Hello and welcome to Ruins of the Creators!

 

This is the general information package for the game, including practical information for the game event.

1. EVENT LOCATION SURVIVAL - WHAT TO BRING

 

GENERAL: The site is very primitive, we’ll be roughing it through the weekend. There is very little there that we do not bring along ourselves, so prepare accordingly.

 

1.1 HOUSING

 

Bring your own tents, sleeping bags and other relevant gear. If you can not bring a tent, there are waterproof roofs to sleep under, but they do not keep away wind or mosquitoes. A group tent is good if you can get it, pair or personal tents are all right. Unlike most games of the genre, SPORTING TENTS are completely allowed and can be used (meaning bright-colored, sport-store or camping-store dome tents etc.) Lean-to’s can be constructed, you can use hammocks or whatever you like, but make sure you can make it through the night with your gear.

 

1.2 WATER - POTABLE AND WASHING

 

Bring as much as you can, there are no taps or running water on site. If you cannot/will not bring water, bring containers and fill them from the giant water tank we will deliver on-site. If you bring mineral water / sparkling water or whatever, just duct-tape over the label and it will be all right.

 

1.3 SANITATION

 

There are no showers or sinks nor any running water on the site, and water is fairly limited even though we try to bring as much as possible. Therefore, prepare to be dirty.

 

There may be one or more Porta-Potties or Bajamajas on site, if we can arrange it, other than that, it will be field-expedients all the way. Bring some rope to rig a ‘riuku’ and ask a finn to show you how. If you have better solution, bring it. Bring your own toilet paper. Or trade for some IG.

1.4 FOOD

 

There will be three warm meals on Saturday, two warm meals and afterparty on Sunday. If you want to have snacks, backup food, something to trade, bring some. Food will not be distributed in ‘assorted’ unlabeled cans or as uncooked or unprepared materials.

 

1.5 DRINK

 

No alcohol during game. Anyone caught with alcoholic drinks in game area will be escorted out of the game. Drinking alcohol is allowed only on the aftergame site. Bring and drink plenty of liquids, as it will most likely be hot, and you will dehydrate faster than you realize. Water is your friend. Bring as much as you can, drink as much as you can. Remember: if you do not need to piss, you haven’t drunk enough.

 

1.6 FIRST AID

 

There are first-aid capable people on the event. If you are such, please send an email to ruinsofthecreators@gmail.com, detailing your level of medical knowledge. There are two trained nurses (one in the GM team), and GMs will have first-aid kits for immediate disposal. To be sure, bring your own first-aid kit and any medicines you need.

 

1.6.1 TICKS

 

Ticks are a major problem on site. Bring lots of bug spray, perform regular tick checks, and if a healer tells you to participate in a tick check ritual, at least consider doing so. Ticks spread menginitis and lyme’s disease, both very, very nasty and dangerous.

 

There will be several sets of tick pincers, and it would be a good idea to allow us to do tick checks on regular intervals. If you find a tick, find a GM to have it removed.

 

1.6.2 DISEASES AND ALLERGIES

 

You are required to inform the GM Team of any diseases and/or allergies you may have. This was asked in the sign-up sheet, and it is imperative that we know that you have an issue in case something happens, so that we can render appropriate first-aid.

 

If you have medications you need on site, MARK THEM WITH YOUR NAME AND YOUR CHARACTERS NAME. If you find medicines at the site that are marked with someone’s name take them to that person or the GMs IMMEDIATELY.

 

 

1.7 WHAT TO BRING - LIST

 

- Tent, lean-to or other weather protection

- Sleeping bag and mattress or equivalent

- Water bottles, canisters

- Eating utensils

- Plates or mess kit

- Bug spray, tons of

- Clothing, for your character plus spares to change into

Boots for rough terrain

Plenty of fresh socks

- Props for your character, mutations, gear

- Bag to carry all your stuff, backpack etc.

- Tags for all your items

- Things to trade with others

- Toothbrush & paste

- Dry-wash toiletries (disposable sanitary towels etc.)

- Toilet Paper

 

If you are participating in the after-game

- Soap

- Towel

- Other toiletries

 

2. GAME EVENT SCHEDULE

 

2.1 ARRIVAL

 

Local and International players can arrive to game site on Friday, earliest time to arrive will be confirmed later. Early arrivals may be forced to assist in setting up of game site.

The finnish ferry connection will leave from Katajanokka Terminal in Helsinki at 11:30 Friday the 14th of June. From there we will proceed by charter bus to game site, scheduled to arrive around 20:00.

2.2 STARTING THE GAME

 

Game will start after the finns arrive and GMs have completed starting briefs. It will be LATE Friday evening/night, possibly around midnight.

 

2.3 IN-GAME NIGHTS

 

All nights are in-game, you will not necessarily be able to sleep very much. Prepare accordingly. There is no rule against doing things during the night, raids and combat are a possibility. DO NOT SHOOT/HIT SLEEPING PEOPLE. Wake them up and tell them they are now dead. ANYONE IN A SLEEPING BAG / HAMMOCK / LYING DOWN ON A MATTRESS COUNTS AS ASLEEP. (Goes without saying that if you are inside a sleeping bag you aren’t allowed to shoot out from them!)

 

2.4 GAME ENDS

 

Game ends latest at noon, Sunday. Or slightly over if there is an awesome noon duel. Game may end earlier if GM’s decide to end it. If you need to leave the game area before the game ends, notify a GM before doing so. If you intend to go away and return later, notify a GM and ask if it can be arranged.

 

2.5 AFTERPARTY

 

Only HAK and International Package include the cost of the Aftergame party. If you have a Local package and wish to participate in the Aftergame Party, contact the Game Masters via e-mail before the game. There will be an additional fee for the afterparty to cover its costs.

 

Aftergame party will have slightly better facilities available, which will be briefed later.

 

2.6 LEAVING

 

The finnish bus connection will leave the Afterparty site at around 09:00 on monday the 17th of June. Others may stay at the afterparty site until kicked out by the remaining GM.

 

If you need accommodations in Helsinki before or after the ferry connections, please contact the GM’s via e-mail.

3. RULES

 

 

3.1 COMBAT RULES

 

Airsoft guns are allowed; the specs  are found on the bottom of this page. This also means that every player will have to use protective masks that can take a air soft hit. Each weapon and each protective mask will be tested before the game by organizers. You can also order protective masks via the gamemasters. The mask doesn't need to cover your whole face, just the eyes. We also expect you to wear these masks all the time unless informed otherwise (i.e. mask free zones...).

 

You can also use bows in ranged combat.

 

Weapon specifics for non Air Soft weapons :

 

Bows : No pull over 25 pounds should be used. If a GM knows you, you may be given a permission to bring up to 35 lbs pull, if you understand it enough to not draw it to full strength.

 

Arrows : Foam arrows and certain manufactured arrows. Send as an email if you intend to use arrows and our safety experts will tell you if your arrows are good. Will try to get you craftier freaks some design notes soon.

 

Melee weapon : Foam weapon and latex weapons. All self made will be tested! Could use a knowledge of the Latvian standard weaponry before posting specifics, so we are still working on that part. Nothing with metal or wood inside will be accepted, in any case.

 

 

Rules for RANGED COMBAT are simple - the basic idea is that getting hit is bad.

 

Hit to torso will end up with you bleeding on the ground, but still functional enough to return fire. Second hit will end up with you bleeding without doing anything else.  Hit to arm will negate the use of that arm, second hit will end up with you bleeding on the ground. Hit to leg will negate the use of that leg, so move by dragging it or using some kind of support etc. Second hit to leg will end up with you bleeding on the ground. Third hit to anywhere means you are dead.

 

Headshot kills you immediately. But: NO ACTUAL shooting to head! If you want to make a headshot you have to be so close to your target you're touching the targets head with your guns end. Then you just say "BANG!" with a loud noise - don't pull the trigger! This is the only way headshots count. (Don’t hit anyone with your gun, however!)

 

This is not to simulate anything. It's just rules. They work like that. Period. They are meant for the fighting to be bit less deadly than a real life fight, to give people the heroic option. (Also, think about it: why kill the target? Why not for example injure, capture or torture instead?)

 

ARMOR and MUTATIONS may change this a bit. For example, if you bring modern military protective gear for a character who has access to gear from the Age of Creators, you might get to ignore the first hit of every combat. Or if you are going to use super make up skills to create lizard scales as a skin for yourself, you might get one hit free for each location during the whole game, not in every fight.

 

These are settled case by case DURING THE CHARACTER CREATION PROCESS, not at the site of the game. On the site, the GMs will just check that you have brought the promised armor or created the promised mutation through make up.  Also, if some character, in our minds, is bloody HEROIC as a concept, they might be given something extra for it.

 

For MELEE COMBATS we will be using foam and latex weaponry. Each piece will be tested and approved by the organizers before the game.

 

No intentional hits on the head. People are wearing safety goggles and getting hit to them with a latex or foam weapon will hurt like hell and might cause real life injuries. Avoid it! And if you see your hit is going towards the head, slow it down if you can. Other than that, the rules for ranged combat apply for damage.

 

For HAND-TO-HAND FIGHTING we will use ”slow fighting” with a lot of growling and cursing. If you know your fighting partner or have some time to plan the fight out before hand in offgame discussion, you are allowed to take it harder if both players so want. Organizers do not take responsibility of these kinds of arrangements.

 

Meant to be non-lethal form of brawling. You want to kill someone, grab a weapon.

 

Basically, you may wrestle with people, or hit them so that you slow the punches before hitting. A lot of grunting, swearing and all that jazz. The winner is the one who wins, but use of COMMON SENSE is good; if you are playing teenage apprentice of a local healer who faints when he sees blood, you might not win a local mercenary warrior. Simple as that.

 

If you know your opposing player and wish to fight faster, harder and more impressively, you have a permission to do that if both parties agree.

 

 

 

Dying, Medicine, Healing :

 

 

Anyone can stop bleeding if they have bandage. This does not result in ”I'M FINE LET'S CONTINUE TO FIGHT”-kind of behavior. No, you are still wounded, you need to get medical attention if you wish to get back into fight.

 

Medical attention is given by characters who have some sort of medical skills; shamans with their herbs, medics with their limited knowledge and supplies or something else like that.

 

When you find a healer, you will hopefully ingame tell him/her that you were shot twice in the left leg or whatever. Then you will be treated by that character for some time, depending on your luck. See below.

 

Each medical character will be provided with a supply of ”sticky bandages”. They will have offgame texts like ”It's just a flesh wound, 2 minutes working and the guy is fine” , ”God damn, this is bleeding everywhere, 20 minutes of surgical work!”  or ”Oh my good gods, this is bad, major surgery of 1 hour”. There might even be ”Nope, just won't make it” if the healer is really crappy one. The healer takes one random bandage from his/hers bag/pocket and then acts out the message on it, so the wounded part also knows what is happening.

 

The sticky bandage will then be left on you, and you can walk back to game. The location with bandage will only take one hit before you are again on the ground bleeding and while getting healed up again will get you back to fight, you will die straight away if you are hit on a location with two bandages.

 

Some of the bandages might have a removal time. For example ”Take off after 5 hours” or ”Take off after good night's sleep”. So if you survive for the next five ours or sleep a good night's sleep, you can take the bandage off and play like the wound never really happened - it's healed now.

 

The medical characters will be provided with additional knowledge of the rules. They will have limited supplies of the bandages though, but there might be a way to get more during the game by gathering herbs, bartering for medicine etc.

 

If you die, go to the specific area pointed out in briefings, and wait there until some of the GMs arrives and tells you what happens next. There's some replacement characters for those who die in early stages.

 

 

Airsoft guns

 

Weapon restrictions

Light Support weapons (RPK, L86, MG36 etc.), machine guns, grenade launchers and large caliber sniper rifles (Barrett, Cheytac etc.) are allowed only for the Pilgrims and the Warmongers. All other weapons are allowed for everyone but we strongly encourage players to use weapons that are logical and authentic in post-apocalyptic world. That means worn out common military and civilian weapons.

 

Muzzle energy limits

Because of the variety of different units and spring standards we set the limit on weapons muzzle energy in joules.

 

FOR ALL GUNS:

Muzzle energy: 1.8 J

Safety distance: 1.5 m for single shot, 5 m for full auto

Muzzle velocity comparison: 0.20 g BB's 134 m/s or 440 fps; 0.25 g BB's 120 m/s or 394 fps; 0.28 BB's 113 m/s or 372 fps

 

Weapons that use 8 mm BB's are allowed. The crew will check them case-by-case. And again: For all weapons head shots are forbidden!

 

 

Close quarter battle

All indoor action is limited to semi automatic fire only. Full auto and blind fire are strictly forbidden, and ricochets do not count as hits. All action inside 10 m radius from buildings is count as indoor action

 

 

Gun chronoing

The crew will chrono every gun before the game. Also chronoings will be done if we suspect cheating. It is every players responsibility to follow the rules. The chronoing will be done with BB's provided by the crew.

 

 

BB's

The crew will provide all BB's except 8 mm BB's. Owners of 8 mm weapons are allowed to take GM-determined amount of their own ammunition to game. Provided BB's are high quality G&G Natural 0.25 g and 0.28 g. Use of own BB's is forbidden.

 

 

Magazines

In general all highcap magazines are forbidden. There are no restrictions on the number of magazines player may carry as long as they are midcap, regular or lowcap magazines. Drum, C-Mag and box magazines are allowed only for machine guns and light support weapons.

 

3.2 INTIMACY RULES

Understanding this is mandatory!

 

Simulation of Intimacy is very different between Latvian and Finnish larp cultures. So this is our interpretation of both, and hopefully everyone will be alright with it. We have three levels of intimacy simulation in the game. Low, Standard, High. When interacting with other player you will use the intimacy simulation level of the person who has the lower one.

 

 

Low Intimacy :

If you wish to avoid close contact with other players and feel that you don't want to be touched more than is necessary, you may select low intimacy. This means that you will be given a white piece of cloth, which you will tie to your left wrist.

 

This means that people will give you the room you require. They may shake hands with you, guide you by touching from the shoulders or even pushing a little. If your character faces a situation where he/she might be involved in sexual situation, you will be lead to another location where there is no one else except the involved parties around, and the intimacy will be simulated by making appropriate sounds so that the others have a clear picture what is happening.

 

 

Standard Intimacy :

If you feel no need to restrict people from normal bodily contact, but also feel no need for more realistic intimacy simulation, choose this. Intimacy will be simulated by backrubs and you act out as in normal larp, making sure you won't be breaking each other mental, physical or sexual boundaries.

 

 

High Intimacy :

The standard for many Finnish larpers. The rule is, you decide the level which you wish to experience by putting up a fight. If someone touches you on the thigh region and you have no problems of moving on from it, you slap his/her wrist or struggle otherwise. So, if the other player wishes, he/she may step up until you reach a level where both feel comfortable without breaking any boundaries. High Intimacy will be marked with a black wristband similar to the white of the low intimacy players.

 

So in the nutshell: if someone fights back without using a safety word or going OOC it is okay to do more. This goes as full on as both feel comfortable. Of course you can also co-operate in those kind of situations, but this is the rule in case the interest is not mutual.

 

Choose this ONLY if you truly feel that you understand the idea and feel the need for deeper realism and immersion in intimacy simulation. You also must remember the SAFETY WORD rule at all times.

 

 

SAFETY WORD rule :

If you feel that your physical, mental or sexual boundaries are being violated, you will cry out ”SAFETY”. This will stop the action being done to you. You will be given some physical room to breath and compose yourself.

3.3 SKILLS

 

There are several skills available for characters. Gamemasters will issue them around a week before the game to the selected characters and inform them through the forums. We will publish an announcement that the skills have been given out, if you did not receive anything, contact the gamemasters if you think you should have skills.

 

If the gamemasters don't issue your character any skills, you won't have them.

 

All skills are graded from (lowest) 1 to 3 (highest), those not possessing the skill have 0.

 

How Skills Work :

Healing/Medical Skill/First Aid is covered in the combat rules. Herbalism will be detailed in character sheets of players who need it.

 

Language skills are just like you have in real life. Might not know the names of the languages, but you speak them.

 

Reading / Writing will be detailed in your character sheet. If you do not have the skill, your character cannot read or write. This does not prevent you from using skill puzzles if you have the skill, however. The puzzles are completely off-game mechanics to an in-game problem.

 

Some skills like operating Relics of the Creators are automatic and you either have them or not, check your character sheet.

 

Other skills are : Mechanic. Electronics. Lockpicking. Demolitions.

 

When you find something PLOT RELATED that requires use of a skill, there will be a set of three brown envelopes nearby, in a plastic pocket. The envelopes will have the name of the required skill written on it. They are also numbered from 1 to 3. If you possess the said skill, pick the envelope with your skill level on it.

Example. You find a pink bunny with a slap of plastic explosive under it. Yes, it's a booby trap and you can see the plastic pocket with the envelopes in it. Demolitions 1, Demolitions 2 and Demolitions 3. You happen to have Demolitions skill at level 2. You pick the ”Demolition 2” envelope and open it.

 

Inside the skill envelopes you will find a pencil and some kind of riddle / puzzle / offgame challenge, for example : Sudoku or Crosswords. The better you are, the easier the tasks are. After you have completed the task, you are able to operate the device you want / open the door / defuse the bomb etc.

 

Do not cheat. People caught cheating will be forced to leave the game.

 

If you will leave the challenge so that someone else needs to complete the task as well (you lock the door etc.) , just leave the envelopes be. Same goes with tasks that don't need repeating (defused bomb) If you take the item requiring skill use with you, also take the envelopes with you and keep them near the item all the time, available for those who would want to activate it.

 

Stealing, Thieving, Looting, Pilfering etc

You are not allowed to steal from other players. Reason : Players do not know each others, Gamemasters don't know the players, so after much debate, we decided that this will be in the best interest of the players. If you need to steal some plot related item, contact a GM before you do it.

There will be stuff to loot and scavenge in the region.

 

Please stay to true to the DON'T STEAL rule, as it will ruin things for people in real life if they lose their stuff. People caught stealing stuff in the game will be treated like they stole in real life.

 

IF you take someone prisoner, keep their stuff so they can see it at all times! It is also preferable to allow them a chance to escape with their gear. Tying up is handled by the intimacy rules, white wristband players may not be tied up at all for real. No-band players may have their hands tied loosely on the front. Black bands will tell you when they are comfortable.

 

IF A BOUND PERSON REQUESTS TO BE UNBOUND OFFGAME, THEY MUST BE UNBOUND IMMEDIATELY AND MADE SURE THEY ARE ALL RIGHT. ALL TIED-DOWN PERSONS MUST BE KEPT SO THEY ARE WITHIN SHOUTING DISTANCE OF YOU SO THEY CAN ALARM YOU IF THEY ARE IN DISTRESS OFFGAME.

 

Poison, Toxins, Disease

If you are poisoned or get a disease in character, you will be told what to do by either a GM or the player in question. As always, do not cheat.

3.4 DEATH

 

When your character dies...

 

Come to either Jupe or Wolven, most likely at the Warmonger compound. You will most likely be asked to do some NPC tasks for a while, and after that, you can resume the game, with a new character. There will be a short list of new characters for each faction except Traders. These lists will be published on the game forums before game and paper copies will be provided to each team before hand (so you will know who the new character in your faction is).

 

4. CHARACTER CREATION PROCESS

 

4.1 CURRENT SITUATION

 

At the moment, everyone who has sent us a character sheet should have received a personal reply. Prewritten characters are being worked on, and contacts between them and workshopped characters will be sent to players of the workshopped characters as they become apparent.

 

Plots and happenings will be added in the same fashion. Skills will be added to characters on a case-by-case basis.

 

4.2 WHAT SHOULD I DO?

 

- If you have a prewritten character, you should be able to find its short description (one sentence or so) from your factions forums. If you cannot, email the GM’s immediately.

 

- If you have a workshopped character (did not ask for pre-written character EXPLICITLY in your sign-up sheet), follow the instructions below.

 

4.2.1 CHARACTER SHEET

 

If you have not sent out a character sheet or ‘legend’ to the GM’s AND received a response to it, immediately compose and send your character sheet to ruinsofthecreators@gmail.com . The Character Sheet can be found on the forums here: http://z13.invisionfree.com/RuinsOTC/index.php?showtopic=49

 

4.2.2 FORUM THREAD

 

If you have not already done so, and have sent a character sheet, open a forum thread in your factions forum with your character name as the title and the public contents of the character sheet as the first post. This allows for your faction to get to know your character, and for others to suggest hook-ups between your character and theirs. This is also a mandatory step.

 

4.3 CONTACTS

 

You can add contacts to your character by contacting other players in your faction forum or through PMs, or request inter-faction contacts on the Inter-Faction Issues forum here:

http://z13.invisionfree.com/RuinsOTC/index.php?showforum=12

 

All workshopped characters may have contacts to pre-written characters added to them as part of the writing process, when that is done you will be informed by e-mail.