I Got The Power

A game needs two things above all else to run: players and money.  Yes, you need a staff to do things like plot and logistics, and a campsite or some place to play, and an engaging storyline and a stock of NPC weapons and costuming doesn't hurt, either.  But let's face it.  The game wouldn't be there without the players, and a game can't run eternally in the red.  It needs you and your money.  Which is why it boggles me completely to hear people talk about playing games they profess to hate.  People, you are paying for an entertainment service.  If you're not entertained, wtf are you paying for?

If you are a member of a LARP and the game starts taking a turn in a direction you don't like, be it staffing changes, story changes, general treatment of the membership, dynamics, etc., there are a few things you can do to try to make the experience more enjoyable.  The first thing is a little introspective: you need to remember that a game is a living, breathing, shifting thing, and you need to be adaptable.  Because people come and go, and people change, and life changes, your game is also going to change.  Rules that just don't work for the game are going to be changed (or should be).  Storylines are going to change from time to time.  Because old players are continuously leaving and new players are continuously joining up, because the power level is constantly shifting, because that's just life, the game changes.  If you go into it knowing that things are not always going to be as they are, you might find that you can handle those changes a little better, rather than trying to cling to the way things were.

Now, you might find that changes are going on that make the game hard to enjoy, or are otherwise just not your cuppa.  Or, you might find the opposite: a game might be stagnating, keeping plot lines that are going nowhere and hanging on to rules that break the game.  Worse still, the social dynamic might be shifting, and extra attention is being given to certain cliques, or choice NPC roles are being given to significant others or close friends over and over again.  It's now time to get off your duff and do something. 

There are basically two major things you can do to help bring about necessary change: get in or get out.  Getting in means that you start talking to people.  You get to know the game mechanics very well, and you can offer suggestions for fixing the parts that are broken.  Taking that a step further, you can look into joining the game's staff.  Have a good idea for a plot?  Are you awesome at crunching numbers?  Do you just love sorting and filing?  Do you love marshalling armies to go out and wreak carnage and havoc?  There is probably some kind of room for you on the staff.  It is a lot easier to try to spur change when you are in a position to make rules and regulations and set precedent.

Sometimes it's just not possible though.  You might not want to take on the reponsibility of being a staff member.  You might not want to deal with the politics that are often attendant.  There might not be any open staff positions.  The current staff might not be apporachable, in one possible worst-case scenario.  This, my friends, is the time to step up and speak with your dollars and your presence--Namely, by removing both.  I mean it.  There is no reason in the world to stay somewhere where you are unhappy, dissatisfied, and not having a good time.  I hear from a lot of people that are unhappy with the game they attend regularly how awful the game itself is, but that they enjoy hanging out with their friends.  I always have to ask why they can't possibly do something else to hang out with their friends elsewhere.  Because really, that money that you're dumping into the game you hate would be much better spent playing laser tag or going to Dave & Buster's or throwing a hotel party or JUST ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE.  But LARP Chick, you say, I talked to the director and I don't have to pay, I just have to show up!  To which I say, again, don't fucking do it.  By making an appearance, you are giving the game your approval; you are saying yes, this is worth my time and effort, and by showing up, I am telling other players that I support the system as-is.  If you don't support it, don't go.

And if you do go, then for the love of all that is holy, don't bitch.  Because the only thing I want to hear about less than the stats on your character card is how you're going yet another month to the Worst Game Ever.