Four Things Players Can Do To Help the Staff

Photo by Allana Marie

At Dystopia Rising New York, we have an amazing player base who’s always asking us “How can we help out?” Unfortunately, at events we’re often so busy we don’t have a good answer other than “Um, pick that thing up and put it down over there.” So between events, we came up with four things our players can do if they want to help out the staff.

Phys Reps

We’ve had this come up multiple times and it’s actually caused a couple of larger issues: you have to phys rep any item not stored in your supply bag. Further, some items need phys reps - typically weapons and armor, and some of these require specific phys reps. In addition, you have to have a phys rep for any injectable or brew you use. If you don’t have a phys rep for an item, it can be “stored” in your supply bag, but you still have to take the item card out to use it. We’ve gotten lax on this, because honestly, it doesn’t ruin the staff’s game if you don’t use a phys rep… but when other players are watching and reacting to what you do… they need to know you did something. 

Mess Up, Fess Up

Whenever we do card checks after a big fight, there’s a tremendous number of characters who happen to have used exactly all their Mind. In a way, this makes sense - you use Mind until you’re out - but we’re also pretty sure some people are losing count and afraid of getting “in trouble.” Please, if you make a mistake, it’s a mistake… you’re not a bad person or a cheater. Let us know, and we’ll make a note and try to help you out (perhaps with coaching, if you want it, on how to keep track of skills during combat). If you tell us “Hey, I messed up” we’re not going to give you a warning, unless it’s particularly egregious (i.e. “Hey, I messed up and accidentally spent 12 Resolve in that fight).

Light Discipline

We emphasize the use of red flashlights and everyone is pretty good about using them… but every now and then we have a problem. Red light doesn’t interfere with night vision, but having a light shined in your eyes still interferes with your ability to focus on anything other than that light. Please, carry a flashlight, use a flashlight, but never shine a flashlight at another person's face. (We don’t know if our guides get flashlights shined at them more often than other people… maybe it’s to see the green headband… but it happens a lot). 

Read This Chart

We have five calls that confuse players more than any others… so we made a chart. Remember, if something is delivered via a strike, you can call Avoid, so the counters on the chart below are in addition to Avoiding a physical strike.

How To Travel

Photo by Allana Marie

The weather’s getting warmer, and all across the network we have premiere games and national events springing up. This means a lot of us will be traveling over the next few months, visiting other chapters all across the country. Travel can be one of the most rewarding things about Dystopia Rising - you have dozens of games to visit and thousands of friends to see. But it can also be stressful, challenging, and even disappointing. So how do you make sure you have an awesome experience, worth the time you put into it?

The Challenges of Travel - Change & the Unknown

After a few Dystopia Rising games at your home chapter, you know what to expect. You have a routine. You’ve figured out how to store your gear, load it into your car, and when you have to leave for site. You know who you’re getting a ride with and where you’re sleeping. You know what to do for food and where Afters will be. And when you head to a different chapter, a lot of that goes out the window. Maybe you have to fly and figure out how to get your gear through the TSA. Maybe you have no idea about the bunk situation at the new camp. This means changes to your routine, and further, a lot of unknown variables. And people generally don’t like changes to routine.

So what do you do about these challenges? Here are some suggestions:

• Be Early. Everything gets easier if you have time. Getting to site early means you don’t have to worry about a bunk, can head to the store to buy groceries, and have time to explore the site. If you can plan to be early when traveling, it’ll give you a lot of options when you encounter an unfamiliar situation.

• Pack Light. Your character is traveling too… you probably don’t need all your gear. Figure out what you, the player, need to be comfortable and focus on that. The pad you have to sleep on at night? Bring that. The awesome trunk that’s very genre but is a pain in the ass to find space for in a crowded bunk room? Leave it behind. Take what you need to be comfortable, and don’t worry as much about aesthetics and other extras.

• Be Flexible. Maybe at your home chapter, you and your six friends always grab a cabin and bunk together. You’ve done this every game, and now you’re all traveling to a different chapter… and there’s no space for the six of you to stay together. That’s cool. Split up, meet new people… it’ll be fine. Sometimes, you have out-of-character needs that you have to meet but if it’s an in-character preference, be prepared to let it go.

Don’t forget: if you do have an out-of-character need, contact the staff before you arrive. Let them know if you need med sleep or have specific needs: that gives them time to accommodate (remember, “be early.”)

Being Part of the Game

The biggest challenge of travel might not be the obstacles to getting on site and finding a bunk, but your own expectations. A travel game is special… you might only have a couple a year… and you arrive hoping to have an extraordinary game. And when you get there, you don’t know the local plots, you don’t know the local setting, and all the local players are busy doing their own thing. Sometimes, it feels like you’re a supporting character in someone else’s story.

The trick to countering that is to get involved. Just like you might advise a new player to “try everything,” you have to actively seek out plots and stories. Here’s a good travel challenge: say “yes” to everything. Say yes to every NPC who asks you to help them, say yes to every local who wants to show something, and keep saying yes until you find your niche in this new game. Remember: you are the one responsible for your own good time, and so it’s important that you take charge of your own experience at travel games.

Remember, the difficulties getting involved aren't always a bad thing, particularly if there are other players from your local game there. Often, at our own games, players have a lot to do: multiple meetings, businesses to run, and all sorts of responsibilities to regular players. At a travel game, you might have more time to relax, and might even find yourself spending more time with people you see regularly than you would at your local game.

Helping Travelers

While the onus is on travelers to take care of themselves, they are guests in your chapter… and valued guests at that. They didn’t come here to hear negative things about their home, or how awesome you are. They didn’t travel all this way to sit on a bench and miss out on the plot. They came because they heard your game was a lot of fun and wanted to try it, and probably need your help. It’s important to identify travelers and get to know them: pull them into your role-play and schemes and give them things to do. A good way to do this is to find a feature unique to your game and share it. For example, no one who visits Requiem is disappointed with a trip to the waterfall, so you can invite travelers out to see it. Making the effort to share the game with them could be what makes the trip worthwhile for them.

Travel is what separates a networked game from a bunch of individual local games: we gain something by having a wider world out there, and travel is how we realize that value. The better prepared you are when you travel, and the better you treat travelers, the better all games will be across the network.

What’s Old Is New - Returning Players

Photo By Shawn Smith

At Dystopia Rising New York - and to a degree, the network as a whole - we think a lot about new players… how to recruit them, how to make them have a good experience, and how we can bring them back for more. And this emphasis is important! New players are the lifeblood of any larp, and there’s a good reason we focus on them. But sometimes, in our zeal to improve the experience for new players, other groups get left behind. And one group in particular needs some attention these days: returning players.

What Do We Mean By “Returning Players?”

Given time, everyone moves on from their favorite larp. Maybe our lives change, maybe we leave for health or physical reasons, or maybe we just lose interest. But sometimes, people come back. Their reasons vary: maybe they’ve resolved the situation that kept them from larp, like they finished grad school and now have free time. Or maybe they missed their friends and want to see them again. For whatever reason, a returning player is someone who took an extended break and decides to come back. 

Often these players have some common traits:

• They probably never played under the current ruleset, and are unfamiliar with how the rules work.

• They previously played for a decent period of time, having established themselves and their character in the larp.

• They probably don’t recognize a lot of faces, as many of their friends have also moved on. 

The Issue: We Don’t Offer Returning Players the Same Level of Care

So imagine if a new player showed up, didn’t know the rules very well, didn’t have many friends, but had a strong character concept they really wanted to play. How would you treat them?

Now imagine someone showed up and does the exact same thing, but they’re a returning player, their strong character concept is actually based on years of play with which you’re unfamiliar. How does that dynamic change for you?

A returning player is a lot like a new player, only they’ve invested time into their character concept, and it’s harder for them to change it. If anything, they have a bigger obstacle to play in some way: they can’t easily recalibrate years of history with a hand wave. Further, the game has changed quite a bit in terms of setting in the last few years, meaning there’s a lot of change to navigate. But a returning player has another obstacle to clear: the resistance of existing players.

Larpers sometimes have a bad tendency to establish a hierarchy, particularly in long-term games. It takes a while to earn experience, establish social connections, and set up things like in-game organizations or businesses. When a new player arrives, there’s no threat of competition: this new player has to take time to establish their character. But a returning player might come back with a significant amount of experience, stacks of in-game money and scrap, and memories of social connections that they find important. They might have been leaders of organizations previously… and if they try to reestablish themselves, other larpers might look at it as a threat. 

The result? Where a new player might get assistance, a returning player might get ignored, or worse, a defensive correction. If a new player comes in and starts making up a magnificent backstory on the spot, they’re greeted with enthusiasm, but if a returning player tells a similar story that happened in actual play, other players often fail to engage or worse, shoot them down. Returning players need support too and often they’re met with indifference or worse.

So What Should We Do?

Returning players need our support. After all, they decided to come back for another shot… while it’s hard to try something new, it’s just as hard to come back after years away. Here’s some specific solutions to help returning players engage with the game:

• Tell… and listen to… war stories. Nostalgia often plays a part in a player’s decision to return. Don’t just listen when they tell you about something that happened at a game ten years ago; ask them about it. Find a common point and tell a similar story. But engaging with these stories takes “ancient history” and makes it into shared history.

• Involve them the way you would a new player. Lots of us are very good at inviting new players to join us in various activities. Extend that same courtesy to returning players. What’s more, work to get them involved, particularly in things like religious activities or criminal influence meetings. They may have been highly involved previously: let them get involved again. 

• Guide them through change, don’t just correct. A lot of story elements have changed. Some changes were dramatic and often done to remove problematic elements from the setting. Many were more subtle. Sometimes, a returning player might not be “playing the same game;” when this happens, you probably need some extended role-play to guide the player through the changes, as opposed to just telling them they’re wrong. Remember, change is hard, and it’s harder when people aren’t patient.

• Let them shine, particularly when they use their skills. The ruleset we use has changed a lot, and it can be extremely frustrating for a player who remembers how their character previously played when they’re struggling with a deadlier system today. If you have a chance to let them be the one who uses their mechanics to save the day, encourage them. Having a few “wins” early on can help them enjoy the system much more.

What About The People Who Never Left?

We’ve talked about how to help returning players, and we try to make every effort to help new players, but there’s another group we should mention: our regulars. While new and returning players have particular obstacles, our regulars are just as important, and deserve to enjoy the game as much as anyone else. If you’re a regular, don’t forget: while it’s important to help new and returning players, your fun is also important. You’re not wrong to advocate for your own experience, as we know you will be mindful of others while you do.

Prepping For the Big Game

Photo by London Belli

It’s finally here… Honor’s Fall is tomorrow! As you get ready to join us for our game of the year, we wanted to offer you some tips for how to prepare for the game. Some of these are very practical, while others are emotional: pre-gaming for moments of frustration or anxiety will help you manage your experience at the event, and help you enjoy it.

1. Anything You Can Do Now, Do It Now

When you wake up tomorrow, you’re going to have a big journey ahead of you. You’re probably going to need to go to camp, drop off your stuff, set up your bunk, and get food for the weekend… and that’s not considering eating, resting and drinking water. If there’s something you can do now, the night before, do it. Your future self will thank you.

2. Everything’s Going To Take Longer When You Get There

We’ll have twice as many people on site as we’ve ever had. It’s going to take you longer to drive on site, twice as long to pick up your character packet… you’ll have to either wait twice as long or walk twice as far to go to the bathroom. Think about those things, and remind yourself that everything will take longer with all the extra people.

3. Check Your Essentials

Here’s a list of things we often see people forget (think PIST, because you’ll be pissed if you forget them): your Pillow, Item Cards, Shoes (this happens more than you think) and Toiletries. Make sure they’re with your kit so that you don’t forget them.

4. Anticipate Your Low Point

We all have parts of the Dystopia Rising experience that upsets us. Maybe you hate being hot and sweaty. Maybe you hate it when the showers run out of hot water. Maybe someone in your crew wakes you up at 9 am every morning. Whatever it is, ask yourself “what pisses me off every game?” Because with 200 people at Honor’s Fall, it will happen. Anticipating it, and realizing “wow, I’m really angry right now,” will help you identify your low point and work through it.

5. Plan Your Meals, Then Add Two Snacks

Normally, we’d advise you to add one snack, but Honor’s Fall is an extra day. It’s important to have a plan for putting calories in your body, and once you make that plan, back yourself up. Make sure it’s something you like to eat… get something easy and prepackaged that you consider comfort food. When there’s no hot food around, being able to grab that snack will make a difference.

6. Get Some Sleep Tonight

Seriously. Playing Dystopia Rising from Friday to Sunday can be exhausting. Not only are we starting Thursday, but we will be running mods all night Saturday.  Don’t start the event sleep deprived.

Tips For CvC

Photo by London Bellie

Dystopia Rising New York is a Character-versus-Character (CvC) oriented game. Despite this, there’s not much more CvC than you might find at other chapters - even at Honor’s Fall, there have not been many instances where one character attacked and killed another. Instead, our CvC has many levels: characters yelling at each other over disagreements, direct competition for resources, and indirect jockeying for power. However, we do expect CvC to occur when the sun goes down Saturday night at Honor’s Fall, and wanted to offer a few tricks to help people enjoy the experience.

Don’t Confuse the Possibility of CvC With Actual Conflict

Practically all of Requiem is Wasteland. You can be attacked at any point without a guide. So how come there’s not much CvC violence in Requiem?

The answer is simple: CvC conflict requires both motive and opportunity, and the possibility of CvC only offers players the opportunity to attack other players. The structure and style of Requiem means that there’s not much random violence from player characters (the same can’t be said for some of the roving bands of NPCs you might encounter, of course). The constant opportunity for violence means there’s always the possibility of CvC, but it’s extremely rare for actual conflict to occur without a motive. 

So the first CvC tip is this: consider who specifically might want to attack or kill your character… and if you can’t think of anyone, relax a bit. If you can’t think of anyone who might hire an assassin to kill your character, there’s probably no one coming after you. If there is someone, and you really don’t want to engage in CvC, reach out to them and talk. Which brings us to our most important tip.

Engaging In CvC Is a Sign Of Respect and Trust

It’s actually really hard to kill a player in Dystopia Rising, particularly without a guide. In the heat of the moment, calls get missed, Body gets miscounted, and people use rules incorrectly. This isn’t necessarily cheating… people make mistakes. It’s incredibly important to give your other players the benefit of the doubt, to show empathy, and remember that behind that character you’re fighting is another player. 

Here’s our next tip: only engage in CvC with players you respect and trust. If you don’t, then you can’t count on them to work through bleed and keep things in character. If someone’s about to engage in CvC with you, take that as a sign of respect and trust, and if you don’t want it, say so… politely and respectfully… out of character. 

Remember: it’s easy to mistake a person trying to hurt your character as trying to hurt you (this is the very definition of bleed). If you feel scared or threatened, saying so out of character is a quick way to see an enemy character turn into a helpful, out-of-character friend.

Play Hard, Play Through, and Leave It All On the Field.

Okay, so you’re ready to CvC. You know your target - it’s your buddy, and you two have been hyping up the conflict for months. Your character is going to try to murder theirs, and when the siren goes off on Saturday, it’s go time. So how do you do CvC cleanly and fairly?

First, play hard. This means putting all your effort not only into “winning” (in-character, of course) but making sure you’re following all the rules and playing fairly. Do you have a killer combo that you’re sure works? Run it by the staff to make sure everyone agrees it works like you think it does. Check your cards to make sure they’re not expired. Go over your character’s skills so you know what they cost. It’s not enough to play hard once the siren goes off… if you’re planning any CvC, you have to prepare just as hard so that any conflict goes smoothly.

Second, if there’s a problem, play through. It doesn’t matter if you’ve devised the perfect death trap, and have your enemy Mangled, tied up, and under “No Escape” in Bleed Out, and the guide lets them “Never Here.” That’s a blown call, and it’s wrong, but just keep playing. It’s okay to do a quick clarification of a single sentence (“Can you “Never Here” under “No Escape?”), but after the guide reaffirms the call, don’t argue, and play through. It sucks, but there will always be blown rules calls in even the tightest of games, and you have to keep going.

Finally, leave it all on the field. Maybe you kill your friend’s character. Maybe they kill yours. During CvC, your emotions will be high and that can lead to great role-play. So let it… and let your character scream, cry, and have all the negative emotions you’re experiencing, so that when you go out-of-character, they’re purged from your system.
Remember, larping isn’t real, but it really happens. You’re not actually trying to kill the other player, but you are stalking them silently through the woods, and about to hit them with foam weapons with murderous intent. You’re going to have a lot of feelings when that’s happening! It’s easy to say “well, we’ll keep everything in character” when you’re at home, reading this blog, but you should prepare for the heightened emotional state that comes with CvC. Preparing now, and thinking about how you’re going to manage your emotions will help you immensely when the siren sounds at Honor’s Fall.

Tips for Travelers

Tips for Travelers

With over 100 travelers expected for Honor’s Fall, it’s possible the locals might actually be outnumbered by visitors. While we’ve designed our modules, such as the Hot Zone and the Bacchanal, to include people with little to no experience with Requiem, traveling to another game, particularly for the first time, brings specific challenges. How do you get involved when people already know each other, and probably already have specific plans? We have two tools to offer travelers, as well as a request for locals to help them out.

“Can I Come With You?”

The first problem a traveler faces is that they’re probably not going to get included in a lot of plans. This isn’t because people don’t like you or don’t want to play with you… it’s just because they’re used to doing things with another group of people, so those are who they think about when they say “hey, let’s plan a Hot Zone run,” or “let’s go to the waterfall.” Sometimes, when you’re sitting alone and watching other people do stuff, it can feel very isolating. When that happens, try this - ask someone who’s heading off to do something, “Can I come with you?”

Consider this blog your official permission to invite yourself to just about everything. There might be in-character consequences: you could get contaminated in the Hot Zone, and there’s probably some fallout if you crash a Murder Inc meeting, but these can be a lot of fun. Out-of-character, everyone at the game wants you to have a good time, so you’re not intruding. Just ask, “Can I come with you?” and we’ll get you involved.

“Will You Help Me With This?”

Another problem travelers face: they make a plan… to sell something, to do something with criminal influence, or organize a faith gathering… and it just doesn’t work that well. In your home game, maybe you’re the big food vendor or the Inner Circle member or high priest of your faith. In Requiem, people probably go to someone else, and it’s hard to take the initiative and lead big events. Instead of getting frustrated when people don’t get involved with your ideas, just ask someone, “Will you help me with this?”

Helping someone is a lot different than buying something from them or committing to their plan of action. Asking for help lets the other person know you’re trying to do something and need assistance. It is a favor… but it’s one people will do for you, because we want you to have a good time. So ask for help, because while people might decline an offer out of lack of interest, they’ll probably answer a request for assistance.

What’s a Local To Do?

If you’re a local, you might have noticed we’re putting the onus on travelers to seek out company and assistance. This is important… people have to put themselves out there to get involved. But asking “Can I come with you?” or “Will you help me with this?” is hard, particularly when they’re asking strangers. So we’re asking locals to just say “yes,” to travelers. Bring them along on your secret meetings and Honor’s Fall murder parties. Stop and help them out if they’re trying to sell food at the Bacchanal or need folks to help harvest crystals in the Hot Zone. When a traveler asks you for something, assume they just want to get involved, say “yes,” and help them out. 
Remember: the person most responsible for you having a good time is you. But also remember that everyone wants you to have a good time, and are willing to help out. So travelers, remember your questions and ask people to get you involved, and locals, all you have to remember is to say “yes.”

Big Event Larping

There are games, and then there are games. A Dystopia Rising chapter typically runs between 8 to 12 games a year, and for the most part, they’re relatively uniform: a chapter has a typical level of attendance that remains constant, plots players can expect, and plenty of time for socializing. However, once a year we all get to host a premiere event, and when we do, we want to make it into an event. It is, after all, our game of the year. And so we’ll promote it, offer more build, and do everything we can to attract players. But doing so makes a problem for our players: with great hype comes great expectations. How can a large event live up to expectations?

As many players are new to large events (or worse, have had bad experiences), here’s some things you can do at a premiere event (such as Honor’s Fall) to make sure your big game is one to remember.

Big Means Big

Big games run differently than smaller events. For one, there’s a lot more people, so combats tend to be either very large or over very quickly. If the staff send out a role-play mod, it’s less likely to touch all the players. And anything with a line (like the post office) gets a lot longer. So a lot of the things you might enjoy at your regular game become more difficult to enjoy, simply because of the number of people involved. 

It’s important to remember that the staff will design mods and events for many people to enjoy at once, and between these events, there might be less to do. This is especially true for an event like Honor’s Fall, where not only are we running for 150 to 200 people, we’re also focused on running all through Saturday night. To accommodate, we’ve planned a couple of big surprises throughout the event, and also have special events (like the Bacchanal) and special areas (like the Hot Zone) where many people can engage. Take the time to engage with these planned events, so that you can experience firsthand what the premiere event has to offer.

Have a Good Plan, Then Toss It Way

Since there will be more scheduled events, you’ll probably find many demands on your time. Not only do we have two Bacchanals, the chance to enter the Hot Zone, and a full 11 hour horror-spree planned for Saturday night, we’ll still have things like your criminal meeting and other regular events. In addition, with all the travelers, you’ll probably make plans to spend time with people of your faith, friends from out of town, and, of course, the Requiem Families who have a lot to do Saturday night. And this is before we interrupt you with things like the return of our merry band of raiders. There’s a lot to do.

Closer to Honor’s Fall, we’ll release a schedule with everything you need to know about the event. Use it, make plans… then be prepared to scrap them. The important thing is that the act of planning makes you aware of what you can do, and what you want out of the event. Stuff will pop up that will ruin your plans, and you won’t be able to do everything you want to do. Having a good plan, and then being prepared to deviate, will help make sure you hit the events most important to you.

The People Are The Biggest Part

For all the modules we write, props we make, and stories we tell, the most important and engaging part of Dystopia Rising are the other players. As we approach larger numbers on site, more players will be creating content - cooking food, playing music, holding faith gatherings - and that is the content we really want to showcase. The reason we’re holding a Bacchanal is to present some of the best our game has to offer in terms of food, entertainment, and crafting. However, this player-created content isn’t limited to the Bacchanal, and we encourage you to create an event (or distribute pamphlets, or just jam out with your instruments) on your own.  

As the size of the game increases, the focus of the staff broadens and diffuses, so it’s important to realize how you fit in, and to lean on your fellow players. While we’re going to hit you with everything we’ve got (and believe us, our NPC shifts have never been this big), we also want to make sure you find time to engage with all the activities you can, and remember that the best part of any event are the other players.

Winning & Losing In Larp

Photo by London Belli.

“Playing to Win” gets a bad rap in larp. Larp is a cooperative act, where we gather and agree to a common story and context, and yes, competition gets in the way of that sometimes. Approaching a larp in a play to lose manner overcomes this, and is a valid (even encouraged) playstyle. But many larps, and Dystopia Rising in particular, are games, and games have optimal and suboptimal outcomes. So when you play a larp where you can “win” or “lose,” you have to understand the game and how it affects you.

Disclaimers

First Disclaimer: This isn’t a post about Character versus Character (CvC) conflict… this is actually a post about Character versus Enemy (CvE) competition. This is about fighting that horde of zed, unraveling an in-game mystery, or solving a problem presented by the storytellers. If you’re trying to overcome a challenge in Dystopia Rising and invested in the outcome, you’re playing a game where you can win or lose. 

Second Disclaimer: The term “you can’t win a larp” is superlative… there’s some merit to the statement, but it undermines certain playstyles that are completely valid. If Raiders attack a cabin, you can save the people inside - that’s a “win.” Remember, this is about CvE - when you’re playing “against the NPCs,” you’re still competing against people. 

The Storyteller’s Dilemma

When you’re playing to win against NPCs, the NPCs and the storytellers are in a dilemma. On one hand, typically, they’re not playing to win. They want to present a challenge to the players to overcome, one that is appropriately difficult. On the other hand, they need to make the challenge feel real… and that means that sometimes, the storyteller has to win. After all, if a player never suffers defeat or setbacks, then how does the storyteller maintain the illusion of a challenge?

This is a tricky balance, and it’s made tricker because the storyteller doesn’t know how good the player will be at the game they present. With many variables, the storyteller can present an excessive challenge, or one that’s too easy. Further, the player might expect a completely different challenge, and not realize the particular type of game they’re playing. The answer to this problem is communication: where the storyteller presents the information they have, and the players respond with what they understand and what they want. However, this communication is blocked by the player’s dilemma.

The Player’s Dilemma

The player in a game wants to “win.” They want to kill the zombie, or solve the puzzle, or find the buried treasure. But realize it’s the action that’s important to them: they don’t care nearly as much about dead zombies, revealed secrets, or treasure in hand. They want the experience of accomplishing a goal. And just like people may resent getting a hint at a puzzle, players want to solve it themselves. So instead of saying “we want the solution,” or “we want a hint,” or even “we’re not sure what to do,” they keep trying different solutions, taking stabs in the dark even as the storyteller tries to figure out how to get them back on track. There’s a solution to this problem, which we call the HULK check.

The HULK Check

Just like we have the OK Check-In to address other people, particularly in the middle of conflict, we have a check-in we’ve developed for people in the middle of CvE conflict. The HULK check is something you do by yourself, to check how you’re engaging in the player’s dilemma. 

H - Having Fun Am I having a good time right now? Is this activity fun and causing me excitement? Or am I beginning to get frustrated, angry or hurt?

U - Understanding Do I feel like I understand what’s going on? Do I think I know the next step of the plan? Or am I taking shots in the dark with no idea how to succeed?

L - Losing Am I ready for the plan to not succeed? Have I considered how I’ll roleplay if I fail?  

K - Kindness Have I considered how I’m impacting other players? This isn’t a matter if other people are being kind to me, it’s a matter of am I being kind and considerate to other players.

If the answer to any of these questions is negative, do one of three things:

1. Take a break! Sometimes you just need some space.

2. Ask for a hint. Talk to a guide and tell them you need some help. Don’t tell them you’re not having fun or the module is bad… ask for actual help. Try “I’m not sure what to do next… can you give me a hint?”

3. Double down on losing. Sometimes, it’s more fun to commit to tragic consequences than it is to struggle to win. Let your character make a mistake, and gain control of the narrative, even as you lose.

CvE conflict involves winning and losing - it’s a simple fact of Dystopia Rising. If you want to win, you have to be ready to lose, and the HULK check is there to help make sure you self-calibrate during the game, so that you can enjoy both outcomes.

Making the Most of...

Photo by London Belli

At Dystopia Rising, we spend a lot of time on our costumes, and they look great. We distress our jackets, sew all sorts of patches and accessories, and craft realistic boffer weapons. However, then we often pack those costumes into suitcases, cover our bunks in sleeping bags and spread out all sorts of non-genre items across our sleeping space. 

Remember: there’s nothing wrong with this. The most important thing about your sleeping space is that you’re comfortable sleeping in it, and genrefying your sleeping space costs both time and money that not everyone has. But we do spend a significant amount of time in our bunks, and if you want to make it an immersive space, consider the following tips for making the most of your sleeping space.

Start with bedding

Remember the number one rule: you have to be comfortable sleeping in your bunk, so if the sleeping bag works for you, go with the sleeping bag. However, having actual bedding… sheets, blankets and pillows… is the first step to making your sleeping space look post-apocalyptic. It’s also a role-play opportunity. Does your character make the bed? Do they have an elaborate set-up of pillows and quilts or just a spartan blanket over white sheets? Do they make militaristic hospital corners? And even if you have a sleeping bag, consider bringing an old sheet or blanket to throw over it when you’re not using it.

Find the best bags

Particularly for Dystopia Rising New York, your storage and travel space may be limited. People who ride share might not be able to take extra equipment to phys rep their space.  In this case, consider what you’re using to carry your stuff to game. A military duffle can probably carry all your gear, and it’s completely in genre for Dystopia Rising. If you have space in a car, a trunk can store a tremendous amount of storage, and double as furniture. Often these solutions are less expensive than buying a modern roller bag, and can often be found at military surplus stores (if you’re in New York City, consider Army Navy Bags… a store that just sells military bags at low prices.)

Organize your space

Bunks at Dystopia Rising often are in tight, cramped areas that become even tighter and more cramped when you add a dozen larpers. Work to keep your stuff in bags, boxes and out of piles on the floor. This isn’t just consideration for other larpers, but an actual survival tactic: when you’re in SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) you’re taught to keep your stuff off the ground as much as possible to keep it clean. Even if you can’t keep it out of piles, consider throwing up a privacy sheet around your bed, and then piling it on top, at least until you go to sleep. 

A little goes along way

A string of christmas lights, a couple of tea lights, and a few pieces of paper or clippings to hang on the wall go a long way from transforming your space from a temporary bunk to a living space for your character. Is there a drawing you particularly like? An in-game newspaper article or picture? A piece of canvas with your faith’s holy symbol? These items will fit in a backpack without taking up too much space, and help make your sleeping space more immersive.

Remember, a sleeping space is a place for sleep, first and foremost, and genrefying it is a nice “extra.” Using these tips can help make your character feel like a more persistent presence in the world in an affordable and easy manner.

Making the Most of... Mods

Photo by London Belli

A Dystopia Rising game has many parts: the economy, roaming threats of zed and raiders, and persistent NPCs (or “Casted Characters”) to name a few. One staple of the Dystopia Rising experience are mods; short stories that typically last an hour or so, using the players on NPC shift. At their best, mods are creative and original, creating a memorable experience. At their worst, they’re formulaic and forgettable. The staff of every game commits to creating the highest quality of mods that they can, but even experienced designers don’t hit their marks every time.  So how does a player make sure they have a good time on mods?

Remember that mods are just an opportunity for role-play

Mods aren’t stories in and of themselves, they’re opportunities to tell a story. Designers spend a lot of time making their hooks original and their encounters challenging, but all that really matters is “did the players engage and have fun?” When a mod goes out, it’s going to wander the area of play, offering players the chance to engage.  Remember this: if you choose to engage in a mod, commit to the bit. If a merchant mod comes out with NPCs selling items and equipment, put down what you’re doing and talk to that NPC. Play “yes, and…” or “no, but…” with the NPC, building a rapport more than “how much money for those item cards.” You don’t have to engage with a mod, but when you do, fully engage with it. A mod is just an opportunity, don’t half-commit to that opportunity.

Understand the structure

While designers strive for creativity, predictable structures aren’t bad: they let the players know how to engage in the mod. Mods often have a set structure: a hook goes out to let players know “hey, this thing is happening,” (i.e. zed are coming out of the morgue), then the challenge occurs after the players gather at the location, and finally, there’s some resolution at the end. The heart of the mod is usually the challenge: that’s the reason the mod goes out, so players have something to do. Gathering for the mod is an important response to committing to the opportunity (see below), but players also have a hand in resolution. Remember, the NPCs are going to go back to ops, drink water, put their clothes back on racks, and then get ready to go again. There’s not much opportunity to have resolution beyond the point where the NPCs head back, so realize you have leave everything on the table before the end of the mod. Say what you want to say to the NPCs as if you’ll never see them again, make sure you get any rewards you think are due, because once the mod ends, there might not be any follow-up. And, of course, leaving nothing unsaid makes the mod more memorable, which actually increases the chance of follow-up.

Gather your forces

Mods are usually timed (i.e. “4 pm on Saturday”), so you never know who’s around when the mod goes out. Instead of looking for your friends, try a new version of the 10-foot rule… ask everyone within 10 feet of you if they’ll help. Having a motley crew of strangers out on a mod is often more interesting than going out with the people you hang with all the time. If someone you rarely role-play with asks for your help, and you’re not doing anything, consider going with them and committing to the bit.

You can’t control the mods that go out, but you can control how you engage. These three tips… commit to the bit, leave everything on the table, and the 10-foot rule… will help maximize your enjoyment on mods, regardless of the situation.