Pro Tip Thursday 08/24/2023! ITs going to be hot!

Hey Survivors!!!!  ITs time for a pro-tip Thursday!    Today's topic is going to be one we have discussed before.  With our return to live games next week!

IT'S GOING TO BE HOT!!!!

We have discussed heat stroke and Hydration in previous pro-tips.  I recommend you go read about hydration from 7-22-2022 and Heat Stroke 5-12-2022.  I, of course, could just cut and paste but I figure you are smart enough to go read these again. It's good reading and good information.  But this pro-tip is more about staying cool at our camp. 

One of the things we have learned from our first year of using Rogers Scout Reserve is that cool zones are hard to find.  With the open dining hall, the bar is not a place to go to cool down often. The kitchen AC has been struggling with the heat as well. 

The Med Cabin is the best place to cool down during the game.  The We will have power aid in the Fridge for you to drink if you need it.  Sit in the front room where the examination table is and there are chair to sit and relax.  

The Lodge is the best out of game place to go to and the best place to have a cool place to sleep.  There is lots of room to set up bedding there.  Ear buds or plugs might be a good idea because the number of people that may be sleeping near you. 

There is lots of places to set up a tent that is close to a power outlet so I do suggest bringing fans for your tent with a long extension cord! Air flow will be a good idea. 

Now if you are a DYI person like myself I recommend the following

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxSLbpAwibg

Its a bucket of ice with a fan.  I used this at game many years ago.  I put a frozen gallon jug in mine and it kept me cool at night.   

In order to make things easier for us all we are going to start a NEW POLICY to help protect everyone’s food.   

Last game the walk in struggled to keep cool which meant food temps rose to possibly unsafe temperatures.  To help combat that we are suggesting that we all bring an Ice chest for our personal drinks.

We have a giant ice maker that is usually full of ice. So bring an ice chest for your drinks. We want to put them in the room with the extra freezers.  Only one of those is plugged in at a time.  The others we can line up the ice chests.  That way your drinks stay cool and the walk in has less traffic in it.  We are lifting this idea from our friends in Colorado.  It will also help during the cleanup of personal items from the kitchen.

The biggest thing we want you to do is think about the heat and taking care of each other. Keep an eye on your fellow players. Bring hydrating snacks that you can eat to help cool yourself.  I personally will have a bunch of grapes in the freezer. 

Do not be afraid to go sit in the med cabin to cool off.  Also remember that we have heat rules in place for armor.  Go to our website and read the policy.  Safety before looking cool!  

Feel free to add tips to survive the heat and stay cool! 

Till next time my friends!! 

See you in the waste! 


An important Announcement!!!!

Greetings Survivors!!! 


Today we are coming to speak about the announcement from National to raise the ticket prices for our game.  


First, if you have not read the National announcement please go here:
https://dystopiarisinglarps.com/dystopia-rising-news/

and read it all the way through. 

Seriously… go read it…  I will wait..  Ok… did you read it all the way through? 

Now take a deep breath… Let it out… repeat…  In… out… in… out…. 

Ok now we can move forward with what that means for us here at Dystopia Rising: Arkansas. 


This conversation has been going on at the owner's level for a couple of months. So Ro, Truate and I have had time to decide on how we are going to adjust to the new rate structure. Every chapter is going to have to make this decision based on their business model and the health of their community. One of the things that we can agree on is that each chapter has its own challenges they have to face, so our choices may be different from other chapters.  


In light of that, the base rates for Tickets will be:


The 6-hour (maximum) casting ticket will remain the same price at $45.


The 4-hour (standard) casting ticket will remain the same price at $65

The 2-hour (minimum) casting ticket will be increasing from $85 to $105.


The casting opt-out ticket will be increasing from $100 to $120.


The 10-hour day ticket (with 2-hour casting) will remain the same price, at $35.

Online event tickets will be remaining at $45.

So as you can see our main ticket prices for the maximum and standard tickets will remain the same price as it has in the past. The same for our online games due to the fact we only run 2 per year.

We are making two changes on how we do things in our monthly events.


The first change we are making is in how we handle the taxes. In the past we have charged the flat rate for ticket prices and we paid the sales tax out of our own pockets instead of passing them on to you. Arkansas has a 10.5 percent sales tax that we have not put on live game tickets. As you know, we do charge sales tax for our online events due to the larger percentage of those tickets being owed to National in royalties. With National raising the percentage that we owe to them with the higher ticket prices we cannot afford to absorb both of these costs anymore. We feel it is the lesser of two evils to add the sales tax to tickets rather than raise the base price of the maximum casting and the standard casting tickets. 


We are testing out one other change. In the past, We have offered 2 opt out tickets and 4, 2 hour tickets per game, due to the fact we are a small game and we need NPC’s more than anything else. In our discussion we have decided that the 2 hour ticket is not the best option for players. To stop playing the game and go get into different clothes for a 2 hour shift then come back into character is really a beating. Therefore, we have decided to only sell 6 opt out tickets per game and no longer offer the 2 hour ticket option. This is of course an experiment. If things do not seem to be working on this plan we can go back to the old mix of ticket sales. 


I cannot speak to what challenges that other chapters are facing and how they will implement these changes. For us, the owners of DR Arkansas, our decision is to not increase our base ticket prices and focus on Growing our player base.

Our main goal is to keep telling good stories in the woods with our friends. Our community has been our strength and protecting that the best we can is our priority.  


If you have questions please reach out to me and we can discuss these events, and we look forward to hearing your feedback on these changes.


We are because you are! 


Greetings Survivors! Welcome to Pro-Tip Thursday!!!   


Today’s Pro-Tip is all about getting ready for our online event Next Weekend!!! 


Hopefully you are paying attention to all the sign ups and getting ready to have a fun event. 


We will be sharing a copy of the production sheet with each player before the event starts.    


It looks like this! 

You will start by filling out your player number and player name and character name.:


 

Now for the Important conversation is how we are doing ECON this weekend. 


You will have 8 Hours of production time for this event!  


What that means for you.  It means you do not have to sit in an empty chat room to Produce items.  Fill out the sheet for 8 hours of time.   Whatever you are producing you have 8 hours of production time.  Farm whatever you are farming. Salvage whatever you salvage.  The production limit is TIME not Mind.   Yes,  you have to have the skill and Yes,  you have to have the materials for the item you are producing.   But MIND is not a factor.  There will be no 12’s for Production TIME.
You get 8 hrs.  ( well unless we reach a stretch goal. Then you might get more) 


During the event you will participate in combat and use of skills during the mods.  Remember that at the beginning of every mod you start with your FULL mind and body.  Make sure you look at next week's Pro-Tip about Crystal Creek Conflict. Our Online rules for conflict. 

https://www.dystopiarisingar.com/crystal-creek-conflict 


You will still write down what your character did, because our guides will do sheet checks. You will also write down any loot you receive from those mods on the sheets.   


One of the major things to remember is that if two characters are trading things between yourselves, you both must write it down.  One player writes “I gave X thing to Player 2”  and Player 2 writes “ I received X thing from Player One” 


During the event, guides will be available to answer questions if you need help!  


So till next time Survivors! 


See you in the Waste and Have a good Time on our Online Event!   



New Personal Plot Request Policy

Greetings Fam!  


I am coming to you to discuss a policy change we are implementing for our game.  


Moving forward, requesting a Personal Plot Request will require you to spend a minimum of 50 caps for the plot.  If the plot request runs longer than a single game then you may need to spend more caps depending on the intensity of the request.   


In the spirit of transparency, I want to give you guys a little more detail on why we decided to make this change.

It has always been part of the national caps system that requesting Personal Plot should cost some variable number of caps. In the past, we have not charged caps to schedule and write Personal Plot for our players. It was easier for us to run multiple personal plots and our main plot when we had more players attending our game. 


Unfortunately now with our lower numbers and a large amount of PPR requests, we need to make sure we don’t get so many PPR’s that we can’t run our story due to the sheer volume. We are having to find a balance between main storylines and the personal plot stories.  


So in order to make life a little easier for our writers and staff, we have decided to make this step. In lieu of specific plot requests, if you don’t have caps to spend or choose not to spend them on a personalized story, check out our plot suggestions page - it lets you let us know what type of plot you would like to see without the specific details and personalization of a PPR  Feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns.  


Big Announcement!

Good Morning Survivors!!!
We are making the decision to Cancel our July Online Game. With the changes we are making in operations and that Nationals are happening this weekend. We have decided to move our July online game to December. Our August game will still be online. We feel this will allow us to make sure all our ducks are in a row and we are putting out the best game possible.

Let me know if you have any questions or Concerns!

For those going to national, HAVE FUN!!!! DIE LOUDLY!!!!

Pro-Tip Thursday, Friday edition! How do I submit a request?

Greetings Survivors!!!   Welcome to the Friday Edition of Pro-Tip Thursday! 

I have slowly resurrected myself from the horrible heat this weekend and I am finally moving and thinking like normal again!   I could tell that everyone was super tired when I finally made it to afters and there were only about 8 people left!  Self care is important and I was super happy to give out some hugs and head home!    

Today’s topic is going to be an easy house cleaning conversation about who to speak to about certain topics needing to be done and how to reach out to those who do those tasks for us.    

I want to start by explaining what I am talking about.  While we play our game on the weekend, our team is working on this event all month long.  So you may need to reach out to us about issues or suggestions.   

What we recommend is that you start with a broad reach before narrowing down to a single person to do things. 

As an example.  You can get 90% of things done on the contact us page.

https://www.dystopiarisingar.com/aboutus

This page leads you to our Feedback page, our Player Request Page and the all important application to be a guide or a writer!   

The feedback form is pretty simple.  You can either fill out the form on the page or click the button to go to our super secret private feedback page where you can leave feedback anonymously!

https://www.dystopiarisingar.com/feedback-form

Now during the month, you may want to do a variety of things like rewrites, create new characters, request personal plots,  request a PFA or Request mediation between you and another player.  All of these things and more can be done here:

https://www.dystopiarisingar.com/action-requests

 

When you do any form on the website many people are alerted that something needs to be done.  Most times we will reach out to you to let you know X has been done or if we need to ask questions.   

If you are unable to find the right category on the web page or you have a more detailed question/issue.  We have the following options as well. 

If its a character issue,  like you want to spend caps to make a change, Send an Email to  Logistics@dystopiarisingar.com  

If you have a general question about us, our game or Dystopia Rising.  Send an email to Contact@dystopiarisingar.com 

If you are a new player and need help finding your way through all this information you can email me directly at  Curtis@dystopiarisingar.com   

You can also reach out to our Discord Community ( DR Arkansas ) for many questions and conversations with other players at: https://discord.gg/g7HD2p5H


The biggest thing we ask is that you remember that we all have full time jobs outside of the game.  We promise we will reach out to you and help. Just be patient with us! 

Till Next time my friends!!!  

See you in the waste!!! 


Pro-Tip Thursday! My First Larp!

Greetings Survivors!  Welcome to this week’s edition of Pro-Tip Thursday! 

Today’s topic is designed to stir up some conversation from the community. I expect the thread to follow to be full of suggestions and topics to be helpful! 

Today’s Topic is “Welcome to your First Larp!”  or also known as “Just what the heck did I get myself into!?!?!?!”    

Looking at our pre-registration we have sold a lot of First time tickets, So we are going to have a large Batch of Blue Birds walking around camp.  So the first conversation is what is a blue bird?  Well a blue bird is a player who is within their first 3 games ever with Dystopia Rising Arkansas.  You will be given a blue Bandana to wear and some blue glow sticks to wear at night so our players know you are new. They will take it easy on you and make sure you do not instantly die.   

Now you can choose to take that blueband off and walk around our dangerous world without its protection, but we recommend that you keep it on for at least the first weekend.  The blue band helps our players know that you are new.  When they see that blueband they know you are trying to figure things out and they will pull you into the shenanigans so you don't miss out on the fun.  

Hopefully, by now our new players have read the book and have a vague idea of what the rules are of the game.  But I want to add some information that the book glosses over a little. 

So let's start with something that has nothing to do with playing our game.  Our game officially starts at 9 pm on Friday night and runs through Sunday at noon.   It is a long weekend, and we are playing a fun game.  But it's also two days that you have to take care of your meat sack of a body that is playing the game.  Food and drink is very important to plan ahead on.  We have a huge refrigerator and a large kitchen with a microwave.   IF you have an Arkansas Food Handlers License you can cook in the kitchen as well.  If you don't have that license there are lot of players who do who can “oversee” your cooking.   You want to make sure you have eating utensils and a plate to use.  Its going to be a hot weekend so hydrating foods and sports drinks are a good idea.  Please for the love of whatever higher being you believe in please bring something else to drink than a case of Monsters…  I mean.. You can bring a case of monsters if that is your choice, but add something else to the mix…  Pocket snacks of Jerky, dried fruit, cheese or whatever you like is a good thing to keep you fueled while running around!

Comfortable sleeping gear and footwear is also really important.   You will be on your feet a lot.  One of the things we recommend is changing your socks several times a day.  Your feet will thank you and it helps you have a few down moments.  Sleep is also a good thing.  

So by now you are going… Umm gee Curtis are you going to actually talk about playing the game as a new person?   I swear I am getting there. But making sure you are well fed and comfortable will make your first weekend better.  Make sure you plan on the heat during this game.  We are going to have swim time in the lake this game so make sure you bring something to wear in the lake. 

Ok now…  now we will talk about what to expect in playing in your first larp.  

Your first event will be unique to you.  You will be surrounded by players acting out their characters engaging in crafting, fighting, talking, arguing and laughing. You will see odd NPC’s walk into town and ask… “who wants to do X w me”  Some will go, some will not.  The choice of what your character does is up to you.   Do you risk your life?  Do you want to sit in town farming?  You choose.  You are creating the spot in the game for your character.   This first time may be hard for you to join into the middle of the crowd.  Do not fear.  Get involved.  Jump into the middle of whatever is happening.   Experienced players will help you get the hang of it.   

In the thread below this post( on our discord) I am sure we will get many suggestions for your first weekend.  Our Community is a wonderful place to be part of.  There are no stupid questions and you are not wasting anyone’s time.  We are here to help you have fun. 

Till next time Survivors!!  Do the dumb, get involved!  

And I will see you in the waste! 


Hot weather Costumes suggestions and Announcement!

Greetings Survivor’s!   Welcome to Pro-tip Thursday!    Got some interesting topics this week and an ANNOUNCEMENT!!!  So make sure you read everything I am saying… Or you can skip to the bottom for the announcement.  It's up to you… It's your life choice!  ;-)

Ok as we move into the summer months, The temps are rising and it's getting HOT!

Looking ahead at the weather, it's going to be a warm weekend for us! We have several pro-tips on staying hydrated and how to monitor our friends for heat exhaustion.  If you are still confused on those topics please feel free to scroll back and read them! 

But now I want to talk about changing your costume to help stay cooler. 

Yes we live in a post apoc world wearing armor and carrying weapons!  But we can choose to make a summer outfit that looks like we are wearing armor but really its a lighter version of our normal look.  

When you look at your outfit, look at what can be swapped out for lighter material. Instead of black sweatpants, wear black cotton that is lighter and breathes.  Instead of leather look for thicker fabric that will give the look of armor instead but breaths.  I can tell you my Leather trench coat will not be worn during the heat!    Add a wide brim hat to your outfit to help keep the sun off you! 

It is also a good plan to think about what can get wet during the game.  During the hot months we plan on doing splash mods.  Life is easier if everything you are wearing can get wet and dry easily while wearing it!

You can also add a beat up backpack that is really a hydration system so you can have cold water on demand!  

Its all about planning ahead!    

Speaking of planning ahead….  Announcement TIME!   

As mentioned before,  plan on some splash mods during the game!  

But, Most importantly,  PLAN ON GOING SWIMMING during the afternoon rest hours! 

The scouts have given us permission to have a swim time during the rest time.  So we will be swimming at the boat dock area!   We will use the scout rules about using the buddy system and we shall use our own intelligence by not going deeper than our shoulders!  So I suggest some swimming shoe’s to protect your feet in the lake.  We are not requiring “costumed genre” swimwear. 

So plan ahead, bring a towel and some sun tan lotion! 

I am looking forward to seeing you all at the next game!  

Till then my friends!! 

See you in the waste!!! 


What are Action Requests?

Good Morning Survivor’s!    Welcome to the Friday Edition of Pro-Tip Thursday!  

Yep, here I go again breaking the rules…  But this has been a crazy week for me due to oral surgery and catching a cold.  Today is the first day that I am not on some major meds to help feel better. 

But now that I am off the heaviest meds it's time to talk more about plot!!!  Yes, I know, we talked about plot last time. But this time I want to talk about the different types of plot that you can engage in. 

To Start off, go read what I wrote last time.  You will see the conversation about what our writers do every game to create the stories that create the plot for the weekend.  One of the things I mentioned was the subplots that get written every game.  These Subplots is an area where YOU the player can help create plot that is created every game! 

I know you are sitting there saying. “ But Curtis,  I engage the plot every weekend and that is how I help create the story!” 

Yes, when you interact with the plot during the game your player actions affect the plot as it moves forward.  But there are ways for you to actually request a plot for your character specifically!   

Part of the Dystopia Rising game are wonderful things called Action Requests. 

https://www.dystopiarisingar.com/action-requests

Players can reach out to the staff and request a certain type of plot that they would like to see happen in game.   They are: 

  1.  Master Module Request 

https://www.dystopiarisingar.com/master-module



  1. Professional Achievement Request 

https://www.dystopiarisingar.com/achievements

  1. Personal Plot Request

https://www.dystopiarisingar.com/plot-request-1

This week I just want to touch base on these.  We will spend time in future pro-tips going over these in detail.    

These plot requests are sent in and assigned to one of our writers who works with you to develop the type of story you are looking for.   The major tip I want to give everyone is to make sure that you have the understanding that these are ideas that are passed onto create a mod, not a Detailed written script that is created for you.  

When you make these requests, keep in mind, Less is more.  Give a framework that the writer can work within.  These mods create the situation that your character can find themselves in and then you get to act your way through it.  Your choices in game and the choices your fellow players make may change how the mod is run and how it ends.     

It helps our writers if you have provided a Backstory for your character.

https://www.dystopiarisingar.com/background

This type of background on your character helps our writers pull your character into stories in more subtle ways.  With this information we can work with you to create better personal plot interactions to engage your characters in the game. 

OK going to stop here for this week,  We will discuss these things more in the following weeks.  If you have any questions, reach out to me or any of our staff! 

Till next Time Survivors! 

See you in the waste!  


Local Policies and YOU!

Greetings Survivors!!! ITs time for a quick and easy Pro-Tip before our Game this weekend!

First, prepare for wet weather! Have lots of dry socks and an extra pair of shoes! pack your clothes in sealable tubs instead of bags. Prepare to keep stuff off the ground of your tent! Getting wet sucks!! Remember we have extra room in the lodge to sleep in now since we moved ops down the hill to the chapel!

Secondly Let’s talk about Local Policies!!!

I am sure some of you are asking yourself, “Curtis what are you talking about?”. Well allow me to explain!

Our game has local rules and rule interpretations that is just for our game. We have decided that this is our local flavor of the wasteland. These rules can be found here:

https://www.dystopiarisingar.com/local-policies


Here you will find our rules for armor coverage and the new Blue Bird “I am to young to Die” mechanic.
Once per event Bluebirds may call “I’m too young to die!” to heal 5 Body, 5 Armor, and 5 Mind, and put the out-of-game symbol above their head and go to Logistics. They will then be “spawned” into the world in a different location per Guide discretion. This ability can be used in Bleed Out or while Stabilized. This ability cannot be countered by “No Escape”.

This weekend we will be play testing a BRAND NEW LOCAL MECHANIC. This is our new Lineage mechanic that allows us to get a little more bang for the lineages we play.

Right now, you are saying… Oh yeah Curtis!!! Where can we read that??? well, you can’t. sorry.

Since we are play testing it. It’s not official. we cannot post it anywhere untill its official!

SO WE NEED YOUR HELP!!! You want to play test some cool things for us? Come to the post office and read the new lineage benefit! Then go try it out and let us know how it goes. At the end of game go to our feedback link and tell us what you think!

I am looking forward to seeing you all at game!!!

Till Tomorrow! I will see you in the waste!!!

Looking for Plot!!

 Looking for that Plot?   

Good afternoon Survivors!!!   It's time for a Pro-Tip Thursday!  I know some of you pine away the day waiting for this moment and if it doesn’t appear you are left with great disappointment!  So Fear not my friends… Pro-tip Thursday has arrived!

 Today, our topic is Plot. What is the plot,  where is the plot? I can't find the Plot!!!!  

Well Plot is the story that your writers have worked hard for you to find and follow.   It is the pieces of story that we throw out into the game for our players to interact with and run with.  We have mentioned several times,  WE ARE CREATING STORIES TOGETHER!!!   Each of us are capable of adding to the story at any time. 

If we are doing our job correctly, we place seeds of plot in front of our players and then our players grow the story.    

If you have played Roleplaying games in the past.  You are used to having a Game master Create a story for you to play through.  Good Game masters allow the players to influence where the plot goes while having a goal in mind for them to work towards.   This is our goal as the creative team that is bringing this story to life. 

When planning our season we start with what we call the Season Overarc.  This is the season-long plot that grows during each game we play.  Each game we have has subplots that plants the seeds that leads to a season ending finale that wraps up the story for the season. We refer to this as the Weekend Overac.   So we spend our time between games working on the tapestry of the story that we put out.  We take the actions of the players into account as we build the story and change those stories based on what players have done during the game.   

Let me tell you… It's not easy.  It takes a lot of time and effort.  We have to avoid putting the game on rails that do not allow players to make changes or affect the story moving forward.   We have to try to engage as many players as we can with the story.  We also have to create several stories and subplots for aspects of the game like Criminal, Faith, Financial. 

So you can see that it's a fine line to walk. 

I am sure by now you are asking “ Gee Curtis,  that is a great look behind the curtain, but what Can I do to help Tell the Story?”  well that is a great question, I am glad you asked! 

Engaging in plot is actively engaging in roleplay.  One of the best tips I can give for making a better story is actively remembering these 5 tips of improv to help you create a better story.

5 Key Tips for Doing Improv

  • Listen and respond. In an improv scene, it's essential that actors listen to one another and react to the information they're hearing. ...

  • Embrace a “yes, and” mindset. ...

  • Follow your first instinct. ...

  • Be honest. ...

  • Relax and have fun.

  • Here is a great video that explains the “Yes and” mindset 

  • (32) Felix D&D Tips: Using "YES, AND" improv advice - YouTube


By now if you are actively involved in playing DR. You have created a character.  You know them, you know how they view our world.   Use that as the base and then embrace the story seeds we put out and engage in the story. 

You will find that the more you engage, you create more stories that you will remember more than any plot we have written for you.  Because we plant the seeds, you bring out the story harvest! 

Also you can always come see us down in ops and ask us what's going on where? We will help you find the plot!

So that is the goal.  Let's create a story that we remember together.   

Jump in, Do the crazy thing. Risk death and have a fun time while doing it.  

Remember you cannot win DR.  But you can have a great time with a fun community telling a great story.   That is the goal. 

Till next time friends!!!  


See you in the Waste!!!



Pro-Tip Thursday! Changes in the wind!

Greetings Survivors!! Welcome to Pro-Tip Thursday! Today we are going to talk about many changes we are making around here! We have listened to lots of feedback from last season and we are making the changes to improve our game where we can.

Lets start with the physical changes we made to our game site.

We moved our Ops and NPC camp down to the Chapel. No more walking up that huge hill to turn in research or ask questions. Now our NPC’s can move through the trails to pop out anywhere in our game space. Heightening the overall risk to the game.

Also, to add to the risk to the game, we also spread out the production areas to relieve the feeling that everything is sitting on top of each other. Everything is close enough to yell for help, but crafters beware of going alone!

The other major change is how we are sending out information to our players. While I am sure you all love Pro-tip Thursday and enjoy my ramblings of things. Its better to be able to look stuff up when you need to plan things out. So we have been revamping our LOCAL MECHANICS on our website.
https://www.dystopiarisingar.com/local-antagonists

This page is full of information that you want to know about. The list includes our updated local blueprints, our NEW CAPS BUYLIST and a brand new Local Policies.

https://www.dystopiarisingar.com/local-policies

This page provides you detailed information of our local policies. One of the issues we have had in the past is that we did not have a clear communication channel to explain what we set for our local policies. So this page has been added to solve that problem. Right now, we have two new local policies listed. One is what we are looking for in armor coverage and the other is the New Blue Bird “I am too young to die” mechanic. This was also where we had the new Lineage mechanic, but we had to take it down because we had to tweak it comply with our national system. We are going to be play testing it before we put it back up.

Information communication improvement has been a major goal for our team. In Order to help solve this problem is making sure that our players know who is best to answer questions. I just want to go over that list so everyone is on the same page.

Before game:

If you are asking about a Story, plot or PFA writing question, before a game, you will start with Cody (cody@dystopiarisingar.com), Cody will interface with the writers and with Ro to make sure you get the answers you need.

If you are having a logistical problem : IE check in, ticket purchase etc. Then you can email Nikki@dystopiarisingar.com. Nikki is the queen of all thing’s logistics.

If you are wanting to character set up, rewrite or new player information.Reach out to me at Curtis@dystopiarisingar.com

If you have a prop question or design question, Beth is the visual designer of our game so she can be Emailed at Beth@dystopiarisingar.com

Most of us are very active on discord. We do not mind DM’s asking us questions, but we ask that you be patient with us and be respectful of our time. I personally am an old man who goes to bed early so if you shoot me a late-night question, it most likely will be answer in the morning!

During Game:

if you have a story question, look for Ian who will be guiding our ops team running the game.

If it is a site problem, look for me or go to the post office and tell them what is happening.


At any time if you are having an issue that requires us to intervene as owners, please reach out to me at Curtis@dystopiarisingar.com. I am the person who handles player mediation and customer service.

Whew…. Ok yes, I know a very long pro-tip. But hopefully a good one.

Let me know if you have any questions or concerns!

Till next time my friends!!

SEE YOU IN THE WASTE!!!



What is the Red Ledger??

Greetings Survivors!! Welcome to a special Tuesday night version of Pro-Tip Thursday!

With game 3 days away, we want to introduce you to a new page on our website and answer some questions about Local CVC Factions!!! I am pleased to turn this over to Ian our local expert on the subject!!

Hello and Welcome to the DARK corner of the World of Dystopia Rising, introducing joinable societies for those that aren’t afraid of character vs. character (CVC) actions or CVC adjacent actions. Previous members of Guild and Black Market Connections from 2.0 can send us an email or reach out to Ian in Discord about being grandfathered in.



The Red Ledger

Red Ledger is both an in game society and an out of game mechanic. It is designed for those that are more inclined towards CvC and are willing to opt in for it. Please read the following fully before deciding whether to join or not.

https://www.dystopiarisingpresents.com/the-red-ledger?fbclid=IwAR27uOhLO84HOPGfFGpu6C-Bh9QglTBgqlpvYgfuL-RwphF6SsylbdCepYo

In our local game we have split the Red Ledger into three local societies to add more flavor. Though they may be attached to an existing Faction, joining the Society (Example Society: Red Ledger - War Party) is not joining the Faction and does not require such. Each of these societies has their own flavor of play and potential jobs available. A character may only be a part of one of these local societies at a time, and some (I’m looking at you, Guild) may have issues with you leaving. Characters that are currently in Red Ledger will be considered as War Party version, including travelers, since they are the closest to the default setting of Red Ledger.

Dystopia Rising Presents

The Red Ledger — Dystopia Rising Presents



  1. Red Ledger - WAR PARTY (Local) The War Party is an existing Faction within our game that is very war-like. The Faction and their religion, a heretical sect of KQC, is not required to join their part of the Red Ledger. They are more about fighting for fighting sake, being rough and tough, might make right. They are open to all, not just criminals, as long as you have the conviction to fight for what you believe in. Their jobs are generally not secret, and all jobs will be made to all. Reward goes to whoever did the job first. Available Jobs: Mercenary work, Bounties(Any), Roughing people up

  2. Red Ledger - GUILD (Local) The guild is a secretive group of assassins. This group uses dead drops and encoded messages to offer jobs to those that know how to get the job done and aren’t afraid to, quietly, get their hands dirty. Unlike the War Party secrecy is a requirement for this group and going blabbing to your friends about your ultra secret membership ring may just get you put on the list of jobs to be done. Available Jobs: Warnings, Assassinations, Sabotage

  3. Red Ledger - ??? (Local) Yes, I put no information here because this group hasn’t been introduced yet. What I will leave you with is…. Think G-Men. Available Jobs: Bounties(Lawful), Spying, Law Enforcement



    CVC ADJACENT SOCIETIES There are some available Societies that do not require CvC, but there is the opportunity to partake in it. Most of these options will be obvious, and if you question it feel free to consult Staff (Yes, we will let you know if something would be considered CvC).

    Murder Inc (National) This is a National Society, run across the network. We run a local cell and therefore will not affect the National game except for specific National plotkits. This group is more of a FOIG (Find out in game) kind of thing. Hint: Sometimes you gotta do the bad to do good.

    Black Market Connections (Local) Got some goods you think would sell better under the table, away from prying eyes? Want to know who to talk to about having someone…. Taken care of? Well, the Black Market is for you! They have jobs and shit to sell(its kinda in the name)! Better not go squealing on nobody, though. Snitches get stitches.

Thank you Ian!! In case you were wondering where you can find this info after a couple of more pro-tips it will be in the Local section of the web site!

https://www.dystopiarisingar.com/local

Be sure to reach out to Ian if you have any questions!

See you at the game!

Important Changes

Good morning, Survivors!

A couple things we would like you know about our upcoming Game!

  1. We are changing our rules when it comes to LIT.

    In the past we have had issues with our Online access during game. If our data is working well then we can easily pull things from LIT for you. IF we are having Technical issues then we will not be able to do this. So to address this issue. We are requiring you to have a paper copy of your LIT in case you need to remove something during game if we are having Technical issues. If we are having technical issues and you ask for something without a paper copy we will ask you to come back later. IF you have your paper copy, we will take a make a paper record of the change and process it later when Data is back on.

    We also request that your pull one thing out of LIT at a time if we have to produce a card or Blueprint. During game actual gameplay is more important. So please be patient and work with your Post Office. look for slow times to pull things out of LIT.


2. Tornado Warnings.

We are in the time of year when weather can get crazy on us. We thought it would be a good idea to go over our Tornado plan.

  1. During bad weather keep an Ear out for our air horn.

  2. 3 quick blast will signal the need to head for shelter.

  3. The Kitchen and the Shower Houses (Inside bathroom and Shower stalls) are our best shelter for our tent campers. Inside the lodge head for the bathrooms.

We are expecting storms on Friday Night. So be sure you come prepared for wet weather. Pack you clothes in sealable tubs and bring extra socks and shoes. Rain gear is a good idea!


Pro-Tip Thursday! What is Faction Favor and How can I use it??

Good morning, Survivors!!!

Got some great information to pass along today so let’s get to it!

To begin with today I want to talk about Favor. Well, Websters Dictionary states the following:

Something done or granted out of goodwill, rather than from justice or for remuneration; a kind act: to ask a favor.

friendly or well-disposed regard; goodwill: to win the favor of the king.

Using that base definition, we will add the following as it fits to our game. Favor is an earnable resource that you can use to influence actions and events in our game. You specifically earn the Favor of the different NPC Factions that interact with our town. This was something we started during our online events. Players who did great role play or accomplished great deeds for a Faction where awarded a Favor point.

Players who earned these Favor points could come to Ops and spend these Favor points by asking an NPC Faction to do an action in an off-screen manner to affect the current events of the game.

One example of spending Faction Influence could be: An NPC Group needs X resources. You call in the Faction Influence of another NPC Faction to have those resources sent to the NPC group. These items will never touch player inventory but will instead directly impact the story.

Another example from live play. Our players were being attacked by a group using mortars. They used Favor of another Faction to Counter Battery those mortars which help them win the fight.

You can see why Favor is a valuable resource to gather and use.

Now, I am sure someone is sitting out there and asking me the following question: “That sounds great for online, Curtis, but how is that working in LIVE Games??”

Well, that brings me to an ANNOUNCEMENT!!! This season we are introducing Favor Token Coins that will be awarded during live games. So allow me to introduce you to the “Quiet Hollows Plug Nickel,” because “A Favor may be worth less than a Plug Nickel.”

These tokens will have the faction written on the back of them showing what faction they are from. When requesting a favor from a faction the more tokens you have the more likely you will sway the faction into helping you. However, if you are asking for an impossible task, then all the tokens in the world won’t move the faction into helping you.

To help you with knowing what factions are out there, we have updated our faction page on the website: https://www.dystopiarisingar.com/factions-1

So I am excited to see what our players come up with using these tokens! Be creative and make those favors count!

Before I sign off, don’t forget that pre-registration closes March 29th!

I am looking forward to seeing you all at game!

‘Til next Time!

See you in the waste!!

An invitation to Return!

Greetings Friends!

As we get ready for our Season opener from March 31 to April 2, I am looking forward to running around in the woods with my friends playing a fun game and telling great stories. I get excited meeting new people who are trying to LARP for the first time and watching them grow as a player.


However, there are times that I miss old faces. People who used to attend our game and have not been able to return for various reasons.


Our game has gone through a lot of changes in the last few years. Between starting Dystopia Rising 3.0, dealing with Covid with online games, moving to a new site and having a New Management team, things are different now.


But what is not different is our community. We still come together to play and have fun.


I'd like to invite all of those players to return and give us a chance.Come see what we are about now and see the new site. Come have a fun weekend beating on people with foam covered sticks.


To encourage returning players we want to offer the following.


  • If you have never played 3.0 you still can rewrite your characters and exchange your gear.


  • If you have not played 3.0 in the last year and a half, I'd like to invite all of those players to return and give us a chance..

Reach out to me at Curtis@dystopiarisingar.com if you want to rewrite or see what your options are.


But let's sweeten the pot a little more; no matter what, if you have not played on our new site or with our new management team, you will start the first game back with a Master Armor set and a Master crafted weapon on us. So you won't be starting with nothing. 

Come back and see what we are about now, and above all else, let’s have some fun!


Hello Friends!  


We are pleased to announce that we have made a change this year.  We are short of Guides this year so we have decided to open our doors to Traveling Guides!  


What we are looking for is people who are Guides in good standing at their home games.  Either Rules or Coord.   


If you are interested please reach out to me at Curtis@dystopiarisingar.com or DM me on Discord or Facebook. 

Please send me your player number and the type of Guide you wish to be.  We also request that you have your Directors’ approval before we schedule. Due to our proximity to Oklahoma, we have already spoken to your directors and received approval.

We will schedule you in one of our available shifts as either your NPC time or you can work an extra shift for CAPs!

We are looking forward to a great season this year and hope you can join us!


Pro-Tip Thursday Returns!!!

Greetings Survivors!!!!! After a long Winters Break, its time to start getting ready to Fight some Zed!!!



Yes!! The winter is over, and the winter horde will be leaving the area of Quiet Hollows!! Its time to return to enjoy the game we all love so Much! I have been missing your faces and I am getting excited about being able to get out in the woods and play!

Welcome to Quiet Hollows… A great place to survive!

Today’s Pro-tip Thursday is a Two-fer! The first is some good advice about preparing to return to game and the second is a good tip to remember when game starts!!!



To Begin, our first tip of the Day!
Game is about to start and that means it’s time for Spring Cleaning! Like most of you, at the end of the last game in November, I packed all my gear into the garage and have not thought about it since.

Now is the best time to pull that gear out and make sure its clean and ready to go! Dont wait till game day to open that tub! Who knows what you may have forgot in there!

The same goes for your camping gear! Get it out, make sure its in good shape. Be ready to set up a comfortable and safe camp so you are not miserable!

Take an inventory of what you may need to replace. Yes, Walmart is close to camp, but a little preparation will go a long way!

Our Second tip of the day deals is an IN-game Tip and reminder!!!


SEARCH EVERYTHING!!!!! Everything could have loot, or salvage or items on them. Even the lowliest ZED! Take the time to search!!

There are times we release plot items on mods. If you dont search them, you wont find them!!!

Take the time!


Ok Survivors!! Those are the tips of the day! I am looking forward to another Great season at Dystopia Rising Arkansas!!

Till next time!!!


See you in the waste!!!

Announcements and Ticket sales!!!

Hello Survivor’s!!! After the winters break, it’s Time to shake off the dust and get ready to LARP!!!

We Have got a LOT of announcements so Strap in and Get Ready!!!

Welcome Back to Quiet Hollows!!!

Our Team has been working on getting ready for the season!!!!

The First announcement is that Tickets will go on sale for our Opening Weekend on March 1st at 5pm!!! Our opening weekend dates are March 31to April 2!

We are excited to return to Rodgers Scout Reserve for another year of playing Dystopia Rising! One of our goals this year is to expand our player base! We are going to ask for your help to spread the word! We are asking that you mention our game in your online media venues. If you are in a group that is NOT a Dystopia Rising group and not business web page or group. Create a post that invites your friends to join us at game! Place a link to our website in that post. Once the post is created take a screen shot of it and email it to me at Curtis@dystopiarisingar.com and I will award you 10 caps per link you post!!! We also have an event created on Facebook , posting that on your personal page counts as well!

The Second Announcement is that we have decided to move our in-game Ops center to the Chapel which is more centrally located than the lodge.

With moving our logistics and NPC area down to the chapel, the Lodge will turn into nothing but an out of game sleeping area. This will open the downstairs area to sleeping space.

The Third and FINAL Announcement! With the decision to move our ops down to the chapel that Means we need to get some things ready for it work well. in Order to make sure the space is ready to go on opening weekend, we are going to have a WORKDAY on March 18th. We will be allowed to come camp at site that weekend. The scouts will also have completed the roofing project by that time, and we will be able to help them clean the area up. Plus, if you check our new Wish list. The first 3 items are Specifically for this work weekend. We will be hanging tarps for doors and building hand washing stations.
March 2023 - DR Arkansas Wish List - Google Docs

IF we have enough people, we will take a run at cleaning the cabin space to make sure they are the marginally ok condition that we are used to! ;-)

So like I said, Many things happening as we get closer to our opening weekend! We are looking forward to having a great season this year!