Heroic Combat Vs PvP (Player vs Player)

There are two distinct forms of combat in my opinion, one is a great roleplay enhancer a selfless act not only to make the combat look super cool to all those watching, but also being epic for anyone actually taking part. The other a mere selfish act of just wanting to make someone’s day a hundred times worse by annihilating them using any given tactic or rule to their best use.

Now to me personally I feel Hero fighting is where LRP should be, there’s nothing more satisfying than watching a well telegraphed fight between consenting combatants, the over dramatic sword swings the exaggerated expressions and over reactions to each and every blow that lands, because let’s face it when you have complete faith that your opponent is wanting to do exactly the same as you, then why not embrace the roleplay side of fights and roleplay the heck out of it ?

I’ve seen and I’m sure I will continue to see people not only using superior skill in fights (heck if your more skillful that’s your right) but also “min , maxing” skill choices and armour to make them the toughest they possibly could be ? Why?

Well the answer is twofold. In the case of the defender (potentially) it is because some players just want to kill you, and this is the ONLY way you can defend against it.

On the flip side when you are wanting to go out and kill other players being the toughest can also have obvious advantages !

Photo Courtesy of Zoe Thomson

I know LRPers who would not normally get into fights knowing that there is a “player killer” and in other events have seen that same player get stuck in with knives and no armour, knowing full well all the fights at that event would be “heroic” and not just some ridiculous fight where people are just wanting to kill people.

But the counter-argument is that film-style hero fighting offers no challenge to those that want to become skilful fighters. I am of the opinion though that unless you are in full real armour and using real swords that you will never be a genuine good fighter, you are after all just pretending.

So what encourages visually good fights and vice versa more pvp? Is it systems with lots of hits and skills in fights? Is it a too-keen crew who want to score points? Is it the briefing of crew and players?

Bring on more hero-fighting I say, perhaps instead of telling crew how they might stay alive (you have 4 hits) we should instead tell them to invent and enjoy an amazing death?

Photo Courtesy of Ian Heath



Camping: The Joys and Woes

So as a live roleplayer you have to get used to camping. In the UK that can come with it's advantages and some serious woes too.

 

• It's taken me about 20 years to finally get a comfortable bed.
• I have broken a tent every 2 years on average.
• I have suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous weather. Drowning, freezing, baking, knee deep in mud, getting blown away. I think I only need to survive a plague of frogs now and I have covered most weather.
• I have tried camping in-character and outside like a proper ranger...but then I had the thermal super powers of youth.
• I have tried in character camps. (Noisy at night and I end up wanting to kill my camp-mates)
• I have had both tiny pop up "condensation tunnel" tents all the way through to huge tents.
• I have crammed 4 people and all their kit into a Polo in the past, but still cant fit me and my partners stuff in a Berlingo these days.
• Oh and I forget a pillow at least once in every 3 trips.
• I nearly always have a snorer within earshot of my tent.
• I have experienced all kinds of toilets from stinking portaloos eye height in mud (well you HOPE it's mud) to delightful soil toilets, and not so delightful ones...

 

Uhrmm OK I just realised those are mostly woes.

But the joys are for me - those fireside evenings, no alarm wakeups and the freedom to make merry.

What's your take on how to camp at LRP events?

Abuse in LRP

This is a sensitive topic and I am bound to upset some readers, I apologise in advance as this is not the intention, it is merely a foil to promote discussion.

There has been some talk of late of instances of women at events being grabbed and man-handled...and worse.

This has always happened at events, especially fests. But it should not.

It most often happens to female players who are not under obvious "ownership" by another man. There is NO other correlation - not the kit she chooses to wear, not the times or places in camp she visits, not related to her inebriation or otherwise.

A lot of the above arguments bear a striking resemblance to comments as to stopping rape. For example recently some clever boffins invented a nailpolish that could detect date-rape drugs in a drink. Now that IS a clever thing don't get me wrong, but shouldn't we just try to stop men sexually abusing in the first place? Why in this day and age is the onus still on the woman to "stay safe?"

I am sure most don't mind the in-character knights errant type protectiveness on occasion, although a bad-ass female knight might do so! Nothing wrong with romance either - a lot of RPers meet their partners in this hobby. But there is a worrying undercurrent in our hobby of excusing blatent sexism and abuse as being "in -character." I am sorry but it is just an excuse and it is still not acceptable to attack people.

Sadly as a result of such incidences all "non pre-consenting" grappling and physical contact has been banned by some events. Again the whole event suffers for a few abusive individuals. My answer for this would be - BAN them, and if she sees fit, support the victim in repoting it to the police.

And what can we do to help stop this? If you see anyone acting like this at events speak out! Tell them it's not acceptable, it's not just "laddish fun" but abuse plain and simple and will not be tolerated.

Myrrdin and Dumnonni

all rights belong to Movie Works accessed 26/8/14 from http://www.movieworks.org.uk/shop/products/view/26

So Dumnonni's pictures and videos from over the years are starting to permeate the Internet, the quality of costume and the setting being so perfectly dark ages they were bound to get some attention. A group of film-makers based in Sheffield and supported by Movie Works saw them and jumped at the chance to use "ready made" battle scenes. They approached the ref team and asked if they would like to be in their film. The group then went to "fight choreography" planning sessions before playing the role of the warring armies in the film, both Celtic and Saxon. Here is a link to the concept art teaser.

Myrrdin movie

The film will be released in a similar way to "The Hunt for Gollum" as a view-on-demand offer. You can watch it on mobile devices too and will be around 90 minutes long. You can support the production by buying concept art posters and props or donating on this same page. I for one am looking forward to seeing my friends on film on the battlefield!

and filming LRP (lost for ever due to being a dufus)

I accidentally deleted the damn post....So if you saw it, you are amongst the special few! This picture shows my thinking face \/

Feel free to talk about how awesome it was while I whistle and tinker a bit in the background!

LRP on Film

There are some amazing things to be found on Youtube! Here are some of the media's view of our hobby from over the years...

 

More to follow!

The New Scribe claims no affiliation or ownership of the video content, links used are public and all reights are reserved for the original owners!

Awesome LRP !

Dumnonni Chronicles 2014
Pictures by the awesome LRP Photographer Roy Smallpage.

There's not much we can say about Dumnonni Chronicles, early on setting the bench mark for awesome LRP, great immersive roleplaying , great set and attention to detail.

If this LRP isn't on your calendars at least once this year, your really missing out !

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LRP sense and sensibilities

Heres an interesting debate for you, roleplay an sometimes cross the usual "politically correct" boundaries and conversations, when is this OK and where do we draw the boundary within roleplay? Let me play the devils advocate.

For example,
1)  I am playing a large fest style event, their are factions within it and cultures that might logically clash. I like to feel like the underdog and pick the culture that allows me to rebel against these societal constraints...but alas... most of the field seems terrified of upsetting anyone and tiptoe around me like peaceful hippies.

2) I am a woman and I want to play a fighter, it's a fantasy world and its quite fine and on-brief to be one. But I constantly get called on my "ability" and treated poorly.

3) I play a bit of a dandy and rogue, sometimes I get drunk and I like to get bawdy and grab some wenches in their lovely cleavage enhancing frocks.

4) I want to have an enormous and majestic cod-piece, but I am not allowed due to children being at the event.

5) I want to be able to put on a show of wrestling and fisticuffs, however I was too realistic and upset some parents.

6) I want to really let go and play a complete loon, unstable, scary, shouty and violent, but I have caused a fellow player to cry.

Personally I think some of these are unacceptable and some are OK. The main line I would draw is if my roleplaying would in any way spoil someone elses event rather than enhance it, but I do also regret the "easily offended" culture that seems to be developing. For instance why can't you portray a bare-knuckle fight for fear of children copying yet its fine for them to see battles? Surely you have already explained to them why the fighting is all pretend?

What do you think?

The Great LRP Arrow Debate – To IDV, or not to IDV

 

(Photo- all rights -Profound Decisions Forum http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a104/eriathwen_bob/heads_zps997b81ef.jpg accessed 20/8/14)

The creation of the IDV arrow is perhaps one of the good technical advancements in LRP kit of recent years, they promise smoother flights even with low strength bows, are less bulky to carry and as they are mass-produced can be much cheaper. However, at least one major event is thinking of banning IDV arrows, the reasoning behind this is that, being more aero-dynamic, they pack a larger punch and more directly to the eye socket.

IDV site itself is careful to stress…

“… technical precautions can NEVER EVER replace a sensible and responsible behaviour of the user him- or herself. Stressing the bow more than necessary means giving away precious safety reserves and accepting negligently additional risks”.

And they show results from a compression test showing that other arrows would affect an eye in exactly the same way. But this would be based on the exact amount of force for each… and as the rounded heads are more efficient at flying accurately are they likely to impact with greater force?

There is also the argument that there are unsafe versions of any arrow if incorrectly made or maintained.

That it is the skill of the archer to know when it is safe to shoot. Many inexperienced archers fail to judge safe distance, or understand the movement of the arrow over distance, these are all dangers even if the bow strength is rigidly restricted.

That other weapons are just as likely to injure the eye, but they don’t because people do not usually aim directly for the head.

So what is happening at Empire events? Here is a quote from the organisers forum about their concerns and experiences –

“I am not a weapons-checker, but I believe that it is a combination of factors with the IDV arrows, the tear-drop head allows a much faster flight speed, but the single grade of foam causes a much heavier hit and the small circumference makes it easier to hit eyes. Coupled with the issues around flights coming off and problems with the heads coming off in some cases, we have decided to exclude these arrows.

There isn't really much more detail to go into, it is a safety decision that we have taken because we have simply had too many eye injuries some of which have been very serious. We have to tighten the rules and so I have taken the advice of my weapons check team and sought to exclude the worst offenders coupled with a policy of tightened enforcement of the rules. If that doesn't resolve the problem, we will widen the ban to include other arrows”.

Indeed several of my own friends were forced to sit with ice-packs on their eyes in the battle, one said “loads of orcs, were all sat in a line with ice bags on their eyes, something is obviously going wrong.”

Is it the nature of mass shield battles where the only targets may be the head?

Does this happen with any arrow?

Should arrows be banned from the press of a shield battle?

Or is it really just the IDV arrows that must go?

Send me your LRP related STUFF

·         articles about topics of concern

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