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objects that have a function in the game? Do you accept that an object represents something else than what it really is?''Physical vs. verbal''
==Openness==What kind of communication style does your larp encourage? Is the natural way to interact in the game through talking, or through physical action and body language? Communication style can be adjusted through the characters, through workshops, through scenography design, or through simply telling the players what you want. A physical communication style might be more thrilling, letting the players immerse more through using all of their senses, but a more verbal game might be easier to involve new players in, as well as being more realistic in many settings.
''Transparency vs. secrecy''==Representation of theme==
Is information about the game – such as character descriptions or events that are going to happen – secret for the players or can anyone read it? Is it actively facilitated that you share secrets before the game start? Transparency can make it easier for players to help each other play and create a stronger drama, but it will ruin any surprises for the players. There are also intermediate possibilities where there are secrets for some of the players, but not all, or where the players themselves choose what to reveal''Abstraction vs.realism''
==Game mastering==What motivates the players in your game? Having something to win or a goal to obtain, be it individually or collectively, can be an easy way to motivate players, especially for beginners. This is the competition approach. On the other hand, you often get more interesting stories and stronger player experiences when the players collaborate – for example, by deliberately getting their characters into trouble, i.e. [[Playing to lose|playing to lose]].
''Active vs. passive''
Some organizers consider their job done when the larp has started; then, they leave everything in the hands of the players. Others influence the game in different ways as it goes along. Are you an active or a passive game master? Game mastering might also be of different sorts: the discrete ones, like sending instructed players into the game, or the extremely intrusive ones, like stopping the game and instructing the players to do a scene again differently.==Meta-techniques==
==Story engine== ''Competitive vs[[Meta-technique|Metatechniques]] are techniques for giving information to the players, but not the characters, during the game. collaborative'' What motivates Examples can be “inner” [[monologues]] that are played out during the larp. The players in your game? Having something to win or a goal to obtaincan hear these, the characters cannot, be it individually or collectivelybut nonetheless, they can be an easy way to motivate players, especially aid for beginnerscreating stronger drama. This is the competition approachIf metatechniques are used in a game, they might be intrusive or discrete. On the Examples of intrusive metatechniques are techniques that force all other handplayers to stop while it happens, you often get while a more interesting stories and stronger player experiences when the players collaborate – discrete technique might be, for example, by deliberately getting their characters into trouble, i.e. [[Playing having access to lose|playing a special room where players can go to lose]]act out scenes from the past or the future. This fader illustrates the combination of the amount of meta-techniques used and their degree of intrusiveness.
==Communication style==''Active vs. passive''
''Physical vs. verbal'' What kind of communication style does your Some organizers consider their job done when the larp encourage? Is the natural way to interact has started; then, they leave everything in the game through talking, or through physical action and body language? Communication style can be adjusted through the characters, through workshops, through scenography design, or through simply telling hands of the players what you want. A physical communication style might be more thrilling, letting Others influence the players immerse more through using all of their senses, but a more verbal game might be easier to involve new players in, different ways as well as being more realistic in many settingsit goes along. ==Representation of theme== ''Abstraction vs. realism'' How does your larp represent the reality of the setting? Is realism your goal? Or do Are you use abstract or even surrealistic elements to focus on the feeling and atmosphere of the setting an active or to highlight a particular aspect of the passive gamemaster? If the goal Game mastering might also be of the game is to create the atmosphere of a prison camp, you might do this in two waysdifferent sorts: by trying to simulate an actual prison camp or by using abstract or surreal elements to create the feeling of one. ==Meta-techniques== ''Intrusive vs. discrete'' [[Meta-technique|Metatechniques]] are techniques for giving information to ones, like sending instructed players into the playersgame, but not or the charactersextremely intrusive ones, during like stopping the game. Examples can be “inner” [[monologues]] that are played out during and instructing the larp. The players can hear these, the characters cannot, but nonetheless, they can be an aid for creating stronger drama. If metatechniques are used in a game, they might be intrusive or discrete. Examples of intrusive metatechniques are techniques that force all other players to stop while it happens, while a more discrete technique might be, for example, having access to do a special room where players can go to act out scenes from the past or the future. This fader illustrates the combination of the amount of meta-techniques used and their degree of intrusivenessscene again differently.
Reverted edits by Petterkarlsson (talk) to last revision by Vokteren
=History=
The first iteration of The Mixing Desk of Larp was created for [[The Larpwriter Summer School]] 2012. It was made by a crew of the summer school with many coming from [[Fantasiforbundet]], Education center POST and [[LajvVerkstaden]]. For the [[Knutepunkt books]] for [[Knutepunkt 2013]] the article '''''The Mixing Desk of Larp''' was written by [[Martin Nielsen]] and [[Martin Eckhoff Andresen]] was written with updated names and descriptions.
=The faders=
Of course, there are endless numbers of faders that could possibly have been adjusted on the Mixing Desk of Larp. Here are some of the most important parameters that can be adjusted when making a larp. The ambition is that other larpwriters will add their own faders and remove the ones they don’t find fruitful when using this framework.
==Communication style==
How does your larp represent the reality of the setting? Is realism your goal? Or do you use abstract or even surrealistic elements to focus on the feeling and atmosphere of the setting or to highlight a particular aspect of the game? If the goal of the game is to create the atmosphere of a prison camp, you might do this in two ways: by trying to simulate an actual prison camp or by using abstract or surreal elements to create the feeling of one.
==Scenography==
''360-degree illusion vs. modeling''
How does your larp look? Do you aim for a [[360°]] illusion, where everything the players see around them is part of the larp? Or do you use a minimalist approach, where you only pay attention to the* [[360°]]objects that have a function in the game? Do you accept that an object represents something else than what it really is?
==Openness==
''Transparency vs. secrecy''
Is information about the game – such as character descriptions or events that are going to happen – secret for the players or can anyone read it? Is it actively facilitated that you share secrets before the game start? Transparency can make it easier for players to help each other play and create a stronger drama, but it will ruin any surprises for the players. There are also intermediate possibilities where there are secrets for some of the players, but not all, or where the players themselves choose what to reveal.
==Character creation responsibility==
Who creates the characters? Do the organizers write them? Do the players? Or maybe they are created together during a pre-game workshop? Combinations of these are also possible; for example, where the organizers create the characters, but the players develop them during a workshop before the larp. Player-created characters might make the players more attached to the characters and relieves the organizers of some of the work. On the other hand, organizer-created characters might make it easier to create a setting and fiction coherent with your vision.
==Story engine==
''Competitive vs. collaborative''
''Intrusive vs. discrete''
==Loyalty to setting==
Larpwrights often have to consider the tradeoff between playability and plausibility. When making a historical game, for example, having a female factory owner might be highly implausible. However, it might be very playable – creating lots of interesting drama and intrigues for the players to use in the larp. In most games, you leave out the characters that have nothing to contribute to the drama, even though it would be plausible to have them there. Sometimes, you make unlikely twists to make the outcome of a story unpredictable. How true will you be to your setting? A plausible story might be a requirement for players to believe and immerse into the fiction. But, the players also need drama and often the least plausible setups create the most drama.
==Game master style==
==Bleed-in==