| Hi! It might be a good idea to post these questions in the Maelstrom forum, here: http://forums.rule7.co.uk/Forum37-1.aspx. I get the impression that a lot of Maelstrom players pay more attention to that forum than to this one. cazz669 (1/8/2007)
1) what should one expect from the forthcoming april event I expect everyone to show up on Friday, pitch tents and get their character packs from GOD (games operation desk). Then I expect everyone to spend the weekend playing their characters. At some point, I expect there to be both large-scale and small-scale violence, although this will only affect certain groups of characters who are looking for trouble, plus whichever characters were unlucky enough to be in the same place at the same time. If there are no drunken campfire songs, I will be VERY disappointed.  Sorry if that's not exactly what you need to know- did you have any more specific questions?
cazz669 (1/8/2007)
2) what basic equipment does one require The main thing you'll need is decent camping equipment- waterproof tent, warm sleeping bag, sleeping mat, towel, etc. Apart from that, not much. You'll need to eat at some point in the weekend, so you may want to bring food (I usually end up living off an unholy amount of cereal bars, dried fruit and cheese pasties). There will be hot food for sale, some of it very nice, but it's cheaper to bring your own stuff. At some point you'll need to get costume for your character. At a minimum, you'll need some comfortable, washable boots, trousers/skirt*, and a top (don't worry about it being precisely historically accurate, but try to avoid really obviously modern stuff like Nike logos or bright colours). Then you'll need something that looks vaguely pre-Victorian to go over that- the minimum is a tabard, but you could also get an old-fashioned looking shirt or something. The GOD tent has stuff they can lend people, but ideally it's better to bring your own, since it saves messing around at the event and it means you can tailor your character's look more precisely. You can often find old fashioned-looking clothes on eBay or in charity shops. There are also some online shops which sell stuff specifically designed for larp- some of them have adverts here: http://forums.rule7.co.uk/Forum32-1.aspx. Failing that, a lot of larp traders will be selling things from stalls at the event. If you're playing a character from one of the more Europeanish Maelstrom nations (Malathia, Flambard, Fidelia and Freiboden) then you don't necessarily need to worry too much about getting specific bits of costume before the event, as long as you make sure you have the basic shoes, trousers and top to go with it. If you're playing a character who needs a specific racial physrep (e.g. facepaint or a mask) then you'll almost certainly be able to sort that out at the event too, although you may want to organise it beforehand. Apart from that, you'll need physreps for whatever equipment your character is starting off with. Most of this you can again buy at the event- in fact, if you're playing a weapon-user, I'd advise you to buy weapons at the event rather than online, because that way you can try out different stuff and see what feels right in your hand. It's not compulsory for your character to own weapons and armour- the majority of characters don't end up in fights unless they're very unlucky or deliberately go looking for trouble. If your character is going to be casting spells, then at some point you'll need mana crystal physreps. For some reason, those don't always seem to be on sale at the event, so I'd get them beforehand to be on the safe side. What else... if you're going to be carrying a weapon, you'll probably need a good belt. An old-fashioned looking bag may be helpful, so you can carry stuff around with you in character. An old-fashioned looking notebook and pen/pencil may also be useful, if your character is likely to want to write things down (it's not essential, but some people find it easier to keep track of other characters' names that way). I think that's everything in terms of equipment. You'll also need a rough idea of your character- who they are, where they come from, why they came to the New World and what they want. Some people find they have more fun if they set their character clear goals- e.g. "I want to make at least one successful business deal", "I want to convert at least one person to worshipping the Teacher", etc. Even if you don't succeed in the goal, it can give you a good springboard into getting involved and talking to other characters. Some goals are likely to bring your character into conflict with other characters- e.g., your character might hate a particular group and want to weaken them by any means necessary. Some people feel that characters with controversial goals are likely to have lives which are shorter but more interesting than characters who get on well with almost everyone. That said, feel free to tailor your character towards doing whatever you think you would enjoy most- for example, if business deals don't sound much fun, then you should probably avoid playing a merchant, crafter, farmer or ship-owner. You may find it easier to get involves if you join an existing IC group. There's a list of groups looking for new members here: http://forums.rule7.co.uk/Topic13609-37-1.aspx If none of those particularly grabs you, then I'd still strongly suggest playing a character with strong ties to a particular country, religion or trade house. It's possible to have fun while playing an independent Free Islander, but the impression I get is that it's more hard work when it comes to getting involved. Hope some of that was useful and not all stuff you've heard already. I've found most people to be pretty helpful, so don't hesitate to ask any other questions you have. *sorry, I can't tell your gender from your user name... although both male and female Maelstrom characters may end up wearing both skirts and trousers, so maybe it doesn't matter.
WARNING: the information above may have been subjected to dangerously high levels of ignorance.
OOC (and on Pagga): Carrie
|