another discussion subject.

[technoir]

So there is an interesting discussion I came across in a podcast and i thought i would run it past my Laping homies. Now the vast majority of us play in long running campaigns. I was wondering if any of you had any thoughts on one shots. There is a school of thought that says an inclosed single event story can be more effective. While you may not get as involved in your characters the story can be very compelling if it has a well defined begining and end is very structured. I can honestly say some of my more memoriable larp moments came from one shot convention games. I still have people who talk to me about Uncle Vito and that was years ago. I was wondering what yall thought though. With all the continueing Larps people play, how many of you are actually fans of One Shot games.

Comments

[pipistrella.livejournal.com]

I love them, only not at conventions.

Actually I think they may be the future, but I'll chat about that with you in person sometime.

[technoir.livejournal.com]

Cause we get together in person so often lately. heh.

I know a lot of european Larps are a series of unrelated one Shots held once a year or some such. I could see that as a viable idea. Do alot of work developing one really cool and well written event.

[suibhne.livejournal.com]

I'm always amused that we basically disagree on this (since we agree on most other larp related topics). Every once in a blue moon I like them, but generally I get bored with one shots. I feel like I'm just standing around as an extra at a movie set, but one where the script writers forgot to hand out the script. They usually feel very disjointed to me and kind of frustrating.

[solfox.livejournal.com]

When I ran games at conventions, I consistently had people tell me that my one-shot games were the most fun/epic games they had ever been a part of. I think the reason is you're able to push all the small stuff aside and focus on larger developing story.

[technoir.livejournal.com]

You don't have to worry about where am I going to take that later. yeah.

[hoshiadam.livejournal.com]

I like character growth too much and take too long to get into a character for one-shots.

[technoir.livejournal.com]

it is the one down side of them to be sure. Don't get me wrong I like long running games as well.

[virtualmel.livejournal.com]

In my Larping (and table top) "career", I haven't done much of one-shot events. I wouldn't mind giving it a shot. I think both could be equally fun, but for different reasons. :)

[technoir.livejournal.com]

true.

[moosea1.livejournal.com]

I think the occasional one-shot is fun, but prefer to be able to develop a character. That said, as a busy mother, the appeal of one-shots has increased dramatically as I don't have the time or money to commit to a campaign and find it frustrating to attempt to hop in & out of a campaign because I feel like I'm always playing catch-up. With a one-shot, I'm on an even level with all the other players. And there's no long-term commitment to worry about.

[technoir.livejournal.com]

That is probably there one true strength. It is not an investment of time and energy beyond that day(well minor prep work). Now strangely the project is far more work than a single event of a long running game for the folks organizing.

[moosea1.livejournal.com]

Oh, absolutely! They are a TON of work because players expect to be entertained the whole time rather than spending some downtime entertaining themselves. Thus the downside of no character development.

There is a middle ground. One shot events with some continuing characters (The ones that survived the previous game). The plot isn't continuous, per se, but the characters can be.

[aetatis.livejournal.com]

I prefer one-shot standalone games to campaigns, although I think they're difficult to do well. The system has to be intuitive and flexible enough to allow everyone to pick up on it quickly, and I like that. One-shots also give you the chance to introduce skills that would break a game if developed beyond their introduction point. I like the sense of advanced ability levels that players *start* a one-shot game with, and I like that whatever structure or conflicts or plots exist in them need to be resolved But Quickly.

I love long-running LARPs and pretty much everything about them -- being outdoors for several weekends a year, the system wonks, the way game population ebbs and flows, the long-running conflicts, the sense of community that develops, and so on and so forth. So I enjoy both kinds of games, but for me? Timewise, preference-wise, and how-gaming-best-fits-into-my-life-wise? One-shots rule.

[technoir.livejournal.com]

That seems to be a common theme. People seem to like the well I can just do it and worry about what I will miss by not going to the rest of the events for the year.

my 2 cents

[iworkhere.livejournal.com]

Having participated in the running of both, I prefer the campaign form. For a one shot to really be attractive to me, there has to be something else going on as well.

For instance, at a convention, a one-shot is fine. Specificly because I dont have a lot invested in it. If I want to drop out of character to go catch a panel, or something, no big loss.

If a short one shot was held at a really good resturant for instance, and ran the lenght of the meal. That would interest me.

If I were dating a larper, a bed-and-breakfast type game would interest me.

But all in all, outside of hanging out with friends (btw we could put together a really sweet party for what some of these one-shots cost to put together). They seem like a zero-sum game.

[xarcoss.livejournal.com]

In a tabletop game I don't mind a one-shot at all just as long as I have some background info on the character (or can make it on the fly) and my stats. Afterall really any "decisions" are done with the role of a die. However, in LARPs I am hard pressed to really enjoy one-shot games. It is hard enough for me to get into character for campaign games that have one-days. To have a single shot game as a plan? I feel less like I am roleplaying and more like Suibhne said, an extra in a movie.

Overall with set one-shot games I don't really feel like I played anything, just was simply a guy wearing funny clothes.

[stagefreaky.livejournal.com]

I've never done one so I really can't say, but from all our driving experiences with the long conversations, I'd have to say I'm interested in them, definitely. I think there's something there to consider.

[technoir.livejournal.com]

i will point out if I here of one in the future.

[hapersmion.livejournal.com]

Throwing in my vote. I haven't tried a one-shot, and I could see one being interesting if it had a really good story to it, but I think I would much prefer a campaign. It takes me a long time to rev up and get into character (I've been working on my KG one for months-years, and haven't even played her yet), and I'd feel a bit deprived if I really enjoyed the character at the one-shot and then couldn't play any more. Plus there's the costuming - it seems like a waste of effort to put together a really good costume for just one event.

People might like one-shots because they don't have to worry about missing events, but that's what I like about campaigns. There's something there that's worth worrying about missing. You can work toward long-term goals, and know that what happens at this event will have an effect on the future, etc.

Plus, I like to level up. :) You probably aren't going to gain many abilities at a one-shot.

One shot costume problem

[rltrlarper.livejournal.com]

I think the subject says it all

Re: One shot costume problem

[technoir.livejournal.com]

most of the one shot larpers I came across online have about as much costuming as say you do. You just mix and match.