Today I went back to Amtgard for the day. I've taken a couple of months off, and it seems to have cleared the BS out of the game, for me anyways. I like this pace. I show up, kick some ass, and go hang out with peeps elsewhere. This makes me wonder if more LARPers should do this at their games. Hanging out in Nashua, I see a lot of people hashing out in character stuff over coffee at Denny's, or even out at a bar. I don't get it, I mean, there are movies about giant robots that you could be talking about. It's healthy to unplug. It's good for you to get out of the game for a while, then when you get back in, your perspective is clearer. You remember how to have fun.
There's stress in a LARP. In no other type of game are you under the pressures that a LARP puts on you, especially a boffer LARP. YOU are the character in a LARP. There's no miniature to rep you, no character sheet, except maybe in Nero or something, but you're still repping that sheet. When people picture your character, no matter weather your a half turtle demon, or space vampire, they're going to picture you, in your LARP outfit. The things your character does in a LARP will reflect directly on you. Failure can't be blamed on a bad roll, you have to own it, because it was you who didn't measure up to the situation. Of course, it works the other way. Winners are revered out of game, kind of like great athletes. What all this ads up to is pressure. Kids who LARP can be really hard on themselves for in game stuff. Because actual live people appear to be counting on your abilities. Over time players loose that "just having fun" feeling, and start doing work.
Don't get me wrong. Having people count on you is good for your self esteem, and is in itself fun. You have to know when and how the scales tip over into work. When that happens taking a break for a few weeks can reboot the whole situation, get you back into the fun of the game, and make things feel as righteously silly as dressing up like a warrior, and swinging a padded sword is supposed to be. So take a look at your game. Are you stressing out about a big battle. Maybe you can take a break. Your LARP friends will understand, and if they don't, maybe they need to take a break with you.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
In the beginning
A brief introduction. I'm Al. I live in a small city in New Hampshire. I own a pit bull terrier. I game. I'm a prepper. And I'm fascinated with hacking people.
New Hampshire is pretty boring. We've got a song that should catch you up here. Aside from all that there isn't much to do, and consequently we have more LARPs than anywhere else in the country. This is where the Appalachian trail starts to get hard. I've traveled a bit in order to gain some perspective, and reprieve from all the friggin trees. But here is where I live and here is where I'll probably die, maybe in some kind of freak ice fishing accident. I can hope.
My dog Belle is adorable. She's a killing machine fueled on the innocent blood of christian children, but she wiggles when she wags her tail so that's all good. Anyone will tell you she's the best dog in the world, even people who hate dogs. She will not bite, even when she gets bitten, which is good because she can reduce the knee bone of a buffallo to dust in 45 minutes or so. Before I even began looking for a dog I immersed myself in dog learnins for over two years. I have always had dogs, and they've been pretty well behaved, but I decided this dog would get the best education and live the best life I could imagine for a dog. I think I'm doing very well. I can take any problem dog and turn it into a well behaved family member, as long as the owners listen to my advice. All this, and without a thick Latin accent.
I have a strong imagination, and I run and play a number of role playing games. I LARP, and have recently gotten into the SCA. I love to run sandbox style campagns, though I'll step out of that and railroad a new group until they get to know each other and start to walk on their own. It's a lot like raising children I suppose. Only with more whining.
Unlike most gamers I prefer to spend time outside. In order to do this on my own terms I've had to learn a number of bush skills. I'm no Cody Lundin, but I get by. The more practical side of survival has creeped into my interests. I maintain at least 4 months of food and water in the house, raise my own tilapia, and know how to build a machine shop from scratch, as well as a wood gas powered generator to run it. I'm currently teaching myself ham radio. If you haven't realized it by now, I'm a bit of an autodidact.
I can also spin a tale. I'm good at reading people, and have learned the ancient hacker art of social engineering. I'm hip to some of the less savory truths about people, and prefer to believe what I can see, rather than what I want to actually be there. I'm a fan of every wizards rule.
More to come.
New Hampshire is pretty boring. We've got a song that should catch you up here. Aside from all that there isn't much to do, and consequently we have more LARPs than anywhere else in the country. This is where the Appalachian trail starts to get hard. I've traveled a bit in order to gain some perspective, and reprieve from all the friggin trees. But here is where I live and here is where I'll probably die, maybe in some kind of freak ice fishing accident. I can hope.
My dog Belle is adorable. She's a killing machine fueled on the innocent blood of christian children, but she wiggles when she wags her tail so that's all good. Anyone will tell you she's the best dog in the world, even people who hate dogs. She will not bite, even when she gets bitten, which is good because she can reduce the knee bone of a buffallo to dust in 45 minutes or so. Before I even began looking for a dog I immersed myself in dog learnins for over two years. I have always had dogs, and they've been pretty well behaved, but I decided this dog would get the best education and live the best life I could imagine for a dog. I think I'm doing very well. I can take any problem dog and turn it into a well behaved family member, as long as the owners listen to my advice. All this, and without a thick Latin accent.
I have a strong imagination, and I run and play a number of role playing games. I LARP, and have recently gotten into the SCA. I love to run sandbox style campagns, though I'll step out of that and railroad a new group until they get to know each other and start to walk on their own. It's a lot like raising children I suppose. Only with more whining.
Unlike most gamers I prefer to spend time outside. In order to do this on my own terms I've had to learn a number of bush skills. I'm no Cody Lundin, but I get by. The more practical side of survival has creeped into my interests. I maintain at least 4 months of food and water in the house, raise my own tilapia, and know how to build a machine shop from scratch, as well as a wood gas powered generator to run it. I'm currently teaching myself ham radio. If you haven't realized it by now, I'm a bit of an autodidact.
I can also spin a tale. I'm good at reading people, and have learned the ancient hacker art of social engineering. I'm hip to some of the less savory truths about people, and prefer to believe what I can see, rather than what I want to actually be there. I'm a fan of every wizards rule.
More to come.
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