NELCO 2015 Schedule

Friday

7:30 PM: Death, Resurrection, Permadeath, and Replacement Roles

Addressing the mechanical issues of the deaths of characters is an important issue for most LARPs to consider. Some LARPs have systems for PCs to resurrect, or to play on as ghosts or the undead. Some have "permadeath" and may allow players to take on new roles as PCs or NPCs when it happens. Some LARPs create systems to make sure death is rare, and some issue moratoriums against death altogether for part or all of the LARP.

In this round table discussion, we'll be discussing various systems for handling (or preventing) character death in all kinds of LARP, and their benefits and drawbacks, and how to address the mechanics of death in a way that works best for your LARP.

7:30 PM: LARP Writing 101

Presentation by Gaylord Tang

Over the course of the weekend, starting Friday night, we'll be running a Build Your Own Game workshop. Whether you've never written a game, or are an experienced author, it's a great time, and a great way to learn new techniques. The LARP Writing 101 session will lay out the basics how to construct a LARP, and start the process of imagining what kind of game will be written this weekend.

9:00 PM: Creating Plots that Players Want to Talk About

How does one spice up a common plot, or add new elements to keep an ongoing plot fresh and dynamic? In this round table discussion, we'll be talking about what kinds of plots players will find most interesting and will give them lots to chew over and chat about, both in and out of character.

9:00 PM: BYOG Brainstorming

Moderated by Gaylord Tang

The BYOG team start the writing process in earnest. People who aren't going to be working on the BYOG are encouraged to come and to bring their ideas for potential games they'd like to see written.

10:30 PM: Group Dynamics in LARPs

LARPs, by their interactive nature, are social experiences, which is why group dynamics are a big part of LARPing. And they affect LARPs on multiple levels, from players deciding which LARPs to play (and drop) based on who they know will be playing or on staff, to how in-game factions function, to deciding in-game whom to help and whom to hinder. In this round table discussion, we'll be looking at how group dynamics affect our LARPs and how we can affect those dynamics in a variety of ways, from our sign-up systems to in-game, inter-PC mechanics.

Saturday

10:00 AM: Building Room Dividers

Wouldn't some transportable room dividers that NEIL could lend out to LARPs at Intercon and other events be super useful? Let's build some! NELCO will be providing the materials.

10:00 AM: BYOG Writing

With a couple potential ideas on the board from last night, it's time to pick one and start fleshing it out. Over the span of the day (and probably all night too), the BYOG team will create a new LARP.

11:00 AM: NEIL Initiatives

Presented by Nat Budin and Viktoriya Fuzaylova

In addition to putting on an annual LARP convention (Intercon) and an annual LARP conference (NELCO), NEIL has some exciting projects in the works!

The LARP Library is an online resource for free LARPs available for anyone to run. Come learn how the Library works, including how to search for a LARP to run and what kind of licenses are available, and be inspired to submit your own!

Game Wrap is a publication that will feature articles on LARP as well as LARPs that you can run. The editors of Game Wrap will talk about how the process is going so far and answer any questions you might have.

11:00 AM: Unusual Boffer Modules

Moderated by Dave Kapell

There are a handful of common structures for modules in boffer campaign LARPs that get used frequently, such as the Defend the Ritual Module, the Rogue Module, and the Elevator Module. We also have a grabbag of common module elements to toss into them, such as "jumpy stones", snap traps, puzzles, and environmental hazards.

In this round table talk, we'll be discussing how to get creative with the common structures, combine them in unexpected ways with various elements, and twist them to keep players on their toes and create memorable experiences.

12:30 PM: Let's Run a Big Showcase LARP

Presentation by Cameron Betts

Several large LARP projects are currently attracting a lot of public attention in the media, including College of Wizardry, a LARP set in a world similar to that of Harry Potter and run in a real Polish castle, and Monitor Celestra, a LARP set in the world of Battlestar Galactica and run in a real warship.

Can we run a showcase LARP of our own right here in New England? Let's brainstorm ideas!

2:00 PM: Campaigns: Writing and Running for the Long Haul

Moderated by Rick Pierce

Campaign LARPs present their own set of challenges, unique from one-shots. In this round table discussion, we'll be talking about the logistics of running campaigns and how to create and run plots that will last and keep players interested and involved for many events in a row. One of the LARPers leading this discussion will be Rick Pierce, the creator of LARPortal, a website for organizing, managing, and connecting campaign LARPs for staff and players.

2:00 PM: Ideas for Showcase LARPs

Moderated by Cameron Betts

Having discussed what big Showcase LARP is all about, it's time to brainstorm what kind of Showcase LARP we could run in New England.

3:30 PM: Inviting People into LARP

Presentation by Stephen Kohler

How to Found and Run a College-based LARP Community ...even if you don't go to college! Historically, colleges have been a hotbed of LARPs, with new players and games often getting their start here before moving on to the wider LARP world. But more and more people seem to be curious as to just how to start up a LARP community at their local college. It's not always easy, but it certainly is possible, and I'm here to tell you how. Or, at least to tell you all the things I've learned not to do! With my help, you'll (hopefully) learn tricks of recruitment as well as retention, including what games to run, when to run them, and when to just run. Useful for any LARPer who wants to keep seeing the wider LARP community spread and grow, and is willing to put in the work to help.

3:30 PM: Boffer Archery

Presentation by Bart Brizee

There are a handful of common methods of representing archery in live combat LARPs. Some LARPs use throwing bird seed spell packets, some involve actually shooting LARP-safe arrows. Come learn about the advantages and disadvantages of the different methods, the different types of LARP-safe arrows out there, and methods for maintaining safety, whatever you use. There will be live demonstrations accompanying this outdoor event.

5:00 PM: Videos From Around the LARP World

In order to enable people who could not attend NELCO to participate, we invited people to send short videos! We got a very interesting one from Claus Raasted that runs about thirty minutes, about the rise of LARP Tourism in Europe - high-production-value games that are attracting visitors from all over the world. Claus is currently preparing three runs of the College of Wizardry LARP in a castle in Poland. We'll show the video, compile a response to send back, and keep the dialog going!

5:00 PM: LARP Forum and Five Minute Pitches

The LARP Forum is an event that brings together people from the LARP community in the greater New England area to hang out, talk about our hobby and get to know each other. It has run multiple times as a standalone evening event, and now will be running Saturday afternoon and evening at NELCO. Our goal is to create a fun get-together which will bring people who love this hobby closer together. Any LARP or LARP organization who wishes to host a table to introduce new LARPers to their events is welcome to do so, at no extra cost beyond the general NELCO admission fee. Anyone hosting a table is also welcome to give a five minute pitch to the crowd to let everyone what they are all about, what makes them unique, and how people can participate.

We'll be serving a catered dinner at the same time as the Forum. Come hang with your friends from your game, meet new players and staffers from other games, or even if you’ve never been to a LARP and you just want to check it out — come and have a great time!

5:00 PM: Acting Workshop

Run by Cameron Betts

In this workshop, we'll be running through some basic acting exercises that we can do together and by ourselves to help us get into in-character mode and develop our acting skills for LARP.

8:00 PM: Going Dark Responsibly

Moderated by Laura Boylan

LARPs that focus on dark topics are often quite popular, but exploring our darker sides with LARP necessitates an extra level of care on the parts of the writers, staff, and players. In this round table talk, we'll be discussing the inherent challenges of addressing dark topics in LARP, and how to do so responsibly.

8:00 PM: The Challenges and Advantages of Running at Night

Moderated by Dave Kapell

In this round table talk, we'll be discussing what advantages and disadvantages running LARPs outdoors at night presents. Let's talk about taking advantage of the atmosphere, using creative and/or immersive lighting, and how to take PC and NPC night-vision (and the ruining of PC and NPC night-vision!) into account when planning your LARP event.

8:00 PM: BYO Boffers

In this workshop, we'll learn to build light, safe boffer weapons that hold up to Accelerant standards. The workshop will cost an additional $20, but you’ll get to take home a finished weapon at the end.

11:00 PM: LARP Party

Party Time! Hangout and party with NELCO!

Sunday

10:00 AM: LARP Brunch

Join us for breakfast for a free-form LARP-discussion brunch.

12:00 PM: LARP - Play in the BYOG

They have worked all weekend to produce a LARP, and this is it. Sign up to play the BYOG! Please arrive a little early so we can start on time.

3:15 PM: LARP - AGENT Bobo of the Resistance

Run by Nat Budin

10-year-old Billy Oberlin has had it tough lately. Moving, family troubles, and a new school have all thrown his life into a tailspin. It’s hard being a kid, but Billy has one solace: his toy box. Twelve loyal stuffed friends he can take on adventures through his imagination.

In the world of Billy’s creation, a secret Resistance movement fights against evil invading dinosaurs, ninjas and aliens. Now on its riskiest mission yet, the Resistance must travel back in time, to when things were better, to prevent history from going so awry.

Can AGENT Bobo and his toybox friends help Billy find a better future for himself and for the planet?

AGENT Bobo of the Resistance is an experimental short larp, which won third place at the Intercon M Iron GM Competition. It combines traditional theatre-style larp structure with player-driven narrative construction. In addition, players will be playing the role of Beanie Babies.