Sad Day

[wolfdruid67]

Well, after I have done all this work...we have separated with Ageless Empires, and I need to remove it from the site here. How can I do that? I am the administrator for it...so, I would like to remove it.

[RyanPaddy]

Go here:

http://larplist.com/updateform.php?a=1351

In the reason box at the top say that the game is now defunct. At the bottom of the form, click the "defunct" option.

I don't think that will entirely remove it from the list, but it should mark the game as inactive.

[BaronBlackRose]

Wished all the people who listed their groups here who went defunct. Should have done the samething. As sad as that is. It would help clear up the links somewhat.
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Just when you thought the worse was over. Here I am. :0)

[Eldrad]

What happened my friend to make it go defunct. Tell us your story?
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I know the pieces fit! I watched them fall away!

[wolfdruid67]

Well the story is simple. My and my friend of many years, joined with 2 others that were also my friends for years and started this game. Well, me and my friend pretty much did 98% of the work, no biggie, but then, one of the "partners" decided to put us under a tax ID number, and place the name of the game in her name solely. So, feeling betrayed, we left with our new system and world...we are creating another game called Tempest of Tridia.

The first game is april 16th - 18th.

I will be setting up a link from shades asap, but alot to get done first...but almost there.

[Eldrad]

Wow what a story.

Was this one of your good friends or someone you just met?











I also had two similar experiences as well though not LARP related but almost.

One with a Renaissance festival planning group that my wife and I started and gathered the people together. I came up with more than half of the ideas with a total group of about 20 people with a core group of around 10.

Then one day two of the members "had been talking" that I would be good as the Head Groundskeeper as opposed to a partner. I was told that I could get a big whopping 30K a year! I said "yeah really as currently I am making around 65K to 70K a year? What a great idea! My wife and I gathered this group together and then before there even is a group or a renfest or any money whatsoever you guys are trying to cut me out?"


The guy must have thought me stupid to have even asked such an insulting question.

Needless to say IF there is a day that I get my land and start a LARP Park/Renfest they won't be invited.



The next political whopper was a local convention that a guy had been planning out for a few years.

I gathered the right people with the right skills and went to meet him. We got with him to see what he was about and within a few meetings he had a NDA that also signed over total control of all the group and all the fiances to him.

We knew that he had no finances and we did not have enough money spare to give him any. My fundraiser guy said he couldn't be a part of something so unorganized that it might ruin his contacts if this did not go well.

Seeing that this was going to benefit only him in the future when he most likely will be converting to a LLC and we would be cut out. I could be wrong though.

He did actually get his con going and this will be his second year so I wish he all the good luck!
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I know the pieces fit! I watched them fall away!

[Eldrad]

SO!

There is a lesson to be learned here and a POINT!

If you have your LARP as a business make sure that everything is agreed on and talked out THEN put it on paper.

Even if you are the best of friends STILL put it in writing. Try and cover all points of any possible business problems that you can.

Don't try and do shady things behind other people's back like putting the business in your name then be surprised when everyone deserts you.

That also includes copy writing rulebooks that you did not entirely write, trademarking logos and names of games you did not entirely create.

If person in the tale above would have read the tales of WOE between many of the LARP groups then she would have not been so foolish.

People are not stupid and quickly figure out when they are being screwed. People who get screwed by you tell other people and soon not a soul trust you anymore.

People who taken the time to create a LARP to only have it USURPED by another or to be give NO CREDIT for what you have done causes something so wonderful and fun to become just like the mundane world.

Are we not trying to escape such things when we LARP?

If you want to be deceitful backstabbing piece of orc poo save it for the game an play a character that does all that. That way it's legal to do.
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I know the pieces fit! I watched them fall away!

[BaronBlackRose]

Luckily when I ran my larp. We didn't have any of those problems.
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Just when you thought the worse was over. Here I am. :0)

[RyanPaddy]

Sounds like the listing needs to be edited with the new contact's details, as opposed to being marked as defunct.

[BaronBlackRose]

[wolfdruid67]

Well, yes. I would love to amend it and such...but seeing as the person put the name in her sole name, I dont have much recourse. So, we just created another game, with my buddy, and have our first event this month. A week after they have their first game.

So, by Friday hopefully, we will have our new game up here. It will be called Tempest of Tridia.

I really hope you all like it, as eventually, we would like to expand it and have people pick it up and start having a midwest and possibly North American game that all can come too back and forth.

Gonna take at least a year though, as this year is a Beta Test to make sure all runs well.

[RyanPaddy]

It sounds like you've taken a somewhat unfortunate approach to your situation.

You say someone tried to "take over" your larp by starting a company in their name only? Is that all they did? Owning a company in the same name as the game doesn't mean they own the game. A court wouldn't see it that way. If you wanted to run it under a company, you could always start a different company to run it, that you own.

What really matters is who owns and controls the resources of the game. You control the website, and the setting material. Why not just run the game, kick out the person who started a company without you from the group, and ignore them? Your approach of basically saying "okay, you try to run it then" but sabotaging them by marking the group as defunct on the larplist and canceling the website seems immature.

Of course, we're only getting your side of the story. I'd be interested to know why the other people felt they could put the company in their name. What do they feel they have contributed to the game? Also, did you try suggesting to them that the company be owned differently? It would be fairly easy to change the ownership details to a four-way split, or whatever.

It's very unclear from your description and actions who is in the right and who is in the wrong, or whether there was just wrongness all around.

[Eldrad]

Well I have to disagree about canceling the website as immature. Business is business and if I am getting screwed over (if that is what is happening) by someone that they get nothing.

But there is a valid point of just running your own Ageless Empires game. If you have already done all the work then just use the rules. I would suggest making them pubic and free to use.
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I know the pieces fit! I watched them fall away!

[BaronBlackRose]

Seriously if I had a game and someone tried to hi jack my game. I would make it hell for them.
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Just when you thought the worse was over. Here I am. :0)

[RyanPaddy]