Back From Hiatus!

After an extended hiatus (partly due to hosting issues and partly due to Real Life), How to LARP is back!

A quick update of what's been going on since my last post (all of these are events which really deserve their own post; and they'll definitely get them - this is just the highlights):

• In my favorite game, Dying Kingdoms, I retired my old PC, Thera. Dying Kingdoms has a unique policy involving character caps - after a character has earned a certain amount of experience points, it's time to retire them from active play (most characters get between 40 and 50 games before hitting retirement). Thera hit that cap, and so I let her ride off into the sunset. 


• After retiring Thera, I spent one game as an NPC staff. I think it's generally a good idea to give back to one's favorite game by spending some time as an NPC before picking up a new PC. Part of my NPCing was writing and running a few mods for the game. Apparently, I executed my duties so well that I was offered the chance to join permanent Campaign Staff, which I accepted! I'm now part of a small team writing plot for a 50ish person game! 


• As part of my Staff duties, I'm planning a tabletop day in conjunction with the Dying Kingdoms LARP. The intersection between the live games and the tabletops is an interesting one, and definitely something to write about further. 


• I've been attending monthly meetups at a local bar with a few colleagues who are also interested in exploring the theory of LARP. We've discussed things like applying acting theory to LARP, what the Nordics are doing, the concept of bleed and whether or not LARP counts as art. 


• I just got back from spending the weekend at WyrdCon, a convention in Southern California dedicated to live-action gaming - including not only LARP, but ARGs and transmedia as well. I had a great time, and will definitely be writing up my experiences.

Not to mention, continued banter with a friend as to whether or not we want to turn a one-shot Babylon 5 game we ran at last year's WyrdCon into a persistent campaign. I also eventually want to cover the issue of interpersonal conflict at LARPs, apart from bleed, and the best ways for both player and staff to handle such things

Watch this space for those thoughts and more!