A Game of Immersive Storytelling and Historical Adventure
Viscentia is more than just a LARP system—it’s a rich world of history, immersive roleplay, and collaborative storytelling. In this post, we’ll explore the governance of our realm, the expectations for both players and hosts, and how we build captivating events for everyone to enjoy. Whether you’re new to the system or a seasoned player, Viscentia is designed to nurture characters, stories, and experiences that define our community.
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Our passion lies in creating accessible LARP events, allowing players to live out their adventures wherever they are. If the nearest location in our directory is too far, consider starting your own saga. With just a few friends and some practice, you’ll be amazed at how quickly your group can flourish. Our club startup guide will help you on your way to becoming a successful historical gaming hub in your area.
Welcome to Viscentia: Where Adventure Goes Beyond the Battlefield
If your idea of adventure solely revolves around the clash of foam swords, Viscentia might not be the realm for you. There are other fine LARP (Live Action Role-Playing) games dedicated to only the thrill of combat. However, in Viscentia, battles are not just about physical prowess; they’re interwoven with rich storytelling, prestige, and character development.
What Sets Viscentia Apart:
- Story and Character Development: Before you wield a weapon, we immerse you in the world of Viscentia, helping you understand the lore, rules, and safety protocols. Your character’s journey begins with the story.
- Skills Beyond Combat: We encourage a holistic approach to character skills. Whether it’s the art of healing, the craft of potion-making, or the mysteries of magic, Viscentia values diverse abilities. Your character can thrive in many roles, not just as a warrior.
- Community and Safety: Integration into groups and understanding safety measures are paramount. It’s about building a community where every participant feels valued and secure.
Defining Out-of-Game Roles in Our LARP Community
- Host: The Host serves as the head of the local LARP group or club, guiding its overall operations.
- Officers: Typically, the club operates with a minimum of three Officers who collectively steer the club’s course. The Host often doubles as one of these Officers, ensuring a cohesive leadership structure.
- Marshal: Marshals play a critical role in overseeing game safety and managing combat outcomes, ensuring fairness and adherence to safety protocols.
- Elder: Elders are the dedicated volunteers within the group, each potentially responsible for various aspects like storytelling, quest creation, catering, and more, enhancing the overall experience.
Understanding these roles helps in appreciating the structure that supports the immersive world you’ll step into.
The Viscentia Battle System: Full-Contact
Viscentia’s Combat System: Safety and Realism First
While Viscentia offers a flexible combat system to accommodate new players and hosts, it is officially classified as a full-contact system. After thousands of hours of gameplay, we’ve learned that even with “medium” or “light” contact rules, accidents happen and hits can land where they shouldn’t. Unlike many other LARP systems that may compromise player safety for convenience, Viscentia takes a no-nonsense approach to combat safety. We call it like it is—prioritizing realism while ensuring every player is protected.
All players are expected to wear head and eye protection when engaging in medium and full contact melee. Head and eye protection should be period such as a leather or metal helmet.
Viscentia is primarily a full-contact game system, designed to balance immersion and safety. However, event hosts have the flexibility to adapt their events to be medium-contact or light/no-contact, depending on local regulations and player preferences. For example, in urban settings, projectile weapons may be deemed unsafe, while at renaissance fairs, special considerations may need to be taken to ensure venue compliance and player safety.
Full-contact combat in Viscentia emphasizes realism and player training. Hosts and marshals ensure that combat remains safe, with proper checks on weapons and protective gear. Players must demonstrate control, strength, and sportsmanship, making combat one of the most exciting and dynamic aspects of Viscentia.
Clarifying the Combat Style in Viscentia
With so many styles mentioned, it can be confusing to determine which one Viscentia uses. Simply put, Viscentia’s goal is to incorporate real historical European martial arts along with other authentic fighting techniques from history. For that reason, Viscentia is classified as a full-contact system when it comes to combat. This means our fighting focuses on realism, physical engagement, and proper technique, all while ensuring player safety.
Timeline Eras: Building a Historically Rich World
Viscentia is deeply rooted in human history, and our storylines closely mirror actual historical periods. The world map of Viscentia is divided into continents, each representing a different epoch. Civilizations with extensive written histories are typically further along in their era, creating a diverse and evolving world.
For example, the Kingdom of Alveria is one of the oldest realms in Viscentia’s chronicles. Despite surviving numerous wars that have set it back, the bloodlines of Alveria have progressed into the Post-Classical Era (500-1500 AD). Some parts of the kingdom continue to thrive, while others face decline. Hosts interested in earlier eras might explore regions that have been destroyed and repopulated by less advanced civilizations. This approach allows for endless flexibility and creativity while maintaining historical coherence.
Choosing an appropriate era is crucial for consistency. Game administrators are available to assist hosts in selecting the right timeline, ensuring that characters can realistically travel between regions as if journeying on foot or by wagon.
Location Types: Where Adventure Comes to Life
Viscentia offers two primary location types for hosting events, each designed to deliver unique experiences to players:
Full-Time Locations
These locations offer the highest level of immersion, often featuring historical buildings and permanent structures. Managed by dedicated hosts, full-time realms provide players with the opportunity to live as their characters for extended periods. Authentic tents, medieval structures, and hand-forged tools are common features. World Games, the pinnacle of Viscentia events, are usually held at full-time locations.
Temporary Locations
Most Viscentia events take place at temporary locations, such as parks and campgrounds. These spaces allow for flexibility in props, tents, and other equipment, but are generally designed for shorter, day-long events. Despite the temporary nature, immersion remains a priority, and these locations are perfect for smaller gatherings or club-level games.
Immersion Levels: Bringing History to Life
Viscentia is all about immersion, and our events range from low to high immersion, depending on the participants’ experience and resources.
Low Immersion
This is where most players begin, using affordable garb or light costumes and simple setups. While low-immersion events are accessible and enjoyable, players are encouraged to aim for greater authenticity. Historically inspired attire, basic props, and character-driven stories make for an excellent starting point. However, low immersion should not be the final goal; it’s the foundation upon which players and hosts build toward a richer experience. Low immersion hosts do not qualify to host regional or world games.
High Immersion
For high-immersion events, players remain in character at all times, eliminate modern items, and fully commit to their roles. Costumes are rugged and historically accurate, with props that are hand-crafted, writings on parchment with ink and quill, and armor that is forged rather than mass-produced. High-immersion locations avoid modern distractions, offering an authentic, seamless experience for all participants.
Types of Events: A Journey of Growth
Viscentia offers a range of event types, each designed to foster growth for both players and hosts.
Building a Strong LARP Club: The Role of Practice and Community Events
In the early stages of a new LARP club, practice sessions are key for welcoming new players and helping them develop their skills. Regular low-immersion practices are vital for the success of the group, fostering a sense of community and creating a strong foundation for future larger events. As your club grows and members acquire period-appropriate garb, your group can become an asset to the local community. Businesses, weddings, and tourism events may even hire your group for performances if you feature armored knights, high-quality props, and authentic costumes. This not only promotes your club but can also help raise funds for renting locations for larger games. For more details, check out the club startup guide.
Day Games
Once a club has developed a solid storyline and player base, hosts can organize full-day games. These events aim for higher immersion, with players staying in character throughout the day. The length of a day game can vary depending on factors like weather or player stamina.
Overnight Games
Overnight games challenge players to stay in character for extended periods, providing an opportunity to deepen immersion. This marks a shift towards “professional larper” status, where participants hone their acting skills, develop high-immersion kits, and maintain character overnight. These games can also open doors to other LARP systems, renaissance fairs, or even talent agencies.
World Games
Viscentia aims to host a World Game on each continent at least once every two years. These large-scale events bring together hosts, storylines, and players from all over, creating the ultimate immersive experience. The grandeur of World Games offers a truly unique and unparalleled adventure in the Viscentia universe.
Fostering Community and Respect
Viscentia is not just about combat and storylines—it’s about building a community that respects boundaries and historical immersion.
Permission to Touch
When you join a Viscentia event, you are granting other players permission for appropriate physical contact within the context of the game. Any inappropriate behavior or boundary violations should be reported immediately, and admins will take action to ensure a safe environment. Respecting personal space and maintaining proper conduct is essential to keeping our community welcoming and comfortable for all.
Language
Language is another vital aspect of immersion. Players are expected to use historically appropriate language while in character. Many modern swear words didn’t exist during the time periods Viscentia represents, and their use breaks the game’s immersion. We also aim to keep our events family-friendly, so excessive vulgarities should be avoided. Maintaining appropriate language enhances the authenticity of the game and keeps the environment inclusive.
The Importance of Attitude in Your LARPing Experience
Your approach to the game can significantly enhance your enjoyment and that of fellow players. Remember, maintaining a positive and respectful demeanor is crucial.
- Attitude Matters: A good attitude not only enriches your own experience but also contributes positively to the community around you.
- Consequences of Misconduct: Admins have the authority to remove players from the game for displaying a poor attitude or engaging in unsportsmanlike conduct.
- Language Use: Avoid using modern profanity in-game to preserve the immersive experience and respect the environment created for everyone’s enjoyment.
By embracing a spirit of cooperation and respect, your LARPing adventure will flourish, making it a memorable experience for all involved.
Guidelines on Religion in Our LARP
- Historical Accuracy: Any real-world religious symbols used must be from the appropriate historical period.
- Item Review: If your gear features religious symbols that might be contentious, consult with your local Elders before bringing them to the game.
- Avoid Idol Worship: Please refrain from creating or using props in a way that simulates actual religious worship, as this could be misunderstood by observers.
- Cultural Sensitivity: Be mindful that actions resembling real-life religious practices might be sensitive for the general public.
- Game Themes: Predominantly, our games will feature themes around Christian or Norse mythology. We do not permit groups that solely represent satanic themes to participate.
These guidelines ensure a respectful and inclusive environment for all participants while maintaining historical and thematic authenticity.
Roleplaying Relationships and Sexual Themes in Viscentia
- Story-Driven Relationships: In our narrative-rich environment, characters often experience romantic relationships.
- Physical Contact: If both parties agree, light physical gestures like holding hands are acceptable to signify a relationship in-game.
- Real-Life Couples: For those coupled in real life, while your roleplay might naturally be more intimate, remember to maintain public decorum.
- Family-Friendly Game: Keep all interactions PG. We prioritize creating a safe, family-oriented space.
- Consent is Key: No one should feel pressured into any roleplay scenario. Elders will intervene if discomfort is detected.
- Touching: Physical contact is only permissible with explicit consent. Violating this rule will lead to immediate exclusion from the game.
- Adjusting for Age Groups: Modify your roleplay if young players are present. Some events might exclude children due to mature themes.
By adhering to these guidelines, we ensure everyone’s comfort and safety, fostering an inclusive and enjoyable experience for all participants.
Viscentia is a world of immersive roleplay, grounded in history and brought to life by its dedicated players. By following these guidelines, respecting boundaries, and embracing the richness of historical storytelling, we can continue to grow and enjoy the vibrant community that is Viscentia. Whether you’re starting a new club, hosting an event, or simply playing your part, the possibilities are endless.
