“Player agency.” These words strike fear in the hearts of larp designers and often show up in the feedback of dissatisfied players. It’s a tricky subject, because it always comes up in the negative: players don’t think about agency when they have it and immediately realize when they’ve lost it. Giving players their agency, however, is a problem that can be easily solved: all an experience designer needs to do is offer players a meaningful decision. This begs the question: what is a “meaningful decision?”
A meaningful decision is an opportunity for a player to make a choice that has a consequence. It can come in a variety of forms, from an open question to a chance to select from a series of options, but there are a few traits that all meaningful decisions share…
There has to be a decision
For there to be a decision the players must have the chance to make a choice. This sounds simple but a lot of opportunities don’t involve choices. For example, a puzzle is not a choice: it’s a clear enough problem but there’s only one solution. If the players were trapped in a strange room and either had to solve a puzzle to escape or fight their captor, now they have a choice. When offering choices remember: if one option is clearly better than the others then it’s no longer a meaningful choice. Having a clear, optimal solution is a sort of puzzle - the players have to figure out the best option, but once they do, the choice is clear. It’s like choosing between “using an umbrella” or “getting wet in the rain.” Unless there’s an unforeseen circumstance the umbrella is probably the better option; there’s no real choice there.
It should be an informed decision
How many times have you heard someone say, “I didn't know I could do that”? Players need the information available to them to realize they have a choice and set expectations for what that choice entails. A Monty-Haul style “what’s behind door number one?” problem doesn’t offer a meaningful choice as the players are just guessing. Give your players expectations of what the consequences of their actions will be and make sure that everything is a trade-off: there are both positive and negative aspects to each choice. Even if there is an “optimal” solution it can be riskier, more expensive, or more difficult than safer, cheaper, or easier options.
Consequences should be immediate and significant
All things being equal people will naturally try to avoid negative consequences. This occurs frequently in larp, particularly if players have the option of pushing off immediate problems to later. When you offer a decision point, players should immediately realize the consequences of this decision. Further, these consequences should matter to them right now: if the decision doesn’t impact them, how will it help their role-play? Try to make sure the effects of the decision occur before the end of the larp.
There’s nothing wrong with puzzles, or surprises, or long-term consequences - all of these have a place in your larp! But to offer players agency, remember they need the opportunity to make a choice, and that choice should have multiple options, each of which have trade-offs and immediate consequences.