March 2013 - Winter One-Day Feedback

What did you think of the last event? Post your opinions and disucss the comments of others here!

Moderator: Admin

Post Reply
User avatar
GM-Taki
Town Member
Town Member
Posts: 465
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2007 7:53 am
Location: NPC Camp

March 2013 - Winter One-Day Feedback

Post by GM-Taki »

Back from a great one day, so I thought I’d kick off the feedback.

I had a fantastic time, and want to thank Mike, Brad and Nick for working their tails off running the event for us. I’d also like to thank the PC’s who were “possessed” into NPC’ing at times. We all know when the staff is light we’ll be pressed into service one way or another, and I’m pleased that folks have learned to step up without complaint. It makes a better game for all of us.

I also felt like we got a great deal done, despite it only being a “one day”. By the end we were almost as battered, bruised and exhausted as our characters, but we all fought on and accomplished everything on out to-do list. The limited numbers prompted Korrigan to venture out more often than he would have normally, and the lack of warriors put him in a position to press the action in several of the encounters. I’d estimate that he took more damage in this one-day than he has in some of the most epic events, and there were no fewer than 5 times when I thought “This could end very badly…” In my mind, being pushed like that is a good thing, even if it’s murder on Korrigan’s phys-rep.

The food was great, so thanks to everyone who contributed to the pot-luck. I think that following the example of the previous one-day and doing a 15 minute cleaning spree at game-off helped make for a more manageable Sunday morning, but kudos to Dani, CJ, Nick, Amanda and all the others that helped leave the Inn better than we found it.

Lastly, the board games… I seriously think we may need to schedule another winter event just to hang out and play board games without having a LARP get in the way. I share Mike’s penchant for simultaneous and cooperative games, so I had a blast with Escape, Police Precinct, Space Alert, and Galaxy Trucker. I’m also glad people enjoyed Cards Against Humanity as much as they did. It’s a horrible game, and I’m sorry if it corrupted anyone’s tender, innocent minds.

Who the hell am I kidding? I’m not sorry! I’m especially not sorry about Brad’s involvement, since we now know he's a motherfucking sorcerer. Good times, good times. :)
GM-Taki - Final Haven GM, Winter Haven GM, Editor of the Rulebook Project.
User avatar
Marcus
Town Member
Town Member
Posts: 390
Joined: Wed Feb 20, 2008 12:32 pm
Location: Where help is needed.

Post by Marcus »

I know I had tons of fun at this event, even though it was just a one-day. I echo Taki's sentiment that in between the roleplaying scenes, there was plenty of action, even with only three main NPC's.

The attack on the tavern by the shadow-creatures, especially when bolstered by several PC "volunteers" really got the blood pumping. With the usual numbers of PC's, a scene like that would have nearly always devolved into a confusing, loud mess, but with so few people inside, we were able to pull together wonderfully as a team and use tactics, just like people who have been living quite familiarly with each other for so long.

Even if it had an in-game link, at first I was bummed and quite worried about getting pulled away to NPC, because especially at such a short event, there are limited opportunities to show what and how I really want Marcus to act like in a scene (and at a weekend with so few players, I have a much better chance of not just falling into the background while other familiar players get the main attention), but by the end I was entirely satisfied.

Sure, I may not have been able to help destroy the Rod of Command or put the bodies to rest, but I was able to be there from the beginning to end in saving the children from their captivity- something a true questing knight would be gladly involved in. And wait! "Repel" even played a pivotal role at the end! Damn....guess I can't bitch about that skill being completely worthless against NPC's anymore....:lol:

I also found myself surprised at a lot of roleplaying to be had by being sent into the experiences of the four that the Sylvani brought in, even tough we were by and large just observers. Either through dumb luck, (or GM cunning), Marcus found himself connected with something of a kindred spirit in Morel, even making the same decision when in the interrogation chamber- though I find myself confused as to how they actually died in the end. Was that information mentioned at all?

I think by far the best part of the event for me was when Zeira, Marcus, and Cirrus were swept back into a final experience with the four bodies, playing out their final capture while fighting against insurmountable odds- played by the rest of the PC and NPC staff. I don't now about Kiel and Amanda, but the way the GM's portrayed Marcus' blending with Morel in that fight let me play out a scene as easily the most powerful and effective "PC character" I have played in six years.

And...just writing this, I actually got a weird thought. Did the three of us just experience a moment in the past, or did we actually force it to happen that way? In a strange paradox, did our "possession" of those three people make them powerful enough that they couldn't be killed, only subdued and captured- enabling those particular linked events of the one-day that dealt with them to be possible? Erk, my brain hurts.

My only gripe of the event was actually with that same scene, though. The seeming rush by staff to wrap up the event's final activities ended up finishing it for us three with a hasty bit of narration and a quick change into NPC's for the final PC objective of the event. The three of us really wanted to see a final climactic wave of enemies actually play out the narration of being impossibly overwhelmed, and it was a rare opportunity to have such a huge amount of "NPCs" available for just that- enough that in my LARPing career, I have rarely been in a scene with that many adversaries being physically present, rather than in waves.

All in all, good event, and thanks for Mike Brad and Nick for being the brave, tiny game staff to run it.

Though I am still laughing at the "choice" to have the only Undead Slayer in town get "pulled away" and then play the frigging Blood Golem, especially with what that could have devolved into if I had not gotten Dominated. I got to nod at all the descriptions of what certain skills like Repel and Banish would affect me, and then laugh and tell Nick, "It's ok, the only PC with most of those skills is me, so that's not a worry. From experience, Smitty and Abaddon are who are going to screw this monster, so just tell what Dominate Monster will do to me."
-Evil always prevails when good people do nothing.

-All knight, every night.
GM-Mike
GM
Posts: 4491
Joined: Wed Sep 10, 2003 11:14 pm
Contact:

Post by GM-Mike »

Thanks for the feedback. Hopefully we'll get some more as all feedback is valuable. As for me, aside from a little robust unpleasantness, I had a great time :lol:
User avatar
cole45
Town Member
Town Member
Posts: 3094
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2004 3:42 pm
Contact:

Post by cole45 »

This one day was approaching perfect. (Short Staff aside.).

We got combat, but just enough.

I hate possession stories in game. it usually turns into a pvp bloodbath. Which is why I want to point out this was the best. Thanks for warning us we would be removed and npc. you gave us the option of not doing it too.

The possession was so much more than a meta staffing trick. iot was the heart of the vent. Also, brad thanks for rolling with our really bad idea.

The destruction of the red tear is a sweet grape we gotta squeeze.
If I have a complaint it was the lack of tags. (understandable given....events.)

"We are taking the two assholes with counterspell"

Nick, nick job keeping keeping up.
The entire event was great.
Travis Cole
User avatar
Tyr Murkel
Regular Visitor
Regular Visitor
Posts: 34
Joined: Mon Sep 20, 2010 8:47 am
Contact:

Post by Tyr Murkel »

I echo the sentiment that this one day made me feel as though I had been larping all weekend. The storyline was great and I enjoyed every plot I was part of. I loved getting back to work on sunday and having people ask what I did this weekend, "Well, I was possessed by the spirit of a mummy, routed out a traitor in the ranks of long dead soldiers, saved 20 orphans from a major demon, and destroyed an artifact that could control people's minds. What did you do?" Anyway back to the meat of things.

The mummy plot was great and I enjoyed every moment of it, very nice way of compensating for a lack of NPC's while still making the people who were selected to help out feel like they could still contribute to the plot at hand. The intrigue of the whole ordeal really tickled my fancy. Also any fight that I could use time stop on was a big plus. The "funeral" was great and I am glad to see Bart live longer to spread the size of his "reputation" and what dumb luck to pick out the speak in a whisper card from a whole stack of mind effects, moments before I have to sing a song, but I loved every second of it. A big thanks to the staff for making a seamless event and packing so much AWESOME into a 12 hour period. This has been the most epic one day that I have attended.

Card games afterwards were great I have a new love for "Cards against humanity" and cannot wait til the next time that morals will be bended. I am sure that there is stuff that I am missing but I will try to update as it comes to me. Thank you all for making this an epic event.
GM-Amanda
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 116
Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2012 9:50 pm
Location: Nope.
Contact:

Post by GM-Amanda »

I had a hell of a good time.

I will echo everyone else in saying that this event had more packed into it than some full events. I got some of each of the three major plot threads, and what I saw I liked. Story is a big reason why I keep coming back to FH, Mike and Brad told quite a good yarn this weekend that I enjoyed. If forced to choose a favorite, I would likely have to go with the mummy/possession plot, simply because it did such a good job of garnering extra NPCs for the battles. I didn't see much of the Amulet of Control thread, but I wish we could have had time to play that out properly. I think that battle would have gone very differently if it had been a summertime fight.

I will also echo CJ in thoroughly loving the final battle of the three innocent Strider soldiers. I wish Cirrus could have had more time to speak with the lieutenant, I think the only thing they would have had in common is that spark of defiance. Fun RP possibilitah. I was also disappointed that we did not get our butts thoroughly handed to us - again, another fight I would have liked to see play out in the summer. I cherish the experiences coming out of rolling 1's just as much as 20's - and ask Eric, Jamie, Ben, or Nick, I roll LOTS of 1's at exactly the wrong time.

Food was awesome. I was surprised we had so much left over, and there were so few desserts. Except for fruit whip. sooootastyyum.

Nick, thanks for letting us beat you up. Wuv.

Looking forward to Long Lake!
You are what you dare.

RESEACRH
User avatar
Laylah
Regular Visitor
Regular Visitor
Posts: 27
Joined: Wed Dec 08, 2010 10:45 am
Contact:

Post by Laylah »

Wonderful job Mike, Brad and to our hardy Nick, who we properly pummeled. =]
You guys made great use of what little means we had, including the needed NPC "wrangling".

As stated before, this event really DID have the feel of a three-day. That is no small thing to accomplish. We had almost no time to sit back and relax which, personally, is just the way I like it! I'm going to be feeling this one for a while.

It was nice to not have such a crowded event. I feel as though we all got a special time to bond and fight a little more as a group.

I honestly have nothing bad to say about this event. (What little it means to everyone else, Laylah was terrified for the orphans, but Rose enjoyed finally having a personal attachment to a plot.) Wish we could have stayed, I rather enjoyed seeing everyone embrace their, "Were going to a special place in hell," side with that card game.

Great food, great friends, great roleplaying, great music (you rock, Knaggs).

Can't wait to keep it going, and fight the good fight. Cheers lovelies.
Laylah Elora

Community Welfare Director and Hospital/ Orphanage Administrator of Woodhaven.

-Ad astra per aspera-
Post Reply