Well, I couldn't be powerful in Legacies given how steep their character advancement system was. Not a chance. So being a main character without having played the game for years was impossible.
At any rate, the characters I tend to create for myself (and, in theater LARPs, the author inserts) are not usually main characters. On the contrary, they're usually very much side characters with strong B plots. For example, in Princess Fluffykins, my author insert, Annihilator, is not part of the succession war or of the Ninth Dimension plot. I don't want to say what the main plots in Bad Apples and Planetfall are because spoilers, but in both games my self-inserts are not in the main plots. This does not make them weak characters, or flavor characters. The Bad Apples self-insert has a plot that's gone two or three different ways in four games and in one of the runs did something really cool and creative.
Yeah, it's an ongoing problem in boffer larps that if you don't start at or near the beginning -- especially in an ongoing game -- you're going to be at a real disadvantage stat-wise.
When writing theater-style larp characters, there are certainly characters I'd be more inclined to play than others... but what I liked about Cracks is that most of the characters were ones I'd enjoy playing...
I think one of the nifty things about the Accelerant ecosystem is that it is actually possible to start at the beginning, because campaigns for the most part only last a few years and there are usually new ones. It's possible to design games around the assumption that most characters are at the same level, as in tabletop campaign conventions.
In the theater games I've written, I could definitely connect to multiple characters - I have to get inside a character's head to be able to convey them well. But there's usually one, rarely two, who is going to be the one I'd app for, and who I'm going to imbue with some real-me personality or background traits. (For example, in Part of Her Design, it was the character electric-d-monk played.)
I've never tried playing in a campaign that has been going on for years (Endgame is probably the closest to that) so I really don't want to be all negative about them without giving them a try... but if I am completely honest with myself, I can't help but look at all the various techniques I hear about to deal with these issues and say, "man, that does not sound appealing to me."
So, my understanding is that this was a list created directly from experiences at Lost Eidelons. The LE crew is now Occam's Razor and I can see why these are particularly true for that set of staff.
So, here is my take on this... 1. It helps to be Big. I see this as take up space - get noticed - play large - go big or go home. In short, commit fully to character and game. Your preparation and presentation shoe a big commitment.
2. It helps to have an outrageous costume. Outrageous = strong and memorable. Someone asked, how do you Veiled tell each other apart. Apparently my guy-liner was the winning feature for me. I think you stand out from other PCs both in color choices and in design.
3. Create a character from the unpopular options. Largely non-combat is an unpopular choice for some reason... But this is a call to explore the game margins. I think that Ianthe's dedication to experimentation will help here... few people took that route.
4. Show up regularly to the events. And prepare for them properly. You will always
( ... )
Largely non-combat is an unpopular choice for some reason...
I'm not sure I am largely non-combat... I'm trying to be less so, which is why Matt and I have been sparring nightly ;)
I think that Ianthe's dedication to experimentation will help here...
You mean the genetics experimentation? Yeah, that's definitely a different direction than other Arcane Circle folks have taken their characters, judging by their Exegeses. Theirs were more pure math; mine is more applied. (My logic was that, without knowledge of DNA, heredity is largely a regression analysis, which is statistics, which is the area of math I understand the best) (It's also partially because of the character she's partially based on *cough*)
And prepare for them properly. You will always get more if you put in more - prep and enthusiasm. You put in both, and I think were rewarded for it.
I try. I'm a little obsessive about getting to site early, coming prepared, etc, and I think it helps.
Math Up! The more you dive into it, the more it will return for you.... somewhat
( ... )
Yeah, I object to the 'the math healer' comment! :-P
So, in general, I think the loud comment is not specifically about physical loudness (much like I think that the 'big' comment isn't necessarily about physical bigness). It's more about asserting yourself in big/visible scenes, about having a presence when 'big' things are going on. It's a little easier if you're physically large/loud, just because it's easier to get people's attention, but I've known any number of smallish individuals who got to be very central in things.
One of the things I kicked myself over (a little bit) after the event was during the town meeting scene, I contributed, but I did so from a seated position, and I probably should have gotten up off my lazy ass and stood up when I was talking.
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At any rate, the characters I tend to create for myself (and, in theater LARPs, the author inserts) are not usually main characters. On the contrary, they're usually very much side characters with strong B plots. For example, in Princess Fluffykins, my author insert, Annihilator, is not part of the succession war or of the Ninth Dimension plot. I don't want to say what the main plots in Bad Apples and Planetfall are because spoilers, but in both games my self-inserts are not in the main plots. This does not make them weak characters, or flavor characters. The Bad Apples self-insert has a plot that's gone two or three different ways in four games and in one of the runs did something really cool and creative.
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When writing theater-style larp characters, there are certainly characters I'd be more inclined to play than others... but what I liked about Cracks is that most of the characters were ones I'd enjoy playing...
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In the theater games I've written, I could definitely connect to multiple characters - I have to get inside a character's head to be able to convey them well. But there's usually one, rarely two, who is going to be the one I'd app for, and who I'm going to imbue with some real-me personality or background traits. (For example, in Part of Her Design, it was the character electric-d-monk played.)
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So, here is my take on this...
1. It helps to be Big. I see this as take up space - get noticed - play large - go big or go home. In short, commit fully to character and game. Your preparation and presentation shoe a big commitment.
2. It helps to have an outrageous costume. Outrageous = strong and memorable. Someone asked, how do you Veiled tell each other apart. Apparently my guy-liner was the winning feature for me. I think you stand out from other PCs both in color choices and in design.
3. Create a character from the unpopular options. Largely non-combat is an unpopular choice for some reason... But this is a call to explore the game margins. I think that Ianthe's dedication to experimentation will help here... few people took that route.
4. Show up regularly to the events. And prepare for them properly. You will always ( ... )
Reply
I'm not sure I am largely non-combat... I'm trying to be less so, which is why Matt and I have been sparring nightly ;)
I think that Ianthe's dedication to experimentation will help here...
You mean the genetics experimentation? Yeah, that's definitely a different direction than other Arcane Circle folks have taken their characters, judging by their Exegeses. Theirs were more pure math; mine is more applied. (My logic was that, without knowledge of DNA, heredity is largely a regression analysis, which is statistics, which is the area of math I understand the best) (It's also partially because of the character she's partially based on *cough*)
And prepare for them properly. You will always get more if you put in more - prep and enthusiasm. You put in both, and I think were rewarded for it.
I try. I'm a little obsessive about getting to site early, coming prepared, etc, and I think it helps.
Math Up! The more you dive into it, the more it will return for you.... somewhat ( ... )
Reply
Reply
So, in general, I think the loud comment is not specifically about physical loudness (much like I think that the 'big' comment isn't necessarily about physical bigness). It's more about asserting yourself in big/visible scenes, about having a presence when 'big' things are going on. It's a little easier if you're physically large/loud, just because it's easier to get people's attention, but I've known any number of smallish individuals who got to be very central in things.
One of the things I kicked myself over (a little bit) after the event was during the town meeting scene, I contributed, but I did so from a seated position, and I probably should have gotten up off my lazy ass and stood up when I was talking.
Reply
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