General > New Dagorhir Members and Chapters
Why Dagorhir keeps Growing!
Graymael:
Dagorhir groups new and old: Several people suggested posting this list where every chapter can see it and refer to it often. Hopefully, the new website design will allow us to "sticky" this list for easy reference.
Dagorhir's growth is a combination of many factors. I won't try to guess at what percentage of the total growth is attributable to each factor. Besides, each factor ebbs and wanes based on the time of year (is it Fighting Season or Web Trolling Season?), coincidental activities (e.g., release of fantasy/medieval-themed movies), and the time our volunteer membership can devote to recruiting activities.
In no particular order, Dagorhir has grown rapidly in recent years due to:
- Setting up an organizational structure in which all chapters are equal and there's no pecking order. You don't have to be sponsored or go through an initiation - you send in FREE paperwork and BAM! You're a chapter getting ready to host your first event.
- Encouraging an environment where all members are equal and there's no pecking order. If your character is a knight, great...that and $2.50 will get you a raspberry latte. Anyone who wants to stand out in Dagorhir doesn't need to suck up to the "in" crowd -- they just show up, be cool, wear good garb, deport themselves with honor, and help out at events. Suddenly, they are important FOR WHAT THEY DO.
- Gearing our recruitment and advertising to NEW people. Anyone already involved in the medieval/fantasy/fighting sub-culture will hear about Dagorhir if they are looking for more outlets. Recruiting cross-game players results in a diluted membership pool (I should know; I've been cross-gaming since 1980.) To make the game grow, you need people who LOVE Dagorhir first -- they're the ones who will take the time to organize events, recruit, and fire up others with their enthusiasm.
- Trying different rules with the Dag BB and settling on the ones which encouraged the most discussion of Dagorhir.
- Capitalizing on media interest in "Fellowship of the Ring" and "Narnia" etc. We made MANY appearances on TV and radio, in newspapers, at malls, even in some documentary videos. Every appearance builds on the rest.
- Having cool, member-generated online materials: Cryn's Rag videos and photos, Mithras's video projects, photos and videos by so many creative members from all over the Dagorhir world. These materials make Dagorhir look cool and friendly and fun. They are why "Wreckreation Nation" chose us for their January episode.
- Encouraging new chapters and units. Telling a potential member, "There's a similar fighting Game "X" chapter an hour from you," gets Dagorhir nothing. Providing educational materials and moral support to help that new person start a Dagorhir unit and/or chapter provides dozens, perhaps HUNDREDS of new members to Dagorhir over time. (Let's face it, each of the Dagorhir-like games has a different feel to it...if this person is most interested in Dagorhir, we owe it to them to bring them into Dagorhir!)
- Not trying to imitate any other group. True, there are several combat games whose rules systems spun off of Dagorhir's over the past 20 years...but Dagorhir doesn't try to be like any of them. We just go on being DAGORHIR, and innovating new scenarios, new events, and new locations.
- Sharing foamsmithing technology and techniques. Nobody in Dagorhir is trying to get rich off of selling equipment to the membership, so we're all encouraged to trade our techniques. This is key -- new people coming to Dagorhir rapidly learn how to make better swords and spears, so they become competitive with the old timers sooner. Thus, they're more likely to get more kills, have a better time, and come back to the next event - bringing their friends with them. And making your own gear not only builds confidence and pride, it's WAY cheaper than buying.
- Keeping the costs of playing Dagorhir as low as possible so anybody can join and have fun. There was a proposal about 10 years ago to charge every "member" 30 bucks a year "national dues" to fund a "Dagorhir National Office." For what? Decentralized chapters running their own events works just fine.
- Accentuating the positive. A big part of the reason discussion of competing organizations is frowned upon on the Dagorhir boards is because mention of "the other guy" on the Interent always seems to stir up Nationalistic Pride. Some (well-meaning?) yahoo would post, "Game X sucks! Dagorhir rules!" and end up making Dagorhir look bad. Instead, we hype DAGORHIR, and keep the positive waves flowing (Moriarity).
- Dagorhir continues to attract cool, intelligent, fun, and funny people. When one joins, she/he tells two friends, and THEY tell two friends...pretty soon, you have a bunch of units, a thriving chapter, and more friends to fight with and against.
See you on the Battlefield...and in the Feast Hall afterward!
Graymael of the Guard
Dagorhir Aratari
Sir Magnus of Narnia:
You forgot one...
~Having dedicated people like Graymael, Dominus, etc who are always there to take new people under thier wing. Always setting aside thier own fun for the good of others, and giving Dagorhir a face that attracts new people, and doing so under a hail of slings and arrows.
Cheers.
Ciara Rose:
I would like to add that in Dagorhir, there are many, many people who do not give up on you. I have seen some on the verge of giving up because they couldn't get this move right, or couldn't make a good weapon, but people stepped up and helped them, which, in turn made them feel good and wanting to stay with Dagorhir.
I know in my first few years, I ran Scion and Lashiec ragged with the millions of questions I had. My guys do the same to me now, and I find myself echoing what my mentors taught me.
If it were not for people like them, those who had little confidence when first joining Dag would have left. Because of these people, many of us, (me included) found the confidence and strength to learn and keep on going. I am very greatful to have had such awesome teachers in my Angaron freinds, as I am sure many of you can say about others in this wonderful sport.
A small thing like, "Good job!" when a newb gets in a kill, is a HUGE lift for them. It's the little things that make the bigger things possible, if you can follow that.
Arrakis:
quoteQuote>>>>Some (well-meaning?) yahoo would post, "Game X sucks! Dagorhir rules!"<<<<
quote:
- Sharing foamsmithing technology and techniques. Nobody in Dagorhir is trying to get rich off of selling equipment to the membership, so we're all encouraged to trade our techniques. This is key -- new people coming to Dagorhir rapidly learn how to make better swords and spears, so they become competitive with the old timers sooner. Thus, they're more likely to get more kills, have a better time, and come back to the next event - bringing their friends with them. And making your own gear not only builds confidence and pride, it's WAY cheaper than buying.
Come on, Greymael. Come on.
Also, I've seen MUCH more reluctance to share designs and much shoddier weapons tech in Dagorhir than elsewhere (discounting tappy sports, of course). So I don't really know where you're getting that "free flow of information" thing.
Swordbrother Lock:
There is a very good deal of it here on the site. The sheer number of incredible tutorials for so many variations of weapons. My unit has Beasty, the two part spear that we shared the design for. That contribution by Tugig makes travel so much easier for anyone willing to try it.
I've learned so much from the tutorials and I've heard many others have to. Sure, I don't have experience with other flows of info on it but we are not lacking in information. Search button. Use it.
EVEN if someone refuses their trademark special super magical design, how many will flat out refuse to show someone a more simple and very effect design for weapon building. Give us some credit here, I don't think we are any more selfish than other groups. Not like those dirty stinkin mundanes.
Here's my secret for the most incredible foamsmithing you will ever come across. *whisper* NO NOT YOU WHISPER! -you secretly cut body hair from one person in every unit you can find. Place the hairs in between each layer of foam. Trust me.
Magnus is a suck-up. Back off Graymael, he's mine.
Dagorhir is the best. Why? One word. Vox. Argument won.
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