Most dominant aspect of the gameplay in Odysseus is the character group. It will determine props, shifts and the concrete tasks during the larp. Depending on the character group there might be more emphasis on personal plots or work related tasks, however regardless of the group each characters have personal plots and contacts. Same information with additional clearance on difference between military and civilian characters groups can be found on the blog post Inside game design: Character groups!
Bridge and officers (Rental uniform)
There are 8 stations on the bridge. These are the commanding officer (captain/xo), navigations officer, weapons officer, communications officers, and science officers. The bridge crew works in two shifts throughout the larp. While there is no need to have all the stations manned at all the time, certain information (eg. scanners and communications) need to be monitored 24/7. This means that characters associated with the bridge will spend a lot of time steering the ship, making plans, communicating with other ships, preparing for battles, and maneuvering as well as monitoring different data streams provided by the systems.
Pilots (For some characters rental uniform required)
There are four fighter pilots stationed in Odysseus, and a couple of extra ones will arrive with the other groups. Pilots fly the fighters and engage on space battles and surveillance missions. They are a part of the military organisation and their game will involve the military hierarchy and possible conflicts between military and civilians. They have a tight group and mainly group-centered plots and relationships.
We aim to prop two or three cockpits in the hangar bay. These are two-man fighters with one pilot and one weapons officer. Both pilots have headsets that let them communicate with the bridge and with each other. We are seeing good results from Empty Epsilon as a platform that will allow us to use several ships in the same scenario. This would let the fighters and the mothership see each other on the map and make maneuvers together. There will not be a high emphasis on space battles, but there’ll likely be a few bigger ones and a some close calls and minor clashes on top of that. In the meantime, the pilots’ gameplay will involve personal plots, and they might be assigned to assist marines with internal security.
Marines (Rental uniform)
Marines will have two major roles on board. As they have acted as internal security since the declaration of martial law, they will be there to break up fights and make sure that everyone follows orders, possibly causing conflicts between military and civilians. They are also the first and last line of defense in case the enemy manages to board the ship. Their priority task, however, is to perform land missions, typically surveillance and “search and acquire” type of missions. There are three teams (one of them added during the game) who will be transported to planets to execute search and retrieve missions. Our current plan is to have four team members and two interchangeable specialists in each team. We aim to stream the missions on the screen aboard the ship through headcams. Each team will have two to three missions during the larp.
Other military (For some characters rental uniform required)
Some members of the military are not part of the crew of Odysseus. They come from other ships or the space station Atlantis. They will have a bit more flexibility in their gameplay than the original crew, but they are still members of the military, so they will most likely be assigned to new positions during the game. Some of them might have a higher rank or special skills. They have more personal plots and contacts with the other passengers than the base crew. They can decide more freely if they want to play their personal plots and connect with the civilians, or to have more tasks and be more involved in military gameplay.
Engineers (For some characters rental uniform required)
It is up to the engineers to fix everything that inevitably breaks up. This group is in charge of repairs and maintenance, which will make for a hectic schedule: be it an overheated hyperdrive, a gas leak, broken shield generators, jammed gun controllers, or fried scanners, the technicians are there to save the day. There are only a few engineers assigned to the ship, but skilled civilian engineers will be recruited to help. Some of the technicians are a part of the military organisation, while some are civilians.
There will be maintenance tasks throughout the larp that need to be performed routinely, or they might be necessary to under certain conditions. Maintenance work comes as different types of “puzzles” for the engineers, ranging from just pulling two levers at the same time to setting calibration values to connecting wires. We are creating mechanical things to fix, crawl spaces to crawl in, and brain teasers to solve. For the engineers, these will be the main content of their game, but don’t worry: they will also have personal plots and relationships.
Medics (For some characters rental uniform required)
Medics are the ones who are doing their best to keep everyone operational, be it through a fight, a ground missions, space battles, or an epidemic. It’s up to them to patch up those who are wounded, and they will be performing routine medical check-ups and taking care of those passengers who have conditions requiring medical attention. There are two medics stationed on Odysseus, but considering the situation, all civilians with medical training have been drafted to help. Thus this group includes characters who are not originally part of the military. The medbay needs to be manned around the clock, so medical personnel will also work in shifts.
We plan to make the healthcare feel as real as possible (involving lots of fake blood and machines giving information on the patients’ health status). All medical personnel will have personal plots and relationships.
Scientists (civilians)
There are several scientists on board the Odysseus, since the ship’s latest trek was an exploration mission involved with scientific discovery. The scientists have different mysteries to solve, and they will uncover these in cooperation with both the EOC and Velian religions and the medical personnel. The scientists will be solving the riddles discovered in the beacons left behind by their ancestors, as well as mysteries of an ancient alien race and the technology they left behind. It is also their job to find out weaknesses and patterns in the enemy ships. Some of them will also have personal experiments and projects going on. The scientists are civilians, and most of them are heavily related to the religion of science – the main religion among the characters. Scientists do not have as strict shifts as the military personnel, but they too take turns on duty as there might be need to keep working around the clock.
Politicians and law enforcement (civilians)
There are senators, aids, diplomats, judges, attorneys, and police officers on board. They have interesting backgrounds connecting them with the other characters, and they are the ones to whom the other passengers look when it’s time to make decisions. These characters have a large amount of political influence, and they are in the key positions in recreating the human society and the potential conflicts between the civilian groups and the military. Some of these characters have made their careers as politicians, and others are just now rising to power after the catastrophe. Depending on the relationship between civilians and the military, they might have a large impact on the decisions made in the larp. They can concentrate on their personal plots or give more emphasis on the role they possessed before the attack.
Survivors (civilians)
Civilians from different backgrounds, whom fate has brought aboard the starship. Initially, the survivors do not have specific tasks onboard, but they might be drafted for duty and tasks. Some are hard-working, good people, who only want to survive. For some, life has not been fair, and some have drifted to dark directions. For all, this might be a new beginning and a chance to start life anew – or profit from the catastrophe, or to carve a new, better life. Or to descend into darkness, consumed by the death of the civilization and their loved ones. Or it might be a time for redemption, to face the mistakes of their past. For the survivors, the main themes are the survivors’ guilt, new beginnings, atonement, and choices on how to proceed.
Criminals (civilians)
There are those who have lived questionable lives before the attack. For them, this might be the time for atonement, or it could be a stepping stone to even greater power. There are bad people, there are unlucky people, and there are those who have just made some mistakes and paid a heavy price. These characters can go for many different directions, and they have a lot of personal plots and interactions with the other passengers.
Religion (civilians)
Religion has a strong impact for most of the characters, and it is a source of solace for many during this time of crisis. There are two major religions with fundamental differences and at times heated theological debates between the groups. The Faith of the High Science is the most populous religion, and it is strongly connected to scientific research. It is not so much of a religion as a way of life. High ranking members of the faith are respected scientist who have dedicated their lives on helping others to succeed. The second most populous religion is The Old Ways, whose followers worship their ancestors and wish for a return to the lost paradise of humankind. Both major religions need to cooperate in order to solve the ancient mysteries introduced in the game. For the religion-based characters, theological debates and realizations are a major aspect of the game, as well as offering solace to those trying to recover from the unspeakable tragedy.
Velians (civilians)
Roughly fifteen passengers come from the planet Velian. They start the larp in a different location with around the same number of players from the EOC Space station Atlantis. They will spend the first hours of the game solving problems of their own before being united with the rest of the players aboard the Odysseus. Velians live in a domed city built by an ancient alien race on a planet that is otherwise uninhabitable. Some EOC anthropologist and scientists have traveled to Velian to discover its mysteries, and the Velians have sent a few ambassadors to EOC, but due to long distances, interaction has been sparse. It is a common theory that Velians originate from one of the missing Genesis ships that never arrived to its destination. Velians have a very unique culture where they live in a strictly theocratic society and follow the teachings of their spiritual leader The Guardian. Velians' game is tightly tied around their own culture and internal plots as well as getting accustomed to the other groups. They also have much to contribute in solving the riddles of ancient alien technology as well as the mystery concerning their shared inheritance with the EOC population.
Mystery characters
There are mystery characters the outwardly belong to the other groups. These characters are not exactly what they appear to be: they might have some special information and instructions from organizers, or they might have a pre-defined fate to die or get injured at some point during the larp. Or it might be something else. These are not exactly NPCs, since the players can play their characters as they like and advance them to the direction they want. But it is necessary for the players to respect the instructions from the organizers on the fates of these characters. The characters are cast based on the casting questionnaire, and there are a few specific questions which we use to determine which players would most enjoy playing the mystery characters.
There are 8 stations on the bridge. These are the commanding officer (captain/xo), navigations officer, weapons officer, communications officers, and science officers. The bridge crew works in two shifts throughout the larp. While there is no need to have all the stations manned at all the time, certain information (eg. scanners and communications) need to be monitored 24/7. This means that characters associated with the bridge will spend a lot of time steering the ship, making plans, communicating with other ships, preparing for battles, and maneuvering as well as monitoring different data streams provided by the systems.
Pilots (For some characters rental uniform required)
There are four fighter pilots stationed in Odysseus, and a couple of extra ones will arrive with the other groups. Pilots fly the fighters and engage on space battles and surveillance missions. They are a part of the military organisation and their game will involve the military hierarchy and possible conflicts between military and civilians. They have a tight group and mainly group-centered plots and relationships.
We aim to prop two or three cockpits in the hangar bay. These are two-man fighters with one pilot and one weapons officer. Both pilots have headsets that let them communicate with the bridge and with each other. We are seeing good results from Empty Epsilon as a platform that will allow us to use several ships in the same scenario. This would let the fighters and the mothership see each other on the map and make maneuvers together. There will not be a high emphasis on space battles, but there’ll likely be a few bigger ones and a some close calls and minor clashes on top of that. In the meantime, the pilots’ gameplay will involve personal plots, and they might be assigned to assist marines with internal security.
Marines (Rental uniform)
Marines will have two major roles on board. As they have acted as internal security since the declaration of martial law, they will be there to break up fights and make sure that everyone follows orders, possibly causing conflicts between military and civilians. They are also the first and last line of defense in case the enemy manages to board the ship. Their priority task, however, is to perform land missions, typically surveillance and “search and acquire” type of missions. There are three teams (one of them added during the game) who will be transported to planets to execute search and retrieve missions. Our current plan is to have four team members and two interchangeable specialists in each team. We aim to stream the missions on the screen aboard the ship through headcams. Each team will have two to three missions during the larp.
Other military (For some characters rental uniform required)
Some members of the military are not part of the crew of Odysseus. They come from other ships or the space station Atlantis. They will have a bit more flexibility in their gameplay than the original crew, but they are still members of the military, so they will most likely be assigned to new positions during the game. Some of them might have a higher rank or special skills. They have more personal plots and contacts with the other passengers than the base crew. They can decide more freely if they want to play their personal plots and connect with the civilians, or to have more tasks and be more involved in military gameplay.
Engineers (For some characters rental uniform required)
It is up to the engineers to fix everything that inevitably breaks up. This group is in charge of repairs and maintenance, which will make for a hectic schedule: be it an overheated hyperdrive, a gas leak, broken shield generators, jammed gun controllers, or fried scanners, the technicians are there to save the day. There are only a few engineers assigned to the ship, but skilled civilian engineers will be recruited to help. Some of the technicians are a part of the military organisation, while some are civilians.
There will be maintenance tasks throughout the larp that need to be performed routinely, or they might be necessary to under certain conditions. Maintenance work comes as different types of “puzzles” for the engineers, ranging from just pulling two levers at the same time to setting calibration values to connecting wires. We are creating mechanical things to fix, crawl spaces to crawl in, and brain teasers to solve. For the engineers, these will be the main content of their game, but don’t worry: they will also have personal plots and relationships.
Medics (For some characters rental uniform required)
Medics are the ones who are doing their best to keep everyone operational, be it through a fight, a ground missions, space battles, or an epidemic. It’s up to them to patch up those who are wounded, and they will be performing routine medical check-ups and taking care of those passengers who have conditions requiring medical attention. There are two medics stationed on Odysseus, but considering the situation, all civilians with medical training have been drafted to help. Thus this group includes characters who are not originally part of the military. The medbay needs to be manned around the clock, so medical personnel will also work in shifts.
We plan to make the healthcare feel as real as possible (involving lots of fake blood and machines giving information on the patients’ health status). All medical personnel will have personal plots and relationships.
Scientists (civilians)
There are several scientists on board the Odysseus, since the ship’s latest trek was an exploration mission involved with scientific discovery. The scientists have different mysteries to solve, and they will uncover these in cooperation with both the EOC and Velian religions and the medical personnel. The scientists will be solving the riddles discovered in the beacons left behind by their ancestors, as well as mysteries of an ancient alien race and the technology they left behind. It is also their job to find out weaknesses and patterns in the enemy ships. Some of them will also have personal experiments and projects going on. The scientists are civilians, and most of them are heavily related to the religion of science – the main religion among the characters. Scientists do not have as strict shifts as the military personnel, but they too take turns on duty as there might be need to keep working around the clock.
Politicians and law enforcement (civilians)
There are senators, aids, diplomats, judges, attorneys, and police officers on board. They have interesting backgrounds connecting them with the other characters, and they are the ones to whom the other passengers look when it’s time to make decisions. These characters have a large amount of political influence, and they are in the key positions in recreating the human society and the potential conflicts between the civilian groups and the military. Some of these characters have made their careers as politicians, and others are just now rising to power after the catastrophe. Depending on the relationship between civilians and the military, they might have a large impact on the decisions made in the larp. They can concentrate on their personal plots or give more emphasis on the role they possessed before the attack.
Survivors (civilians)
Civilians from different backgrounds, whom fate has brought aboard the starship. Initially, the survivors do not have specific tasks onboard, but they might be drafted for duty and tasks. Some are hard-working, good people, who only want to survive. For some, life has not been fair, and some have drifted to dark directions. For all, this might be a new beginning and a chance to start life anew – or profit from the catastrophe, or to carve a new, better life. Or to descend into darkness, consumed by the death of the civilization and their loved ones. Or it might be a time for redemption, to face the mistakes of their past. For the survivors, the main themes are the survivors’ guilt, new beginnings, atonement, and choices on how to proceed.
Criminals (civilians)
There are those who have lived questionable lives before the attack. For them, this might be the time for atonement, or it could be a stepping stone to even greater power. There are bad people, there are unlucky people, and there are those who have just made some mistakes and paid a heavy price. These characters can go for many different directions, and they have a lot of personal plots and interactions with the other passengers.
Religion (civilians)
Religion has a strong impact for most of the characters, and it is a source of solace for many during this time of crisis. There are two major religions with fundamental differences and at times heated theological debates between the groups. The Faith of the High Science is the most populous religion, and it is strongly connected to scientific research. It is not so much of a religion as a way of life. High ranking members of the faith are respected scientist who have dedicated their lives on helping others to succeed. The second most populous religion is The Old Ways, whose followers worship their ancestors and wish for a return to the lost paradise of humankind. Both major religions need to cooperate in order to solve the ancient mysteries introduced in the game. For the religion-based characters, theological debates and realizations are a major aspect of the game, as well as offering solace to those trying to recover from the unspeakable tragedy.
Velians (civilians)
Roughly fifteen passengers come from the planet Velian. They start the larp in a different location with around the same number of players from the EOC Space station Atlantis. They will spend the first hours of the game solving problems of their own before being united with the rest of the players aboard the Odysseus. Velians live in a domed city built by an ancient alien race on a planet that is otherwise uninhabitable. Some EOC anthropologist and scientists have traveled to Velian to discover its mysteries, and the Velians have sent a few ambassadors to EOC, but due to long distances, interaction has been sparse. It is a common theory that Velians originate from one of the missing Genesis ships that never arrived to its destination. Velians have a very unique culture where they live in a strictly theocratic society and follow the teachings of their spiritual leader The Guardian. Velians' game is tightly tied around their own culture and internal plots as well as getting accustomed to the other groups. They also have much to contribute in solving the riddles of ancient alien technology as well as the mystery concerning their shared inheritance with the EOC population.
Mystery characters
There are mystery characters the outwardly belong to the other groups. These characters are not exactly what they appear to be: they might have some special information and instructions from organizers, or they might have a pre-defined fate to die or get injured at some point during the larp. Or it might be something else. These are not exactly NPCs, since the players can play their characters as they like and advance them to the direction they want. But it is necessary for the players to respect the instructions from the organizers on the fates of these characters. The characters are cast based on the casting questionnaire, and there are a few specific questions which we use to determine which players would most enjoy playing the mystery characters.