Action vs LARP?

Feedback e debriefings from Berget 7.

Action vs LARP

Poll ended at 22 Jul 2009, 23:31

MilSim!
36
26%
Action, less LARP
20
15%
Action and LARP (Berget 7)
51
37%
More LARP
30
22%
 
Total votes: 137

1st-Berlin/AEG_Pyro
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Post by 1st-Berlin/AEG_Pyro » 09 Jul 2009, 21:40

I think LARP is a important part of MilSim. Look at the trainingcamps for US troops to prepair them for Iraq or Astan, this is MilSim with the elements of LARP. You can play MilSim without any civilians, but with civilians and some other LARP elements it is a much more realistic MilSim.
Without the part of LARP it is (in my mind) only a "we are so cool, reenactor, special force, geardo, boys in the wood game" The fight, the medicrules, the reconessence and the intel are realy realistic, but this is not realistic enough. Today soldiers don´t fight only against regular soldiers. Every real soldier must be able to handle and take care of civilians. Soldiers are not only trained to fight or to recon a area, thei must speak with civilians, protect them, or handle strange thinks like demonstrations. When you put this elements in a LARP, with the roles of MilSim, you got the best game ever.

I am a MilSim gamer, and I like LARP. We put both elements together in our games, like Berget it have done it this year and it works very good. I had games about more than 72 hour, and I don´t give a single shot in this hole time, but I interacted with civilians and had a lot of adrenalin in my blood when the civilians try to demonstrate at our base. We managed the situation without "killing" them.
When it cames to a firefight its not our goal to "kill" all enemies, it the goal to stay alife and to protect the civilians.

This is what we call RealMilSim.

The only main problem is, that it is nearly impossible to play that style with so many people like on Berget, ofcourse their are to many players who can´t hold their fire for such a long time and who cant act after the Guineva convention.

just my 11 cents
sorry for my bad english, I´m a little bit drunken.
B5 Platoonleader - Herman Coy 1st Platoon Russian Forces.
B7 Squadleader - SpecialForces 1st Coy Yuri Orlov´s Mercenaries
B8 Platoonleader - "Sixth Mercs" Civilian Mercenaries
B9 UN-Forces

www.aeg-berlin.at.ua

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Trasher-HU
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Post by Trasher-HU » 09 Jul 2009, 22:33

motörhead wrote:We need players being able to see themselves as parts of a bigger picture - and enjoy it even if there's not intense firefights all day.
Distribution of information, daily, detailed briefings on the news, latest developments could keep motivation levels much higher... Let's call them "motivational briefings".

But this was already mentioned / recommended last year.

At B6 and B7 I knew little of the storyflow. Bits of information, rumors, and very short pre-op briefings was all we got. That's OK for me, I had a lot of action this year, but I'm not sure about the other several hundred players.
B6 - NATO, Fox2, mech QRF
B7 - Orlov mercs, Bravo2, medic
B8 - Poldav 3rd Mtn, mech QRF driver
B9 - Poldav 3rd Mtn. recon, Romeo-2 SL
B10 - Poldav 21st Mech Sappers, SL

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Hammer
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Post by Hammer » 09 Jul 2009, 23:02

Without getting into the whole debate over what LARP and MILSIM is I just want to add another thing i feel is needed to deepen the LARP experience (and also possibly the MILSIM side of things):

Vital characters that are killed stay dead.
Rules that leaders must be "knifekilled" after shot do actually die might be one way of making this somewhat harder but still possible. These rules would create a more dynamic and interesting game.
That would not only create cool black-ops missions but also force factions to use close protection units.

If a commander is killed his 2nd in Command takes over, and he goes on playing as a regular grunt (or another character as deemed necessary by the Crew). Much like in LARP games.

An ingame example would be the Mayor. Our security detail and others saved him on a few occations, or at least got him out of harms way.
If there was a real threat of him dying the loss and the incentive for keeping him alive would have made it even more interesting. Also, I believe that the PMC guys (Ovid, Cogo and the bunch) would also have had a more intense experience that way.
/H17 - Hammer - Eidolon Lake

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motorhead
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Post by motorhead » 09 Jul 2009, 23:41

Trasher-HU wrote: Distribution of information, daily, detailed briefings on the news, latest developments could keep motivation levels much higher... Let's call them "motivational briefings".

But this was already mentioned / recommended last year.
The sheer admin burden of running an airsoft batallion didn't allow resources for that adequately.

Kris and the rest of us at HQ had more than enough handling HQ traffic, taking decisions and making the game run. Kris even had to resort to BE-crew related tasks like calling for MEDEVAC for physically hurt and dehydrated players, administering the daily shower heater/refuelling, arranging and driving out water supplies to thirsty troops etc. when there was more than enough running an airsoft batallion.

As such we replicated the infield daily stress of a big milsim unit. At present I'm unsure if that can or should be replicated at later Berget games. BE infrastructure and logistics are already at breaking point with less than 1400 players. Must see what happens with B8 storyline and faction setup first.
Last edited by motorhead on 10 Jul 2009, 01:10, edited 2 times in total.
Motörhead, SBA, Norway
B6: NATO, Oscar COY, 3rd PLT, 3rd squad
B7: NATO S6 - smoke signal operator
B8: Pol. 3rd Mount. S6/Liaison - ditto
B9: Pol. 3rd Mount. Com dude - ditto
B10: On leave
B11: Hot Dog

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Trasher-HU
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Post by Trasher-HU » 09 Jul 2009, 23:56

Problem is, players don't care / know much about the burden of running HQ... Most of them think you guys are just sitting there all day long, exchanging bad jokes and munching junk food while they're boring their asses off.

If logistics (volunteer and BE crew powered) are at breaking point, then size of event (# of players, factions/camps) and logistics should be completely redone.

I'd pick quality over quantity anytime...
B6 - NATO, Fox2, mech QRF
B7 - Orlov mercs, Bravo2, medic
B8 - Poldav 3rd Mtn, mech QRF driver
B9 - Poldav 3rd Mtn. recon, Romeo-2 SL
B10 - Poldav 21st Mech Sappers, SL

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hezi
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Post by hezi » 11 Jul 2009, 11:49

to summarize all that has been written in this post is :
BE leave the game as it is now were there is a part of LARP / Milsim / AirSoft.........combined all together .

just at BE_8 in the story of the game mention at each side if it have more Action or LARP or MIlsim.
so when somebody wanting to goin some side will know to what he is going to with his side pluses and his minuses .
The Brigade Team
B7, NATO, INDIA Company, 2 platoon
B8, NAF, 5th Battalion
B9, NAF, 3rd Ranger Battalion
B11, Blood Revens
B13, GCT, Special Parachute Infantry
B14, UPIR Infantry

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