A&S is Dumb

RANT MODE ON

I saw a post on Facebook promoting an A&S (crafting) contest. It set me off because I HATE crafting. I was working on a long argument explaining why but it got to be too much. Instead, I give you my TL, DR version.

• I hate it when I see A&S promotions because they push A&S like it's something everyone should do. No, people don't need to craft. It is NOT part of the game.
• Think about it. You can enjoy the game without ever crafting.
• I hate A&S contests for a variety of reasons. One major flaw is that we reward people who craft for the sake of crafting. In other words, they craft something for themselves and the judges, but it does not enhance the game in any way.
• Instead, we should promote crafting that enhances the game.
• Like sewing? Help make garb for new players.
• Like cooking? Make a feast for the group.
• Like weapon making? Craft some high-quality loaner weapons.
• And so on.
• Want to reward crafters? Reward them for the service they provide to the group.

I could elaborate, but I'm tired of crafting this post. Feel free to chat with me about it at an event.

Tasset Approval

One issue I have with my latest armor kit is the lack of heavy armor on my lower torso. To alleviate that, I'm looking into making tassets.

The Design

I fiddled around with a cardboard prototype.

I picked up a cheap belt from Walmart then added strips of cardboard designed to look like lamellar.

For the real thing, I would make 3 panels - 2 for the front and 1 for the back.

The design seems practical. Now onto the construction phase.

Leather or Plastic

First, I need to decide which material to use for the tassets. I have 2 options - leather or plastic.

Let's start with plastic.

My idea is to order some more plates from Plastic Lamellar. Now that I have some experience, I think I can whip up some lamellar tassets in a short period of time. The drawback is weight.

Instead, I could go with leather.

I'm thinking 9-10 oz. leather. These would be lighter than plastic. However, I am not experienced working with leather. Besides the learning curve, I need to acquire all the tools.

I probably should just take the plunge with leather. It's something I want to learn anyway.

An Update

It's been a while since I posted so I thought I'd do a quick update.

Armor

In my last post, I mentioned I was playing around with armor designs. I think I have it down.

Here is a picture in my new, front-opening lamellar.

The design works. I am considering making one in leather.

Mythic Adventures

A year ago, Robb and I tried out Mythic Adventures, a full immersion LARP in the Orlando area. It did not go well. We decided to give it another go recently and it went much better.

This time, we did our monster shift at night, which prevented me from getting overheated. We made some contacts and even joined a noble house as retainers! I'm slowly getting used to the combat system, although I still think it is overly convoluted.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the trip. Looking to attend again in October.

The Legion Campaign

The second season of our Legion campaign continues. You can read about it here. We still need more people. :(