Hello! Here's to kicking off a blog!

I'm thinking topics will span projects I'm working on, design thoughts, game or media analysis, and some snippets of fiction writing. Over the years I have stepped further and further away from using social media. As a tool, it's more of a bullhorn than a place for dialogue, so back to old school blogging I go.

As a general life update, I've been on the job hunt (let me know if you have recs!), and working on personal projects in the meantime. I've been using Godot more, which works great for the kind of games I like making solo or on a small team. Aaaand… I recently went to my first LARP! So here comes the download of the experience, through my designer eyes:

I attended Miskatonic University (North America) hosted by Chaos League and Reverie, and for a first proper LARP experience it was a BIG one. It was super welcoming to me and the other first timers, and honestly I think having a big immersive spectacle really helped pull me in rather than starting small and working up.

Now, I say it's my first LARP, but I've been LARP-adjacent for years. Wasteland Weekend is an immersive festival. I've done tabletop and play by post roleplaying. I even was an NPC at a LARP once, though I barely had any idea what I was doing and it didn't quite sell me on coming back for more. Miskatonic, as far as I know, is a nordic-style LARP, which was new to me and got my attention for a couple of reasons:

1. A finite timeframe. Not only did this appeal for logistical reasons (I can't commit to attending multiple events per year), but also for emotional reasons. I knew that I'd be playing a complete character arc, so I'd walk away with a complete experience.

2. Pre-made characters. There were over 100 characters with connections to others and hooks that I knew would be reflected in game. One of the toughest parts of joining a roleplay group is finding out whether your character has enough overlap with others to make an interesting story, and it was a relief to know that was already handled.

3. No combat/numerical stats. Not because I dislikes these elements in a game, but because I like them too much. I wanted to focus on inhabiting a character and being immersed in the space. Similarly, the Cthulhu Mythos setting was grounded, but still very vibey, so I didn't feel like I'd have to exist in the theater of the mind much. The benefit of a LARP feels like it should be like being there!

4. Body-blind casting. Characters are written without physical description, and the organizers were extremely clear that any gender, ability, age, etc. could be cast as anyone. This was partially in my own head, but when I approached the space years ago, I felt a little trapped to make a character I thought I could "pull off" physically, which was strange to me coming from tabletop and writing where I often played characters decades older and male (haha, at least I've caught up there!).

5. Production Value. Honestly, I've been a little spoiled by going to Wasteland and having a 360 degree immersion in terms of a setting. The fact this was hosted at a historical university felt spot on, and I'm not immune to the delight of smoke and mirrors.

I'm super happy that these aspects all really enhanced the experience, in my opinion! I def learned a lot about LARP and about myself over the weekend. Just like how tabletop and play-by-post need to be approached differently, LARP is it's own beast as well. Even so, I was glad to see the appearance of familiar player archetypes and means of communication. I made a couple of rookie mistakes, just like the first time I roleplayed in other mediums as well- it's a skill- but I still had a fantastic time! A couple of spoiler-free takeaways for a newcomer:

• Don't Lie... WELL. If your character has a reason to lie about something, that can be fun, but make sure you lie in a way that the other player knows you're lying. Otherwise, any potential plot becomes a dead end.

• Arm Yourself with Plot Hooks. Think of ways your behaviors can invite other people in. Have follow-up action ready for people after impromptu conversations.

• Bring Stuff for Timekeeping and Signage. Have a reliable way to tell time so you can make your appointments, and have a way to make a leave notes to other players. It helps make the space feel lived in, and gives people stuff to talk about.

• Have Some Business. This is something that actually worked really well for me. I brought a few packs of candy cigs, so when standing around, I could offer them to other players, or have something to fiddle/act with.

• Have Opinions. I wish I had done a little bit more homework so I could do better with (interesting) in-character snap judgements. Me, the player, is interested in all the characters as complex individuals, but it might make for better interactions if I walk in with a handful of assumptions.

I'm looking forward to doing another event like this, and using what I've learned to dive further in, and I'm glad to have a better handle on my own tastes when it comes to the systems of the LARP itself.