Code Words in LARP

[bakeneko]

This is some idle theory garble about LARPing, so feel free to move along if it doesn't interest you. I've tried to make it intelligible to non-larping folk.

Just so you won't feel like you've wasted your time, here's a picture of a cow I made.

Comments

[ezrem]

Awww Hamish!!! Looks EXACTLY like his namesake (And just in case...its Hay-mish. not Ham-ish. He's a bull not a pig ;P)

I'm all for codewords, and I wonder if "The Plague" or something similar wouldn't work across more games.

[bakeneko]

Yay, glad you approve! Heery coo!

It sounds like some people have used "the Plague" a bit more broadly than I thought. In your experience, is it just used for "I don't want to go on this mod/fight/encounter" or is it also used for "I want to leave this encounter?"

[ezrem]

In my experience I've only seen it as "I'm too tired/sick to go on this mod/fight/encounter" I haven't seen it in the middle of an encounter but my feelings on that are the same.

I haven't seen it as simply a matter of want and honestly if you don't want to go, thats what I think should be said. I don't think the plague rule is a way to automate RP when you just aren't interested in something. And I can't help but wonder that if it IS being used that way(or is perceived to be), that it might prompt the sort of hard time begin given that JJ notes below.

I also personally feel it should be used as a definitive way to say you're too tired or sick to go. Because being either too tired or sick are perfectly valid reasons in or oog in my opinion. If I don't want to go on a mod at 4am because its 4am and I'm just too tired, I should be able to say so and be on my way. (and the NPCs eyeballs will thank me for it)

[jjmarika]

I don't think the plague rule is a way to automate RP when you just aren't interested in something. And I can't help but wonder that if it IS being used that way(or is perceived to be), that it might prompt the sort of hard time begin given that JJ notes below.

I don't actually think it's being misused. I just think it's the sort of thing where a (very) few people who previously would have said, "Come on, man, the fate of the world depends on this, don't wimp out and go to bed," now say, "Come on, man, the fate of the world depends on this, you're not going to 'come down with the plague', are you?"

To reiterate, I don't think that there are many people who do that... but the fact that RJC has added it to his spiel makes me think that there must be someone who's done it.

[jjmarika]

I am very fond of all the ones that Madrigal has in place. I especially love the plague mechanic, though it's a tad sad that RJC now has to add to his opening monologue that people shouldn't give each other a hard time for using the plague mechanic... that was specifically designed to avoid that.

Oh, as a PC, do you find that 'clarification' is used often? I never hear it, but that might be because I'm not spending time among PCs when they're by themselves.

Would introducing code words for "I want in on this" or "I need out of this" (or something else) help play be smoother and more fun? Would having those kind of words change the way you might approach a game (or make you more willing to play, if you don't already)?Honestly, I'd be pretty leary of the 'I want in on this' codeword, except when used very, very sparingly. It's one thing to have it happen every now and then, but if it happens regularly, I feel it would be sorta irritating and game-breaking

[ezrem]

I agree with the notes on "code words for "I want in on this"
I really think a player should be able to relate in game without any kind of code that they are interested in something even if its not a typical pursuit for that character. Otherwise, I again get the sense of "automated RP" Its the type of thing I think should be extremely limited to things like oog necessities ("I have the plague" for need sleep/am sick/ gotta leave site for work/commitment etc) and oog desires for RP should be managed by actual RP.

I hope that made some sort of sense heh.

[bakeneko]

I really think a player should be able to relate in game without any kind of code that they are interested in something even if its not a typical pursuit for that character.

I don't disagree. The idea of a code word among friends isn't to short-cut roleplaying. It's just kind of a heads-up if they don't seem to be getting it or are being accidentally inconsiderate, and your efforts to explain such to them IG aren't cutting it.

[bakeneko]

I especially love the plague mechanic, though it's a tad sad that RJC now has to add to his opening monologue that people shouldn't give each other a hard time for using the plague mechanic... that was specifically designed to avoid that.

I think it's good that he explains that point though, because it can be missed, and isn't in the rulebook. I mean, the intent is obvious to most of us, but the people to whom it isn't are the people who really need to hear it.

Oh, as a PC, do you find that 'clarification' is used often? I never hear it, but that might be because I'm not spending time among PCs when they're by themselves.

I don't hear Clarification often, but I've used it once or twice. I think it's probably used here and there, but gets resolved quickly and quietly. More frequently, if I have a question about how a particular ability works, I'll go ask a player who has that ability, without using the Clarification call. However, I feel more confident as a player, knowing that I can ask for it if I really need it.

Honestly, I'd be

[ruendil]

If you are going to institute a safe word, it must be Guatemala. That is all.

Seriously though, having a way outside of the "plague" to bow out of a plot/adventure/whatever is a good idea.

[bakeneko]

So if I'm ever playing Numina, now I know the safe word. . . :D

Do you have an example of a time in a game you would have wanted a way to bow out like that?

[ruendil]

Since I don't want to dime anyone out specifically I will say that as a NERO noble across multiple chapters and over 11 years of play (as a noble of one stripe or another) I have been involved in more plots than I care to think about that I would've loved to bow out of. Often "being a good noble" involves literally suffering through some of the worst plots on the planet. I would've loved to have had a safe word that let me escape the plot equivalents of WWII Poland.

[bakeneko]

I would've loved to have had a safe word that let me escape the plot equivalents of WWII Poland.

XD It's probably not okay that I laughed so much at this. Point taken.

[yammermoon]

Back when I played LIONE there was a rule, if you were in an encounter on a module if you were physically hurt, incapacitated or unable to do the encounter due to strobes ect you were given the option to opt out of the encounter. However if 75% of the party wiped, you were considered to have been wiped as well and have to accept the consequences, be it death, emnity, loosing stuff ect.

However I feel that the tepidness of the games I play now the players would ever accept that as the custom. They would scream bloody murder.

[bakeneko]

Did LIONE have a method to do this without breaking game, or did you just go OOG and inform people that you were taking this option?

I recall people using a similar thing in NERO called "fate of party" where, if you had to leave play, your character would die if all the characters in your group died. It was definitely an OOG declaration, though. And now that I go to look for a reference, I can't find it, so it may have just been a custom rather than an actual rule.

[yammermoon]

Usually you stood at the back of the encounter and watched and it was a fairly gentlemanly.

[bakeneko]

Thanks! <3