meirya
Adept
Players are pretty great about thanking NPC portrayers after modules and field fights, but sometimes in monster camp, we staff aren't as effusive with our appreciation as we could be. I have felt particularly impressed by and grateful for our NPCs the past few events, and wanted to express that more explicitly and publicly.
Let me tell you the story of Alliance LARP Denver's monster camp.
Our first event in fall 2013 consisted of 30+ players or so. If I remember right, NPC camp consisted of five portrayers: Jesse, Dani, David, Mari, Casey, and Greg. (I can't remember if Emily was there yet, I think she started the second event.) Jesse was the only plot member at the event; Dani and David (not yet Plot) were the only portrayers who had done any NPCing at an Alliance-style boffer larp at all. The other three were brand new (though they were great and they caught on quick!). It was rough. We all ran ourselves ragged, and had fun doing it, but it was definitely a challenge!
In 2014, we had more NPC portrayers, but many of them were still very inexperienced, still learning the rules, and still figuring out how to NPC effectively. There were a lot of fires to put out, a lot of miscommunications, and a lot of misunderstandings. We fumbled around, trying to improve monster camp, train portrayers, and make events happen. Large chunks of time in plot meetings were devoted to managing monster camp better. There were a lot of incredibly frustrating moments for everyone – staff and portrayers and players alike, I'm sure! Yet slowly, over the course of the year, we gathered a reliable consistent NPC core.
Something changed in 2015. I don't know if we hit a critical mass of experienced NPC portrayers, if staff managed to improve communication and training, or if there was some combination of factors, but everything suddenly seemed to gel. Portrayers stopped going rogue. NPC camp ran more smoothly. People got briefed more fully, and they knew the world better. We found ourselves with multiple portrayer options for complex roles. And players started taking shifts en masse, which I feel has improved player/portrayer camaraderie and understanding, as well as swelling our numbers to allow us to run more effectively and run more things at once.
Even when we have lower NPC portrayer numbers, it never feels as frantic or stressful or strained as it did in 2013 at similar ratios, because so many more portrayers know what they're doing and need less coaching, and because we get frequent number boosts with player shifts.
Going into the August event, I was expecting to feel tense and harried, because the schedule was packed – and instead I found I could take my time, relax, and everything got done. I didn't feel the need to play all the major roles to make sure critical information got communicated correctly, because I knew the portrayers could handle it. I didn't feel a need to be at desk all the time, because we have senior NPC portrayers who can run desk (Tim and Jay, I'm looking at you). All the portrayers who've played before take an active hand in orienting the first-timers, and everyone helps each other out with reviewing stats, finding costuming, and putting on makeup. There's a real sense of camaraderie and community in monster camp, and it's amazing to see.
Is there room for improvement? Of course--there always is, in anything. We as staff will continue to strive to find ways to further streamline monster camp and better our communication and organization. Our portrayers and players have been helping with that too, with feedback, volunteering, and asking some great questions.
Tl;dr: We've come so very far since our game began! You are all amazing and we couldn't have game without our portrayers. Our portrayers are hard working, with great attitudes, and really go above and beyond to make events happen! We don't say thank you enough, and so I'm saying it again now.
Let me tell you the story of Alliance LARP Denver's monster camp.
Our first event in fall 2013 consisted of 30+ players or so. If I remember right, NPC camp consisted of five portrayers: Jesse, Dani, David, Mari, Casey, and Greg. (I can't remember if Emily was there yet, I think she started the second event.) Jesse was the only plot member at the event; Dani and David (not yet Plot) were the only portrayers who had done any NPCing at an Alliance-style boffer larp at all. The other three were brand new (though they were great and they caught on quick!). It was rough. We all ran ourselves ragged, and had fun doing it, but it was definitely a challenge!
In 2014, we had more NPC portrayers, but many of them were still very inexperienced, still learning the rules, and still figuring out how to NPC effectively. There were a lot of fires to put out, a lot of miscommunications, and a lot of misunderstandings. We fumbled around, trying to improve monster camp, train portrayers, and make events happen. Large chunks of time in plot meetings were devoted to managing monster camp better. There were a lot of incredibly frustrating moments for everyone – staff and portrayers and players alike, I'm sure! Yet slowly, over the course of the year, we gathered a reliable consistent NPC core.
Something changed in 2015. I don't know if we hit a critical mass of experienced NPC portrayers, if staff managed to improve communication and training, or if there was some combination of factors, but everything suddenly seemed to gel. Portrayers stopped going rogue. NPC camp ran more smoothly. People got briefed more fully, and they knew the world better. We found ourselves with multiple portrayer options for complex roles. And players started taking shifts en masse, which I feel has improved player/portrayer camaraderie and understanding, as well as swelling our numbers to allow us to run more effectively and run more things at once.
Even when we have lower NPC portrayer numbers, it never feels as frantic or stressful or strained as it did in 2013 at similar ratios, because so many more portrayers know what they're doing and need less coaching, and because we get frequent number boosts with player shifts.
Going into the August event, I was expecting to feel tense and harried, because the schedule was packed – and instead I found I could take my time, relax, and everything got done. I didn't feel the need to play all the major roles to make sure critical information got communicated correctly, because I knew the portrayers could handle it. I didn't feel a need to be at desk all the time, because we have senior NPC portrayers who can run desk (Tim and Jay, I'm looking at you). All the portrayers who've played before take an active hand in orienting the first-timers, and everyone helps each other out with reviewing stats, finding costuming, and putting on makeup. There's a real sense of camaraderie and community in monster camp, and it's amazing to see.
Is there room for improvement? Of course--there always is, in anything. We as staff will continue to strive to find ways to further streamline monster camp and better our communication and organization. Our portrayers and players have been helping with that too, with feedback, volunteering, and asking some great questions.
Tl;dr: We've come so very far since our game began! You are all amazing and we couldn't have game without our portrayers. Our portrayers are hard working, with great attitudes, and really go above and beyond to make events happen! We don't say thank you enough, and so I'm saying it again now.
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