Shameless bribery

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Shameless bribery

Postby Eris » Wed Apr 29, 2009 8:53 am

8 yards of broadcloth: $16
2 packs of bias tape: $6
Having tunics to hand out to the new people to bribe them into coming back: Priceless.

Seriously. This worked really well. The tunics took something like an hour and fifteen minutes to make (all four together), and the kids were so excited when they got the tunics at the end of practice. It made them feel like they were wanted and that we really appreciated that they came out. I figure for $6 and 20 minutes per tunic, it was well worth it. They aren't the best tunics (super-simple T-tunics, the bias tape was only on the neck holes), but they sure made the kids happy.

I waited to hand them out at the end of practice, because those were the kids who were really into it and I figured had the best chance of coming back to the next practice. Made each tunic out of a different color fabric so they'd be "unique", then everyone got to pick the one they wanted.
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Re: Shameless bribery

Postby Cib » Wed Apr 29, 2009 9:36 am

I need to improve my sewing skills! I am taking 2h+ on a tunic! (corse, if I only sewed it once that might help ;))

THis is a neet idea, I will have to try it some time!
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Re: Shameless bribery

Postby Eris » Wed Apr 29, 2009 11:05 am

I was also thinking of making one or two nicer tunics or some drawstring pants as prizes for "best newb". Like the one newb who listens when people talk to them, takes their hits, and realizes that tanking out in armor and dual wielding red swords is a bad idea before we have to explain it to them... :angel:
There's no room for heroes in the country called War. There's no one out here but soldiers and sorry * and it's damned hard to tell the difference between the two of them. The gods of war are a pack of random bastards, as indiscriminate as hand grenades and hailstones.
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Re: Shameless bribery

Postby Arrakis » Wed Apr 29, 2009 11:50 am

Pants are a good idea. That's where people struggle the most and take the longest, I've found.

Also, check out that neckhole facing tutorial I posted in another thread. If you learn to do facings, you can save that money you spent on bias tape for almost no extra effort. I'm sure you had a big enough remnant to cut a facing out of.
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Re: Shameless bribery

Postby Eris » Wed Apr 29, 2009 12:08 pm

I know how to do facing. I really despise messing with it though.

It's a preference thing...

And the more I think about it, the better the prize for best newb should be pants...
There's no room for heroes in the country called War. There's no one out here but soldiers and sorry * and it's damned hard to tell the difference between the two of them. The gods of war are a pack of random bastards, as indiscriminate as hand grenades and hailstones.
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Re: Shameless bribery

Postby Rasheab » Wed Apr 29, 2009 3:25 pm

*laughs* But people only realize that pants are a big deal AFTER they've tried to put together their own garb.

Otherwise, getting pants after your first practice is like getting them for Christmas. "Thanks grandma..." Tunics look like a uniform, so they are visibly cooler. (Make pants the "best newbie of the month" award. ;) )

Incidently, this is a really cool idea.
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Re: Shameless bribery

Postby Poo » Thu Apr 30, 2009 9:47 am

Eris wrote:I was also thinking of making one or two nicer tunics or some drawstring pants as prizes for "best newb". Like the one newb who listens when people talk to them, takes their hits, and realizes that tanking out in armor and dual wielding red swords is a bad idea before we have to explain it to them... :angel:


Sounds awesome, but don't overdo it. Giving out too much makes people comlacant. I've started not letting people borrow whatever weapons they want from me because they won't make their own. there's several fighters in my realm that have literally nothing of their own, and they get single blue until they take some initiative. It wouldn't bother me at all if they didn't have the resources and skill to do it themselves.

Soon i'm going to have a tournament with all of the noobs and have a couple tunics in our realm colors for prizes, so they can feel part of something.
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Re: Shameless bribery

Postby X of Grayscale » Thu Apr 30, 2009 1:29 pm

Do you have a picture of the Tunic so i have an idea of what your doing? because that sounds like an amazing idea
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Re: Shameless bribery

Postby Isk » Thu Apr 30, 2009 1:35 pm

Eris wrote:I know how to do facing. I really despise messing with it though.

It's a preference thing...

And the more I think about it, the better the prize for best newb should be pants...


Been working with people on pants and looking at patterns, what type of pants would you make? Just make a pair of Hakama to give out, or some other pattern? We've talked a lot on the board lately about how people feel about tunics, but what pants patterns do people like?
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Re: Shameless bribery

Postby Eris » Thu Apr 30, 2009 1:57 pm

For this? Drawstring pants. Kinda like pajama pants, but thicker fabric. They take me 45 minutes a pair. If I'm watching a movie at the same time. Faster if the movie is bad.
There's no room for heroes in the country called War. There's no one out here but soldiers and sorry * and it's damned hard to tell the difference between the two of them. The gods of war are a pack of random bastards, as indiscriminate as hand grenades and hailstones.
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Re: Shameless bribery

Postby Isk » Thu Apr 30, 2009 3:21 pm

So, basically drawstring scrubs, right?
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Re: Shameless bribery

Postby The Great Gigsby » Thu Apr 30, 2009 7:57 pm

Just make sure that you inspire your new players to participate in making gear and garb. I used to be really generous about giving things out to new people as a sort of incentive to keep them coming back, but down the line, most of those new people flaked out and stopped showing. This wouldn't have been too much of a problem but I started to get * when swords and garb that I'd spent time and money on and then given out never made an appearance on the field. I felt ripped off (rightfully so).

I think an even better idea is to hold weapon/garb/armor making workshops and let your new guys get some first hand experience making their own stuff. They get a new tunic or sword that they made (and bought materials for), you get to guide them and offer advice, and then they drink your beer and hit on your girlfriend.

If they never have to learn how to make their own stuff, your noobs will just mooch off you until they lose interest and never show up again. But I've found that the more time and energy a person invests in something, the more likely they are to stick around for a long time.
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Re: Shameless bribery

Postby Isk » Fri May 01, 2009 2:28 am

Giggles wrote:Just make sure that you inspire your new players to participate in making gear and garb. I used to be really generous about giving things out to new people as a sort of incentive to keep them coming back, but down the line, most of those new people flaked out and stopped showing. This wouldn't have been too much of a problem but I started to get * when swords and garb that I'd spent time and money on and then given out never made an appearance on the field. I felt ripped off (rightfully so).

I think an even better idea is to hold weapon/garb/armor making workshops and let your new guys get some first hand experience making their own stuff. They get a new tunic or sword that they made (and bought materials for), you get to guide them and offer advice, and then they drink your beer and hit on your girlfriend.

If they never have to learn how to make their own stuff, your noobs will just mooch off you until they lose interest and never show up again. But I've found that the more time and energy a person invests in something, the more likely they are to stick around for a long time.


QFT. I absolutely agree with Giggles, have them over so starting isn't so frustrating and the stuff they make will pass. If you teach them to make their own and help them feel like they know someone and belong, they'll probably stay. I do really like the idea of having noob mini-tournies or something once a month, or every other month, with garb or weapons as a prize.
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Re: Shameless bribery

Postby Eris » Mon May 04, 2009 7:58 am

We do have the garb making extravaganzas. Unfortunately, my patience and teaching abilities only stretch to two people at a time. More than that and Eris gets - salty...
There's no room for heroes in the country called War. There's no one out here but soldiers and sorry * and it's damned hard to tell the difference between the two of them. The gods of war are a pack of random bastards, as indiscriminate as hand grenades and hailstones.
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Re: Shameless bribery

Postby Ilariia Bulochnika » Mon May 04, 2009 8:20 am

A salty Eris is easily fixed by Baileys. ;)

Bad movies make the best garb motivators.
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Re: Shameless bribery

Postby Eris » Mon May 04, 2009 9:22 am

Fact. On both counts...

Oddly enough the old cheezy Hercules movies had some GORGEOUS costuming for the ladies. I think that's where they spent their budget...
There's no room for heroes in the country called War. There's no one out here but soldiers and sorry * and it's damned hard to tell the difference between the two of them. The gods of war are a pack of random bastards, as indiscriminate as hand grenades and hailstones.
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Re: Shameless bribery

Postby Skydd » Mon May 04, 2009 2:26 pm

That and breast implants for the guy who played Herc. Nothing says "Son of Zeus" like some olympian Moobs!
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