Greenhorn alert!

Aura · Greenhorn alert!

I'd like to say Hi and Ni hao to all you fine folks here. I'm a full Firefly fangirl, but very new to this whole LARP thing it has to be said.

And by that I mean I've never been to an event... so I was wondering if I could get some pointers? I've been pen-and-paper roleplaying for about 7 years now, and a friend of mine is trying to clue me in on the 'jump', but I still feel fairly clueless. Sad

I wanted to go to the recent Halloween event and try my hand at monstering, but a lack of cash and illness nipped that one in the bud. So I figured I could wait 'til next time, and start preparing kit and suchlike now.

So hi everyone! Does anyone have any pointers for the greenhorn, and are any of you fine folks local to South Wales?

Take care and keep flyin'.

Admin Monkey

Hey Aura, nice to meet ya.

Best pointers I can give ya at the moment is:

1) join the monster crew for the next event. It's one of the easiest ways to get into the game, you'll have super-enthusiastic people to help you through the gameworld and yuo'll get to hang out a lot with the players, if the one just gone is anything to go by Smile

2) Monstering also helps with Kit. If you're unsure of a kit-concept, bringing basic blacks to an event to crew in and being given other bits of kit from communal piles is often as good way to get more a handle on kit.

I don;t know if we've got any guys from South Wales around, but they'll shout ya if they're around.

So welcome Smile

Kate

Aura

Feichang shiny! Yeah, I was a bit uncertain about kit. seems like I've got the odd piece that could be part of a costume, but no full outfits. Y'know, the odd frilly shirt, nice boots or a ripped-up and stained top for Reaverin'. But a communal lending pile sounds ideal.

Also, I know it's ridiculously early to ask, but is there any idea when the next event would be? Is it an annual event, or a "when it's ready you'll know" thing?

Many thanks. Very Happy

Vera

Hi there Aura,

Yep. I'm in South Wales... a little further over in Cardiff but not too bad for distance!

Kate's given some real good pointers so far and crewing is A LOT of fun because you're not constantly worrying like the players probably are. You'll get all the help you need to get started with the crew and plenty of evil enthusiasm. Wink

Communal lending worked really well I thought. Especially for someone like me who had some kit but not guns/armour and stuff like that.

I think they're looking at a next one some time in Spring but that's just a rumour I've heard...

Admin Monkey

The general rumour mill is sometime next Spring ish.

Rest assured when they know, we'll know.

And evil enthusiasm is all the rage.

Aura

Ah, very nice indeed. Yeah, that sounds sweet. I can get a lot of prep and LARP cramming done between now and then.

Hi, Vera! Hey, if you need someone to go in with you for petrol money for the next event, I'd be more than happy to chip in. Smile

(I'm hoping that's a winning smile, you can never be sure with emoticons.)

Lian

Nihao Aura!
This last event was my very first, and I had the BEST time fo my life!
And to what Kate said, I would DEFINITELY crew for the first time (this was my first time LRPing at all), you get to see how everthing works, without the pressure of having to "play". And you get to go with the flow if you get stuck. And see what characters other players take, and start on some ideas.
kit wise: I brought about three "girl" outfits, and had no real "western" or military or any other outfits at all, really. I went and bought one set of overalls which seems to fit for EVERYTHING else (mechanic, alliance), and there are things there you can use if you don't have them (weapons, armour, etc) everyone is very share-friendly.
Also, definitely invest ins some boots. I had none, and bought some for this event, and boy, am I glad I did.
Hope to see you at the next event!
Lian.

masati

I think I'd chose to crew my first event and play my second (irregardless of if they're the same system) before deciding if I liked LARP.

Crewing can let you get a feel for what it can be, but playing lets you make it what you want it to be.

Garrett

Hi Aura,

I'm new to Serenity LRP myself, but I've been doing other systems for longer than I care to remember. Wink

All the advice here is good, especially the boots. A good pair of army/walking boots are an absolute must for LRP in my opinion, as you'll be on your feet A LOT. Smile

As most folks here have said, crewing is a great way to try out a system and get to know people.

Phil

O.D.

Third the crewing option.

I found it a great way to learn the system and figure out how to play what I wanted well.

It also helped me get to know the playerbase wihtout throwing myself in the deep end.

All you need to crew Serenity is:

1) Basic black clothing. Trousers, top, and decent fitting hoody can all be bought in primark for under £20 in the unlikely event you don't already own any.

2) Boots. Ankle supporting, waterproof footwear is probably the best investment you'll make.

3) Lots off sugar and Caffiene.

4) Enthusiasm, fueled often by 3.

Come along, have a blast. I'm not sure if I'm playing or crewin the next one....but I'll definatly be there.

Mr Heron

Wotcha everyone,

Good ankle supporting boots has already been mentioned.

The only other thing I would really, really recommend, is a gorram good sleeping bag. It really is worth doing some research, paying good money, and buying quality. The last thing you want to do is spend a night freezing to death in a bad sleeping bag, only to get up and spend the day freezing in the cold.

Trust me.

Cheers,
Steve.

Blibs

I once took a pair of walking boots. They fell apart after one fight, rubbish.

My army boots seem to drink mud though. Proper leather gets better, particularly if regularly treated to some proper kiwi parade gloss.

I don't have an expensive sleeping bag. I just have three of them and a blanket and a pillow and a blow up matress and some fleecy pyjamas. If not sleeping in a crew hut I also have a thick rug that goes under the blow up matress.

Any idiot can be cold.

Skippy

I can categorically state that one of the best ways to stay warm is to buy a meal ticket.

With no ulterior motive.

Nope. Not here.

...

Lian

Gonner Hendershot

Warm is good. Bacon sarnies also good.

Aura

Bacon and wasabi sarnies even better! Very Happy

Y'know, I hadn't even thought of jumpsuits. There's a gorgeous black one in the Army shop I had my eye on too... Nice. I guess I've got some generic blacks around and a sleeping bag that'd serve well enough.

I tend to wear steel-toecapped 'work boots' a lot, though army leather boots would be pretty sweet. I can beg, borrow or half-inch a lot of the camping gear too.

I've already started planning my Reaver kit and I spotted some nice western-style shirts, but oddly enough I think I'm lacking in 'girl outfits'. I tend to dress like a punk tomboy so I think I'm the only female I know who owns a basque, but no skirt. Guess I'm just gonna have to dip my toe into the nasty effeminate ocean. Razz

Nah, it's all shiny. My desire to dress-up outweighs my desire to avoid dresses. Laughing

Ah, seriously guys, many thanks. I'm feeling a lot more confident about this, and thoroughly looking forward to running around in the cold with y'all. Smile

Gerwyn

Aura

That's reassuring at least, for when I eventually have a character if my own. Y'know, what with the torture and death and all. Plus the interminable singing... *shudder*

Many thanks. Very Happy

Skippy

Oh man, I am so bringing extra wasabi for the bacon next time. That is a fantastic idea.

Aura

It started as a New Year's tradition. One Yuletide a friend of mine bought me a sushi-making kit, so I made sushi for everyone that New Year to go with huge amounts of alcohol. In the morning we had leftover wasabi and needed bacon sarnies to revive everyone, so a legend was born...

L.J Kings

Hey all, newbie here myself. Not a hardcore Firefly fan but certainly interested enough to make me run around in a field Lrpin' it Very Happy

Fairly experienced LRP-wise, though this'll be my first sci-fi Lrp (everything else being fantasy/ hit your mates with a big stick affairs).

A question: when it comes to firearms will repainted plastics be fine (as long as they're of the approximate size/shape and color)? Unfortunately this isn't before the Firearms bill of silliness, so will be forced to buy substandard phys reps in this regard Sad

J. Vaughan

Hi there.

As has been covered elsewhere on this forum, it is *illegal* to repaint a toy gun to look like a replica. It is, however, perfectly permissable to bring along a decent coloured one, as LRP has to move with the law along with everyone else.

Of course, unless you're playing an Aliiance hi tech character, Wild West cap n' ball revolvers are probably fine, and as long as you stick with them, as they are before a certain time period(the exact date escapes me), you should be cool.

L.J Kings

Ahh, thanks for notifying me about that little problem with spraying.

Replica firearms that are legal to purchase are those predating 1750, i definately looked that one up.

Heh, guess i've got an excuse to buy a pretty piece then :p

Tobias Rieper

This has been discussed to elsewhere. The conclusions drawn were:

a)you are able to legally manufacture your own physrep provided:
1/ it does not resemble an existing weapon
2/ it is inert, and cannot fire blanks or be converted to do so
basically, you can make a scifi weapon for your own use - so long as it is obvious to pc plod that it is a blaster/spacelaser/etc, and not a firearm.
ergo, a judge dredd lawgiver would be legal under the current wording.

b) there is no ban on owning props built/bought before the ban.

In a legal sense, the current wording of the act puts the onus on the police to prove that manufacture/purchase date was after the ban - BEFORE they can sieze the object/arrest/press charges.
However, our local FLO says this is impossible to do, as it would require them to forensically test the component parts of a home-made prop - something that can really only be done after siezure.

nick

The other way is to get de-activated firearms but the snag with them is that you must carry around the certificate with them at all times as the proofing officer will need to see it. Currently there is no change in the law on de-activated weapons, however that may change soon. So if you want to get one now would be the time BUT CHECK TO SEE IF THE GOVERNMENT HAS PASSED A STEALTH LAW as they sometimes do and you really should anyway before purchase.

Jon

Please bear in mind that we do not allow de-activated weapons as phys-reps in Serenity.
If you do bring one along for whatever reason and do forget the relevent certification you will be required to remove it from site. We've so far had a good dialogue with various firearms officers and I'd like it to stay that way.

JennyScott

Awww... Is now a bad time to mention that I was completely unaware of this rule, and had previously brought our deactivated bren gun to an event?

Sorry! The deactivation stamp is pretty darned obvious, but I wouldn't have dreamed of bringing it if I thought it would make trouble Sad

Jon

Oh well.