Atmosfear: The LARP

[ghaunden]

Well, here goes nothing...

As some or many of you may or may not know, Cat Barnes and I run a LARP version of a very popular boardgame called Atmosfear (or Nightmare depending on where you live in the world.)  The RPG that was built for it was built by another Fan known as Faust.  He built it using VTM as a blueprint and even went so far as to use the MET system for conflict resolution.  Well, as many of you will be able to attest, the good old Rock, Scissors, Paper system is HATED by 9 out of 10 people I talk to.  So, to keep with Faust's vision, I had to find a way to turn it into the WOD d10 system.  (We use Dice-O-Matics for purposes of conflict resolution.  Many LARPs successfully use this, so why not go with something that actually works?)  The result?  Cat and I have enjoyed minor success with the game.  Usually, enough players show up so that the LARP can run, and it is liked enough for us to continue putting it out there for players.  As I am getting ambitious, I am beginning to try and (eventually) introduce more to the LARP in terms of playable classes and new powers.  Wait, I shouldn't bore you all with those details.  As Cat and I are a part of Kitsune Entertainment, the LARP team that did the Anime LARP at Dexcon a few years back, the WOD LARP set in Las Vegas at multiple DE cons, and the most recent Aberrant LARP at Dexcon, we have asked our cohorts how to increase the player base from the few to the many.  We have been suggested to advertise, advertise, advertise.  Okay.  That makes sense.  But does anyone else out there have any other ideas?  At this year's Dreamation, we tried moving from our usual time-slot of Friday at 2PM to Saturday at 2PM...BUT we ran into a HUGE wall.  Namely, the Deadlands LARP.  As a result, we went back to Friday at 2PM for Dexcon, and we got "our" usual-sized turn-out we had gotten in the past.  Do you all think that time will affect turn-out?  Would ramping up advertising for the LARP at the con help?  I do mention that if people can play WOD then they already know how to play this in the game description.  (Though this is not a part of the WOD and I make no money off of this game.  Here endeth the disclaimer.)  As the name of the game suggests, it does have a slight horror/supernatural theme to it.  Should I run it in the later on?  Maybe 8PM or Midnight?  Will this post help by making more people aware of the LARP?

 
HEELLLLLPPP!!!

[TheonlyShamus]

Good sir its just like every LARP If people like it they will keep playing i know i enjoy it. Well thats because i Own it everytime i do play cept for this time round when it was a little harder for me to control everyone because everyone kept disapearing the whole game. But sadly you will lose me this time round so Poor Poor Kufu will lose the throne. Hopefully someone will take my place and hold the throne. But in the end as you say the key thing is you need people First yes it is good you posted it here hopefully it will catch more people, and second as you as well stated timeing make sure its a good time slot where no other LARP will conflict like any Fishdevil event or a event where people can get there face's bashed in with latex wepons. As a player in this game i can say it is fun i do enjoy the way things are put together i would tell anyone to play this game in full assurance they would enjoy it. Expeccially if they played a Mummy! The only other thing i would say is if it does get bigger which i hope so i can have more people to toy with you will need more GM's 2 wont cut it for right now yes but later on when your dealing with 10-15 people..and me well i know i alone need a GM to hold me back from makeing everyone run in fear cause i like to do that sometimes. But anyway i digress you have the drive you have the knowledge and you have a small fan base it will grow just give it some time.

[ghaunden]

Thank you.  That means a lot to me, truly.

[dreamdanz]

Salutations,
 Are you going to be running something at DREAMATION 2009 in Fabruary? I was just interested as you explaination of your system sounded interesting. Let me know.
                                                                                                                                                                                               William

[ghaunden]

As long as Cat and I maintain the passion to run Atmosfear, we will run Atmosfear.  If not for her, this LARP would have died a sad, quiet death long ago.  But enough of the mushy stuff.  The Atmosfear LARP for Dreamation is slated to run Friday at 2 PM.  Come and play, take a door character or contact me privately to get a character made.

[dreamdanz]

Salutations,
 Will will definitly be there. door character sounds fine. just don't put me in a red shirt. Cheers
                                                                                                                                                           Will

[TheonlyShamus]

Will Play a mummy for the most savage mummy that got the hosting last 2 years in a row wont be playing so we need reprsentation and besides i need to recruit more of my kind.

[ghaunden]

Well, it has been a long long long time since this thread has been updated.  I just hope that someone out there actually reads it.

Poor Shamus...he keeps saying that he won't be back to play, and he still does...he knows he can't stay away from being a Mummy.  But I digress.

Slowly, and I mean slowly, this LARP is building some degree of momentum and a following...finally.  Players are actually emailing me and building characters of their own for the LARP, numbers are increasing, and some system tweaks are occurring.  Wait, you don't want to hear all that behind the scenes stuff.  I should tell you what's about to go on now.

The Werewolves finally came into their own during the last game (with about a third of the overall number of players in the LARP choosing to be a Werewolf.) and they overcame the unstoppable juggernaut that was Shamus of the Mummies.  I was surprised that the Mummies didn't get the Hosting duties for a third straight time, but it isn't a bad thing.  At least the players can still surprise me in the games that I run.  The Restless Ones have also gained a fanbase.  Who knew that being the kids picked last for kickball and who are bullied on the playground would turn out to be so popular?  Even the Soul Rangers now have a continuous reoccurring face in Bill Johnson.  Shamus even had help with the Mummies in the form of Gene Stern.  God, what a duo they made.  How they didn't get the Mummies the vote again I don't know.  Sadly, the Zombies, Witches, Vampires, and Poltergeists still have not found their voice.  The fun that is the Zombies is not yet realized, the evil that are the Vampires is untapped, the usefullness of the Witches (though one player actually did play one and did quite well for them at the last Game.) is not utilized, and well, the Poltergeists don't seem to either get players, or get players for the entire game.  Mind you, I am not talking about the first session of this that I ran, because the execution of that first game was so different, that really it wasn't until the second session that the format of Atmosfear really came about.  But back to griping...I am stacking the deck.  I have convinced one friend of mine to play the LARP as a Vampire, the kind of Vampire that needs to be in this Game.  Someone else who is very close to the Game has opted to build a Poltergeist too, since they are rarely about in the Game.  I am filled with joy over this.  Granted, I still refuse to have a character of my own save for playing the Host at the beginning, middle, and very end of the LARP as I am just too busy running around answering questions and rolling dice to have one.  And to be fair, since I know what all of the players are supposed to be out doing (the scheming, plotting, stealing, brow-beating, etc.), I really shouldn't have a character anyway. 

but back to the Werewolves...

Gevaudan gets to Host the next Game of Atmosfear.  That too means a whole bunch to me as Gevaudan is the Host who can enact change.  (Yes, like I said, changes are happening slowly in the Game, and this Host is a great way for those changes to come about and not have character broken.) 

Also, since our group, Kitsune Entertainment, is not running their VTM LARP at Dexcon, Atmosfear is going to run in the Friday Midnight slot (which technically makes it Saturday, but is still on Friday for the purposes of the DE schedule when looking for games to play in.) for a change rather than on an early Friday afternoon.  I just hope that running a supernatural/horror/realm of the dead LARP in an actual midnight slot helps add to the atmosphere of Atmosfear, and gets us more players.  Actually, this most recent LARP at Dreamation was actually the largest the Atmosfear LARP has ever been.  Here's to hoping it gets even bigger. 

I still provide up to five door characters for each group, so if you decide to just show up, you can, but once I run out of characters from a specific group, you're going to have to choose another...Therefore, email me to make your own!!!  You hear me?  I want players to build their own!  Door characters are always fine in a pinch for an event where both are allowed, but if you actually had the option of bringing/playing your own, why wouldn't you? 

This all said, I look forward to seeing everyone there, whether you have played before or not, and whether you have your own character beforehand or not. 

Atmosfear:  The Nightmare.

--James--

[TheonlyShamus]

Wow its been awhile since ive been on, and this is the first thread i will respond to.... I've decided if i do make it to the con, which hopefully will happen and aswell im gonna be playing Atmosphere. On that note The Mummy's being me and anyone that will join the ranks will understand im on the war path...ima leave it at that. James be scared yet happy alll in one ball of WTF!!

[ghaunden]

Well, being denied the three-peat will do that.  Not too much chaos now.  Are you finally going to build your own Mummy?

[Mack Ravensline]

If I am able and it does not conflict I will try to get into this. I may try one of those ignore classes.

[ghaunden]

Yay!!!

[TheonlyShamus]

Yeah ima build my own mummy and Im gonna turn into a Agent of Chaos....soooooo thats what ima say to that. You may wanna prepair yourself for alot of dice rolling or let me have a dice roller myself lol

[ghaunden]

Okay, find me before the LARP and we build you.

[TheonlyShamus]

i just saw on the lists you kida got the short end of a stick and was put on a midnight to 4am slot on friday idk if ima be up for that speccially after ima be beating people up in the KR event