SCA: Kinda like an RPG - the Newcomer Experience

 Greetings,

The SCA is sort of like a role-playing game (RPG) in many respects, especially for those who are newcomers... 

Consider that the newcomer arrives, they have some idea about what they are getting into if they have turned up to their first event, after coming to a practice or some other thing. Or maybe after having seen one of our websites. In the same way as the new player has some idea about a new gaming system.

Consider that first time you played "Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim" it opens with you in a cart, bound as a prisoner, for a reason you don't know, travelling along with a group of people you don't know. [Spoiler alert] Even after the dragon has passed, and you have made a choice between following either the soldier or the prisoner, you know there are two factions fighting for Skyrim, but you really don't know what either of them are about. More, they expect you to pick your name and your species based on some pretty flimsy evidence, and then you have to stick with both (mostly) for the rest of the game.

If we expect our newcomers to come up with a name and device within the first weeks of them joining we are pretty much expecting the same thing of them that occurs in the first moments of Skyrim. We are expecting them to name themselves for the rest of "the Game" without having any background, unless they have already done some research beforehand. Also most certainly do not know the details about the different Kingdoms of the Knowne World, or even the different local groups within the Kingdom, let alone local households, so it is much the same in that respect as well...

Getting to know a social system takes time. Getting to know which part of history you're comfortable with takes time. I went through at least three different centuries before I found what I was comfortable with and they spanned the period between late Roman to the 16th-century. My device changed about seven times in this period. How can we expect a newcomer to go through these changes in a couple of weeks? Give them some time to explore, let them experiment with names, with personas, see what fits them best. I believe this is the best way to let them enculturate themselves properly within the Society.

In some ways, we need to treat our newcomers like children, let them explore and find themselves, not be rushed or even sheep-dogged into a particular area of interest or century. I believe this is the best way to build new members who will stay with us for the long-term.

Cheers,

Henry.