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Shade's LARP List :: View topic - If I had my LARP park I would....
This is kinda complex in my head, but I'll try to verbalize it...
The border road is a great idea, and not just for avoiding getting lost. By using it to allow access to various cabin areas and other places players need to unload baggage, it is a great way to keep them from messing up the actual site itself.
Additionally, your Plot/Story team and Monster Town folks can use the border road and a golf cart to quickly and quietly deploy teams of monsters/NPCs to any part of site. Setting up a field battle with such a scheme could be done in as little as 15 minutes, if managed correctly.
Entrance would have a parking lot, preferably paved, with a single front building for logistics/operations to check in players and handle the backend out-of-play game functions. Ideally, I'd hide the parking lot and building behind an embankment or wall or something, both to protect cars by sealing the area off from combat, and to hide as many non-fantasy elements as I can.
No street lights aside from the parking lot, and I'd try to make it so that the light there is as unobtrusive as possible. Parking lot gets security cameras (believe it or not, theft has become a serious issue at some LARPs in the southeastern U.S.; I guess some players like to abuse our hospitality). Security cameras also go in the logistics/operations building, since it will contain sensitive information and gear.
I'd try to have a lake covering one-fourth of the site, if possible. The main settlement will be built by it, with one smaller settlement on the opposite side, and small piers jutting out into the water. If possible, I'd acquire some various boats that don't look too anachronistic, if possible. Might even make a raft or two just to keep on-hand.
There will be a "castle" made of cheap cinder blocks, fixed to look as much like actual stone as possible. I've seen some recent conviences stores and gas stations using a "rough outer surface" concrete material that looks perfect. The "castle" is for in-game nobility/royalty, and be fairly basic. Great hall for meetings/feasts. Throne room. 5-6 bedrooms. Few extras like small guard rooms and such. Access to the roof is via ramps carefully laid out to minimize any possible hazard fighting up them; stairs are too hazardous for live combat. Roof will have battlements and such. Might have a two-story tower, if costs aren't too high. Around the "castle" is the town itself.
Tavern will have full kitchen in the back, with as much modern convienence as I can manage; upstairs it will have small one-bed rooms, one shared bathroom for all guests at the end of the hall (over kitchen, to keep plumbing running through same area). Main tavern room would have a small hearth, fixtures to hang a pot or two; I'm leaning towards a faux logs and gas system for lighting it, or even just a fake flame-light effect (easy to do with a trip to Radio Shack and some electrical know-how). But maybe an iron grate to keep actual burning logs in wouldn't be unheard of. Some wooden picnic table kits can be bought from Home Depot and similar places to add a few tables, and a few smaller wooden tables and chains will be added for smaller groups to use.
There will be 4-6 "shops" around the tavern. All will have 1-2 bedrooms over them, and made to look crowded in, like a densely populated town. Each will have a simple counter and shelves.
Will have a concrete block "shrine/temple" area, made up to look more or less like a Gothic cathedral. It will be as tall as a two-story, but only have one floor and high, vaulted ceiling. Stone table in the back, kinda like an altar. Extremely simple, crude spartan bedrooms.
One two-story tower. Will try to find a way to put a dome-shaped top on it; maybe use a wooden gazebo roof. Will have a few tables, shelves, chairs, and beds, but is left mostly empty (for wizard-type players to fill with labs and libraries when they visit).
After that, I'd throw in a few suitable pre-fabricated wooden sheds, to use as warehouses (especially by the main settlement's lake pier) and workshops (such as for blacksmiths and similar crafts that need space). I'd use spare/scrap wood, carefully burned and/or broken, and create one or two ruined house areas, too.
Square concrete slabs would be used as sidewalk stones.
Outside the main settlement would be smaller settlements, the number of them varying with the size of the site; I'd hope for three or four, but even just one or two additional areas would be nice. They'd be regular ol' cabins, each with 3-4 beds, wooden table, 3-4 chairs; say about 4-5 cabins per settlement. Each settlement would also have a slightly larger building with a single bedroom, a tiny kitchen (single sink, mini-fridge, counterspace with nearby outlets for things like electric burners and such), and a large open space for random functions. Throw in a pre-fab or two, either for shop space or storage.
All buildings in both main settlement and smaller settlements would have outlets. For heating, I'd prefer using some small electric space heaters; the bedrooms should be capable of catching some heat during extremely cold events. Not sure about cooling; I don't want to use central A/C, but can see a need for some kind of fan. My personal choice is to install attic fans in all large buildings (making it easier to kind of hide the mechanisms in the ceiling), and to make some smaller table fans in wooden frames/boxes for individual cabins and such.
Lighting is another concern, but I think I have that one covered, more or less. Instead of overhead lights, large buildings would get fixtures on the walls, disguised as wall scones; after that, I just get some flickering flame-effect lights. These would also be used outside in the main settlement as street lights, along with cast iron tiki-style torches (which use lamp oil). The cast iron torches would also be for smaller settlements to use for some generic lighting.
A few pre-fab sheds/shacks would be put up in a few random places in out-of-the-way spots. Perfect for rouge guilds and necromancer cults to do their thing at.
For indoor/underground adventures, I'd like to have a setup of some kind, but it's still somewhat nebulous in my head. One idea is a kind of underground concrete bunker with a low ceiling but wide open space, and moveable faux walls that allow Plot/Story folks to construct various interiors as they see fit.
For more outdoor stuff, I'd have transportable fort segments, that could be moved into place with a golf cart and/or trailer, and a couple of people. Then, when a random orc horde or neighboring kingdom decides to invade, there's a base for them to work out of.
That's all I can think of at the moment. It's not exactly cheap, but I think it's not something only Donald Trump could accomplish, either. A small business loan might get it off the ground...
They far surpass any LARP in North America that I know of.
Just fantastic![/quote]
Having lots of money.. And more time on your hands then you know what to do with. Looks awesome though. _________________ Just when you thought the worse was over. Here I am. :0)
Joined: Aug 24, 2002 Posts: 741 Location: New England
Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 8:48 am Post subject:
[quote="Eldrad"]Modules: Adventures that have certain "slots" for players and certain "slots" for Monsters.
Full makeup and SPFX.
Each Monster group changes the adventure slightly so no Player can expect what will happen though the story basically stays the same.
When the module has ran it's course then "generic" stories of "The Heroes that took out the Vampire Plague".
If there are no NPC takers then this would not work.[/quote]
Normally if I have more pc's then NPC's then I would make a deal with teh pc's and have some go NPC. Then next time around. They would get to pc. When I was running my own group the biggest I had was 20 people. At that time in Cali. That was alot for a larp group. Anyways There are ways to making it work f it is PC heavy. _________________ Just when you thought the worse was over. Here I am. :0)
Joined: Aug 24, 2002 Posts: 741 Location: New England
Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 6:29 am Post subject:
[quote="Eldrad"]OR
Like in many "fest" style events there are no NPCs.
So Once your park would be built how would you get the word out?[/quote]
Word of mouth. Advertising with larp groups in the area. LARP message boards like this one. Make a website dedicated to the larp park. _________________ Just when you thought the worse was over. Here I am. :0)
Yeah, pretty sure that if a good LARP park was built, it wouldn't take long to book it solid the entire year by at least four games using it once a month. LARPs are always desperate for LARP-friendly areas to play in, and many park owners/managers have notoriously negative attitudes and behavior towards LARP groups.
Joined: Aug 24, 2002 Posts: 741 Location: New England
Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2009 7:02 am Post subject:
[quote="Eindrachen"]Yeah, pretty sure that if a good LARP park was built, it wouldn't take long to book it solid the entire year by at least four games using it once a month. LARPs are always desperate for LARP-friendly areas to play in, and many park owners/managers have notoriously negative attitudes and behavior towards LARP groups.[/quote]
QFT.
LARP friendly parks are not as numerous as some of us would like. _________________ Just when you thought the worse was over. Here I am. :0)
Well, if you were going for an underground element as well you could build a tunnel series underneath that could be used for inserting groups of NPCs around the park without being noticed. Kind of like disneyland.
I would also have cameras and a multi-channel PA system around the park as well. Then command the entire game from a "GM Bunker" Playing sound effects for werewolves while a group was adventuring in the wooded area at night would be just one of the many things you could do.
Joined: Aug 24, 2002 Posts: 741 Location: New England
Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2009 12:52 pm Post subject:
[quote="bobtheogre"]Well, if you were going for an underground element as well you could build a tunnel series underneath that could be used for inserting groups of NPCs around the park without being noticed. Kind of like disneyland.
I would also have cameras and a multi-channel PA system around the park as well. Then command the entire game from a "GM Bunker" Playing sound effects for werewolves while a group was adventuring in the wooded area at night would be just one of the many things you could do.[/quote]
If I had that kind of money just laying around. I would have done it years ago. Something both LARP/LRP, Battle groups, Medieval and renaissance recreation groups could use. _________________ Just when you thought the worse was over. Here I am. :0)
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