Bonus for Good Physrep's

[Andian]

Speaking from personal experience: I've not had a lot of money at any time I've played this game. I've probably had 20-40 dollars every two months that I could spare on costuming. I've bought the 6 dollar prosthetic ears. I've spent my time in front of a sewing machine. I could only help make the armor that had metal scale and hardened leather. I've always done my best in that area. I'd always tried to show the maximum of what I could do to show race, skill appearance that was needed. I did it because it helps my immersion into the game.

If a GM were to come to me and say *after all the work I'd done; with my limited funds*, "Your costume isn't good enough. You'll have to leave." I would never come back. I'd feel slighted and disgraced, because of the large amount of work I'd done.

Yet, flipping this around. I've seen people like Doug, come to the game with movie like quality costuming. I realize a lot of it he creates himself. Yet, armor like that still costs a crap ton; museum replica or no. If I had the skill and money to put together characters like he has, I'd probably look at other people who hadn't "given their all" to the game like lazy little nobodies.....losers...... Well, maybe not that far.....sounds somewhat elitist. Though I would be very disappointed and probably have the mind set of, "I could do it, the least you could do is try a little harder than you seem to be."

I admit it takes me out of the game when I see someone with basically street clothes and no type of makeup to show even the slightest of what they are, if not human. Yet, as I see Chris is trying to find out of what we think, there has to be a line. A point where we demand a small amount of realistic appearance so it doesn't drag us out of game every time we look at someone who hasn't tried. Yet, I still feel the penalty shouldn't be amazingly harsh. Everyone is paying to play. Taking away the costume life points or/and taking away the racial bonus wouldn't be brutal enough; I feel.

Then there are the character concepts that require a little of one type of makeup or no makeup at all. Do we feel that we should penalize a character with a decent background and good reasons for appearance in order to have 'our' own version of what we feel someone should look like? Or can we actually have oddball characters every once in awhile?

Edit: I meant it would be brutal enough. Not wouldn't.

[Sheogorath]

Somewhat off topic but what if you found a good in game reasons to slightly alter one's racial needs? So say like me you could not find good elf ears anywhere by where you live and you happen to be playing an elf, so using the whole massacre at FH my elf goes into a fit of rage and ends up hurting himself and cutting of the tips of his ears to show dishonor to those who call themselves elves, now I will be putting fake blood on them to make it still fit.

Same excuse could be used in the broken horn example, say in game he broke his horn in battle or something.

I think that if one can think of a real good in game reason why their racial costumes are slightly different.

I am not saying everyone should do this or use this as an excuse but if one has to I say they could but the majority should still follow the normal set rules. And as for clothing I think that it is needed and should be required, hell if someone came in like black dress pants with a long gray or some other color shirt over it covering the pockets and zipper that would work, people are coming to a Larp they should know to be in a costume.

[General Maximus]

I support the idea of taking people's mechanical benifits away if they do not meet the racial costuming requirements. All the requirements are inexpensive and can be found on line or at the local Halloween USA for under 5 dollars. If you want to play the race without the costume requirements, that fine, you just don't the benifit.
The racial costuming add's much to game and it is nice to be able to tell what race a person is with out asking. And if you don't want to put on the racial costuming, just play a human that has the traits, back history of the race you want to RP.

As for costuming, a minium standard should be established to play the game. Sweat pants (no logo's) and a tabard is minium to play. I know the NPC's could help a new person for their first event, but after that it would be the person responsiblity to be prepared for the next event.
To gain the extra life bonus, you must go above and beyond the miniium costume requirement. You get awarded your bonus at check in by a GM. Most people in game will get the bonus and doug should get 5 extra life for his costumes!

I can see where Chris is coming from. I would like to keep this game inexpensive, but set some minium's for people to play other races besides human's.

Back in the day (Carps), the minual racial costume requirements where enforced and it added alot to the game. I personaly hated my beard becasue I was playing a dwarf, but it was the price I had to pay.

[cole45]

racial costuming is very cheap.

ears - elf. 6$
dwarf - red paint - $4
green paint - ork, $4.


Most of us are willing to share out makeup. (I habitually leave my makeup case out just for that purpose.)

[dier_cire]

Ok, for those that missed it (I believe Chris already knows my suggestion) here's my change idea and why.

We already have half races, allowing you to look one race and have the benefits of another. So my suggestion is to take this concept to it's logical conclusion and seperate the boon and life points from races entirely. At character creation, you choose a race and you choose a benefit.

How would this improve roleplaying one might ask? Simple. People would play a race simply because they wanted to, not due to a rule requirement. By playing a race for purely role playing reasons alone, ie "I want to be an elf so as to be haughty and and elitist" versus "I want the 3 boom so I've gotta wear ears", people will inherently play the races better and we all win.

Now before people bitch about everyone playing humans, etc. Think about it this way, would you rather have a larger number of people playing races merely for the benefit, or would you rather have a smaller number playing those same races and doing a bood job at it?

Now Chris is correct, however, in that if people want racial boons tied to the back story of a race then this idea isn't good. My only counter to this is that the rest of the game doesn't work that way which is weak at best.

[Wyrmwrath]

So my suggestion is to take this concept to it's logical conclusion and seperate the boon and life points from races entirely

That isnt its logical conclusion. The reason behing the boons is the in game blood line. What your suggesting as a dwarf that gets the channel bonus, or a aviana the gets the resist poison boon...for no IG reason at all.

What that will do is create a hoarde of PCs with the immune to fear, resist poison, and channel bonuses and few of the others with no ingame explinations as to why. a GOOD LARP has a defined IN GAME world and "physics" and then set sthe mechanics to alllow for those in game realities. Your suggestion goes against that.

[Andian]

Are you suggesting that there can't be a really big human.....born from orc loving that would have the press bonus rather than the human one? Your saying that character can't ever be, because of physic? That's what I feel your saying, atleast.

[Wyrmwrath]

I'm saying that a PURE human cant do as even the orc blodded does, according to the game world.

What is being proposed is that PURE strain beings such as a dwarf, could chose the channel bonus of an elf whlie having no elf blood at all. Currently the half breeds chose thier look and boon. The proposition is trying to say you dont even need to be a half breed, the player just the one he wants.

[cole45]

The idea is to remove the boons from the races, and given it a more pick and choose mentality.

I see why you would want to do this. It allows more flexibility in the races. you could play a group of elves that were immune to fear or what ever. It allows, like many things you to choose your own roleplaying rather than limiting you to a race for specific boon.


I don't agree with the idea. I think that the boons are what give the races context. The inherent connection to magic is what makes you an elf. Your immunity to fear founds the entire concept of gutherie society.(imagine a culture where fear doesn't exist.)

It is a foundation upon which the cultures in the world are laid.

BUT, people are always the roleplaying/cultural themes are separate from the base mechanics.

[Atrum Draconus]

Not everyone chooses a race by the boon they get. I think that just having a list of boons to choose from a horrid idea, like Brian said everyone would have one of the really good ones and the boons are tied to the race for an actual IG reason. Otherwise with the same reasoning there may as well just be a list of skills that anyone can choose from and say certain skills can't be combined.

While it is true that anyone can just say they are half human and choose human looks, there could still be some IG things that arise from their duality that wouldn't if they were just a human with press.

[Andian]

sorry to get a little off topic

Okay, that's quite understandable why people are against this kind of customization. I'm usually for customization. I've always felt character concept for story reasons should be a person's central desire in character creation. Yet, I do know of some people who would prefer building a character to be a ruler or/and destroyer of everything; just because the rules let them. The "I'm cool, because I'm powerful" syndrome. I've never actually found these types of characters cool. The characters I've really enjoyed have been that have great limitations, yet are admired because of one quirk or personal background. A person that has the ability to surpass their limitations in order to do what must be done. A person who can beat up everyone in combat doesn't impress me, yet a person who can roleplay : make me feel an actual emotion; blows my mind.

I guess what I'm getting to is I want to feel that others will feel this way too. That if this type of customization were to be allowed, people wouldn't go for the easy, "I Win!" buttons. Yet, we live in a society that would rather always be right. Always be the winner, rather than always be understanding. So, I see your point why choosing your own boon over race shouldn't be allowed.

[marduk]

I am pretty broke. I know people in this game who are far broker. There are also those with a lot more resources available to allocate toward RP accessories. That being said...

Every activity comes with a price tag, and I believe that proper costuming should be part of the LARP experience. It's not like Ren Fest were you can dress up if you want. I want to be part of the highest quality game experience that I can. I want to step in and not step out until break. I have said on previous threads that you have to pretend on some level, even if it is just to pretend that the foam sword in your hand is a real blade or the bag of birdseed is a ball of magical energy. You cannot perfectly phys-rep everything. We have to make concessions on some level.

My LARP ethos:
+++I want people in costume. I want as much "period" as we can be. I will make exception for footware and armor. Both are insanely expensive to be done "right". we have seen how to do armor on the cheap and make it look good, but by and large...the definition of period. This is a post apocalyptian fantasy game. Have we agreed that Phantara folks dress like mideval europeans by and large?
+++I like armor. I think there should be more of it. It is scary as hell to fight someone in metal armor.
+++Look like your race. Again, some pretending is required. I don't know if mechanical benefit is the answer, but I would like to see people look like races if for no other reason than to diversify game. I picked a dwarf because I wanted to be a dwarf. I think the Boon is retarded for the character concept, but there goes...


I mean, is a life size dragon really too much to ask?

[marduk]

Back in the day (Carps), the minual racial costume requirements where enforced and it added alot to the game. .

General,
CARPS also had headbands.

[Peace420]

Back in the day (Carps), the minual racial costume requirements where enforced and it added alot to the game. .

General,
CARPS also had headbands.

FH doesn't but I still always bring one and a different shirt just in case I use disguise.

Actually I want to have 3. One that says pale and gaunt, beastly, and pale with rotting flesh.

[Esmerelda]

I think the racial costuming should be enforced in game. I remember when I started playing last year, it was several events before I figured out in game that several people were not human because they never wore the proper makeup for it. It was frustrating to say the least. If as a player you make a choice to play a particular race, than you should be willing to make the under $10 investement to costume yourself properly. Otherwise I think they should be changed into a human. And as many players have pointed out, there are a lot of people more than willing to share their makeup kits at events if a new player should want to play a race and can't get makeup for an event or two on their own.
As for minimun costuming, I think some sort of standard needs to be set. I know at one point Sam was talking about everyone bringing their old costuming and kind of keeping a "Store" of everything. I know there have got to be more people out there like me who at one point owned more cosutming than "street" clothes. Would people be willing to donate it to a "New player wardrobe" or person in need wardrobe of some sort? Then we'd have stuff ready if someone showed up who didn't meet our requirements. Hell, I cart enough stuff back and forth with all my cooking stuff, I guess I could carry a couple of totes of costuming back and forth to events if needed. If newbies could afford it, they could donate a couple bucks to the "clothing fund" which we could then use to go to goodwill to buy more clothing or purchase makeup for a community makeup kit.
Just some ideas to toss out to improve the costuming of the game...