Poll Results

I was thinking it would be pretty funny to run another poll to see whether I should post the poll results or not, but then I thought maybe I would be the only person who would really find that funny, and that would be a Sad Thing indeed, so in hopes of not having a Sad Thing, here are the poll results:

Should this LARP group stay with FRAG?
You can see the results of this poll here: http://micropoll.com/t/LEIABZBIYl

That being said, the results for the 'Providence or not Providence' were extremely close. Whenever someone voted for one, someone would, almost immediately, vote for the other option.

In the end, there were only 13 votes cast; seven for "anything but Providence" and six for Providence.

Therefore, the last Providence game will be the game in July, and we might as well stay with FRAG until then.

I've been thinking about what other game system I'd like to run, and I've been thinking about this a lot. Right now, I can't really say I'd like to run a different system, so if you're the guy or gal what voted for "I'd like to run a LARP", this is your chance!

It may or may not help to be a bit more clear:

*I* would like to continue running Providence. I'm not done with the KC setting yet, and I really enjoy it. I can't think of another system I'd like to run on an ongoing basis (I've something in the back of my head, but it would take a lot of work to get it up and running by August). BUT. It's clear that most of you all would rather try something else, and I certainly don't want to stifle that.


EDIT: I would like to continue running KC; I don't much care what the chronicle is.

I also cannot think of something I would rather play over KC. In fact, it's the game that got me back into LARP. Curious to see what gets determined.

Firefly?

To be perfectly clear myself, Jill, I am enjoying Providence. I am, however, of the opinion that we should think about bringing it to a close, but by, say, January or February rather than August - given that opinion, I was really uncertain which way to vote.

If you really want the last game to be July's game, then by all means, but I don't think I can wrap up all of my plots by then.

I am intrigued to hear what you've got burbling in the back of your mind.

January or February!!?? Of NEXT YEAR!!?? Whoa. That's a FAR longer timeline than even I had for this chronicle.

It's also been brought to my attention that if folks had known that the choice was "KC or no LARP", they'd have voted differently.

So I'd like to address that.
First, I've been running LARPs for five years, or thereabouts. If someone else wants a chance, I don't want to be the stodgy old poop who won't let anyone else try.

Second, I've spent the last month thinking about this, and have only just recently come to the conclusion that what I want to run right now is KC. But if folks don't want to play KC, then why run it?

Third, I didn't want to put too much of my opinion in on either side of the equation, because this really should be your decision.

There was never any "do this or you won't get to play" to this whole thing. I've thought about other systems, and I'm just not all that keen on finding or building a new LARP system, learning the rules, and then going through the growing pains of rules debates all over again. I just...I wanted your honest opinion, really.

July or August is 1 or 2 months more. January or February is 7 or 8. Is it really *that* far? You were planning on ending it anyway by what, 5 months? Are we voting over a difference of just a few months?

No, I was thinking of ending the Providence chronicle in July. August at the *very* latest.

Also: Mark -
Pre- or Non-Codex KC game is at the top of my list. Possibly a period-style game, possibly not.

Non-Angels game that uses the KC system, including the downtime system...actually, whatever I would run would use the KC downtime system, regardless of the game itself, unless there is a better downtime system out there, which I haven't yet seen.

And that's as far as I got with the burbling thoughts.

Look, if y'all's choice was really "something Jill is running, regardless of the system", that's cool. I'll consider running a LARP. But. I don't want to step on anyone's toes if they want to try their hand at it, and I don't want to ostensibly "force" people to play a game that they honestly don't enjoy.

I want to play in a game that you are running. I don't really care what that happens to be.

Seeing as how we only had the two choices, and I was the last one to vote, I think it would have been fair for us folks if you'd mentioned you didn't want to run anything but KC. My vote was more of a 'I don't like the KC setting.' The system is fine. It's quite open and easy to manipulate for any form of results desired. That is quite neat for me as a player, and the downtime system is quite nice as well.
The story of KC, the background, which some players have never fully been able to assimilate is kinda self-defeating and irks me. Mostly because that background keeps changing from telling to telling. Either way, I think the best way to interpret my vote is not to discard the KC system, instead the storyline to date. Pre-codex, or another game that is completely of your creation, would be quite keen.
Me, I keep hoping for a Shadowrun LARP using the KC system, since it would work quite well. Hmmmmm... one shots while Jill writes up what is on her mind...

Again, at the time, I didn't know that I wasn't really interested in going through the rigamarole of ironing out a new setting with all the players. At the time, I didn't know that I'd decide that I'm not done with exploring the KC setting or system. So, again, I apologise for seeming to blindside folks, but I've spent the last month looking at other LARP systems and settings and this is the conclusion I've come to, just like "I don't want to play Providence" is the conclusion you came to.

I understand the frustration with the setting. If I could afford to make copies for all of you, I would have.

Also, there was a vote with more than two choices, Rich. You may have missed it. And I can't find it now to check how much they won by, but the two-choices poll was the top two results from it. (Third place was, I think, "Another KC, not Providence"... Jill?)

I'm not sure why we even had the second poll if Jill was planning to end this game by August anyway. We were voting whether to end it in August or a whole two months sooner? I think it probable that several people wouldn't have voted to end it earlier if they'd realized what a small difference we were talking about. Coupled with those that have stated they would have voted differently if they'd known Jill would decide not to run another not-KC, maybe we should just finish this out...?

But regardless, we're not talking about no LARP at all when Jill's done. I'd really like to hear from whoever else was talking about running one. Don't get me wrong, I love Jill's games, but she's not the only good Storyteller in the city.

There were four votes cast for Providence, three for another KC game, one for "I'd like to run a LARP", and four for "another game entirely".

All of the options that included *not* playing Providence included the indication that the Providence storyline would be wrapped up in 2-3 months, so when the majority in this latest poll voted for 'anything but Providence', it made sense to me that that meant this storyline would be wrapped up in 2-3 months (ergo, August at the latest).

If someone does want to step up and run a LARP, I thought it'd be good to give them a month of summer to get players together, to do a character creation night, etc.. Therefore, July seemed the most appropriate time to wrap up Providence.

I wasn't planning to end this game by August anyway; when the results of the poll came in, I figured that was the best time to do it.

Let me tell you what all this *wasn't*.
All of this wasn't my way of tricking y'all into voting to keep running Providence.
It wasn't my attempt to trick you in to wrapping up a game you're enjoying.
It wasn't some sneaky, passive-aggressive way of letting y'all know that I don't want to run Providence anymore.

This is what it *was*:
I wanted to get your honest and open opinion of what you want to play. While you were thinking about that, I was thinking about what I wanted to run. And I didn't want to colour *your* opinions with my own (hence, I didn't mention all of the things I've thought of running, because I didn't want you to get all excited about something that may never happen - I tend to change my mind a lot). I didn't set out thinking, "well, if they don't choose to play Providence, then I'm not running anything at all" or "if they don't want to play KC, they're screwed".

**sigh**

I'm sorry if I've upset you guys. I just want to help y'all have fun playing LARP. That's what I like to do.

If you want to keep playing a non-Providence KC game, I'll run one. I do think that it's clear that the majority of you do not want to keep playing Providence. IF someone else wants to run a LARP, I think that'd be great!

Ah, I was confused, 'cause you said to Mark that Jan/Feb was "a FAR longer timeline than even I had for this chronicle" and then when I asked what you had been thinking of, you said August. I was asking when you had been planning on ending it, if we were to continue, because that's what I thought you were talking about.

Anyway, I'm not upset. I'm glad this discussion is happening, because I think it's of more use (albeit harder to "read") than the poll - this way we get to see why people feel a certain way, how strongly they feel it, and so forth.

Two of the things going through my head right now is that we already have a KC game nearby for those who want it, and that maybe if we stopped and did another setting/system for a while, then by the time we were ready to move to another chronicle, Trent would be done and we could all buy the book, which would be a lot less annoying.

The KC game in Saskatoon will only run until September.

And there's no real ETA on the published book. We'd go with what we currently have, which has been working for us (at least, in my opinion it has been).

cenobyte wrote:This is what it *was*:
I wanted to get your honest and open opinion of what you want to play. While you were thinking about that, I was thinking about what I wanted to run. And I didn't want to colour *your* opinions with my own (hence, I didn't mention all of the things I've thought of running, because I didn't want you to get all excited about something that may never happen - I tend to change my mind a lot).

I appreciated that approach very much. Thanks, Jill.

Saskatoon is hardly nearby. It takes a great deal of effort and coordination for *me* to get up there, and I know that there are people who aren't playing because it's just too far. I think that it's unfair to say that if someone wants to play KC, they can just drive the two and a half hours (more than three for me) every month and play it there. The fact that we have so many people coming down here for Providence is incredible and wonderful. Also, Sour Times is only going to be running for three more months.

I voted for continuing Providence, and I really can't think of a system I would rather play than KC, especially on a long term basis. KC is my one true Larp love, and it will always and forever be my first choice when it comes to gaming. That said, I will of course give anything else that Jill decides to run my support and energy.

You're right; I'm sorry. At coffee and on the forums it seems as if everyone but us is involved in that game, so it's easy for me to forget that there might be people who want to play it and can't.

At any rate, whoever it is who is interested in running a LARP has the opportunity to do so! I think that's kind of exciting!

Hopefully, you (you what voted to run a LARP) have some ideas? We could use August as the New Game month...

If nobody does come forward by mid-July, which would be unfortunate, to run a LARP, I'll throw out the idea I've got and see what you think. But y'all might really want a new Storyguide and a new system, and if that's the case, I'd like to hear about it! (GASP - maybe I could...PLAY!)