OK CHECK-IN SYSTEM
There are different ways of feeling "not good" in a LARP. You might be feeling bad physically or emotionally for reasons perhaps not even related to the LARP.
Your character might be in a situation that the player does not care to engage in but is still in because of politeness, or because it happened gradually and the player never stopped to consider how they were feeling when the situation changed around the character. It doesn't matter whether the subject matter of the conversation, intensity, or emotions involved leave you feeling like you don't want to be a part of the scene, you as a player control your comfort level and we want to provide you with the tools to do so.
The OK Check In System can be initiated either as a question or with a response. Below, we'll walk you through an example of one Player checking in on another Player.
Please understand that at ANY TIME you are encouraged to provide a response without being prompted with the question, to let the other Players in the scene know your comfort level
STEP ONE
A quiet scene with another Player has turned into a heated argument. You notice that the Player you're interacting with does not look comfortable and you are not sure if that is their Character or the Player. Being mindful and not wanting to make assumptions, you rightfully decide to check in.
-Question if the player OK and use a thumbs up sign.
STEP TWO
The other player responds in one of three ways.
- Thumbs Up - The Player is letting you know that this is in Character and they're comfortable continuing.
- A Level Hand - Unsure. It is easiest to assume that this response is a Thumbs Down
- Thumbs Down - The Player is letting you know that they are not comfortable continuing.
STEP THREE
If a Player responds with a level hand or a thumbs down, the best course of action is to end the scene and respect their boundaries. It is absolutely encouraged to ask the Player if they'd like to go for a walk and talk through the situation or if they would like space. Please respect the wishes of the Player in that moment and give them what they need. If you feel like the situation was not resolved and you want to check in, speak to a Guide to help you find comfort as well.
Please Note
We do not like to think that this will ever come up, but this system should never be used to advance a character, escape In Character consequences or to negatively affect another character/player. A player found abusing this system for their benefit will be reprimanded or asked to leave the event at the discretion of the local branch.
Character versus Character “Conflict?” Check-In
If you believe that you’re about to enter conflict with another character, the first thing you should do is check in with the person portraying the character. An easy way to do this is to touch your left shoulder with your right hand in the shape of “C”. The person seeing the sign can respond with a thumbs up or thumbs down.
In the instance that the gesture is missed, you can just make the same gesture and ask, “Conflict?” This indicates to the other person that imminent physical or intense verbal conflict is about to occur.
If the person says “yes” or responds with a thumbs up then conflict may occur without the need for a Guide, as long as it does not involve the loss of an Infection or item theft.
If the person says “no” then both must work together to deescalate the situation. This type of CvC is primarily designed for beatdowns or social escalation in the moment. (Pg. 154)