Meta-techniques designate rules for off-game (“meta”) communication, for example, safety words. They concern the communication between players, not characters. Please find some examples below.
The two sections (safety words and discreet calibration) have HTML anchors so that you can link to them directly (#safetywords, #calibration).
Calibration (pronounced, aka Safety Words)
One of the fundamental rules of this larp concerns player safety. During the game, players should look after themselves and opt in or out of scenes or play situations fitting what they seek to experience (within or outside their comfort zone). Participants should also have an eye on discreet and pronounced signals from their fellow players. Especially when something unexpected happens, however, players should use the safety words below.
Cut:
Any player can say “cut!” out loud at any time if they feel that their physical or mental boundaries have been crossed. All play around them should stop, and the person should be made comfortable. Do not start to play again before that player says it is OK or has left the play area. Do not ask why they cut, as this may be very personal.
Brake:
If a player does not feel that their boundaries have been crossed yet, but they are afraid that they will, they can say, “brake!” The players around them should then back off a little and give the player a chance to play themselves out of the situation. The play continues but with less intensity.
Calibration (discreet)
Cross-Out:
Instead of using “cut” or “brake” to stop or change the play if a player’s comfort zone is threatened, players may exit a scene by “crossing out.” The player crosses their arms in front of them and puts their hands flat on their shoulders. After ensuring that the other players have seen them doing so, they leave the scene. This signals the other players that one “has seen enough” as a player but does not want to interrupt their flow and concurrently makes sure that it is the player leaving and not the character.
Characters cannot perceive a crossed-out player when they move between locations.