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| Photo by Jesse Gifford |
April 1992, Tournament of Fools held at Mt Holyoke College. I was 17 years old, swinging a pvc sword with old school tan foam (the stuff that used to last forever), I can not begin to tell you how much extra duct tape was on that sword (because its long gone). Yeah, there was overlaid layers of tape the length of the blade. It was a classic example of how not to make a weapon. I think that everyone had a sword like that in those days.
We had black bladed magic weapons, non stealable magic weapons, and plastic eggs filled with confetti as "sleep spells". The Amazons were still active and around, there was an early Marshalls Guild, lots of people were wearing sweat pants, and Mirkshaw were some of the only people with real armor on (not cobbled together tin squares and plastic plates, stitched to a sweatshirt). This is turning into a “Where are they now?” post, I should tell a better story right about, now.
The event itself, honestly, wasn't that different from a modern event. It was held in an indoor auditorium, with hardwood floors, a balcony where a side dungeon was run (that reportedly had a plot to it, I don't remember plot just some monsters that fought better than I did and had real weapon combos as opposed to my 3'8"), and at the end there was an award ceremony where paper certificates and schlock jewelry were handed out. I won Best Newbie (I have no idea what the criteria was, it still baffles me to this day), and I won a plastic shopping bag full of costume jewelry that was completely useless and of no game value at all. It was the most awesome and epic prize ever. There was a plastic lightning bolt pendant with a shell collar attached to it, a fake emerald necklace with cubic zirconia and matching earrings, it was awesomely cheap and I still remember it all (and yet I seem to have forgotten how to read cursive script. Priorities right?).
I loved that event, I still remember it fondly (obviously right?). I'd love to see more one day tournament events with a side dungeon, doing scheduled small group runs through the day. Who cares if everyone gets a similar quest and a similar line up of monsters, it was still fun for a new player. It could also be a way for plot to be distributed outside of the confines of email and or Seer magic.
How has the game changed since you've been playing?
It hasn't changed, not a bit. The game has not changed. It's the same game. Some rules have been added, subtracted, and modified for clarity. Weapon tech is a lot different, obviously, as is armor tech. Garb is different, better made, less sweat pants and 1970's left over Fleetwood Mac/Stevie Nicks inspired clothing, lets not even talk about mid 80's leather fringe jackets that some people used as armor.
None of those things are the game, these changes are because of the efforts of the players in the game. Players put the effort into learning to make better weapons (Jeffo used boogie board foam to make sculpted cross guards). Players learned to sew, found new technology (Sergers) to quickly and efficiently create tabbards and banners to display their heraldry. Players found alternative construction materials (Folkestone found aquarium tubing for arrow shafts, I won't discuss FluFlu's). Rules are just creations of the player base. Over time, the player base has learned what makes a better rule and how to more effectively write rules. Players put serious effort and thought into their creations and the materials that we use to enhance the game. Players knowledge, and materials have improved over time, so the players have improved how we play the game. Its a "vicious" cycle of change. I see it as more of an improvement to the player base skillset than as a change to the game.
Who have you learned the most from?
Do we really have time for a list this long? Of course we do! This isn't a timed article!
Chimeron, they brought me into game and to single out any single one of the founding members would surely mean that I think of six others that I could discuss as well. The next generation of Chimeron continued this trend, its amazing how much you can learn from the generation that came after you. The current generation of Chimeron has already taught me a lot, they've got a fresh view on the game that really has been a shot in the arm for this jaded oldbie.
Folkestone showed the Realms that one kingdom could train and work hard together and change the face of the game. Their dedication to fighting clean and efficiently, was inspiring to watch in action. Death Bunnies, back in 94(?) their first questing event, broke the mold for how (most) quests (at the time) were run. They removed the linear progression storyline (Walk down the trail, meet the goblins, find the widget, decode the scroll and battle the named bad guy, enjoy pizza with friends in bad guy free world), and opened the entire event site to the plot. A free form pile of stuff to do, that seemed unconnected and ended up being a series of steps to defeat various bad guys. Allowing anyone and everyone to engage in questing all at the same time. Without using forced game mechanics to further their plotline.
JonyB gets a special solo mention here, because he uttered a phrase at the first Players Meeting that has stuck with me ever since. "This spell amounts to killed and scalped PCs." The spell proposal, was an attempt to create a binding spell, that would trap the targets arms against their sides (a spell that exists in another game system). Jony spelled it out as how the spell would be used by PC's against PC's to kill them, take their loot, and then scalp them. The person who put up the spell, tried to argue their point, but ultimately conceded the point. Jony opened my eyes to what the bottom line of a spell really should be, how it could be used for Awesome, or how it could be used to really ruin someones fun. And really, fun, is what this game is all about. Because, ya know, game.
Small groups, and independents taught me a lot about how nations are perceived in the larger view of the game itself. As opposed to how the nation believes it is perceived.
What was your best moment IC?
I've been around a long time, played four different PC's (Alcar, Andros of the Cadre, Carman of Folkestone and Sir Lucas of Chimeron), and have more stories than space on my harddrive. There is one story that I recall fondly more often than others though. I refer to this story as "My General Patton moment", other folks call it the Siege of Pathos's fortress at the Feast of Chimeron.
Earlier in the day, Pathos had torn Queen Meg's heart from her chest in front of the entire event site (pretty much right after the reading of the rules, he appeared and ripped it out through her shirt, it was awesomely bloody), and he was hatching an evil scheme inside the fortress. There was a golem, monsters hurling boulders over the wall at us, and a crew of archers raining death down on us. And a lot of folks, really didn't understand what was going on, and didn't care enough to throw themselves against the gates and die for a plotline they didn't understand.
The bulk of the PC's were milling around the tavern, by a grouping of picnic tables. So I hopped up on a table, and gave a rather impassioned speech about how Pathos wasn't just collecting stolen magic widgets, about how he sought to remove freedom of choice from the Realms. About how he sought to enforce his tyranny and rule upon us all. As I spoke to the crowd I paced back and forth on that picnic table, pointing out young adventurers and telling them how their specific skill set would help us win the battle. I pointed out grumpy Lord Trent of Acoria* and how I wanted his input on our battle plans. Before I knew it, the crowd was cheering and we were gearing up to attack.
Trent took me aside, and pointed out how we were going to lose the siege. How Pathos was too fortified, how we were going to run a battering ram uphill into a hail of arrows and boulders. I looked him in the eye and said "I will flood the gates with our dead before I let him win this day." He smiled, clapped me on the shoulder and said he was proud to see how blood thirsty I was. Then the bagpipe music started and we attacked the castle. It was beyond amazing.
*It’s Trent, calling him grumpy is redundant. But some folks might not know him, so I wanted to make sure they understood.
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| Feast of Chimeron, Fort Pathos Breached! |
What was your best moment as a NPC/EH/Player?
I haven't thrown many events, maybe two or three total. I was part of a really great one back in 99 or so (we know it was great, we won best Questing Event in the View awards that year). It was part of the Pathos plotline with SteveM. A weekend long event, crazy hot summer weather, and high humidity. So we built a castle out of hay bales. Because hey, we were on a farm and the farmer offered them up!
I remember briefing the NPC's about the event, about how the plan for the event was heroism, heavy combat, and very little angst and woe. Then the temperature soared up to around 100 degrees. Our desire to fight began to melt and drip away, slowly at first as we kept fighting, and we ran our fighting encounters as we had planned. But as the day went on, it was obvious no one wanted to fight anymore. It was just too hot.
So, we traumatized Matt/Cecil by "disintegrating" his friend Quill right in front of him (it was actually a teleport effect, but it took a long time for Quill to reappear in the tavern area). The Heroes of the Realms encountered a terrifying new monster concept, and managed to not fight it, by solving the marital problems of the first (and thankfully only) Troll Family (think troll twins, but with an arguing husband and wife pair, and two bratty troll kids). That night the heat broke, we had a solid nightquest (despite a porcupine the size of my '86 Buick wandering through the trails as we were hanging lightsticks), and Sunday the heroes managed to save the day, assemble the magic sword and have a few seriously awesome fights.
Just because you plan something, doesn't mean its the best plan for the day. Be ready to adapt on the fly, and hope you can do it without a jarringly obvious change in the mood. Sometimes, events are organic things that evolve and grow around us. It is one of the great aspects of our game, that sometimes magic just happens on the event site. Also, porcupines happen.
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| Photo by Jesse Gifford |
Cross kingdom cooperation and understanding. From what I have seen recently its improved a lot from when it was "Us vs Them", but I'd love to see more of it. Workshops, teaching others how to do the crafts that you're so good at (says the guy with minimal crafting skills), or whatever you can teach. Be it a creative art form, cooking, or even song. That could be great at improving the player base, which improves the game as a whole.
That reminds me, attend Feast of Highbridge, you might learn something.
What advice would you give new players?
Play to your strengths. Talk to people. Don't be an ass. Remember that there are players who've been in this game since before the internet, and they are a great resource to bounce your brilliant ideas off of. Please don't dwell on your mistakes and social faux pas. Admit that it happened, move on and try again.
On the flip side, to those players who have been around longer than the new players have been alive. Those new players are a great resource, they've got a brand new set of eyes and a new outlook on the game. Sure the idea that one guy had, has been done a million times and you remember each instance of it. How it never worked out quite right. Remember, they weren't there that day and they have no idea this was ever done before. Talk to them, explain why it didn't work, then try to work together to fix what went wrong that time and make it work as it was meant to this time around. Also, don't be an ass.
What do you love most about the game?
This is where everyone says one of the following, the community, the freedom, or the friends that they've made. I'm going to go with, the chance for one person to make a difference in the game. One person has rewritten the magic system, one person has redefined how we build weapons, and one person has created a series of events that has gone on for over 20 years now (ok a few different people have done each of those things over the years). But if you get an idea, and it works, you can put that idea forward and change the shape of the game. Lets see the NFL do that!
Who would you like to see the next interviews be with?
Gerrard Chartier, and Victoria Zukas
Anything else you'd like to take the opportunity to put into print?
Yes, yes there is.
I've been around for a long time now, as have a lot of folks. Some longer, some even longer, some without the nearly a decade break I took, but we all have one thing in common. Our capacity for learning never ends, but sometimes our perception of what we are capable of learning ends. Here I am, more than twice the age of some of the current heroes of the Realms, with more titles than I have fingers, and I find myself humbled and in awe of the actions and behavior of "those darned kids on my lawn." Respect your elders, respect your peers, and respect the new blood as well. They all have a part in, the past, the present and the future of the game.
