A Casual Stroll to Mordor

Player Event Tips: Gatherings/Parties

Posted on 08. Oct, 2009 by Goldenstar in Events

Gatherings or parties are one of the types of events that you can host. I consider them the easiest of the three to pull together as you can generally just invite people out for a party on a whim and people can have a great time.

The concept is simple. You want to create a role-play environment where characters can meet up and chat and act out their stories. You may have a reason such as celebrating a holiday, someone’s birthday, or special achievement. However, a reason most definitely is not required. Feel free to set up a party just because it’s Thursday!

Announcing a Party

For a Kinship party, make sure you announce that you intend to have a party. You can send out invitation via the mail, post a message on your kin’s my.lotro or personal site, and find an officer to make it your kin’s message of the day. Invite people in kinship chat (but try not to be spammy or overly pushy about it).

If having a server wide shindig, feel free to post on the official server forms and spread the word around. Bloggers and Podcasters (ahem, like us) are great for spreading the word and you’ll find most happy to do it. Make an entry on my.lotro to announce then details of your party.

That doesn’t mean that you should stand in Bree and shout out “COME TO MY PARTY” all day. That’s definitely a way to get noticed … and ignored. Do not do this.

The only way people will attend is if they know about it. So spread the word!

When to Party

When to have a party is a tricky thing to settle on. Everyone’s schedules are different and you cannot please everyone. In the end, you have to plan it for when it’s most convenient for you and when you believe the majority of folks can attend.

This may hurt some feelings and generally can cause some grumbles. Be sure to apologize but don’t be wishy-washy about the time. Once you selected the time/date, stick to it unless something in your real life prevents you from keeping the appointment. Changing the party time often leads to mass confusion of when to show up for the people who did plan on attending. If unsure when’s the best time, ask around with the people you plan on inviting or who are interested in attending.

The key to these is not to party your friends out by having a “standing party every Thursday night”. In my experience, setting up these things on a schedule guarantees attendance will wane. These parties generally are more fun when rare and spontaneous.

Be A Good Host

Don’t dictate role-play sessions and allow people to experience the fun of the gathering at their own pace. I’ve attended parties where the host actually told someone to “Stop talking about that” and not in a friendly role-play way. It wasn’t well received. The party is to allow folks to enjoy themselves. Let them do so unless they’re being purposely disruptive or vulgar.

Some of your guests may be trying role-play out and you want to keep things as positive as possible so they don’t feel self conscious. Don’t correct role-play faux-pas in public chatter. If they make a mistake send them a friendly tell letting them know why that was wrong. Even better if you can suggest a more RP friendly way to approach the situation. Most new people will be open to suggestions and will appreciate the friendly advice.

If there’s a lull, people will generally look to you to start the chatter up again so be prepared to do so. It doesn’t have to be huge topic that you have vast knowledge about. A cute story or a rumor is usually enough to get the ball rolling again.

Remember to be a gracious host and thank people for coming. You can even hand out goodies like pies or muffins as little party favors!

Tags: gathering, party, player-event