Nordic Larp

Category: Nordic Larp

  • Processing Political Larps – Framing Larp Experiences with Strong Agendas

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    Processing Political Larps – Framing Larp Experiences with Strong Agendas

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    Thanks to it I turned my communist friend into a patriot. And I realized who I really am. This is how a respondent, according to Mochocki (2012), described the Polish tabletop role-playing game Dzikie Pola (“Wild Planes”) in an online survey. The game was set in a period of Polish history dating to 1569 – 1795, and it apparently spawned a vibrant larp scene dedicated to re-enactment.

    The era is referred to as the Sarmatian period, and Mochocki appears to see it as a golden past central to all Polish culture. He gives the quote in a positive tone, to portray the “liminal quality” of the experience of “sarmatization” that the players had when living a nationalist construction in the games and related activities.

    In larp, the asymmetric power relation between the “authors” and the “audience” seems to manifest more concretely than, say, in cinema. One (but by no means the only) difference is that film spectators rarely discuss their experience with the directors.

    However, the contact between organizers and players does not usually end when a larp does. Much of the “sarmatization” described by Mochocki happened outside the actual game events. Often larp organizers have an active role in post-game discussions, which can change the player experience after the game.

    In System Danmarc (2005), a game set in a cyberpunk future, the players experienced living in a slum. At the end of the game, they were shown a documentary where real-life Danish prostitutes, drug addicts, homeless people, researchers and social workers talked about social exclusion and inequality. It turned out that there were people in Copenhagen already living the future dystopia.

    According to Munthe-Kaas (2010), one player described the film as follows:

    I was ready to cry watching it. I wanted to help all those people. Because my character was that way, only now the filter was gone, and it was me wanting to help.

    Munthe-Kaas writes:

    Generally the ending was received very well and many participants afterwards mentioned the film as a central part of their experience. On the other hand, some participants found the ending to be manipulative and politically colored.

    A different example is provided by De tusen rosornas väg (2000) (“Road of the Thousand Roses”). It was a medieval fantasy larp about a war between two nations. On one side, the players sang battle songs provided by the organizers, which created a strong patriotic feeling. At the end of the game, the organizers revealed that the songs were in fact translated from the Hitler Jugend songbook and that many other aspects of the game fiction were also adopted from Nazi Germany.

    Apparently, some of the participants were quite upset by the announcement. But many also said they had come to a whole new understanding of Nazi Germany. (Englund, 2013, p. 44; see also Fatland, 2011)

    In both cases, revealing the connection to reality reframed the larp experience. Perhaps the players felt that the fiction they had collectively created was taken away from them. We met a similar phenomenon with our game Halat hisar (2013). It was set in a fictional occupied Finland that mirrored real-world Palestine. The players knew this beforehand, but some of them were troubled by the way the correspondence to reality was treated in post-game discussions.

    One player brought up the feeling of not being in control of her/his experience anymore.

    One aspect that made the game feel real and intense was that we had Palestinian players. Their presence served as a reminder that the occupation really existed. After the game, many players wanted to know which parts of the fiction were based on reality and which were made up. Upon their request, I wrote a text that clarified the connections and provided references. We put it up on the website. According to some players, this greatly helped the processing.

    Games Without Agenda?

    It is sometimes argued that larps should not have a political agenda or that political topics should be treated in a “neutral” manner. However, every text is written and every larp is designed from some kind of a political perspective. Selecting a topic is already a political choice. When something is referred to as “neutral”, it is usually because it reflects the default assumptions in the society.

    There have been some larps about the Finnish civil war of 1918. To my knowledge, the most recent one was Viena 1918 (2014) (“Viena Karelia 1918”). The head organizer, Mikko Heimola (2014) wrote that he wanted to equally portray both parties of the conflict as farcical, oppressive, and stupid. However, this is a political choice as much as presenting one side as better than the other would have been.

    Games can be political even when they don’t seem to be. What if the organizers of De tusen rosornas väg had never told the players that the songs came from Hitler Jugend, so that they would have been left to believe the game was a harmless fantasy adventure?

    The game would still have been political, just in a different, rather frightening way. Now imagine that the songs were not direct translations from the Hitler Jugend songbook, but had similar themes. Imagine they were really written by the organizers. Imagine that the organizers had never read the Hitler Jugend songbook and were unaware of any connections.

    Doesn’t the case of De tusen rosornas väg demonstrate that the Hitler Jugend songs embodied something that is rather commonplace in “harmless” fantasy? If there had been elements that felt out of place or disturbing, would the players have been so surprised after the game?

    Thinking through the post-game discussion When designing games, the organizers should take into account that they can affect player experience even after the game, in particular if there is a strong connection to reality. Debrief is often viewed as part of the design. Maybe post-game discussions should be seen in similar light, especially as online groups provide a means to continue collective processing for an extended period of time.

    Organizing larps is stressful. When making Halat hisar we did not give much thought to what would happen beyond the after-party. The game turned out more intense than we had dared to hope, so we created a Facebook group for the players to process their experience. The game was an emotional experience for us organizers as well, and in the beginning, I thought I could freely express myself in the group the same way the players did.

    I quickly realized this was a mistake. As an organizer, I was in a position of power and I could not discuss with the players on an equal footing. My posts were interpreted differently, and things I said could be seen as attempts to reframe player experiences.

    Some players felt that participating in the game had forced a political agenda on them in the eyes of the organizers and other players. They felt that everyone in the group was assumed to be, in the words of one player, a pro-Palestinian activist.

    Now that I read the posts again after a year of distance, I am almost surprised at how little controversy there was. Nevertheless, the discussions made me emotional at the time. To correct my mistake, I decided to refrain from commenting as best as I could. Sometimes I did not even dare to “like” comments of others because I didn’t want to steer the discussion.

    However, trying to stay away from all political discussion was a mistake, too. It’s a good idea to give the players space to think for themselves and not to flood them with explanations and information. But nothing happens in a void. There is a political context outside the online group, and it, too, affects the discussion.

    Sometimes it is the organizers’ responsibility to take a stand. For instance, some players criticized Halat hisar for being “one-sided”.

    We made the choice to take the viewpoint of the occupied because the oppressors and the oppressed are not two equal sides. To present them so is to take the side of the stronger party, the oppressors. Some of the members of the processing group were Palestinians who live their daily lives under occupation. Taking this into consideration, I feel that it would have been my responsibility to point out the real-world power imbalance that we wished to tackle by concentrating on the experience of the oppressed.

    In summary, as a part of the design process, larp organizers should think about how they will take part in post-game discussions. A player debrief group is not a debrief group for the organizers, who should be conscious about their positions of power.

    It is important to leave the players the freedom to discuss the game content. However, real-world political context and the diversity of players should also be taken into account, and the organizers have the responsibility to moderate when needed.

    Bibliography

    Tindra Englund (2013): Lajv, ett möjligt verktyg för konflikttransformation? Malmö University. http://muep.mau.se/bitstream/handle/2043/15868/lajv, ett  m jligt verktyg f r  konflikttransformation.pdf?sequence=2 (accessed Jan 10, 2015)

    Mikko Heimola (2014): Viena 1918: Punaisia, valkoisia ja purkmanneja Karjalan laulumailla, Loki. http://loki.pelilauta.fi/?p=2139 (accessed Jan 10, 2015)

    Michal Mochocki (2012): Reliving Sarmatia: National Heritage Relived in the Polish Larp Scene, in States of Play: Nordic Larp Around the World, Helsinki: Pohjoismaisen roolipelaamisen seura.

    Peter Munthe-Kaas (2010): System Danmarc: Political Action Larp, in Nordic Larp. Stockholm: Fëa Livia

    Juhana Pettersson (editor), (2012): States of Play: Nordic Larp Around the World. Helsinki: Pohjoismaisen roolipelaamisen seura.

    Jaakko Stenros and Markus Montola (editors) (2010): Nordic Larp. Stockholm: Fëa Livia.

    Ludography

    De tusen rosornas väg, 2000, Boss, E., Hjorter, J., & Jonsson, S. Sweden. Performance: Larp.

    Halat hisar, 2013, AbdulKarim, F., Kangas, K., Mustafa, R., Pettersson, J., Pettersson, M. & Rabah, M., Parkano: Pohjoismaisen roolipelaamisen seura. Performance: Larp. http://nordicrpg.fi/piiritystila/ (accessed: Jan 10, 2015)

    System Danmarc, 2005, Copenhagen: Opus. Performance: Larp.

    Viena 1918, 2014, Heimola, M. & al. Sipoo: Harmaasudet. Performance: Larp. http://www.helsinki.fi/~mheimola/ viena1918/index.shtml (accessed: Jan 10, 2015)

    Video Sources

    Eirik Fatland (2011): Can Playing Games Teach Us About War, Nordic Larp Talks. (accessed Jan 10, 2015)

    This article was initially published in The Knudepunkt 2015 Companion Book which was edited by Charles Bo Nielsen & Claus Raasted, published by Rollespilsakademiet and released as part of documentation for the Knudepunkt 2015 conference.

    Cover photo: Students and foreign visitors demonstrate against a visiting dignitary from the occupying government. (Halat hisar, play, Johannes Axner) is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.

  • A Beginner’s Guide to Handling the Knudeblues

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    A Beginner’s Guide to Handling the Knudeblues

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    A note from the editor: Knudeblues is a term used to describe the post-con blues after the Knudepunkt conference. The 2015 edition just finished, which prompted the publication of this article on handling the Knudeblues.

    First I need to state that this text compiles my very personal opinions, I do not claim to own any truths, and I have no scientific background for any of my claims. But I do have a lot of experience with the post con/post larp blues. If you don’t, that’s normal too.

    Leaving Knutepunkt 2013. Photo by Johannes Axner. Leaving Knutepunkt 2013. Photo by Johannes Axner.

    You are on your way home, or you’ve already gotten home and thrown your exhausted self on the sofa. Maybe you’ve even stretched the bubble, feeling happy and inspired for a day or two, now certain it won’t hit you. But it does. Suddenly you realize that it’s over. It may hit you in different ways. Maybe you feel a mild, but persistent melancholia. Perhaps you still feel euphoric, but with an increasing discomfort of your emotions being stripped naked, of being too vulnerable. Maybe you feel a strong longing for all the people you met, your KP-crush, the magic circle filled with creativity, love and the best kind of madness. The bubble. And a sadness it is gone. If you are an organizer you may feel heartbroken that all the work you put in for this single, important event now only lives on in pictures, memories and memorabilia (and perhaps an impending accounting task). Or maybe you don’t know what you feel – I believe those are often the hardest cases. When your body is filled with overwhelmingly strong, entangled emotions that are manifesting in very real physical pain in your whole upper body, and physical discomfort that can’t be vented, and you feel an urge to use words like “soul” and “heart” in very embarrassing ways. And since you can’t make them out or define them or even keep them apart, though most of them are in fact very positive, it’s a full on acute depression.

    Congratulations, you’ve got the Knudeblues.

    Being a super emotional person (with – a fortunately very mild case of – bipolar disorder) with a 17 year long larp career and 9 KP/SKs behind me I have over the years developed a collection of strategies to handle this phenomenon, which of course isn’t associated with Knudepunkt/Knutepunkt/Knutpunkt/Solmukohta alone, but can occur after any intense, emotionally and physically exhausting, several days long event with bubble qualities, like a strong larp or another really good con. Maybe your own wedding? (I wouldn’t know.) Since we are all different people, I can’t know what will work for you, but I’m sure some of these tips will help. There are two slightly overlapping categories with things you can do to handle your blues – helping your body back to normal, and processing all the impressions.

    The Basics

    Processing after Knutpunkt 2014. Photo by Johannes Axner. Processing after Knutpunkt 2014. Photo by Johannes Axner.

    Make sure to get enough sleep. And then some more. Re-hydrate and keep hydrated. Eat healthy food. I’m not a nutrition expert, and I have no idea if food can heal you over a short time span, but I always feel better when I eat salmon, because my mother said it’s good for me. Eat comfort food/junk food. If the food can heal both body and soul, it’s even better. And don’t be ashamed, it’s medicine! Pamper yourself. Relax a lot. Have a shower or a bath in the way you like it the most, buy your favorite chocolate. If you have a partner, ask for a back rub or a foot massage. Exercise. Or go for a long walk. I know it works, I just can’t be bothered.

    Processing

    The emotions inside you need to find their places. To process all the impressions is important, and it can be done in an infinite number of ways. Don’t worry, you don’t have to make lists or do mental exercises, your brain will fix it all if you just give it the chance and time it needs. But there are some things you can do to help it along. The most important tip I’ll give you here, though, is process, but don’t dwell too long in you Knudeblues on purpose. It’s tempting to not let go of the euphoria that often accompanies the blues, to try to relive those special moments, to stay in the bubble as long as possible. And a pinch of that may be good for processing, but I don’t recommend trying to hold on actively. I think the KP euphoria is a hypo-manic state in many ways (as can being drunk or being in love be), and the longer you hold on, the more you risk a harder (and prolonged) fall.

    Processing Alone

    Processing alone. Photo by Johannes Axner. Processing alone. Photo by Johannes Axner.

    Your active brain and your subconscious will work on it no matter what, so sometimes it’s good to give yourself a break. Use distractions, but avoid important have-to-appointments the first day or two if possible. Your mind will be somewhere else anyways.

    Isolate yourself with some kind of entertainment. Watch movies, play computer games, read a novel. Depending on your blues and your ways, shielding yourself from strong impressions for a short while can give your mind space to process. (I recommend deep sea documentaries. With jellyfish.) Others may want to seek catharsis through an emotional movie or a song that they know will make them cry. Crying is good if you feel like it, but for some it can feed the depression. You know yourself best.

    Write something. For yourself or others – a diary, a report, a letter, a Facebook post, anything. I think expressing yourself in writing helps sorting your thoughts and feelings even better than talking, as you use slightly more time in deciding on the words and your brain gets to dwell on the content. (How do you think the words you’re reading right now came about?)

    Processing with friends

    Knutepunkt after-care. Photo by Elin Nilsen. Knutepunkt after-care. Photo by Elin Nilsen.

    The socially driven processing is also important. First: Add all your new, wonderful friends on Facebook! Then you read all the posts and comments people have made about the experience, and partake in the discussions if you want to. It’s not dwelling, it is hoard processing. Part of processing is forming the final narrative about the experience, the one you will keep with you, and connecting and exchanging opinions is part of that.

    Meet people from inside the bubble. Hang out with others who shared the experience. Talk about the event, what was good, what was bad, what was fun, but not only about that. Being around tribes-people talking about other things is also good, they are in the same state as you, they get you, and together you take a step towards normalizing the world. Feel free to get drunk with them if you are so inclined, but remember that might prolong your blues. In my case it’s sometimes worth it.

    Talk about the Knudeblues with others who share it. It helps. But try not to exhaust your friends. After all, you are just a little bit crazy right now. It will pass. I promise.

    Dare to Face the Mundies

    It can be a good idea to plan for a day off from work after Knudepunkt or another event that may throw you into the state of the blues. But don’t shun the mundies. You feel that people who weren’t present, even other larpers, can never understand, but it’s ok to tell your partner if you have one, your friends, your family and colleagues that you are in a state of emotional overdrive right now because of a very intense experience you had. They may understand more than you think. But don’t pepper them with all your stories and anecdotes, it doesn’t mean the same to them as it does to you. Not even if they larp themselves.

    Cuddle puddle. Photo by Elin Nilsen. Cuddle puddle. Photo by Elin Nilsen.

    And then – when you are back to your old self – start to utilize all that wonderful inspiration you got at the event and make some kick-ass larps and projects!

    Cover photo: The author after Knutepunkt 2013, photo by Johannes Axner.

     

  • A Tsunami of Testimonies

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    A Tsunami of Testimonies

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    Kristin Nilsdotter Isaksson has written an article, translated from Swedish by Charlie Charlotta Haldén, on the ongoing discussions about sexual assault within the Swedish larp community.

    On June 17, 2014, a new Facebook group was created for Swedish-speaking larpers who identify wholly or partially as women. The idea was to create a sanctuary for discussions about different aspects of being a female larper. Small questions, big questions, and questions of vital importance.

    Lately, a darker subject has crept into the discussion threads, and during the past few weeks, a tsunami of voices has swept over us. Post after post, comment after comment, telling stories of painful experiences. We’re talking about sexual assault. At larps, or in larping circles. Over a thousand posts detailing experiences, sharing thoughts, discussing preventive measures, and not least, holding out hands in support.

    ”It’s so important that we talk about our experiences. About how common this is, and that it’s not OK. About our right to say no, and that it’s never, ever, acceptable for someone not to listen. Everybody knows a victim, but nobody knows a perpetrator, and it’s time to take a stand now.” (anonymous)

    You can read the complete article over at Spelkult:
    http://spelkult.se/testimonies/

    The article got a lot of attention in the swedsh LARP-society and also outside, with a interview in Swedish radio. There is a lot of discussions going on and preventive arrangements from organizers and fellow larpers to immediate stop this kind of acts.

  • Larp Report: Clockbottom

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    Larp Report: Clockbottom

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    A journey through horror, steampunk and mystery

    Clockbottom was a larp set in America during the Civil War, with a steampunk twist and elements of horror. About 120 participants from seven different countries gathered during one weekend of September to act out the mysteries in the mining town of Clockbottom. Myself, I played the village’s protestant preacher. It was a role that enabled me to mix with dusty miners, fancy bankers, and everything in between. I liked this a lot, since it allowed me to pursue plots across groups and status levels.

    This was my first larp of both the era (1800s) and genre (steampunk/horror). There were both experienced and first-time-larpers among the players, as well as a variety of backgrounds (reenactment, larping, steampunk-nerds, and so on). Since there were participants from all over Europe, the entire larp was played in English with the exception of some characters with Swedish or Danish ancestry (they could therefore speak those respective languages as well).

    There is much to say about this larp, not the least regarding the impressive amount of detail in props or the awe-inspiring generosity and inclusiveness in gameplay. I will try to highlight a few phenomenons that stood out in my eyes.

    Prologue and the Mine

    It is the first time she has had reason to travel down into one of the mines since her arrival in Clockbottom. The air is cold, damp, dark. Yes, it is as if the air itself is dark down there. She cannot help but wonder if this is what being buried alive feels like. The kind woman’s voice instructing them in safety matters upon entering the mine is reassuring though, as is the attentive presence of the timekeepers. She stays close to Witte, knows he will look out for her here as he does in the village. The miners are unrestful, uncertain. What awaits them in here is not only a return to God’s honest work, but a return to the loss of beloved ones. Will there be bodies? A new kind of stench?

    One thing that the Clockbottom larp presented, that I have not seen done before, was a prologue. This was a 1-2 hour scene available for those who so desired it, meant to set the tone for the later opening of the larp as well as offering nearly all characters a chance to partake in a common scene no matter their alignments or statuses.

    ClockbottomThe prologue took place in the mine that was later used in-game. The organizers struck a good deal with the mine company, in which the larp had the use of the mine for free in return for some real work done in there (shovelling gravel, mostly). To have an actual mine to play in was extraordinary what with feeling, immersion and understanding. Unfortunately the mine itself was located about half an hour by car from the larp village, so travelling between the two meant some off game time for those with characters there.

    I initially signed up for the prologue to get to see the mine, as my preacher would not spend in-game time there. However, it soon turned out that it was a magnificent way of trying out your character, build some spontaneous relations and plots, and to bring back a shared experience to the actual larp. It is a concept I would love to see more of at other events, perhaps incorporated among pre-larp workshops like this one was.

    A Multitude of Larps in One

    They have not yet reached the true conclusion of the cipher when she is presented with two sheets of paper. Apparently they have been found inside the propeller resting by the piano in the bar. She is perplexed, cannot fathom how something so secret can be hidden in plain sight and yet remain unfound until now. The content of the papers shocks her to the core, however, quite unprepared as she is for such truths to unravel after all this time. It is the last will of her predecessor, Reverend Smith. She has found no facts regarding his life before, has been met only with silent tongues and shifting eyes when inquiring among the townsfolk. And apparently there was much more she did not know.

    Something that to me speaks of a well-planned or well-played out larp, is when there are “many larps within the larp”. Not only as in different plotlines, but when there are actually different types of stories or sub-larps amongst different parts of the player pool. Clockbottom had this multitude of larps to a great extent. For example, the workers had gang- and poverty-related play, the soldiers had skirmishes and soldier-play, the villagers had everyday village life (intercepted by mysteries), the preachers had a lot of religious play and the scientists had their research and experiments. The company administration even found themselves in a spontaneous meta-larp “by telegraph” (which the organizers ran) around selling and buying company stocks. Naturally, this also becomes a believable backdrop for players not currently participating in a certain sub-story.

    ClockbottomWhat connected everything more than other plotlines, however, was the great mystery plot of Clockbottom’s darker secrets. I do enjoy mystery solving in a larp, and have played many such roles over the years. One problem that too often arises, is when players figure out the solution “too soon” and are left spending the last day of the larp in some kind of waiting state. I was concerned that this would happen here as well, since we solved a lot of the clues during the first day. Alas, I should not have worried.

    It is the most extensive mystery plot I have encountered, and with such detail in props and clues. Altogether, there were ciphers and codes in Latin, ancient Greek, hieroglyphs, numbers, Cherokee, Bible references and music, apart from the regular notes, diaries, letters and articles in English. There was a copper tablet inscribed with hieroglyphs, there was a full research journal in a multitude of languages and there was an alluring cryptex. Initially, we were three or four people trying to investigate. On the last day of the larp, we were more like twenty I would say. Also, an aspect that furthered the game was that many characters (pre-written by the organizers) held tiny pieces of the puzzle that only made sense together, thus encouraging those pursuing the truth to inquire amongst any and all in the village.

    Horror Effects

    The crystal clear notes of the eerie tune will haunt her to the end of her days, she knows it even as she hears it there, for the first time. It holds her in place stronger than the fiercest of chains, marks her mind for insanity as surely as water flows downwards. Not yet perhaps, but it will come. The utter terror that fills her veins makes her simultaneously unable to move and acting on impulse. Her voice sounds strangely strangled as she once more calls out, and no one could ever pretend that her words appear intimidating anymore. It is more of a croak, more of a pointless motion to be gone through. Then a pause, a held breath awaiting an answer while frozen lips pray to a God that is far away, too far away, that none such will come.

    But it does. Oh, it does.

    ClockbottomApart from the steampunk-Civil War genre, Clockbottom was most definitely a horror larp. Several elements aided in this, not the least the full moon and lingering mist that adorned the village every night. However, there were items and events presented by the organizers that truly laid the base for this feeling of terror. Some were more easily achieved, like the melody that became the tune connected with madness, ghosts and devilry, or the use of “shadows” -a meta-technique where certain “non visible” players whisper, coax or otherwise interact with the character players of the larp in a -during this larp – eerie manner.

    Other elements needed more planning. There were tiny sound devices placed around the village, playing five different tracks of “scary sounds” (ie whispers, child’s laughter or scraping noises) at random time intervals. These were really efficient in upping the feel of utter terror, I can confess to that. I must also mention the full-size, very realistic skeleton that was buried in the village graveyard months before the larp. She was unearthed twice during the weekend, and each time it was equally unnerving to find the meter-deep grave gaping open, the nailed-shut coffin lid thrown aside, and the skeleton grinning at us from its grave.

    Inter-player Communication

    That she has held sermons on top of children’s remains for three years… The thought is unbearable. At last they are gathered; preachers and townsfolk brave enough to take on this gruesome task. Walsh is there, silent and watching. Gibson and Mr Sommer are sturdy and clear-eyed, mayhap they have known about this, or about the murder. The miner who so bravely spoke of crawling in under the church to secure the box is found, and they are ready. Almost – she calls for more lanterns, they must have light. Oh, if they could but have done this in daylight.

    Inclusion and playing to lose are two terms that invite you to play generously and humbly (even though your character can be quite the opposite) in order to involve others in your play. The players of Clockbottom did this to such a degree that I was genuinely taken aback. I have not previously seen such generosity and inclusion at any larp I’ve been to, nor how quickly it became a game structure rather than something individual players did.

    Taking the great mystery plot as an example, there was never a question of stepping into a closed house with a select few to try and translate the codes. Instead, anyone who curiously lingered by the open table on the main street was invited to share their view on the current matter. Secret notes were shown to any and all who might hold the slightest clue; be it a miner or the company director. When embarking upon tasks in the night or to places we were not supposed to go, there was no real sneaking about. Anyone who happened by was warned about the gravity of the task, but not turned away. What with the plot clues spread all across the board, we probably couldn’t have solved the mystery without including as many people as possible either.

    ClockbottomWhat the cause for this high level of inclusion is, I don’t really know. Perhaps it was the instruction from the organizers on playing to lose. Perhaps it was a positive outcome from the mixing of larp cultures. Perhaps it was a standard set by in-game decision makers that others followed. Either way, I definitely hope to see more of this inclusive larping at future events I go to (and will of course try to do my part).

    One thing that I found strangely lacking regarding interplayer communication however, was the lack of just that prior to the larp. There was a forum, but only a few people posted there. I know that there were facebook groups for in-game gangs and groups, but as far as I saw they were not announced too clearly on the main event page. Shout-outs on the main event page rendered few replies from players. Since my character did not really belong to any groups, and since I didn’t activate myself in creating groups for, for example, the “holy folks”, I barely had any communication with others before the larp.

    I must confess that this silence amongst players made me a bit worried, and it felt rather unusual what with the plot planning and relation building that today counts as standard preparation for any Swedish larp. Now, based on the prologue and in-game initiatives this was not a problem during the larp at all. However, I must think that this could have presented a considerable threshold for people new to larping, or to people more shy or otherwise unsure of how to make contact with other players (unless they were in active groups already).

    Final Words

    While there have been smaller 1800s/steampunk larps, I think this was the first larger one that catered to a wider community of players. Although a possible cause for hesitation, it turned out that the gear for this setting was not too hard to come about, perhaps even easier than for earlier historical periods. Combined with the enjoyable aspect of meeting people from other larp cultures (nation wise as well as playing style-wise), I heard many express afterwards that this was a style of larping they’d definitely look into more. And I must say, I think there will be a lot more steampunk in the years to come.

    A note regarding things not addressed in this article:
    There was some discussion prior to Clockbottom, on the topic of the Cherokee being a part of the larp setting and the risks of cultural appropriation. As I neither played a Cherokee character, nor am of an ethnic group exposed to appropriation or negative prejudices, I did not feel best suited to present that here. There are other players much more eligible for that, and I might just miss the right angles due to my own lack of experience in the matter.

    All photos in this article are by Ida Mary Walker Larsen.

    You can find an in-game short story from Clockbottom by the author of this article, Emma Ström, here:
    http://goo.gl/8IfJX5

  • The Cure for the Stuffed Beast

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    The Cure for the Stuffed Beast

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    The unexpected problems of a game stuffed  with themes and plots and their working solutions.

    113_9714We made the most expensive game in Czech larp history, we had worked hard on it for a year and we had prepared almost 100 detailed pre-written characters. After the first two runs of the larp a lot of people said “It was alright.” This article is about searching for changes which would make the game better than “alright”.
    De la Bête was a larp inspired by the French legend about the Beast of Gévaudan. It captures 97 characters of hunters, prisoners, soldiers, merchants, scientists and nobles in 18th century France. Our goal as the authors was to make a  two-day-long dramatic larp with minimum downtimes, a game with interesting plots, twists and dilemmas for each character. To assure this will indeed take place, we decided to use pre-written characters and design almost only personal plots, few group plots and no global plot  with impact on all characters in the game. As a result we have written 110 plots, each directly involving on average four characters .
    Pre-written characters and game filled  with personal plots is in the Czech Republic a usual game design for chamber larps and is also quite common for dramatic larps up to 40 players. But it has never been consistently used for a game of such scale. The chosen design approach and the amount of content brought about several unexpected problems. We knew, that the number of personal plots will let us to a multi-thematic and also multi-genre game. In De la Bête you could find horror plots about the  price for knowledge and secret societies, adventure haunting plots about friendship and rivalry as well as a romantic storyline about a young noble love triangle. We thought that the game is big enough to hold all the genres if all the players walk down the same (purely dramatic) road of the three way model. Well, basically we were right about the ability to hold the genres, but not about the way how to do it.

    The Unexpected Complications

    After the first two runs of the game we decided for a massive redesign. But firstly we had to analyse what were the weak spots of De la Bête. Among others, we found these problems to appear during the game.

    Incoherent Plots

    Each character was involved in app. 5 plots. Couple of players considered the plots and the character itself as incoherent. All motivations of character were clear for us, because we spent a lot of time sharpening them. But we hadn’t been able to communicate them correctly to all the players. And they didn’t ask. This lead to omitting of a few plots which players found unfitting. Of course, the character’s input to the plot was missing to other players.

    Shallow Play

    Few players had more plots than they were able to play. They ignored some of them as in previous case. But more often this lead the players to shallow play. They were more “doing” and less “acting and feeling”: Declare love, checked. Business meeting, checked. Confront the rival in love, checked. Break up, checked…

    Inconsistent Subjective World

    The design based on  a huge number of plots resulted in inconsistent subjective game worlds. Basically, the players were overwhelmed by topics they came across during the game. Players thought: “It is fine that there is a haunted castle and night hunts, but a society of Freemasons? Come on… This is too much.” We didn’t realize during the game development how many personal plots will go public and that the players will have a problem to incorporate them to their subjective diegesis.

    Out of Context

    Even the scenes in the best movies could look stupid without proper introduction and when you don’t know the context. It is the same in a larp.

    A short personal story follows: Once, I was watching O’Connor’s Warrior and I was moved by the final fight scene. Suddenly, my wife came and she started laughing because she found the scene cheesy. She couldn’t get how emotional it is when Joel Edgerton strangles Tom Hardy while saying “It’s alright. I love you.” Even the scenes (or the whole topic) in the best movies could look stupid without proper introduction and when you don’t know the context. It is the same in a larp. We found how big problem this is when the end of the game was coming and most plots were going through catharsis. The players were shouting at each other, duelling, declaring love and dying. Everything in public as is expected from dramatic players. It led to over-escalated scenes without context, feeling of deaths inflation and no time to feel the impact of anything. This would not happen in a design with a global plot, where the catharsis touches every character.

    New Game Style

    113_3858Most of the problems rose from the unfitting game approach. At the beginning of the game development we thought that the game style of De la Bête would be the same as for drama larps for 40 players. Honestly, we didn’t think a lot about it, we considered it as a clear thing. In Czech a “typical” drama player is someone who tends to : 1) play to lose, 2) tell the character’s secret to as many other players as possible, 3) play the tense scenes in front of as many other players as possible and 4) whose goal is to make each separate scene as dramatic as possible. It works very well in most larps, especially chamber ones.

    We didn’t notice during the development that the approach wasn’t suitable for De la Bête and that it would cause the complications mentioned above. So we grabbed the chance to change it for the third run. The new approach was our guiding principle for all pre-game documents and workshops and we did an extensive review of all game content because of it.The new idea was that De la Bête should be played as a novel. More specifically a big French historical novel such Dumas, Balzac or Hugo wrote. Every player is telling the story of the main character through the game. There will be a number of subplots and supporting characters, but the player shall focus on the development of the character’s overall story,  where the character’s main theme plays  a crucial role.

    Main Theme

    The theme was in some form a part of the characters from the beginning, but we decided to formulate it explicitly. This is an actual in-game example of a character’s theme:

    Her main theme is the clash between responsibility to the community and personal happiness. She has to cope with the role of a moral authority, which is a new deal for her. New responsibilities and  expectations are brought in her life. What it means to be the chosen one? How could she combine  the responsibilities, which are arising from her position, and ordinary human happiness? And is it possible to love every creature of God and be fully committed to only one man at the same time?

    The theme unified the character’s plots and brought depth to the game. The players were guided to think about the overall character’s story all the time: What my character did and how is it connected to my theme? How is my theme developing and where is my character aiming? The overall storyline of a character in De la Bête was more important than separate scenes. Therefore, the scene itself can be less intense and dramatic, but the overall feeling will be way more coherent and impressive (and also immersive). A part of this game approach was also the ability to incorporate everything in the game to one´s own personal story (and theme) or discard it as useless for the character’s storyline. It can be labelled as subjective narrativism, which would be a subset of dramatical approach.

    The players were guided to think about the overall character’s story all the time.

    In the first two runs there were free organizers in the field ready to deal with players’ queries. For the third run we encouraged the players to talk about the story development with the organizers a couple times per day or at least to find the time to think about it. More frequent consultations were beneficial in several ways: 1) the players thought over their character story and theme, 2) we knew what was happening in the game, 3) we were able to discover  mistakes (i.e.  wrong times of meetings), 4) we had a chance to identify bored players in time and 5) we partially oversaw  the psychological comfort of players. After a day of the game we named the consult room as the Heaven (because the organizers were in contact with thrilled and excited player) and the backstage as the Hell (where the organizers had to deal with problems).

    In the pregame documents and workshops we tried to teach the players when, where and most importantly with / for whom they should play the catharsis of a character’s storyline. It should be the players who know the context and know what preceded the tense scene. During the 3rd run significantly less scenes took place in public and for example, deaths took place in family circles.

    Outcome

    113_3971According to the post-game questionnaire there were in the first two runs 32 % of excited players, 40 % of satisfied ones, 13 % of players who considered the game average, 11 % below average and 1 % as a bad one. The third run has much better rates : 71 % of excited players, 27 % of satisfied players with only 2 % of players considering  the game as average.  Nobody labelled the game below average or bad. Of course, there are more aspects than the redesigning itself, but we believe that these changes significantly helped the game and solved the “unexpected complications”. The theme connected character’s plots and pointed out interesting thoughts in individual storylines. The “novel approach” helped the players recognise what, when and with whom should the game be played and it brought about a strong feeling of game integrity to them.

    The problems raised in the first two runs are obvious to  us now, but we had to work hard to discover them. And even if the “novel approach” originated as a secondary solution for this specific game, I believe that it could be successfully used in other larps.

    All photos in this article by Lukáš Makovička.

    De la Bête

    Used Concepts: Pay and Play, Pre-written characters, traces of Fateplay, Act Structure, Persistent play, Aspiring to 360º illusion
    Credits: Adam Pešta (chief of production); David František Wagner (chief of game design and writing); Kamil Buchtík, Ondřej Hartvich, Lucie Chlumská, Mikuláš Pešta, Petr Turoň (game design and writing); Alice Ďurčatová, Slaven Elčić, Iva Vávrová (PR); Tomáš Bazala, Eva Mlejnková (costumes); Vít Filipovský (website); Alena Kučerová (accounting); Michal Olbert (pre-game photos); Rosenthal o.s., Rolling and another 30 people.
    Date:: 25–29 September 2013 1st run; 2–6 October 2013 2nd run;  28–31 May 2014 3rd run
    Location: Valeč Castle, Czech Republic
    Length: 2 days + 1 day of paralarp
    Players: 97 per game
    Budget: 1,000,000 CZK (36,000 €) for 3 runs
    Participation Fee:: 1,800 – 2,600 CZK (65 – 95 €)
    Website: www.delabete.cz
    Photos: http://makovicka.net/galerie.php?lang=cs&g=140709 and http://makovicka.net/galerie.php?lang=cs&g=131025 and http://pwx.rajce.idnes.cz/De_La_Bete/

  • Larp Census 2014

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    The international larp census of 2014 has been launched, this is what the authors have to say about why you should answer it:

    Although some countries have rough estimates of their larp population, there has not been a comprehensive global census taken of self-identifying larpers on this scale. We really want to count everyone who larps, has larped, and wants to larp.

    The information we acquire will be publicly shared so scholars can analyze the data and make conclusions that will, hopefully, increase both the quantity and quality of larps around the globe.

    Check out and take the census here:
    http://www.larpcensus.org/

  • Nordic Style Larp in the UK

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    The UK has a large and thriving larp industry, going back to the early 1980s and with an estimated 100,000+ current active participants. But awareness of larp traditions in other countries, and in the Nordic scene in particular, has been minimal until very recently.

    In particular, the few months since Knutpunkt 2014 have seen a flurry of Nordic-related activity. Twelve people attended the conference from the UK (and a few from Ireland), and several threads of action have spun off subsequently.

    SarcophagusAdam James has organized a series of short larps in London. From the Norwegian Larps from the Factory book, he first ran at two-weekly intervals The Hirelings, Limbo, A Mothers Heart and Sarcophagus. Next was The Checkerboard Crew, a game Adam himself wrote together with Nina Runa Essendrop, on 22 June 2014, which I blogged about; and the series concluded with ‘Fallen Stars’, again from Larps from the Factory, on 13 July 2014.

    Cat Tobin (who is Irish but currently based in the UK) has set up a group called The Game Kitchen (Facebook group here) – whose purpose is to “talk about the design of Nordic larp, freeform games (UK and American) and story games, and then – using what we learn from each other, and from what other people have done before us – we’ll create some games. We’ll then share those games, and our conversations about the process, online so that others can learn from what we’re doing.” So far The Game Kitchen has had three monthly meetings, in London: and Cat ran a Larp from the Factory, ‘What Happened in Lanzarote’, which I blogged about.

    (Cat was also responsible for writing and running The Outsiders, together with me, which I believe was the first Nordic-style larp to have been written and run in the UK.)

    Mothers HeartRichard Williams is prominent in both the above projects, and has also established a Meetup group to help coordinate activity. His hope is that this Meetup will be the one-stop shop to hear about everything Nordic-related that happens in the UK and in Ireland.

    Both Cat and Richard appeared on the story-gaming podcast The Twitching Curtain to talk about their experiences at Knutpunkt 2014, and the impact they expect it to have on the UK larp scene.

    Kevin Burns has started a blog about Nordic larp and related topics – its purpose is “to explore Nordic larp. Partly, I’m doing that from the point of view of a psychotherapist who wonders about how it could be used in therapy, and partly because I find the whole thing tremendously exciting and I want to PLAY.”

    LimboFinally, an excursion to neighbour country Ireland – where Carla Burns is organizing Nina Runa Essendrop’s and Simon Steen Hansen’s White Death (Hvid død) on 8–9 August 2014 in Limerick, and has already run the Larp from the Factory ‘Before and After Silence’.

    As you can see, Larps from the Factory has been a really powerful tool in helping us get Nordic larp off the ground here. We are very grateful to the authors, editors and publisher!

    (There’s bound to be other stuff that I don’t know about, too. Please get in touch and let me know what you’ve been up to and what you’ve got planned!)

    My own hope is that we will over time develop a strand of Nordic-style larps with a UK flavour. For that reason I’m particularly interested in what The Game Kitchen is doing, reaching out to other UK gaming styles and sharing with and learning from them: and in Adam James’s work with creative people from outside gaming. It’s a powerful brew!

    Photos provided by Adam James.

    This article has been edited to remove a reference to a known abuser.

  • Pillage the Vikings!

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    The Dummies’ Guide to Nordicizing Your Larp Scene for Fun and (No) Profit

    By Ole Peder Giæver & Mo Holkar

    A thousand years ago, Viking warriors came out of the Nordic countries, raiding and conquering in Britain, Ireland, Atlantic and Mediterranean Europe, Russia and North America. They mercilessly pillaged the finest things they could find. Now it’s time for the rest of the world to take something back – and to help themselves to the very best ideas, principles and resources of Nordic larp. Here’s your guide to incorporating Nordic theory and practice into your own larp scene…

    Nordic Larp

    Monitor CelestraWhat do we mean by Nordic larp? At its most general, it could mean any kind of larp that comes from the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Norway). But here we’re talking mostly about the tradition of thoughtful, progressive, artistic games that has emerged around the annual Knutepunkt convention. This tradition can sometimes come across as little opaque and self-important. It does take larp really, really seriously. But it’s also able to poke fun at itself.

    Over the past 13+ years, the Nordic larp community has put together a huge body of work, where documentation, research and constant discussion/experimentation have been central. The idea behind this article/collection of links is to give an overview of some of the material that’s out there, freely available online. It’s meant to be a starting point for doing your own research, from which you can pick and choose whichever short larps, workshop techniques, theories, articles and manifestos suit the purposes of yourself and your local community. We suggest you steal whatever seems of use, fully aware that the Nords might come and pillage you right back at the next turn. That’s the way global larp culture works!

    Primers

    MilsimIntroduction to Nordic Larp by Johanna Koljonen. Watch this Nordic Larp Talk video for a brief introduction to Nordic Larp and why it’s an art form worth knowing more about.

    Nordic Larp for Noobs – American author Lizzie Stark gives a walkthrough introduction to central concepts of the Nordic Larp tradition, comparing it with the US larps she encountered whilst researching her book on larp, Leaving Mundania. This article is especially good if you want a clearer grasp on what actually goes on in some of these games, and the aspects that might differentiate them from other games you’re used to.

    What does Nordic Larp mean? – Finnish game researcher Jaakko Stenros gave this keynote speech before Knutepunkt in 2013. It’s half an hour long, but it’s really clear and concise, defining the term, ‘brand’ and tradition of Nordic Larp. You can either view the talk itself (see previous link), or go read the transcript (which has some fun slides and illustrations) here.

    The Foundation Stone of Nordic Larp – This book, made for Knutpunkt 2014 in Sweden, specifically aims to serve as a primer for people new to the Nordic larp discourse and tradition. It’s available as a free PDF (as are all Knutepunkt books). The book is 300 pages long: it contains some newly-written introductory essays, a presentation of some of the Nordic Larp Talk videos you might want to check out, and a collection of essays that were particular highlights of previous Knutepunkt books. (Here’s a review of the book that may give you an initial impression and guide you through the essays.

    Nordic Larp – An epic tome that presents a cross-section of this vibrant culture through 30 outstanding larps, by presenting stories told by designers, players and researchers, with over 250 photographs. In addition the book contains essays explaining the history and rhetoric of Nordic larp, and contextualizing it in relation to theatre, art and games. In 2012 the book received the Diana Jones Award for Excellence in Gaming. The link leads to a free PDF copy of the book, which is around 300 pages long. (If that seems a bit much, start by looking at the pretty pictures… and work from there following what looks most interesting.)

    Nordic Larp on TLC – A 14-minute documentary shot in Denmark, focusing on a larp set under a repressive regime.

    Games


     Terra IncognitaMad about the Boy is a larp about survivors of a global disaster that killed all men in mere minutes. The site presents the larp itself, and gives you access to a larpscript that shows how the designers envision a run of the larp (including pre-written characters). This is one of very few examples of a ready-to-run larger-scale Nordic larp currently available. It’s a useful resource to get a better idea of the practicalities of designing and running such larps.

    Just a Little Lovin’ – The website for the 2013 run of this larp about the impact of AIDS on the gay community in New York in the early 1980s. It has a lot of interesting material about the designers’ vision and inspiration, and about Nordic larp in general.

    Larps from the Factory was published in 2013, and contains 23 ‘larpscripts’ for short (one-evening) larps. This one you actually have to pay for (the PDF costs 15 EUR). The website contains some pointers on how to write a larp script yourself and a collection of videos demonstrating workshop techniques described in the book. These may seem a bit confusing if you don’t have the actual text in front of you, though.

    Chamber Games – A careful and interesting selection of small-size short-duration larps that you can download and run. The editors say “Chamber games as a format is very well situated as a place where we can try new methods and experiment with form and content of what a larp can look like. The experiences we get from doing this can be relevant also to how larger larps can be organized and for developing larp as a form of expression, art and entertainment.”

    Jeepform is a brand/design tradition separate from, but intertwined with Nordic larp (many of the designers are active in both communities). Jeepform might be called a hybridized form of table-top role-playing and larp. The design collective has put out a number of scenarios which require very little in the way of costumes and props, rather experimenting with techniques and exploring subjects on the border of what has been common in traditional role-playing games. The site is in English, has a number of games for free download, and includes a dictionary of sorts explaining central concepts. Before visiting the site proper, you might want to read American author Lizzie Stark’s article ‘Jeepform for Noobs’.

    Stockholm Scenario Festival has 22 scenarios for free download. They’re all written down, re-playable and playable without the writers present. Some are written in the Jeepform tradition, some are short larps, others are ‘black box larps’.

    Practical Resources

    WorkshopPre-game workshops – This blog is a tool for larp organizers and others interested in methods for character development and group building, and has been created to gather knowledge and particularly methods for doing different kinds of larp workshops.

    Debriefing Intense Larps 101 – Many larps in the Nordic tradition deal with mature subjects and potentially heavy emotional content. This essay describes one approach to dealing with such experiences, the so-called ‘debrief’ (the site also has several other essays with practical applications).

    Conventions

    So You Think You Can Dance? being played at Knutepunkt 2013Knutepunkt – The main hub of the Nordic scene has room for around 300 participants, and alternates between Finland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark (changing name depending on the country). The festival/conference/convention has panel debates, short larps, workshops, lectures and social events, and draws an increasingly international crowd of larp professionals, artists, game researcher, designers, organizers and players every year. English is the official language. 2014’s occasion, which was in Sweden, can be found here: the next three conventions will be Knudepunkt 2015 (Denmark), Solmukohta 2016 (Finland) and Knutepunkt 2017 (Norway).

    Grenselandet is a festival for short games held in Oslo, Norway every fall. Games are run in English, and the festival caters to an international audience.

    Fastaval is an annual gaming convention in Denmark with newly written/designed tabletop role-playing games, free-form games and larps. There is also a large selection of board games, miniature war gaming and collectible card games. Danish is the primary language, but the convention also caters to English speakers.

    Stockholm Scenario Festival – A freeform and larp convention held in Stockholm. English is the default language of the convention.

    Publications

    2013 Knutepunkt-booksNordiclarp.org – Recently relaunched as a magazine site, with news from the Nordic larp scene; a wiki that contains a lot of useful definitions, links, documentation and history ; a web-based forum; and more.

    Playground Magazine – The (now defunct) Playground Magazine came out with seven issues in the period 2011–2012. It had its roots in the Knutepunkt scene, and aimed to cover larps internationally. The Nordic tradition is clearly prevalent amongst the subjects, though. All of the issues can be downloaded for free. The articles have a more journalistic approach than is the case with many of the Knutepunkt-book essays, and there are lots of illustrations and photos.

    Knutepunkt Books – Since 2001, at least one book has been published to accompany each Knutepunkt convention. All of them are available for free download. The articles vary a lot in content and quality. Some are proper academic articles; others are more essayistic in approach. There’s documentation and analysis of larps held, presentations of techniques and theories, and lots more besides. It can be a little overwhelming to approach 13+ years of such discourse, so this year’s Foundation Stone book could be a good place to start.

    The Book of KAPO – Free PDF documenting the Danish larp KAPO, which was set in a surreal prison camp. Also available from RollespilsAkademiet: The Book of The White War, The Book of Mad About the Boy.

    Other Sites of Interest

    Nordic Larp TalksNordic Larp Talks – A collection of TED-talk-style videos, usually fairly short, on a variety of subjects relating to the Nordic Larp tradition. Have a look around and see if any of them catch your interest. A recommended list of videos to start off with is given early on in the Foundation Book mentioned previously.

    North American and Nordic Larp Exchange – A Facebook forum set up for Nordic and North American larpers (now joined by plenty from other countries) to exchange ideas and experiences. To quote, “It’s mainly aimed at ‘mainstream’ larp and fantasy rather than art house larp, but everything larp is welcome!”

    The Larpwright – Norwegian larp designer/theorist Eirik Fatland’s blog contains a bunch of interesting and clearly-explained essays on larp dramaturgy, player safety, documentation and more.

    Lizzie Stark has a terrific range of material on Nordic larp and related topics – primers, advice for players and organizers, write-ups of larps and other events, and more new articles frequently added.

    Claus Raasted on Soundcloud – Danish Claus Raasted makes a living doing larp. In this series of podcasts, he covers a bunch of larp-related subjects. Short, sweet and entertaining.

    electro-LARP – An international network publishing articles and larp reviews from various traditions, including the Nordic one.

    PanoptiCorp Documentary – A 15-minute film about PanoptiCorp, a satirical larp set in an advertising agency.

    Delirium – A 28-minute documentary about this Danish larp themed around love and madness.

    Geographical Labels

    LimboSome consider the geographical label “Nordic” unfortunate and somewhat alienating. This tradition of design and theory is spreading, and has entered a global discourse on larp and role-playing games. Scandinavian designers have been influenced by the US indie table-top scene for many years. Brazilian larpers have picked up games and ideas from the Nordic and US traditions and utilized them for their own purposes. Larp communities in Palestine and Belarus are developing in dialogue with the Nordic scene. Knutepunkt has participants from all over Europe, the US, Israel, Palestine, Russia, and beyond. And ‘Nords’ have been all over the place for years, learning what they can from various traditions, academic disciplines and participatory arts. The “Nordic” label has sort of stuck, though, for better or worse.

    Finally

    So, in this short article you’ve seen some highlights of the many terrific resources that are available to you as you start to bring Nordic goodness into your own larp experience. Nordic larpers are friendly people who love to talk and to explain about what they do – so if you have questions, you will always find plenty of answers. But be warned – it’s addictive! Once you’ve gone Nordic, you may never want to go back. We look forward to hearing about your journey!

  • Voices from Knutpunkt

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    Voices from Knutpunkt is a crowd-sourced initiative to document and share the experience and the people  at the Nordic larp conference Knutpunkt 2014.

    You are welcome to take part in the collaboration. If you want to discuss it, please join the facebook group.

    At Knutpunkt there will also be a program item in the beginning of the conference, introducing the initiative.

     

    Hashtags
    #knutpunkt2014 – used for all posts in social media such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

    Photo policy
    We encourage you to ask first before taking a photo of someone and follow the Knutpunkt photo policy.

    Formats
    We have put together a smörgåsbord with formats for sharing Knutpunkt. Pick and choose what you like or make up your own thing.

     

    Interview

    A post at your own blog with an interview, either as text, video or just a youtube video. Interview a participant, program host, volunteer or organizer. Examples of questions can be what the person has done during Knutpunkt, experiences, reflextions, something the person wants to share from their larp community, etc. Try to ask open questions that can not be answered with only a yes or no reply. If you want to publish text but don’t have your own blog we can help you out in the facebook group.

     

    Program item summary

    A blog post that summarizes a program item that you have attended. It could include media such as images and video. Try to use these topics as your main headlines.

    • Format – describe what you did.
    • Content – what was the program item about and what was the purpose?
    • Take away – what did you find most interesting and do you have any reflections after the program items.

     

    Participant portrait

    A photo of a participant posted on Instagram, Facebook or any other service. Ask three questions and write the answers in the description: name, country and why they visit Knutpunkt. Example: Petter, Sweden, is at Knutpunkt to meet new and old friends, and learn new stuff. #knutpunkt2014

    A 15 second video with a participant statement on Instagram. Before you start the recording you have asked What is the best thing about Knutpunkt? In the description, write name and “best of Knutpunkt.” Example: [Video starts] “I love the creative atmosphere here!” Description: Petter’s best of #knutpunkt2014.

     

    Experience report

    A twitter post. This is your typical KP tweet, stating what’s up. Remember that tweets have a 140 sign limit. Example: Ending ceremony at #knutpunkt2014 in 10 min. Gahwd I will miss these people!

    A photo illustrating an activity or an event, posted on Instagram, Facebook or any other service. Write a short or long description of the event and your experience. Example: [image of a panel] Discussion about collaboration between polish and German larp communities. Amazed by the dedication of the polish organizers. I want to get involved! #knutpunkt2014

    Example: [image of people playing board games] At #knutpunkt2014, a Finnish and Danish stand off in Settlers of Catan. Just wait until the winner meets the norwegian champion!

    A youtube video where you can combine elements such as statements by you or interviews of others, about a topic of interest. Examples of topics are program items, reflections about the community etc.

     

    Your own format

    Of course we welcome your creative efforts, so don’t feel limited to these suggestions.

     

    Questions
    If you have any questions about the initiative, feel free to ask them in the facebook group or directly to Petter Karlsson who is responsible for the project, at petter.karlsson@gmail.com

    Introduction held at Knutpunkt 2014

    Download slides: Voices of Knutpunkt
    Updated with slides 2014-04-03
  • Change is Coming

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    We are rebooting Nordiclarp.org as an online magazine. Instead of only linking to other websites we will produce original content as well as republishing interesting and important texts from the past or other sources. The wiki will remain in its current form, although we are looking into reducing the threshold to start contributing.

    We are now looking for a few things.

    • Writers. We need your content, new or old, as long as it’s interesting and relevant.
    • Editors. People who can get others to write and/or edit others texts. This means reading them and giving feedback.
    • Reporters. We want reports from larps, conferences, conventions and other larp events. Text, video, photos, illustrations, podcasts. All welcome.
    • Translators. Help get texts in your local language a global readership!

    We will be a group of chief editors, one from each Nordic country. Besides this and the staff mentioned above, we would love to have at least one official national correspondent in each country where there is larp.

    This is of course all done non-profit, but you do get the chance to shape the website and get a photo byline.

    We need content and staff from all the Nordic countries and the rest of the world where Nordic style larp is happening.

    We hope to launch before Knutpunkt 2014 and are especially interested in people who can help do reports from A Week in Gothenburg and Knutpunkt!

    Contact us on: contribute@nordiclarp.org

    / The New Staff