A New Player And His Friends

Greetings to all Knight Realms players! I have been interested in joining the KR community or similar game for some time now and hope that this fall I will finally have the chance to. Even better, the group of friends whom I play table-top RPGs with at college are all interested and eager to delve into LARPing as well! In preparation for this new adventure, we all have questions and are reading the online rulebook and other resources on this site, etc etc.

My biggest concern is that I feel I would like to NPC for the entirety of my first event to better get a feel for the game and system, and I was wondering if there are any useful tips or advice for such an endeavor. What should I bring in terms of costuming and clothing? Should I bring my own boffer weapons, or should I use boffers on-site for my first game? If we come as a group, how difficult is it for all of us to gather and stick together IG if we come from different IG backgrounds? I know many of these questions are opinion based or generic RPG issues, but from my experience every game runs a little different from any other.

Thank you everyone for your help! I look forward to meeting many new friends and allies here on the forum and IG at events!

Hi Mark.  I hope a lot of your questions can be answered here.   Nice to meet you.

That being read, if you have different backgrounds IG (such as disparate geographic origins, inherently antagonistic ethnic backgrounds, and the like, it would be a really big RP stretch to be a tight band.  The fact that some may be OOG romantically involved is absolutely no reason to be so IG. 

You will find yourselves forming coteries with other players because of trades, profession, IG teachers, and other interests.  Eventually, you might find yourselves coalescing due to IG considerations, but such might take time,especially with a largish group.

Mark

I would give serious consideration to NPC'ing for the first couple of events until you get to understand the "Lay of the Land" so to speak

I have played here three times since last Sept and plan on playing again in Sept/Oct Still very much to learn  Partly because you have to UnLearn Other Game rules from elsewhere. Mixing games can cause confusion

There is very much to learn both Rules wise as well as IG Politics. Be patient and Watch /Listen/Learn

Thank you both for the input! I was afraid that it might be difficult to form a well acquainted group IG, but it didn't hurt to double check. We'll just have to find reasons IG to know each other or deal with playing separately until a time comes that we would meet IG. As for my other concerns I was looking more for the opinions of veteran players from past experiences. I read through most of the New Player's Guide but it still left things fairly vague. Is it better to bring a boffer weapon I made myself or use ones that are available on-site? It would be easier not to bring any boffers with me if I'm just NPCing and there are boffers available through logistics, but I'm more familiar with ones made myself. Rereading the Player's Guide helped me answer some things I missed, but I'd still like to know what it is like from the players' experience.

Again, thank you everyone! I can already tell that my friends and I will be joining more than just a roleplay community, but a family.

NPCs have costuming and weapons for them, but remember to wear black(and considering it's summer thin cloth).  When you come in as a PC you will need to provide your own weapons and costuming, this is why it's best to start as an npc(in the opinion of a guy who did it for 2 years before making a character).  Just remember that you will be sleeping, showering is recommended, and since npcs die constantly you might want a clean change of clothes, and there are bugs in the woods.  Other than preparing for the obvious, just remember to listen to what people say and never be afraid to ask someone if something isn't clear(I don't think I've gone an event without someone asking the exact effect of berserker rage).
Ohhh and welcome! (grasps his hands menacingly...fresh meat)

I npc'd the first shift and it really helped me get a understanding and feel for the game. PCing is by far my favorite though.

You will certainly get a feeling for combat if you NPC a "monster."

Hey Mark.  I'd just like to echo what James said there regarding NPC'ing  first shift.  I highly recommend it for a number of different reasons.  The first of which is to get yourself accustomed to the rules and some of the combat system.  Also, it gets your shift out of the way, so you can get right into character for the rest of the weekend.  I actually recommend this to anyone that comes to the event for the first time that has a character concept in mind and wants to PC their first event.  We're all great people here, and more than happy to answer any questions you have.  Hope to see you soon.

I will also echo what has been said regarding first-shift npc duty.  I come into the game with a background in a different larp.  Being able to npc right away helped give me a feel for the game and how the combat system works, s well as how people interact with each other.  Plus, since it was my first event and I wanted to pc my character, it meant I got to stay immersed in character for a longer period of time, which I find to be most enjoyable.