The Gamer's Guide to Maslow's Pyramid

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5. Physiological Needs: Make sure you’re getting good rest, good food, and are in a good play in your life to add rp in as a past-time. Step away from a game for a time if your own non-game life becomes highly stressful and that bleeds into your play. Stepping away for a time is better than imploding your gameplay because of stress responses to others.

4. Safety: Make sure your game has good rules for IC and OOC interaction and that they’re being enforced. Leave a game if it is socially toxic!!

3. Belonging: Game in groups! If it’s a large LARP, ask the STs to help you get into whatever version of a coterie the game has. Friends are your friends! Ask for ST help and mediation if things become tense with your friends - it happens, but STs are there to help get everyone back to the Pretendy Fun Times!

2. Esteem Needs: Ask for personal plots along with group plots and pursue them! There’s nothing quite like the rush of accomplishing a goal - and communicate with STs if you feel stuck or that the plot is too difficult for where your character or the group is at. They may disagree, but they don’t know you’re frustrated unless you communicate!

1. Self-Actualization: This is what it’s all about! If the four points above are in good working order, this is those moments of Eureka! and Aha! that make up the best moments of roleplaying. Here’s your amazing scenes, cleverest turns of phrase, and memories that bring a big goofy grin and that need to share just how awesome a story, a scene, or a whole character was or is. This is where it’s at, folks!