Traceroo
Prodigy
I'd like to start a candid and I hope polite conversation about rumors I've heard that there is, "too much noble plot," or at least too much emphasis on nobility in our game for the comfort of the players of commoners.
As one of the players of the 8 PCs with noble title in our game, I can tell you that not an event goes by that I don't hear of some criticism that I perceive to be directed at me, as a player, because I - and the other nobles - are effectively hogging up a bunch of game resources... plot, NPCs, time of the day, prime time of the day, space in the tavern, and so forth.
Probably every-other-event, these rumors are accompanied by part 2 of the admonition, "The noble players really need to understand this," as if we've actually never heard it before.
Let me tell you a bit about my perspective. I've been playing this style of boffer LARP since 1992; I'm wicked old hat. I'm also loud, and outgoing, and charismatic -- by which I mean altogether that I'm pushy!
What I really mean to say here is that I'll make my own fun at a game. I come from the school of thought about LARP that it provides the setting for you to make your own entertainment. I don't expect "to be entertained" by anyone else. I'm a mover and a shaker. I work to make my PC relevant -- and I like the courtliness, noble politics, and that sort of thing, so that's where I aim my game. I think I do what I set out to, and I've made my PC, Dame Katherine, notable within that circle of influence.
And yet, friends... I feel like I spend most of my events standing around in the tavern with my thumb... idle. I don't care for modules, so I choose not to go on them. I live for field battles, personally! I spend my time between big battles roleplaying with other PCs, and scheming little self-hatched plots. I've been very lucky to have stumbled into two big storylines (specifically, Chieftain Skagrack and the Skullhammer Tribe -- and the whole Epyxia greater scheme). I responded to the ogres by filling a module party from different groups, noble and common. I repeatedly made various in-character posts both on the website forums and in The Acarthian Times telling the story IG and inviting others along if they want in. The Epyxia connections are have are ones that I literally turned right around and handed out to a group of other PCs to track down. Through their networking efforts in turn, I think we had something like over 20 separate PCs turn in Between Games Actions (BGAs/Plot Submissions) about that story. I take only a small pie slice of credit for that, surely not all of it, or even the lion's share! Clearly my point here is that I believe in an inclusive style of play. When I've had but two opportunities for directed story come my way, my first action was to share it.
So I take umbrage every event when I hear more about the noble players (not characters) effectively breathing up all the good air.
I think plot resources are limited. There are only so many Local Plot writers. So many stories they can start. So many modules they can run. So many character histories they can respond to -- Certainly so much they can do all at once.
We have a ZILLION great roleplayers, and movers and shakers in this game! We all want our chance to get in on cool stuff.
It's my personal belief that probably every single player on site feels like they stand around a lot not involved while others seemingly get all the fun, all the glory. This is the seductive nature of envy, and it's part of human nature. I don't think it means, however, that there is any single group of players - however categorically labeled - that is in actuality "hogging up" all the resources.
I get psyched when I hear players may want to open a seedy dive bar somewhere IG in town, to emphasize that style of play. Then I hear they intend to ban nobles from it, and I'm like... wow. Thanks. I run Chivalry School and all kinds of public court activities to open the door to court activities if anybody wants in. I get complaints that I'm blocking others' opportunities by taking centerstage. You come up with a cool idea that I'd like to support and attend... and I can't because... why?
I hate exclusions. I love reasons to include MORE people in all styles of play.
If any one comes up to me, OOG or IG, and says, "Your lengthy noble meetings look like fun. I want to get in on that action," You're in. There's no meeting worth having that's not better worth having with a scribe, 4 bodyguards, a squire, and a messenger. You don't have to be a noble to get in on the courtly storyline.
But if you're just not having enough fun, or the type of fun you want -- don't look enviously to other players and assume they're breathing up all the good air. Envy rarely proves to have the truth of things. Just enter a conversation either IG or OOG about how to get in on it. Or start your own thing. Not everyone is a leader, and will want to start their own thing, I get it -- but equally, not every player who appears to have something you want is a bad sportsman or greedy or a bad person.
And I am stick to death about that implication about me, and the other 7 PCs of noble characters, which I hear over and over and over and over. Rumors get blown out of proportion, yes... but repeated, which they are, they have strength. It's exhausting.
Suffice it to say, however -- If I, personally, can ever do anything to help another player feel more involved, get more involved, become more involved, please just wave at me. I love nothing more in this kind of game than being able to provide the hookup to fun for someone else. Ask me IG or OOG -- just start a conversation with me.
Thanks for reading through my incredibly long, and no doubt oppressively rambling rant. I really want to get that off my chest.
Thanks,
Trace Moriarty
As one of the players of the 8 PCs with noble title in our game, I can tell you that not an event goes by that I don't hear of some criticism that I perceive to be directed at me, as a player, because I - and the other nobles - are effectively hogging up a bunch of game resources... plot, NPCs, time of the day, prime time of the day, space in the tavern, and so forth.
Probably every-other-event, these rumors are accompanied by part 2 of the admonition, "The noble players really need to understand this," as if we've actually never heard it before.
Let me tell you a bit about my perspective. I've been playing this style of boffer LARP since 1992; I'm wicked old hat. I'm also loud, and outgoing, and charismatic -- by which I mean altogether that I'm pushy!
What I really mean to say here is that I'll make my own fun at a game. I come from the school of thought about LARP that it provides the setting for you to make your own entertainment. I don't expect "to be entertained" by anyone else. I'm a mover and a shaker. I work to make my PC relevant -- and I like the courtliness, noble politics, and that sort of thing, so that's where I aim my game. I think I do what I set out to, and I've made my PC, Dame Katherine, notable within that circle of influence.And yet, friends... I feel like I spend most of my events standing around in the tavern with my thumb... idle. I don't care for modules, so I choose not to go on them. I live for field battles, personally! I spend my time between big battles roleplaying with other PCs, and scheming little self-hatched plots. I've been very lucky to have stumbled into two big storylines (specifically, Chieftain Skagrack and the Skullhammer Tribe -- and the whole Epyxia greater scheme). I responded to the ogres by filling a module party from different groups, noble and common. I repeatedly made various in-character posts both on the website forums and in The Acarthian Times telling the story IG and inviting others along if they want in. The Epyxia connections are have are ones that I literally turned right around and handed out to a group of other PCs to track down. Through their networking efforts in turn, I think we had something like over 20 separate PCs turn in Between Games Actions (BGAs/Plot Submissions) about that story. I take only a small pie slice of credit for that, surely not all of it, or even the lion's share! Clearly my point here is that I believe in an inclusive style of play. When I've had but two opportunities for directed story come my way, my first action was to share it.
So I take umbrage every event when I hear more about the noble players (not characters) effectively breathing up all the good air.
I think plot resources are limited. There are only so many Local Plot writers. So many stories they can start. So many modules they can run. So many character histories they can respond to -- Certainly so much they can do all at once.
We have a ZILLION great roleplayers, and movers and shakers in this game! We all want our chance to get in on cool stuff.
It's my personal belief that probably every single player on site feels like they stand around a lot not involved while others seemingly get all the fun, all the glory. This is the seductive nature of envy, and it's part of human nature. I don't think it means, however, that there is any single group of players - however categorically labeled - that is in actuality "hogging up" all the resources.
I get psyched when I hear players may want to open a seedy dive bar somewhere IG in town, to emphasize that style of play. Then I hear they intend to ban nobles from it, and I'm like... wow. Thanks. I run Chivalry School and all kinds of public court activities to open the door to court activities if anybody wants in. I get complaints that I'm blocking others' opportunities by taking centerstage. You come up with a cool idea that I'd like to support and attend... and I can't because... why?
I hate exclusions. I love reasons to include MORE people in all styles of play.
If any one comes up to me, OOG or IG, and says, "Your lengthy noble meetings look like fun. I want to get in on that action," You're in. There's no meeting worth having that's not better worth having with a scribe, 4 bodyguards, a squire, and a messenger. You don't have to be a noble to get in on the courtly storyline.
But if you're just not having enough fun, or the type of fun you want -- don't look enviously to other players and assume they're breathing up all the good air. Envy rarely proves to have the truth of things. Just enter a conversation either IG or OOG about how to get in on it. Or start your own thing. Not everyone is a leader, and will want to start their own thing, I get it -- but equally, not every player who appears to have something you want is a bad sportsman or greedy or a bad person.
And I am stick to death about that implication about me, and the other 7 PCs of noble characters, which I hear over and over and over and over. Rumors get blown out of proportion, yes... but repeated, which they are, they have strength. It's exhausting.
Suffice it to say, however -- If I, personally, can ever do anything to help another player feel more involved, get more involved, become more involved, please just wave at me. I love nothing more in this kind of game than being able to provide the hookup to fun for someone else. Ask me IG or OOG -- just start a conversation with me.
Thanks for reading through my incredibly long, and no doubt oppressively rambling rant. I really want to get that off my chest.
Thanks,
Trace Moriarty
A place where there can be blood on the floor, a knife secured under a table and a lost-n-found box containing the clothes of the guy getting rez-ed in the circle.
