Ticker’s Repair Service
Ticker is a character I created for Neotropolis, an immersive, week long sci-fi festival that takes place annually in the mojave desert. I have always relied on props to be the center of an experience but with Ticker I decided to center the experience on the improvised interaction between participants.
Goals
I wanted to create a simple structure of prompts that would allow newcomers to comfortably participate in an improvised role playing scene. No fancy technology, just a clipboard.
When I first came to events like Wasteland and Neotropolis I had no idea how to interact with people. It was a social experience that was completely unlike anything I had ever been a part of. Even the regional Burning Man events I had attended didn’t have the same otherworldly feel. The goal of these events is to make everyone feel like a participant versus a spectator. They do this by requiring everyone to be in costume all week. But beyond that people are largely on their own, suddenly stepping into worlds they’d only seen in movies or video games. The established social connections and role-playing aspects that constantly surround you can feel very alienating for many new attendees.. It can be hard to understand how begin to become a part of something so massive and rich with detail.
Since Ticker is a freelance maintenance technician for hire. I made a humorous maintenance checklist and roamed around the event with a stack of them on a clipboard. When I saw curious or lost people I would approach and ask them if they needed my services. The bit was me getting their basic info and then running them through the symptoms checklist that included spudging, ghosts, noises that some species may consider to be sexual in nature, unexpected but not unpleasant odors, two ghosts, etc.
The bit provided a literal conversation checklist that helped loosen newcomers up. If they didnt need my services I asked them questions about what they have been up to and then share rumors, tips, and suggestions of things to try within eye sight. Sometimes I could directly introduce them to other roleplayers at the event. The experience is meant to make them feel comfortable and welcome and act as an example for how they can interact with the event.
A night in Neotropolis
The planet is Kepler 609c, the city: Neotropolis. You wander through the night time crowds of MegaBlock 1. Getting lost in the twisting corridors and frenetic energy, you realize you’ve stumbled into a rougher part of the city. There is a buzz of business in the air as you notice covert and not so covert deals happen around you. You duck into a small Izakaya to catch your breath you hear a voice call from nearby “Hiya! How ya doing? You new to Kepler?”
Turning around you see a friendly figure dressed in a grimy jumpsuit holding a clipboard. Judging by the tools hanging off their gear harness you take them for some sort of mechanic. They continue before you have a chance to respond “I’m Ticker! Welcome to the West Block, you look a little lost, are you familiar with our little neighborhood? We’ve got everything a discerning newcomer like yourself could want! Including a talented maintenance technician that desperately needs work! But if its a bite to eat and a drink, Leons sake bar is the place to be! I actually have some business to attend to if you’ll excuse me.”
You follow Ticker into the bar and hear them immediately start harassing the bartender about a repair appointment that can’t be put off any longer and continues to work on the arm right there at the bar while the bartender continues to schmooze with his customers.
Here I am helping out one of my most valued customers. This attendee and I interacted earlier in the evening as I diagnosed some issues with his hand, promising I'd be back later to work on it. I returned later and did this short improvised scene.
Positive feedback from attendees
“This was my first Neo and that was definitely among my favorite moments! I literally felt like I was in a game!”
“I just coined the term “Big Clipboard Energy” in reference to you and it is absolutely a compliment.”
The Event
Neotropolis is a week long immersive festival in the desert. In an effort to create a culture of participants that excludes spectators the event requires all attendees to be in costume throughout the week. The event is a blend of live action role playing and a week long party where you can participate to whatever extent you are comfortable. Costuming can help lower social barriers and bond a group but the festival has a unique culture that is often difficult to interact with for newcomers.
