Last month I attended Metatopia, Double Exposure's convention that allows developers to field their prototype games and for players to be part of the ground floor of up and coming products. While it is hands down the most laid back convention in my yearly cycle, this Metatopia was a busy one. I was a part of two panel discussions: one for the psychological reasonings for role playing, and to discuss ways to combat the notion of Trickle Down Plot (which I'll do an article on, now that I have time). I also tested several upcoming games, and got to meet and reacquaint myself with friends and people I have come to know at these conventions.
It was also the second year that I brought in my game Kensei to be looked at in a focus group. This past year saw some progress on the game, based largely by the assistance found from the people I had spoken to at last year. There have been some playtests, especially of the combat systems, as since that is the key component to these games I wanted it to be clear.
One of the things I kept hearing was "I love the setting, but as the system stands I wouldn't play it." The system was based on previous boffer experiences plus a few other concepts (the stamina gauge from Dark Souls). I wasn't married to any of these concepts, because quite honestly I'm not that keen on mechanics as a whole. The entirety of this blog probably stands on that point more than anything else.
I do, however, understand that a game like this demands mechanics. It needs them just for the purposes of balancing skills and keeping people from walking around being broken in terms of their sheet. I hate sheet breaking in the games I've played and I will do all that I can mitigate it in my own systems.
Another problem I came across was an avoidance of 'The math game". A lot of boffer larps require you to keep numbers in your head in terms of your health and ability points. One of my first thoughts when I started doing boffer was "This could be subtly abused". It depends on the honor system, so much of what we do does, and honor is something on a short supply from what I've experienced.
That was your cynicism moment of the day. Thank you.
The problem with the math game is that the more numbers you have to crunch in your head, the less in the moment you're in. I want people to enjoy the ride, not have to count the road markers.
So where do we go from here? There are two roads, from where I'm standing. I can turn and say 'This is focused on actual combat ability'. The combat in the game is dependant largely on your combat ability as a player. I know there is a market for that and it would probably be received with open arms. I, however, am not part of that market.
Working with the gaming community, I see so many diverse people. Both culturally and physically. Several developers I work with have body mechanics that are not typical, often requiring wheelchairs or other tools. I myself am visually impaired As much as this is a setting surrounding combat, I don't want the game to be just about the combat. That's not the point, and I know that I'm going to run in to people who think this is going to be a game for hitters and get horribly confused about all of the plot going on.
Also, I'm noticing a trend in upcoming games that are attempting to break away from the normal conventions of boffer larps. The focus is more community driven, person driven. The combat isn't the premiere feature.
So far I'm leaning towards the other side of the road. One of the things about Kensei is that the meta language we use for games, like 'Level' 'Experience' 'Skills' are all language used in game. Skills, in particular, are designed to be purchaseable, craftable, and swappable. You can own dozens of skills, only have room to use maybe a handful of them at the time, and go to ops to get them swapped out. Making skills a physical item, Kensei starts leaning closer to a card-based RPG.
In my head, Kensei was always a larp. With this new development it A) opens up to a Tabletop component, which I'm not going to deny means this goes out to more people and B) opens the potential for accessibility.
And that's the catch, the potential. There is a broad road ahead down that path, with no definitive end in sight. As far as I know, no one has tried to do this, and of course I had to be the poor son of a bitch to decide to do this. I blame my upbringing of melodrama and sword fights.
One such example given to me focused on the use of teams. Fighters and their dedicated corner crew, like a boxing match. The fighter is out there doing the heavy lifting, the crew makes sure that they are able to do just that. The crew handles the mechanics while the fighter acts out the results. I like the idea, but it also makes great grounds for clique attitudes out of game. It's easy for a team of players to roll in and be a great team while some new player needs to struggle to find someone. I want to keep the use of teams as an advantage, not as mandatory. Still a good idea.
In the coming year, I'm going to switch tracks. I think that if this is a game that focuses on the community surrounding combat, I think so too should the skills. How do people deal with the world on a base level? How does investigations work? Crafting? Maybe by defining how the world interaction works, I can zero in on how I want the personal interaction.
And that's it for me. This game is one of those labors of love that will, inevitably, be born. Next year will see a bunch of new games from me, and some new experiences as I work to building more of my resume in the field.
Happy New Year All
C
Monday, December 26, 2016
Monday, September 19, 2016
One Shot Attitudes
This post took a while for me to write. Mostly because of life, work, and I'm working on a blog about lightsabers so I can stop crossing the streams too much.
Most of my time at GenCon was spent running around the floor of the convention doing errands and purchasing a metric crap ton of books to research and pick through and play. I only got to take part in two or three games that entire weekend. Some things happened during two of them that I need to share.
In one game, a new player made the choice to sacrifice himself for the greater good of the game. Actually, let me rephrase that. Using the powers of his faith in Heavy Metal, a modern day battlebard marched to oncoming doom, flanked on all sides by soldiers of Valhalla (and I don't mean the town in Upstate New York) while playing Immigrant Song by Led Zepplin. The player, completely cool with this, figured that as long as this was a one shot, what did they have to lose?
In another game, a player makes the decision to have his character be that guy, the one who is the firebrand, the instigator. John Adams with a bottle of mescaline in one hand a fireball in the next. He gets himself and two players in to the hands of a horrible entity. He figured that, as long as this was a one shot, what did they have to lose?
The problem with this was that these games were not One Shots. They were not meant to standalone by themselves and were in fact a part of a larger narrative that had been taking place for years both at GenCon and at other locations. In the first scenario, the outcome ended with a player making a decision that ended up effectively ending the threat to the players. However, in the second, the firebrand player realized that one of the characters he had dragged with had been in play for the better part of five years. Quite a few of the players at both games had been playing these particular characters for years.
The firebrand player immediately toned down his attitude, now realizing that there were consequences to his actions that would last beyond the day. And I think that says a lot about how people view One Shot games as opposed to Campaigns games. That level of fearlessness that comes with knowing that you may never see these players again, nor have to deal with the in game consequences that would come if the setting didn't end at the call of game, left to waver in the great 'what if' as all cliffhangers do.
That fearlessness is refreshing, but it is not without its problems. Both of these people took their characters to self destruction. Because what is a life free of consequences if you can't take it to its ultimate conclusion? You don't get to see that much in Campaigns/Chronicles because for some of us, creating and playing a character is an investment in time and resources. You need to bang together a character's background, even a skeleton, make sure you can costume as them, and maybe make some ties to other characters. Depending on the game you're playing and the person you are, you have to make that decision as to whether or not you want to play a character who has that level of fear.
Also, by playing a Chronicle game, you're essentially buying in to the larger plot. Are you prepared to throw your PC or other players' characters away on something daring? That last one is the situation that caught our firebrand friend, but I've seen it used to great affect in other situations. I helped build a character for a (now) friend who wanted to build a character who used magic that would be seen as pushing the border of grey magic. I explained that some players/NPCs might see that as a killing offense. He went for it, and it was a blast to see him play off of others. He wasn't playing it to the level of "well, if this is the only game we're all playing, what do we have to lose?" I think the difference is there.
I think there is something to say against playing campaign games at conventions like GenCon, especially if your base of operations is nowhere near the Indianapolis area as most of the game runners weren't and most people expect one offs anyway. In one game, several of us spent a good chunk of time explaining the setting to the new players, which is fine in of itself but when there isn't time to do that then people can get lost in a hurry. Campaign games will, with very few exceptions, always favor those who have played in it before with the new players needing to get over the learning curve provided by the setting and mechanics. When you're only playing a game that lasts maybe four or five hours and you never know if you'll ever play again, that can be supremely overwhelming.
I think when doing conventions or games outside of your sphere of influence, you need to bang the point home that the game you're working on is part of an overarching chronicle, and that the players decisions stand to influence what happens next. Last year at GenCon, the players in the Dresden Game unleashed what I can only refer to as a Ghost Storm that nearly consumed the continental United States. That storm was not resolved until later that February, which the STs had declared potentially chronicle ending. That's an amazing example to give to players and should be used as an example.
Another thing to consider: Find ways to plug your players in to the overarching plot. Not just the plot of the game, but the world game you're building. If the plot you're using is only going to really affect the the people you're used to playing, or requires someone from your usual pool to help, then you may want to consider tweaking things around. I've spent a lot of game sessions being sequestered to the kiddie's table while the more clued in characters/players got to do shit. We as storytellers need to make these first time/few time players feel like they spent their money wisely and not just as people holding up the set while others are around. I'm not saying to guide them by the hand, but to give them something and see what happens from it.
Most of my time at GenCon was spent running around the floor of the convention doing errands and purchasing a metric crap ton of books to research and pick through and play. I only got to take part in two or three games that entire weekend. Some things happened during two of them that I need to share.
In one game, a new player made the choice to sacrifice himself for the greater good of the game. Actually, let me rephrase that. Using the powers of his faith in Heavy Metal, a modern day battlebard marched to oncoming doom, flanked on all sides by soldiers of Valhalla (and I don't mean the town in Upstate New York) while playing Immigrant Song by Led Zepplin. The player, completely cool with this, figured that as long as this was a one shot, what did they have to lose?
In another game, a player makes the decision to have his character be that guy, the one who is the firebrand, the instigator. John Adams with a bottle of mescaline in one hand a fireball in the next. He gets himself and two players in to the hands of a horrible entity. He figured that, as long as this was a one shot, what did they have to lose?
The problem with this was that these games were not One Shots. They were not meant to standalone by themselves and were in fact a part of a larger narrative that had been taking place for years both at GenCon and at other locations. In the first scenario, the outcome ended with a player making a decision that ended up effectively ending the threat to the players. However, in the second, the firebrand player realized that one of the characters he had dragged with had been in play for the better part of five years. Quite a few of the players at both games had been playing these particular characters for years.
The firebrand player immediately toned down his attitude, now realizing that there were consequences to his actions that would last beyond the day. And I think that says a lot about how people view One Shot games as opposed to Campaigns games. That level of fearlessness that comes with knowing that you may never see these players again, nor have to deal with the in game consequences that would come if the setting didn't end at the call of game, left to waver in the great 'what if' as all cliffhangers do.
That fearlessness is refreshing, but it is not without its problems. Both of these people took their characters to self destruction. Because what is a life free of consequences if you can't take it to its ultimate conclusion? You don't get to see that much in Campaigns/Chronicles because for some of us, creating and playing a character is an investment in time and resources. You need to bang together a character's background, even a skeleton, make sure you can costume as them, and maybe make some ties to other characters. Depending on the game you're playing and the person you are, you have to make that decision as to whether or not you want to play a character who has that level of fear.
Also, by playing a Chronicle game, you're essentially buying in to the larger plot. Are you prepared to throw your PC or other players' characters away on something daring? That last one is the situation that caught our firebrand friend, but I've seen it used to great affect in other situations. I helped build a character for a (now) friend who wanted to build a character who used magic that would be seen as pushing the border of grey magic. I explained that some players/NPCs might see that as a killing offense. He went for it, and it was a blast to see him play off of others. He wasn't playing it to the level of "well, if this is the only game we're all playing, what do we have to lose?" I think the difference is there.
I think there is something to say against playing campaign games at conventions like GenCon, especially if your base of operations is nowhere near the Indianapolis area as most of the game runners weren't and most people expect one offs anyway. In one game, several of us spent a good chunk of time explaining the setting to the new players, which is fine in of itself but when there isn't time to do that then people can get lost in a hurry. Campaign games will, with very few exceptions, always favor those who have played in it before with the new players needing to get over the learning curve provided by the setting and mechanics. When you're only playing a game that lasts maybe four or five hours and you never know if you'll ever play again, that can be supremely overwhelming.
I think when doing conventions or games outside of your sphere of influence, you need to bang the point home that the game you're working on is part of an overarching chronicle, and that the players decisions stand to influence what happens next. Last year at GenCon, the players in the Dresden Game unleashed what I can only refer to as a Ghost Storm that nearly consumed the continental United States. That storm was not resolved until later that February, which the STs had declared potentially chronicle ending. That's an amazing example to give to players and should be used as an example.
Another thing to consider: Find ways to plug your players in to the overarching plot. Not just the plot of the game, but the world game you're building. If the plot you're using is only going to really affect the the people you're used to playing, or requires someone from your usual pool to help, then you may want to consider tweaking things around. I've spent a lot of game sessions being sequestered to the kiddie's table while the more clued in characters/players got to do shit. We as storytellers need to make these first time/few time players feel like they spent their money wisely and not just as people holding up the set while others are around. I'm not saying to guide them by the hand, but to give them something and see what happens from it.
Sunday, June 19, 2016
Ashes of the Empire: Ilos Marr
This is a short and dirty story I wrote for the Star Wars larp I'm going to be playing in a few weeks. All information is OOC information...unless you were there.
There were 26 bones in the average humanoid's hands. The young Imperial Lieutenant who had challenged Ilos Marr--or as the officer put it, "The blind mongrel"--just learned that the hard way as every bone in his hand cracked in one deft motion. The Red Academy of Yinchorr were familiar with the screams of those who challenged their Master of Teras Kasi. Ilos felt he was providing a service to the cadets and troopers, dissuading them of the notion that somehow non-humans were inferior.
This lieutenant continued screaming, his words slowly returning to coherency. "Inhuman dog," he screamed. "Blind mutt."Ilos felt the world stir around him. There were those who shared the young man's sentiment, who had not yet been tested or who had resented being taught by a Miralukan. Men like these, Ilos found, would die in the Squall during their graduation. The Red Guard did not brook weakness. Not of body, not of heart. Ilos hated them all, but he had his pride to contend with.
There were also those he felt who would stand with him. He was given some leeway in his methods, which many of the offices resented due to the little rebellions they had to deal with on his part. They respected their instructor, some he suspected even liked him. He assumed they must forget the sash over the empty sockets where eyes would be and just think him some mad eccentric with strange powers.
They were wrong on all counts. The mad eccentric was the Emperor they served. He and his vicious guard dog, Vader. That was a fight many would love to see, including Ilos himself. He doubted he could kill either Sith--and he knew they were Sith, despite the coverup of that information--but he would make it worth their while. At least he would get an honest death out of it all. Something with honor.
But no, he had arrogant Coruscanti lieutenants to contend with. That was not a noble death. The young man continued. "Blind dog. So arrogant. When the Emperor learns you lay your hands on me, he'll have you spaced." Ilos felt the tension rise, sparks of orange and red rising in his 'vision'. The color rose, and violence rose in his heart and his gorge, and then--the world went dark around him. It was as if the Force without stopped speaking to the Force within. It was a moment's notice, and he dared not move or show he was any lesser than a Master of Teras Kasi.
The world returned, and so did the violence. Something felt different. The world around him felt cleaner.
"Attention all personnel" A voice from the intercom spoke. Ilos did not know the person, apparently they were knew. Many of the staff of the Academy saw this as a stepping stone to the Star Destroyers, perhaps even the Executor itself. There was urgency in the woman's tone, fear, and shock. What had happened?
"Attention all personnel," she said again. "We have just received word from Endor. The Death Star has been destroyed. I repeat, destroyed. As has the Executor. We believe--" There was a moment of silence, loud enough for the gasps to already begin in the room. "We believe that Emperor Palpatine and Lord Vader are dead."
The world went still, all emotions vanished. All but fear. Fear of a world where their Emperor and the Great Darth Vader were dead. Fear of a world where the Republic and the Jedi Wizards they were told to hunt would be rampant. Fear of Ilos. Even those who would have rallied for him realized that many of the things that kept their instructor in check were no longer there. The world around him held its breath.
Ilos stood straight. "I will be in my quarters." It was as much a dismissal as it was a challenge to anyone who dared to try anything. He suspected that the administrators would have everyone moving to try and maintain order. The last thing they needed was him moving around freely.
He made his way through the panic halls of the academy, finding his way to the austere quarters. He sealed the door and found his bed. He took off his veil, cloth his mother made for them. He realized in that moment that the Skywalker boy must have done it. Ashla protects fools and Jedi. He thought of Siledy, and how she was after she escaped the Empire. He thought of Xan, and prayed to Ashla to protect that girl now that her world had just changed.
He thought of his parents, of a woman who could have been his wife. He thought of how The Force ripped through him when they died at the Emepror's command. He thought of the generation of his people killed for fear of Jedi or turned to become Inquisitors. He had been robbed of his chance to kill Sheev Palpatine and Darth Vader, robbed of his chance to die proud of something for the first time since he'd been blackmailed in to serving those Sith bastards. He had been robbed, and given something he hadn't felt in a while: Hope.
And in the crumbling ashes of the empire, Ilos Marr cried tears of joy.
Monday, April 4, 2016
A Dream of Kensei
Work and life have been pretty hard the past few weeks. My days have been spent doing the 9-5 grind, and my nights have been spent doing writing for various writing projects. Add the occasional con or event, and I'm more or less putting down three jobs with only one of them paying right now.
Meanwhile, I've been dreaming of Kensei, the world martial arts tournament larp I've been working on for almost three years now. It's been hard going. I knew that making a boffer larp that was explicitly Character vs Character was going to be difficult. Most boffers are made with the characters taken on the Environment taking on the fore, with most of the CvC having to conform to those rules, oft times with major imbalances in mechanics. I didn't realize what kind of animal I was trying to tackle.
I researched a lot of material, from martial arts movies up and down the gambit (the Jean Claude Van Dam library has a lot of these) , to movies about sports tournaments, to video games and comic book arcs. I've even gotten back in to watching WWE again (As I'm writing this, I'm watching one of the best women's wrestling match ever on Wrestlemania). I wanted to understand how one could tell a story through violence, what brings people in to these situations, what are the stakes entering and what happens after the fight?
I'm still working on the details. The devil is in the mechanics. The problem is to make the game 1) fun 2) balanced and 3) as inclusive as possible. I am not a mechanics man, but the scaffolding is slowly being built. Metatopia 2015 was a big boon for me, helping me narrow down my view on the game in terms of "this is what people do and are here for."
But what's been sitting in my mind recently is how I would love to have this game played. How I want it to look when this is all said and done. I see games happening four to six times a year, no more or less. It takes place on a campground somewhere, a place that allows for sprawling views (and relatively soft ground). It also allows for events that can go on for a few days as tournaments and matches can happen during the night. An ingame radio (or hell, a podcast, technology exists here) is playing music and keeping the grounds (and people not at game) aware of the goings on.
The fights go on, the merchants sell off their wares at a part of the camp while the med techs have taken over another section to work on medical issues that happen. The reporters have dug in somewhere in to some bullpen that's a cross between William Gibson and Hunter S Thompson. The Schools have meetings in cabins at night, run promos during the day. The local underworld elements make deals and sell on the side while hiding from the authorities or worse, the press.
And all the while, the powers that be play their games. Agents and Sponsors move about, watching for ways to lobby
I don't want this to be a game just about beating each other with sticks. That's stupid. I want this to be a story about competition told through violence. What brings people to fight and compete against one another? What are the stakes? I want the roleplay to fuel the matches, and the matches to create more roleplay.
And, at the end of the 'season' of events is the big event. The blowout, where storylines can change and the stakes really matter. Right now, I have the makings of a three-five year arc. It's in my head, and I'd love to get as many people involved.
But that's when we get this off the ground. First there needs to be smaller events, to tweak the mechanics, to build interest. It's going to need players invested. It's going to need people wanting to help make the game. This game is going to require a lot of marshalls on deck, both to officiate the matches and to make sure that the rules are being fulfilled in the spirit in which they are intended.
First we need to make it real, then we get to live the dream.
Later.
Meanwhile, I've been dreaming of Kensei, the world martial arts tournament larp I've been working on for almost three years now. It's been hard going. I knew that making a boffer larp that was explicitly Character vs Character was going to be difficult. Most boffers are made with the characters taken on the Environment taking on the fore, with most of the CvC having to conform to those rules, oft times with major imbalances in mechanics. I didn't realize what kind of animal I was trying to tackle.
I researched a lot of material, from martial arts movies up and down the gambit (the Jean Claude Van Dam library has a lot of these) , to movies about sports tournaments, to video games and comic book arcs. I've even gotten back in to watching WWE again (As I'm writing this, I'm watching one of the best women's wrestling match ever on Wrestlemania). I wanted to understand how one could tell a story through violence, what brings people in to these situations, what are the stakes entering and what happens after the fight?
I'm still working on the details. The devil is in the mechanics. The problem is to make the game 1) fun 2) balanced and 3) as inclusive as possible. I am not a mechanics man, but the scaffolding is slowly being built. Metatopia 2015 was a big boon for me, helping me narrow down my view on the game in terms of "this is what people do and are here for."
But what's been sitting in my mind recently is how I would love to have this game played. How I want it to look when this is all said and done. I see games happening four to six times a year, no more or less. It takes place on a campground somewhere, a place that allows for sprawling views (and relatively soft ground). It also allows for events that can go on for a few days as tournaments and matches can happen during the night. An ingame radio (or hell, a podcast, technology exists here) is playing music and keeping the grounds (and people not at game) aware of the goings on.
The fights go on, the merchants sell off their wares at a part of the camp while the med techs have taken over another section to work on medical issues that happen. The reporters have dug in somewhere in to some bullpen that's a cross between William Gibson and Hunter S Thompson. The Schools have meetings in cabins at night, run promos during the day. The local underworld elements make deals and sell on the side while hiding from the authorities or worse, the press.
And all the while, the powers that be play their games. Agents and Sponsors move about, watching for ways to lobby
I don't want this to be a game just about beating each other with sticks. That's stupid. I want this to be a story about competition told through violence. What brings people to fight and compete against one another? What are the stakes? I want the roleplay to fuel the matches, and the matches to create more roleplay.
And, at the end of the 'season' of events is the big event. The blowout, where storylines can change and the stakes really matter. Right now, I have the makings of a three-five year arc. It's in my head, and I'd love to get as many people involved.
But that's when we get this off the ground. First there needs to be smaller events, to tweak the mechanics, to build interest. It's going to need players invested. It's going to need people wanting to help make the game. This game is going to require a lot of marshalls on deck, both to officiate the matches and to make sure that the rules are being fulfilled in the spirit in which they are intended.
First we need to make it real, then we get to live the dream.
Later.
Friday, February 26, 2016
Dreamation 2016
So I feel like I just had a rough make out session with an angry steam roller. You know what that means, I just helped run Dresden Lives at Dreamation 2016. The con drop is pretty severe this time around. I described it to people that my drawer of spoons--the metaphor for my social-emotional energy reserves--was not only empty before I got to the convention, it was on fire. Work has not been entirely gentle on me (hence the lack of blogging) and I have been catching up on five different kinds of writing and sleep. Is it possible to get con drop before walking in to the con? I'm pretty sure I got close to that answer.
It was a full docket at Dreamation. Working with Phoenix Outlaw Productions, I helped to run three games. The first of them was the Time Traveler's After Hours. Set in Death (of the Endless)'s bar, famous time travelers from fiction met, snarked, and generally fucked up time in six different directions. The first thing I heard walking in was hearing someone yell "Okay! Who made Biff Tannen the president of the United States." Things went downhill fast after that. Time broke up in to multiple fractured lines. The US was removed from existence in one, roving bands of Mongol Death Metal Hordes thrashed across the steppes in another. Taco Bell became the dominant mega power in another (thanks Deadpool), massive Brains took over the universe, discovered the internet, and effectively became the four-chan version of the Borg. The Kender and Deadpool engaged in a revolution using mind controlled dinosaurs, only to fall to civil war. Then came the Dead-Kender Accords, and all was well in that world.
Some other timelines...weren't as lucky. Neutrino Bombs claimed one timeline, The Warcraft Wars spilled blood everywhere wave after wave of ceaseless expansions. But all that was constant was that England was spared in a great time bubble protected by its four greatest guardians: John, Paul, George, and Ringo. The storytelling was pretty light here, and was mostly at the whim of the players. It was honestly the funniest experience I've ever had, and there were many times where I had to stop drawing the timeline in order to compose myself.
Afterwards was a haze of hanging out and catching up with friends I had not seen in a while, including the Outlaws. I'd forgotten how much I'd missed interactions with people, and very much loved talking and even just listening to conversations. Just that level of interaction kept me going until the wee hours. I wasn't on the hook for anything until Friday afternoon, I could afford for once to be a night person again.
Friday afternoon was the first of our Dresden games. While connected to our modern game, this was set in the 1930's. It's always amazing to see a lot of players from our normal game come in to try something a little new. Some came in as new characters, others came in as ancestors of their or other players modern characters. It was interesting to watch people who had worked with each other for years as one set of characters find a different tack. A lot of the first hour or so was just getting everyone settled in, and then we'd make the plot go.
It was a fun take, that ended in sacrifice and destruction. All in all, it set the bar for what people should have expected for the modern game on saturday night. We'll get to that in a moment.
After that was my friend Ericka's game of Agents of SHIELD, set in the era of Agent Carter. As much as I wanted to play the game, I knew my limit. I had fun, but I was burned and knew that I was on the hook for two more games back-to-back saturday. I opted out, and heard rave reviews from those I spoke to.
The rest of my night was spent in the lobby, again listening and talking to others. I actually did try to work on Kensei and some lightsaber stuff, but those books ended up never leaving my pocket. I got in to a lot of heated debates about Star Wars, and did get to go on a twenty minute diatribe about Kensei and all the things I'd like to do and things that need to be done for it. So far, people seem interested. Now, I think, it's time to build a team and make that sucker happen.
Saturday morning was the Dystopia Rising mod. All of my friends and roomates are, or were, staff at one or more of the numerous DR games that have swept the nation. To say I was the vocal minority in the "fuck, please, no, I need sleep" category is to make an understatement. I did however go down for a bit to say hello and wish people good luck. Then Michael Pucci, co-founder of Dystopia and its parent Eschaton Media, looked at me and said "You wanna take a peek?"
So I got a tour of the game space. Michael wanted to simulate a hurricane in post-apocalyptia. Now, I want to remind you all that we were in a hotel in Morristown New Jersey. But it's amazing what you can do with several industrial fans, some spray bottles, a sound and lighting system I'd kill for for New York Jedi, and a mad-genius mentality. Folks, they put a goddamned hurricane in to a hotel ballroom.
I left the game area with the very strong impression that Michael is the evil mirror universe version of Willy Wonka...and that room was the psychedelic gondola.
I took the rest of the morning to pick up a few things. Of them was the World Wide Wrestling RPG. It was my first time with a system Powered By the Apocalypse, and I think I'm going to do a review of it in the coming weeks. I'm not the only Outlaw who has it, and I'm pretty sure that one day soon we'll be having the Phoenix Cup tournament. (Pretty Please?)
The afternoon saw ExArcana. This was my first game working as a marshall for them. The rules for ExA and Chronos are both very straightforward and very different and really do rely on a lot more improvisation than what I'm used to. I also got to play my PC, Lin, who while he didn't do much got to make several decisions that may come to bite him in the ass in the near future. The main plot of the game revolved around a love story, which is something you don't inherently see a lot of in american theater larps. More on that as the plot develops.
And then, the Main Event: Dresden Files. It was the first time we had run a Dresden game for our local players since July. Since then, a lot had happen both in plot and for the game itself. So, of course, we opened up by laying it all on the line that the world could, conceivably, end. There was a moment in the storytellers meeting a week or so previously where we realized that with all of the factors running around that they world could get so borked that we would be forced to reset the game.
The game started off with a death. My NPC, Joseph Parrish, was a Warden of the White Council. He protected mortal magic users from supernatural threats and from themselves. He put one renegade wizard under his probationary gaze. However, due to a full blown war, Parrish lost sight of the Wizard who took part in a ritual that caused the deaths of hundreds of mortal combatants. The White Council doesn't like people who murder with magic. It's their first law. And, as the Wizard's keeper, Parrish was as culpable for those deaths as the Wizard was. So the game was kicked off by Warden Parrish getting executed by his colleagues.
It was rough for me, because I liked that character. There were conversations previous to the scene where Shoshana had to sit me down while trying to write a badass ending for him and went "Craig, he's gotta take a knee." And he did take a knee, and then he laid down. I found out later that several people cried when he died. I consider this a victory as a storyteller.
The game ended with the world relatively saved. But people had sacrificed a lot. People made personal sacrifices to get to the warzone, losing core truths along the way, only to find that the battle had ended (that wasn't planned). Watching the horror and dread reveal themselves on the characters (and players) faces was amazing. People left the game feeling 'mindfucked' about what had happened, but in the best possible of ways. Dresden can do that to people.
In the end, Dreamation was fun. Tiring, but fun. I'm sad I missed some fun stuff, but I'm also glad I got the free time I did. Energy is at a premium, especially coming straight from work to the convention and then right back to work less than twelve hours after it ended. The next convention, Dexcon, is going to be even more challenging as I am tentatively on the hook to be a part of four to six games. I don't intend to sleep much July 4th weekend. As always, the convention gave me a lot of new ideas to putt around here. Expect some new posts as they come. I know I haven't been on much, but I'm always thinking of new things for ya.
Later,
C
It was a full docket at Dreamation. Working with Phoenix Outlaw Productions, I helped to run three games. The first of them was the Time Traveler's After Hours. Set in Death (of the Endless)'s bar, famous time travelers from fiction met, snarked, and generally fucked up time in six different directions. The first thing I heard walking in was hearing someone yell "Okay! Who made Biff Tannen the president of the United States." Things went downhill fast after that. Time broke up in to multiple fractured lines. The US was removed from existence in one, roving bands of Mongol Death Metal Hordes thrashed across the steppes in another. Taco Bell became the dominant mega power in another (thanks Deadpool), massive Brains took over the universe, discovered the internet, and effectively became the four-chan version of the Borg. The Kender and Deadpool engaged in a revolution using mind controlled dinosaurs, only to fall to civil war. Then came the Dead-Kender Accords, and all was well in that world.
Some other timelines...weren't as lucky. Neutrino Bombs claimed one timeline, The Warcraft Wars spilled blood everywhere wave after wave of ceaseless expansions. But all that was constant was that England was spared in a great time bubble protected by its four greatest guardians: John, Paul, George, and Ringo. The storytelling was pretty light here, and was mostly at the whim of the players. It was honestly the funniest experience I've ever had, and there were many times where I had to stop drawing the timeline in order to compose myself.
Afterwards was a haze of hanging out and catching up with friends I had not seen in a while, including the Outlaws. I'd forgotten how much I'd missed interactions with people, and very much loved talking and even just listening to conversations. Just that level of interaction kept me going until the wee hours. I wasn't on the hook for anything until Friday afternoon, I could afford for once to be a night person again.
Friday afternoon was the first of our Dresden games. While connected to our modern game, this was set in the 1930's. It's always amazing to see a lot of players from our normal game come in to try something a little new. Some came in as new characters, others came in as ancestors of their or other players modern characters. It was interesting to watch people who had worked with each other for years as one set of characters find a different tack. A lot of the first hour or so was just getting everyone settled in, and then we'd make the plot go.
It was a fun take, that ended in sacrifice and destruction. All in all, it set the bar for what people should have expected for the modern game on saturday night. We'll get to that in a moment.
After that was my friend Ericka's game of Agents of SHIELD, set in the era of Agent Carter. As much as I wanted to play the game, I knew my limit. I had fun, but I was burned and knew that I was on the hook for two more games back-to-back saturday. I opted out, and heard rave reviews from those I spoke to.
The rest of my night was spent in the lobby, again listening and talking to others. I actually did try to work on Kensei and some lightsaber stuff, but those books ended up never leaving my pocket. I got in to a lot of heated debates about Star Wars, and did get to go on a twenty minute diatribe about Kensei and all the things I'd like to do and things that need to be done for it. So far, people seem interested. Now, I think, it's time to build a team and make that sucker happen.
Saturday morning was the Dystopia Rising mod. All of my friends and roomates are, or were, staff at one or more of the numerous DR games that have swept the nation. To say I was the vocal minority in the "fuck, please, no, I need sleep" category is to make an understatement. I did however go down for a bit to say hello and wish people good luck. Then Michael Pucci, co-founder of Dystopia and its parent Eschaton Media, looked at me and said "You wanna take a peek?"
So I got a tour of the game space. Michael wanted to simulate a hurricane in post-apocalyptia. Now, I want to remind you all that we were in a hotel in Morristown New Jersey. But it's amazing what you can do with several industrial fans, some spray bottles, a sound and lighting system I'd kill for for New York Jedi, and a mad-genius mentality. Folks, they put a goddamned hurricane in to a hotel ballroom.
I left the game area with the very strong impression that Michael is the evil mirror universe version of Willy Wonka...and that room was the psychedelic gondola.
I took the rest of the morning to pick up a few things. Of them was the World Wide Wrestling RPG. It was my first time with a system Powered By the Apocalypse, and I think I'm going to do a review of it in the coming weeks. I'm not the only Outlaw who has it, and I'm pretty sure that one day soon we'll be having the Phoenix Cup tournament. (Pretty Please?)
The afternoon saw ExArcana. This was my first game working as a marshall for them. The rules for ExA and Chronos are both very straightforward and very different and really do rely on a lot more improvisation than what I'm used to. I also got to play my PC, Lin, who while he didn't do much got to make several decisions that may come to bite him in the ass in the near future. The main plot of the game revolved around a love story, which is something you don't inherently see a lot of in american theater larps. More on that as the plot develops.
And then, the Main Event: Dresden Files. It was the first time we had run a Dresden game for our local players since July. Since then, a lot had happen both in plot and for the game itself. So, of course, we opened up by laying it all on the line that the world could, conceivably, end. There was a moment in the storytellers meeting a week or so previously where we realized that with all of the factors running around that they world could get so borked that we would be forced to reset the game.
The game started off with a death. My NPC, Joseph Parrish, was a Warden of the White Council. He protected mortal magic users from supernatural threats and from themselves. He put one renegade wizard under his probationary gaze. However, due to a full blown war, Parrish lost sight of the Wizard who took part in a ritual that caused the deaths of hundreds of mortal combatants. The White Council doesn't like people who murder with magic. It's their first law. And, as the Wizard's keeper, Parrish was as culpable for those deaths as the Wizard was. So the game was kicked off by Warden Parrish getting executed by his colleagues.
It was rough for me, because I liked that character. There were conversations previous to the scene where Shoshana had to sit me down while trying to write a badass ending for him and went "Craig, he's gotta take a knee." And he did take a knee, and then he laid down. I found out later that several people cried when he died. I consider this a victory as a storyteller.
The game ended with the world relatively saved. But people had sacrificed a lot. People made personal sacrifices to get to the warzone, losing core truths along the way, only to find that the battle had ended (that wasn't planned). Watching the horror and dread reveal themselves on the characters (and players) faces was amazing. People left the game feeling 'mindfucked' about what had happened, but in the best possible of ways. Dresden can do that to people.
In the end, Dreamation was fun. Tiring, but fun. I'm sad I missed some fun stuff, but I'm also glad I got the free time I did. Energy is at a premium, especially coming straight from work to the convention and then right back to work less than twelve hours after it ended. The next convention, Dexcon, is going to be even more challenging as I am tentatively on the hook to be a part of four to six games. I don't intend to sleep much July 4th weekend. As always, the convention gave me a lot of new ideas to putt around here. Expect some new posts as they come. I know I haven't been on much, but I'm always thinking of new things for ya.
Later,
C
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Stunt Lightsaber Combat: A Review
Taking over my less than scheduled blogging (sorry, life hit me in a hard way. I've got like six blogs sitting in queue that I will finish.) I wanted to a review of a book I read today. It's not a game book, it was a book on lightsaber dueling. Stunt Lightsaber Combat For Beginners: The Unofficial Guide to Dueling Like a Jedi, by Carey Martell. It is a guide to help fans of Star Wars to spar or choreograph fights using prop lightsabers.
As many of you know, lightsabers are kind of a passion of mine and sort of an amateur profession. I have been a member and instructor with the New York Jedi, the oldest lightsaber choreography group in the fandom, since February of 2009. I am currently one of the Headmasters for Terra Prime Light Armory, which seeks to use Real Life martial arts to make the lightsaber into (as close to) a real martial curriculum. I've taught lightsabers privately and with other groups, as well as written a few papers on lightsaber combat, particularly on the subject of the Seven Forms of Lightsaber Combat.
I'm saying all of this for a few reasons. I want you all to know where my biases are in regards to this. I also want you to know that I'm someone who actually takes this seriously, or as serious as you can take running around with a glow stick for the entertainment of yourself, your friends and whatever audience you cater to. Finally, I'm mentioning all of this to underscore that I am a massive nerd who has had a lot of time on his hands in his life. But most of you have read this blog, you already knew that part.
All that said, I was interested in reading Martells book. Because there is very little discussion about lightsaber dueling as a real world thing. As someone who writes about this stuff and teaches this stuff, I get enthused about new material because it helps me gain a new perspective. It's amazing how something that is make believe is really hard to develop. Perspective matters.
So, imagine how bummed I was reading the introduction for Martells book. In his introduction, he acknowledges the lightsaber groups, and then casts them off as amateurs on Youtube "squabbling" (his word) about the word "Master". So, in his first paragraph he undercuts the community who would most likely want to buy his book. But, dear readers, fear not! We are promised in this book that, Martell claims, is "so obviously missing from the market" that there will be no showboating! Not at all!
While I don't nearly have the martial prowess as Mr. Martell or even that of my peers in the lightsaber groups (one black belt and a gumbo of whatever I picked up from my better trained friends), I do have experience in one thing: promoters trying to sell themselves by undercutting the other people in the 'market'. Lightsaber dueling, either staged, sport, or spar, is a great gateway for geeks who never thought they would learn a martial art to get in to it. I know people who have gone from learning the lightsaber to being instructors in Kung Fu.
But a lot of the individuals in the community starts off alone and looking for some help about this weird hobby. So in comes a promoter that goes "Hey! Look at me! Don't look at these guys! I can help you here!" and then promptly sell their wares on you. It's a predatory kind of mentality, a mobile McDojo. It's not cool, it's not fun, and everyone who has been in the community long enough recognizes it and is zero impressed by it.
Now, that isn't to say that Martells text isn't good. As far as technique, it is a passable manual. But not for lightsabers. "I believe trying to create a functional sparring art based on a choreography which was only ever meant for the silver screen is folly," he says. This is odd because it contradicts part of the function of the book: to help choreograph fights. It also takes away one of the core aspects as to why someone would want to read a book on lightsaber dueling: the lightsaber itself.
In the book, Martell discusses the lightsaber as a prop. As simply what it is: a glorified flashlight with a polycarbonate tube shoved up the opening to create a blade with no edge. Martell's terminology openly tells you to disrgard that, and uses the technical terms for broadsword and fencing. The 'sabers' in the illustrations look more like longswords than lightsabers with crossguards added 'for hand reference' This is itself fine, in fact as far as sword manuals go its not bad. But this feels like someone wrote a decent longsword manual and added 'lightsaber' to it to make a draw. If I'm going to read a book on lightsaber dueling, I want there to be more than just lip service about the lightsaber.
If I'm going to read about lightsaber dueling in real life, I want to talk about the spirit of what is going on (because science hasn't made it practical yet) and try to find ways to make it real. I want to discuss ways of blocking and defending with a weaon with no real blade and that cuts at all angles, something that Martell actively disregards, insisting to use edge terminology of traditional swords. We're talking fictional martal arts for a fictional weapon. Let's get creative. Use real world stuff as an anchor and go for it.
Also,I want it to be stated in no uncertain terms that regardless of sport, spar, or stage combat, you're are effectively playing make believe. Lightsabers are the coolest weapons in fiction, tied in to a lush fictional culture of good guys and bad guys. Regardless of why you picked one up, you're choosing to use a lightsaber because somewhere the little kid inside you wants to play Jedi with your friends. Yes, it's geeky as hell, but it also means you have an active imagination and a degree of courage. You'll need both if you're running around public parks with a neon shinai.
And unfortunately, Carey Martells book treats lightsabers just like that: a glowing practice sword. Again, it's a passable book on basic drills, strikes, and footwork, but it does it at the cost of its main selling point. It's a book about lightsaber dueling that doesn't want to be about lightsaber dueling. If I wanted to learn about longsword and fencing, I can dig up a few manuals and study, or call up some instructor friends I met through that community Martell was quick to disparage. If any one who reads this wants to learn how to make make believe real, I suggest you check for these groups:
New York Jedi: World Famous Lightsaber Stage Combat Group, oldest in the community
Terra Prime Light Armory: Martial Artists making the unreal Real.
Saber Guild: Lightsaber Choreography Fan Group, Recognized by Disney like the 501st.
Ludosport: Lightsabe school and system for sport lightsaber combat
In the end, I give Stunt Lightsaber Combat For Beginners: The Unofficial Guide to Dueling Like a Jedi, by Carey Martell 2 out of 5 stars. 1 star for being a passable modern manual on swordplay, and another star for being one of the first published works on the subject of lightsaber combat. I assure you, it will not be the last and the bar will raise higher. It loses points for not really discussing being about lightsabers and for outright being condescending to the reader and the demographic who would actually buy this book. It isn't worth the 9.99 on kindle or the 20 bucks in print.
As many of you know, lightsabers are kind of a passion of mine and sort of an amateur profession. I have been a member and instructor with the New York Jedi, the oldest lightsaber choreography group in the fandom, since February of 2009. I am currently one of the Headmasters for Terra Prime Light Armory, which seeks to use Real Life martial arts to make the lightsaber into (as close to) a real martial curriculum. I've taught lightsabers privately and with other groups, as well as written a few papers on lightsaber combat, particularly on the subject of the Seven Forms of Lightsaber Combat.
I'm saying all of this for a few reasons. I want you all to know where my biases are in regards to this. I also want you to know that I'm someone who actually takes this seriously, or as serious as you can take running around with a glow stick for the entertainment of yourself, your friends and whatever audience you cater to. Finally, I'm mentioning all of this to underscore that I am a massive nerd who has had a lot of time on his hands in his life. But most of you have read this blog, you already knew that part.
All that said, I was interested in reading Martells book. Because there is very little discussion about lightsaber dueling as a real world thing. As someone who writes about this stuff and teaches this stuff, I get enthused about new material because it helps me gain a new perspective. It's amazing how something that is make believe is really hard to develop. Perspective matters.
So, imagine how bummed I was reading the introduction for Martells book. In his introduction, he acknowledges the lightsaber groups, and then casts them off as amateurs on Youtube "squabbling" (his word) about the word "Master". So, in his first paragraph he undercuts the community who would most likely want to buy his book. But, dear readers, fear not! We are promised in this book that, Martell claims, is "so obviously missing from the market" that there will be no showboating! Not at all!
While I don't nearly have the martial prowess as Mr. Martell or even that of my peers in the lightsaber groups (one black belt and a gumbo of whatever I picked up from my better trained friends), I do have experience in one thing: promoters trying to sell themselves by undercutting the other people in the 'market'. Lightsaber dueling, either staged, sport, or spar, is a great gateway for geeks who never thought they would learn a martial art to get in to it. I know people who have gone from learning the lightsaber to being instructors in Kung Fu.
But a lot of the individuals in the community starts off alone and looking for some help about this weird hobby. So in comes a promoter that goes "Hey! Look at me! Don't look at these guys! I can help you here!" and then promptly sell their wares on you. It's a predatory kind of mentality, a mobile McDojo. It's not cool, it's not fun, and everyone who has been in the community long enough recognizes it and is zero impressed by it.
Now, that isn't to say that Martells text isn't good. As far as technique, it is a passable manual. But not for lightsabers. "I believe trying to create a functional sparring art based on a choreography which was only ever meant for the silver screen is folly," he says. This is odd because it contradicts part of the function of the book: to help choreograph fights. It also takes away one of the core aspects as to why someone would want to read a book on lightsaber dueling: the lightsaber itself.
In the book, Martell discusses the lightsaber as a prop. As simply what it is: a glorified flashlight with a polycarbonate tube shoved up the opening to create a blade with no edge. Martell's terminology openly tells you to disrgard that, and uses the technical terms for broadsword and fencing. The 'sabers' in the illustrations look more like longswords than lightsabers with crossguards added 'for hand reference' This is itself fine, in fact as far as sword manuals go its not bad. But this feels like someone wrote a decent longsword manual and added 'lightsaber' to it to make a draw. If I'm going to read a book on lightsaber dueling, I want there to be more than just lip service about the lightsaber.
If I'm going to read about lightsaber dueling in real life, I want to talk about the spirit of what is going on (because science hasn't made it practical yet) and try to find ways to make it real. I want to discuss ways of blocking and defending with a weaon with no real blade and that cuts at all angles, something that Martell actively disregards, insisting to use edge terminology of traditional swords. We're talking fictional martal arts for a fictional weapon. Let's get creative. Use real world stuff as an anchor and go for it.
Also,I want it to be stated in no uncertain terms that regardless of sport, spar, or stage combat, you're are effectively playing make believe. Lightsabers are the coolest weapons in fiction, tied in to a lush fictional culture of good guys and bad guys. Regardless of why you picked one up, you're choosing to use a lightsaber because somewhere the little kid inside you wants to play Jedi with your friends. Yes, it's geeky as hell, but it also means you have an active imagination and a degree of courage. You'll need both if you're running around public parks with a neon shinai.
And unfortunately, Carey Martells book treats lightsabers just like that: a glowing practice sword. Again, it's a passable book on basic drills, strikes, and footwork, but it does it at the cost of its main selling point. It's a book about lightsaber dueling that doesn't want to be about lightsaber dueling. If I wanted to learn about longsword and fencing, I can dig up a few manuals and study, or call up some instructor friends I met through that community Martell was quick to disparage. If any one who reads this wants to learn how to make make believe real, I suggest you check for these groups:
New York Jedi: World Famous Lightsaber Stage Combat Group, oldest in the community
Terra Prime Light Armory: Martial Artists making the unreal Real.
Saber Guild: Lightsaber Choreography Fan Group, Recognized by Disney like the 501st.
Ludosport: Lightsabe school and system for sport lightsaber combat
In the end, I give Stunt Lightsaber Combat For Beginners: The Unofficial Guide to Dueling Like a Jedi, by Carey Martell 2 out of 5 stars. 1 star for being a passable modern manual on swordplay, and another star for being one of the first published works on the subject of lightsaber combat. I assure you, it will not be the last and the bar will raise higher. It loses points for not really discussing being about lightsabers and for outright being condescending to the reader and the demographic who would actually buy this book. It isn't worth the 9.99 on kindle or the 20 bucks in print.
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