New to NERO

[Tharon]

Hello everyone, I read the rule book a few times and have a few questions.
1. I would like to attend the Aug event but would have to leave sometime sat as I have to be in class on Sunday that I can't miss. Would it be better to just attend the Sept event instead?
2. Is it generally better to NPC for a bit your first event or mostly PC?
3. I understand the NERO policy on latex what is the general opinion of the player base on them and what is the approx % of players that use them if any?
Well that's about all I can think of for now. Thanks again and hope to see everyone real soon!

[Guest]

1) You can leave whenever you want, or come whenever. The times are when game starts and ends, and while frequent leaving and coming is frowned upon (like going to burger king for meals), important real life situations win. And if you want, attend both!

2) Please, for the love of God, PC your first 3 events. It will help you learn the game, as well as the flow of things, easier and faster. NPCing your first event is like swimming with sharks with broken legs and arms and wearing a meatsuit. Bad idea.

3) Near zero percent. Some prefer the look, but they have very strict safety issues and must be used correctly. Most who have them use them as purely ornamental weapons, and never use them in combat..

If I'm wrong, someone correct me. Except for #2. That one I'm 100% right about.

[Elenril Elintari]

1) You can leave whenever you want, or come whenever. The times are when game starts and ends, and while frequent leaving and coming is frowned upon (like going to burger king for meals), important real life situations win. And if you want, attend both!

2) Please, for the love of God, PC your first 3 events. It will help you learn the game, as well as the flow of things, easier and faster. NPCing your first event is like swimming with sharks with broken legs and arms and wearing a meatsuit. Bad idea.

3) Near zero percent. Some prefer the look, but they have very strict safety issues and must be used correctly. Most who have them use them as purely ornamental weapons, and never use them in combat..

If I'm wrong, someone correct me. Except for #2. That one I'm 100% right about.

Written by me. FYI.

[Ho'ka]

That's sound advice. NPCing your first few events forces you to know a lot of the game walking in and knowing how to use a lot of game skills and abilities quickly. Playing a character allows you to explore skills by asking other characters or trying out what you know at your own pace.

I would recommend playing in august to get your feet wet and see if this is something you want to invest more time in. Also, it allows you to test out your character and see if its something you will enjoy playing.

Rick

[Fenrir]

The benefit of npcing the first few events is that you get exposed to most of the game mechanics all at once, and you have the opportunity to play multiple roles. This may aid you in determining the style of play that you wish to try on the pc side. However, in practice this can be an overwhelming amount of information to absorb in a single weekend.

As a pc, the pace is such that it is easier to focus on practicing basic core rules and your initial character skill set. You can also discuss the merits of different skills and much of how the game works on an in game basis through roleplay. You are less likely to be bombarded by multiple effects at once on the pc side and I think that makes it easier to 'memorize by experience' for what each effect does.

In my opinion, there is a certain magical 'wow' factor that you only have a chance to experience by pcing your first events as a NERO player. If you npc your first events, you see behind the curtain and that changes the experience. To me, this is the biggest reason to start out on the pc side as a new player.

As for latex weapons, bleagh. Ultralight boffer tech is generally cheaper, easier to maintain, can be made to look almost as good, and is much safer to use.

[Squaiya]

1. I would like to attend the Aug event but would have to leave sometime sat as I have to be in class on Sunday that I can't miss. Would it be better to just attend the Sept event instead?
2. Is it generally better to NPC for a bit your first event or mostly PC?
3. I understand the NERO policy on latex what is the general opinion of the player base on them and what is the approx % of players that use them if any?
Well that's about all I can think of for now. Thanks again and hope to see everyone real soon!

First - welcome! Hope you make it out to a game! Here is my take on your questions since there is no real right or wrong.

1. I would suggest attending the August event if you can in part. No sense in waiting. What's better is that you can get a feel for the game and be more prepared for your second full game.

2. When I started I PC'd my first event and hearing account of people NPCing their first time to NERO I am glad I came into the game the way I did. I've heard that NPCing for a newer player can be a bit overwhelming with all of the rules on top of the monster abilities. As a PC, I much prefer my monsters having a bit of experience in the game so I say - PC!!

3. Not many people use latex weapons. I personally do not like them, but the right player using them (usually someone with a lot of boffer experience) or for costuming only they can be pretty neat.


Let us know if you have any other questions. Lots of people are here to help!

Valerie