November 2005 Event

[Trevor Owen]

I wasn't able to make this event, but I know a lot of prep work went into the Forest Wraith stuff for Friday. How did that go?

[Dallid]

Yes, all PCs playing as NPCs should have AT LEAST had headbands – that would have made many combats much more straight forward and less frustrating OOC. NPCs calling out what they are occasionally also helps considerably.

I agree the number of game-stops were WAY out of hand. They should only be used at major plot points. Get injured or see someone get injured? Take a moment to make sure medical attention isn’t necessary. If not (99% of the time), leave the injured to recover and continue on – don’t stop the game, don’t interrupt anyone else. Game stops should never be used with injuries, only Starfish, and Starfish had better be something serious.

That said, I had a great time. Mind you, I NPCed all Saturday, and so didn’t get the adverse affects of the OOG miscommunications, confusions, and chaos. Only the game-stop-every-minute thing irked me. But I must say I am once again thoroughly impressed by the GMs ability to arrange ‘save-the-world-at-the-last-possible-minute’ situations. And I agree that FH probably has one of the finest collections of role-players in the world.

[cole45]

I just ordered a large bulk set of dangly halloween glow sticks that are on discount. I will bring them from now on.

[Aislynne]

This was my alltime favorite event! And that makes me sad and feel guilty that not everyone felt the same way. I know everytime I turned around I was going on another plot.

From the woodwraiths and tromping through the forrest friday night, to lurking through the wastes, fighting red faced monkeys, Jaws, bunnies, porcupines, bouncing rocks, and more fighting along side shieldman and warriors, figuring out the puzzles, and raising the Lady Rose. Then fighting blades of grass and large worms....WOW. The only time I had to rest was when I heard WE NEED AN EMPATH!!! I knew Id get about an hours rest. I felt so scatterbrained at this event and I feel like i missed alot too but I was so busy as well. I think it will take some time to sort out everything that happened. GM's your plot to raise Lady Rose was AWESOME...and I hope you know that emotions were running high when we were trying to solve the puzzles and IC/OOC we felt the urgency to solve the puzzles and reunite the lady rose and clover. Great JOB! Your work was much appreciated.

I know that my character was very upset to have almost lost Dewberry and 1/2 my guild members at one point and I know I have driven my friends crazy talking about this event! I cannot wait for the next event.

BTW I loved the Orc Sat Night if my feet hadnt hurt so bad and been suffering from pure exhaustion I would have gone to see the clammer. Definitely the relief we all needed after such drama on Saturday. I also enjoyed Critter Claud in the inn "Give me the Sword" "Fine I will kill all of your friends" I was just like WOW we are sooo screwed.

Thank you Ogram, Pugo, Saltor, Skal, and others for watching my back. Val for fighting beside me (I hope we have more of that in the future). I enjoyed everyone around me and I am very glad I did not see some of the things mentioned before, that would of ruined my new found love for LARP. Im sure Ive missed something or someone.

I know I have alot to do before next event...and I apologize to anyone if Im guilty of any of the previous things mentioned. BTW GM's and NPCs you guys rock and I will definitely help next event...

[cole45]

I had an awesome time this weekend. I know feelings were hurt at times, and saturday there were a ton of OOC arguments. But needless to say, it was great!

Friday's quests were fantastic and being a wave of Absymals was fun. (terrible for the PC's I know.) Saturday was the long and arduous quest to find the Heart of Lady Rose. (we came back with substantially more.)And then the show down Saturday night. My real gripe about Saturday was that some of the people that teleported before gamebreak switched places afterword. Minor.

I was on the creation plot, and believe me, when we were fighting in the rain and mud I felt the grim desperation of our situation. I was worn down and defeated on that same plot. When I died I almost felt a sense of release. Very fun.

I sat around and watched the rest of Saturday night, when I wasn't NPCing. It was good. Some people felt s sense of let down about the perfect being, but I think having the perfect being allow the PC's to defeat the dragon was important for true closure. And the wellspring of evil plot after the dragon's death was cool, and the creatures felt very original and new. I'm sure that will bite us in the rear for games to come.

Bravo.

[Nelkie]

I was only at the event for an hour, and I ran the range of all the emotions. But I had fun fighting while I ws there.

First, How did people miss a man chanting next the guildhall for 20 minutes before it was changed to sand? Next, doesn't that spell seem a little to powerful to destroy an entire building with a spell? I don't know the detials, but a stone building is very costly, takes alot of time to build, and it can be taken out by a powerful spell seems off to me. I can see a wall being turned to sand, but an entire building? To create a stone building takes abour 2 years in time and resource collection to make and to be destroyed entirely by a 20 min spell hurts.

Than I found out people did not vote correctly and the towns trade routes got messed up. When a guild fails to bring their resources the entire sufferes. We are all dependent on each other. If people want to eat and have weapons to fight with, than they need to take some responiblity for themselves and vote correctly, make sure their guilds are in good shape, and make sure they do a full check out with resources. Becasue of the mess up there will many people in town straving for the next couple events. And if you don't know what to do, ask

Also the food trade route, the one in FH got rob for a second time with the Dukes army being around. I know this is a dice roll, but twice in the same year and on the same trade route.

Lastly, I believe part of the problem with so many OOG questions is people not knowing the basic rules. This goes for PC's and NPC's. Part of a players responsiblity when they play a game is to learn the rules so everyone is playing under the same system. When everyone knows the rules, than OOG questions will be limited and roleplaying can resume. Learn what your character can and can not do, learn the basic calls and effects in game, and about death and dying. Also learn about the basic of allgence points because it is very important part of the game.

If I wasn't feeling so bad (being sick and all) I think I would have blown a blood vessel.

[Peace420]

The only "right" way to vote is to vote for who you want your allegiance to go to. I ask people that want to support me to join one of the guilds that does so and tell them who those guild heads are but if they don't want to then they don't. You never HAVE to support who someone else tells you to under any circumstances.

[Kalphoenix]

Well, Delayne mostly made it through this event, but I don't think she is going to be in a very good way at the next one. I mean, this was her first time dying, and she had to try to fill the shoes of Dallid for a good part of the event after his demise and it didn't happen, leaving a LOT of people dead. She is scared and upset.

Mike - Sorry Delayne didn't get the chance to serve the evil dragon either, but it MIGHT not have ended up that way anyway. He probably would have had to disintigrate her, lol...but maybe not. I am definately frustrated by the fact that I never actually got to interact with him, or roleplay with you as that character. Getting to talk to the character would have made it worth it to die, even if she wouldn't have made it back. Frustrated that Delayne doesn't know why he had an interest, if it was just to piss off Corell or if there was another reason. I fought very hard as an npc to keep the PCs out...I was hoping for just ONE chance for Delayne to talk to him before he was murdered and mutilated. Of course...no one really knows what happens when dragons die, and there is at least another dragon out there somewhere who is her "benefactor," as far as she knows, that she really knows nothing about and I can't imagine all dragons are quite as benevolent as Lady Corell. There was also, if I recall, another dragon who was with Corell at some point that I heard of but never met, IC, who could be the same dragon as the benefactor, or a different one. I'm clinging to the fact that there are other dragons out there like a drowning person.

[Talana Isilisurë]

I thought of something else!

The newsletter was pretty cool!

Was this enjoyable to others? Was it helpful in understanding what was going on? Should I keep doing this?

[Aislynne]

Most Definitely when we havesuch hoarders of important information it is a necessity to learn it through the newletter...I really appreciated it!

[DrakelenasElderich]

It is a rare moment that you really cry at an IG moment at a LARP. It happened to me twice. With my emotions running high and the physical pain I felt in all my muscles, it couldn't be helped. The first came when I learned that Dallid had died. As I walked down the hill back to the Inn I found myself needing to wipe the tears from my eyes from remembering who he was and what he ment to not only myself, but to all of Phantera. Dallid was the one who saved me from -27 at my very first visit to the Haven. I will never forget that as long as I live. The second came when I took the head of Claude. I tried to make a speech upon the table but could only get out a few words, droped his head in the flames and walked off. Again needing to wipe the tears from my eyes.

I had a wonderful time. I did so much running around that at gamebreak my leg muscles cramped up really bad. But what did I do about it? I streached, drank a glass of water, and started to run around some more. The things we do for the game we love. I am also glad that I don't have to hear the words "Drake, I need you." from Corbyn, and everyone else for that metter, in quite some time. But alas. Now that the perfect being is done what will I do? I was on every plot to get every piece of that damn thing.

All in all, great ending to a great season. Now its time to jump through a portal and fight yet another evil bastard. Damn you Pentag!

[Donovan Thynedar]

Every event is something to be cherished, and the resolution to every story is memorable, but this event was one of the best. My only real in-game regret is that I wasn’t able to be everywhere at once. I keep hearing all of these fantastic stories about things that happened when I was off doing something else, and that lets me know just how much stuff was going on.

There were more game stops than usual, but I suppose I expected to see that sort of thing in an event where emotions were running high. That, combined with a great number of new people and drafted NPC’s, was a recipe for confusion. Maybe I’m just forgiving in this regard, but it really didn’t bother me all that much.

I saw memorable moments from so many characters it’s hard to keep track of them all. In fact, I just tried to type the names of all the people who I saw doing incredible things this game and it looks like a FH attendance sheet. I don’t even know if I capable of mentioning specific instances, since to mention one without mentioning them all feels incomplete. I will say that from Donovan’s point of view, his final conversation with Claude was earthshaking. Looking at the Abysma Queen as her hand closed over his head, performing three surgeries in five minutes, fighting the good fight, and somehow prevailing at the end… it’s all overwhelming.

It’s also moving to me how much the loss of certain characters has felt like the loss of friends. I expected the butcher’s bill to be much higher, but even that preparation does not make one ready for the thought that these characters are gone, never to return. Some were new, some had just returned, and at least one was – to many – a symbol of Haven itself. The memorials and tributes to these characters are powerful in ways that transcend the game.

I had a great time, and would like to thank everyone involved with the game for all of their efforts. It’s a long offseason, but I know some plans are already in the works for a get-together or two to tide us over until the next event. We have much to celebrate, much to prepare for, and even more to remember.

[Talana Isilisurë]

BTW I loved the Orc Sat Night if my feet hadnt hurt so bad and been suffering from pure exhaustion I would have gone to see the clammer. Definitely the relief we all needed after such drama on Saturday.

That's what Grok was intended for after such an emotional day. I'm glad she served her purpose.

[Lambic]

Well.....Wow. It was a great event. I think both I and Lambic were in shock until sometime Monday, when a rush of emoitions over came me. Between 2 important, to Lambic, characters' deaths, expecting to die and waking up in the Inn not knowing what has happened (I still don't know how that whole thing played out) and then the craziness Sunday with the theft. I had to wait until now to settle myself down.

There literally wasn't enough time to do all of the role playing that I/Lambic wanted to do. This was because of so many awesome plots and Lambic being dead for a good while.

I have to admit that there were two snafus that were rough for me. The time problem with Claude and the Resources poofing. The second may not be a snafu, I know. Its how it feels right now though. I think the GMs did an excellent job handelling it and not getting angry at my bitching. I understand that it is simply a fact of LARP and there is nothing else to be done about it. But I'm a whiner, just ask my wife. I just thought I would put it out there that it bothered me.

I also would love to hear more discription of what we are seeing when we see NPC. As I approached the Inn from the road both the fake Aislynne and fake Saltor let me know that that I saw them and then didn't say another word. That helped alot. I can't retell what I saw at the Dragon's cave because I don't know what I was fighting when. I understand that alot of people feel like it breaks the scene for them, but for me not knowing hurts. Lambic would come up with different tactics depending on what he sees before him. So seeing a proteus blob weilding claws (unless that is what it is) doesn't help me stay in character. Some NPCs are really good at this, others seem to get angry when I ask "What do I see?" Headband, sashes, tabbards, glow bracelots would also help weso. I understand not putting them on every NPC.

The "rules lawyering" and gamestops didn't bother me. I was still intensely in the moment, definitely feeling relief when I died that I didn't have to fight any more. I even learned some things that I thought I understood. People were definitely on edge, but I just marked that upto the high emotional level.

I gotta say that I had a great time on the Sword Forging Plot. I thought that everyone who was on it, including NPCs did a great job. I know I was expecting to be attacked at any moment, even though we never were. To have that kind of tension/danger without any real danger impresses the hell out of me. All of us standing there in the woods just outside the cave, preparing ourselves to die, because we knew we were going to. Then the conversation Talana brought up, raising us as undead to continue fighting just drove it home, that this was it and we would use every tool at our disposal to make this a difference. The looks in the other PCs eyes wasvery telling about how they were feeling. Lambic is a soldier and a dwarf, he expects to die in battle, the fact that these others not like him were willing to do the same made an impression on him. It was mention that the stopping the ritual was very important, but I'm not sure how we were supposed to prioritize "Do this or you won't defeat the dragon." and "You can't defeat the dragon, if you don't do this." which were the ways I understood the two plots. Maybe this just a problem with how the info trickled down to me.

I also had a great time on the plot were we found the large amounts of bugs marching. Seeing the NPCs marching and thinking we were done for. Then trying to run for it, backs to the creek, and thinking there was no way we could stand against that number of them. Eventually getting cut down. Wooooo! The only reason I didn't force the whole group of us to ford the river was I didn't have another pair of shoes, which became a moot point later .

I see why plots are not often run on Sunday morning, besides people being tired, there is soooooo much to do. I bring alot of stuff with me, that means a bunch of time to pack and clean my area. I am a guild head and that means I have a bunch of check out stuff I have to deal with. Adding plot on top of that almost makes my head explode. Lambic and I were both in shock for quite a while from it.

Lastly I would like to say that I think I will try to make it a point to talk to a newbie after every event. It helps get perspective on the event, and remember why I love it.

[Peace420]

I had a great time, I think alot of the OOC arguments were because of the dire situation that the PC's were in and emotions, even if they are in a fake world, running very high. There were some great RP moments with quite a few people and even as an NPC looking out at the people that had come to interupt ED's spell and looking at who was NPC'ing and thinking, "Oh man the world is fucked". Ug and Lao deserve to be commended to no end for their self sacrifice and quick thinking. Ka for standing against the Dragon and all of his men until the "Queen killing" party got back. I hate to mention those and not some of the others but those were a few of the things that really stood out in the battles. I swear I never had a time where I could just sit and do nothing the entire event. From the time I got there until I went to bed Saturday night I was either fighting, trying to organize something, getting my wind back to fight some more or talking politics. Saturday night when the dragon blood things started coming into town I wanted to strangle the NPC's OOC because I didn't think my feet would make it through anymore. They still don't work right and neither does my voice.

Not so good points, most everyone has mentioned them but I need to reiterate a few. OOC discussion needs to be kept to the least possible. The part about this game that used to shine was the RP that took place. That there was very little OOC talk before the game swelled in size. That has slowly been slipping lately and we simply can't have that. That goes for people that are upset OOG for whatever reason and sitting and watching. Choose somewhere to watch from where you are inconspicous instead of right in the middle of things and making derogatory OOG comments about what is going on.

Wrapping, turtling and leading with the head, these things cannot go on as they did this last event. I'll try and be there early for the next event and before game on a few of us will show you why those fighting styles cannot be employed in a LARP and how they will only lead to injury. I'm beginning to understand why KANAR makes people certify with different weapons to fight.
Game stops, that has been covered in spades so...

On the good side, I am always impressed by how some people are growing into wonderful RP'ers. I know I've said that before but seeing the difference in some people like Delayne, Sethreal, Kels, Val, Quinn and especially Drake and Ravinal really gives me hope. If some people could raise their level of RP like some of these people have over the past year or so all would be well. If you don't think you're on that level try and bring it up to that level. If you're newer and I didn't mention you don't take it personally, these are just the people that I've either had more chance to interact with or watch interacting with oters. Then there's the people that I don't really expect any less from and they never disappoint. Way too many of those to name but I think most of you know who you are.

I wish the town could rally itself for everything else the way we do for the threat of annihilation.

Anyway, some very good things and a few bad things but overall a very good event IMO.