March 2010 Highlights

Hot caramel apple latte!
Thanks Paul! 

I have been misunderstood, but I can see why from how I wrote it, so I will clarify.  This complaint was not about being stonewalled or bad RP opportunities or not knowing enough of the plot, or any of that.  Rannick doesn't really care about the intrigues - last couple LARPs I was in, I got way too deep into the "deep plot," and now I'm just there to have fun being an obnoxious barbarian with lower inhibitions than I maintain in real life.  If I ever want to get deeper, I will, but for the moment I'm quite happy with my current level of involvement.

My comment was a critique of bad IG leadership decisions, and a warning of just how close things came to disaster because of them.

You spent all that time setting up your groups with their battle leaders.  You don't need to tell "every individual" what's going on - you tell the battle leaders, and THEY tell all the individuals in their battle groups.

I could really care less about your treaty with bizarro world, but if you don't want a couple of hot-headed barbarians ruining everything, you should probably clue them in on what's going on.  If you DON'T care about them unwittingly undoing all your diplomatic work, simply because they don't know any better, then by all means, keep doing what you're doing - but remember that when it happens, it probably happened because the PCs in the lead weren't disseminating information to the lowest level.  It is strategically important to fill your troops in on important details like, "We are in a diplomatically tenuous situation.  Don't piss anyone off."

In other words, it IS practical - and important - to make announcements about these things.  "Go here," and "fight this" are simply not enough direction to get what you need out of people following you.

Was this the place to bring it up?  Eh, maybe not.  It was kind of a disappointment, so I put it with my low-lights.

Here's a peacemaking addendum to that:

The battle-groups were well led in a tactical sense.  In terms of formations and positioning during the actual fighting, they did very well both at the battle-group leader level and at the over-all leader level.  I will add the highlight that it was pretty awesome to be part of such a large force - wielding formations like that in battle is very hard, and the PC leadership did well at that part of it.

In other words, the "hurry-up-and-wait" early on in the evening was well worth the result.  I hear tell that this is a vast improvement over previous large-scale mods, so - well done!

I wish I had 4 arms.

I just want to take a second to say thanks to: Alex, Andy, , Jon, Joe, MB, Tori, Jason, Matt W., Chris G., Brendan, Brian H., Chris A, Doug, Bob, Emily, Damien, Adam, Mike, and anyone else who helped with the main weekend plot.

- Paladin43
- The death of Alternate reality Pyre
- Cheese Fondue
- The Apple Caramel Latte
- VARDIMUS! (Kenny I have your wallet... and your pants... )
- All the new players (You guys really were all awesome!. Thanks. )
- Simons Special Mission
- Getting to see the Vael'senwe in action.
- Norm getting my costume and weapon.
- Ming-na/Dan Gill
- Tommy finally making it.
- a bunch of other things im sure, but ill stop there for now.  

-Teaching Hamish Insult.  Most hilarious lesson I've taught since... the last time I taught Hamish.
-Teaching Marika Hex.
-NPCing Dragoon plot and Gambino plot.
-Truth of the Gypsy ftw.
-Being told by Magnus that I apparently know how to lead troops better than he does.

There are a lot more, but I'm too tired to think of them.