(http://api.ning.com/files/6*3bSaBQCMxQg6hs3LKC9LuQwxj7614TkOfbdnWW6824vaOyENnLwk2mb7ZfhD5h4H5KOeoT0WWroeb1lqLlARJSlgHKeJLF/vathek.jpg?width=321&height=600)
I'm writing a live game, called The Dreaming. In some ways, it's part LARP and part ARG. I was yammering about it a little last week (http://www.principiadiscordia.com/forum/index.php?topic=23816.msg813618#msg813618).
This is meant to be a game that any of you can play - you don't need to drive to some campsite in connecticut, you can play it wherever you are. There will be a game community on the internet as well as wherever you make one. In part, it will involve snooking friends to game with you. Your actions in your respective towns and cities can impact the game world as a whole.
This has been brewing for a while ... I wrote / ran a game called Tales of the Dreaming back in college. I ran it for two years, and it continued without me for several years after I graduated, sustained on its own energy. I had given life to a community, an organism. Something that would grow up and out of my control. I thought that was beautiful -- But I digress! We carried a little of that energy into the discussions about projects codenamed ARGGASM (http://www.principiadiscordia.com/forum/index.php?topic=18314.0) and LARPGASM (http://www.principiadiscordia.com/cramulus/index.php?title=LARPGASM). But my mind keeps coming back to the Dreaming... It became the setting for my new game..
I've kept some of the goals we had during the LARPGASM (http://www.principiadiscordia.com/cramulus/index.php?title=LARPGASM) discussion:
To create a game which is ....
-a mindfuck to both players and nonplayers
-scales well. It can be played with 2 people or 2000 people with no extra work on the admin's part
-content generated / aggregated by other players
-playing the game also advertises the game
So my game is a LARP which could take place at any time, in any place, without the need for game masters. I think it's finally at the stage where I can show it to people and it might make some semblance of sense.
I don't want to spend too much time explaining it, because I'm curious to see if the website is self-explanatory.
I'm curious to see if it makes sense to everybody, especially people who have never played a LARP before. Can you visualize it? Does it sound interesting? Does it sound like fun?
http://dreamings.ning.com
QUESTION ONE
Can you tell me what it needs in terms of explanations? Aside from pictures/video, what would help you visualize what playing the Dreaming is like?
QUESTION TWO
Wanna play?
In a few weeks, once all the blank spots in the rulebook are filled out, we'll do an ALPHA TEST - a one-week-long game. Based on how it goes, the rules will be modified to prepare for a larger beta test. (you can make a character before the alpha test, there just won't be a lot of game content yet)
Playing will involve gathering up some people in meatspace, for real, and playing with them. You'll post pictures or blog entries to the website. You will be one of the people who has a big say in the overall direction of the game.
I will probably host a kick-off event at my house in Connecticut, where we will drink beers and assassinate one another.
at some point, we'll be recruiting people for NPC roles.
Quote from: Cramulus on January 27, 2010, 11:10:44 PM
QUESTION ONE
Can you tell me what it needs in terms of explanations? Aside from pictures/video, what would help you visualize what playing the Dreaming is like?
I think it just needs a little more literature, perhaps surrounding past events or past characters, to help flesh it out. I've never LARPd before but it just seems like this would help the universe feel more "real".
It could be as simple as some petty rivalry a Vision and an Old God had - not earth-shaking like Creation, continents torn asunder, eras of strife, etc. It could even be text-within-text - the popular fiction of the universe surrounding important past figures and their twisted romance life or something.
QuoteQUESTION TWO
Wanna play?
I'll see if anybody around here is interested.
The Dreaming
(206) 525-9394
5226 University Way NE
Seattle 98105
hey cram i found my first location :lulz:
I am very close to trying this out, but there's one problem: .ning sites are blocked at work.
I'll see what happens why I try using my iPhone.
____________________
Well, it's giving me status updates, and a forum of sorts... Pretty clever that it's got a Mobile setting. However, it looks like I need to be in the Regular version to figure out what's going on.
Keep in mind that I'm coming into this with absolutely zero knowlegde of how these things are run.
Hey! You linked to the Sandbox, which I can access at work! Ok, I'll read up on this, and get back to you.
1. The rules and such that you have up so far make plenty of sense, though I do need to take a crawl back through to get the timing of (ecounter?) skills, and look over the classes again.
Pics would be cool. Is a compeltely plainclothed sort of thing?
2. I'd def. play. I know a few local game - inclined, LARP inclined folks locally who I'm sure would be into it once a bit of momentum is started. Now to squeeze in the tiem to do so. :eek:
Well, I like the concept, Cram. Very well thought out, and the universe in which it is played is very clever.
What I was hoping for, as you might have guessed, is a way to tie in the intraweb in a more active way... for purely selfish reasons, i.e. it's 99% likely I will never have the opportinity nor the inclination to LARP proper.
But I'm not here to harsh on your game. I think it's really cool, and if I were 20 years younger I'd be on this like flies on shit.
But I would be interested in helping out or playing over the net, if possible. Perhaps a CYOM-based adventure that not only leads to increased stats, but expands and morphs as well? A way to go through an adventure, and then change the text if you choose, leaving something behind for the next player, or picking up items by erasing the text?
If this sounds compatible, I'll give it some more thought.
One last thing: What if someone wants to create and play as a character from the Void?
I'll be an NPC.
Once I sign up and familiarise myself with the setting.
As I mentioned a few days ago, I have a ready and willing test group here on my campus. One thing you might want to put together is a character sheet or character creation walkthrough.
Quote from: Richter on January 28, 2010, 01:33:51 PM
1. The rules and such that you have up so far make plenty of sense, though I do need to take a crawl back through to get the timing of (ecounter?) skills, and look over the classes again.
Pics would be cool. Is a compeltely plainclothed sort of thing?
Yeah, plain clothes unless you want to ham it up.
You're a dream, so you're allowed to look however you want. Most people will probably dress in regular clothes. But hey, most of the people in the dream world look like regular people. (until you get to know 'em, at least)
encounter skills recharge whenever you take a five minute rest. Basically, you have to sit still for 5 min without using any skills, and then you get your basic combat stuff back.
daily skills recharge at 6 AM realtime.
Quote2. I'd def. play. I know a few local game - inclined, LARP inclined folks locally who I'm sure would be into it once a bit of momentum is started. Now to squeeze in the tiem to do so. :eek:
awesome!
Quote from: LMNO on January 28, 2010, 01:52:08 PM
But I would be interested in helping out or playing over the net, if possible. Perhaps a CYOM-based adventure that not only leads to increased stats, but expands and morphs as well? A way to go through an adventure, and then change the text if you choose, leaving something behind for the next player, or picking up items by erasing the text?
If this sounds compatible, I'll give it some more thought.
That's an interesting idea. The game will already have a significant web component - you'll be playing in the real world and then foruming/blogging with characters in different regions. One thing that I had considered was a creative online game element in which players write lore about the Dreaming. Basically a wiki where people can post material for the game world, whether it's encyclopedia entries, fiction, art, or whatever.
I'm trying to hunt it down, but there are already a few worldbuilding wiki games out there - I'm wondering if there's anything we can learn from those.
QuoteOne last thing: What if someone wants to create and play as a character from the Void?
If you'd like to help the void, there are things you can do which will help the void's cause. You might try to destroy and divide the Dreaming culture. And there are rituals which draw danger to an area. There will eventually be a ritual you can do to draw an area into the void, corrupting and cursing it. Sort of akin to irradiating a place. There's also currently a "haunted" location you can create, where players will frequently be able to be monsters.
I'm also toying with an idea about Shapers-- those are the elected Dream Kings. I think Shapers might have limited abilities to be a game master. This will let them run their own Dream Walk storylines, and create NPCs which can hang out in territories which support that Shaper. These recurring NPCs could potentially be monsters or demons or creatures from the void. But most characters won't have the opportunity to play one.
More on that later.
The Void also needs to be fleshed out a bit. The way it was developed in the last game didn't taste quite right, and I have to think more about what kind of antagonist opposes dreams and dreaming.
one idea is that the adversary are actually aliens who are trying to invade earth through our unconscious minds.
another idea is that they are part of the force which pulls the universe towards its end.
or something else wacky like that
Quote from: Cain on January 28, 2010, 02:54:39 PM
I'll be an NPC.
cool - is there a race or element of the game which appeals to you?
Quote from: Cainad on January 28, 2010, 04:25:34 PM
One thing you might want to put together is a character sheet or character creation walkthrough.
good idea!
I'm thinking someone needs to shoulder the burden of being a Dead God, and I am highly willing to play the role of Tezcatlipoca (Aztec God of the night sky, the night winds, hurricanes, the north, the earth, obsidian, enmity, discord, rulership, divination, temptation, jaguars, sorcery, beauty, war and strife. Specialization is for insects).
I'm also thinking, given my geographic islolation, I could probably work best at writing lore and possibly introducing elements like the Void which have yet to be fully fleshed out. Also, as the divine enemy of Quetzalcoatl (who still has a small cult following, and thus isn't dead. Hell, he even has a Prophet), we have character motivation for attempting to gather information on, and return, from the Dreaming.
I'm PM-ing you so as not to threadjack.
This sounds both incredibly lame and incredibly awesome. I'm still undecided on whether I'll be joining or not, as even my nerdiest friends are above LARPing. Also, it is fucking cold in Fredericton at this time of year.
yeah so i dont want to play, but im bored, so....need any pictures :lol:
It might be a good idea to include a link to a site that outlines Boff design and building, as well as safety testing them.
I play Dagorhir with a nearby group now and then, they have a lot of really good info on boff weapons and very rigourous standards, I don't know if you want to be as strict as they are but some sort of formal standards to make sure that people coming from different areas involved in a larger event together would have the same standards on weapons safety and whatnot would be good.
Hit light is a good basic rule but it's still a good idea to make sure that a weapon hitting hard isn't going to cause any injuries.
The only site I know offhand is the one for Dagorhir, which as i said is probably more strict than you want, but i am sure ther are quite a few out there so you wouldn't have to actually design one, just decide which set of standards would be most appropriate.
Why would you want to make toys that safe? When my group does boffers, we just tape some pipe insulation to sticks and hit as hard as we can. People get stung, sure, but it's quite invigorating. We're realism fans though. If your blocking form was crap, then the fact that someone powered through it and cut your head off is how you know.
ETA: I'm reacting to the Dagorhir site that said "don't hit hard".
Quote from: Horrendous Foreign Love Stoat on January 31, 2010, 06:54:43 AM
I'm a touch lost on the whole dreamstone thing.
cool - I'll have to clear this up on the website a bit.
you don't have levels or experience points in this game, everybody is more or less at the same power level. Everybody has four skills and one racial skill.
the Dreamstone, however, levels up and gets more powerful as you play. Everybody has one, and their Dream Stone gives them one additional power, skill, or defense. The Dream Stone cannot be stolen or traded, it's a magic item which only works for you.
does that answer your question? or were you looking for more information about Resonance and how to activate the Dream Stone?
Quote from: BabylonHoruv on February 01, 2010, 01:09:03 AM
It might be a good idea to include a link to a site that outlines Boff design and building, as well as safety testing them.
I agree - this section needs more links. Making a boffer weapon is already pretty well described on the internet, but I need to clarify which type of boffer culture this is
The fighting in the Dreaming will be more like NERO than Dagohir. Light, quick hits with light, quick weapons.
The idea is that you don't have to be a bigass meat sack in order to get in a boffer fight. Real World sword play rewards big strong dudes who are tough enough to still fight while injured. But in this game you can still win a sword fight if you're a 90 lb chick. So the emphasis is on speed and technique more than strength and force.
Ultimately, the weapon construction guidelines are going to be left up to local players. If somebody shows up at your territory with a re-bar wrapped in duct tape, you will have the ability to restrict those weapons from combat. If everybody is fighting "lightest touch" and you are repeatedly cranking people in the face, whoever owns the territory can give you a yellowcard / redcard to boot you out.
But if you and your friends are into a high contact game, and everybody is cool with that level of risk, you can play at that level. The safety standards are set by the people playing. It's just that the
default is really light, quick combat, and I think that should be the rule in most places.
Quote from: Sigmatic on February 01, 2010, 01:21:59 AM
Why would you want to make toys that safe? When my group does boffers, we just tape some pipe insulation to sticks and hit as hard as we can. People get stung, sure, but it's quite invigorating. We're realism fans though. If your blocking form was crap, then the fact that someone powered through it and cut your head off is how you know.
ETA: I'm reacting to the Dagorhir site that said "don't hit hard".
This is meant to be a fantasy game and not a simulation of the grim reality of a sword fight. While some people may enjoy injuring each other during a sparring match, that's not the intent here - we want the game to be accessible to as many people as possible, and that means creating combat situations in which people aren't injuring one another. The 300 lb guy swinging a PVC pipe like a baseball bat
will scare off that 100lb teenage girl. I'm not interested in whether the fighting within a fantasy larp is realistic - I'm more concerned with whether it's dynamic and fun.
It does make more sense to do it your way for this game.
Quote from: Shrunkenheadspace on January 31, 2010, 06:24:18 AM
This sounds both incredibly lame and incredibly awesome. I'm still undecided on whether I'll be joining or not, as even my nerdiest friends are above LARPing. Also, it is fucking cold in Fredericton at this time of year.
All you have to do is get one person they respect to get into it. Everyone I know here had the "Fuck LARPing, it sucks and is lame!" attitude until I came back after my first weekend, dispelling rumors and jabbering excitedly about
the +1 brassiere they'd made me wear how much fun it was. Now I've got like 6 people who are all excited for it.
Back to the boffer aspect, (the martial arts nutso in me here.), are there going to be any restrictions on who can use what weapons?
From what I've sene of armed combat sports, those with quick, light weapons going for only a light touch vastly favor two - weapon fighting(2-stick). (Followed in effectiveness by polearm, or sword+shield) There is also the question of "Can you use it?" Two weapon is difficult to coordinate effectively against ONE opponent, let along 5 at once while trying to keep together with a group of allies. Even if you can pick it up, like it or not, you need practice at it to be GOOD with it.
Also, any equivalent of the "flurry" rule? (Don't just walk up and unload, stop for a beat after 3 swings.)
You mean like Filipino stick fighting? Man, that shit is fun.
NM, I just RTFM. :oops:
Superficially reading, it looks like it's excluded for PC's, except for a sword+dagger possibility with the right character skills.
Quote from: LMNO on February 02, 2010, 01:15:48 PM
You mean like Filipino stick fighting? Man, that shit is fun.
Youtube "Dog Brothers" if you haven't already. They're some dudes in South CA who do that, and practice full force in fencing masks and pads. (They make the SCA heavy fighting look downright SANE.) Most of their matches end by submission or injury. They also focus more on the quick, practical strikes and good tecnique in guard and recovery, rather than the flowing dancelike routines you see in a lot of classes. (Fighting only looks that good if the fighter is crazy good)
Dog brothers are one of the best Escrima groups out there with video right now.
This style is where most of my weapon training is based on (and a bit of aikido sword technique). And Richter's right.. with practice you can hold off 4-5 people, without practice your arms get tangled in each other or you hold the sticks waaaaay to wide to avoid tangles.
We should take this up in a new thread. For purposes of Dreaming though, I like the way it's looking for balance of boffer aspect so far.
I'm eagerly awaiting more fleshing out of rituals, skills, class and race info too. Since it's not necssarily a combat oriented LARP, with more possibilities for networking, alliances, and in general social play, I'd love to see a lot more of that.
Again, I need to start telling RI folks about this. Many are bored to death by hearing about my LARP fun, but can't attend themselves due to time / money. This could really fill that niche.
I think that weapon styles will probably be class based.
Everybody can use any kind of one handed weapon.
The mage classes won't have any additional access, but may have a special power they can use while holding a staff.
The rogue classes will have access to two-weapon fighting styles. One rogue class will also have bows (you'll throw spell packets to represent arrows, and you also have to hold a bow prop)
The fighter classes will have access to two handed weapons and shields.
If you want to switch up your style, you can rebuild your character (or start a new one entirely) once per month.
did a fuckton of work on the class page, check it out:
http://www.principiadiscordia.com/cramulus/index.php?title=Dreaming_Class
At character build you'll be able to pick FIVE skills (used to be four)
still tinkering with the Summoner - I think that the ability to create a minion is probably the most powerful skill in the game. Even if you're a chode, having a partner to doubleteam your opponent is fucking brutal! But the summoner doesn't have many skills - need some more stuff to round out that class.
Haven't read the page, but I was just thinking... why not build the Summoner character with incredibly weak additional skills, so that they are almost co-dependent on the minion they create?
It might make for some very interesting in-game interactions and developments.
Looks like the Summoner has minimal abilities otherwise, it looks like, and no direct damage capability, so you're right. They're a pony with a GOOD trick though.
Could you voluntarily "Shade" a current player though without them dying first? On the plus side, in a tough fight it would give you an expendable minion, and then you get your PC back. Downside, the 60 sec. delay before they can vanish / respawn. It might be worthwhile to do this only after death though.
Can the "Imp" your shade is created as choose Summoner as their class themselves?
Quote from: LMNO on February 03, 2010, 04:34:42 PM
Haven't read the page, but I was just thinking... why not build the Summoner character with incredibly weak additional skills, so that they are almost co-dependent on the minion they create?
It might make for some very interesting in-game interactions and developments.
The summoner role emerges from the fact that when you die, you're done playing for the night.
In the past, we've found this to be really frustrating. You're on your way to a public vote, and your enemies don't want you to vote against them, so they assassinate you before you can get to the meeting spot. You're shut down before you even got to play!
or maybe you're on an adventure and you die, but your friends still have a few more encounters to go. You wanna play with them, right?
So the summoner's ability allows you to take someone who is OOG and make them your IG minion. It also allows non-players to jump in and try out the game without having to make a character.
In practice, you're not always going to have an OOG buddy to turn into your shade minion. So the summoner class needs to be able to function on its own even if nobody's died yet tonight. I don't want to give them the destructive powers of a sorcerer or the healing/status powers of a shaman, so I'm still trying to figure out what else they should get.
Quote from: Richter on February 03, 2010, 04:43:52 PM
Could you voluntarily "Shade" a current player though without them dying first? On the plus side, in a tough fight it would give you an expendable minion, and then you get your PC back. Downside, the 60 sec. delay before they can vanish / respawn. It might be worthwhile to do this only after death though.
No, and that's a point I need to clarify. The Shade needs to be created from a Dead Character or a Non Player. If you have a Dreaming Character and he's alive right now, your body isn't capable of hosting this kind of shade.
QuoteCan the "Imp" your shade is created as choose Summoner as their class themselves?
Oh shit -- good spot! That could rapidly become a sorcerer's apprentice scenario!
In general, shades shouldn't be summoners. I will note that.
Thanks, not to be a gamebreaking jerk.
Also, could you Summon, Take a Breath, and then Summon again, to control 2 Imps at once?
Do Imps die if the summoner dies WHEN the summoner dies, or does it fall under the "10 sec. out of line-of-sight"? (10 seconds of berserk shade ? :wink: )
games NEED breaking while they're being designed. Every time I write a rule, I have to think "How could this be horribly abused?" more brains can generate more abuse, so this is helpful feedback.
Quote from: Richter on February 03, 2010, 05:00:03 PM
Also, could you Summon, Take a Breath, and then Summon again, to control 2 Imps at once?
I'm going to clarify that you can only summon 1 shade at a time, even if your skill was recharged by taking a breath or being granted a boon from a Dead God.
QuoteDo Imps die if the summoner dies WHEN the summoner dies, or does it fall under the "10 sec. out of line-of-sight"? (10 seconds of berserk shade ? :wink: )
Yeah, kill the summoner and his minion dies too... about 10 seconds later. This will also be clarified.
[/quote]
Maybe summoners could have defensive and/or illusionary skills as well? That would put it in a different class to both the sorceror and the shaman.
Like summoning being an Evocation, and having another evocation possibility? Tricky to play balance that, but it's an idea.
Someone needs to die or walk in before a summoner can be employed, (kind of like how peopel need to have taken damage before healers or armor repair skills get needed), but when they do, putting one person back in during a 2vs2 or even 3vs.5 fight can be invaluable.
Other spell options WOULD boost the class's flavor.
The existing use of rooting / arm binding spells do give them a few quick "OHSHIT!" defenses, while keeping the number of spells / effects for players to remember minimal.
Quote from: Sigmatic on February 01, 2010, 01:21:59 AM
Why would you want to make toys that safe? When my group does boffers, we just tape some pipe insulation to sticks and hit as hard as we can. People get stung, sure, but it's quite invigorating. We're realism fans though. If your blocking form was crap, then the fact that someone powered through it and cut your head off is how you know.
ETA: I'm reacting to the Dagorhir site that said "don't hit hard".
Does it say that? The group I play with explicitly tells people to hit hard but to accept soft blows as hitting. (cause they wear armor so you can't always feel soft blows) they are real sticklers for safe weapons though. I can't blame them in some respects, a piece of PVC sticking out can cut.
Quote from: Cramulus on February 02, 2010, 05:54:59 PM
I think that weapon styles will probably be class based.
Everybody can use any kind of one handed weapon.
The mage classes won't have any additional access, but may have a special power they can use while holding a staff.
The rogue classes will have access to two-weapon fighting styles. One rogue class will also have bows (you'll throw spell packets to represent arrows, and you also have to hold a bow prop)
The fighter classes will have access to two handed weapons and shields.
If you want to switch up your style, you can rebuild your character (or start a new one entirely) once per month.
Drawing on dagorhir again, bows are doable in a safe way, you just have to pad the hell out of the arrow tips and not use too heavy a draw on your bow. I think that would give a better look and feel to bow fighting personally. I don't know all the details but I can try to get in touch with the archers i played with and ask.
Quote from: BabylonHoruv on February 04, 2010, 03:28:07 AM
Quote from: Sigmatic on February 01, 2010, 01:21:59 AM
Why would you want to make toys that safe? When my group does boffers, we just tape some pipe insulation to sticks and hit as hard as we can. People get stung, sure, but it's quite invigorating. We're realism fans though. If your blocking form was crap, then the fact that someone powered through it and cut your head off is how you know.
ETA: I'm reacting to the Dagorhir site that said "don't hit hard".
Does it say that? The group I play with explicitly tells people to hit hard but to accept soft blows as hitting. (cause they wear armor so you can't always feel soft blows) they are real sticklers for safe weapons though. I can't blame them in some respects, a piece of PVC sticking out can cut.
Painful practice weapons teach you how to dodge.
I CAN USE SPATULA AS WEAPON?
Quote from: BabylonHoruv on February 04, 2010, 03:32:46 AM
Drawing on dagorhir again, bows are doable in a safe way, you just have to pad the hell out of the arrow tips and not use too heavy a draw on your bow. I think that would give a better look and feel to bow fighting personally. I don't know all the details but I can try to get in touch with the archers i played with and ask.
I agree 100% that real bows look better and feel cooler. In NERO, we use that lame "packet bow", system where you throw a spell packet instead of shoot an arrow. (I've fought against this for years) I've played LARPs with draw bows, and I do agree that bows can be done safely in a LARP setting.
However, the Dreaming takes place in
public places. The odds of a non-player getting hit by an arrow is higher in public than at a controlled larp campsite. If a bystander gets hit with a birdseed spell packet, it might be an annoyance, whereas being shot with an arrow is a potentially serious legal matter.
Also, many players will join the game without having met other LARPers or being exposed to safe weapon procedures. I don't trust that everybody can make a safe arrow based purely on an internet document, I think you have to see one in action before it clicks.
I'd also like to point out that since this is taking place in public, you should probably make sure that any weapons you have don't actually look like weapons. Cops can get skittish.
Especially if they can count. :twisted:
"Oh shit, do I have enough bullets if this gets ugly?!"
If you're only carrying boffers, keeping safe and clear of others, and are not drunk, they'd really have no reason.
I've been stopped or questioned by police sparring in a public park on a few occasions. A quick explaination of what you're doing safety procedures, and making sure everyone STOPS and makes their weapon props safe / nonthreatening while the office is around has always kept them from freaking out. ("It's like Dungeons and Dragons live" is a good diffuser)
If it's a public space, you've got every right to use it as long as you're safe to self / other palyers / passers through. The harshest I've ever seen a cop get is telling us to contact the parks office at city hall and get their OK. (FYI: this was for SCA heavy fighting.) The other times the cops have either been amused, dismissive, or asked how they can learn.
Make SURE everyone stops and pays attention, as described for calling a CUT.
^
I've thought a lot about this during the game design. It's actually going to be a fairly common problem:
most dreaming communities will start off as one individual who heard about the game via the net. So I want to give players tools to help them recruit other people.
Right now, this is what I've got: http://www.principiadiscordia.com/cramulus/index.php?title=Awaken_the_Wakes
But I am looking for more ideas about SINGLE PLAYER DREAMWALKS - game activities you can do if you're all alone. What kind of adventures can you get into without needing other people?
last week, Cain linked to a discordian blog where they supply these zombie preparation posters. There are five different posters, A, B, C, D, and F. So you go around putting these grades on buildings to indicate how prepared they appear to be for a zombie outbreak. Each page has the criteria -- for example, a house that gets a D only has one exit.
I really liked this twist on postergasm - that putting up posters is structured like a game-like activity.
I wonder if there are ways you could create dreamlike environments where people will see these posters. For example, I've always wanted to hide a CD player somewhere playing eerie music, and then put some lights up in trees, so you get this moment of surreal atmosphere in the middle of a pedestrian walkway...
The best products (according to Seth Godin) are ones that advertise themselves. To use the product is to advertise the product. I have a feeling single player missions will be based around recruiting new players, but the recruiting should be a fun / interesting part of the game itself.
you guys have any thoughts on that?
my god man, you really are a mad scientist!
Quote from: Horrendous Foreign Love Stoat on February 05, 2010, 04:08:27 PM
are you needing verification of said quest completion or not/? basically is it trust or evidence.
in order to gain Resonance (http://www.principiadiscordia.com/cramulus/index.php?title=Rewards) (which is a
little like XP), you have to Archive a Dream Walk. This means posting a blog entry about it which hopefully includes pix or vids. The archive is the evidence that you've actually gone on the quest.
The Single Player Dreamwalk is basically any solo activity which advertises the game AND fits into the game's story.
for example, the Awaken the Wakes dreamwalk (which I linked in my last post) is an activity that characters in the dreaming do in order to draw more dreams (ie players) to the area. This act of putting up posters is given a new meaning/context within the game's setting. The action has to be fun in of itself, even without the fictional backdrop.
as far as recruiting people goes -- this is the tried and tested way of doing it, which has had a lot of success on college campuses.
You find a game store. You get permission from the owners and then put up a poster that says "boffer sword making workshop". Maybe a note about starting a local LARP troupe. Put up posters in the library, at local colleges, and post it on meetup.com too.
So you get everybody together and show them how to make boffer weapons. While this is happening, you're laughing, you're getting on a first name basis with everybody. Then something magical happens. People start playing with their new toys. They pose with them. They fantasize about beating the shit out of somebody. They suddenly get this itch to USE them. When do we get to use them?
At the LARP! you say. Come to this park on Saturday night...
Quote from: Horrendous Foreign Love Stoat on February 05, 2010, 05:25:50 PM
Implementing this would be tricky, unless you worked on a generic specification that every town in the US had, like, photo outside City Hall, or, somewhere. :D sounds liek brilliant fun :D
woah, that's a cool idea...
take a photo of yourself holding a flag in front of city hall, and the city goes to whatever that flag represents...
...until
somebody else shows up with a flag and a camera.
flags could represent races, guilds, organizations, etc..
I imagine that could generate a lot of drama, too. If your group "owns" your city, they'll want to get back at whoever stole it from them...
Quote from: Cramulus on February 05, 2010, 07:04:08 PM
Quote from: Horrendous Foreign Love Stoat on February 05, 2010, 05:25:50 PM
Implementing this would be tricky, unless you worked on a generic specification that every town in the US had, like, photo outside City Hall, or, somewhere. :D sounds liek brilliant fun :D
woah, that's a cool idea...
take a photo of yourself holding a flag in front of city hall, and the city goes to whatever that flag represents...
...until somebody else shows up with a flag and a camera.
flags could represent races, guilds, organizations, etc..
I imagine that could generate a lot of drama, too. If your group "owns" your city, they'll want to get back at whoever stole it from them...
I really like that. It's simple, generic, can be done by one person (assuming they have a camera with a timer) Although it should also be backed up by a blog that builds some plot IMO.
Quote from: Cramulus on February 05, 2010, 07:04:08 PM
I imagine that could generate a lot of drama, too. If your group "owns" your city, they'll want to get back at whoever stole it from them...
but the good kind of drama, right?
as in, "dramatic", which is good for roleplaying.
or not? in any case I like the idea, though if you think it generates too much bad drama, maybe it needs a rule tweak?
maybe it could be something like "sacred ground" where you're not allowed to fight.
or perhaps when a group "owns" the city hall, they can do a ritual to hallow or unhallow the location and possible move the "hub" or "center of command" of a city to a different location than city hall?
and just city hall?
how about other landmarks? what if I would want to own the Dom in Cologne (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ssheppard0403/2609804011/)?
fuck.
how do I do that, Cram? I'll take that pretty bridge next to it, too.
I mean, I'm not too often in Cologne [like maybe 5 times a year], but as long as nobody in that area of Germany is playing I could hold on to it yeah?
I'n in a similar boat as BAI, but it's more that I don't really have time to organize an evening of IRL hijinx.
But I wonder... Would there be a place in the Dreaming for a MGT-like character? A solitary who does a few IRL things, pics/blogs it, which affects the game in some way.
Quote from: Horrendous Foreign Love Stoat on February 05, 2010, 04:08:27 PM
QuoteBut I am looking for more ideas about SINGLE PLAYER DREAMWALKS - game activities you can do if you're all alone. What kind of adventures can you get into without needing other people?
Hmmmm.
You would have to have some kind of explicit knowledge of the players home location, and set them a task to do
(thing A) in (local B) while taking them on trust, or, demanding digita cam evidence for you xp points.
QuoteI wonder if there are ways you could create dreamlike environments where people will see these posters. For example, I've always wanted to hide a CD player somewhere playing eerie music, and then put some lights up in trees, so you get this moment of surreal atmosphere in the middle of a pedestrian walkway...
I'd do this. There are a tonne of re purposed consumer tech you can do this kind of thing with. Yeah. I know. I can hear you guys going "But HFLS/BAI what can I use for a cheap assed public repetition musical voice / cheap arsed eeffect?"
I say. Go to monstromart (Walmart) and spend 7.99$ on some of those '30 second repeating novelty record yer own sfx in a card' cards. 30$ worth, mixed with a 7$ light sensitive solar garden light, couple of wires, has given me an randomly repeatin self powered gibberish spouter. kinda wank till I build it a cool looking case, make it say something "topical" and jam it somewhere where the media pigs will notice/.////////error in rant undef OT
but SINGLE PLAYER DREAMWALKS eh?
are you needing verification of said quest completion or not/? basically is it trust or evidence.
The book
Robots Androids and Animatrons by John Iovine has instructions for something similar -- except that it is self-propelling in a christmas globe (in other words, not only does it talk, but it also rolls around). I will see if I can find the original instructions in some format with not much typing, but it was something like this: mount the recorder and solar cells on a plate small enough to fit easily in the transparent plastic ball, with a weight on the bottom of the plate (to keep it more or less upright), affix it to an axle so that it can spin freely, mount a motor on the bottom suitable to be driven by the solar cell along with the sound chip/speakers, and have it drive the axle, then mount the axle rigidly on the inside of the ball.
Bit of a sidenote / idea that hit me, could a Dreamwalk be written around a convention?
Conscript wakes for either side of a tournament over who controls a given area maybe?
I love the possibilities for a couple people, into their characters, to REALLY put on a show, and add some intrigue to a simple boffer event that anyone wandering through a convention could get into.
throwing something like that into a huge group of like-minded folks could yeild huge results.
Doing this at a con almost seems mandatory, in retrospect.
I am totally digging this whole Dreaming larp thing, and I wish I had more time to read up and wrap my head around it. If I get some free time I might want to see if I can get abreast of it.
Quote from: LMNO on February 08, 2010, 07:06:13 PM
throwing something like that into a huge group of like-minded folks could yeild huge results.
Doing this at a con almost seems mandatory, in retrospect.
Kallisticon might be a good venue.
Quote from: Richter on February 08, 2010, 07:04:03 PM
Bit of a sidenote / idea that hit me, could a Dreamwalk be written around a convention?
Truth be told, the epic 3 year plan is to make mad loot running adventures and selling merch at conventions.
Quote from: Triple Zero on February 06, 2010, 01:01:39 PM
how about other landmarks? what if I would want to own the Dom in Cologne (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ssheppard0403/2609804011/)?
Another great idea. Will think more on this...
Quote from: LMNO on February 06, 2010, 03:19:31 PM
I'n in a similar boat as BAI, but it's more that I don't really have time to organize an evening of IRL hijinx.
But I wonder... Would there be a place in the Dreaming for a MGT-like character? A solitary who does a few IRL things, pics/blogs it, which affects the game in some way.
well there's going to be two levels of gameplay
-one in the flesh,
-and one on the net
To the extent that the conversations we have and media we post on the internet is going to become fuel for the conversations we have in the game, yes you can probably influence the game without having a meatspace party you roll with.
Using only the internet, you can start groups/guilds/organizations, debate philosophy (is it wrong to murder someone in a dream?), provoke people into action, or rally people for a cause.
I've got a few more interesting ideas for single player dreamwalks... more on that later...
if you want a sneak peek, look up Songlines on wikipedia ;)
I think the class page is more or less finished, except I still need a few things for summoners: http://www.principiadiscordia.com/cramulus/index.php?title=Dreaming_Class
some more new rules/skill info being developed here: http://www.principiadiscordia.com/cramulus/index.php?title=Dreaming_Race_Skills
and setting info here: http://www.principiadiscordia.com/cramulus/index.php?title=Beyond_the_Veil
The map is working!
Everybody who's playing - go put a pin in your location :mrgreen:
http://dreamings.ning.com/page/4797885:Page:60
new Dream Walks:
--Land War (http://www.principiadiscordia.com/cramulus/index.php?title=Land_War), in which you capture land by photographing yourself in front of it
--Possession (http://www.principiadiscordia.com/cramulus/index.php?title=Possession), in which you play Clue to find out whose body is the host for a powerful Demon
--Capture the Flag (http://www.principiadiscordia.com/cramulus/index.php?title=Capture_the_Flag)... in which you play capture the flag using Dreaming rules.
some art for the Dreaming:
(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a95/discordman/dreamingsig1.png)
(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a95/discordman/dreamingcitysolarized.png)
(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a95/discordman/filthypaneofglasswithtext.png)
(http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a95/discordman/manhattanincoming.png)
not really that into larping, but well into arting :)
Given that I live in redneck hell, and I can't even get a pen and paper group together, I'd probably have to stick to solo adventures. But I'm interested in this.
DREAMING ALPHA TEST ANNOUNCED:
http://dreamings.ning.com/profiles/blogs/alpha-test
Are you looking to ehlp build something new and exciting? I promise nobody has ever played a game like this before. We are pioneering our own genre here, nobody knows how it will unfold.
If you're interested in playing, reading, or participating in any way, come make a character and check in on the forums. We've still got a few weeks until the test begins. I am excited as fuck. Are you excited as fuck?
For those of you who are going to be playing "solo" for geographical or social reasons, you're still free to make a character and post on the forums. There are a few Dream Walks you can go on with no party, and more will be posted over the coming weeks.
Your feedback is essential, and will have a huge impact on how the game develops, so please let me know how this looks.
I'm psyched about this idea as a whole. Won't be for everyone, but I think there's a lot of potential appeal for folks. It fills a gap between the lack of physical activity in tabletop, but don't want to, or can't always get away for weekend warrior-ing. (at least 2 potential LARP'ers I know have had to miss for financial reasons.)
Need to reg myself. What were you thinking for the alpha testing?
Quote from: Richter on March 02, 2010, 04:40:43 PM
Need to reg myself. What were you thinking for the alpha testing?
basically just two weeks of gameplay.
After the alpha test, there will be more features added to the game, such as a Shaper (a politician who can change the Dreaming), NPCs, and more plotines.
I'm
most curious to see how people play when I'm not there to explain what's supposed to happen. :p
The secondary motivation is to generate content for the website - pictures and text about people playing. This will serve as more advertisement for the game as it develops.
I'm over a month into school, and STILL haven't been able to round up the gang to try this out. :x It will happen sooner or later, once I find a workaround for all of us being overcommitted to random shit.
Oy, Cram, do you have any ads for The Dreaming that could be printed out as a flyer or trifold pamphlet? My friends and I are going to be attending I-CON at Stony Brook and I'd be happy to drop some literature while I'm there. Or do a rogue demonstration, even.
Quote from: Cramulus on February 05, 2010, 07:04:08 PM
I imagine that could generate a lot of drama, too. If your group "owns" your city, they'll want to get back at whoever stole it from them...
I think there's an issue with that, though. If one person can do it all by themselves and it's that easy, city hall is going to be changing sides several times a day whenever you get rival groups, and numbers, weapons, skills etc. will change nothing. I propose that it be set up so that a certain number of pictures have to be taken in a row to capture it for that side, but each player can only get their picture taken once at a city hall per day. This will encourage groups to recruit new players to enhance their forces, since more players will be able to capture faster. Perhaps the number of photos that have to be taken can be decided based on what kind of offensive and/or infiltration capabilities the group's members have. Or maybe we could design a LOT of content to distract from it, so that owning the city isn't always a top priority.
Quote from: Cainad on March 02, 2010, 05:03:52 PM
I'm over a month into school, and STILL haven't been able to round up the gang to try this out. :x It will happen sooner or later, once I find a workaround for all of us being overcommitted to random shit.
Hopefully you guys will be ready by the second week of March!
I know a number of us will probably drive out to meet you guys in-game. and you know, fuck up everything.
QuoteOy, Cram, do you have any ads for The Dreaming that could be printed out as a flyer or trifold pamphlet? My friends and I are going to be attending I-CON at Stony Brook and I'd be happy to drop some literature while I'm there. Or do a rogue demonstration, even.
The images (above, ITT) which contain the URL make good ads
Some other posters here: http://dreamings.ning.com/profiles/blogs/posters-for-the-dreaming
I'm still working on a more straight-forward poster, and a trifold pamphlet isn't a bad idea at all.
when is I-Con?
Quote from: CAPTAIN USA on March 02, 2010, 05:06:15 PM
Quote from: Cramulus on February 05, 2010, 07:04:08 PM
I imagine that could generate a lot of drama, too. If your group "owns" your city, they'll want to get back at whoever stole it from them...
I think there's an issue with that, though. If one person can do it all by themselves and it's that easy, city hall is going to be changing sides several times a day whenever you get rival groups, and numbers, weapons, skills etc.
That's cool though. A rapid back-and-forth is healthy. It can be the stage for in-game hostilities, too.
ie - "If you take Boston back from the Dead Gods, we will put a hex on your land. You've been warned."
if the game gets to the point that there are a hundred people playing in one area, I do think it'll be changing too rapidly to matter and some new rules will have to emerge.
By the by, did you end up getting that map thing working?
yes I did, check it out :mrgreen:
Map of the Dreaming (http://dreamings.ning.com/page/4797885:Page:60)
If you're going to play, feel free to put a Player Location spot on the map roughly where you live. (you don't need to give an exact address)
When you play, you'll put territories and turf-war photos right on the map.
This is going to be so awesome! I'm going to tell this to the LARP/fantasy club here, and hopefully will get enough people to play. :mittens: for the LARP
I'm unlikely to join in, but if you guys make posters or trifolds, I will place them around campus.
Quote from: Cramulus on March 02, 2010, 05:18:27 PM
Quote from: Cainad on March 02, 2010, 05:03:52 PM
I'm over a month into school, and STILL haven't been able to round up the gang to try this out. :x It will happen sooner or later, once I find a workaround for all of us being overcommitted to random shit.
Hopefully you guys will be ready by the second week of March!
I know a number of us will probably drive out to meet you guys in-game. and you know, fuck up everything.
:lulz: That would be teh sweet.
Quote from: Cramulus on March 02, 2010, 05:18:27 PM
QuoteOy, Cram, do you have any ads for The Dreaming that could be printed out as a flyer or trifold pamphlet? My friends and I are going to be attending I-CON at Stony Brook and I'd be happy to drop some literature while I'm there. Or do a rogue demonstration, even.
The images (above, ITT) which contain the URL make good ads
Some other posters here: http://dreamings.ning.com/profiles/blogs/posters-for-the-dreaming
I'm still working on a more straight-forward poster, and a trifold pamphlet isn't a bad idea at all.
when is I-Con?
Last weekend of March: the 26th through the 28th. We'll be there all three days.
We're up to 45 people signed up! :mrgreen:
I really hope everybody that signed up actually plays! If they do, this game is going to be RIDICULOUS.
anyway, some new content up which you guys should dig:
Two really crazy adventures posted for SINGLE PLAYERS.
In Songlines: The Butcher (http://ning.it/cHbgKU), you'll photograph yourself being stalked and killed by a serial killer.
In Rapid Eye Movement (http://ning.it/bY6eBs), you'll create culture jams and installation art which trick people into thinking they're in a dream.
Aww.. You care, you really care!
I can't access the forums at work, but I'll see what's going down when I get home.
Love ya!
yeah :)
The Butcher songline is one of the weirdest and creative larp challenges I've ever written.
And the Rapid Eye Movement dream walk is exactly what we set out to do with LARPGASM - a game that is played by creating mindfucks.
To be fair, neither of these are really LARP challenges, more like ARG challenges. But they are both very "out of the box", and should be fun activities for people who don't have a community to jive with.
Let me know if you can think of other single-player activities. I feel like there should also be something more interactive, like some way you can vote or make a decision which impacts the rest of the game. Creating fun experiences for single players is going to be key. Because those single players may eventually drag their friends in (I hope), and then we'll have a brand new meatspace community.
New event posted: PARTY AT MY HOUSE
http://dreamings.ning.com/xn/detail/4797885:Event:397
Excellent! I'm solidifying form tentative to YES, and peer - pressuring locals. :mrgreen:
I was going to make some of the siloflex core'd boffers. I'll have samples of the material, and finished product. Would you mind looking them over? I'm thinking it's pretty safe, but your review / ideas would be valued. I don't want to break out new stuff without your OK as game creator / facilitator.
Other thigns to bring? Food / Beer get?
my kitchen is pretty small, but we should probably do some munchies or order pizza or something.
The siloflex core is probably fine. I haven't fought with it, but it's probably cool as long as you're not cracking people in the face with it. In the end, the safety requirements are up to whoever's territory you're in. In my back yard, I'm not going to be too anal about weapon types as long as everything is covered with foam.
I'm going to run the "Close the Portal" Dream Walk, which is sure to piss off some fae. :p
Cool, I've seen it hold up to some pretty heavy stuff. I'll make sure everything is put together well.
That's going to be awesome, get things contentious right from the start.
just thought I should mention I just joined and I think I have a freind I can convince to hop on board so I want be stuck playing with by myself
awesome, welcome aboard! Are you the guy in KY that just signed up?
Quote from: Cramulus on March 11, 2010, 06:19:37 PM
awesome, welcome aboard! Are you the guy in KY that just signed up?
yup thats me
Signed up and dropped a pin.
do you have a character sheet to fill out, or is it DIY?
also, might be able to tempt a few others to join in for beta.
Quote from: Cramulus on March 11, 2010, 03:59:57 PM
my kitchen is pretty small, but we should probably do some munchies or order pizza or something.
The siloflex core is probably fine. I haven't fought with it, but it's probably cool as long as you're not cracking people in the face with it. In the end, the safety requirements are up to whoever's territory you're in. In my back yard, I'm not going to be too anal about weapon types as long as everything is covered with foam.
I'm going to run the "Close the Portal" Dream Walk, which is sure to piss off some fae. :p
OOooooh, gonna be some
conflict up in this bitch! :lulz:
I totally wish I could go to the party on the 19th. However, I will be in CT for the last week of the Alpha Test, so I can be around for some of that.
hope you dont mind i moved the ending point to a park
and added a haunting location
Quote from: Pēleus on March 14, 2010, 08:42:10 AM
hope you dont mind i moved the ending point to a park
and added a haunting location
uhh I do actually mind.
Unless you went to Washington and performed the Dreamscaping ritual, in which case please post pics
otherwise please do not edit the map to arbitrarily add territories
Quote from: Not My Self on March 11, 2010, 11:12:03 PM
Signed up and dropped a pin.
do you have a character sheet to fill out, or is it DIY?
also, might be able to tempt a few others to join in for beta.
the character sheet is your profile. Click on My Page to edit yours.
Fucking yeah!
Last night, a group in Cleveland, Ohio played.
Basically, a few nero chapter owners decided they wanted to get involved in the Dreaming, and got some people together.
Unrelated to that, a group of vampire larpers in cleveland ALSO decided that this sounded cool.
Now I think they are having turf wars about who gets to play in Squire's park? hahahahahaha I gotta say, this is the fucking TITS. Two different camps of LARPers, both of whom I've never actually met, are killing each other off to compete over territory in the Dream World I created. I am in stitches.
The Dreaming is a game about generating narrative, about having fun or challenging experiences, NEW TYPES of experiences. And even though the game doesn't officially start until Friday, I think it's going SWIMMINGLY.
for example, here is a picture of an actual in-game betrayal and subsequent DEATH:
(http://api.ning.com/files/OA99EZelZ84HrjHh7kB6tEKdwlHkQqjcx4S0f5bO8bdnPoVCoUHmtJfqMvfVV3o2NFrIKl6WP4t4-IaZ-GqxlZysiO-tmUhz/Picture001.jpg?width=737&height=552)
Caption: "As I studied a statue that seemed to twist the Dreaming around it, I fell into a state of trance. Thus incapacitated, I was defenseless against the killing blow of my "ally", Wampa."
PWND!~
first PvP in the game!
BTW - a journal of the evening: http://dreamings.ning.com/profiles/blogs/journal-of-the-accords-2010313
a video of combat (sadly, kind of dark): http://dreamings.ning.com/video/fighting-on-fae
Richter: can you start an Event page for your boffer-making thing in Providence? A friend in providence said she might have some friends who are interested, I wanted to point them at where they can meet the others.
WillDo! I'll have it up this evening. (work compy does not cooperate w/ dreaming site)
:mittens: Awesome.
I have no friends that would play this. Does that matter?
Hell with them, then.
We'd be glad to have you playing with us, if you are so inclined.
Quote from: Cramulus on March 14, 2010, 01:59:57 PM
Unless you went to Washington and performed the Dreamscaping ritual, in which case please post pics
otherwise please do not edit the map to arbitrarily add territories
it is planned for tomorrow, link to ritual text?
Quote from: Pēleus on March 16, 2010, 04:01:55 AM
Quote from: Cramulus on March 14, 2010, 01:59:57 PM
Unless you went to Washington and performed the Dreamscaping ritual, in which case please post pics
otherwise please do not edit the map to arbitrarily add territories
it is planned for tomorrow, link to ritual text?
ahh! you know, I didn't know you were actually in Washington and were planning on playing
in that case, it's totally cool to add the map marker & move the Butcher's final kill before leaves the country to wherever you guys are
yep, and park is much friendly then downtown crackhead alley
Just signed up. I'm really brand new to this LARPing you speak of, so it may take me a little while to actually get moving. Give me a few sit-downs to get bette aquainted with the rules. Also, advice will be taken if offered.
Quote from: dimo on March 16, 2010, 06:56:07 AM
Just signed up. I'm really brand new to this LARPing you speak of, so it may take me a little while to actually get moving. Give me a few sit-downs to get bette aquainted with the rules. Also, advice will be taken if offered.
Next Tuesday 3/23 - Boffer Workshop. Bring about $5 for foam + pipe (Less if the reciept from "Lowes" says less) and we'll show you have to make some weapons!
Meet the other players, see the mess I call "Home", and we'll see if we can't scare up interest for some play afterwards! :mrgreen:
Quote from: Richter on March 16, 2010, 12:13:49 PM
Quote from: dimo on March 16, 2010, 06:56:07 AM
Just signed up. I'm really brand new to this LARPing you speak of, so it may take me a little while to actually get moving. Give me a few sit-downs to get bette aquainted with the rules. Also, advice will be taken if offered.
Next Tuesday 3/23 - Boffer Workshop. Bring about $5 for foam + pipe (Less if the reciept from "Lowes" says less) and we'll show you have to make some weapons!
Meet the other players, see the mess I call "Home", and we'll see if we can't scare up interest for some play afterwards! :mrgreen:
That sounds good, but where do you live at? I'm kinda without transport, but if it's not too far, I may be able to talk a friend into coming along.
Quote from: dimo on March 16, 2010, 05:46:54 PM
Quote from: Richter on March 16, 2010, 12:13:49 PM
Quote from: dimo on March 16, 2010, 06:56:07 AM
Just signed up. I'm really brand new to this LARPing you speak of, so it may take me a little while to actually get moving. Give me a few sit-downs to get bette aquainted with the rules. Also, advice will be taken if offered.
Next Tuesday 3/23 - Boffer Workshop. Bring about $5 for foam + pipe (Less if the reciept from "Lowes" says less) and we'll show you have to make some weapons!
Meet the other players, see the mess I call "Home", and we'll see if we can't scare up interest for some play afterwards! :mrgreen:
That sounds good, but where do you live at? I'm kinda without transport, but if it's not too far, I may be able to talk a friend into coming along.
I'm in Providence, details on the site.
I work in Warwick though, so I could pick you up. One, if not all of us may head to Cranston after, so we can see about transport back for you too, no worries.
Quote from: Richter on March 16, 2010, 06:58:20 PM
Quote from: dimo on March 16, 2010, 05:46:54 PM
Quote from: Richter on March 16, 2010, 12:13:49 PM
Quote from: dimo on March 16, 2010, 06:56:07 AM
Just signed up. I'm really brand new to this LARPing you speak of, so it may take me a little while to actually get moving. Give me a few sit-downs to get bette aquainted with the rules. Also, advice will be taken if offered.
Next Tuesday 3/23 - Boffer Workshop. Bring about $5 for foam + pipe (Less if the reciept from "Lowes" says less) and we'll show you have to make some weapons!
Meet the other players, see the mess I call "Home", and we'll see if we can't scare up interest for some play afterwards! :mrgreen:
That sounds good, but where do you live at? I'm kinda without transport, but if it's not too far, I may be able to talk a friend into coming along.
I'm in Providence, details on the site.
I work in Warwick though, so I could pick you up. One, if not all of us may head to Cranston after, so we can see about transport back for you too, no worries.
If you want, PM me your number. I had it from that first night we hung out, but forgot to save it. That way we can talk details and whatnot.
Oh, and I'm really broke, so I may just end up a spectator on Tuesday, but I don't really mind. Just getting my feet wet, after all.
had an awesome gathering last night at the kick off party!
here's the blog entry about it: http://dreamings.ning.com/profiles/blogs/south-ct-meet-and-greet-and
I've also posted seven videos, you can see 'em here: http://dreamings.ning.com/video/video
(http://api.ning.com/files/cCex82qb8q0s1YtPih9DZQ*JLMtzhPC-6*XhpO4mH7bMJN68N7mYZQuEDCFAxyhSqu8Vs4h1y6lirEvYO5CtBQGdlPH-VI3y/xtournamentwinners.JPG?width=721)
here's our boy Richter, aka Zed, one of the finalists / winners at the tournament.
(http://api.ning.com/files/XJpFT0zqO3gA2gDOzHyEYvCtNWyjnBBFIQufdiZCNU36p0ZYM9Ddc4o6eYufBX1gXf6Ml1*aPmLfKq6DMoO2OgJLHprDYulW/xDSCF2314_edited.jpg?width=721)
here's richter, putting the stick to a Vision named Marl during a duel.
(http://api.ning.com/files/fS7g815HMUFk6eBvn-O-4uGgSeCvl8SRkVX*HEc*CbIsl*3hvQRGgztDGNrUTYLGo6a2NeHBbXeecoWgxKJNjs58t*D9eilJ/xDSCF2341_edited.jpg?width=721)
(from left to right) Marl, Sarumil, Zed, Agitato, and I decided it was time to Close the Portal.
(http://www.principiadiscordia.com/cramulus/index.php?title=Close_the_Portal)
(http://api.ning.com/files/YkfcNusYJHu*By8nkFgFw8qTxttuV6MWDlSPI4jLq6NSomrOBI*DKyEWv5Daw*aYMbaco2MamM9xxBaW9eu5Th7ESLl2Fn4X/xshades.jpg?width=721)
And here are the Shades - the monsters we had to fight in order to Close the Portal.
(http://api.ning.com/files/eXUcGJnS-RGiBSMw181XXuKpQj3J3BKQat7j2FDkFHjlx29drGh8K6sqr-CWguK3swpIiZA9tc0o5-eGP7o96hn44mg13VXg/xasherandstigatthefeast.jpg?width=712)
AND THEN WE GOT DRUNK
Cool beans Cram!
Congrats on getting this whole thing started! Just saw that you guys did this yesterday and I was all like: "Crap! I could've made it up there in time!" but I had a gig, so I wouldn't have been able to make it anyhow. Next time.
EDIT: Not that I fully understand exactly what you're doing, 'cuz I don't. But it looks like fun regardless.
That looks awesome, Cram!
Last night, there were about seven of us participating in a boffer-making workshop and a sort of improvised Dreamwalk, which I will write up as something more official later (along with another Dreamwalk I have nearly completed; I'll send them both to Cram for his approval). I also claimed the main landmark of my campus (the windmill) as land for the Lost Souls, of which we have four.
Overall it went absolutely swimmingly, much better than the Irrational Anxiety Fairy that sits on my shoulders was telling me it would.
Now that I'm conscious again...
The gathering at Cram's was serious good times.
I hear there were some last minute cancellations, but things ran smoothly with 9 people. No broken skills, glaring problems, or major downfalls. There was also a lot of discussion about the dream walk set up, level of challenge, etc. The level of in game chatter and roleplay was awesome too, especially for the first run. We were all scheming, collaborating, or arguing right off the bat. Trash talk with a god, :lulz:.
If there was any drawback, it was the wet ground.
Edit: spelling
Quote from: dimo on March 20, 2010, 03:14:40 PM
EDIT: Not that I fully understand exactly what you're doing, 'cuz I don't. But it looks like fun regardless.
I'm not entirely sure either, but it
sounds like an augmented reality LARP with a heavy psychological bent.
I think.
Actually I'm guessing. Someone point to an explanation plz?
It is (among other things) a Larp that you can solo because there is an ongoing online narrative.
It's a P2P LARP with BOFFER SWORDS.
Quote from: Sigmatic on March 24, 2010, 05:25:17 AM
Quote from: dimo on March 20, 2010, 03:14:40 PM
EDIT: Not that I fully understand exactly what you're doing, 'cuz I don't. But it looks like fun regardless.
I'm not entirely sure either, but it sounds like an augmented reality LARP with a heavy psychological bent.
I think.
Actually I'm guessing. Someone point to an explanation plz?
tl;dr version: read the "short pitch" at --- http://www.principiadiscordia.com/cramulus/index.php?title=Dreaming_Pitch
The Dreaming is an experimental live action role playing game. It takes place in the world of Dreams, where we all spend about a third of our lives. Your will play the role of one of the people who lives in the Dreaming. You can be a native Dream, a dead human who got lost on the way to the afterlife, a fae refugee, or a God that nobody worships anymore.
Whenever you'd like to play, you just put on the game badge and seek out other players. When you're playing, you treat all those non-players walking around like they're just people who are having a dream. They think they're in the real world and they don't realize that they're asleep.
Unlike other Live Action RPGs, the Dreaming isn't centered on one location - you can play it anywhere that you and your friends feel comfortable gaming. You'll use in-game rituals to give familiar hang out spots significance in the game world. So far, there are larger communities in connecticut and ohio.
The live component of the game goes hand in hand with the game's social networking site. Your actions are coordinated and publicized through a facebook-like website which helps people find each other and collaborate on stories. Your "character sheet" and your "profile" are the same thing.
Dream Walks are adventures you can have within the Dreaming. These are structured game events, sometimes called "modules". The Dreaming website hosts a number of Dream Walk scripts you can print out and play. People in your party will become the monsters and characters you encounter during the adventure.
In order for an action in the Dreaming to "count", somebody will have to archive it - that is, post pictures, videos, or a blog entry about the adventure. In doing this, everybody is constantly generating more content for the website. Players will be able to submit and vote on Dream Walks, so there will be a constant stream of new stuff to do.
By documenting your activities, Dream Walks can affect larger game plotlines. You'll be able to cooperate or compete with players who you may never meet in the flesh.
Some of the Dream Walks are "single player", meaning they are adventures you can go on even if there are no other players in your area. Many of these "LARP Solitaire" adventures involve doing things to the real world which make it seem more dreamlike and surreal. The goal is to interrupt innocent pedestrians and make them question their reality. In essence, we've built a form of culture jamming into the game's reward structure.
Combat is handled through safe foam boffer weapons. You can get into real-time sword fights using our combat system. Some characters can cast spells by throwing little props called "spell packets". If you die, your character vanishes for the day and can return to the Dreaming tomorrow. In the meantime, you can choose to be summoned as somebody's minion.
All these characters in the Dreaming form a society. There are four unique races to choose from, each with their own flavor and role within the Dream world. When they're not going on Dream Walks, characters may wish to form governments, enforce laws, or otherwise build the Dreaming Society. This could potentially involve politics, deceit, betrayal, all those good things which make for memorable stories.
Now I'm embarrassed for having gone so long not understanding.
This sounds excellent.
Quote from: Sigmatic on March 24, 2010, 09:30:40 PM
Now I'm embarrassed for having gone so long not understanding.
oh that's cool - I realized recently that the BIGGEST problem with the system is that I haven't figured out how to explain it concisely.
000's suggestion was that I need to be able to pitch the whole thing in like 30 seconds
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elevator_pitch
which is true - right now it's too big and nuanced of an idea to easily transmit to people. I need the short and dirty version, some really tight copy. That's next.
Voila!
The pamphlet: http://www.scribd.com/doc/28998397/Dreaming-LARP-Pamphlet
also, a one-page summary of the live combat rules: http://www.scribd.com/doc/28994819/Dreaming-One-Page-Live-Play-Rules
FEEDBACK GREATLY REQUESTED, especially if you haven't been reading this thread at all so far :p
the pamphlet is supposed to explain the game to a total n00b. So n00bs: how does it sound? Does it grab you by the balls and twist?
I just read the pamphlet. It works, but it lacks punch -- it feels kinda corporate-bland. I'm not sure that it will work particularly well as a vector for advertisement compared to some of the self-advertising dreamwalks.
a bit.ly/how2dream instrustions page... would work great on flyers
everything in one place how to hit the ground running.
which reminds me... need to get pictures for the map
spent almost all day just playing with layout and stuff
I've been experimenting with laying out the game intro docs and rulebook in a magazine format. I've got a good chunk of it done - check it out:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/29030032/Dreaming-Magazine-Draft?secret_password=2oqi2ycl27w72ocxnmzn
Quote from: Enki v. 2.0 on March 26, 2010, 10:58:55 PM
I just read the pamphlet. It works, but it lacks punch -- it feels kinda corporate-bland. I'm not sure that it will work particularly well as a vector for advertisement compared to some of the self-advertising dreamwalks.
that's a good description, it does feel a bit bland.
So while I was at ICON, I attended a panel called "Running LARPs 101", which made me realize just how experimental and new this whole decentralized thing is. I got some good info, but obviously a lot of the advice from these old larpwrights was oriented towards "everyone gets together at one big place" LARPs.
Then, once it was over, I pitched The Dreaming to two of the guys there... who, as it turned out, had learned all about LARPing from the old Tales of the Dreaming at SUNY Purchase and told me that everything they know about LARP they learned from Professor Cramulus, back in the day. Now, because I suck at networking, I forgot to get their names, but I did write down the link to the ning.com site and advised them to look into it.
Quote from: Cainad on March 29, 2010, 05:26:25 AM
So while I was at ICON, I attended a panel called "Running LARPs 101", which made me realize just how experimental and new this whole decentralized thing is. I got some good info, but obviously a lot of the advice from these old larpwrights was oriented towards "everyone gets together at one big place" LARPs.
Then, once it was over, I pitched The Dreaming to two of the guys there... who, as it turned out, had learned all about LARPing from the old Tales of the Dreaming at SUNY Purchase and told me that everything they know about LARP they learned from Professor Cramulus, back in the day. Now, because I suck at networking, I forgot to get their names, but I did write down the link to the ning.com site and advised them to look into it.
:lulz: who did you talk to? Was it Karl? He's a stand-up comic who works the convention circuit, and used to play a Nightmare in my game. I wonder who the other guy is.
A bunch of digging finally reveals that the "Systems Malfunction: A Mote In God's Eye" Sci-Fi LARP was being run by Devon Oratz. Not sure who the other guy was.
I would have played, but friends dragged me off to other events.
cram, i included an ad for this game in my copy of intermittens,
let me know if you want any changes...
this is the beta draft, i just need to check printer margins and fix page 2,3
http://ifile.it/5ab90j1/nine.pdf
that looks great! I would recommend setting it in a different font from the story though. Putting a box or frame around the page might also do well to separate it visually from the story it's embedded in.
overall, the issue looks good! the story is in a number of different fonts and styles, which is a little weird, but does seem to fit with the issue's disjointed and schizophrenic motif.
could you add a byline to the chao te ching page? Just attribute it to the Chao Te Ching, you don't need to credit me or lmno. That way if people want to read more, they can at least google it up.
another fun gathering last night: http://dreamings.ning.com/profiles/blogs/4210-close-the-portal
(http://api.ning.com/files/wZhrKERxdYLEMmu0gGzdZPslq5OpvB0nArDOr3JWfko1LzsSzM1lpEDD6nUACKY8-3DuyMLzjKjNcNsYNbPbstKVSNslTsYM/DSCF2372posterblur.jpg?width=721)
(http://api.ning.com/files/w*6t1ZD9SMQWs**PIb*nHTb7P6SGmTfJHbmQc1*U6D*ATyR42uQR4BDhJCgUc*A2mepKfbetS*Lr5VIQGMMmeltKIi5GloX0/theportal4coloredit.jpg?width=721)
(http://api.ning.com/files/-Nuk9YdDqSoinl2mp61xpqLYrpq*3Pxpoy5b7MMgKQz6c5KUaBySLr0sh7p4lZjEaUryXw7cHXaC58BlOOunGNutPpevkkZs/theportal5.jpg?width=721)
(http://api.ning.com/files/ocW1DEWIFwvVIbaY-e5PjTHV5BPqgxVigD59OHvg9GtugnQMQbzLpPfNOhpJ8F-sKtVolZDALEbam4Xh3OEOaiElkNaaycVs/theparty.jpg?width=721)
I may have asked this before, but what image filter did you use for those photos? It looks like the same filter was used in all the Dreaming-affiliated photos (sometimes with added blur), and it looks pretty neat.
I haven't been able to get into this due to silly meatspace necessities. However, a profile was made tonight, to be fleshed out during the next days. Northern Germany/Denmark/Sweden will become my primary dream location for now. After some solo-work in this town that is.
I'm more in it for the arg-part; love the setting Cram! You've outdone yourself again.
All of the players I brought into this still exist. However, by the end of this summer, the territories we've been playing in will no longer be available to us. Most of us are probably gonna have a hard time meeting up to Dreamwalk in the future, as well.
See this thread for details: http://www.principiadiscordia.com/forum/index.php?topic=24761.0
Ugh... I've been swamped (quite literally, by the flood and all) recently. As soon as I can regain my bearings, I'll be getting in touch with Ricter about participating.
In the meantime, do you think there is a way to create a character class with a larger focus on the on-line community. For instance, a shop-keeper that people can visit at the website and buy tags for their weapons and such? Maybe they participate IRL by going on missions that lead them to valuable materials to make said tags. Maybe somewhat limited combat/feild abilities, but with greater access to good equipment, so they can participate in a skirmish when convenient, but aren't quite out of the game when they can't make it to IRL events? Just a thought.
huh, that's a nifty idea...
Also, Cram. Have you considered systems like the Keys and Secrets from Shadow of Yesterday?
uh-oh, bad news? http://techcrunch.com/2010/04/15/nings-bubble-bursts-no-more-free-networks-cuts-40-of-staff/
ugh. we'll see how this goes.
I'll look around for some better diggs. I'm kinda relieved that something like this happened while you were in alpha/beta stages and not relying on them for managing a large dataset.
for real. I hope there's a way to migrate the existing data somewhere else.
I would have eventually needed to get real creative in order to manage micropayments and stuff though, so maybe it's better to detach from ning
And I just got the cable I needed to transfer pics from the first dreamwalks I did to claim this town for the Mighty Boosh Cabal. Ah well, I hope we can keep this going somehow.
Quote from: Cramulus on April 17, 2010, 02:34:50 AM
for real. I hope there's a way to migrate the existing data somewhere else.
What kind of data is there now? Is it a lot?
There's about 100 photos, 45 blog posts, & 10 (past) events.
ran 3 adventures yesterday
http://dreamings.ning.com/profiles/blogs/41710-the-enemy-divine-close
look at this wonderful picture
(http://api.ning.com/files/ekNtjeYaYprduZQgFU3nhS3JFaGHSC6ntMzvdZI3YfWAQlBLFUhSfo*YwhB058MUXbGzq00ssa1Qy80WqR6ELfJUBrkIqS0u/VinnyReceivestheSacramentfromThompson.png?width=721)
nope, not gonna explain it :p
sadly, missed a dreaming event in mid-state NY :sad:
Fae Portal: :argh!:
The Enemy Divine: I love the writeup, but overall do you think it went well? Is there anything in the Dreamwalk as it's written on the wiki that you would change?
Our group has been repeatedly held back by schedule conflicts, bronchitis, and tendinitis randomly striking various members. Sooner or later we'll get ourselves back in working order, though.
yeah, the Nemesis was a pushover! I think you should be able to build him as whatever class you want, but with no dailies. And like 12 health. It was still a tough fight, but if the party saves its dailies for the boss, it can still be over pretty quickly.
Also, check out how I've used wikicode template blocks to create the "NPC cards" on other wiki pages.
All in all, it was a lot of fun! I want to see more modules like that -- ones that are sort of open ended, and have a lot of potential RP involved with them but nothing scripted too strictly. Things which would be a building block in your character's narrative.
It was also very short - only one encounter. As such, maybe the nemesis should get daily skills after all. hmmm I wonder
Quote from: Cramulus on April 18, 2010, 06:35:44 PM
yeah, the Nemesis was a pushover! I think you should be able to build him as whatever class you want, but with no dailies. And like 12 health. It was still a tough fight, but if the party saves its dailies for the boss, it can still be over pretty quickly.
Also, check out how I've used wikicode template blocks to create the "NPC cards" on other wiki pages.
All in all, it was a lot of fun! I want to see more modules like that -- ones that are sort of open ended, and have a lot of potential RP involved with them but nothing scripted too strictly. Things which would be a building block in your character's narrative.
It was also very short - only one encounter. As such, maybe the nemesis should get daily skills after all. hmmm I wonder
(haven't read it yet but I think...) Nemesis should have 2 sets of HPs. Once the first one is gone it buggers off for a set(ish) period of time and then shows back up when you can finally kill it.
Also, have you seen this yet?
http://tacit.livejournal.com/325223.html
Another day, another massive computer hack attack
QuoteNing is a personal social networking site founded by the guy who started Netscape, Marc Andreessen. It basically lets you create your own mini MySpace or LiveJournal or whatever you like--a small social networking platform aimed at whatever niche you want. It's had a checkered past, and has struggled to make money; three days ago, Ning announced that it would become pay only and would cancel its free services. It also fired 40% of its staff.
But that's not the really interesting part.
The really interesting part is that it looks like all of Ning, with all the social networks and online forums it hosts, has been pwn3d from balls to bones.
A search for some of the exact words and phrases used by the virus redirectors on nashville.net, one of Ning's social networking sites, produces 1,060,000 results...and as near as I can tell, they are all on Ning.
Now, a conspiracy theorist might come up with all kinds of conspiracies to explain this--disgruntled employees, knowing what was coming, leaving the back door open; executives of a foundering company, desperate for cash, turning a blind eye to Russian malware writers; whatever. I suspect that the reality is what it always is--incompetence, someone asleep at the switch, management that doesn't appreciate security and doesn't want to pay for it...the same sorts of things that seem to be behind this sort of thing almost every time.
But if you use Ning, or you know someone who does, my advice is to leave.
Quote from: Telarus on April 18, 2010, 10:32:53 PM
Also, have you seen this yet?
http://tacit.livejournal.com/325223.html
Another day, another massive computer hack attack
QuoteNing is a personal social networking site founded by the guy who started Netscape, Marc Andreessen. It basically lets you create your own mini MySpace or LiveJournal or whatever you like--a small social networking platform aimed at whatever niche you want. It's had a checkered past, and has struggled to make money; three days ago, Ning announced that it would become pay only and would cancel its free services. It also fired 40% of its staff.
But that's not the really interesting part.
The really interesting part is that it looks like all of Ning, with all the social networks and online forums it hosts, has been pwn3d from balls to bones.
A search for some of the exact words and phrases used by the virus redirectors on nashville.net, one of Ning's social networking sites, produces 1,060,000 results...and as near as I can tell, they are all on Ning.
Now, a conspiracy theorist might come up with all kinds of conspiracies to explain this--disgruntled employees, knowing what was coming, leaving the back door open; executives of a foundering company, desperate for cash, turning a blind eye to Russian malware writers; whatever. I suspect that the reality is what it always is--incompetence, someone asleep at the switch, management that doesn't appreciate security and doesn't want to pay for it...the same sorts of things that seem to be behind this sort of thing almost every time.
But if you use Ning, or you know someone who does, my advice is to leave.
Ugh.
We decided, as a business, that our best move would be to kill our free service to 2.3 million users and see how that goes down. See what that does for our image as a company. Also, at the same time, we are firing nearly half our staff.
Unfortunately, despite running a social networking site, we're not too good at making friends.
Oh, what's that? We're being hacked and used to distribute malware? Who has reason to wish us harm?
Ohnoes, halp we fail at internets business.
Does ning have any direct competitors in the make-a-small-social-network-site business? Or, is it just all semi-homebrew CMSes and setting up forums and wikis as an alternative?
http://venturebeatprofiles.com/company/profile/ning/competitors
http://www.siterapture.com/sitesimilarsites.asp?SiteID=161
Not sure how much competition any of those are to ning, but there they are for you to decide for yourself.
I'm currently investigating spruz.com, which looks like a pretty good alternative.
there are scores of other ninglike sites out there.
I'm asking Fenris and Squink, the old Irreality admin what they would recommend....
To be fair, I never really liked Ning. When you go to a *.ning.com domain to check out a community, the front page is always this huge ancient 2003-web-style clusterfuck of boxes that just doesn't communicate anything to a newcomer. Can't speak for a regular, cause I never became one.
Now facebook groups are a somewhat similar clusterfuck, but the difference is that you're already on Facebook, so you already got a membership and don't need a spiffy 3-paragraph web2.0 marketing introduction friendly GET STARTED link.
Ning tries to be all these somewhat separate communities, plus they're not as big as Facebook, so whenever someone might want to join such a place, they are new, and are going to need to be taken by the hand.
This is somewhat similar to the Elevator Pitch thing I told you Cram, but the reality is that also Ning isn't very helpful in guiding you that way, at least, most of the other communities there also never seemed really "open" for outsiders, easy to immediately grasp the sense of "what can I do here?".
BTW, seriously, if I want to get started with the Dreaming. What do I have to do? How do I get started? What is the minimum stuff I got to read?
People might be more keen on the web-side of The Dreaming were it, say, a facebook app -- there's less learning curve. On the other hand, nobody will join facebook to play The Dreaming (while they might join a ninglike).
Indeed, I'm not going to sign up to Facebook just in order to be able to play.
Quote from: Triple Zero on April 19, 2010, 01:02:25 PM
This is somewhat similar to the Elevator Pitch thing I told you Cram, but the reality is that also Ning isn't very helpful in guiding you that way, at least, most of the other communities there also never seemed really "open" for outsiders, easy to immediately grasp the sense of "what can I do here?".
Yeah, I agree. Having looked at some other social networking builders, I think ning's has the most attractive templates, but probably not the best interface.
QuoteBTW, seriously, if I want to get started with the Dreaming. What do I have to do? How do I get started? What is the minimum stuff I got to read?
right now I'd say the easiest way to start would be:
If you're going to be doing any live play which involves boffer combat, read the Basic Rules (http://principiadiscordia.com/cramulus/index.php?title=Basic_Rules)
Build a character by coming up with a character concept (http://principiadiscordia.com/cramulus/index.php?title=Character_concept), then, pick a race (http://principiadiscordia.com/cramulus/index.php?title=Dreaming_Race) and class (http://principiadiscordia.com/cramulus/index.php?title=Dreaming_Class). You make these choices when creating a profile for the website.
Then, you're ready to play! Pick one of the Dream Walks (http://principiadiscordia.com/cramulus/index.php?title=Dream_Walks) (adventures), gather up your friends (unless it's a solo adventure), and play! Take photos of gameplay and post them to the website.
From March to May of 2010, I ran The Dreaming, a decentralized live action RPG which could take place anywhere in America. A social networking site was used to coordinate players, organize plotlines, and post about adventures. This magazine summarizes the stuff posted between March and May.
(it's a rough draft)
http://www.scribd.com/doc/35795236/First-Draft-of-Dream-LARP-Magazine-Body
Woooowww, all of that stuff happened in 3 months? Dayum.
I gave it the thumbs-up on Stumbleupon, now I'm gonna do the same to the Dreaming ning site. HIGHLY recommend that everyone else do the same, since pages on Stumbleupon get the most attention if they're given lots of thumbs-up in a short space of time.
other than this magazine thing, the project is on hold for the moment. So we're not in dire need of publicity, but it couldn't hurt!
The RI contingent sort of hemorhaged due to my time going away, and Agitato moving (maybe to nearer Cramville...)
There are folks still into the idea though... I'll read up on that when I can stumble back home.
Why not just use a gps site like foursquare or something that isn't a startup
And then work on the sourcebook,
Since it includes a lot of campaign elements
it might appeal to the round table crowd better
as say pdf/hardback then a wiki.
Also as a physical object it could create a dreaming around itself
and be a game item as default. Also borrowing from say d&d elements locations are important only until you beat the boss then after usually the paper adventure goes else where.
I really like the merchant class for its roles that is useful more in a social setting.
Sad that I didn't put much effort into playing, I did scout a few places tho.