Role play events come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Planning such an event should be fun and rewarding but never scary. And a successful event will be fun for the organizers as well as for the attendees. Over the years though I have heard many people say things like “I don’t know how to organize an event” or “I’m no good at that sort of thing” or “I’m not creative enough”. I’m hoping that with this article I can help others see how easy and fun planning an event can be.
Let’s start at the very beginning of the process and follow it all the way through to the end.
The Idea
It usually starts as a tiny little thought: I want to host an event. For many it never gets past that single line screaming for attention as worry and doubts creep in and smother it. However if you take the time to fan that tiny flame of an idea you might find it more worthwhile than you could ever believe.
But don’t jump too far ahead in the game. Before you set that time and date, you need to know what kind of event you’re going to hold. There is a variety of them to choose from and every one of them can easily be customized to suit your likes or the likes of those you want to attend. Figure out what kind of event you want to host first.
- Scripted RP Event
I haven’t much experience with these because I prefer to let RP happen rather than trying to script it out, however there are some types of events that some form of idea how you want it to flow would be useful. One such event would be the wedding of two characters. Another could be a major plot point in an ongoing storyline that has to happen in a specific way in order for the story to reach a pre-determined conclusion. Whatever the case, make sure those attending understand that it is a scripted event and how tightly or loosely you want the script to flow. You might not be terribly amused by the warlock that shows up at the wedding to perform his blood ritual RIGHT NOW.
- Small Gathering
This is just a simple “Let’s get together, have a few drinks and talk” sort of events. Probably one of the easiest to pull off on short notice. Usually this type of event is pretty free-form and intended to be pulled off without lots of advertising. Maybe a post on your guild forums or a couple announcements in guild chat then you show up with a few drinks to pass around and engage in in-character conversation.
- Large Gathering
This is just a generalization because there are many types of events that can be thrust into this category. A beach party, a naked relay race, a fishing derby, a formal-dress ball. These and many more can be large gatherings and require a bit more prep time and advertising than the small ones.
- PVP Event
This is the type of event where you bring the two teams together for combat. Whether it is just a large battle between the two teams or there is a specific goal in mind (capture the hill or prevent the escape of the prisoner or something along those lines) this type of event works better if there is a person on each side to coordinate. Be aware too that PVP events tend to attract buffoons looking to ruin everybody else’s fun, so be ready to deal with that as well.
The Theme
Once you’ve decided to follow through with the idea and have a general idea of the size of event you want to host, decide if there is a theme or reason and what that might be. A beach party might be just an excuse to get out in the summer sun and have fun. A fancy dress ball may be in celebration of a specific holiday. A PVP event may be a capture the zone event or may have a story about someone being held captive by one team and the other team trying to break them out. Use your imagination and be creative, but don’t over complicate it either.
The Faction(s)
You also need to decide if this is going to be an event for only one faction or if you’re going to host a cross-faction event. Personally I tend to host mostly cross-faction events to give the greatest number of people the ability to attend. Depending on the type of event you are running, though, cross-faction may not be feasible, nor even believable. If you want to host a party to celebrate the glory of the Horde, it isn’t likely the Alliance would be welcome.
When hosting a cross-faction event, however, I recommend having a co-organizer on the opposite faction to act as contact for that side. Don’t worry. It isn’t as difficult as you might think to find a co-organizer. Put a post up on your realm board or on some of the other forums that are tied to your server. There is bound to be someone just as eager to see your event pulled off.
The Location
Location is going to go a long way in making sure your event is fun or a headache. If hosting a cross-faction event, be sure you choose a location both factions can get to. If you want to include lower level characters, once again, be sure they can get to it easily or make arrangements to have a warlock on hand for summons. Creatures in the area can be a pain as well. If you’re near a creatured area, make arrangements to keep it cleared or just host in an area that is monster free. Usually the monster free option is preferable.
Speaking from experience, lighting of the zone can make a difference too. Moonglade is a fantastic zone with no wandering monsters that is open to both factions, though having a warlock for summons is a good idea for low levels. While the lighting of the zone might be great for setting the mood for a specific event, it is not very good for screen shots and has a tendency to make that spectacular red and orange dress the oddest shade of gray.
Be sure you look at all the factors of a location before deciding that is a great spot for a party.
The Time And Date
You’re getting to the point when you want to set the time and date! Getting closer to announcing that spectacular event! As with anything, though, think it through before you set that time and date. On a Wednesday morning at 7:00 am may not be a time to get a broad audience. If it is a guild only event, consider the time blocks when the largest number of guild members are on and would be free. Remember, they are more likely to skip a round of dailies for your RP event than they are to skip a weekly raid.
If this is an event you’re opening to the whole realm, consider the prime playtimes. While each realm has its own time corresponding with real life timezones, not everyone on the server will be on that same time zone. I always recommend placing an event to cover the widest range of players possible. Something set at approximately 7:00 PM Central time will be 8:00 PM Eastern, 6:00 PM Mountain, and 5:00 PM Pacific. While pushing a little early start time for Pacific and a little late for Eastern it is not unreasonable and will likely be able to catch the broadest range of people.
When planning a date be sure you check around to make sure you’re not going to be overlapping on some other major event, whether it be a role play event or a Blizzard event. As an example, during the introduction of the Quel’danas dailies and the goals that had to be met, it was difficult to lure anyone out to events until that one was complete. Also some realms have large annual role play events planned or weekly role play events. If possible, try not to schedule on the same night or time as these already established events. When faced with a choice between what they know and what they don’t, most players are going to choose the event they are familiar with.
Advertising
Truly it is not a dirty word. Sure you might get a few dirty looks if you walk through the streets of every city for days on end spamming your event, but you do need to get the word out somehow.
If it is open to the realm, go put up an announcement post on the realm forum. I always recommend about a week to a week and a half in advance with careful (non-spamming!) bumps occasionally along the way. If you place it much further in advance than that, people lose interest and forget. If you place it much closer to the event, you run the risk of not enough people seeing it.
Be sure to put it up on your guild forums. If you have a guild and if they are supportive of events, post it there. Let your friends know. Find any joint forums that are tied to your realm as well. If there are any in game calendars that are in use on your realm, get it added. Announce it in in-game channels (but don’t spam!). Keep the message fresh, get the information out there, but don’t do so much of it that people are sick of hearing about it before the event even arrives.
Hammering Out The Details
This is where the odds and ends fit in. Where you think about all the little extra things. Things such as do you want to have food there? Drinks? Fireworks? Smoke flares? Heavy leather balls? Prizes?
If there is a co-organizer, are you both on the same page with what time, date and what each one of you is in charge of? Do they have supplies? Have you set up a method of communication during the event just in case such as Skype, Vent, or some level 1 alt on a second computer that you can use as a translater?
Is there something that must be kept on schedule? Are there going to be multiple items on the schedule? Are others aware there is a schedule?
If there is a contest, do you have the rules clearly defined before starting? If it is a PVP event, have the rules of engagement been clearly stated?
Be sure you put thought into all of the aspects of the event and try to anticipate any questions or issues that may come up. You will not nail them all, but the less you have to deal with during the event, the better it will be for everyone.
Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help
Probably the most important thing to remember about any event is if you think it is going to be too big or complex for you to handle on your own, do not be afraid to ask for help. Talk with your guild or with other guilds you know. Talk with friends, talk with other well known role players. Ask for advice or for others willing to help shoulder some of the tasks of the event. The more tasks that are divided out, the easier it is for everyone involved.
Have Fun
This is the most important part of this. Have fun. It is just a silly event. An excuse to bring others together in game to have fun in a place doing something that doesn’t involve killing the same snake or pig or naga over and over and over again. It is not meant to be something you stress out over. If it doesn’t work out, oh well! It happens that way sometimes. Just focus on having fun and others around you will pick up on it too.
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