|
|
|
Heroic Knight
 
Group: System Moderators
Last Login: Tuesday, October 16, 2007 10:13 PM
Posts: 123,
Visits: 215
|
|
Hey all,
Who'd thought Cotes du Rhone would taste this good, eh? Well, moving on...
So, where have they gone? I've just spent 20mins scouring the web and so I've found two that are new, and three that look like they're new but are actually just rebranding.
I guess what it comes down to is this - Is the market that dead or are people just not starting up clubs?
Laters,
N.
Nyctophobia
www.nyctophobia.org.uk
|
|
|
|
|
Prodigal
Group: System Moderators
Last Login: Today @ 12:06 PM
Posts: 526,
Visits: 3,535
|
|
Clubs seem to thrive best around universities.
Cambridge and Durham's Treasure Trap clubs being the obvious example. Oxford also has a LARP society but I hear it tends to go more for theatrical LARP and runs year-long campaigns rather than ongoing ones. I know that some other universities have club LARP, but can't remember off the top of my head.
I think it's probably quite hard to sustain a club without a university because students and recently-ex-students have the requisite enthusiasm and free time to devote to it, and because universities provide a source of cheap venues to hold tavern-style events in. I suppose an area rich in scout camps might be able to do the second, but once people start growing up and getting families and mortgages, I think it's harder for them to sustain the energy that needs to be put into a club to keep it going.
Maelstrom: Jessily the Wemic, previously Tourmaline of Weaver
CUTT: Ref 07/08, previously Kallestra Lorelai Aostare of the Sapphire Tower
EOS: Study the Venin
|
|
|
|
|
Champion
Group: Basic Members
Last Login: Yesterday @ 1:01 PM
Posts: 462,
Visits: 1,867
|
|
| Think more clubs just aren't getting the numbers to sustain themselves. And also that there are fewer people wanting to start smaller events. Part of the problem is that people want to do someting new. Its almost got to the stage where Elves and Dwarves are soooooooo last season, so people are looking for a new concept. As many clubs were founded on Elves adn Dwarves, numbers dwindle. Theres also larger events on pretty much every weekend throughut the year, so a lot of people are going to the weekender events where the "quality" is generally higher (i.e you get more set dressing, more people, more time to sit up drinking til 4 am) so taking numbers away from smaller groups. Clubs generally have a much smaller budget, and don't bother setting up an actual market for a 1 day event, so theres not the WOW factor that people are starting to expect. Whilst many larger games have fantastic plot, a lot of the appeal is the glitz and sheer scale of it With setting up a new club its harder to I think mostly cos its easier to go to someone elses game than it is to run your own. I personally prefer to run games than play them (tho I am going to Big Damn Heroes in April) so have no problem with it. But running games is a lot of hassle, it can be stressful, time consuming and requires commitment, and not many people are prepared to put in that in. Perhaps we should set up a Guild of Refs. Get all the organisers together and trade tips and plot. Have an organisers training school and get the youngsters into the idea of running games
Dark Light LRP
www.darklightlrp.com
|
|
|
|
|
Champion
Group: Basic Members
Last Login: Yesterday @ 5:29 PM
Posts: 291,
Visits: 3,287
|
|
Trez (3/24/2007)
Think more clubs just aren't getting the numbers to sustain themselves.
This isn't a problem DUTT have had recently - we've been growing steadily over the last 3 years, and this year we had more freshers than we knew what to do with. Not all of them pulled through, of course, but we ended up with a nice large crop and some new externals (non-students) as well. It's been a good year, on the whole, but then we are the biggest university club in the UK (afaik) and there isn't much in the way of club LARP in the area, so that might be why. We always make a point of advertising heavily at the Fresher's fair in October each year (again, not something that is immediately available to non-university groups, though one could ask the local uni if a stall was available). Students are an excellent source of LARPers, as they have the time, money,energy and inclination to invest in crazy things. At the moment, we have about 40 people who turn up regularly to our Monday night Interactive, and between 30-40 (50 on a really good day) on Saturday adventures. Our OC weapons practice (Sunday) typically draws 20-30 and quite a few people who don't play the system, but like the practice - some local guys who play CP and so on.
That probably sounded a little as if I was harping about how great we are - I guess what I was trying to say is: If you're short of members, advertise well, especially to students. They are a good demographic to aim for, and if you net some, they'll be with you for years. They're also great for adding new people to Mael groups and so on.
Ias
Maelstrom: Then: Inquisitor Heinrich Vanmaarten, Templar of the Soldier (Retired)
Now: Regimental Sergeant Major Mdjai, Havocstan Army
DUTT: Then: Commander J.W. Cranstan, Durholme City Guard
Now: "?"
RL: Ias
I was going to run for parliament, because I want to make the world a better place, but I ran into some old friends and went out for a beer instead.
|
|
|
|
|
Squire
Group: Basic Members
Last Login: Tuesday, April 01, 2008 8:51 PM
Posts: 29,
Visits: 45
|
|
| Apathy is a big factor. People have become so used to sitting in front of a computer or game console they couldn't be bothered to find something more stimulating, healthy and social that LRP is. Another reason could be lack of sites. There is only so many scout camps and YHA's but (YHA's especially) are being sold on to private buyers or developers to build on or turn into flats (personal hate of my'n..grrrrr). Still you never know what might be lurking around the corner. Perhaps this year may see a turn for the best 
_________________________________________________________ Can we review our status here, Sy, let's look at these things from a... from a standpoint of status. What have we got on that spacecraft that's good?
Gene Krantz (Flight Director - White) - Appollo 13
|
|
|
|
|
Overlord
Group: Administrators
Last Login: Today @ 11:25 AM
Posts: 1,471,
Visits: 3,828
|
|
| I'm looking into the possiblility of founding a LARP society at our University College this year. Obviously from my perspective its a bit different - as a member of staff looking to get students involved. I've done this before a couple of times, but I'd be very interested in any advice from organisers in established university societies and clubs.
|
|
|
|
|
Champion
Group: Basic Members
Last Login: Yesterday @ 5:29 PM
Posts: 291,
Visits: 3,287
|
|
If you look on the DUTT website, you will find the President's email address - feel free to email him and ask away. I would put it up on here, but I doubt he'd appreciate it without my asking first.
Ias
Maelstrom: Then: Inquisitor Heinrich Vanmaarten, Templar of the Soldier (Retired)
Now: Regimental Sergeant Major Mdjai, Havocstan Army
DUTT: Then: Commander J.W. Cranstan, Durholme City Guard
Now: "?"
RL: Ias
I was going to run for parliament, because I want to make the world a better place, but I ran into some old friends and went out for a beer instead.
|
|
|
|
|
Heroic Knight
Group: System Moderators
Last Login: Tuesday, October 16, 2007 10:13 PM
Posts: 123,
Visits: 215
|
|
Hmm, thanks.
Certainly I've thought for a while that the big three are just killing off everything else, particularly with the way they've become more competitive with weekenders.
I'd also agree that the general size of the pool seems to be reducing - WOW's taking more away than it's brining in, and other examples.
Finally, I also think that the days of cheap LRP are coming to an end - a university club model allows you to run things for a cost that would never otherwise be viable.
Well we're still fine but have picked up on a general squeeze.
I think some form of collaboration is a great idea, not sure how it would work in practice...thoughts?
I guess things like Rule7 help, and Nycto does crew share with Spearhead & Serenity (which I'd recommend as with that you tend to get kit share to boot).
Laters,
N.
Nyctophobia
www.nyctophobia.org.uk
|
|
|
|
| | |