Enigma Live Game Lab

Not, strictly speaking, an ELGL production, but our good friends at Melodramatic Mysteries will be hosting an instance of Casino Arcana (originally created by ELGL’s Mike Tice), presented by Alex Arjad. The game is August 28th and features all new characters. More info here (http://melodramaticmysteries NULL.com/news NULL.html).
Alas, the game has been scratched! But it is likely to return at some other date and venue.

Starship Valkyrie now has its own web-home:

http://www.starshipvalkyrie.com

Rules and updates may be found there.

Aaron Vanek (Secretary for LARP Alliance and co-founder of Enigma Live Game Labs) and Melodramatic Mysteries (http://melodramaticmysteries NULL.com/) will be holding a role-playing workshop on July 31, 2010. It will start at 7:00pm and go until about 10:00pm.

The workshop will be held at (email or comment for location).
This EXCELLENT workshop is a must for all role-players, especially those participating in Melodramatic Mystery Interactive Theater and other Live Games, theater or combat.
This is a free event and open to all. RSVP REQUIRED! Please bring food and/or drink to share.

The workshop is an informal study of role-playing and improv acting tips and tricks, specifically designed for larpers to improve make-believe’s believability. No experience necessary, costumes not necessary. Come with a willingness to learn and comfortable clothes.

A LARP with a Science Fiction theme.

Players will be the crew of an Earth Republic Star Destroyer in 2150 CE. You’ll have to make repairs as the ship gets damaged, and make important tactical decisions when you meet the enemy.

Now recruiting Officers, Raven Pilots, Engineers, Scientists, Robots and Doctors!

The Earth Republic Needs You.

See the Valkyrie Page for more details.

-Christian

Monsieur Beauregard’s Hollywood Speakeasyis an ELGL event taking place at WyrdCon on Friday, June 11 from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm in the Presidential Suite.

GMs: Ray Lavoie and Richard Becker

You’re invited to an evening of music, scandal, sin, and gin at…

 Monsieur Beauregard’s

An establishment of the highest quality

Monsieur Beauregard’s is rated 18+ for adult themes and mature humor.   Alcohol will be available – proof of legal drinking age will be required to be served alcohol.

The game takes place at M. Beauregard’s, an imaginary speakeasy in the Los Angeles of 1928.  Its proprietor, the eponymous M. Beauregard (either of two brothers, actually) is a large and cheerful fellow from New Orleans who maintains a policy of offering hospitality to all comers.  As a consequence, his establishment has evolved into an informal meeting place for those individuals who might otherwise not feel comfortable meeting each other elsewhere, be they rival politicians, studio heads, or even mob bosses.  This eclectic clientele of movers and shakers in turn attracts the cream (and the dregs) of Los Angeles, as everybody who’s anybody will find there way at some time to M. Beauregard’s. 

Players will be provided pre-generated characters – they may play  studio moguls, gangsters, movie stars,  aspiring starlets or leading men, gossup columnists, spiritualists, any of the many eclectic types that populated Los Angeles in 1928.   The game will focus on social and political intrigue as characters seek to keep their secrets, ferret out scandals, and pursue their dreams in the Golden Age of Hollywood! 

Combat will be extremely limited – les Freres Beauregard wish all their guests to enjoy a relaxing evening, and discourage violence.  Character powers are analogous to player actions – there are no special effects, only the skill by which you acquire information, leverage influence, and use the secrets you know to achieve your character’s goals.

Costuming should follow the styles of the 1920s.  This clothing catalogue (http://www NULL.costumes NULL.org/history/100pages/1928CATA NULL.HTM)from 1928 will give you some idea of the look of the era.  More generally, gentlemen should consider suits or a blazer and slacks.   Ladies should consider flapper-style dresses.  Althogh we appreciate efforts to wear suits and dresses of the appropriate cut, any suit is fine for gentlemen – a hat can do wonders to evoke an earlier era.  For ladies, if a flapper-style dress is not possible, a blouse and skirt of about knee length would suit as well.  

All necessary information about the plots will be provided in the charater write-ups.  No knowledge of LA history from the 1920s is necessary to enjoy the game.  However, some passing familiarity with LA History would certainly enhance roleplaying.  More details about LA History from the ’20s, a cast of characters, and notes on mechanics can all be found at the Monsieur Beauregard Game Page.

Please note that players who preregister will have first choice of roles.  If a particular character looks interesting to you, please preregister for the game and e-mail the game design contact person:  Ray Lavoie

Experimental theater style larp – 12 players – Saturday night, 11pm to 1am, in the private penthouse suite

GM = Aaron Vanek (email ( aaron null@null livegamelabs NULL.com))

The Road Not Taken (v.2) is adapted and inspired by the public domain larp of the same name (http://www NULL.interactivitiesink NULL.com/larps/download/trnt NULL.pdf) created by Mike Young of Interactivities Ink (http://www NULL.interactivitiesink NULL.com/).

I will be creating 12 new scenarios, but the tone, style, and structure will be the same.

There are 12 scenes, one for each participant. In each, a main character is faced with a difficult decision.

They have ten minutes to decide, or not, while the other participants argue different perspectives on the situation as voices in the main character’s head.

It’s emotionally intense, and pushes the boundary of live action role playing deep into psychodrama. However, it is cathartic and exults the power of larp.

For ages 18+ only

No costuming necessary. Wear something muted, not flashy, and comfortable.

4 males, 3 females, 5 of either gender required

Saturday, June 12, 9am-1pm  - 12 players – theater style

GMs = Aaron Vanek & Morgan Joeck

Located in the private penthouse suite

Who killed rock and roll?

You’re riding the wave as one of the hottest bands in the world, on tour for your latest album, partying all night long. But dark shadows lurk behind the spotlights, and silent death beyond the speakers. Players take the roles of musicians (who will prove their worth playing the Rock Band™ video game), the manager, roadies, groupies, record agent, a rock journalist, photographer, and other members of the entourage. The location is a 1-to-1 simulation, that is, the real world setting is the same as the game setting: the penthouse suite of a hotel in Southern California. However, the year will be a few decades prior to today (to avoid cell phones and internet).

Please comment if you are interested or have signed up for this game, as we’ll try to cast the roles before the con. Only four players will perform as the band, so we need a singer, guitarist, bassist, and drummer. These four should have familiarity  with the video game Rock Band is required, but expertise is not required.

In game breakfast (brunch) will be provided.

Mechanics will be very minimal, role-playing heavily emphasized.

This is a “what you do and what you say is what your character does and says” kind of larp game.

Costuming TBD! Email ( aaron null@null livegamelabs NULL.com) or comment if you want tips.

Those who sign up via pre-reg get first choice of character!

The Enigma Live Game Lab will have a strong presence at Wyrd Con (http://www NULL.wyrdcon NULL.com/), a LARP convention to be held in Costa Mesa, June 11-13, 2010. In many ways, this will be our big public debut. We have taken over the presidential penthouse suite (incl. hot tub and wet bar) of the Hilton hotel for the entire convention. There, ELGL designers will contribute an entire track of LARPs:

Friday
4PM-8PM = M. Beauregard’s Speakeasy (designed by Ray Lavoie)
9PM-1AM = Casino Arcana (designed by Mike Tice)

Saturday
9 AM-1PM = Rock Band Murder Mystery (designed by Aaron Vanek & Morgan Joeck)
2PM – 6PM = Starship Valkyrie (designed by Christian Brown & Roselle Hurley)
7PM – 11PM = Snow White (run by Rizwan Kassim, written by Shifting Forest Storyworks)
11PM – 1AM = The Road Not Taken (v2) (run by Aaron Vanek, based on a game by Mike Young)

In addition to these games, ELGL will be assisting and presenting at the LARP Summit, running concurrently with Wyrd Con.

Topics include: “The Art of LARP,” a workshop on better role-playing techniques, and a propmaking workshop. More details to come!

And keep an eye out for our Sunday morning relaxation.

Casino Arcana is an ELGL event that will take place at Wyrd Con, Friday evening from 9PM to 1AM in the presidential suite.

The Major Arcana is a select club of the world’s most powerful occultists: to the outside world, they are known as captains of industry, political figures, movie stars, mob bosses, or crazed hermits. But to those in the know, they hold the strands of arcane power that control the world. Six of them have assembled in modern-day Los Angeles to play in the septenniel “Fool’s Errand” tournament. Despite a resemblance to seven card stud, the rules of Fool’s Errand are quite unusual; magic and death are constant companions at the table, as is the Fool: your Host and Dealer.

Players will either portray a member of the Major Arcana (which requires solid knowledge of the rules of poker) or a helper/bodyguard/concubine of one of the members (no knowledge of poker necessary). 18+ please, for adult language and childish behavior. Suggested costuming: occult millionaire – anything from elegant to eccentric.

For more information about the rules and roles, see the main Casino Arcana Page.
Casino Arcana is designed by Mike Tice. To ask questions, contact Mike (mtice null@null livegamelab NULL.com)

A contingent from the Enigma Live Game Lab will be travelling across the country to attend Intercon J (http://www NULL.interactiveliterature NULL.org/J/Schedule NULL.php?action=23) in Massachusetts, March 12-14, 2010.

Aaron Vanek and Kirsten H. (with assistance from Rizwan and Randy B.) will be presenting an edited version of Limbo! (http://www NULL.interactiveliterature NULL.org/J/Schedule NULL.php?action=25&EventId=182), a fun, irreverent, theater-style game set at the oldest bar in the Afterlife.

Limbo! has been run for Enigma twice before.

ELGL will also open up a tiki-themed hosptiality suite for all Intercon attendees on Saturday night. Come get lei’d with us!