Aboard Valkyrie
Oct. 16th, 2011 09:17 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
essentialsaltesI NPC'ed for last night's episode of the Starship Valkyrie LARP. It was fun to finally see it all in action.
I was a bodyguard from Maxicorp's Saf-Gard division, on a contract to protect an ambassador who was to be ferried by Valkyrie from Earth to the rebellious Sirius station for a diplomatic mission. Apart from in-game goals to protect the ambassador, my out-of-game goals were to be intimidating and distrustful/scornful of the Star Navy. Since I was glued to the ambassador, and there doesn't seem much reason for the bodyguard to casually chat with people, I didn't do a whole lot of that, but there were definitely a few occasions that allowed me some good opportunities. And my presence and general demeanor alone seemed sufficiently intimidating for many of the crew.
Alien sabotage complicated the mission enormously, but the crew struggled through. But let me tell you, that kind of disorganization would never be tolerated in the private sector. Maxicorp efficiency experts would be horrified.
I think one of the things that makes Valkyrie successful as a LARP is that nobody can do everything and everybody can do something. And the game is not so large that you're merely a cog. Everyone is at least a gear, or maybe an escapement or mainspring. The players can see that their position contributes to the whole, and each one owns that job. The fact that nobody can do everything is an important part of the equation. Oh sure, the captain runs the ship and gives orders, but he can't generate more power, or solve that science mystery, or win that dogfight. The crew do, collectively.
I was a bodyguard from Maxicorp's Saf-Gard division, on a contract to protect an ambassador who was to be ferried by Valkyrie from Earth to the rebellious Sirius station for a diplomatic mission. Apart from in-game goals to protect the ambassador, my out-of-game goals were to be intimidating and distrustful/scornful of the Star Navy. Since I was glued to the ambassador, and there doesn't seem much reason for the bodyguard to casually chat with people, I didn't do a whole lot of that, but there were definitely a few occasions that allowed me some good opportunities. And my presence and general demeanor alone seemed sufficiently intimidating for many of the crew.
Alien sabotage complicated the mission enormously, but the crew struggled through. But let me tell you, that kind of disorganization would never be tolerated in the private sector. Maxicorp efficiency experts would be horrified.
I think one of the things that makes Valkyrie successful as a LARP is that nobody can do everything and everybody can do something. And the game is not so large that you're merely a cog. Everyone is at least a gear, or maybe an escapement or mainspring. The players can see that their position contributes to the whole, and each one owns that job. The fact that nobody can do everything is an important part of the equation. Oh sure, the captain runs the ship and gives orders, but he can't generate more power, or solve that science mystery, or win that dogfight. The crew do, collectively.
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no subject
Date: 2011-10-29 09:26 pm (UTC)Did you know that I lied when I said we honor guard stowed our weapons? I went to the XO and Captain after you asked that, and they said to leave them in the Ravens (where we usually hide our weapons). We did that.
Turned out that it backfired when the sabotage hit because the Ravens were away, off the ship, just when we needed them and the weapons to catch the saboteur. I don't think anyone expected our engineer to be a martial arts expert who took down the culprit with his own bare hands and a span wrench.
Thanks for playing. I especially loved your comment to my character during the negotiations on Sirius, perhaps preventing a very uncomfortable diplomatic incident.
no subject
Date: 2011-10-29 11:57 pm (UTC)Ha, I half suspected, but there wasn't much I could do about it without making it into a bigger fight than it was worth.
I especially loved your comment to my character during the negotiations on Sirius
Ha, I enjoyed it too, even if I probably overstepped my duties as a bodyguard. After all, I'm not a diplomat either.