Off season wish list

[GM-Mike]

We may update this post periodically throughout the offseason with things we would like to receive from players looking to earn reward points. Reply here if you intend to supply so that we don't get way more than we might need of any one things. Clothing items should be in large sizes. Currently we desire the following:

6-10 red tabards
6-10 yellow tabards
6-10 green tabards
6-10 blue tabards

[cole45]

On my wishlist is a gm that doesn't charge.

[GM-Mike]

We're working on clarifying the charging rules so that doesn't happen as much in combat....surely that's the charging you are referring to...

[cole45]

I was just funning you.

[GM-Mike]

Oh I know. Just wasn't sure if you were hoping I wouldn't run wildly after you knocking you to the ground or make you pay large sums of money to continue playing the game. Incidentally, whichever charging you were referring to, I intend to do both

[Kaylan Chargeender]

I am working on getting tabards that are one color on side A, and another on B so that they take up less space. Any Side A / Side B combos that you think works best?

[Zydana]

Noooo..... Please don't tell me you're going to be using the tabbard system.

I'm so anti the tabbard system.

[Kaylan Chargeender]

you would prefer ...surcoats? pirate shirts? sarongs?


If they have easy to use costuming isn't that better than what they have?

[GM-Mike]

Noooo..... Please don't tell me you're going to be using the tabbard system.

I'm so anti the tabbard system.

I do have something in mind, but it's probably not exactly what you're thinking of. We will always strive to phys rep what we can as well as we can. I will reveal what I have in mind in the coming weeks.

[Kaylan Chargeender]

would you be ok if the tabards were red on one side and yellow on the other, and the blue and green were combined in the same way?

[GM-Mike]

Fine with me

[Alinar]

There is great need to differentiate between PCs and NPCs. Little takes you out of game more than striking a friend in combat and having to say something like "Sorry, I thought you were one of the giant burning skeletons attacking us."

There is also a strong need to tell varying types of NPCs from each other. Another frustrating kind of moment that detracts heavily from the LARP experience is striking an NPC only for the following to happen:
NPC: "You do no damage."
PC: "What? Aren't you a small blue slime? I rock against them!"
NPC: "No, I'm a giant burning skeleton."
PC: "Well, you looked like a small blue slime."

Tabards identify NPCs. NPCs without tabards would be far less identifiable. So in by book: NPCs + tabards > NPCs. If anyone has an idea that's better than using tabards - awesome - we'd all love to hear it. Please don't just say you hate an idea and leave it at that - it accomplishes nothing.

[GM-Mike]

Agree with Doug and we're on it (and hopefully improving on straight tabards but will be a work in progress)! Honestly, can't believe it took so long...

[GM-Phil]

The Tabard system at WH was originally supposed to be Step 1 of improving PC experience by differentiating one NPC from another.

The initial test run of the Tabards showed that the idea worked, as many PC's were able to quickly identify "types" of creatures by their Tabards.

By no means was this to be the end all of NPC garb. Unfortunately as some of us (me) are a lazy lot, the next step which was to individualize the costuming by Tabard never made it in.

For example a Brown Tabard means Animal type creature. Phase 2 would have then put ears and a wolf like tail on the NPC to signify not only Animal, but a Wolf.

As for more important NPC's, I am totally against using Tabards. These should be costumed as best as they can be. The Tabards should only be used for situations where there are many PC's and NPC's and the need to quickly identify enemies is needed.

[Marcus]

(Hey there I'm finally back into LARP mode!)

I totally agree that tabards or something along those lines are a necessary evil. It DOES kind of break the "look" when I am in my full costume, as well as those around me, and then suddenly a brightly tabarded NPC walks up- it's a bit jarring.

But then there's the other half of things, where you can have a huge scene setting, where you might be a hundred yards away from who you are looking at, but you can instantly get a basic gist of what your friends are facing off against, or the same thing for an NPC coming around a curve on a distant trail, without having to yell over there for a clarification.

It helps me feel like I am metagaming things a little less if I alert the town that "a huge plant-like something" is coming and we have a bunch of time to prepare because I just got a distant glimpse, rather then gong on guard because I see "one of the NPC staff" simply because I can assume that if they are going to the trouble of coming towards town they will eventually morph into "something" in a minute in-game regardless of whether they turn out to be a little lost kid or a rampaging wyvern.

Or god forbid the yell of "what do I see".

Also like Phil says, they are a nice way of breking down the NPCs in a group at a quick glance, because lots of times the swirl of combat and re-pops makes you forget what they all are.