Visualizing the structure of LARP

The structure of an indrama is difficult to describe. One would think that visual tools, as often, are the easiest way. Many LARP groups make "plot charts" of one kind or another. In my experience, most plot charts are as misleading as they are helpfull. A common method, for example, plots caracters on a "map", circle around groups of characters and connect them by lines which through colour or symbol or comment describes the relationiship. "sympathetic"; "competition", "conflict", "common plot". First of all, these maps are often as misleading as they are helpfull - a density of lines connecting a character to others might trick organisers into believeing the character is well-integrated, when the links are in reality fairly weak. Maps like these do not represent the actual spatial, temporal or social distance between characters or events.

Visualising structures of LARP is, especially for the larger LARPs, are a necessity. As complexities of character/group relations grow, such visualisitations are vaulable tools in finding the weak spots and undrstanding the whole. The solution to "Mapping problems", amongst those who care, has so far been to keep it simple, avoid complexity at any cost.

I'm working on an idea of a system of several different kinds of map; mapping out, for instance, the possible developments of a single plot, for example, or the prelarp relations between members of a single group. Having mapped out the details, larger "meta-maps" could provide overview, visual summary. A computer program would be able to connect the various maps, and allow organisers to "zoom in" on various aspects of their dramaturgy.