Theatre-style - Revision history

IdiotSavant: /* See also */

2015-08-04T11:20:02Z

IdiotSavant: /* See also */

2015-08-04T10:54:41Z

IdiotSavant: /* See also */

2015-06-24T12:02:43Z

IdiotSavant: /* Definition */

2015-06-24T11:53:48Z

Definition

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:53, 24 June 2015
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	And that's just what a Freeform is. The players are the actors. They set about achieving their [sic] objectives of the characters. The script is all ad-lib... A little character background is given... to get the players going, and of course, the objectives each players hopes to achieve. Thus the freeform is born.<ref>Morgana Cowling, ''The Freeform book'' (TAGG, 1989), p. 5.</ref></blockquote>		And that's just what a Freeform is. The players are the actors. They set about achieving their [sic] objectives of the characters. The script is all ad-lib... A little character background is given... to get the players going, and of course, the objectives each players hopes to achieve. Thus the freeform is born.<ref>Morgana Cowling, ''The Freeform book'' (TAGG, 1989), p. 5.</ref></blockquote>

	There have been many subsequent attempts to define the style. Brian Williams views it as being about a lack of Non-Player Characters (NPCS) or GM involvement.<ref>[http://nnbtv.org.uk/Games/Freeforms.html So What's All This Freeform Business Then?] Retreived 5 January 2015. "All the players are PCs and all are of equal worth to the game... The referee... is relegated to the place of arbiter, adjudicating in disputes between the players... and generally providing information that the character would know but the player doesn't."</ref> [[Mo Holkar]] agrees with that, but adds pre-written characters with pre-defined goals, a story with a limited and fixed set of outcomes, and a one-off format as distinctive.<ref>[http://undyingking.livejournal.com/252436.html Larp and freeform], ''Vanderbilt and the Yeggman'' (Livejournal), 6 Jan 2013. Retreived 5 January 2015.</ref> [[Aaron Vanek]] emphasises the use of [[simulated combat\|representational]] rather than live-combat and a focus on player-vs-player ([[PvP]]) rather than player-vs-environment ([[PvE]]) plots.<ref>[http://www.larping.org/larp-articles/all-about-parlor-larps/ All About Parlor Larps], ''larping.org'', 28 October 2013. Retreived 2 February 2015.</ref> [[Adina Schreiber]], discussing the "traditionally structured New England style", stresses continuous time rather than scenes, multiple plotlines, and that the game outcome is decided by the players.<ref>[https://fairescape.wordpress.com/2013/04/04/pop-larps/ Pop-LARPs], ''Fair Escape'', 4 April 2013. Retreived 5 January 2015.</ref> A later definition by ~~Halkar~~, focused on [[UK]] freeforms, says that they ''usually'' (but not always) involve continuous time, detailed pre-written characters, minimal GM involvement and a minimal system.		There have been many subsequent attempts to define the style. Brian Williams views it as being about a lack of Non-Player Characters (NPCS) or GM involvement.<ref>[http://nnbtv.org.uk/Games/Freeforms.html So What's All This Freeform Business Then?] Retreived 5 January 2015. "All the players are PCs and all are of equal worth to the game... The referee... is relegated to the place of arbiter, adjudicating in disputes between the players... and generally providing information that the character would know but the player doesn't."</ref> [[Mo Holkar]] agrees with that, but adds pre-written characters with pre-defined goals, a story with a limited and fixed set of outcomes, and a one-off format as distinctive.<ref>[http://undyingking.livejournal.com/252436.html Larp and freeform], ''Vanderbilt and the Yeggman'' (Livejournal), 6 Jan 2013. Retreived 5 January 2015.</ref> [[Aaron Vanek]] emphasises the use of [[simulated combat\|representational]] rather than live-combat and a focus on player-vs-player ([[PvP]]) rather than player-vs-environment ([[PvE]]) plots.<ref>[http://www.larping.org/larp-articles/all-about-parlor-larps/ All About Parlor Larps], ''larping.org'', 28 October 2013. Retreived 2 February 2015.</ref> [[Adina Schreiber]], discussing the "traditionally structured New England style", stresses continuous time rather than scenes, multiple plotlines, and that the game outcome is decided by the players.<ref>[https://fairescape.wordpress.com/2013/04/04/pop-larps/ Pop-LARPs], ''Fair Escape'', 4 April 2013. Retreived 5 January 2015.</ref> A later definition by Holkar, focused on [[UK]] freeforms, says that they ''usually'' (but not always) involve continuous time, detailed pre-written characters, minimal GM involvement and a minimal system.

	In practice many of these defining features can be broken. Theatre-style larps can use heavy mechanics (RTLB [[Final Voyage of the Mary Celeste]]; [[Shifting Forest Storyworks]]' "parlour larps"), NPCs ([[Horde game]]s), player-created characters ([[New Voices in Art]]), PvE plots ([[Slash]]), fixed outcomes ([[Boats Against the Current]]), scenes ([[The Bell]]) and even live-combat ([[The Black Hart of Camelot]] or [[The Rose and the Dragon]]) while still being recognisably theatre-style.		In practice many of these defining features can be broken. Theatre-style larps can use heavy mechanics (RTLB [[Final Voyage of the Mary Celeste]]; [[Shifting Forest Storyworks]]' "parlour larps"), NPCs ([[Horde game]]s), player-created characters ([[New Voices in Art]]), PvE plots ([[Slash]]), fixed outcomes ([[Boats Against the Current]]), scenes ([[The Bell]]) and even live-combat ([[The Black Hart of Camelot]] or [[The Rose and the Dragon]]) while still being recognisably theatre-style.

IdiotSavant at 11:27, 15 June 2015

2015-06-15T11:27:55Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:27, 15 June 2015
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	And that's just what a Freeform is. The players are the actors. They set about achieving their [sic] objectives of the characters. The script is all ad-lib... A little character background is given... to get the players going, and of course, the objectives each players hopes to achieve. Thus the freeform is born.<ref>Morgana Cowling, ''The Freeform book'' (TAGG, 1989), p. 5.</ref></blockquote>		And that's just what a Freeform is. The players are the actors. They set about achieving their [sic] objectives of the characters. The script is all ad-lib... A little character background is given... to get the players going, and of course, the objectives each players hopes to achieve. Thus the freeform is born.<ref>Morgana Cowling, ''The Freeform book'' (TAGG, 1989), p. 5.</ref></blockquote>

	There have been many subsequent attempts to define the style. Brian Williams views it as being about a lack of Non-Player Characters (NPCS) or GM involvement.<ref>[http://nnbtv.org.uk/Games/Freeforms.html So What's All This Freeform Business Then?] Retreived 5 January 2015. "All the players are PCs and all are of equal worth to the game... The referee... is relegated to the place of arbiter, adjudicating in disputes between the players... and generally providing information that the character would know but the player doesn't."</ref> [[Mo Holkar]] agrees with that, but adds pre-written characters with pre-defined goals, a story with a limited and fixed set of outcomes, and a one-off format as distinctive.<ref>[http://undyingking.livejournal.com/252436.html Larp and freeform], ''Vanderbilt and the Yeggman'' (Livejournal), 6 Jan 2013. Retreived 5 January 2015.</ref> [[Aaron Vanek]] emphasises the use of [[simulated combat\|~~simulated~~]] rather than live-combat and a focus on player-vs-player ([[PvP]]) rather than player-vs-environment ([[PvE]]) plots.<ref>[http://www.larping.org/larp-articles/all-about-parlor-larps/ All About Parlor Larps], ''larping.org'', 28 October 2013. Retreived 2 February 2015.</ref> [[Adina Schreiber]], discussing the "traditionally structured New England style", stresses continuous time rather than scenes, multiple plotlines, and that the game outcome is decided by the players.<ref>[https://fairescape.wordpress.com/2013/04/04/pop-larps/ Pop-LARPs], ''Fair Escape'', 4 April 2013. Retreived 5 January 2015.</ref> A later definition by Halkar, focused on [[UK]] freeforms, says that they ''usually'' (but not always) involve continuous time, detailed pre-written characters, minimal GM involvement and a minimal system.		There have been many subsequent attempts to define the style. Brian Williams views it as being about a lack of Non-Player Characters (NPCS) or GM involvement.<ref>[http://nnbtv.org.uk/Games/Freeforms.html So What's All This Freeform Business Then?] Retreived 5 January 2015. "All the players are PCs and all are of equal worth to the game... The referee... is relegated to the place of arbiter, adjudicating in disputes between the players... and generally providing information that the character would know but the player doesn't."</ref> [[Mo Holkar]] agrees with that, but adds pre-written characters with pre-defined goals, a story with a limited and fixed set of outcomes, and a one-off format as distinctive.<ref>[http://undyingking.livejournal.com/252436.html Larp and freeform], ''Vanderbilt and the Yeggman'' (Livejournal), 6 Jan 2013. Retreived 5 January 2015.</ref> [[Aaron Vanek]] emphasises the use of [[simulated combat\|representational]] rather than live-combat and a focus on player-vs-player ([[PvP]]) rather than player-vs-environment ([[PvE]]) plots.<ref>[http://www.larping.org/larp-articles/all-about-parlor-larps/ All About Parlor Larps], ''larping.org'', 28 October 2013. Retreived 2 February 2015.</ref> [[Adina Schreiber]], discussing the "traditionally structured New England style", stresses continuous time rather than scenes, multiple plotlines, and that the game outcome is decided by the players.<ref>[https://fairescape.wordpress.com/2013/04/04/pop-larps/ Pop-LARPs], ''Fair Escape'', 4 April 2013. Retreived 5 January 2015.</ref> A later definition by Halkar, focused on [[UK]] freeforms, says that they ''usually'' (but not always) involve continuous time, detailed pre-written characters, minimal GM involvement and a minimal system.

	In practice many of these defining features can be broken. Theatre-style larps can use heavy mechanics (RTLB [[Final Voyage of the Mary Celeste]]; [[Shifting Forest Storyworks]]' "parlour larps"), NPCs ([[Horde game]]s), player-created characters ([[New Voices in Art]]), PvE plots ([[Slash]]), fixed outcomes ([[Boats Against the Current]]), scenes ([[The Bell]]) and even live-combat ([[The Black Hart of Camelot]] or [[The Rose and the Dragon]]) while still being recognisably theatre-style.		In practice many of these defining features can be broken. Theatre-style larps can use heavy mechanics (RTLB [[Final Voyage of the Mary Celeste]]; [[Shifting Forest Storyworks]]' "parlour larps"), NPCs ([[Horde game]]s), player-created characters ([[New Voices in Art]]), PvE plots ([[Slash]]), fixed outcomes ([[Boats Against the Current]]), scenes ([[The Bell]]) and even live-combat ([[The Black Hart of Camelot]] or [[The Rose and the Dragon]]) while still being recognisably theatre-style.

IdiotSavant: /* Definition */

2015-06-15T11:27:23Z

Definition

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:27, 15 June 2015
Line 11:		Line 11:
	And that's just what a Freeform is. The players are the actors. They set about achieving their [sic] objectives of the characters. The script is all ad-lib... A little character background is given... to get the players going, and of course, the objectives each players hopes to achieve. Thus the freeform is born.<ref>Morgana Cowling, ''The Freeform book'' (TAGG, 1989), p. 5.</ref></blockquote>		And that's just what a Freeform is. The players are the actors. They set about achieving their [sic] objectives of the characters. The script is all ad-lib... A little character background is given... to get the players going, and of course, the objectives each players hopes to achieve. Thus the freeform is born.<ref>Morgana Cowling, ''The Freeform book'' (TAGG, 1989), p. 5.</ref></blockquote>

	There have been many subsequent attempts to define the style. Brian Williams views it as being about a lack of Non-Player Characters (NPCS) or GM involvement.<ref>[http://nnbtv.org.uk/Games/Freeforms.html So What's All This Freeform Business Then?] Retreived 5 January 2015. "All the players are PCs and all are of equal worth to the game... The referee... is relegated to the place of arbiter, adjudicating in disputes between the players... and generally providing information that the character would know but the player doesn't."</ref> [[Mo Holkar]] agrees with that, but adds pre-written characters with pre-defined goals, a story with a limited and fixed set of outcomes, and a one-off format as distinctive.<ref>[http://undyingking.livejournal.com/252436.html Larp and freeform], ''Vanderbilt and the Yeggman'' (Livejournal), 6 Jan 2013. Retreived 5 January 2015.</ref> [[Aaron Vanek]] emphasises the use of ~~representational~~ rather than live-combat and a focus on player-vs-player ([[PvP]]) rather than player-vs-environment ([[PvE]]) plots.<ref>[http://www.larping.org/larp-articles/all-about-parlor-larps/ All About Parlor Larps], ''larping.org'', 28 October 2013. Retreived 2 February 2015.</ref> [[Adina Schreiber]], discussing the "traditionally structured New England style", stresses continuous time rather than scenes, multiple plotlines, and that the game outcome is decided by the players.<ref>[https://fairescape.wordpress.com/2013/04/04/pop-larps/ Pop-LARPs], ''Fair Escape'', 4 April 2013. Retreived 5 January 2015.</ref> A later definition by Halkar, focused on [[UK]] freeforms, says that they ''usually'' (but not always) involve continuous time, detailed pre-written characters, minimal GM involvement and a minimal system.		There have been many subsequent attempts to define the style. Brian Williams views it as being about a lack of Non-Player Characters (NPCS) or GM involvement.<ref>[http://nnbtv.org.uk/Games/Freeforms.html So What's All This Freeform Business Then?] Retreived 5 January 2015. "All the players are PCs and all are of equal worth to the game... The referee... is relegated to the place of arbiter, adjudicating in disputes between the players... and generally providing information that the character would know but the player doesn't."</ref> [[Mo Holkar]] agrees with that, but adds pre-written characters with pre-defined goals, a story with a limited and fixed set of outcomes, and a one-off format as distinctive.<ref>[http://undyingking.livejournal.com/252436.html Larp and freeform], ''Vanderbilt and the Yeggman'' (Livejournal), 6 Jan 2013. Retreived 5 January 2015.</ref> [[Aaron Vanek]] emphasises the use of [[simulated combat\|simulated]] rather than live-combat and a focus on player-vs-player ([[PvP]]) rather than player-vs-environment ([[PvE]]) plots.<ref>[http://www.larping.org/larp-articles/all-about-parlor-larps/ All About Parlor Larps], ''larping.org'', 28 October 2013. Retreived 2 February 2015.</ref> [[Adina Schreiber]], discussing the "traditionally structured New England style", stresses continuous time rather than scenes, multiple plotlines, and that the game outcome is decided by the players.<ref>[https://fairescape.wordpress.com/2013/04/04/pop-larps/ Pop-LARPs], ''Fair Escape'', 4 April 2013. Retreived 5 January 2015.</ref> A later definition by Halkar, focused on [[UK]] freeforms, says that they ''usually'' (but not always) involve continuous time, detailed pre-written characters, minimal GM involvement and a minimal system.

	In practice many of these defining features can be broken. Theatre-style larps can use heavy mechanics (RTLB [[Final Voyage of the Mary Celeste]]; [[Shifting Forest Storyworks]]' "parlour larps"), NPCs ([[Horde game]]s), player-created characters ([[New Voices in Art]]), PvE plots ([[Slash]]), fixed outcomes ([[Boats Against the Current]]), scenes ([[The Bell]]) and even live-combat ([[The Black Hart of Camelot]] or [[The Rose and the Dragon]]) while still being recognisably theatre-style.		In practice many of these defining features can be broken. Theatre-style larps can use heavy mechanics (RTLB [[Final Voyage of the Mary Celeste]]; [[Shifting Forest Storyworks]]' "parlour larps"), NPCs ([[Horde game]]s), player-created characters ([[New Voices in Art]]), PvE plots ([[Slash]]), fixed outcomes ([[Boats Against the Current]]), scenes ([[The Bell]]) and even live-combat ([[The Black Hart of Camelot]] or [[The Rose and the Dragon]]) while still being recognisably theatre-style.

IdiotSavant: /* Formats */

2015-06-15T11:18:30Z

Formats

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:18, 15 June 2015
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	==Formats==		==Formats==
	Most modern theatre-style games are two to four-hour long "convention games". However there are a number of other styles as well. The [[Society for Interactive Literature]] and [[New England larp community]] originally ran [[weekend-long theatre-style game]]s, originally within the framework of science fiction conventions ([[parasite game]]s) and then as standalone events.<ref name="Budin1">Nat Budin, "Over Time: Intercon and the evolution of theatre-style larp in the Northeast", in ''[[WyrdCon Companion 2012]]'', p. 61-62.</ref> While this format has mostly been supplanted by the convention game style, some of these long games are still run, both in the USA and UK.		Most standalone modern theatre-style games are two to four-hour long "convention games". However there are a number of other styles as well. The [[Society for Interactive Literature]] and [[New England larp community]] originally ran [[weekend-long theatre-style game]]s, originally within the framework of science fiction conventions ([[parasite game]]s) and then as standalone events.<ref name="Budin1">Nat Budin, "Over Time: Intercon and the evolution of theatre-style larp in the Northeast", in ''[[WyrdCon Companion 2012]]'', p. 61-62.</ref> While this format has mostly been supplanted by the convention game style, some of these long games are still run, both in the USA and UK.

	The [[MIT Assassins' Guild]] runs longer games, lasting a week to ten days.<ref name="Budin1"/>		The [[MIT Assassins' Guild]] runs longer games, lasting a week to ten days.<ref name="Budin1"/>

			There are [[theatre-style campaigns]], of which the various [[Mind's Eye Theatre]] World of Darkness games are the best example.

	==See also==		==See also==

IdiotSavant: /* Definition */ - sp

2015-06-15T11:15:55Z

Definition: - sp

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:15, 15 June 2015
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	And that's just what a Freeform is. The players are the actors. They set about achieving their [sic] objectives of the characters. The script is all ad-lib... A little character background is given... to get the players going, and of course, the objectives each players hopes to achieve. Thus the freeform is born.<ref>Morgana Cowling, ''The Freeform book'' (TAGG, 1989), p. 5.</ref></blockquote>		And that's just what a Freeform is. The players are the actors. They set about achieving their [sic] objectives of the characters. The script is all ad-lib... A little character background is given... to get the players going, and of course, the objectives each players hopes to achieve. Thus the freeform is born.<ref>Morgana Cowling, ''The Freeform book'' (TAGG, 1989), p. 5.</ref></blockquote>

	There have been many subsequent attempts to define the style. Brian Williams views it as being about a lack of Non-Player Characters (NPCS) or GM involvement.<ref>[http://nnbtv.org.uk/Games/Freeforms.html So What's All This Freeform Business Then?] Retreived 5 January 2015. "All the players are PCs and all are of equal worth to the game... The referee... is relegated to the place of arbiter, adjudicating in disputes between the players... and generally providing information that the character would know but the player doesn't."</ref> [[Mo ~~Halkar~~]] agrees with that, but adds pre-written characters with pre-defined goals, a story with a limited and fixed set of outcomes, and a one-off format as distinctive.<ref>[http://undyingking.livejournal.com/252436.html Larp and freeform], ''Vanderbilt and the Yeggman'' (Livejournal), 6 Jan 2013. Retreived 5 January 2015.</ref> [[Aaron Vanek]] emphasises the use of representational rather than live-combat and a focus on player-vs-player ([[PvP]]) rather than player-vs-environment ([[PvE]]) plots.<ref>[http://www.larping.org/larp-articles/all-about-parlor-larps/ All About Parlor Larps], ''larping.org'', 28 October 2013. Retreived 2 February 2015.</ref> [[Adina Schreiber]], discussing the "traditionally structured New England style", stresses continuous time rather than scenes, multiple plotlines, and that the game outcome is decided by the players.<ref>[https://fairescape.wordpress.com/2013/04/04/pop-larps/ Pop-LARPs], ''Fair Escape'', 4 April 2013. Retreived 5 January 2015.</ref> A later definition by Halkar, focused on [[UK]] freeforms, says that they ''usually'' (but not always) involve continuous time, detailed pre-written characters, minimal GM involvement and a minimal system.		There have been many subsequent attempts to define the style. Brian Williams views it as being about a lack of Non-Player Characters (NPCS) or GM involvement.<ref>[http://nnbtv.org.uk/Games/Freeforms.html So What's All This Freeform Business Then?] Retreived 5 January 2015. "All the players are PCs and all are of equal worth to the game... The referee... is relegated to the place of arbiter, adjudicating in disputes between the players... and generally providing information that the character would know but the player doesn't."</ref> [[Mo Holkar]] agrees with that, but adds pre-written characters with pre-defined goals, a story with a limited and fixed set of outcomes, and a one-off format as distinctive.<ref>[http://undyingking.livejournal.com/252436.html Larp and freeform], ''Vanderbilt and the Yeggman'' (Livejournal), 6 Jan 2013. Retreived 5 January 2015.</ref> [[Aaron Vanek]] emphasises the use of representational rather than live-combat and a focus on player-vs-player ([[PvP]]) rather than player-vs-environment ([[PvE]]) plots.<ref>[http://www.larping.org/larp-articles/all-about-parlor-larps/ All About Parlor Larps], ''larping.org'', 28 October 2013. Retreived 2 February 2015.</ref> [[Adina Schreiber]], discussing the "traditionally structured New England style", stresses continuous time rather than scenes, multiple plotlines, and that the game outcome is decided by the players.<ref>[https://fairescape.wordpress.com/2013/04/04/pop-larps/ Pop-LARPs], ''Fair Escape'', 4 April 2013. Retreived 5 January 2015.</ref> A later definition by Halkar, focused on [[UK]] freeforms, says that they ''usually'' (but not always) involve continuous time, detailed pre-written characters, minimal GM involvement and a minimal system.

	In practice many of these defining features can be broken. Theatre-style larps can use heavy mechanics (RTLB [[Final Voyage of the Mary Celeste]]; [[Shifting Forest Storyworks]]' "parlour larps"), NPCs ([[Horde game]]s), player-created characters ([[New Voices in Art]]), PvE plots ([[Slash]]), fixed outcomes ([[Boats Against the Current]]), scenes ([[The Bell]]) and even live-combat ([[The Black Hart of Camelot]] or [[The Rose and the Dragon]]) while still being recognisably theatre-style.		In practice many of these defining features can be broken. Theatre-style larps can use heavy mechanics (RTLB [[Final Voyage of the Mary Celeste]]; [[Shifting Forest Storyworks]]' "parlour larps"), NPCs ([[Horde game]]s), player-created characters ([[New Voices in Art]]), PvE plots ([[Slash]]), fixed outcomes ([[Boats Against the Current]]), scenes ([[The Bell]]) and even live-combat ([[The Black Hart of Camelot]] or [[The Rose and the Dragon]]) while still being recognisably theatre-style.

IdiotSavant: /* Origins */ - sp

2015-03-17T00:29:10Z

Origins: - sp

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:29, 16 March 2015
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	==Origins==		==Origins==
	The theatre-style of larp appears to have been invented independently in different parts of the world. The Harvard [[Society for Interactive Literature]] was formed in 1982.<ref>[http://www.interactiveliterature.org/NEIL/25YearsOfIntercon.html 25 Years of Intercon], ''New England Interactive Literature'',2010. Retreived 5 January 2015.</ref> The [[MIT Assassins' Guild]] was formed around the same time. The first [[Australian freeform]] was run at [[CanCon]] in 1983 using the ''Traveller'' setting.<ref>[http://arcanacon.org/1983/page10.html "Free Form Role-Playing"], ''Arcanacon I - 83 handbook'' (Arcanacon), p. 10. Retreived 5 January 2015. "in the pioneering freeform tournament at Canberra Games Convention '83 participating players were members of the crew of the ship 'Sarten Valador' whose personal role-playing interactions determined all events aboard ship... rather than sitting around a table... the players move about the game environment..." </ref> [[Brian Williams]] credits a series of "fantasy parties" run at the University of York by [[Andrew Rilstone]] in the late 1980's as the origin on the style in the UK.<ref>[http://nnbtv.org.uk/Games/History.html Me and Freeforms]. Retreived 5 January 2015.</ref>		The theatre-style of larp appears to have been invented independently in different parts of the world. The Harvard [[Society for Interactive Literature]] was formed in 1982.<ref>[http://www.interactiveliterature.org/NEIL/25YearsOfIntercon.html 25 Years of Intercon], ''New England Interactive Literature'',2010. Retreived 5 January 2015.</ref> The [[MIT Assassins' Guild]] was formed around the same time. The first [[Australian freeform]] was run at [[CanCon]] in 1983 using the ''Traveller'' setting.<ref>[http://arcanacon.org/1983/page10.html "Free Form Role-Playing"], ''Arcanacon I - 83 handbook'' (Arcanacon), p. 10. Retreived 5 January 2015. "in the pioneering freeform tournament at Canberra Games Convention '83 participating players were members of the crew of the ship 'Sarten Valador' whose personal role-playing interactions determined all events aboard ship... rather than sitting around a table... the players move about the game environment..." </ref> [[Brian Williams]] credits a series of "fantasy parties" run at the University of York by [[Andrew Rilstone]] in the late 1980's as the origin of the style in the UK.<ref>[http://nnbtv.org.uk/Games/History.html Me and Freeforms]. Retreived 5 January 2015.</ref>

	==Definition==		==Definition==

IdiotSavant: /* Definition */ - ref

2015-02-02T09:45:19Z

Definition: - ref

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:45, 2 February 2015
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	And that's just what a Freeform is. The players are the actors. They set about achieving their [sic] objectives of the characters. The script is all ad-lib... A little character background is given... to get the players going, and of course, the objectives each players hopes to achieve. Thus the freeform is born.<ref>Morgana Cowling, ''The Freeform book'' (TAGG, 1989), p. 5.</ref></blockquote>		And that's just what a Freeform is. The players are the actors. They set about achieving their [sic] objectives of the characters. The script is all ad-lib... A little character background is given... to get the players going, and of course, the objectives each players hopes to achieve. Thus the freeform is born.<ref>Morgana Cowling, ''The Freeform book'' (TAGG, 1989), p. 5.</ref></blockquote>

	There have been many subsequent attempts to define the style. Brian Williams views it as being about a lack of Non-Player Characters (NPCS) or GM involvement.<ref>[http://nnbtv.org.uk/Games/Freeforms.html So What's All This Freeform Business Then?] Retreived 5 January 2015. "All the players are PCs and all are of equal worth to the game... The referee... is relegated to the place of arbiter, adjudicating in disputes between the players... and generally providing information that the character would know but the player doesn't."</ref> [[Mo Halkar]] agrees with that, but adds pre-written characters with pre-defined goals, a story with a limited and fixed set of outcomes, and a one-off format as distinctive.<ref>[http://undyingking.livejournal.com/252436.html Larp and freeform], ''Vanderbilt and the Yeggman'' (Livejournal), 6 Jan 2013. Retreived 5 January 2015.</ref> [[Aaron Vanek]] emphasises the use of representational rather than live-combat and a focus on player-vs-player ([[PvP]]) rather than player-vs-environment ([[PvE]]) plots.<ref>[http://www.larping.org/all-about-parlor-larps/ All About Parlor Larps], ''larping.org'', 28 October 2013. Retreived ~~5 January~~ 2015.</ref> [[Adina Schreiber]], discussing the "traditionally structured New England style", stresses continuous time rather than scenes, multiple plotlines, and that the game outcome is decided by the players.<ref>[https://fairescape.wordpress.com/2013/04/04/pop-larps/ Pop-LARPs], ''Fair Escape'', 4 April 2013. Retreived 5 January 2015.</ref> A later definition by Halkar, focused on [[UK]] freeforms, says that they ''usually'' (but not always) involve continuous time, detailed pre-written characters, minimal GM involvement and a minimal system.		There have been many subsequent attempts to define the style. Brian Williams views it as being about a lack of Non-Player Characters (NPCS) or GM involvement.<ref>[http://nnbtv.org.uk/Games/Freeforms.html So What's All This Freeform Business Then?] Retreived 5 January 2015. "All the players are PCs and all are of equal worth to the game... The referee... is relegated to the place of arbiter, adjudicating in disputes between the players... and generally providing information that the character would know but the player doesn't."</ref> [[Mo Halkar]] agrees with that, but adds pre-written characters with pre-defined goals, a story with a limited and fixed set of outcomes, and a one-off format as distinctive.<ref>[http://undyingking.livejournal.com/252436.html Larp and freeform], ''Vanderbilt and the Yeggman'' (Livejournal), 6 Jan 2013. Retreived 5 January 2015.</ref> [[Aaron Vanek]] emphasises the use of representational rather than live-combat and a focus on player-vs-player ([[PvP]]) rather than player-vs-environment ([[PvE]]) plots.<ref>[http://www.larping.org/larp-articles/all-about-parlor-larps/ All About Parlor Larps], ''larping.org'', 28 October 2013. Retreived 2 February 2015.</ref> [[Adina Schreiber]], discussing the "traditionally structured New England style", stresses continuous time rather than scenes, multiple plotlines, and that the game outcome is decided by the players.<ref>[https://fairescape.wordpress.com/2013/04/04/pop-larps/ Pop-LARPs], ''Fair Escape'', 4 April 2013. Retreived 5 January 2015.</ref> A later definition by Halkar, focused on [[UK]] freeforms, says that they ''usually'' (but not always) involve continuous time, detailed pre-written characters, minimal GM involvement and a minimal system.

	In practice many of these defining features can be broken. Theatre-style larps can use heavy mechanics (RTLB [[Final Voyage of the Mary Celeste]]; [[Shifting Forest Storyworks]]' "parlour larps"), NPCs ([[Horde game]]s), player-created characters ([[New Voices in Art]]), PvE plots ([[Slash]]), fixed outcomes ([[Boats Against the Current]]), scenes ([[The Bell]]) and even live-combat ([[The Black Hart of Camelot]] or [[The Rose and the Dragon]]) while still being recognisably theatre-style.		In practice many of these defining features can be broken. Theatre-style larps can use heavy mechanics (RTLB [[Final Voyage of the Mary Celeste]]; [[Shifting Forest Storyworks]]' "parlour larps"), NPCs ([[Horde game]]s), player-created characters ([[New Voices in Art]]), PvE plots ([[Slash]]), fixed outcomes ([[Boats Against the Current]]), scenes ([[The Bell]]) and even live-combat ([[The Black Hart of Camelot]] or [[The Rose and the Dragon]]) while still being recognisably theatre-style.

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:20, 4 August 2015
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	==See also==		==See also==
	* [[Secrets and powers game]]		* [[Secrets and powers game]]
			* [[Pop-LARP]]
	* [[Framework game]]		* [[Framework game]]
	* [[American freeform]]		* [[American freeform]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:54, 4 August 2015
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	==See also==		==See also==
			* [[Secrets and powers game]]
	* [[Framework game]]		* [[Framework game]]
	* [[American freeform]]		* [[American freeform]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:02, 24 June 2015
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	* [[Tale-telling game]]		* [[Tale-telling game]]
	* [[Horde game]]		* [[Horde game]]
			* [[Jeepform]]

	==References==		==References==