International visitors

Heya,

I'm part of a group travelling from Australia to the US in August. We run LARP campaigns back home and would very much like to visit some LARPs whilst in the USA. I may be blind but I've struggled to find much info on how to make a booking as a player and/or as an NPC for Knight Realms. We've emailed the "new player" email address last week, and I hope to hear from them soon, but as we are finalising our itinerary now I hope that someone here might be able to help a little too.
If anyone can help out with any of these questions that would be great!

Do we need to book with the newplayer email address, and is there any other person we should contact? Or is it a simply turn up and hope for space event?

Is the August 14-16 weekend a site that we can book indoor beds at? As we are travelling from overseas we will not have any bedding with us, let alone tents. Would it be possible to arrange/hire this from someone?

We will not be able to bring any weapons with us -- can we hire/borrow these from the club or other individual? Also costume/kit -- we can bring a small amount but especially for NPCs would like to know if we can borrow extra so we can change it up for each character.

Whilst we can hire a car to make it out to the event is there any chance of public transport nearby?

Will we be able to buy food at this event in particular (I noticed that the info on this says it's only sometimes available)? If not are there any shops nearby where we may be able to supply ourselves before arrival?

Is there anything a person should know about Knight Realms in general as a first time attendee -- we have over a dozen years of LARP experience each, mostly in playing and running medieval fantasy events using latex/foam weaponry (pvc and duct tape have not been allowed at our events due to safety concerns for over a decade).

I'm sure I'll have a dozen more questions, but any help on these would be great! I do hope that we will be able to get to the August event.

Thanks!!

Megan

Hey Megan,
I'll post more later as I'm running to work right now, but let me see if I can answer some of your questions. First of all I'm a. Ew player marshal and here to help.
1. You do not need to book with the new player officer. Normally it's show up and we will find you space. However in this case I'm sure that we can reserve you space. (PM me and we can figure this out.)
2. Again this should not be an issue. How many people would be showing up just so we can find enough to bedding for people.
3. Yes we have stuff for people to borrow. Also if you are NPCing for us we provide you everything you need.
4. There is indeed public transit near by. It's how I used to come and go from game. The NJTransit can get you close then we can get people to pick you up/take you back so that you can get to New Jersy or New York.
5. We have food on Saturday night for sure (feast) and Saturday morning (breakfast) but if your in a crunch there is a few food places around that we can get you too. But normally food is not an issue.
6. Knight Realms is fun. We have an entire new player introduction and set up so we can answer any other questions to concerns there. Also we go over the rules. Something that, I feel, is unique or done differently then other games is our attention to new players. So that's what I love about KR.

Again this was a quick answers to all your questions. Please feel free to pm me any more or post them here and myself/other new player marshals will answer and help out best we can.

Heya Sean,

Thanks for the reply! As it's early for you it's equally late for me here so I'll try to PM you for more details over the next few days. Some of my questions may be a bit odd, but since we'll be coming from several thousand miles away I really just want to be sure we have everything we'll need and that there are places for us when we get there!

Another general question though, how many people attend the KR weekends? Approximately how many players, and how many marshal/GMs/Full time NPCs to support this? I know LARPing is comparatively tiny here, with events having about 50 people all told (25-30 players, 8-12 NPCs and 5 staff average), though I have attended Britain's biggest LARP with 5000 people. There is one battlegame here that attracts 150-300 people to their regular weeknight games, but they generally just engage in skirmishes rather than providing any form of in depth story telling or character involvement.

Thanks again.

Megan

First of all get some sleep.
Second your questions are not strange we have people travel and visit us a bit so its something that we are used to answering :)

KR attendance varies depending on the season with the summer getting more attendance then the winter months. That being said, in my memory, the average attendance is somewhere in the 100+ range that fluctuates during the weekend. (Some people have to leave and come back due to work/life) We require every player to do a 4 hour NPC shift so that we have a good balance of PC to NPC. What that ratio is I have no idea. There are various marshalships at our game that do a wide varieties of jobs on the camp. Normally we have 2/3 in logistics and a few roaming around on camp in game to help if players have questions during play.
We try to provide in depth storytelling and world building as a game.

Hope this answers most or sparks more questions.

Just a player, but welcome, and I think I have weapons you can borrow. I think most people will say I carry a small armory in my car.

Hi Megan. Ive traveled to Melbourne to visit a friend before. KR is a great game and weve had international visitors before. Canada and UK. Bunk space is not an issue especially in summer. Ill happilly open tent space in mine for you. I think we can bring a very big tent if Sean, who posted just before me intends to come. This should be a non issue.

Native animals abound on the game site. Deer turkey bear pheasent all come by and visit so food is kept in the Inn building. The grounds are oened by the Director of KR which is unusual for most games in the US.

There are take aways available and convenience stores nearby and even a farmers market with excellent chocolate milk.

Hugs and welcome!

Leslie

Hello Megan,

Just an FYI... your group will be the 2nd group we've had from Down Under.

One of our New Player Marshals (Sean) has already made introductions so you are in good hands with getting all your questions answered. We try to keep things open and easy for those who wish to come to an event & play. There are plenty of logistical headaches players go through on their own end to travel to us, so we make sure it's easy to come in, get started & play. If you plan on arriving during our Summer time, that's when we usually have to most people coming into an event. There are multiple, permanent buildings with beds, as well as platforms where tents are put up for folks to use.

We do have weapons to loan out to new players, as well as usually we have merchants at our events who sell actual items such as clothing, jewelry, latex/foam weapons for actual money. While customs/airport security may make travelling with such items troublesome, it maybe worth it as some of the products offered look really nice. Plus you could always stow it in your checked baggage at the airport when you go home, or ship it home to yourselves afterwards.

There is a link with directions on how to drive to the event using private transport and a link that shows how to get to an event using public transport. If you come by the latter, there is a taxi ride/fare near the end. However, if you can solidify when you arrive, maybe a few of our players might be willing to see about picking you up from the train station & bringing you to event. No guarantees though.

The camp is located nearby several markets as well as dining establishments. Getting food is never a problem. I daresay we have a number of "foodies" & people of epicurean tastes who make sure the quality & variety of things to eat are up to par.

Again, great to hear from you & we hope you join us soon. "Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi!"

Hello everyone,

Thanks for the replies and info. Going to an event without making a booking first is against nature for us as most LARPs here include full catering and indoor accommodation to be managed by the orgs.
If we can somehow reserve indoor beds for the weekend that would be awesome, and would be happy to pay for bedding from anyone willing to bring along some extra for us. Ditto on the food -- if we can be sure that we'll be able to buy it there, great, and if not we just need to know to stock up before arrival.

I'm sure our armoury GM will be very interested to see the various weapon types available for sale or just inspection, since he designs and makes the majority of our club's weaponry. We will have already made one shipment home since we are headed to Gencon on arrival and are fairly sure that we will fill some suitcases with loot from there, but are not planning on buying any weapons from there since most of those commercial ones we've seen from overseas don't match our safety limits (hence the making our own). I'm very interested in picking up some more costume personally . . .

We are hoping to have half of us full-time NPC and the other half play so we can get a better understanding of all aspects of how the game runs. Whilst we have written and run two game systems currently we'd like to see as many different ideas and ways of doing things as we can to help improve our games.
We've hosted people from a few different countries at events here over the last few years and have heard some interesting stuff we'd like to see in person.

Another question for anyone who may know -- what's the weather like around the camp in August? It was very hot last time we were in the USA in August 2010 but that was mostly in NYC and Washington so surrounded by concrete. Is it likely we would need cloaks or just light clothing for costume?

I imagine that I may be asking around for anyone willing to help out with specific things later on, maybe after your July event so people are looking to preparation for August themselves. In the meantime I will PM the new player GMs (Marshalls? Lots of different terms to learn to get right -- apparently last time I was at an American LARP I managed to use their emergency word as a part of a regular battle cry and confused the hell out of the battlefield.)

In theory there will be at least two of us attending, and maybe all four of us depending on some other plans currently being considered. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing a property privately own just for LARP!

Thanks again, hope to meet you all in a few weeks time.

Megan

Oh - this is our LARP, anyone welcome anytime you are in Australia -- chimeraproductions.org.au/

Hi there I'm Matt, I'm also one of the New Player Marshals, if Sean is ever busy and you have a question feel free to drop me a line.

Food- As mentioned there is a breakfast on Saturday morning which can be bought with either In Game Coin, or Out of Game Money, additionally we hold a rather large feast Saturday Night at around six that is free for all players and NPC's (usually salad, side, some sort of meat {meatless option available for vegetarians} and desert) and if you need a quick fix durring the weekend there is a sandwich place a few blocks from the camp and its usually very easy to find some one looking to go.

Bedding- There are a number of buildings with bunks on the camp, most of which have an In Game Designation (Guards Barracks, Inn, Mages Guild etc.) though the main building has a number of bunks that are essentially first come first serve. Let us know how many people you are bringing exactly about a week before the event and i will work with sean to make sure we save some for you. Additionally there are multiple permanent tent platforms on the camp with pre set up tents that a large number of the players stay in.

Weather- August tends to be hot and humid, so i recommend light costuming. Though late nights can get a little chilly so having a cloak up in your bunk just in case can be a big help... especially if we get rain.

Lastly P.C.ing/N.P.C.ing- If you are having a hard time decided on who in your group will Play a character and who will full weekend NPC, i would just like to remind that ALL players are required to do a 4 hour NPC shift at some point during their weekend, so if you all want to play a character you will still each get to see how things work behind the scenes.

Looking forward to meeting you all, and i hope you enjoy yourselves

Matthew Majchrzak

Hi, Megan! I'm Jeff, another New Player Marshal.

Calliesky wrote: Another question for anyone who may know -- what's the weather like around the camp in August? It was very hot last time we were in the USA in August 2010 but that was mostly in NYC and Washington so surrounded by concrete. Is it likely we would need cloaks or just light clothing for costume?

One thing that is important to bring all year-round, is socks. Lots and lots of socks. Sometime's it's hot, or it rains, or snows, and your socks get wet, so it's good to change them regularly. Also, as a lot of our players will agree, a good pair of boots goes a long way. Deodorant too, if I remember August correctly.

In the meantime I will PM the new player GMs (Marshalls? Lots of different terms to learn to get right -- apparently last time I was at an American LARP I managed to use their emergency word as a part of a regular battle cry and confused the hell out of the battlefield.)

That happens occasionally. Our emergency word is "Hold," so you're going to want to avoid saying that whenever possible, as well as "Halt!" because it sounds so similar. However, "Could you hold this for me?" shouldn't cause any issues.


If you have any more questions, feel free to ask them here.


--Jeff

Hi, I'm Katie, another new player marshal. I can see what we have for blankets you can borrow, we also have some extra weapons we can let you borrow as well. My husband, brother, and I (Matt DeFranza and Ben Oakley) run the adventurers guild for new players as well. It is a great way to go do crazy stuff geared towards your level. Look forward to meeting you.

Hello, my name is Damian, and I just came upon this posting from another post from a Aussie native who is trying to come back to our game. It is always interesting to see people from other countries and LARP communities come to our games.

I read that your group will be at Gencon and I just wanted to say that I will be at Gencon as well helping out a vendor friend of mine. Perhaps we can talk about LARP and KR if we run into each other. I will be with Fernando's Engravings in the Exhibitor Hall if have the chance to seek me out. My second time at Gencon will perhaps involve more gaming this time around as it was pretty last minute last time.

Anyhoo, I am a roleplay marshall and kitchen staff for KR so I can answer many questions in those areas if you have them.

Heya,

Thanks for the info Matt and Jeff, I'll be in touch soon regarding character and accommodation.

Katie, we'd love to borrow some bedding, I will be in touch in another week or so when we have absolutely finalised our plans. At the moment we should have two of us coming to the event, myself as a player and Luke (our armoury and props GM) as a full time NPC, but if plans elsewhere fall through there could actually be four of us instead.

Damian, I'm running a LARP Dresden Files themed game at Gencon on Thursday, and playing about 12 hours every other day! We are all headed off to various games through the weekend, although Luke and I will be hanging around Indianapolis on the Wednesday before the con or the Monday after as well (the other two are working the trade day). But I will try to swing past the stall in the exhibitor's hall if I can find you

Am starting to pack bags now as we fly out next week, and very much look forward to meeting everyone at Knight Realms. If anyone has any suggestions for a character type for me to build, I'd love to hear from you. I'm not exactly a great combatant -- I'm always willing but despite a decade of practice I remain a crappy fighter. I prefer the staff or bow when I play here but as I can't bring any weapons or armour with me I'd be happy to hire or borrow any weapon that anyone could offer.

Also if anyone has non-LARP related travel suggestions I'd love to hear them. We will be spending a few days in San Fran, Chicago, Washington DC and New York as well as Gencon, and while we love theatre and will be inhaling Broadway shows in New York we have little idea of what we should plan to see in each of these places.

Catch you all in a month!!

Megan

NYC area....

Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island- really must-visit if you are in the area. Just so much history...

DC: I know everyone does the Smithsonian museums.... but they really are some excellent places to walk and visit. Best bet is morning- generally less crowds.

If you like aerospace, there is the main air and space museum of course.... and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center (Air and Space Museum Annex) at Dulles airport... Just awesome....

Chicago- I don't know of much there other than Wrigley Field and the Sears Tower. :)

San Fran... you'd have to find a native to ask.

My brother visited Chicago just recently and one of the things he was excited to go see was The Purple Pig. It's a highly-rated Mediterranean restaurant in a section of Chicago called "The Magnificent Mile." I don't remember whether he was able to get in, so I would suggest calling ahead.

Hello everyone,

We've just made it through Gencon and are exhausted after running around Indianapolis for the last five days. I hope you enjoyed the July event for Knight Realms. Luke and I are looking forward to meeting you in just a couple of weeks now.
I was wondering if any of the offers of beds and bedding still stood. If anyone can bring some extra mattresses, sleeping bags, pillows blankets etc (I'm not sure what will be needed by the campsite type or weather expected) you will have our undying gratitude.
We will be driving up from Washington DC on the Friday, and I wondered what the earliest time that players would be allowed to arrive at the campsite would be? I don't expect us to be overly early but think we will get in sometime around 6pm but thought I'd ask just in case my travel estimates are really off . . . .

Many thanks as usual!

Megan

While not inside, I can reserve a tent for you in one of the lands, Kaladonia, so you'll have something over your heads in case of rain.

Calliesky wrote: I don't expect us to be overly early but think we will get in sometime around 6pm but thought I'd ask just in case my travel estimates are really off . . . .

Many thanks as usual!

Megan

During the summer months, there is a day camp that uses the Camp and as such, you're encouraged to arrive at the Camp around 5:30 p.m. 6:00 p.m. would work fine. Also, most places on the Camp are reachable by car, so if you'd rather not haul your luggage from the parking lot--the spaces out front tend to fill up quickly--you can drive to where you're staying, unload, and then go park.

See you soon,

Jeff

I know ostcliff has a few available bunks from time to time as well (which has some amount of AC and 4 walls yay!) as well as tents that are not usually full.

For the most part mattresses are not an issue (even most tents have one or two being unused) and each land is able to help with repelling most of the mosquitos :)

Night time is fairly cool as well so comfort is usually not an issue! I should be able to bring a few extra sleeping supplies as well. Feel free to PM me or find me on site, I will have them (just in case!).

Thanks for the offers. What I'm gathering from the 'land' names is that people camp in factions? Or are they the nameS of buildings/areas the sleeping tents and shelters are? I come from a group where there are never more than three or four bunk halls and all within sight of each other and are never named anything other than 'male dorm', 'female dorm', 'gm room'. ?
As we will be one player and one npc would you recommend that we bunk in the same place or is there a separate area for npcs?

Matt, Katie, Cydra, Renaith, thanks for the offers of bedding and reserved beds. We'll be happy to dump ourselves wherever you guys think easiest, just let us know who to bug when we get there. While I don't have much in the way of costume with me I will be headed to Bristol medieval Faire this weekend so I hope to maybe have a costume piece or two if I can afford anything from there. As an npc Luke is hoping to borrow everything from the game for the weekend.
If there is anything else we can do or bring please let me know. I can promise many thanks for any assistance and some Aussie chocolate until my supplies run out!

Knight Realms's camp is set in a capital of a Barony called Travance. The camp it takes place in is Travance Proper (or just the Proper). 5 Lands form the entire Barony. These lands are, Kaladonia, Pendarvin, Alisandria, Drega'mire, and Ostcliff. Each of these lands have an area in the camp that "belongs" to the land for their use during the Baronial Feasts(which is the reason why we gather once a month in game). Winterdark, which is another area that characters are a part of, these members don't live in Travance but another part of the Kingdom. Each location has tents and most have a statehouse in their locations. The below link leads to a map which is the map of the camp that we use with the labels of where the lands are.(The Bloody Stump is where Ostcliff's tents are)

www.knightrealms.com/in-game/maps-of-the...ce-proper-17889.html

It's up to you if you want to sleep with your friend who is NPCing or in separate locations. Those who NPC usually sleep out of game, since they aren't playing a PC.

Hope this helped.

I should be there around 5:30 or so. If you find me, I'll either be in the building labeled the Inn on the map, or the Kaladonia area, and I'll help you find somewhere to sleep and help you get your character stuff done and get settled.

Megan if you guys still haven't figured out where to sleep please send me a personal message and we can talk about it.