NSW State Library – July 13th 2011

Who I am, and what I do…

Introduction

Introduction

Who am I? Role-Player of 25 Years Live Action Player of 15 Years Treasurer of the Sydney Role-Playing

Gamers Association (SRGA) Founder of High Explosive Theatrical

Productions

SRGA (Sydney Role-Playing Gamers Association)

Founded in 2006 Runs two major role-playing

conventions in Sydney every year: EYECON (Easter Weekend) – www.eye-

con.info SYDCON (October Long Weekend) –

www.sydcon.info Provides support to gaming groups

and associations

High Explosive

Founded in 1998 Provides numerous services for

theatre, film and television: Theatrical Armoury / Fight Choreography Special Effects / Pyrotechnics Technical Audio/Visual Design

Produces live-action role-playing events monthly in Sydney

A brief explanation…

Role-Playing

What is Role-Playing?

A collaborative story-telling experience

Driven by imagination Available to everyone Incorporates rule systems Available on any budget

How Does it Work?

One person is the Game Master (GM) who creates the story and arbitrates the rules

Other participants each take on the role of a character they create

The GM presents situations and scenes that involve the characters in the story

The players act out their characters in line with the imagined scene and events

A Brief History

Role-playing is generally recognised as starting with Dungeons & Dragons in 1974

Dungeons & Dragons is still available today, now in its 4th edition

There are currently over one thousand RPG publishers world-wide 1

1. Based upon publisher numbers shown on www.drivethrurpg.com

An evolution of the hobby…

Live Action Role-Playing

What is LARP?

Just like PnP (Pen & Paper) Role-playing, however players physically act out the role of their characters, similar to impromptu theatre

There are two types of LARP: “Boffer” LARPS see the players act out

actual battles using safe replica weapons Freeforms are designed to focus on story-

telling, personal interaction and politics

Boffer LARP

Like re-enactment groups, though games are often set in fantasy settings

Players enjoy making period costume, armour & weapons

Games focus on the martial skill of players

Winterfest 2010

Freeform LARP

Games are based around storyline development and social interaction

Players enjoy costuming and immersive character development in line with the story

The Unbound 2011

What we do, and where we do it…

Gaming in NSW

Demographics

Information collected by the SRGA in 2010: The average age of a convention attending

gamer is 30. 21.62% are 25 or younger; 48.65% are 26-35; 25.68% are older than 35

New players coming in to convention gaming are 25 years old on average

52.71% of convention gamers have been a member of a university role-playing club

Dungeons & Dragons is still the most popular title with 86.49% of players having played the 3rd edition.

Established LARP Groups

Harbour of Darkness – The Sydney Camarilla (sydney.camarilla.org.au)

The Unbound – Multiformat Role-Playing (www.the-unbound.com)

Society for Creative Anachronism – Kingdom of Lochac (sca.org.au)

Why Do People LARP?

LARP offers the greatest level of immersion in role-playing by placing the players in the “shoes” of their characters

LARP games allow for more simultaneous players than conventional PnP RPGs

LARP players are able to indulge their creative side through the creation of costumes, props and “sets”

Difficulties LARPs Face

Venue availability Public liability insurance Costs Interpersonal issues Player attrition Recruitment

What We Bring to Libraries Numbers through the door Our community Our demographic Awareness Revenue

Locating NSW Gamers

Gaming Stores Good Games

(www.goodgames.com.au) The Tin Soldier

(www.tinsoldier.com) Infinitas Bookshop

(www.infinitas.com.au) Games Empire

(www.gamesempire.com.au) Games Paradise

(www.gamesparadise.com.au)

Conventions EYECON (www.eye-con.info) SYDCON (www.sydcon.info) Macquariecon

(www.macquariecon.net)

University Associations UNSW Gamers (University of NSW) SUTEKH (University of Sydney) MURPS (Macquarie University) NUGS (Newcastle University) The Guild (University of

Wollongong)

Organised Play Associations Wizards of the Coast Organised

Play (www.wizards.com) Pathfinder Society

(www.paizo.com) Blacktown Games Day Association

(www.warhorn.net/blacktown)

Questions?

For further information contact:

all@srga.org.au

Thank You