Alone once again,

Salutations, It appears when it comes too "friends" its a "very high" investment cost, over a year of socialization time, significant financial input and I can already tell the signs of them slowly drifting away, removing me from there exsistance, Not that I can say I truly blame them, I am a very flawed person, I predict after march I will no longer have any interaction with them. Yet I trudge on and attempt too take this shit tastic path of social interaction once again, Maybe this time it will be different. However this has taught me one very vital lesson, a person is only as good as there last action. You can't trust any of them no matter what, The only people who truely ever have your back are your own kin, of blood, soul and essense. Never open up too anyone, the second you do you are setting yourself up for being stabled. I was actually starting too believe there may be some good decent people in the world. That is there trap they try too get you. I wish you all now what I will consider my ultimate blessing gift and curse, May whatever you send out in too the universe that is precived by others be returned you too three times thrice.

The month of hell

Hello too all my nonexsistant followers! I am now going to pour my heart out because of the terrable month I have been having,

First off My grandmother has died. We were very close and I have taken it quite hard, Next my Aunt is in hospital, basically also a dead lady walking :(. There is still the potental that my mother and her generation on the family side is infected with the same thing (results still pending) so ya. On top of this Larping has been too limited and I had an unfortunate realization encounter with a group of associates. So it has been very unpleasant.  I feel so sad and depressed, Sometimes I serrously wonder what its like living a "normal life"


So in closeing, Loseing double family members + Potential loseing half your family + "falling out" + No DnD+ not enough larp = month of hell.

Epoch Epoch Epoch!

Ok now on too epoch! its this weekend, I have my armour reps, my alchmey reps my history aproved with bonus xp! (yay bonus xp! have I ever mentiond bonus xp = awesome) my disadvantage aproved, life is good! I still need to find an egg timer thingy with sand, but everythuign else is a go. I am hopeing my lab is alchmey 4-5 range calbure!

Information is power!

Ok I have done some more reserch in too epoch and am no longer "as" bumbed about the lack of free first event double out, I now have access to a MUCH better option.

I have started making my alchemy kit and hope it will pass for a newbie kit (hoping for alchemy 3,) got lots of interesting stuff for it. Concept yet too be approved but HAS been submitted. Waiting on submiting history until concept is aproved. Still waiting on what my first alchemy recipe will be Hoping for either poultice 1 or a healing potion. I will be starting with alchemy 1 as I picked up a few support skills as well. (not too mention a 10 RACE.... Fawn !!)  I am also on a more long term goal looking forward too the auction that they hold each year.

Going to Epoch again....

If you remember from my review of epoch I really had a pleasant experience there when I last played in 2005. I now FINAL have some extra money, and free time (thanks for a certain larp which shall not be named) pissing me off enough to finally quite them. From this experance I have some good things and somebad things

The good
They were willing to accept me back, They were very helpful in answering questions I had based on my now very old rule book.

The Not so good

1) They lost my character sheet from there records (which is annoying) so I now have too start from scratch again,


On the upside however they even said they were willing to let me start with 40 build (20 starting build doubled out) since it has been afew years since I last played! and will treat me as a semi new person. (they give all new playes the 40 starting build now) The down side being that I lose out on free double out on the first event since I am not technicly a "new" person kinda annoying but there are much worse things that could have happened.


2) no recruitment rewards I have 3 friends I plan on bringing with me, (and still do) but I can't get anything for it. Each larp does there own thing I am just kinda disapointed that this one doesn't offer recruitment incentive :(


That being said, I am looking farward to playing this wonderful game once again and will not let these tiny not so good things hamper my excitment to get back in too the game. :)

Negitive reinforcment

I have started to see a changing trend in some larps I attend, It appears they are focusing more and more on Negative reinforcement to get what they want. It started innocently enough, if you don't pre log you get a $5 fee that will be put towards our new site fund. Ok we need a new site stuff happens.... Then they go about changing how xp is distributed, from the old system of  3 xp to an event 2 too a tavern night, they reduced it (for everyone) to 2 an event 1 a tavern night "but you can get an extra xp if you have really really good costuming, Oh ya its a total double standard, Plot is not held too this rule" Now there are several other ways that could have been used to gain this effect without fucking with peoples xp, Something many players feel they are paying for. examples include giving more xp to people who do have awesome costumes, giving bonus items or "perks" too people with awesome costuming (you find a gem on the ground luck you!) or even grab bags, However none of these were selected instead they choose "lets screw with peoples xp " They have gone and said they don't want oog $$ to be a major influence in gaining in game benefits, however by implementing this rule they are effectively showing that people with oog sewing ability or the funds to pay someone else to gain it will be better then you. Final they have added if you do not pre log your production you automatically LOSE half. In the end all I can say is I am extreme disappointment, I go to larp to escape the real world where anything is possible, not to be reminded of my oog short comings.

Drow Chess

I have decided to explain a new game I happen to be very fond of called "drow chess" Drow Chess is very simlar to normal chess with the  following changes

1) Black plays first
2) Each side is allowed once a game to roll a dice where 1=pawn 2=knight 3=Biship 4=Rook, 5=Queen and 6= King. You may move yuor opponents peice of that corsponding type. You can not take your opponents queen with this move,
3) the queen is treated as the king (note movement type remains the same)
4) Pawns may not become queens when they reach the end of the map (any other peice is allowed)

Now the main differences in play style is that its ALOT harder to checkmate someone because a queen can defend herself very nicely, It adds alot of statagy too the game table. I look forward to playing this game much more in the future.

Shadow Realms Larp

Ok first off this might be an extreemly biased review as this is the larp I personaly chose to stick too, However here we go.

The good
It has a huge selection of people that are extreemly kind and helpful AND many of them have useful skills like tailoring and smithing oog so you can buy reps from them
Very balanced rule system (at least for the first 4-6 years)
Excellent Plot team,


The not so good

Slow response time. While they have a great plot team, I would really prefer they get a little bit faster on the email plot return,maybe I am just picky though,
Bad infrstructor, I love the game but only now are they starting to write things down. This is a small problem and a dimising one but it is still currently present.
Small group of very old players who are literally 20 levels ahead of the rest of the populace, while they don't play often if they do it can REALLY cause a stir in the game world. Ending entire multi year plot lines (or cementing them) in an afternoon.


The Interesting
They actually listen too there player base's opinions, Most plot is player driven, (some isn't but a lot is) and if players start to say "this is a problem" they try to fix the problem.
They use the honor system on spell points and skill strikes, which for the most part IMO has worked. Becuase of this we have alot of faith in our fellow players/plot
While plot always has a few nicer toys to play with that we might, When they do still have rules and they do still follow them. Example if that stat up a human thief it will be stated up the same way you or I would build a Player character thief.





I am not going to give shadow realms an over all rating, Frankly I Really enjoy this game and would encourage you too play as well if you are in Ontario Canada GTA. However i can't give an impartial rating because of this.

the web site


www.shadowrealms.info

Realms Quest

Sorry I have been busy so I haven't updated yet. but here is the lowest light of my larping exsistance.

Realms quest

The Good
Very Epic level larp
VERY VERY VERY in too personal plot
They shut down

The BAD

Corrupt GM
Bribable everything
made rulings that would change almost monthly based on whats inconvincent for an event.
TERRIBLE meal plan
Nothing is sacred to these people
They don't know/remember what they gave there own PCs
Expensive VERY expensive if you want to stay on top.

The side notes

In my eyes RQ is not so much Playing LARP as it is play pretend. in my two years there I played as 3 pcs a DRAGON, a Greater Devil General and a GOD. when I npced there I was stated with "time" instead of x resist magics x body swing for bla, it was "swing for bla, keep them occupied for about 20 mins"


Final Verdict
This larp is fun for a power trip once and a while. However when EVERYONE is on a Power trip all this leads you too is a boring larp where everyone can do everything and every plot line is "universe endding unless you all unit and do stuff" I will note the personal plot is a GREAT feature but not enough to tweek out the rest of the game. a 2 out of 10.

Nero Anon Larp

Ok well now as the saying goes, we shall move on to the my second larp I had the pleasure of attending. Nero Anon. Nero Anon is a Nero based larp, Which means among other things that it has a wonderful interconnected network accross north america. But now on with the review!


The good
Interconnected through north America means you can keep your same pc and play at lots of different larps and get xp for them all the way through
VERY VERY highly structored game. I mean this is the only larp i have EVER attended where that activly and often pay HEALERS its a truely amazing group experance.
Good site, This larp also utilities a scouts camp ground so the place is well kept and maintained.


The interesting

Nero is NOT a heavy role play larp, I had wonder questions like "are you a PC or NPC?" "where is the mod at?" "are you bleeding out?" "We are doing the mod at 2 PM "
Laws are actual followed *gasp* and enforced by the pc populace.
Game is treated alot like a boffer fight club
Near 100% "US vs THEM" mentality PVP is fairly uncommon

The not so hot

Much like Epoch this game is pretty heavy on the cash front. Annual membership, Meal plan and events can add up.
0 and I mean GOD DAM 0 RP skills are in this larp, no production no appraisal, no NOTHING
Highly restricted on what you can be. If you get something awsome they won't let you pc it for long.
Expiry dates. Everything has em, Alchemy, Weapons, Armour, Magic books, Rituals EVERYTHING has a finite date of when it goes "poof" This makes obtaining vast stores of goods extremely hard to do.

The Verdict

Nero Anon is a fun larp too play in if you don't enjoy the RP aspect as much but LOVE the combat aspect With there international network you can build a pc extreemly quickly. While I prefer more of a heavy rp larp, Many will find this larp enjoyable. a 7 out of 10.

Epoch Larp

Well I said would be giving my oppinion reviews on different larps in Ontereo. I figure I might as well start off with the first larp I ever attended. Epoch Toronto, Now I haven't attened this larp in afew years (primarly becuase of money concerns) so my information may be a bit dated.

The good,

Very friendly people who love there larp deeply
Insured
Great site location (scouts campsite) which is extremely well maintained with minimal to no problems
The best grab bag system I have seen in ANY larp. (in Epoch Toronoto they call them Crp's )
Very deep intense RP interactions.
Simplest rule system I have ever encounter making it extremely easy to pick up and go.
Best Larp Meal plan I have ever had.

The Interesting

Highly controled skill set They have actively Successfully controlled there players skillets 
Extreemly tight and well controled record keeping
Fasenating Economic structure.
You can buy personal plot!
Auction for some interesting in game stuff
A hugely wide and diverse "greater beings" ranging from Vampires/ Dragon/ Fairy/NOS/Forgotten gods/ Elemental. With such diversification there is bound to be awesome rp opportunity for anyone's concept.

The Not So good

While site is good its located in action meaning quite a drive.
"Vollentold" they have extremely strict clean ups after game
When I was there, there was a bit of an entery gap, basicly after talking with several people no matter HOW I made my new charter there would be alot PC's who could do EVERYTHING I could do as there "side dip" this can occasionally lead to players feeling useless. While it is purfectly normal to see other higher level players who are better then you, its extreemly frustrating when almost ALL of them are no matter HOW you spend your xp.

high  fee. They charge a $40 per event with a $40 annual membership fee. If you also wish to partake in the auction + and meal plan your costs go up further still. 


Other notes

I was extremely young when I first went to Epoch, because of this I was also very new in the rp area making many of the things I did extremely stupid, I also did not enjoy the game too the fullest extent I would have given my current experience with rp and larp in general.
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Verdict

I give epoch larp an 8.5 out of 10. One of the best larps in Ont. easy to get in too with with a highly supportive core membership group to get you off the ground.

Entering the game

Ok this is my first attempt at a "blog". I will be doing the following things in my posts on this blog: reviews of different LARPS in Ontario, The occasional Q&A and gripe fest of pertiucalr larp rules, D&D discussion and personal ranting and raving. That ends the first post of my Blog.