I first learned of LARPs when I
came across a flyer for a NERO event in the early 1990s. Although I was
curious, nearly a decade passed before I attended my first Live Action
Roleplaying Game. It was there that I heard tales of NERO games past... and
rumors that a glorious new day was dawning for this gaming organization.
Joseph Valenti, President of
NERO International, has honored us by taking some time from his busy schedule
to answer some questions regarding NERO: Past, Present and Future.
THOR: Greetings Joseph, I am
honored to be interviewing you. NERO, your brainchild, has become quite a
phenomenon...
JOSEPH:
Thank you Thor! Honestly, I feel honored that you’re interested in NERO, and
to be interviewed by you. NERO was not originally my brainchild; it was that
of Ford Ivey – the Father of Live Action Role Playing in America. It was Ford
Ivey who dedicated himself to supporting the growth of live action role
playing games, in the form of NERO, for more than 10 years. Ford solicited and
gained the support of a dozen business operations and game operations
personnel (creative writers) to help him build his dream. They certainly did
an excellent job under his management.
Phenomenon seems like a strong
word – but I do have strong goals, dreams if you will, for live adventures in
America and Canada. We will realize successful integration into North American
society as legitimate businesses. Live Adventures will be considered a
phenomenon if and when the industry is accepted by the masses and moves into a
momentum phase, but not any sooner. I hope to propel the industry into that
momentum phase.
THOR:
How did you first become involved with Live Action Role Playing Games?
JOSEPH:
Well Thor, I started participating in Live Action Role Playing when I was a
bit younger, back in the year 1991. My friends all showed me the small
advertisement in Dragon Magazine that advertised the NERO Game. After
receiving the NERO Rule Book and reading it thoroughly – about 10 times - I
trekked up to Massachusetts with my very close friends, Dan Cunneen and Keith
Franz, to experience our very first live adventure event. I co-owned a home
with my best friend Dan at the time, in northern New Jersey, so the trek was
over 4.5 hours. The event was a blast and I have always gone back.
THOR:
What led to the creation of NERO?
JOSEPH:
From what I understand Thor, Ford Ivey, a Game Store Owner in Boston MA area,
attended a live role playing event at one of his friends who had seen it in
the European market. Ford began running ‘weekend in the woods’ live adventure
events in the area within a year, realizing that his customers would enjoy
trying to survive a period in the woods being hunted by, or hunting, monsters.
He started promoting it from his game store for about 6 months, which led to
more than 150 attendees at his first event. Soon thereafter, Ford asked a
dozen of his closest friends and customers to lead projects that expanded the
game beyond defeating mythological creatures in the woods and ‘surviving’ the
event. And so NERO was developed.
THOR:
How is NERO different from other LARPs?
JOSEPH:
That is a tough question. NERO, under my guidance, has developed beyond a
group of individuals who enjoy running mystery adventures for their friends.
NERO is a conglomerate of business focused individuals who not only enjoy
entertaining others, but also providing quality customer service. We operate
live adventure games that are specifically geared to entertain.
The NERO Office promotes the entertainment of
customers and appropriate behavior from its representatives at all times. We
actively discourage favoritism.
We believe that if you try hard to make yourself
look good, if you make an effort with your costuming, and if you play the game
right, you will succeed at NERO. You must make an effort to look good, know
the rules, and be respectful to other members. However, if you come to the
event with the expectations that the staff is here just for you, that the
other players are less important than you, or that the staff will cater to
your every whim and demand, we will give you back your money and send you
home.
The NERO Office has instituted corporate
governance. We provide to licensees, policies and guidebooks on how to operate
a live adventure business, an enjoyable as well as an entertaining game, and
how to market the business.
The NERO Office actively promotes its NERO
Chapters, locally and nationally, through the internet via nerolarp.com, and
through convention attendance at major conventions in America including Arisia,
DragonCon, Origins, GenCon Indy, DexCon, etc.
NERO Members can play the same game character in
every one of the NERO Chapters, creating a legend about their characters
efforts, successes and failures over a period of time and in multiple places,
not only the local chapter..
NERO Members can bring all character possessions
including Silver, Gold and Platinum pieces, Production Items like Potions and
Scrolls, and Magic Items and Formal Magic Components (part of the ingredients
to create a magic item), to any of the other NERO Chapters as well.
THOR:
I was very much impressed by the NERO rulebook, it is clearly a labor of love
and obviously the distilled result of many years of LARPing...
JOSEPH: Thank you for the
compliment. The NERO® Rule Book© is a solid set of rules created by the very
finest of people. Many incredibly talented people have placed numerous hours
into its creation and subsequent editions. We are very proud to have them
working with us and appreciative of their efforts.
THOR:
Joseph, I love the 'actively seek adventure' attitude it promotes. Many people
let life pass them by...
JOSEPH:
I agree Thor. In life, and in Games, we have to reach out and go for what we
want. We hear it while growing up, when we are adults, and even after we
retire. You want something; you have got to work for it.
In live adventure role playing, the cast will
move among the players, as characters themselves, dropping hints and clues to
the mystery through conversation and interaction. The actor has a fair amount
of leeway in the role and knows what they must do, or say, to help the players
figure out what they need to do to solve the challenge. The players must
determine ways to extract as much vital information as possible during the
interaction. If they are not aggressive enough, they might let the chance slip
them by. If they are too aggressive, the person might become aware of just
that, and possibly clam up or flee the scene when you are not looking!
THOR: What's the deal with the Hawley-Smoot
Tariff? Muninn and I live near Hawley...
JOSEPH:
Wow. You took me by surprise with this one. This was the tariff created years
and years ago by a couple of politicians called Hawley and Smoot during the
depression. The increased tariff was placed on merchandise imported from other
countries. The result was the opposite of what was expected. Instead of
getting more money from imported goods, America received fewer imports, less
income, and other countries put more tariffs on imported American goods.
THOR: What is the lure of NERO?
What attracts people?
JOSEPH:
There are so many different reasons that people join NERO and attend live
adventure games. There are those who enjoy writing the mysteries and those
that enjoy directing the cast who volunteer their time to help make the
theatrical production a success while enjoying themselves. There are people
who enjoy playing one or more roles each weekend, interacting with the players
to give them the hints and clues they need to solve the mystery. There are
those who enjoy the excitement and the exercise of playing mythological
creatures all weekend long, being defeated by the players hundreds and
hundreds of times throughout.
NERO, as an organization, offers
individuals the opportunity to escape from the pressure and stress of real
life by playing a game. Live Action Role Playing is a form of escapism that
allows people to become something they have not been, and are not in real life
- the opportunity to act out their fantasy adventures as a Hero or Villain. It
allows them to do things they cannot do in real life. Individuals can steal
like a thief, be treated like a leader, defeat enemies of the country, become
a well known and powerful merchant, horde silver and gold, tell stories or
play game in the tavern all day long, guard and protect those who are weaker
than they, practice their acting techniques, be accepted by peers for their
geek-i-ness, be appreciated and complimented by their elders, feel the sense
of accomplishment that comes with defeating and adversary, solving a mystery,
helping to run a theatrical production, and so much more. So, instead of being
an accountant, a doctor, a computer engineer, a car salesperson, or a deli
counter person - this weekend I become - the Noble Knight from the Kingdom of
Evendarr who leads his noble court into an epic battle against a dreaded enemy
– Karaxus The Krazed!
THOR:
What keeps them playing? Why do they remain with NERO?
JOSEPH:
People come to NERO because they are interested in the storylines that they
are involved in, because they enjoy operating theatrical productions, because
they want to hang out with friends who enjoy the same hobby, because they want
to be the hero or villain, because the staff and fellow members work hard to
make everyone feel like they are wanted and appreciated, and because they can
“Be All They Can’t Be”.
I would like to think that NERO Members remain
with for all the above reasons, and because of the strengths and charisma of
the individuals who comprise each NERO Chapter. Because they know that NERO,
as a company, and as individuals, care about the quality of the production,
and the entertainment given and received. And finally, because of the ability
to travel with the same character and all your treasure anywhere in the
country and be recognized as a great hero or villain.
THOR:
How can interested individuals get involved with NERO activities?
JOSEPH: Well Thor, the NERO LARP
internet site, at www.NeroLarp.com , has a wealth of information on it for the
prospect. There is specifically a New to NERO Tour on the page to present an
overview of NERO. Then, by reviewing each of the buttons on the internet site,
interested persons will learn all about NERO. Individuals can become members
too.
If interest and curiosity grows, the individuals
can go to their local Game Store and purchase the NERO® Rule Book© 8th
Edition. If the local store doesn’t yet carry the book (call and ask if they
have it), you can order one directly from the www.NeroLarp.com site with your
credit card or via paypal.
THOR:
Joseph, I understand that in addition to playing fantasy heroes, participants
can play NPC monsters and villains...
JOSEPH:
Absolutely. Most NERO chapters operate using volunteers from within the
membership base. These volunteers are generally called NPC’s. All NERO Members
have the option of attending events as a Non Player Character (NPC). Some
chapters operate with a dedicated staff for one or more years, some chapters
have guest event directors that bring their teams to help run, and some
chapters have paid consultants that help to manage and direct the business and
game.
THOR:
What can we look forward to, NERO-wise, in the months ahead?
JOSEPH:
NERO has a dozen short term projects in motion. Here are a few highlights of
what we are planning in the months ahead.
NERO will be attending the Origins Awards
Convention put on by The Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA) on June 29 to
July 3, 2005 in Columbus Ohio. At the Origins Convention this year, we have
scheduled foam Sword Fighting Competitions, a Medieval Adventurers Tavern, and
Medieval Live Adventures.
The Sword Fighting Competitions is a new program
that NERO is implementing this year and will be fully nationwide next year –
running at all the major conventions in America. The competitions include a
recognition program whereby wins and losses of the participants in the
competitions are tracked and posted on the web site. An accompanying prize
points system has been developed to allow participants to collect prize points
for participation and wins, and to then select a prize from those available in
the prize point showcase.
The spectacular 1000 person tournament will have
thirty two 32-person tournaments and a final showdown between the 32 winners
of those tournaments to see who is the champion of the first, largest, and the
most spectacular 1024-person sword fighting tournament operated in America.
All entrants will win a prize as will each of the first prize winners of the
thirty two tournaments, and first, second, and third place of the final
tournament. There will also dozens of 32-person tournaments for individuals to
enter and also the opportunity to defeat NERO Sword Fighting Champions. The
award ceremony will be held Saturday night, at an after dinner party, in one
of the grand ballrooms.
The Medieval Adventurers Tavern is a place where
individuals can experience the different cultures found in the NERO Live
Adventure Game. The tavern will draw attendees into a fantastic environment
made to look, and feel, like a medieval-style tavern (No Alcohol). Attendees
can approach any of the tables that interest them, relax and converse with
others about anything, including Live Adventures to be found.
The Medieval Live Adventures will allow
individuals the opportunity to solve mysteries and be the hero, defeating
mythological beasts with swords and sorcery, and collecting treasure such as
gold, silver, and magical items along the way. Individuals can experience a
small version of the mysteries that are found at NERO Events nationwide.
NERO® is in the process of creating a video, ‘how
to fight with a latex foam sword, for use at a NERO Live Adventure event. We
will be making this video readily available via the internet and as NERO® Rule
Book© inserts.
We recently accepted a request by the German LARP
Company, Live Adventure e.V., to lead a contingency from America to the German
LARP Game, Conquest of Mythodea 2005 (Mythodea.de), from August 10-14, 2005.
THOR:
Wow! What glorious future will unfold with NERO in the years ahead?
JOSEPH:
NERO has a tremendous number of long term projects in motion and additional
projects planned in the future that will continue to propel the company and
its local chapters into the forefront of the live adventure industry.
We are preparing for the release of over 15
publications, over a 2 year period, including the Tyrran World Cosmology©, a
dozen Race Handbooks, an Artificers Compendium, beginning June 2005.
We are expanding our reach through game store
retailer programs, in-store demonstrations, and other incentives that develop
win/win partnerships with Game Stores.
We are hosting a gigantic country-wide live
adventure event that will take place in Illinois, in July of 2006, in which we
are inviting all other Live Action Role Playing groups and companies to
participate in as Game Masters and as players. We have many very interesting
ideas on how to unite those companies under one umbrella for a truly awesome
live adventure event.
The NERO Club Programs™ are increasing in
popularity. We are focused on creating Live Adventure Clubs™ centered on Game
Stores and NERO Chapters across the nation, NERO College Clubs™ at collegiate
institutions and NERO Military Clubs™ at military bases around the world,
which empower Live Adventurers to coordinate small events among themselves.
We are in the process of purchasing a permanent
facility, to be located centrally between NYC and Albany in the New York
State. Though this is not an easy task, we hope to have the facility available
for use by end of first quarter year 2006.
THOR: Thank you Joseph. You are
successfully actualizing a mighty vision with NERO! Do you have any advice for
others wishing to manifest their own dreams?
JOSEPH:
You are very welcome Thor! I look forward to materializing my dreams for NERO.
Realizing ones dreams never come easy, unless you have serious resources at
your disposal, and even then it does not guarantee success. Share your vision
with all of your staff. Surround yourself with employees and staff who believe
in your vision. Remember to stick with the plan you created for achieving your
goals. Do not overextend yourself when a few major successes appear. Being in
charge won’t be easy and you won’t please everyone all of the ime, but there
is no substitution for respectful treatment of staff and customers. Listen to
what your advisors have to say, and don’t be afraid to make decisions based on
their words of wisdom. It is ok to be wrong, and ok to admit when you are
wrong.
CONTACT INFO:
http://www.nerolarp.com/Business/StaffContact.htm
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