handed Blunts and help our team out with a fight and then bs with us for a bit

buy a $7 cake, bring a random platter and paper plates then suit up and cut cake for some players and BS for 10 minutes during the breakfast lull


(The following is posted to explain impact- not to toot my horn)
I have been playing LARP, specifically this game, for 22 years (it used to be called something else I hear). I have never not played a season. I have found artifacts, killed the unkillable, been Knighted and tricked a dragon (or so I thought). In my career these two SIMPLE encounters have been the best REWARD experiences that I have ever had. When I think of how all that had to happen to allow it was for my character to encounter someone who really needed help/saving, and then that someone came back and celebrated my characters accomplishments/influence another time was the best thing ever.

And it was (really) so easy to do. And I believe plot did their job because I am still playing THIS larp.

Additionally it was these encounters that made me take a second look at the simple things that I can do as a PC to let more people get their slice of HERO CAKE.

So I want all Plot Commitees to do this more. Take a moment and consider if there are simple things that they can do to make more PC's get their slice of HERO CAKE. I think considering that question is only beneficial for everyone.

Does anyone else agree?