WE'RE TWO!

[Vault Dweller]

First of all, what gate. There are no two identical gates in a whole universe, so you must know the background for the gate.

It's irrelevant. We are talking in general and any details would only complicate matters. Treat like a door, there are hundreds of them, and after awhile they all look alike to you.

You can learn about gate-keepers past....a)you can blackmail him; b)you can inspire him use his status...
You can try to bribe gate-keeper
You could offer some strong beer to guard, most likely he wouldnt refuse

All those are "talk your way in" options. Some are more complex, some are less, but you rely on your conversation skills to succeed.

You could search the town for someone, who'd get you out.

Mix of "sneak in" and "climb the wall" and "talk your way in"

You could get false documents/identity and leave town with no pressure.

That's my "get a pass" option

You could start public disorders...

A talker option.

Overall, you simple fleshed out the options I gave you.

None of quests above should have some limitations from characteristics. Those variants you suggested would be the easy way, the ones I listed - much more complicated, but - in exchnage - non-dependant on stats.

Heh, let's see. You walk to the guard and say "hey, pal, here is a drink". Try pulling this stuff somewhere without skills, go to a nearest military base and try to give one of the guard a drink. What else you had? Learning about the gate-keeper's past isn't an easy task either, unless everyone in town is dying to tell you a SEKRET! Starting and controlling a public disorder also takes some skills and practice in "crowd management". Same goes for obtaining a pass, you need to know who might have one, you need to get people to tell you that without going to the nearest guard to tell him "hey, officah, there is a weird guy here who asks who has the pass. Might be a LARPer!", you need to be skilled enough to get that pass from that person, etc. So, unless your setting is filled with dumb people who are eager to help you just because you asked, none of what you listed would fly if your character is unskilled.

There are different people on larps, some of them are really well with sword - they could try to fight through. Others are good thieves [really, some girls are like cleptomans], they could actually steal the keys. That was the simpliest case. In more complex situations fighter character could talk thief into stealing better weaponry and armour for him so he kills the guard with less problems.Whats wrong with that?

What's wrong with that is that your skills don't work there. Let's say you have a girl who wants to steal the key. The guard guy knows that she's about to steal the key, so he either plays along and lets he steal it (based on his own criteria), or he doesn't. That's basically up to him and GM. Same with converstaions. How do you know that you convinced the guy? It's just not the same when the guy knows and expects. That's where it stops being an RPG and turns into a theatric play.

No, actually I just dont understand what LARP is other than RPG.

Denial, eh? Ok

It has the role-playing elements and even stats/combat mechanics...I actually dont care is it larp or smth else, like live-action quest :D.

How about Comedy Gold?

 

[Kamaz]

Uh..you got it wrong.

What's wrong with that is that your skills don't work there. Let's say you have a girl who wants to steal the key. The guard guy knows that she's about to steal the key, so he either plays along and lets he steal it (based on his own criteria), or he doesn't. That's basically up to him and GM. Same with converstaions. How do you know that you convinced the guy? It's just not the same when the guy knows and expects. That's where it stops being an RPG and turns into a theatric play.

That is big NO-NO exemple to LARP. Here is the first and maybe the main difference between larps and other rpgs. First of all, why did I introduced the background for gate? Because in LARP you cannot have ordinary general gate. When the LARP is built, that little border town is kept in mind. Next - that gate-guard guy is not an NPC. Not in this case. He is as PC as - e.g. - you are, therefor you have to seduce him for real. That part of getting him drunk doesnt work in LARP, still, others do. As I said, every PC character has its background, therefor lets assume the guard in his past was part of robber's gang. This info is revealed to some other PC in that town[before the game, when creating the gameworld] and, maybe, might be found in some documentation about arrests or smth. PC that wants to get out, can search the place, speak to other PCs and eventually learn about guards past. It might be even that he knows of him allready.
In LARP you build location, put PCs with their backgrounds and then let it go. No GMs. No skill-checks - if you get through that gate, youre da winnah, otherwise, you lose. GMs can just put in some other possible features that could help in getting out. Not without reason I expanded one talk-in option into 3-4 different approaches, in LARPs talking is one of the most widely used and easiest ways in quest accomplishing. Those were just suggestions how character could talk his way out. Believe it or not, it works well in LARPs. Of course, if guard is aware that you should not leave the place, you will never convince him. But who are you? If you are not pursued by half of the town, might mean noone has noticed the lack of gem, so, how should guard know there stands a quest in front of him? Just ordinary LARP player like everybody else around him. Its highly possible he'd agree to help you and fall on one of those options. He is definetly bored guarding that gate for some hours and your suggestion of giving up and joing your party could seem more interesting. The same with stealing - he does not expect keys to be stolen. Because he is on ordinary duty, ordinary LARP and has keys to gate he must guard. If nothing happens for 10 minutes, 15...half-an-hour..how long can you stay alert if noone tries to steal those goddamned keys?...its not that impossible to get keys stolen.
The main idea - you never know wheather you are doing quest or you are the quest for someone. That is why quests in LARP are much more different than in other RPGs.

When I say "you need no stats" I mean - you can get by with your immagination. Of course, not allways all variants will be possible, still, in most cases drink offer,
search for someone who knows the way out and convincing the guard would not require some special skills.

 

[Volourn]

So, the girl could theoritcally offer sex in return for the key? WOO hoo! I love LARPers - espicially HOT sexy woman LARPers! :shock:

 

[Jebus]

<i>Mr. Teatime</i> of Duck and Cover by making fun of his piano skills.

Good times, good times...

Although... skills? What skills?

 

[Country_Gravy]

LARPing is gay unless you get to bang a hot LARPer chick in exchange for an imaginary key to open an imaginary gate.

I think this is what you were getting at, right?

 

[Vault Dweller]

LARPing is gay unless you get to bang a hot LARPer chick in exchange for an imaginary key to open an imaginary gate.

I think this is what you were getting at, right?

Yeah, now we are talking. This LARPing thing suddenly sounds very cool.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

OMG recent evidenc sujests dat LARPing is actually less gay than previously thouht!!

 

[Kamaz]

Just one thing - the gate isnt immaginary. And key too. Then it sums up that whole thing pretty good.

 

[Mendoza]

Well, I said larping sucks, so either way I'm vindicated. :D

 

[Vault Dweller]

Just one thing - the gate isnt immaginary. And key too. Then it sums up that whole thing pretty good.

Who cares about the gate and the key? As long as the hot chick isn't imaginary...

 

[Reklar]

Pardon my ignorance, but what the heck does "questologic" mean? :shock: If LARPing entails making up words to describe things then I think half the planet LARPs whether they know it or not. As for the rest of the discussion, all I can say is Kamaz needs to use some indentation or something because it's a pain to read the way it's displayed currently (not to mention overly long).

-Reklar
(a Fallout/RPG fan)

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Questologic, much like other words such as impossiblatation and stereotipicity, represent the need of the common man to create his own language in order to better adapt himself to society. Instead of going with its flow and follow agreed upon definitions and meanings, he creates his own trend, his own culture, his own society, his own library of references and dialiects, with its own set of rules.

Yes, I have no idea of what I've just said.

 

[Reklar]

Sad, but true, Role-Player. Unfortunately you didn't manage to define what "questologic" means. Care to try again? If it makes you feel any better, it looks like you may have stumbled upon the secret of Volourn. :shock: I guess he has a pretty well-developed subculture? :D

-Reklar
(a Fallout/RPG fan)

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Sad, but true, Role-Player. Unfortunately you didn't manage to define what

"questologic" means. Care to try again?

Nine out of ten men wearing glasses and white lab coats believe it's a word that serves to describe both the science of logic adjacent to quests and to define wheter something is questy in nature or not (ie, X quest may be studied under questologic, but it might not be a very questological quest), much better suited to the ever-shifting nature of the 21st century society than any other word.

The other guy with the glasses and white lab coat just thinks its a mutation of redneck speech that has managed to survive outside its usual habitat

If it makes you feel any better, it looks like you may have stumbled upon the secret of Volourn. :shock: I guess he has a pretty well-developed subculture? :D

Volourn seems to be a case of individualism taken to the next step - superindividualism, if you will. He not only projects his own identity as an individual, he goes the route of presenting it to the extreme, which breaks down the standard concept of the individual as an active, defined but ultimately facelsss member of society, and reconstructs it into a new concept, that of an individual that is active and defined within the society but even more outlined than usual by using his own set of references to present himself to the remaining aspects of society. He measures it, takes whatever elements he wants from it, then re-arranges them so they support him and his own vision of himself. He builds his own myth, but rearranges it as time goes by to better suit his needs - or however he views himself in some ocasions. That's why some days he's a pansy, others a troll, others an intelligent debater, and others just an example of the flaws in the Kanadian educational system.

That he has a meager amount of fans, and of people which have learned to deal with his chamaleonic tendencies only strengthens the idea of individualism taken to the next level.

>_>

Christ, I need to rest...

 

[Country_Gravy]

Just one thing - the gate isnt immaginary. And key too. Then it sums up that whole thing pretty good.

Who cares about the gate and the key? As long as the hot chick isn't imaginary...

Can you have a LARP session that is just all about banging hot chicks? If so, I support it whole heartedly. Forget the key, forget the gate, just bring on the hot chicks.

You could role play this quite well.

I'll be Ron Jeremy, she can be Jenna Jameson. Who wants to be the cameraman? As long as its not the guy with the pop can top ring mail, we're all good.

 

[Elwro]

You're all wrong. "Questologic" means "concerning the questions about logos, the Principle of Everything".

 

[Reklar]

Bravo, Role-Player! You win a cookie. :D

Seriously though, I don't think you're far from the truth on Volourn. Well, either that or Volourn is just another Canadian nutcase. I'm not sure which carries more respect around here though so I won't make the distinction and just call him funny.

-Reklar
(a Fallout/RPG fan)

 

[taks]

*snip*

sorry dude, but you missed my entire point... you don't need to be so defensive just because you love to larp and the rest of the codex doesn't. i'm not dissing larping by itself. i was merely pointing out that SP's point of "detachment" is true. when you larp, you actually PHYSICALLY play the role. most people that play rpgs in general want to be removed from the action... they want a METAPHYSICAL connection to the role only. imaginary... a big reason is that imaginary roles allow "real" magic, they allow heroic feats that can't be pulled off in physical form, they allow anything without having to actually risk life and limb to do it.

step back a second and think about what i said...

taks

 

[taks]

The other guy with the glasses and white lab coat just thinks its a mutation of redneck speech that has managed to survive outside its usual habitat

actually, i was that 10th guy (without glasses) but accidentally swatted the fly and hit it "disagree" buzzer by mistake...

sorry, dude. it won't happen again.

taks

 

[Kamaz]

sorry dude, but you missed my entire point... you don't need to be so defensive just because you love to larp and the rest of the codex doesn't. i'm not dissing larping by itself. i was merely pointing out that SP's point of "detachment" is true. when you larp, you actually PHYSICALLY play the role. most people that play rpgs in general want to be removed from the action... they want a METAPHYSICAL connection to the role only. imaginary... a big reason is that imaginary roles allow "real" magic, they allow heroic feats that can't be pulled off in physical form, they allow anything without having to actually risk life and limb to do it.

Now I realise that and see the point. Thanks. You can surely ignore the rest of the text, I just wrote it trying to explain my vision of LARP or RPG.

Though, somehow it seems strange to me. In that case, such RPG players are the ones that run away from reality, pretending being elf-princeses, brave warriors and so on. This is what I dont want to see in LARP. If you play a role, you must fit in it. If you claim you're great fighter, you must be one. That is general rule LARP should have IMO. Though, that applies for stats and equipment, and attitude mostly. When it goes to role, you cannot play ordinary modern man. It would be pointless then. You take on role, that fits into game's universe and suits your personality[and physical abilities]. And act not as your character would act, but act as you wish to act in any given situations [bearing in mind game-rules].

And forget the "play" part. From the very beginning we have tried to get rid of that "playing character" thing. Players should not play. They are bad actors anyways, they should live but obeying different rules. Like in any sportsgame you can do whatever want to gain victory, but must obey the rules. [I know sport games and larps had been discussed allready, but I just couldnt resist.] The same must apply for (good) LARP IMO.

Yeah, this far about how LARPs should be.You said, most RPG players want to be detached. Well, I am not luring noone into LARPs..especially knowing what LARPs you can get...I am just putting it as a way of role-playing because it is - maybe very different - way of roleplaying. Have you ever thought how might feel the characters in all those fantasy books or games? have you never been curious, how it could feel to see hordes of orcs approaching? Of course, you cannot meet real orcs in LARP. And you dont die if you lose [that is bonus, actually]. But you can still feel some urge, some fear and some adrenalin seeing heavily armoured guys with swords approaching and knowing that only your real skills can decide the outcome of this conflict. From aside it may look stupid, but when you are given sword, rules and other players, suddenly it feels kinda realistic and you actually can immagine how those characters in books, games or movies felt. And this is what I am trying to bring in LARPs. I dont want player to identify itself with characters from books, I want him to be himself but in such situation and see how it is. And game-techincs, equipment, in-game speech just serves for that purpose. I would never live the life of those characters [it could be boring , there are much more things to do IRL], I just want to know how it could be. So I dont think LARPers..well..at least those larpers I speak of...are running away from reality. Somehow I see them running in a very opposite direction.

 

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Good one, taks

 

[Avin]

... about larp, men... i meet my actual girlfriend in a sickening vampire live... i know a lot of stories... i was the narrator from my city's "by night" project and well, some newbie girls really tried to stay with me in exchange for a more favorable vampire age...

... in met a drunken girl in São Paulo live action that told me she blowjob a narrator for a 8th generation ventrue... she was pissed of with him i don't know why... (i know some other stories i can't confirm too).

anyway: larp sucks and i haven't been playing for 5 years know, thanks lord.

 

[Saint_Proverbius]

sorry dude, but you missed my entire point... you don't need to be so defensive just because you love to larp and the rest of the codex doesn't. i'm not dissing larping by itself. i was merely pointing out that SP's point of "detachment" is true. when you larp, you actually PHYSICALLY play the role. most people that play rpgs in general want to be removed from the action... they want a METAPHYSICAL connection to the role only. imaginary... a big reason is that imaginary roles allow "real" magic, they allow heroic feats that can't be pulled off in physical form, they allow anything without having to actually risk life and limb to do it.

Not to mention if you're a drow wizard in D&D, you're most likely a female because of the matriarchal cultural thing. If you're LARPing that role, that makes you a transvestite.

... in met a drunken girl in São Paulo live action that told me she blowjob a narrator for a 8th generation ventrue... she was pissed of with him i don't know why... (i know some other stories i can't confirm too).

Well, getting a blowjob would definitely improve LARP's standing with me.

 

[whitemithrandir]

Happy birthday people!

Volourn: you're terrible at pissing people off. The only thing you've done is tripled my desire to hump your leg like a horny dog on viagra.

gg.

 

[Otaku_Hanzo]

Happy Bday, guys! Sorry I missed it.