On Recovering a Lost Home (July 2025 Event Teaser)

Full Text Below Images

Citizens, Opportunists, Grifters,

The Red Earth Casino Coalition is delighted at the news that one of the lost Fortress Casinos has been discovered in The Rough. At present, the bulk of our martial assets are currently engaged in preventing Bloom related antagonists from overwhelming numerous occupied settlements across the Sequoyah Wastes.

For any and all who can assist in the identification and recovery of this sacred place, we offer the recovery fee, plus twenty per-cent gratuity for the standard calendar year.

Our current intelligence shows heavy raider presence encamped at the Fortress Casino. Successful recovery will require raiders to be completely removed from the premises. Identity of casino heritage will need to be investigated and verified. As this appears to be a raider stronghold in an area of heightened raider activity, a single assault is unlikely to prove sufficient.

Written below the note in sloppy handwriting.

Uh, translation for those of us that don’t speak Casino?

Written below that in neater handwriting.

2 bullet points: Get rid of the raiders, Figure out which casino it is.

Same handwriting, written smaller.

Casino’s are busy trying to keep people alive, so they don’t have bodies to spare. If Grifters can clear out the raiders, make sure they stay cleared out and figure out which casino this was they can get the RECC to tell that Casino family to pay up for the privilege of having their casino restored. If that casino family doesn’t want to, or is broke, The family (or the RECC) can make them lease it out to make sure everyone gets paid. Regardless of which family ends up with stewardship, the RECC is offering a monthly payment for a year to the people who help with the recovery.

Any casino family would be stoked to have access to this place if they have the Days to cover it.

July Event (Cub World) Planning

Hey Folks,

After doing a bit of measuring and exploring Cub World using Google Maps, I've realized just how big this place is. I'll include all the details further in to this post, but I'll keep the important stuff short and to the point.

The Castle is the closest siegeable location, the River Boat is the second closest, and the Fort is the third closest. There are a ton of additional interesting spots available here, and no matter how many people we have show up, we won't be able to explore it all in one event. Having said that, here's the plan I've managed to come up with. I've done some estimates on NPC Count per X player population and I've made some educated guesses on at which point our event could support different locations. Now, this isn't designed to encourage folks to show up. It's main goal is to provide a bit of transparency in regards to what I think we could reasonably support given just how massive this site is.

At 30 or fewer players, we will use the Castle as the primary story event location as it is close and this will let a smaller team continue to effectively provide story coverage while needing to run mods at the Castle.

At 40 we gain a bit of flexibility and gain the option of having EITHER the River Boat or the Castle. At this headcount we will still only be focusing on one location.

At 50 we should be able to support primary story at a single location (EITHER the Castle or the River Boat) as well as supplemental stuff at the other available location.

At 60 we will have the option of using EITHER the Fort, the Castle or the River Boat. At 60 we should still be able to support a secondary story event location.

Other options open up if we hit more than 60, but I'll worry about that if we get to it.

Below is a list of distance measurements using web based tools to help y'all understand what informed my decisions above. I'm using the Dining Hall as the main location as I expect folks will be hanging out near there the most as Public Works and Operations will be running out of various corners of this building as well as the rest of the dining hall space will be available for In-Character use.

Primary Encounter Areas

Dining Hall to Castle 116 Yards

Dining Hall to River Boat 622 Yards

Dining Hall to Fort 1,000 Yards

Sleeping Areas

Dining Hall to nearest Tenting Space 121 Yards

Dining Hall to nearest Platform Tents 275 Yards

Dining Hall to Aquatic Cabins 1889 Yards

Misc Locations

Dining Hall to Keeva 317 Yards

Dining Hall to Event Pavilion 393 Yards









July Event at Zink Ranch (Cub World)

For our July event we will be using the Cub World facility at Zink Scout Ranch. The Cub World area is located further into the Zink Ranch property and features a variety of amazing locations that we are going to be working into our events that take place in this space. They have an old west style fort, castle and a land ship. (All places we will be able to adventure to and fight at)

This will be the first time that a non-Scouting based organization has been permitted to run programming in this space.

Our Cub World events will focus on tent based camping. As there is plenty of tenting spots near our main activity areas. The Ranger has told me there are about 30-40 beds at the aquatic palace, but they are about a mile from our main play area. It’s a big space. However, folks that are up for up, are welcome to use those spaces.

On the plus side, as far as off-site resources go, it does not take long to get to Tulsa and Sand Springs from the Zink Ranch gate if you would prefer to find air conditioned sleeping spaces off site.

There is a large dining hall that has fans, but no AC units. Our Operations and Logistics (Monster Camp/Public Works) will be set up in a corner of this building using our pipe and drape curtains.

We will still have access to a large dining area with kitchen and refrigerators.

Suggested Supplies

Tent or a spot in someone else’s tent

Sleeping supplies (sleeping bag, cot, pillow, bedding, etc)

Water Bottle (Genre appropriate, if available)


June 6 Online Event

June 6 Online Event

Word has spread about the secluded haven that is being referred to as The Lodge. Opportunists seeking their fortune, and families seeking lost relatives have ventured out to find it. Many have heard that The Lodge may be just the place they are looking for.

The Pilgrim’s have established themselves as a threat to the safety of the growing settlement that is establishing itself around The Lodge. The Red Earth Casino Coalition families have recognized the usefulness of their safe(r) spot in the wasteland and are trying to figure out how to be helpful, but also how to help themselves.

Rumors spread of a Casino Fortress that was lost long ago, and may now be within reach with the help of a few dedicated Grifters. The Rough (the overgrown green space around the settlement) is difficult to explore without the help of dedicated pathfinders. Finding such a location would be a boon to any group who could successfully lay claim to it.

For our June online event, we are going to be exploring our existing site (the digital version of ZBase High Adventure) and learning more about the location of our next physical event (Cub World at Zink Scout Ranch). You will have the opportunity to reinforce existing alliances and meet some of the factions that have started to journey towards The Lodge.

Zink Ranch Security Gate

Zink Ranch Security Gate

This is the first time that Scouting America will have a non-scout group on site. Because of that, they are being cautious about the gate code. We are going to do the best we can to make a good impression.

Once you arrive at Zink Ranch, you will want to park in the spots in front of this building and let us know you have arrived. We will send someone to get you through the gate and guide you to site.

If you need to leave at any point during the event, you are welcome to. To get back to site you will follow the same procedure you did to get to site initially.

Directions to ZBase High Adventure Camp

Directions to ZBASE High Adventure Camp

Make your way to Zink Scout Ranch

11301 Zink Ranch Rd, Skiatook, OK 74070

You will eventually come upon a gate that requires a code. Let us know you have arrived and we will have someone come to the gate, enter the code, and guide you to the site.

Make sure you do not go down any drives that are marked PRIVATE.

The directions to site once you have gotten past the security gate

Once you get past the gate you will follow the black top to the left up the big hill.

At the big sign, stay to the right all the way to ZBASE camp

Please remember to keep it under 25 MPH on these roads

Windfall Casino Family - Telling Visionaries

They tend to do what they want. As the wealthiest and most influential Casino Family (or entity) within the Sequoyah Wastes, Purebloods of the Windfall Casino Family tend to show up when they want and how they want. They are skilled developers, investors and opportunists. Historically, siding with the Windfall Casino has meant continued success for those who have walked alongside them. Well, as long as they continued to be entertaining for their patron in the Windfall.

While quite a few of them focus on reinforcing the success of their Fortress Casino, many of them spend time in the wasteland as a way to familiarize themselves with the plight of those that do not have the same opportunities. Their extended families are often supportive of such explorations as their information can later be used to further enhance the success of the Windfall as a whole.

As the dominant Pureblood family in the wastes, the Windfall family dresses however they care to. They are fond of the typical garish colors and jewelry common amongst the Pureblood strain. They have no specific color they favor as they believe that those within the Windfall should not be held to such rules. This has had an unexpected side effect within the family and Sequoyah Wastes Elitariat culture as a whole. When an Elitariat is engaging with an unknown family or an unfamiliar outfit they are often polite beyond measure. Now, this may change once they find out the actual affiliation of the individual, but it does help things start civil.

Need a venture capitalized? Want a debt paid off? The Windfall are always happy to appear helpful, and as long as you stay useful you don’t have to worry about them coming to collect their debts.

Athenaeum (No Specific Faith)

Spies, saboteurs, nerds with paper shredders. The Athenaeum were founded to do one thing, find the most dangerous secrets in the wastes and destroy them before they can be spread. This group encourages their members to be active participants in other groups as to help with their collection of information. They are often quick to ally with others when the wasteland is endangered, but only until their goals are accomplished. 

Most individuals of high position say that this faction has a better image than their activities would warrant. 

As a faction of clandestine operators, the Athenaeum have no uniform. Individual cells occasionally develop personal brands or logos and these have occasionally been attributed to the group as a whole, but currently the Athenaeum takes effort in making sure there is no single way by which they are identified. 

If the Athenaeum are here, and they’re most places in the Sequoyah Wastes, then they are here for a reason. Maybe they’re recruiting. Maybe they’ve got something to destroy.



Soonertown (Church of Darwin)

This faction has a history of losing their homes to calamity. The original Soonertown was irradiated beyond habitation by a particularly zealous Church of Darwin member. (No, not that one.) Some folks say it was an accident, some folks say it was on purpose. It’s a thing folks still have opinions on. After this, the former citizens of Soonertown carried the name as a badge of honor as they scattered to the wastes. As members of the Church of Darwin, Soonertown citizens are often looking to experiment with methods that may hasten the hands of Darwin. 

They are an accepting group of folks, and as long as you are okay with a bit of radiation every now and then, they tend to get along well with others. Well, that is until one of their overly optimistic science experiments threatens the settlement. They say they’ve tried to put that all behind them. Sure.

They tend to favor crimson and cream (red and white) in costuming. They are also fond of carrying “the broken chain”, one oval linked with another that is snapped at the top. For the devoted Soonertown Darwin’s this is evidence of grand atomic bonds being shattered through the power of SCIENCE!

Why are they in the area? Is this just a random group or does the faction have larger goals here? This is an excellent faction for those who favor weird wasteland science experiments augmented by a bit of boom-boom sooner pride.



The Hardrocker Casino Family - Kings and Queens Court

A love of music, good times, and expensive religious relics have made the Hardrockers one the best regarded Casino Families in the Sequoyah Wastes. They’ve got enough money to get what they want, and are usually too preoccupied with their faith endeavors to notice if they are being ripped off. While they’ve been involved in just as many unpleasant wasteland things as most of the other Casino Families, they continue to enjoy popularity as generally well liked, or at least tolerated. They aren’t the best at playing at casino politics, so they are one of the less powerful groups but they don’t let that get in their way of having a good time.

They favor attire that highlights their interests in music. This could be lyrics from songs, musical notation or even the tattered remains of a scavenged t-shirt re-embroidered into a nicer garment.

This group is known for funding expeditions into remote parts of the wasteland in hopes of recovering relics that could improve their personal rank within the Hardrocker Casino Family. They don’t tend to care as much for the other things that are found, so partnering them on excavations is often seen as a good way to make money in the wasteland.


The Cabal - Nuclear Family

A disparate group of histories has brought The Cabal together. While some of their members were once the laconic stewards of a horrible secret, nowadays they are primarily focused on making sure the crops they locate are edible and unlikely to turn into horrible monsters. The Cabal values community and engaging in shared labor. They’ve grown well known recently for filling the demand for meaty bits that was once handled by an outlaw group of Diesel Jocks. When asked, they’ll say the bits are cultivated with the greatest of care for the safety of other strains. 

Could they have returned to their dark history or are they genuine in their responses?

The Cabal favors simple attire that is functional. They’d much rather get a compliment for having a useful feature, like a hammer loop, on a garment than they would for their outfit being seen as expensive or flashy. The Cabal tends to favor floral accents on their clothing and some still wear the flower crowns their ancestors were so fond of.

The Cabal has found enduring comfort in the belief structure of the Nuclear Family. Not all of them are related, and they often come from a variety of walks of life prior to joining the Cabal.


O’Shea Union (Final Knights)

Every safety regulation is written in blood. 

Safety demands compliance. 

The inspectors of the O’Shea have found themselves in a uniquely trusted spot for having so many members dedicated to nihilism. Now, not all of the O’Shea are Final Knights, the Union accepts anyone who will go through their apprenticeship program. However, it helps if you’re fond of suffering. This faction is now primarily seen as a home of Final Knights. Their unique world view allows them to be particularly gifted at enforcing safety rules during new construction and helping to make sure that any new construction is to an adequate standard before they can be implemented. Does this cause a lot of headache and suffering to those who would otherwise just want to finish a construction project? Absolutely. The Union wouldn’t have it any other way.

You can often recognize the Union by their preference for safety equipment such as hard hats, safety glasses, and vests.


Sanguine Reach (Cult of the Fallow Hopes)

After being abandoned by their leadership, the ranks of Sanguine Reach started to infight. What was once a proud and driven group of disciplined killers had shattered due to the neglect of their absentee leader, The Red Left Hand. Did he die? Did he just give up on them? No one currently knows. What is known is that in his absence the faction reformed under new leadership that brought the majority of them into the ranks of the Cult of the Fallow Hopes. All of Sanguine Reach has already used their first chance.

The Sanguine Reach dress as Fallow Hopes tend to, favoring practical clothing with utility in combat. Scavenged camouflage is common. Additionally, the Reach tends to hold on to a single red glove that usually hangs from their belt. They say they do this to keep them from blending into the rank and file of the Fallow Hope. They say that their sins cannot be forgotten lest they risk repeating themselves. Some folks believe them, others think it's them holding out for their murder monster boss to show back up and re-enlist them in another bloody crusade.

The majority of their population is made up of veterans that were some of the most active and effective fighters in the Sequoyah Wastes. The only problem being they were on the losing side of that war. While the entirety of Sanguine Reach has forsworn their old faith, their old ways, and their old leadership, there are many who remain skeptical. Many who may have old grudges that they would like to visit upon the Sanguine Reach and the “reformed” killers that now hunt the dead instead of the living.

They say they are here to show that they are dedicated to the cause of the Cult of the Fallow Hopes. If they are here to bring the fight to the undead, this could be a great benefit. Have they truly changed their ways?


The Asphalt Saints - Sainthood of Ashes

The Asphalt Saints Diesel Jock Clan are devoted builders and are recognized as the allies of all good people. Yellow and black hazard decals are often found in their attire, their accessories and stenciled across their vehicles. Prior to the bloom, they could be found all across the Sequoyah Wastes providing help and recovering the Mother Road. These terminally upbeat engineers have allies amongst nearly every faction.   

When you have a life dedicated to one grand project, sometimes things can get pretty bleak if that project looks lost. Someone forgot to tell the Saints that. Somehow these stalwart stewards of transportation remain focused on their cause now more than ever. 

The Asphalt Saints have been dedicated to the restoration and preservation of The Mother Road for as long as there has been asphalt. For as long as tires have turned. The sudden overwhelming intensity of growth throughout the wastes swallowed miles and miles of blacktop. Roads disappeared and tracks became almost instantly choked with green. 

The Saints are dedicated to an ongoing but imperiled cause. They seek to recover the fractured blacktop from wherever the shifting terrain has ripped it, and carve a fresh path through this space and reclaim the Mother Road. To that end, a number of them have sought answers in the Rough. The Rough was an overgrown part of the Sequoyah Wastes prior to the bloom, now it’s an almost alien landscape filled with hostile creatures and the relentless dead. When you encounter an Asphalt Saint, they are likely to be your ally, so long as you never sully the Sacred 66.

Z Base Camp (Primary Physical Site)

The Jack Zink High Adventure Base (or Z Base for short) is about 30 minutes outside of Tulsa right off of Skiatook Lake.

Zink Lodge (in character name to be announced later) This building is awesome. It has an abundance of interior bunks. (I think like 80+, I’ll have a more accurate count later) The lounge on the first level is intimidatingly nice. Like, so nice we will be putting in a few OOC rules to make sure we don’t accidentally mess anything up while we are spending time inside around the leather couch and redwood tables.

The incredibly nice lounge. Functional fireplace, fancy couches, fancy tables. We are going to avoid fighting in here, but it will be in play and a great spot for role play.

Bunks. We have so many interior bunks. Multiple different sleeping areas.

There is a fenced in area and this is not a place we will be entering during our events. The Scouts use it for storage. We can be around the fence, just not inside the fenced in area. We don’t have a key to get in, so that shouldn’t be too big of a deal.We will be able to decorate the fence with temporary props and things that can be removed between games. Feel free to start thinking of what you’d like to see up there.

Platform Tents and Tent Camping

This area has a good amount of tree cover that encircles it. We will have several set up in advance for personal use, or for use as roleplay space.

This is a good place to find crafting spaces.

The kitchen, dining hall, and the pavilion immediately outside. Lots of room here.

We’re probably gonna need some more genre appropriate tablecloths.

This is the parking lot. There is quite a bit of parking lot. There is a berm on the eastern side of the parking lot. Across the street from our site is an outdoor gun range. It is a well designed and set up gun range. However, the berm on the east side of the parking lot is an additional safety precaution just in case. You may hear gunfire while in this area (or on other parts ot the site) but as long as you stay on our side of the berm you will not need to worry about the gun range.

The Ampli-Theater

You can see the dining hall in the distance on the left side of the image. It’s not that far of a walk, and it may be a place where fights happen. No fighting on the stairs, though. If you’ve got something shambling towards you, let the threat put both feet on the level ground before you start fighting.

Morphological Visualizer (Crafty Art Project Thing)

What’s this?

This is going to be a part of our research area. We are inviting folks to create designs using this linked document and share them with us. These designs will be collected and put into our Morphological Visualizer Catalog. Re-creating the design from available resources and documenting the in-game results will be an ongoing and developing part of our research area.

How can I participate?

Follow the provided link and read the instructions in the document. That will give you enough information to get started and create designs to share with us.

Morphological Visualizer Google Link

Moss-Iverspiit Casino Family (Light of Hedon)

A long time ago, two proto-casinos were failing at surviving in the apocalypse. They compromised, joined their forces, and a new entity was born. While they do not have the esteem of being a single surname Casino Family, they have more than made up for that by being the most effective mercenary entity within the wastes. When someone in the wastes needs hired muscle, they hire the Moss-Iverspiit Casino Family. Well, if they can afford it.

You will never see a Moss-Iverspiit injure another Moss-Iverspiit while on contract. This is because in each of their mercenary contracts, Moss-Iverspiits have a shared agreement where they are to remove themselves from any field of conflict one-by-one until only one of the warring parties has any Moss-Iverspiit mercenaries remaining on their side. This has allowed the family to grow in unprecedented ways and they are now commonly considered the second most successful Casino Family within the Sequoyah Wastes.

Moss-Iverspiit are a bit more direct than their other Elitariat peers. As devotees of the Light of Hedon, a significant portion of them focus on Wrath. However, you will find all aspects of Hedon within the Moss-Iverspiits. The grey in their outfits is a callback to their ancestral attire. What they once lacked in flare is now more than made up for by wearing the most expensive survival accessories available. They are fond of grey shades, running into deep blues that can be accented with gold.

The Moss-Iverspiit Casino Family can be found anywhere there is an opportunity for money to be made off of the application of violence.


Econ and Event Structure 12/2024

This month’s event will have a transitional structure in order to help move from our previous event mechanics toward the new DR: LIVE Virtual Event structure. Mods and Soft RP will run Friday Evening through Saturday night, and rewards resolution and casual OOC engagement will run Sunday.

Engagement and Reward Points

Most of the event engagement and loot rewards will happen through three methods: Mods, Soft RP engagement, and OOC content. Reward Points you earn through engaging with the event can be traded in one-for-one for items listed on page 21 of the Dystopia Rising Live Virtual Play Guide, up to the listed maximum per category.

Mods

A standard event ticket allows attendance at three mods. On each of these mods, the ST will be able to award up to 25 Reward Points to each player, based on ST discretion. Make sure to check the tags of different mods if you have particular preferences on reward methods.

Soft RP

You can collect up to 40 Reward Points from ZoMs, NPCs, etc. through Soft RP. Keep a simple record of your engagement and earned points to submit with your crafting spreadsheet. Once you have reached 40 points, you are welcome to continue to participate in the Soft RP content, but you cannot collect any more points.

OOC Content

This kind of engagement offers a chance to socialize with other players and event staff directly, rather than through their characters. At minimum, there will be a Spreadsheet Crafting workshop during the event and a casual debrief session on Sunday, but possible other activities include lore updates and collaborative art activities. There are not currently any Reward Points slated for this category.

Spreadsheet Crafting

A standard event ticket allows access to Spreadsheet Crafting. This includes:

  • 6 hours worth of crafting time

  • Full Resolve and one 12’s worth of Mind

  • Trailblazing, Vouchers, Caravan Maps, Trade Papers, Dock Worker Contracts and CAPs expenditures will work as normal, and use may be added to your spreadsheet with 0 time expenditure.

  • Crafting Stations Available:

    • Shortest Path Distillation Kit

    • Paradigm Print Workshop

    • Forged Mechanical Crafting Area

    • Helscape Mine

    • Forged Research Center/Heavycraf Research Tools

Exclusions:

  • No physical currency can be created or spent. Currency can be spent from LIT.

  • Nothing other than currency can be spent from LIT, event rewards, or physical cards.

  • May Not Be Used:

    • Glitter Gulch Prep Station

    • Ship Yard

    • Grinding Mill

    • Other items that reduce time or increase output, such as the Goat Rough-Cycle

LIT Clearance

All rewards will be mailed this event and your LIT will be cleared out as much as possible. The possibility of holding items online for online play will resume after conversion to LIVE and the new database.

Notes From the Developer

Hey folks! If you're wondering what DR: Live is going to look and feel like, the developer of the system has posted a great explanation of the overall intended direction for the game.
This is also a great thing to read if you're putting together feedback, so you can focus on working toward common goals with other players and the developers. Enjoy!

Group Mentality and Collective Play

The new structure emphasizes the importance of group dynamics. It’s designed to reward cooperation and collaboration over solo play, fostering a more interconnected community experience.

Players who attempt to act alone may find it more challenging to achieve significant progress, especially when dealing with resource management, survival challenges, and complex scenarios that require multiple skills or characters working together.

This approach encourages players to form alliances, share knowledge, and work in teams to overcome challenges, thereby reinforcing the sense of community and shared narrative.

Impact of focus on Group Mentality and Collective Play

Social Impact: Strengthened Community Bonds
By emphasizing group dynamics, the game encourages players to build and strengthen social connections. Players must collaborate to achieve shared goals, leading to stronger friendships, deeper in-game relationships, and a more cohesive player community.

The reliance on teamwork fosters a supportive culture where experienced players are motivated to mentor and assist newcomers. This dynamic can help new players integrate more smoothly, reducing barriers to entry and creating a welcoming environment.

Increased Role-Playing Depth
The necessity for cooperation adds layers to the role-playing experience. Characters have more reasons to interact, negotiate, and form alliances, leading to richer, more complex narratives.
Group-oriented mechanics also create opportunities for social tension, conflict resolution, and diplomacy. These elements can drive character development and provide varied experiences that go beyond combat.

Diverse Player Roles
Group play allows for a wider range of character archetypes to thrive, as different roles and skills are required for the success of the group. Non-combat players, support roles, and specialists can have meaningful impacts on group outcomes.

Players who may not typically engage in combat can still feel integral to the game, as there are many ways to contribute, such as providing strategic support, crafting resources, or influencing social dynamics.

Reduced "Lone Wolf" Play
Players who prefer solo play may find the game more challenging, as the mechanics incentivize cooperation. While this shift may discourage some individualistic players, it strengthens the overall community by encouraging interdependence.

Lone wolf play does not function well in this larp in combat, nor does it function will in economy.

Attendance and Network Health Impact

Overall, the emphasis on Group Mentality and Collective Play strengthens social cohesion, deepens the role-playing experience, and can lead to higher player engagement and retention. From a branch/network perspective, this approach supports diverse play styles and enhances event design opportunities.

Recurring Play Focus
Stronger social bonds and a more interconnected community can lead to higher player retention. Players are more likely to return to events if they feel a sense of belonging and are invested in the group narratives. While this is a game, it is a social game which has a focus on building larger and healthier communities.

Enhanced New Player Experience
New players are more likely to stay engaged when they can immediately join a group and contribute to a shared goal. The group mentality fosters inclusivity, which can improve the onboarding experience and help new players feel valued.

Role of Non-Combat and Role-Playing Opportunities

For players less interested in combat, there are numerous avenues for contribution and engagement. The game's design encourages players to focus on skills that support their character’s growth through economic activities, healing, crafting, and social influence.

The shift also reinforces the value of role-playing and non-combat skills by making group participation vital to success. Many mechanics encourage teams to work together to achieve objectives, blending role-play and mechanics seamlessly.

Non-combat-oriented characters can shine in scenarios that require knowledge, resource management, crafting expertise, and social interactions. These characters can still be influential by driving the game’s economy, providing strategic insights, and supporting others in their endeavors.

Individual economy or "development" play has been the primarily supported aspect of the Dystopia Rising 3.0 experience. In this design system the individual lost the need for interacting with groups for success and became "self sustaining islands". A single individual would be able to provide all resources for entire clusters of play. This design system is not only detrimental due to locking all other forms of play to be forced to engage with econ aspects, but in addition, it is detrimental to the individual player and the branch as a whole. It is detrimental to the individual player by rewarding the least experience driven aspect of play and focus on grind style production instead of narrative driven systems that encourage interaction with other players. LARP IS A SOCIAL AND EXPERIENTIAL EVENT. If a system does not encourage social or experience driven aspects of play, and active detracts from it, it is bad design. The 3.0 development system has created dopamine and player enjoyment cycles based on the production of mechanics, instead of mechanics that engage and enrich the narrative.

The self production cycle focus of DR 3.0, and its detachment from social engagement and shared play, is part of the reason for the steady decline of attendance in play.

Return to A Unified Narrative, Lore, and Ruleset

The shift towards a unified narrative, lore, and ruleset in Dystopia Rising Live represents a critical move to standardize the game world across all branches and player experiences. This alignment is essential for maintaining consistency, enhancing player immersion, and ensuring fair play, and it brings several benefits to both players and the branches.
A unified narrative ensures that all branches of Dystopia Rising Live are telling the same overarching story, allowing players to move between different game locations while retaining a coherent understanding of the world. This consistency strengthens the sense of a shared universe, where characters can travel and interact with familiar lore, factions, and world events without encountering jarring differences.
By maintaining a consistent set of rules and shared lore, the game world feels more alive and believable. Players are better able to suspend their disbelief when the environment and storyline have a sense of continuity, which is vital for a genre like post-apocalyptic survival horror.
A unified narrative allows for large-scale plot developments and global events that can affect the entire game network via network wide plot kits and lore publications, giving players the feeling of being part of a larger story. This kind of shared experience can deepen emotional investment in the game and foster a sense of community among players across different branches.
A standardized ruleset ensures that gameplay mechanics are fair and equitable for all players. It prevents power imbalances or exploits that could arise from differing interpretations of rules or custom mechanics used by individual branches.

SUMMARY

DR Live is focused on introducing an experience driven game, the likes of which enhance the successes from 2.0 (where the network as a whole averaged 145 unique players per branch), utilizes some of the advancements of 3.0 (biology instead of culture, fracture system, etc), and creating a purposeful design that focuses on group interaction, memorable experiences within a unified lore and standardized world, and grows the network via positive and purposeful change instead of repeating the same things that the network has done for the past 6 years which has resulted in the slow death of branches and the new "accepted norm" of games with less than 60 people.

Written by Michael Pucci

Post-LIT Virtual Econ

Hey folks! For our upcoming event on May 24th-26th, we are adjusting our pricing structure in order to once again offer Econ options at our online events! A huge thank you to DR:CO for inspiring this Econ system.

How much will Tickets cost?

Standard Ticket - $55

  • Access to Soft RP Rooms

  • Standard XP

  • 3 Mods (No Mod Rewards)

  • Econ Options (see below)

Reduced Ticket - $27

  • Access to Soft RP Rooms

  • Standard XP

  • 2 Mods (No Mod Rewards)

  • No Econ

Soft RP Only Ticket - $10

  • Access to Soft RP Rooms

  • No XP

  • No Mods

  • No Econ

How will I get my Items?

There are two different options for crafting/loot this event. Regardless of the option you choose, all of your inventory gains will be in physical form, and no items will be added to LIT. Your new cards will be mailed to you at the shipping address you provide when you purchase your ticket.

What are my Econ options?

Spreadsheet Crafting

The first option is a spreadsheet similar to what DR:OK, DR:CO, and many other chapters have used for other virtual events.

Pre-Reg Only Care Package

The second option, only available for folks who register by the Tuesday before the event, will allow you to choose one of a pre-designed set of Care Packages. During your ticket purchase, you will be provided a link to a Google Form where you can make your specific selections.

limitations

For both options, the following limitations apply:

  • All econ described is a total per Player.

    • You may split Spreadsheet time or Care Package items as you please between any characters that are both checked in to the event and meet any skill requirements listed.

  • No Currency can be created or destroyed.

    • No currency will be able to be added to LIT or removed from LIT. No physical currency can be mailed to players or expended. If currency is created and expended within a spreadsheet, that is allowed, but any currency created in excess of the amount spent will be lost.

  • No LIT negatives will be allowed.

    • Physical cards other than currency may be spent during the event via video chat with a Public Works Guide. You may participate in Econ without clearing existing LIT negatives, but those negatives may not be changed, and no additional LIT items can be made negative during this event.

  • DR:OK will not offer Item Trading or LIT Cashouts.

    • If you wish to trade items with another player, you may arrange an exchange of physical cards with them directly. If you are a DR:OK local player and you would like to cash out your LIT, you please email dystopiarising.oklahoma@gmail.com with your request. By reaching out to a Coord Guide, you may expend physical or LIT items for immediate use.

Option 1: Spreadsheet Crafting

You may log up to 4 Hours worth of crafting, gathering, etc., with no Mind cap.
Note: Maximum of 24 Blueprints per player.

Trailblazing, Vouchers, Caravan Maps, Trade Papers, Dock Worker Contracts and CAPs expenditures will work as normal, and use may be added to your spreadsheet with 0 time expenditure.

Financial and Purchase List skills may only be used in conjunction, as no currency can be spent or gained outside of the spreadsheet.

Crafting Stations Available:

  • Shortest Path Distillation Kit

  • Paradigm Print Workshop

  • Forged Mechanical Crafting Area

  • Helscape Mine

  • Forged Research Center/Heavycraf Research Tools

May Not Be Used:

  • Glitter Gulch Prep Station

  • Ship Yard

  • Grinding Mill

  • Other items that reduce time or increase output, such as the Goat Rough-Cycle

Option 2: Care Package

In order to choose this option, you must complete the Google Form provided during your ticket purchase by 6AM Central Time, the Wednesday before the event. If you miss this deadline, Spreadsheet Crafting will be available as an alternative.

Care Packages are more limited in scope than Spreadsheet Crafting, but the total time requirement to make the contents from scratch is higher than the 4 hour Spreadsheet Crafting limit.

No item substitutions are available.

care package options


Fighter

Requires any Combat Skill

  • B Armor OR B Exotic Weapon OR Choice of 2 other B Weapons/Shields


Surgeon

Requires B Medical

  • M Candlepin Medical Kit

  • 4 servings M Hooch of choice


Pathologist

Requires B Medical

  • B Deathmask

  • B Mechanical Engine (Can be used to craft Ottoman’s Medical Bags)


Devotee

Requires Local Society Membership

  • B Faceplate

  • M Death Brew of choice

  • B Uncle Todd's


Shopper

Requires B Criminal Influence, B Sailing, or B Trade Connections

  • 1 purchase from any P Skill Purchase List

  • 1 purchase each from any two B Skill Purchase Lists

  • 1 purchase from any Local Purchase List


Farmer

Requires B Agriculture

  • 5 stacks of 6 herb/produce of choice


Scrounger

Requires B Foraging, B Salvaging, or B Trailblazing

  • 4 cards with different random 2x Scrap

  • 5th card with 3 Scrap of choice


Chef

Requires B Culinary

  • 10 B Spicy Hooch

  • 6 Servings B Canned and Fried Hearty Healing Meal (Choose one of Body, Disease, or Therapy Fry)


Librarian

Requires B Education

  • Choice of 8 Prints