Archived from groups: alt.games.whitewolf (
More info?)
<ewschill@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1099420434.160801.70220@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
> I've never done a Cam. game, but since you're in the Great Lakes
> area, I know there's also several One World By Night (OWBN) games there
> as well. It's a similar idea, except it doesn't cost money, other than
> what individual games may charge.
>
> I've played in a few of their games here in the Mid-Atlantic, and
> well, it's a mix of decent RP'ers and a bunch of cheesemonkeys. I'm
> not really there much anymore, but then I'm getting soured on LARP in
> general. Still, regardless of that, it's a good way to check out what
> a large organized LARP system is like without shelling out 20 bucks and
> making a huge commitment. You might also meet some folks who know more
> about Cam. games, and can give you more firsthand experience.
>
> If you like it, then stick with it. If you like it, but think that
> something even more organized would be better, then check out the Cam.
> If you hate it, well, that's 20 bucks saved.
>
My personal experiences with OWBN while living in Chicago were, to say the
least, not encouraging.
The one OWBN Larp I attended was huge (good), but had characters who started
as Neonates and had been played for 5 years, so who were hulking 300 XP
monsters (bad). Crazy bloodlines and weirdness all over the place. The
Elysium I went to resembled more of a circus than anything.
The LARP at the 2000 Gencon OWBN Larp was worse. It was a crazy scavenger
hunt thing where packs of free roaming Sabbat scoured the city and
diablerized anything in their way (the event supposed had the Vampires of
all sects inflitrating *a gaming convention*.) I quite after an hour, as I
decided I'd have more fun playing L5R tabletop.
On the flip side, I also attended a few OWBN Werewolf LARP events. They
were just plain Boring, as Garou generally are in LARP. Garou in LARP, in
my experience, are best played as a counter-presence to a Vampire majority.
In a private run game here in New York, I had a blast playing the Caern
Warder of the local Manhattan Sept. Even as a minority, Garou can be very
competitive in an Urban LARP environment, with access to the Umbra and
Spirits offsetting the Vampire advantages of their brand of Influences and
the Blood Bond. It especially helps if there's a Corax PC in the mix.
For anyone wanting to get involved in LARPing, I'd suggest checking out
games on a local game by game basis. Some Camarilla and OWBN games may
indeed be superlative. Indy games can run the gamut.
A word about LARP networks - the major advantage of Network games like the
Cam and OWBN is that your character can be played in LARP games across the
country. However, the difference between OWBN and the Cam is that you can
pretty much play any Camarilla character within a venue across the country,
while OWBN is largely a network of local LARPS where the staff at a local
game have the right to reject any character you come to the door with. The
Camarilla has extensive record keeping and tight controls on whar characters
are permissible by venue, but you *will* be guaranteed of playing your
Toreador Ancillae at a San Franciso game even if you played mostly in
Florida until that point. The Camarilla is regarded as being the more
rules-hidebound and OWBN as the more gonzo and twinky organization.
I've been out of the LARP scene for years, so anyone with more
correct/current info, please correct me.
Hope this is of use.
CB
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