Hey Wastelanders! We have a fairly long and important announcement ahead, so strap in.
As we mentioned in our last post, we’ve been working on a price increase for tickets. This is not a decision that has been made lightly- it is the result of extensive discussion and deliberation between Kyle and the owners. We’ve settled on a course of action that we hope will strike a reasonable balance moving forward.
How and when are the prices changing?
Starting October 1st, 2023, prices will be increasing in the following amounts.
The 4-hour (standard) casting ticket will be increasing from $65 to $85.
The 2-hour (minimum) casting ticket will be increasing from $85 to $105.
The casting opt-out ticket will be increasing from $100 to $120.
The 6-hour (maximum) casting ticket will remain the same price, at $45.
The 10-hour day ticket (with 2-hour casting) will remain the same price, at $35.
Online event tickets will be increasing from $45 to $55.
New Player (first game) tickets will remain the same price, at $35. And guides will still be able to give a free first game to new players as before.
While these price increases will become the new standard, they are not currently mandatory- chapters will have the option to discount their prices, raise them by a smaller amount, or delay the increase to a later date if that is better for them. And for all ticket types except 4-hour (standard) casting, chapters are still able to choose how many of each they offer for sale, as they did previously (see page 92 of the rulebook).
Why are prices increasing?
The main reason is that the cost of running an event has increased significantly since before the pandemic began. The bulk of this comes from increasing site costs, which have risen sharply and rapidly in the last few years. In addition, many sites were forced to close during the height of the pandemic since there were no events happening, and therefore no revenue. The result is a significantly limited pool of sites, meaning that many chapters don’t have the option of finding a less expensive one. We didn’t want to raise prices right as live events were starting back up, since a large portion of our community was still dealing with the economic aftershocks of the height of the pandemic. But now that chapters have settled back into something of a rhythm, we want to make sure they can afford to keep running when their overhead has increased so sharply.
There are other factors that played into this decision as well. Additional revenue will mean that chapters can budget more effectively for props, costumes, and other necessities outside of renting a site. These items have also become more costly in recent years, and inventory upkeep is integral to running a solid event. And finally, the increase can also help chapters to pay the writers, directors, and others who work so hard to keep the game running.
Why is the maximum casting (6-hour) ticket remaining the same?
We’re keeping this price the same because we know that many of our players depend on this ticket to attend. While the cost of both running and attending a LARP has gone up, we don’t want to become inaccessible to many of the players who are passionate about this hobby and this community. We hope that leaving this price where it is, while increasing the other ticket prices, will take some of the financial strain off of chapters without pricing out the players who depend on the maximum casting ticket.
Why will chapters be able to choose whether they discount their tickets?
This decision came about because we realized, through discussion with owners across the network, that there is a very wide range of needs between different communities. While operating costs have invariably gone up, they have risen far more sharply in some regions than others, meaning that an increase is more immediately vital to those chapters. And on the flip side, a few chapters have expressed that their communities have been hit particularly hard by difficulties due to the pandemic, and they would prefer to keep their prices the same. While we do recommend this increase to all chapters, this is a recommendation, not a mandate. Each chapter owner knows the needs of their game, and we trust them to do what’s best for their community.
We also want to be extremely clear that there shouldn’t be any moral judgment on a chapter based on whether they choose to implement a local discount. This is a multifaceted issue with a lot of different factors, and this isn’t a decision that chapters are making flippantly. If you have concerns, you should reach out to your directors or owners, but please approach them with kindness and good faith. They’re all trying to navigate a LARP landscape that is trickier now than ever before, and they’re all trying to do what is best for their game.
Why are prices going up for online events?
Discussion with game runners and writers from across the network has told us that the work they put in to run an online event is significantly higher than what was originally conceived in the early days of the pandemic. Between managing LIT transactions, running hours-long modules, and monitoring discord chats, it’s an enormous undertaking. While these online events were initially meant to be a relatively simple way to keep the community going during lockdown, in the years since they have evolved into something far more intensive. Raising the price for these events will enable chapters to compensate their game runners and writers a little more for this level of work. And for the chapters that are running a combination of online and live events, or are hoping to return to live events in the future, it will help them raise the funds they need to secure a site.
Will this affect buyback?
No. When you buy back a previous event, you will pay the price at which the event originally ran.
Is the price of extra XP going up?
Nope.
Will the price of advanced memberships be increasing?
Also no.
Thank you so much for reading! If we didn’t answer all of your questions, please reach out to customerservice@dystopiarising.com. Stay well, be excellent to each other, and we’ll see you in the wasteland.