What?
Odysseus is a Finnish style larp for 104 players set in a world inspired by Battlestar Galactica. We will hold two runs, one local and one international on consecutive weekends.
When?
The local run will be played on June 27-30, 2019, the first international run on July 4-7, 2019 and the second international run July 9-12, 2019. Tickets sales begin on December 9th (8pm CET).
Where?
The larp will be played in Helsinki, Finland (roughly 10 km from Helsinki-Vantaa airport).
Odysseus is a Finnish style larp for 104 players set in a world inspired by Battlestar Galactica. We will hold two runs, one local and one international on consecutive weekends.
When?
The local run will be played on June 27-30, 2019, the first international run on July 4-7, 2019 and the second international run July 9-12, 2019. Tickets sales begin on December 9th (8pm CET).
Where?
The larp will be played in Helsinki, Finland (roughly 10 km from Helsinki-Vantaa airport).
Practical
About
Odysseus is a space adventure filled with tragic events and emotional relationship drama. For a quick run-through on our backstory, practical information, and experience, check out our About page!
Expectations
This is a perfect opportunity to get familiar with Finnish style larp design based on heavily emphasized characters and story. Every player will receive a fleshed out character sheet with ready-made contacts for the larp. We expect a little bit more from our players than most are probably used to. Players should take some time to read through the character and the background materials. We hope players will discuss their boundaries and expectations with their co-players. We will provide additional questions and instructions that players can use to get familiar with their characters and contacts. There is also a heavy emphasis on relationships between characters, so we expect our players look forward a larp themed around them. Read more about what to expect on our Player experience page.
Odysseus is a space adventure filled with tragic events and emotional relationship drama. For a quick run-through on our backstory, practical information, and experience, check out our About page!
Expectations
This is a perfect opportunity to get familiar with Finnish style larp design based on heavily emphasized characters and story. Every player will receive a fleshed out character sheet with ready-made contacts for the larp. We expect a little bit more from our players than most are probably used to. Players should take some time to read through the character and the background materials. We hope players will discuss their boundaries and expectations with their co-players. We will provide additional questions and instructions that players can use to get familiar with their characters and contacts. There is also a heavy emphasis on relationships between characters, so we expect our players look forward a larp themed around them. Read more about what to expect on our Player experience page.
Safety
We take the safety and well-being of our players very seriously. Assault and harassment will not be tolerated in any way (except as in-game actions by characters with respect towards the boundaries of the other players). The goal is to create a safe environment together for each participant of the game. The safer larping material package is applied in this game. Anyone participating in the larp should acquaint themselves thoroughly with the material and commit to furthering a safe game environment, as well as opposing harassment with their own actions. There is a full safety guide designed for this larp, and everyone should read through it carefully.
Inclusiveness, accessibility, and sensitivity
We aim to create an inclusive and accessible event. The game will take place on two floors, and there will be many props and structures created in the space. However, there is an elevator between the two floors, and most of the spaces should be fully accessible. So e.g. visual or moving impairment does not hinder participation.
In the in-game setting in which our larp takes place, there are major equality issues between members of different classes or social standings. However, there is no inequality between races, genders, or sexual orientations. Thus there will be no plots involving inequality based on these aspects. We aim to write diverse characters in terms of genders and orientations.
Our firm intention is to organize an event free of discrimination, and we try to be as sensitive and considerate as possible. Likewise, we want to be respectful in all of our communication. If you find our representation offensive, please contact us so we can make amends and correct our communication.
We take the safety and well-being of our players very seriously. Assault and harassment will not be tolerated in any way (except as in-game actions by characters with respect towards the boundaries of the other players). The goal is to create a safe environment together for each participant of the game. The safer larping material package is applied in this game. Anyone participating in the larp should acquaint themselves thoroughly with the material and commit to furthering a safe game environment, as well as opposing harassment with their own actions. There is a full safety guide designed for this larp, and everyone should read through it carefully.
Inclusiveness, accessibility, and sensitivity
We aim to create an inclusive and accessible event. The game will take place on two floors, and there will be many props and structures created in the space. However, there is an elevator between the two floors, and most of the spaces should be fully accessible. So e.g. visual or moving impairment does not hinder participation.
In the in-game setting in which our larp takes place, there are major equality issues between members of different classes or social standings. However, there is no inequality between races, genders, or sexual orientations. Thus there will be no plots involving inequality based on these aspects. We aim to write diverse characters in terms of genders and orientations.
Our firm intention is to organize an event free of discrimination, and we try to be as sensitive and considerate as possible. Likewise, we want to be respectful in all of our communication. If you find our representation offensive, please contact us so we can make amends and correct our communication.
Location
The larp will be played in the most science fiction looking school building we have ever seen. We have three full weeks with the building at our disposal just for propping the scene as the starship ESS Odysseus. The building is located in Helsinki (roughly 10 km from Helsinki-Vantaa airport). It is easy to arrive from the airport or from the train station by using public transportation. We look into options for picking players up from the airport. You can learn more about the location in our blog post!
Tickets
Sign up for the larp is ended but it is still possible to join at the waiting list. There are two ticket categories. Sponsor tickets cost 300€ and are secured upon ticket purchase. Standard tickets cost 200€ and have a short signup period; should there be an excess of interest, standard ticket participants will be selected randomly. Ticket sales for sponsor tickets begin on Dec 9th (8pm CET). The signup period for standard tickets is Dec 16th (1pm CET) to Dec 23rd (9pm CET). Learn more about the tickets, player selection, and cancellation policies on our ticket page!
Casting
After ticket sales have closed and players have been confirmed, we will send out a casting questionnaire. In the questionnaire, we ask what kind of gameplay you are looking for and what character groups you are interested in playing, as well as possible offgame elements that might affect your gameplay (e.g. sleeping, allergies and other conditions). We will cast the characters based on your answers and send out short descriptions of the characters. You can find out more about the casting questionnaire soon on it's own page!
Language policy
The first run of the larp will be a local one, and the language spoken in the game will be Finnish. The second one will be an international run in which the game language will be English. All the materials before (characters, briefings, etc.) and during (announcements, documents, programs, etc.) the game will be in English for both runs. However, live interaction with the organizers, NPCs and between players (including pregame workshops) will be in Finnish in the first run and in English in the second run. There are several languages in the ingame world as well, so this should not be too confusing for our local players.
The larp will be played in the most science fiction looking school building we have ever seen. We have three full weeks with the building at our disposal just for propping the scene as the starship ESS Odysseus. The building is located in Helsinki (roughly 10 km from Helsinki-Vantaa airport). It is easy to arrive from the airport or from the train station by using public transportation. We look into options for picking players up from the airport. You can learn more about the location in our blog post!
Tickets
Sign up for the larp is ended but it is still possible to join at the waiting list. There are two ticket categories. Sponsor tickets cost 300€ and are secured upon ticket purchase. Standard tickets cost 200€ and have a short signup period; should there be an excess of interest, standard ticket participants will be selected randomly. Ticket sales for sponsor tickets begin on Dec 9th (8pm CET). The signup period for standard tickets is Dec 16th (1pm CET) to Dec 23rd (9pm CET). Learn more about the tickets, player selection, and cancellation policies on our ticket page!
Casting
After ticket sales have closed and players have been confirmed, we will send out a casting questionnaire. In the questionnaire, we ask what kind of gameplay you are looking for and what character groups you are interested in playing, as well as possible offgame elements that might affect your gameplay (e.g. sleeping, allergies and other conditions). We will cast the characters based on your answers and send out short descriptions of the characters. You can find out more about the casting questionnaire soon on it's own page!
Language policy
The first run of the larp will be a local one, and the language spoken in the game will be Finnish. The second one will be an international run in which the game language will be English. All the materials before (characters, briefings, etc.) and during (announcements, documents, programs, etc.) the game will be in English for both runs. However, live interaction with the organizers, NPCs and between players (including pregame workshops) will be in Finnish in the first run and in English in the second run. There are several languages in the ingame world as well, so this should not be too confusing for our local players.
Smoking and alcohol
Smoking is forbidden inside the school building. As the game is wholly played indoors, in-game smoking is not allowed. However, you can smoke outside the school premises, but this will be strictly off-game – you are not allowed to play outside. Due to regulations, the indoors smoking ban also applies to vaping and e-cigarettes.
Our location is a public school building, so alcohol is strictly forbidden on the premises. DO NOT bring any alcoholic drinks to the location. All in-game alcoholic substances are non-alcoholic in real life / off-game. But we are happy to recommend a few bars and restaurants for you to have a few drinks after the larp!
Off-game breaks
There will be an off-game room in which you can chill or talk to organizers if needed, for example if you are experiencing an emotional overload or need to readjust your game.
Smoking breaks outside (always off-game) are allowed, but if you intend to be offgame for longer period, please inform the game masters so we will know.
Age limit
The event has an age recommendation of 18, but we might stretch it on a case by case basis for a few younger players (15-17y, especially if accompanied by a parent or guardian). We are also open for discussion for children under age of 15 to participate with their parent, however they would not receive a character sheet of their own, they would only be contacted with the character of the parent and their group. Each case will be discussed and considered separately. Please note that due to the larp’s long duration and rough themes, the game is not suited for young children.
Beginners
We are happy to welcome first timers aboard the starship Odysseus! It might be a hectic experience, but we aim to help inexperienced players to the best of our ability. We will be assigning a larp tutor who will - before, during, and after the larp - be available to help beginners, answer their questions, and aid them whenever they need assistance.
Design document
We will collect all relevant information from the web page to a design document to make it easy to find!
Smoking is forbidden inside the school building. As the game is wholly played indoors, in-game smoking is not allowed. However, you can smoke outside the school premises, but this will be strictly off-game – you are not allowed to play outside. Due to regulations, the indoors smoking ban also applies to vaping and e-cigarettes.
Our location is a public school building, so alcohol is strictly forbidden on the premises. DO NOT bring any alcoholic drinks to the location. All in-game alcoholic substances are non-alcoholic in real life / off-game. But we are happy to recommend a few bars and restaurants for you to have a few drinks after the larp!
Off-game breaks
There will be an off-game room in which you can chill or talk to organizers if needed, for example if you are experiencing an emotional overload or need to readjust your game.
Smoking breaks outside (always off-game) are allowed, but if you intend to be offgame for longer period, please inform the game masters so we will know.
Age limit
The event has an age recommendation of 18, but we might stretch it on a case by case basis for a few younger players (15-17y, especially if accompanied by a parent or guardian). We are also open for discussion for children under age of 15 to participate with their parent, however they would not receive a character sheet of their own, they would only be contacted with the character of the parent and their group. Each case will be discussed and considered separately. Please note that due to the larp’s long duration and rough themes, the game is not suited for young children.
Beginners
We are happy to welcome first timers aboard the starship Odysseus! It might be a hectic experience, but we aim to help inexperienced players to the best of our ability. We will be assigning a larp tutor who will - before, during, and after the larp - be available to help beginners, answer their questions, and aid them whenever they need assistance.
Design document
We will collect all relevant information from the web page to a design document to make it easy to find!
Sleeping arrangements
We aim to provide around 40 spots in bunk beds as well as 30+ camp beds. Characters with ingame work shifts will share a bed with someone from the other shift, while there should be at all times enough space for those who do not sleep on a designated shift to sleep whenever they want to. Each day will have an 8 hour period on which both work shifts are awake, so when they have their off-duty time, there should be beds available for having a nap.
Sleeping will take place in sleeping quarters, and even though they are ingame areas, they should be kept quiet and dark. The sleeping quarters consist of three classrooms which will each house sleeping facilities for around 20 players. There are no alarms or other sound effects in the sleeping quarters, but we recommend to bring earplugs as the sounds from the hallway might cause some noise. We are planning to put a dim light in each of the classrooms to indicate the ship’s state (normal, code yellow and code red), so if woken up it is up to the player to decide if they want to react or not. We also plan to have a list of passengers outside every sleeping quarter where you can mark if you are sleeping and if it is okay to wake you up or not. It is also possible to opt out from sleeping ingame and sleep in the offgame room. However, the sleeping facilities in the offgame room might not be as good, and there might only be sleeping mats. This will be confirmed on a later date. We will provide some pillows and blankets, but the players should bring their own sleeping bags.
Sleeping at the location the night before and after the game is completely optional and we encourage those who live nearby or wish to stay at their friends or a hotel to do so since there will not be enough beds for everyone. You can bring your own camp bed for the offgame nights. However, we will have sleeping mats available so rest assured, a soft spot will be arranged for everyone for the offgame nights as well.
Facilities
The location has very good facilities: there are plenty of water toilets, mirrors, and sinks available for everyone throughout the larp. There are two shower rooms with five showers in each. Showers will be available throughout the larp. One of the shower rooms will be marked for male/non-female and the other for female/non-male players. From 2pm to 6pm, both showers are reserved for those who are not comfortable with sharing the shower room and want to have a private shift. It is possible to reserve a 15 minute slot for a private shower.
We have some fridge space so players who have need to store special diets, medicine, or such are able to do so.
Meals
The following off-game meals are included in the game fee:
During the game, there will be some snacks available at all times, as well as cold water, tea, and coffee. There are three warm meals a day for each shift, as well as the possibility to pick up and warm a meal outside the meal times.
We will have vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and lactose free options with a possibility that all available food is vegetarian/vegan. Other allergies and diets are considered case by case, but most likely we are able to provide full meals for all allergies. For some rare cases we might need to ask you to bring extra food. We will publish detailed menus closer to the game, so you can check beforehand that there is suitable option for your diet.
We aim to provide around 40 spots in bunk beds as well as 30+ camp beds. Characters with ingame work shifts will share a bed with someone from the other shift, while there should be at all times enough space for those who do not sleep on a designated shift to sleep whenever they want to. Each day will have an 8 hour period on which both work shifts are awake, so when they have their off-duty time, there should be beds available for having a nap.
Sleeping will take place in sleeping quarters, and even though they are ingame areas, they should be kept quiet and dark. The sleeping quarters consist of three classrooms which will each house sleeping facilities for around 20 players. There are no alarms or other sound effects in the sleeping quarters, but we recommend to bring earplugs as the sounds from the hallway might cause some noise. We are planning to put a dim light in each of the classrooms to indicate the ship’s state (normal, code yellow and code red), so if woken up it is up to the player to decide if they want to react or not. We also plan to have a list of passengers outside every sleeping quarter where you can mark if you are sleeping and if it is okay to wake you up or not. It is also possible to opt out from sleeping ingame and sleep in the offgame room. However, the sleeping facilities in the offgame room might not be as good, and there might only be sleeping mats. This will be confirmed on a later date. We will provide some pillows and blankets, but the players should bring their own sleeping bags.
Sleeping at the location the night before and after the game is completely optional and we encourage those who live nearby or wish to stay at their friends or a hotel to do so since there will not be enough beds for everyone. You can bring your own camp bed for the offgame nights. However, we will have sleeping mats available so rest assured, a soft spot will be arranged for everyone for the offgame nights as well.
Facilities
The location has very good facilities: there are plenty of water toilets, mirrors, and sinks available for everyone throughout the larp. There are two shower rooms with five showers in each. Showers will be available throughout the larp. One of the shower rooms will be marked for male/non-female and the other for female/non-male players. From 2pm to 6pm, both showers are reserved for those who are not comfortable with sharing the shower room and want to have a private shift. It is possible to reserve a 15 minute slot for a private shower.
We have some fridge space so players who have need to store special diets, medicine, or such are able to do so.
Meals
The following off-game meals are included in the game fee:
- Wednesday evening snack
- Thursday breakfast
- Thursday lunch
- Thursday pre-game snacks
- Saturday after-party dinner
- Sunday breakfast
During the game, there will be some snacks available at all times, as well as cold water, tea, and coffee. There are three warm meals a day for each shift, as well as the possibility to pick up and warm a meal outside the meal times.
We will have vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and lactose free options with a possibility that all available food is vegetarian/vegan. Other allergies and diets are considered case by case, but most likely we are able to provide full meals for all allergies. For some rare cases we might need to ask you to bring extra food. We will publish detailed menus closer to the game, so you can check beforehand that there is suitable option for your diet.
Preparation schedule
07/2018
Odysseus is officially announced and our trailer is published!
12/2018
Sponsor tickets available (9.12.2018)
Standard ticket sign up open (16.-23.12.2018)
01/2019
Player selections announced (6.1.2019)
Deadline for Standard ticket purchase (whole or part 1) (14.1.2019)
Casting questionnaire send to participants
Deadline for player responses on the casting questionnaire (31.1.2019)
02/2019
Casting (2.2.2019)
Short descriptions sent to players
03/2019
Deadline for Standard ticket payment part 2 (15.3.2019)
04/2019
Character sheets and group briefings sent to players
Deadline for cancellations with refund (200€) (30.4.2019)
06/2019
Deadline for uniform rentals payment (1.6.2019)
Deadline for cancelling with reduced refund (up to 100€) (15.6.2019)
Odysseus will embark for the first run (26.6.2019)
07/2019
Odysseus will embark for the second run (3.7.2019)
Odysseus will embark for the third run (9.7.2019)
Game schedule
Wed 26.6. / Wed 3.7. / Mon 8.7.
18.00 Players can arrive to the location (optional)
Possibility to ask questions and get familiar with your contacts
20.00 Evening snack
Thu 27.6. / Thu 4.7. / Tue 9.7.
09.00 Breakfast
10.00 Welcome and short introduction on the workshops and briefings (Everyone needs to be at the location.)
10.30 Group 1 Workshops / Group 2 Briefings
12.00 Lunch
13.00 Group 1 Briefings /Group 2 Workshops
14.30 Tours on the ship in small groups
15.30 Time to discuss with contacts
16.30 Propping up
17.00 Speed larping
17.30 Last minute preparations
18.00 Starship Odysseus will embark
19.00 Journey begins on Solaris, Atlantis and Velian players
Fri 28.6. / Fri 5.7. / Wed 10.7.
Journey filled with tragedies, action, drama, and excitement!
Sat 29.6. / Sat 6.7. /Thu 11.7.
18.00 Game ends (+/- 1 hour transition possible)
19.00 Debriefing
20.00 After-party, (non-alcoholic) drinks, and evening meal available (possible to leave)
00.00 Volume toned down for people to be able to sleep
Sun 30.6. / Sun 7.7. / Fri 12.7.
10.00 Breakfast
12.00 Event ends, time to leave
Note: Both the pre-game and game schedules are subject to small changes. You can make your travel arrangements with these schedules!
07/2018
Odysseus is officially announced and our trailer is published!
12/2018
Sponsor tickets available (9.12.2018)
Standard ticket sign up open (16.-23.12.2018)
01/2019
Player selections announced (6.1.2019)
Deadline for Standard ticket purchase (whole or part 1) (14.1.2019)
Casting questionnaire send to participants
Deadline for player responses on the casting questionnaire (31.1.2019)
02/2019
Casting (2.2.2019)
Short descriptions sent to players
03/2019
Deadline for Standard ticket payment part 2 (15.3.2019)
04/2019
Character sheets and group briefings sent to players
Deadline for cancellations with refund (200€) (30.4.2019)
06/2019
Deadline for uniform rentals payment (1.6.2019)
Deadline for cancelling with reduced refund (up to 100€) (15.6.2019)
Odysseus will embark for the first run (26.6.2019)
07/2019
Odysseus will embark for the second run (3.7.2019)
Odysseus will embark for the third run (9.7.2019)
Game schedule
Wed 26.6. / Wed 3.7. / Mon 8.7.
18.00 Players can arrive to the location (optional)
Possibility to ask questions and get familiar with your contacts
20.00 Evening snack
Thu 27.6. / Thu 4.7. / Tue 9.7.
09.00 Breakfast
10.00 Welcome and short introduction on the workshops and briefings (Everyone needs to be at the location.)
10.30 Group 1 Workshops / Group 2 Briefings
12.00 Lunch
13.00 Group 1 Briefings /Group 2 Workshops
14.30 Tours on the ship in small groups
15.30 Time to discuss with contacts
16.30 Propping up
17.00 Speed larping
17.30 Last minute preparations
18.00 Starship Odysseus will embark
19.00 Journey begins on Solaris, Atlantis and Velian players
Fri 28.6. / Fri 5.7. / Wed 10.7.
Journey filled with tragedies, action, drama, and excitement!
Sat 29.6. / Sat 6.7. /Thu 11.7.
18.00 Game ends (+/- 1 hour transition possible)
19.00 Debriefing
20.00 After-party, (non-alcoholic) drinks, and evening meal available (possible to leave)
00.00 Volume toned down for people to be able to sleep
Sun 30.6. / Sun 7.7. / Fri 12.7.
10.00 Breakfast
12.00 Event ends, time to leave
Note: Both the pre-game and game schedules are subject to small changes. You can make your travel arrangements with these schedules!
Ingame shifts
There are two ingame shifts: Lunar shift and Solar shift. The crew of the starship and those drafted to a position before or during the game are assigned to either of these shifts. These characters will have 12 (8+4) hours on-duty time, 8 hours of sleep time, and 4 hours of off-duty time.
There is a 15 minute overlap during shift changes, so that the previous shift ends quarter past while the next shift begins on the hour. Work shifts do not apply to the civilians, and they are able to sleep whenever they like. There should be enough spots for them to sleep regardless of the time.
There are two ingame shifts: Lunar shift and Solar shift. The crew of the starship and those drafted to a position before or during the game are assigned to either of these shifts. These characters will have 12 (8+4) hours on-duty time, 8 hours of sleep time, and 4 hours of off-duty time.
There is a 15 minute overlap during shift changes, so that the previous shift ends quarter past while the next shift begins on the hour. Work shifts do not apply to the civilians, and they are able to sleep whenever they like. There should be enough spots for them to sleep regardless of the time.
Why shifts? We considered several different options, but in the end this was the system that made most sense. We did not want three shifts: it would have made it harder to balance the game schedule. We also reasoned that the most interesting aspects of the larp (for the characters on shifts) are the things that happen when on-duty. Thus it made sense to have more duty time and not as much off-duty time (other than the sleep cycle).
The larp will be paced so that even though there are very hectic times, there is also downtime. Thus on-duty doesn’t mean you sit 12 hours in front of a computer or run fixing things. We didn’t want to have a full night shift but decided to split the night so that the other shift needs to stay up late and the other gets up really early so as to not mess up the sleeping cycle entirely (we’ll ask you in the casting questionnaire if you are a morning or evening person). There is an off-duty shift between the on-duty shifts, which makes it possible to have a nap.
Note: The shifts are still under discussion with the team and although this is at the moment the strongest candidate we are also considering 12h on-duty shift to make sleeping easier. With that cycle the shifts would be Lunar on-dyty 04-16 (Solar sleep 04-12 and off-duty 12-16), Solar on-duty 16-04 (Lunar off duty 16-20 and sleep 20-04).
What to pack
What do you need to bring with you?
What we provide:
What do you need to bring with you?
- Shoes suitable for indoors
- Sleeping bag
- Hygiene supplies
- Towel
- Earplugs
- Underwear
- Change of clothes
- Medicine and other relevant items
- Costume or part of a costume (for those not having a rental uniform or a part of a uniform)
- Shoes suitable for outdoors (marines and those expecting to take part in the land missions)
- Latex or similar semi-realistic melee weapon replicas (for those whose characters might carry one)
- Any personal items your character might carry with them (pictures, wedding rings, lucky dice, etc.)
What we provide:
- Rental uniforms
- Nerf guns and darts
- Military equipment (tactical vests, etc.)
- All plot related items (eg. letters)
Disclaimer: We are still in the process of confirming our plans, so there might be some changes to the information above. We’ll add a changelog to the beginning of this document when changes appear!
