Anybody else going to watch this tonight?
It looks like basically live action roleplaying (LARP) in a competition format. It looks decent enough, if somewhat (delightfully) campy, although who knows until it airs.
Thanks for the thread. I had not even heard of it but I’ll be checking it out tonight.
Well, I (Reality show junkie that I am) watched it – and quite enjoyed it. So what if it’s campy? Hey, they get to stay in a castle! They shot scorpions! The eliminated player vanishes into a mystic fog! It was fun. 
It’s nice that instead of a traditional host there are actors playing the leader of the Army and the Vizier and what all. And no secret voting – you must openly stand up for your guy/gal in front of God and all your companions. Nice!
What I especially like was that it looks like a reality show that the contestants might actually have a good time while playing. As in, it’s not all starving and lying around like Survivor, and if they do fresh random selections each time they make teams for challenges there should not be quite as much backstabbing and scheming. How can you create an instant ‘Final Five Alliance’ when you all are just as likely to be competing against each other tomorrow? Fingers crossed that they keep that up, anyway.
I agree. I enjoyed it. I like the concept. In fact, I would love to be on the show!
I’m very glad the math teacher survived.
Since this is an opinion thread, I’ll post mine…
It was just too campy for my taste.
I Tweeted, “Even Kip Dynamite agrees: #TheQuest is pretty much the worst show ever.”
Another Tweet that made me laugh was, “Watching #TheQuest and laughing. Should I be laughing? I don’t think I should be laughing.”
I don’t think it is *supposed *to be (or is being sold as) “Reality TV” with actual “contestants”. I’ve seen reports that blatently call them “actors”. Instead, I think it is expected to be viewed as a scripted Reality TV-type show. Kind of like how “Spinal Tap” was not intended to be a documentary, but a scripted Documentary-type Movie. The difference is that “Spinal Tap” was a comedy. The Quest isn’t. It takes itself seriously, which it just too much for me.
It blurs the line between reality show and scripted TV. It has a pre-written story that they will follow and are actors in that sense, but they are also contestants on a reality/game show. I like the comparison that it’s practically a filmed LARP game.
I caught the first episode last night and thought it was pretty cool. I’m surprised it took so long for someone to do a LARP reality show. Of course, the production costs look fairly substantial so I guess that is part of the reason no one has made this show before.
The scenery looks really cool and I like that everyone seems like they are having a lot of fun with it. It looks like they will get to do some pretty cool challenges over the course of the competition and I definitely like the teamwork aspect. All the normal reality show backstabbing can get old fast, so I hope they stay somewhat cooperative for a bit.
The scripting is cheesy but not more than any other reality competition show. I will definitely be watching this one for the season.
One thing that would be very cool is if there were decision points in the quest. For example, last night when
the nameless henchmen got dragged into the woods to be killed by the ogre
if the group had of got a choice. Similarly when
they were locked up
it was interesting that they were looking for an alternative to just waiting for the script. I wonder if they really had any options or would a producer have stepped in and said (off camera) you can’t do that. In fact I wonder if that’s what happened in the first place.
Anyway, that would add a great roleplaying dimension to the show.
I only see LARPers from the fringes when I go to conventions, so could someone with a bit more insider knowledge give some of the basics of what it’s all about?
Didn’t watch the show, and probably won’t, but I suspect this is a distinction that will confuse a lot of viewers who don’t have prior experience with LARPing.
Yes, they are all actors, in the sense that they are all playing characters who are not themselves, within the bounds of a script. However, in a LARP, the actors fall into PC (Player Character) and NPC (Non-Player Character) categories.
The NPCs know the script–which is necessarily somewhat vague, more like an outline for improv than a movie script–and have predefined roles and actions. There will be things they must say or do and other optional things which they may say or do based on various actions by the PCs. Finally, they can make up a lot of stuff on the spot, if they end up talking about something the script doesn’t cover.
The PCs (at least in a real game) do not know the script. They may have some general information going in (“We’re off to kill the foozle/save the princess/retrieve the macguffin.”), but they’re pretty much pure improv. They know only what they see and hear, and what NPCs tell them (which they will often distrust). This sometimes results in them going completely off-script or changing the tone, and leaving the NPCs, writers, and production staff wondering what the hell just happened.
Oh, and if you think you aren’t supposed to be laughing…you’re probably wrong. Even LARPs intended to be Very Serious tend to be leavened with a fair amount of humor, by the players if not the writers. The PCs may be out to save the world, but…well, on the whole, their approach is more likely to resemble a Muppet movie than a dramatic action flick. (I helped run one last year that was high drama–the scripted situation was extremely grim and bloody, with astronomically high stakes–and near the climax, a PC popped up with one line that dissolved a room full of about 70 people into helpless laughter.)
There seem to be quite a few NPC’s. They started with 12 players, that is PC’s, (one got kicked out first episode) and I’d say we saw around 30 NPC’s so far, about 7 or so that have had speaking parts on the first one.
The players didn’t go ‘off-script’ yet that I can see, but they’ve talked about options that weren’t directly presented. I’m thinking they didn’t act on any of it yet because it is a show so they might not yet know how far they can go. There were at least two points, as mentioned above, that they might have had choices to make outside of a direct competition/challenge.
Production levels and limitations can influence how much of a railroad the script is, and that varies with the type of game. LARPs that have a lot of production (sets, NPC costumes, and so forth) tend to be more linear than those that run with just NPCs and maybe a costume or two. A LARP with sets generally can’t improvise a new one every time the PCs go tearing off in an unexpected direction, but don’t have to actually make anything physical to support it, the NPCs can have a quick meeting with the writer and come up something.
Since this is presumably a high-production (for a LARP) scenario, they’re probably relatively constrained. PC decisions may enable them to bypass certain things, but probably not in a way that will introduce new scenes. Some planned scenes in future episodes may get rewritten to some extent as a result of PC actions, however.
Have my posts helped, or would you like a more detailed explanation?
Quite helpful so far.
Agreed that it’s probably very linear (they seem to be going for a movie feel), but the production values are pretty amazing. I’d love to be on that set!
Me too. I’d pay to be on the show.
Oh my god, this is a giant live-in live action role playing game, with huge sets, props, costumes, supporting casts, and even monster make up special effects using robotics. This is some seriously cool shit for anyone who ever wanted to live their role playing adventure. I mean, they hiked through the woods at night and it took some time. They weren’t wisked magically to the castle. Can you say “awesome”?
I love the set up, I think the scripted parts are fine and the acting is hammy but fun. I mean, the NPC’s are playing the roles seriously and hard. The dialogue fits the feel of the genre, and the accents make the game more entertaining. Sure, the challenges are staged as a set of training adventures and whatnot and are scripted to get to a set point, but the competitors are living the challenge just like any LARPer - they get presented a situation, and react to the best of their ability.
And to a large degree, it is playing themselves. Sure, they’re teleported to a fantasy world, but their character stats are their own character stats, the physical challenges and mental challenges rely purely on the efforts and decisions of the competitors, not on any stats sheet or randomized criteria (dice roll). So to a large degree, their characters are themselves. I mean, someone could deliberately take on a persona of attitude and try to game the other competitors, but they can’t crossplay or exaggerate their abilities. “I’m playing a 12 foot, 2 - ton giant with the IQ of 170.” “You’re a 5 ft tall stringbean who can barely tie your own shoes.” “SHUT UP!”
I thought the active challenges were pretty damn cool as well. Firing a scorpion in teams, having to aim and fire at a dummy army, while taking simulated fire from the mud cannons to keep you distracted and add tension - wow. And the elimination challenge was archery on moving targets, not a simple task for anyone who hasn’t had any practice.
My one complaint, and it is a fairly big one, is I HATE that the competitors vote on who leaves and who stays. I think this is the worst element of competition shows, that makes them much more about gaming the players and strategizing and backstabbing and conniving. I prefer a challenge where the judging is all done by third parties. You can still get some manipulation in team challenges, but it’s much less and much less vicious because at the end of the day, the competitors still see themselves as in the same boat and on the same team, even if they have the individual desire to be the winner. Too much effort into “who do I want on my side, who do I want to eliminate”. I’d rather have them focus on doing their best, and then living with the decisions based upon their results.
That’s one of the reasons I like Face Off - all the judging is done by the judges, no voting by the contestants on who they want to have around. There’s still a bit of cliquing that can happen, and people can get annoyed when another contestant is whiney or needy, but in the end they usually try to get along and even help each other. It is not rare to see someone struggling with a mold up against a deadline, for example, and the other contestants will drop their own work and assist that one competitor to make sure they don’t get eliminated by a simple fabrication failure.
We’ve already seen people arguing alliances and fidelity. I don’t think that’s a good element to the game. I want to see physical challenges deciding who goes home, not popularity contests and gamesmanship.
This one, I think the right call was made, even though we only got a limited amount of information on everybody to work with. She took the observer position but was unable to give clear directions on how to aim, and her team suffered. But it was sullied for me because the elimination challenge was the other competitors ganging up on her. I would have rather seen a challenge for targeting accuracy and fire rate that did not involve targeting a stand in for each other. Each competitor fires at their own target and their performance is what matters, not two guys shooting the girl’s target to ensure she’s the lowest.
I like that those roles are scripted elements of telling the story, not outsider narrator descriptions.
Open voting may help, but I’d prefer no voting. That’s why you have judges - to judge.
Fair enough, but I loved it.
It is deliberately and overtly a combination, with an overall script and almost all exposition is being given through characters and story dialogue rather than a narrator or host. But it is a game, they are actually competing and will be eliminated. It definitely is “Reality TV” in that sense.*
Live Action Role Play is trying to take the traditional Role Playing game, but allow you to pretend to be the character rather than just tell the story on paper. The gamemaster still has to have some idea of a script and setting and overall structure, but more of the game relies on the abilities and interactions of the players.
Did you ever play fantasy adventure stories as a kid? Army? Cowboys and Indians? LARP is trying to have those adventure stories, but with some sort of unbiased judging to prevent cheating (“I hit you”, “No, you missed”), and perhaps a more structured story with a predetermined goal.
LARPs can have a variety of methods of interaction. I’ve only played in a few, essentially one group I’ve done the last few years for a Firefly group. They have a very minimal stats system and try to rely more on the players’ themselves. And some interactions have been handled by the players actually negotiating their way through the situation without anyone pulling out the dice and rolling against stats to see who wins the argument. All combat, however, is die based. Weapons are props, often cheap simulated props.
LARPs can have a variety of levels of sets and costumes. A dedicated group may create elaborate costumes and build sets or stage their games in locations with a proper feel (like an outdoor park for a forest scene, etc). An open group may allow anyone who shows up to participate and give them character assignments on the spot, be very loose with costumes (i.e. not require any, maybe have a box of props or costume flourishes if desired), and just let things be loose.
Most LARPs don’t use actual combat, even safe versions with padded weapons, because your character may not match your personal abilities. That’s what stats sheets are for, and thus the reliance on chance factors, typically die rolls.
The players are called Player Characters, and they are the ones who actively play the game. They go through the challenges and make decisions. What they know is typically given through the game set up and dialogue, or specific conversations with the GMs where appropriate.
Background and supporting characters are Non-Player characters, just like any role playing game, but with LARPs they will tend to be members of the group designated for those positions. They know the script outline and may be constrained to do certain actions in certain situations or help guide the results to a known goal. Just like in any role playing game, they are an agent of the gamemaster to help tell the story and set the stage rather than intended as active participants. Though with LARP there is more room for some improv from the NPCs.
The game can be as “real” as the participants make it. If everyone tries to get in character and play along, it can go one way, but if people keep having out-of-character dialogue and commentary, it can be played another way. How formal does the group wish to be, and does every one comply?
This show relies on scripted NPCs and staged dialogue to drive the show, but the players are unscripted and largely themselves. They can’t really have out of character conversation, because there’s nobody to interact with that way but each other, and they are playing themselves, if in a unique situation.
If they were playing scripted characters (like the NPCs), then they could have dialogue that was not from their character. Since they are themselves, all conversation is them reacting to the situation.
It’s a little unclear if they have any conversations with the crew/cast/producers outside the structure of the show. Certainly that is not likely to be shown. We’re not going to see the page or the Fates or the Vizier or the Soldier break character.
- I actually hate that use of “reality TV”. No, there already is a word for shows where the cast is actual people who compete for prizes - Game Show. Sure, they are extreme game shows, set in exotic locations for long durations and cumulative results, but it is still a Game Show. I would reserve “reality show” for something like The Kardashians, that follows the ongoing saga of someone through their daily life and activities. Your a witness to whatever they are doing, but there’s no competition for a prize. **
** An offshoot might be stuff like “Heroes of Cosplay”, where the shows’ stars are competing every week in competitions trying to win prizes, but the competitions are not staged by the show producers. Rather, the show documents the efforts of the stars who perform in these competitions as their regular life activities. The competitions would exist without the show, and the competitors we follow don’t always win anything. I would count this as Reality Show, even though there is a competition, and even though elements of it are … staged if not scripted. The contestants all having their on-site meet up the night before for drinks, even while still racing to get their costumes complete, just so they can have some interaction time comes to mind. That seems like something the producers would prefer rather than necessarily a free choice by the contestants. I mean, they never sit around with their friends who are not part of the show.
Man, I wish this site had a like button. I agree with everything Irishman!
Does anyone know where this is being filmed? I’m guessing somewhere in Eastern Europe.
None of which means they are necessarily playing themselves–it just means they’re playing within their own physical constraints, which is true of any combat LARP. It doesn’t mean they can’t be playing a character who conforms to those constraints, but behaves in ways the player normally would not. A nice guy with X skill at task Y can play an evil guy with X (or less) skill at the same thing. Or a total schmuck could play a hero. They just can’t play a character with X+1 skill.
That aside, I agree with you about the voting-off mechanic. It’s one of the (many, many) things that put me off reality shows anyway, but it’s particularly inappropriate for a LARP scenario. LARPs–especially the type this show seems to focus on–are generally team efforts. Players help each other and watch each others’ backs.
A more appropriate approach to elimination would be having the challenges include “lethal” possibilities. Aside from pass/fail for the team, if you do X during the challenge, your character is killed off. If you must have the players vote on something, give them a pool of points they can spend to gain various advantages–and one of the options is to bring back a “dead” character. It would feel more cooperative and open the possibility of heroic actions. “We only escaped because Sir Grenadeater turned back to hold off pursuit. He deserves to be brought back. Besides, he’s an ox, and I think the next challenge is going to involve carrying a heavy chest around.”
Really, though, I suppose I don’t get to judge, since I’m not watching it anyway.
Interestingly, the article also says that the players never interacted with the producers and didn’t even know who they were when they visited the set. Pretty cool.