Falling Down is a game that has the potential to be played in many ways. As a team we have decided to focus on the following themes and atmospheres as described below and are aiming to run a game that will explore these areas.
Falling Down is intended as a single Cycle composed of four weekend-long events and three periods of downtime. Although there will be plenty for people to do if they don’t want to interact with the “metaplot” of the Cycle, we would encourage everyone to be open to the idea of being part of the story of the world.
Because of some of the issues and situations that are likely to come up in this game, please read the 'Nobody Gets Hurt' section below which is designed to show the lines that will not be crossed, the veils that will be drawn over certain topics and the topics you are likely to encounter without as much warning.
If at any point you feel uncomfortable or unsafe with a situation or personal interaction you find yourself in, please come and find a Guide. You can expect to be believed and supported in any action you then decide to take or not take.
Fantasy focuses on heroic, but not perfect, characters within a generally hostile world. There is danger in the dark of night, in the corners of the world a bit too close for comfort, and the concerns of mundane reality - social issues, poverty, hunger, sickness and disease - are balanced against supernatural threats like the Z’bri. Stories of Dark Fantasy tend to be fairly low powered, with few really big acts of magic and wonder - at least acts of good magic or wonder.
Also commonly called the “victim campaign”, Horror means the threats feel nearly insurmountable by the characters. Hope exists, but almost like some sick joke, seducing would-be heroes to their final, inevitable, add often squishy doom. Horror means the Z’bri are nigh-invincible in combat, and that their atmosphere (the aura of corruption they give off by their presence) twists even the most innocent given time. Evil, bloodthirsty cults lurk behind the façade of every well-meaning organisation or group that's even remotely secretive. In Horror, the real threat is almost never seen since it would be a relief from the pain of reason and sanity. Horror also uses foreshadowing to give the players a sense of inevitability - they will fail, it all means nothing, and death is not the salvation they believe it might be.
Intrigue stories focus on planning, conspiracies, and a level of paranoia and betrayal. The threats in Intrigue are all too human: betrayal, love, ambition, honour and pride, even when the being displaying these motivations is anything but human. Like in Horror, the principal characters are flawed and those flaws are exploited, not by some external supernatural threat, but by perceptive humans. There is often an actual antagonist or villain in the intrigue game, and half the fun is identifying them and what motivation is at work. Frustration, embarrassment and self-assurance are common feelings in an atmosphere of Intrigue, often because immediate physical solutions (i.e. fighting and killing the antagonist) are impossible, or would have no impact on the final outcome. Victories in Intrigue are often at ephemeral as Failures. It is the consequences that matter, and they could have dire impact on characters, such as being framed for a crime they did not commit, losing key information, alienating allies, ruining reputations and so on.
Spiritualism focuses solely on the supernatural issues - the hidden world of dreams and nightmares, the omnipresence of spirits, the interconnected nature of the world, the expression of that interconnection in Synthesis magic and the utter horror that is Sundering. Some see Spirituality as less-than-important since it is often presented as a passive thing, with nothing to do but sit and look on in wonder at the religious imagery and dwell on its meaning. Spiritualism can be used in Tribe 8 by showing that all things have a spiritual consequence - Spiritualism is the atmospheric link between concrete events in the game and the larger themes. Morality and enlightenment are also critical to Spiritualism stories, because an act can have different consequences in the spirit world depending on the motivation behind them.
We're very aware that Falling Down will tackle some dark themes, however we're keen to ensure that no one involved in the game, whether a player or member of the crew, is made to feel unsafe or distressed on an out-of-character level. If, at any time, you do feel unsafe or distressed on an out-of-character level, you should call Stop The Game, in which case play will stop in the nearby area and a Guide will come along to offer whatever support is required. This is the same call used for physical injury, because we believe that OC emotional distress is actual harm similar to OC physical pain and suffering. As a means of promoting everyone's emotional safety and a feeling of support, we will be using a system of lines and veils.
Lines are things that will never be hinted at or brought up in-game; they are off-limits, to all involved. It is not permissible, therefore, to make any reference to, or to attempt to perform roleplay around, the following issues:
Veils are things that can happen in a game, but when it does we skip the details and “fade to black,” putting it behind a veil. Issues behind veils include the following:
As previously stated, despite these lines and veils, there are many adult themes that we anticipate may occur in Falling Down, whether introduced by the organisers or by players. The following is not intended as an exhaustive list, but rather to illustrate the point:
You also need to ensure that your nipples (if female) and genitalia are completely covered.
Certain participants may wish to play the game in a way that is more emotionally-demanding than we would ordinarily expect, pushing emotional buttons much harder than normal, and expecting the same in return. Not everyone wants this from their LRP, so you must personally have explicit permission from the other person (or people) in the scene beforehand, and in those circumstances would be permitted to address issues normally behind a veil or otherwise extremely robust or challenging; people involved can then remove themselves from public view and decide whether and what they feel comfortable physrepping and roleplaying through. Consider it a social equivalent to our stance on grappling (see here). If you do not have this explicit permission then please respect our rules on Veils and private scenes and do not engage in this play.