Venues and such...
Jun. 26th, 2003 10:17 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
robinblokeSome thoughts on various venues from my own ramblings, purely in a Cam context for LRP, more from a character typecast point of way - when I don't ramble off on some random other point.
Vampire C/A
Strong characterisation and identification for the venues, probably the second strongest typecasting of any venue (after Garou). The biggest background source which WW seems to like changing although the recent developments to unify everything and bring it all towards a conceptual ideal (with the new editions of Dark Ages) is good. Organisational structure (Princes and the Cam) is the one I'm most familiar with, the venue itself is not an initially friendly one and can be hard to 'break into' with a new character which means IC cliques (aka coteries) can naturally form. Outgoing nature or something to keep your character interested - or interesting to others is important. Anarc side seems to be pushing for more development after previous incidents, has promise.
Vampire - Sabbat
Aside from my major niggle, that of a unified timeline between Sabbat and C/A - two venues whos basic purpose is to destroy the other. This granted is a part of the unifed cam world however. The other niggle seems to be calming down that of 'freak factor' that the venue is an attraction for those from C/A so they can play clans they can't normally and do stuff ("Oooo lets burn people for kicks") they can't in C/A. Seems to be establishing the fundamentals of the politics better, not following developments of this one too well myself. Same character typecast strengths as C/A - since the character type is basically the same - hence the rambling padding at the start.
Garou
Strongest character typecasting of any venue, breed, race and auspice (?) very strongly typecast characters but since there are at least three variants for any type there is a massive diversity of combinations to play meaning that the strong typecasting isn't actually that much of a problem as diversity can still work very well. This I like. What I don't like is that Garou often boils down to fights and if I want to fight something in LARP I'll smack it with a rubber sword and get myself an adrenalin rush rather than waving my fingers at someone. Simplification of the venue, granted, but thats me. That said I do approve of the system for character types, very nice.
Changeling
Strong typecasting on character types (Boggin, Troll etc) which gives a strong sense of identity between the types. The friendliest venue I've played, in that generally speaking most of the types actually get on with each other and although there is tension you're not all out to just backstab (vampire) or prove that you're better (garou) or whatever. Arts are not as strongly typecast, restrictions do exist to certain arts but fundamentals can be learnt by anyone, which is a plus and a minus.
Mage
Weakest typecasting for abilities, since (pending speciality level restriction) anyone can learn and do (fundamentally) what anyone else can do. Traditions almost seem an afterthought and apart from a few of the stronger ones really don't make that much of an impact (that I've seen) on the character type or play. Disadvantages almost seem to be an afterthought rather than a character defining trait. Little tension between types, generally, and can be considered almost the 'soap opera' of the venues.
Note these are my random rambles and observations; critique, slaps, beanies and whatnot welcomed.
Vampire C/A
Strong characterisation and identification for the venues, probably the second strongest typecasting of any venue (after Garou). The biggest background source which WW seems to like changing although the recent developments to unify everything and bring it all towards a conceptual ideal (with the new editions of Dark Ages) is good. Organisational structure (Princes and the Cam) is the one I'm most familiar with, the venue itself is not an initially friendly one and can be hard to 'break into' with a new character which means IC cliques (aka coteries) can naturally form. Outgoing nature or something to keep your character interested - or interesting to others is important. Anarc side seems to be pushing for more development after previous incidents, has promise.
Vampire - Sabbat
Aside from my major niggle, that of a unified timeline between Sabbat and C/A - two venues whos basic purpose is to destroy the other. This granted is a part of the unifed cam world however. The other niggle seems to be calming down that of 'freak factor' that the venue is an attraction for those from C/A so they can play clans they can't normally and do stuff ("Oooo lets burn people for kicks") they can't in C/A. Seems to be establishing the fundamentals of the politics better, not following developments of this one too well myself. Same character typecast strengths as C/A - since the character type is basically the same - hence the rambling padding at the start.
Garou
Strongest character typecasting of any venue, breed, race and auspice (?) very strongly typecast characters but since there are at least three variants for any type there is a massive diversity of combinations to play meaning that the strong typecasting isn't actually that much of a problem as diversity can still work very well. This I like. What I don't like is that Garou often boils down to fights and if I want to fight something in LARP I'll smack it with a rubber sword and get myself an adrenalin rush rather than waving my fingers at someone. Simplification of the venue, granted, but thats me. That said I do approve of the system for character types, very nice.
Changeling
Strong typecasting on character types (Boggin, Troll etc) which gives a strong sense of identity between the types. The friendliest venue I've played, in that generally speaking most of the types actually get on with each other and although there is tension you're not all out to just backstab (vampire) or prove that you're better (garou) or whatever. Arts are not as strongly typecast, restrictions do exist to certain arts but fundamentals can be learnt by anyone, which is a plus and a minus.
Mage
Weakest typecasting for abilities, since (pending speciality level restriction) anyone can learn and do (fundamentally) what anyone else can do. Traditions almost seem an afterthought and apart from a few of the stronger ones really don't make that much of an impact (that I've seen) on the character type or play. Disadvantages almost seem to be an afterthought rather than a character defining trait. Little tension between types, generally, and can be considered almost the 'soap opera' of the venues.
Note these are my random rambles and observations; critique, slaps, beanies and whatnot welcomed.
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no subject
Date: 2003-06-26 02:43 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-06-26 02:45 am (UTC)Re:
Date: 2003-06-26 02:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-06-26 02:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-06-26 02:58 am (UTC)indeed, a fact which I wish more people would remember. More than any other venue it must be remembered that Cam Vampires are the main enemey of Cam Vampires. The Cam is not a social club but an oppresive state. It always boggles me that this is apparently something that attracts people to playing the game in the first place but that when you then play the oppresive state or internal predator you get moaned at.
Vampire - Sabbat
Same character typecast strengths as C/A - since the character type is basically the same - hence the rambling padding at the start.
imo at its core the Sabbat is very similar to the Cam (ie a group of elders controling vamps for their own ends). Freak-Factor is annoying but the horrific kill-for-kicks nature is an element of the venue. Widgety now clan is also annoying, it attracts many who confuse a speical characteristic for a special character.
Garou
What I don't like is that Garou often boils down to fights and if I want to fight something in LARP I'll smack it with a rubber sword
agreed, though I have always seen it as boiling down to Conflict rather than direct twatting. Also garou would be incredibly difficult to rubber sword, either mechanics or safty wise. As to the typecasting: I always thought that was a large element of the game, ie you being forced into a specific role by accident of luck.
Changeling
Strong typecasting on character types (Boggin, Troll etc) which gives a strong sense of identity between the types.
yes and no, there is more space for type differential than a lot of people see.
The friendliest venue I've played, in that generally speaking most of the types actually get on with each other and although there is tension you're not all out to just backstab (vampire) or prove that you're better (garou) or whatever.
not quite sure I agree with you there. There should be a lot of tension (sidhe -> everyone else, Redcaps -> everything else, ancient evils, Shadow Court etc) but I agree that there is lower inter type hatred (more rivalry or considering them an annoyance/irrelivance) than in other games.
but fundamentals can be learnt by anyone, which is a plus and a minus.
its worth remembering that, unlike a lot of the other venues, arts are not considered the be all and end all of character progression. Thus whilst there is a batch of 6 arts that anyone can just get it is uncommon to find someone with more than 3 of these, even more so all at high levels.
Mage
Weakest typecasting for abilities, since (pending speciality level restriction) anyone can learn and do (fundamentally) what anyone else can do. Traditions almost seem an afterthought and apart from a few of the stronger ones really don't make that much of an impact (that I've seen) on the character type or play. Disadvantages almost seem to be an afterthought rather than a character defining trait. Little tension between types, generally, and can be considered almost the 'soap opera' of the venues.
I wish I could disagree with you on that but sadly I cant. The differences between types should be huge, the traditions should not be all happy clappy. Sadly they are, due to the wishywashy "oh we all basically do the same thing but call it a different thing" concept that has worked its way into the game. the Cam version atm seems to exist exclusivly of orphans with a ridiculus concept of magical theory that your average source mage would willingly kill for
no subject
Date: 2003-06-26 03:07 am (UTC)yes and no, there is more space for type differential than a lot of people see.
Indeed, variety is there or everyone would be there but fundamentally the first thing anyone identifies with any character is their Kith and that has strong stereotypes attached.
arts are not considered the be all and end all of character progression.
Entirely down to the individual character, there are three areas (imo) you can develop for any character for purpose/identity - backgrounds, abilities and supernatural flangey stuff. I strongly favour abilities before anything else in any venue.
Sadly they are, due to the wishywashy "oh we all basically do the same thing but call it a different thing" concept that has worked its way into the game.
Well this is a review/comments re: the Cam, not the venue conceptually.