Skill Rules:
Sap
As of Season 11, Sap skill will no longer require a separate tagged item.
The Sap skill may be used with the following:
- A thrust approved hilt on a sword,
- A Fist boffer, in lieu of a non- thrust approved sword.
- A Sap boffer
Construction of a sap boffer
A sap boffer may be between 6 and 12 inches long, must be coreless and constructed of either closed or open cell foam. Silver or brown duct tape can be used to adhere the open or closed cell foam.
** all boffers are required to be marshaled before use**
The Sap skill may be used with the following:
- A thrust approved hilt on a sword,
- A Fist boffer, in lieu of a non- thrust approved sword.
- A Sap boffer
Construction of a sap boffer
A sap boffer may be between 6 and 12 inches long, must be coreless and constructed of either closed or open cell foam. Silver or brown duct tape can be used to adhere the open or closed cell foam.
** all boffers are required to be marshaled before use**
Chapter Specific - General Rules:
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Contribution
$3.00 Per Hour Worked Per 10 Spell Packets One Handed Weapon Two Handed Weapon Shield Bring a new player to game Per Passenger Driven --------------------------- |
Soul Frag Reward
1 5 1 10 15 20 35 or blanket (keep or give to the new player) 5 --------------------------- |
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Safety Policies
Insurance
We are, and always will be, properly insured.
First Aid and Injury Prevention
Safety is very important to us. If you have a current St. John's Ambulance C.P.R./First Aid Certificate we urge you to let us know so we can be aware of it in case of emergency.
We have a full Safety Marshal team comprised of volunteer players who sacrifice their game time to ensure everything is safe and no one gets injured. We have two Medical Marshals on site at all times. There are also two first aid kits, one in the field and one at the Shaper camp, and we have a fully trained Armour and Weapons Marshals to check and double check weapons and armour at the start of every game. Please check our Facebook page Information to see who your medical and armour marshals are. Any serious medical conditions should also be indicated to Bernadine Schlender or Marc Schlender in case of emergency.
Waiver
Our waiver policy is in place to protect you as much as it is to protect us. Primarily, we use our waiver to draw people's attention to potential dangers which lie in wait for them at our site-indeed, at any outdoor site where people run and play after dark. We like to think of our waiver as a preventative reminder to all our players to act and behave responsibly. In addition to this, we like to remind people that if they discover any dangerous location or development (e.g.. a new wasp nest in a cabin), to report it to us so that we can take steps to remove or minimize the danger.
All players MUST sign a waiver before they will be allowed to play or enter the game site.
Alberta Human Rights Act
All players are expected to behave in compliance with the Alberta Human Rights Act. Infractions won't be tolerated.
Weapons for Boffer Combat
It’s important to us that all foam weapons and shields are safe, especially arrows!
You MUST check ALL your weapons with the Weapons Marshal at every 3rd event you attend. Sometimes we will go easy on you and ask that something be changed by the next event if we see that the weapon will shortly become unsafe. This NEVER happens with arrows.
Arrows and crossbow bolts MUST be checked every event.
Do NOT fire an arrow that has not been repaired and rechecked fully!
Age Restriction
Underworld's age restriction is 18 years of age. We expect all players to be mature enough to appreciate the importance of conducting themselves in safe manner while in an outdoor, natural environment. Often, the game is played after dark. It is important that all players understand the inherent dangers involved and do not become so carried away as to place themselves or others at risk. Chasing people through the dark woods, climbing trees, or traversing ravines, though usually harmless, can be very dangerous if people are not respectful of their environment.
We are very conscientious of the safety of our players. Parents (or anyone else for that matter) are welcome to visit the site, meet players, etc., so as to make an informed decision. Please feel free to contact Marc Schlender at info@talltalegaming.com if you'd like any other questions answered or want to arrange to visit our site between events.
Mature Content
Everyone, who wishes to play should be aware of mature content, in the form of "medieval speak". Often, players will speak of "wenching, brawling, or battles" while in character. Sometimes, depending on the player, the expletives can be quite colourful. While Underworld does not encourage this, we do not prevent it. Underworld is a game designed by adults for adults to play.
In addition to this, people should be aware of the fact that the Underworld LARP sometimes runs plots that contain mature subject matter and challenging social issues. Though they are tastefully presented (and done so with "growth of opinion", not shock, in mind), some people may take offense or become uncomfortable when becoming involved in such plots. We respect your right to leave the plotline if you wish to do so, and we respectfully encourage you to discuss the issue with us afterwards. Though we will not change our policy, we will happily explain what the motivation and purpose of such content was to the story, and why we felt it effectively and appropriately used.
Religion
Underworld LARP allows for a character to belong to one of several different "faiths" if they choose to do so. These faiths are entirely fictional in intent. Do not attempt to parody or mimic any real world religion.
We will be most displeased with you as you will no doubt upset many of our other players. This element has been included in the game to enhance the gameworld and to allow players to explore issues of good/evil/honour/truth/faith, etc. in an intelligent way. We expect any player who chooses to develop their character in this direction to give the subject matter of "faith" the respect it deserves. Underworld has NO religious affiliations, nor do we wish to foster ANY impression that we do. It is simply allowed in-game to enhance roleplaying. In addition to this, we wish to point out to our players that some real world faiths require for certain dress and/or formalities. Underworld is respectful of these practices and requires that all our players are as well.
Illegal Substances and Alcohol
Don't use illegal drugs at our game. We'll kick you out of the event if we catch you using or possessing them. Our insurance does not allow for the consumption of alcohol while playing at an event. Do not bring it to the site. We REALLY get annoyed with people who think it’s not a big deal
NO EXCEPTIONS are made, If you are caught with these items in your possession expulsion from sites and bans will occur.
Recruiting
In an ongoing effort to encourage people to bring their friends, we have a reward system in place for players to bring a friend.
The new player will receive 1 blanket, added to the players account or alternately the person bringing a new player can keep this blanket(may opt for this as 35 frags).
Insurance
We are, and always will be, properly insured.
First Aid and Injury Prevention
Safety is very important to us. If you have a current St. John's Ambulance C.P.R./First Aid Certificate we urge you to let us know so we can be aware of it in case of emergency.
We have a full Safety Marshal team comprised of volunteer players who sacrifice their game time to ensure everything is safe and no one gets injured. We have two Medical Marshals on site at all times. There are also two first aid kits, one in the field and one at the Shaper camp, and we have a fully trained Armour and Weapons Marshals to check and double check weapons and armour at the start of every game. Please check our Facebook page Information to see who your medical and armour marshals are. Any serious medical conditions should also be indicated to Bernadine Schlender or Marc Schlender in case of emergency.
Waiver
Our waiver policy is in place to protect you as much as it is to protect us. Primarily, we use our waiver to draw people's attention to potential dangers which lie in wait for them at our site-indeed, at any outdoor site where people run and play after dark. We like to think of our waiver as a preventative reminder to all our players to act and behave responsibly. In addition to this, we like to remind people that if they discover any dangerous location or development (e.g.. a new wasp nest in a cabin), to report it to us so that we can take steps to remove or minimize the danger.
All players MUST sign a waiver before they will be allowed to play or enter the game site.
Alberta Human Rights Act
All players are expected to behave in compliance with the Alberta Human Rights Act. Infractions won't be tolerated.
Weapons for Boffer Combat
It’s important to us that all foam weapons and shields are safe, especially arrows!
You MUST check ALL your weapons with the Weapons Marshal at every 3rd event you attend. Sometimes we will go easy on you and ask that something be changed by the next event if we see that the weapon will shortly become unsafe. This NEVER happens with arrows.
Arrows and crossbow bolts MUST be checked every event.
Do NOT fire an arrow that has not been repaired and rechecked fully!
Age Restriction
Underworld's age restriction is 18 years of age. We expect all players to be mature enough to appreciate the importance of conducting themselves in safe manner while in an outdoor, natural environment. Often, the game is played after dark. It is important that all players understand the inherent dangers involved and do not become so carried away as to place themselves or others at risk. Chasing people through the dark woods, climbing trees, or traversing ravines, though usually harmless, can be very dangerous if people are not respectful of their environment.
We are very conscientious of the safety of our players. Parents (or anyone else for that matter) are welcome to visit the site, meet players, etc., so as to make an informed decision. Please feel free to contact Marc Schlender at info@talltalegaming.com if you'd like any other questions answered or want to arrange to visit our site between events.
Mature Content
Everyone, who wishes to play should be aware of mature content, in the form of "medieval speak". Often, players will speak of "wenching, brawling, or battles" while in character. Sometimes, depending on the player, the expletives can be quite colourful. While Underworld does not encourage this, we do not prevent it. Underworld is a game designed by adults for adults to play.
In addition to this, people should be aware of the fact that the Underworld LARP sometimes runs plots that contain mature subject matter and challenging social issues. Though they are tastefully presented (and done so with "growth of opinion", not shock, in mind), some people may take offense or become uncomfortable when becoming involved in such plots. We respect your right to leave the plotline if you wish to do so, and we respectfully encourage you to discuss the issue with us afterwards. Though we will not change our policy, we will happily explain what the motivation and purpose of such content was to the story, and why we felt it effectively and appropriately used.
Religion
Underworld LARP allows for a character to belong to one of several different "faiths" if they choose to do so. These faiths are entirely fictional in intent. Do not attempt to parody or mimic any real world religion.
We will be most displeased with you as you will no doubt upset many of our other players. This element has been included in the game to enhance the gameworld and to allow players to explore issues of good/evil/honour/truth/faith, etc. in an intelligent way. We expect any player who chooses to develop their character in this direction to give the subject matter of "faith" the respect it deserves. Underworld has NO religious affiliations, nor do we wish to foster ANY impression that we do. It is simply allowed in-game to enhance roleplaying. In addition to this, we wish to point out to our players that some real world faiths require for certain dress and/or formalities. Underworld is respectful of these practices and requires that all our players are as well.
Illegal Substances and Alcohol
Don't use illegal drugs at our game. We'll kick you out of the event if we catch you using or possessing them. Our insurance does not allow for the consumption of alcohol while playing at an event. Do not bring it to the site. We REALLY get annoyed with people who think it’s not a big deal
NO EXCEPTIONS are made, If you are caught with these items in your possession expulsion from sites and bans will occur.
Recruiting
In an ongoing effort to encourage people to bring their friends, we have a reward system in place for players to bring a friend.
The new player will receive 1 blanket, added to the players account or alternately the person bringing a new player can keep this blanket(may opt for this as 35 frags).
Retirement Policy
The change is that previously you could only apply blankets from a retired character on to a new character that you created at the time of retirement. You can now apply retired blankets on to any character which has not yet been played at an event,
"Retirement
At any point, including at their time of death, any character may elect to skip the resurrection coin-toss and instead retire. If a player does so, they will receive half the blankets they have applied to that character, rounded down, to be used in one of the following two ways: Either they will go into that player's pool of blankets for normal use. Or they will be allowed to apply ALL those blankets to a new character or a character which has not appeared in game yet.
It is important to note that a retired character does not mean a dead character. When you choose to retire you are trading the rest of that characters story to the Shaper team and the decision they may make with it may not always make you happy. If your character is important to you, in such a manner that it would bother you to see it’s ending written by another, then we strongly encourage you to take your resurrection flip and see it through to the true end. Anything that happens to your character, after you retire it, is in the hands of the Shaper team and you will not be allowed to play it unless asked to as an NPC.
When you retire your character or suffer final death, all your character's belongings and possessions that are not on your person, are to be immediately turn into the Shaper team. You cannot decide what happens to your possessions, after you have made that decision (or have had it made for you through final death). This includes your last will and testament, any secret documents or buried treasure you "would" have had on site or anything of the like. There is no issue with players willing away their items to other players so long as they have done it In Game, it was documented prior to your death/retirement and that documentation was given to Shaper."
The change is that previously you could only apply blankets from a retired character on to a new character that you created at the time of retirement. You can now apply retired blankets on to any character which has not yet been played at an event,
"Retirement
At any point, including at their time of death, any character may elect to skip the resurrection coin-toss and instead retire. If a player does so, they will receive half the blankets they have applied to that character, rounded down, to be used in one of the following two ways: Either they will go into that player's pool of blankets for normal use. Or they will be allowed to apply ALL those blankets to a new character or a character which has not appeared in game yet.
It is important to note that a retired character does not mean a dead character. When you choose to retire you are trading the rest of that characters story to the Shaper team and the decision they may make with it may not always make you happy. If your character is important to you, in such a manner that it would bother you to see it’s ending written by another, then we strongly encourage you to take your resurrection flip and see it through to the true end. Anything that happens to your character, after you retire it, is in the hands of the Shaper team and you will not be allowed to play it unless asked to as an NPC.
When you retire your character or suffer final death, all your character's belongings and possessions that are not on your person, are to be immediately turn into the Shaper team. You cannot decide what happens to your possessions, after you have made that decision (or have had it made for you through final death). This includes your last will and testament, any secret documents or buried treasure you "would" have had on site or anything of the like. There is no issue with players willing away their items to other players so long as they have done it In Game, it was documented prior to your death/retirement and that documentation was given to Shaper."
Policy regarding level 12 character caps
- Characters higher than level 12 cannot "buy back" deaths via the soul frag book.
- Characters higher than level 12 have restrictions to retiring and receiving 50% of their blankets. (See below)
All characters who are higher than level 12 will retire as if they were level 12 no matter what level they currently are. They can retire at any any time in the future, and there are no other restrictions minus the new character's present level.
- Characters higher than level 12 cannot "buy back" deaths via the soul frag book.
- Characters higher than level 12 have restrictions to retiring and receiving 50% of their blankets. (See below)
All characters who are higher than level 12 will retire as if they were level 12 no matter what level they currently are. They can retire at any any time in the future, and there are no other restrictions minus the new character's present level.
Twice Played Characters
Lorak the Orcish Merc just met his final death. His player goes into logistics and a short while
Later he re-emerges and introduces his new character to everyone:
“Hi, I'm Korak the Orcish Merc!”
It's not really a new character of course and soon Korak is back with Lorak's old pals and from their conversations he assumes he more or less knows everything that Gorak did.
In the opinion of the Guild Masters of Kalidor, the above situation goes against the spirit of the Underworld rules, as well as good sportsmanship in general. As such, they have instituted the policy that no player may consecutively play the same race or class.
For example, if you are currently a Dwarven Mage and your character suffers their final death, then your next character can be neither a Dwarf nor a Mage. You can of course return to playing that race or class in the future, just not consecutively. Also you cannot have an alternate character in the Database of the same race or class concurrently.
The one exception to this rule is human characters. A player may play a human as many times as they wish consecutively. This is because humans are so prevalent in the game world and so diverse in culture that one human character can easily be entirely different in both manner and appearance from another. We expect such diversity in consecutive human characters.
Lorak the Orcish Merc just met his final death. His player goes into logistics and a short while
Later he re-emerges and introduces his new character to everyone:
“Hi, I'm Korak the Orcish Merc!”
It's not really a new character of course and soon Korak is back with Lorak's old pals and from their conversations he assumes he more or less knows everything that Gorak did.
In the opinion of the Guild Masters of Kalidor, the above situation goes against the spirit of the Underworld rules, as well as good sportsmanship in general. As such, they have instituted the policy that no player may consecutively play the same race or class.
For example, if you are currently a Dwarven Mage and your character suffers their final death, then your next character can be neither a Dwarf nor a Mage. You can of course return to playing that race or class in the future, just not consecutively. Also you cannot have an alternate character in the Database of the same race or class concurrently.
The one exception to this rule is human characters. A player may play a human as many times as they wish consecutively. This is because humans are so prevalent in the game world and so diverse in culture that one human character can easily be entirely different in both manner and appearance from another. We expect such diversity in consecutive human characters.
Harassment Policy
Underworld LARP is committed to providing an environment free of discrimination and harassment, in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, are able to contribute fully, and have equal opportunities.
Under the Alberta Human Rights Act, every person has the right to freedom from harassment and discrimination. Harassment and discrimination will not be tolerated, condoned, or ignored at Underworld LARP. If a claim of harassment or discrimination is proven, disciplinary measures will be applied, up to and including permanent removal from game.
Underworld LARP is committed to a comprehensive strategy to address harassment and discrimination, including:providing an effective and fair complaints procedure- and promoting appropriate standards of conduct at all time
This Policy prohibits discrimination or harassment on the basis of the following grounds, and any combination of these grounds:
• Age
• Creed (religion)
• Sex (including pregnancy within the first trimester)
• Sexual Orientation
• Gender Identity
• Family status
• Marital status
• Disability (see separate policy on disability in regards to safety, site, and play restrictions)
• Race, Ancestry, Place of origin, Ethnic origin, Citizenship, Colour
• Association or relationship with a person identified by one of the above grounds
• Perception that one of the above grounds applies.
All persons present at sanctioned Underworld LARP events are expected to uphold and abide by this Policy, by refraining from any form of harassment or discrimination, and by cooperating fully in any investigation of a harassment or discrimination complaint.
Game Owners and Lead Shapers, will endeavor to act immediately on observations or allegations of harassment or discrimination.
It is important to note that Underworld LARP can only ensure and enforce the Alberta Human Rights Act, at official Underworld LARP events
If you feel you have been the victim of harassment, or if you have witnessed the harassment of another, a reporting system procedure has been put in place to ensure that the Owners of Underworld LARP can give the issue the important attention it deserves. Any and all allegations of harassment need to be sent, in writing, to either of the following:
• Email: info@talltalegaming.com
• Snail Mail: 14448-118 Ave, Edmonton, AB, T5L 2M5
If the matter is pressing verbal notification is of course acceptable, but for a proper investigation to be conducted a complaint in writing will be required.
All allegations are taken extremely seriously and will be fully investigated. We are not in a position to accept anonymous complaints.
Underworld LARP is committed to providing an environment free of discrimination and harassment, in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, are able to contribute fully, and have equal opportunities.
Under the Alberta Human Rights Act, every person has the right to freedom from harassment and discrimination. Harassment and discrimination will not be tolerated, condoned, or ignored at Underworld LARP. If a claim of harassment or discrimination is proven, disciplinary measures will be applied, up to and including permanent removal from game.
Underworld LARP is committed to a comprehensive strategy to address harassment and discrimination, including:providing an effective and fair complaints procedure- and promoting appropriate standards of conduct at all time
This Policy prohibits discrimination or harassment on the basis of the following grounds, and any combination of these grounds:
• Age
• Creed (religion)
• Sex (including pregnancy within the first trimester)
• Sexual Orientation
• Gender Identity
• Family status
• Marital status
• Disability (see separate policy on disability in regards to safety, site, and play restrictions)
• Race, Ancestry, Place of origin, Ethnic origin, Citizenship, Colour
• Association or relationship with a person identified by one of the above grounds
• Perception that one of the above grounds applies.
All persons present at sanctioned Underworld LARP events are expected to uphold and abide by this Policy, by refraining from any form of harassment or discrimination, and by cooperating fully in any investigation of a harassment or discrimination complaint.
Game Owners and Lead Shapers, will endeavor to act immediately on observations or allegations of harassment or discrimination.
It is important to note that Underworld LARP can only ensure and enforce the Alberta Human Rights Act, at official Underworld LARP events
If you feel you have been the victim of harassment, or if you have witnessed the harassment of another, a reporting system procedure has been put in place to ensure that the Owners of Underworld LARP can give the issue the important attention it deserves. Any and all allegations of harassment need to be sent, in writing, to either of the following:
• Email: info@talltalegaming.com
• Snail Mail: 14448-118 Ave, Edmonton, AB, T5L 2M5
If the matter is pressing verbal notification is of course acceptable, but for a proper investigation to be conducted a complaint in writing will be required.
All allegations are taken extremely seriously and will be fully investigated. We are not in a position to accept anonymous complaints.
The Grim and Garbage Elementals. Monsters that Motivate
“Garbage Elementals and The Grim are in-game methods of responding to out-of-game issues.
A valid complaint we have received in the past is, ‘I’m a great role player: I never talk OOG, and I always clean up my garbage. Why was I attacked by these semi IG/OOG creatures?’
Below is our explanation.”
The Grim
What it boils down to is that we have an amazing game of amazing role players who generally stay in character for a majority of the time. We've set that bar and we've set it high. Maintaining this elite level of gaming comes in two forms, the owners responsibility and the players responsibility. Both Ted and myself have a vested interest in keeping the IG bar high, 24/7. It nets us more quality players and is one of the driving forces that makes us the largest game in Canada. When the OOG talk increases, and we start to get complaints, we do our best to handle the situation OOG with the offending players but sadly we can only go so far. There comes a time when we are simply unable to handle the problem on an OOG level, likely because it is are too big or involves too many players. To offset this we expect our veteran players to help moderate the game they love, so that it stays at the quality that they love. This isn't a friendly suggestion. It's something that is expected. Our player base must take an active part in maintaining the quality of role playing, costuming, garbage cleanup, etc simply because we cannot do it alone. If a player does not agree with that on an OOG level they are welcome to go to another, less quality, larp but really I don't think it's too much to expect. Think of it like living in a large house with many roommates and you get new ones once and awhile who don't really pull their weight. The landlord does his best to tell them to keep things clean but the other tenants have a vested interest in doing the same simply because if they don't they have to live in that person's crap pile. So to summarize, as a player we expect you, and all the other players, to help keep the integrity of the game high.
From time to time the player base fails or grows lax in that responsibility. I don't think it's intentional. I suspect it's just because they don't realize they have stopped doing it. In this case we must create motivation. The Grim was created to remind players to help keep the game at the quality we expect but it isn't the first step we take. We can tell it's failing by the increasing number of complaints we get from players and npc's. If things get bad enough, and we've done everything we can do as owners, things get stepped up. So we do things like make speaking OOG illegal IG. We call it infernal and we stress how wrong it is in the game world, hopefully to discourage people from doing it. If that isn't enough, as it was this year, we're forced to take a heavier hand. If we've gotten to this point things are grim (no pun intended). We're forced to hit players where it hurts. We introduced a demon lord who's only purpose is to remind the players that they are not doing a good enough job in moderating themselves and that, as a result, the quality of the game is suffering. We do not target anybody individually but we will target the high level player base as a whole. This isn't to say you specifically are not doing your part. Really it's impossible and unrealistic for us to have a pre-Grim meeting, determine who is doing a good job policing IG and who is not, based on a player base of over 200 players. On top of that every answer is subjective and every person we say no to will argue until their blue in the face about how they do their part and how they are great role players, etc, In the end, the purpose of The Grim is to curb the OOG talk and keep the quality of the game at a level that Ted and I expect. If some characters have to die for that to happen then some characters have to die. If some players have to quit because of that then we're sad to see them go but maintaining a high quality game is more important than those few players. If you want to talk numbers we feel it nets us more quality players in the long run compared to the players we lose.
This isn't to say every player now has to go out on infernalist hunting patrols or final death anybody who says the word "Pepsi." The real rulebreakers, and the ones we look at as candidates for a Grim level bump, are the players that speak out of game without putting a hand or weapon to their head and those that are engaging in an entire OOG conversation around other players that are IG. A little OOG talk now and again is fine, and, to be honest, expected. We do it too. LARP is a social event and we want to talk to the people we like and don't get to see often. That being said, if you need or want to speak OOG, the onus is on you to ensure you are not interrupting another player's IG experience. You also have to be careful who's in the bushes. You can be most assured that if I've spent the last 1/2 hour sneaking up to execute you, and I finally get to your back and you're talking about Gears of War 3, The Grim will feed. The exception to the rule is when we give warning that The Grim will arrive. During that period, I'd suggest you be on your best non-infernalist speaking behaviour, at all times.
Garbage Elementals
Garbage Elementals are the same kinda deal. We need players to moderate players so that litter doesn't happen. Punishing the rare person we see litter it isn't enough. Players have to know IG and OOG that this is wrong and if they do it, the town is out to get them. It's the only motivation that works on the level that we need it to. Trust me when I say The Grim and Garbage Elementals are our last resort and they only come out when it's bad. Well the Grim comes out every year but if there is no OOG talk at all that year I'd give him like 5 body and a small puppy.
Let me summarize. Targeting individual players who do wrong is not enough to keep the game at the integrity level we require. We do it when we can and, as you can see, it isn't enough. So the players must take an active part. If they do not then there are IG consequences. Those IG consequences do not care about the individual but instead act as a bloody reminder that everybody has to do their part. The corpses of the dead, their retaliation, and the actions of their friends/cap, are that reminding force. Most players think that that sucks but they recognize the necessity of it. Others don't or are unable to see it, and quit. Either way the result is the same. After last event there will be much less OOG talk and the quality of the game will return to what we need it to be in order to increase our numbers and keep things fun
I understand not everybody agrees with the methods or tactics we apply to our game world or rule set. Sometimes we're wrong and we make a bad call. It's possible that we're losing more players by doing this then we are gaining by having less OOG talk in the game world. There isn't much evidence that will support a strong argument either way so we just have to go with what our guts tell us. In this case they say that players and owners, moderating and mentoring other, less experienced players, will draw in more players then we lose. Losing a life isn't the end of the world. It's actually pretty common. We've even instituted a mechanic to allow players to buy back deaths. I realize it's more the principle than the actual death but all I ask is you trust us enough to know what is better for the long term game. It's more important than your character.
This isn't something we want to start a giant public debate on. Like always we're happy to hear your comments, suggestions and idea's on a better way to do this.
If you have any please forward them to Info@talltalegaming.com
“Garbage Elementals and The Grim are in-game methods of responding to out-of-game issues.
A valid complaint we have received in the past is, ‘I’m a great role player: I never talk OOG, and I always clean up my garbage. Why was I attacked by these semi IG/OOG creatures?’
Below is our explanation.”
The Grim
What it boils down to is that we have an amazing game of amazing role players who generally stay in character for a majority of the time. We've set that bar and we've set it high. Maintaining this elite level of gaming comes in two forms, the owners responsibility and the players responsibility. Both Ted and myself have a vested interest in keeping the IG bar high, 24/7. It nets us more quality players and is one of the driving forces that makes us the largest game in Canada. When the OOG talk increases, and we start to get complaints, we do our best to handle the situation OOG with the offending players but sadly we can only go so far. There comes a time when we are simply unable to handle the problem on an OOG level, likely because it is are too big or involves too many players. To offset this we expect our veteran players to help moderate the game they love, so that it stays at the quality that they love. This isn't a friendly suggestion. It's something that is expected. Our player base must take an active part in maintaining the quality of role playing, costuming, garbage cleanup, etc simply because we cannot do it alone. If a player does not agree with that on an OOG level they are welcome to go to another, less quality, larp but really I don't think it's too much to expect. Think of it like living in a large house with many roommates and you get new ones once and awhile who don't really pull their weight. The landlord does his best to tell them to keep things clean but the other tenants have a vested interest in doing the same simply because if they don't they have to live in that person's crap pile. So to summarize, as a player we expect you, and all the other players, to help keep the integrity of the game high.
From time to time the player base fails or grows lax in that responsibility. I don't think it's intentional. I suspect it's just because they don't realize they have stopped doing it. In this case we must create motivation. The Grim was created to remind players to help keep the game at the quality we expect but it isn't the first step we take. We can tell it's failing by the increasing number of complaints we get from players and npc's. If things get bad enough, and we've done everything we can do as owners, things get stepped up. So we do things like make speaking OOG illegal IG. We call it infernal and we stress how wrong it is in the game world, hopefully to discourage people from doing it. If that isn't enough, as it was this year, we're forced to take a heavier hand. If we've gotten to this point things are grim (no pun intended). We're forced to hit players where it hurts. We introduced a demon lord who's only purpose is to remind the players that they are not doing a good enough job in moderating themselves and that, as a result, the quality of the game is suffering. We do not target anybody individually but we will target the high level player base as a whole. This isn't to say you specifically are not doing your part. Really it's impossible and unrealistic for us to have a pre-Grim meeting, determine who is doing a good job policing IG and who is not, based on a player base of over 200 players. On top of that every answer is subjective and every person we say no to will argue until their blue in the face about how they do their part and how they are great role players, etc, In the end, the purpose of The Grim is to curb the OOG talk and keep the quality of the game at a level that Ted and I expect. If some characters have to die for that to happen then some characters have to die. If some players have to quit because of that then we're sad to see them go but maintaining a high quality game is more important than those few players. If you want to talk numbers we feel it nets us more quality players in the long run compared to the players we lose.
This isn't to say every player now has to go out on infernalist hunting patrols or final death anybody who says the word "Pepsi." The real rulebreakers, and the ones we look at as candidates for a Grim level bump, are the players that speak out of game without putting a hand or weapon to their head and those that are engaging in an entire OOG conversation around other players that are IG. A little OOG talk now and again is fine, and, to be honest, expected. We do it too. LARP is a social event and we want to talk to the people we like and don't get to see often. That being said, if you need or want to speak OOG, the onus is on you to ensure you are not interrupting another player's IG experience. You also have to be careful who's in the bushes. You can be most assured that if I've spent the last 1/2 hour sneaking up to execute you, and I finally get to your back and you're talking about Gears of War 3, The Grim will feed. The exception to the rule is when we give warning that The Grim will arrive. During that period, I'd suggest you be on your best non-infernalist speaking behaviour, at all times.
Garbage Elementals
Garbage Elementals are the same kinda deal. We need players to moderate players so that litter doesn't happen. Punishing the rare person we see litter it isn't enough. Players have to know IG and OOG that this is wrong and if they do it, the town is out to get them. It's the only motivation that works on the level that we need it to. Trust me when I say The Grim and Garbage Elementals are our last resort and they only come out when it's bad. Well the Grim comes out every year but if there is no OOG talk at all that year I'd give him like 5 body and a small puppy.
Let me summarize. Targeting individual players who do wrong is not enough to keep the game at the integrity level we require. We do it when we can and, as you can see, it isn't enough. So the players must take an active part. If they do not then there are IG consequences. Those IG consequences do not care about the individual but instead act as a bloody reminder that everybody has to do their part. The corpses of the dead, their retaliation, and the actions of their friends/cap, are that reminding force. Most players think that that sucks but they recognize the necessity of it. Others don't or are unable to see it, and quit. Either way the result is the same. After last event there will be much less OOG talk and the quality of the game will return to what we need it to be in order to increase our numbers and keep things fun
I understand not everybody agrees with the methods or tactics we apply to our game world or rule set. Sometimes we're wrong and we make a bad call. It's possible that we're losing more players by doing this then we are gaining by having less OOG talk in the game world. There isn't much evidence that will support a strong argument either way so we just have to go with what our guts tell us. In this case they say that players and owners, moderating and mentoring other, less experienced players, will draw in more players then we lose. Losing a life isn't the end of the world. It's actually pretty common. We've even instituted a mechanic to allow players to buy back deaths. I realize it's more the principle than the actual death but all I ask is you trust us enough to know what is better for the long term game. It's more important than your character.
This isn't something we want to start a giant public debate on. Like always we're happy to hear your comments, suggestions and idea's on a better way to do this.
If you have any please forward them to Info@talltalegaming.com
