Ford Ivey
Encyclopedia
Ford Ivey, sometimes called the Grandfather of NERO, is the founder of several live action role-playing game
s, including NERO International
, Shandlin’s Ferry, Wildlands, The Isles, a live version of Call of Cthulhu
, and his newest game, The Osiris Sanction. Ford is the recipient and namesake of the LARPY Lifetime Achievement award, and is the LARP Guest of Honor at Origins Game Fair in July, 2007.
After attending the University of Texas school of Architecture, Ford Ivey worked in all parts of the construction industry, doing everything from design to supervisor of construction on some major projects in the Boston area. He got disenchanted with the construction industry and went back to one of his early loves, opening The GameMaster, a full service game store In Arlington, MA. This store had tables for playing roleplaying games and miniatures. While doing this, he heard about a Live Roleplaying game in New Hampshire called Mid Realms Adventures, based on the Treasure Trap
games in England.
While he enjoyed this game, he was convinced that it could be done in a way that would allow more character freedom of action. After running a series of games for a couple of years in Sudbury, MA, under the umbrella of the Explorer Scouts
, he (with input and assistance from several others) developed the idea of everyone playing the game: everyone was someone else’s NPC. This event was known as Shandlin’s Ferry, which was run in the fall of 1987 and was the immediate predecessor to NERO.
NERO was a unique development in LARPing, based on character growth and freedom of action. It grew far more quickly than the organization could handle in those early days, after an article appeared in Dragon Magazine
, written by Michael A. Ventrella
. NERO suddenly had over 5,000 active members.
NERO began to expand with new chapters quickly, starting with one in New Jersey
, called the Ashbury Campaign. They later broke off to form Alliance LARP. Other early chapters were the Pittsburgh chapter (now PRO), and the Atlanta chapter, now running a game based on an early set of the NERO rules, now calling themselves SOLAR.
Ford ran the first game to own its own site dedicated to Live Roleplaying in Ware, Massachusetts
. This site had 105 acre (0.4249203 km²) of woods and fields and 27 structures, including an old New England Inn, barns, and many cabins.
Ford sold the game in 1998 to Joe Valenti. After overcoming health issues, Ford is now involved in several new projects, including a new concept in LARP, The Osiris Sanction.
Live action role-playing game
A live action role-playing game is a form of role-playing game where the participants physically act out their characters' actions. The players pursue goals within a fictional setting represented by the real world, while interacting with each other in character. The outcome of player actions may...
s, including NERO International
NERO International
-Overview:NERO International is a live action role-playing game played in the United States and Canada. The NERO name originally was an acronym for "New England Role playing Organization", but the game has expanded well beyond its original New England roots and thus simply adopted the acronym as...
, Shandlin’s Ferry, Wildlands, The Isles, a live version of Call of Cthulhu
Call of Cthulhu (role-playing game)
Call of Cthulhu is a horror fiction role-playing game based on H. P. Lovecraft's story of the same name and the associated Cthulhu Mythos.The game, often abbreviated as CoC, is published by Chaosium.-Setting:...
, and his newest game, The Osiris Sanction. Ford is the recipient and namesake of the LARPY Lifetime Achievement award, and is the LARP Guest of Honor at Origins Game Fair in July, 2007.
After attending the University of Texas school of Architecture, Ford Ivey worked in all parts of the construction industry, doing everything from design to supervisor of construction on some major projects in the Boston area. He got disenchanted with the construction industry and went back to one of his early loves, opening The GameMaster, a full service game store In Arlington, MA. This store had tables for playing roleplaying games and miniatures. While doing this, he heard about a Live Roleplaying game in New Hampshire called Mid Realms Adventures, based on the Treasure Trap
Treasure Trap
Treasure Trap was a live action role-playing game established at Peckforton Castle in Cheshire in April 1982. Various splinter groups broke from the original system, some retaining the Treasure Trap name, and helped to shape the later British LARP scene....
games in England.
While he enjoyed this game, he was convinced that it could be done in a way that would allow more character freedom of action. After running a series of games for a couple of years in Sudbury, MA, under the umbrella of the Explorer Scouts
Exploring (Learning for Life)
Exploring is a worksite-based program of Learning for Life, a subsidiary of the Boy Scouts of America, for young men and women who are 14 through 20 years old...
, he (with input and assistance from several others) developed the idea of everyone playing the game: everyone was someone else’s NPC. This event was known as Shandlin’s Ferry, which was run in the fall of 1987 and was the immediate predecessor to NERO.
NERO was a unique development in LARPing, based on character growth and freedom of action. It grew far more quickly than the organization could handle in those early days, after an article appeared in Dragon Magazine
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
, written by Michael A. Ventrella
Michael A. Ventrella
Michael A. Ventrella founded Animato! in the mid 80s. He sold it in the early 90s. Under the pseudonym "Thelma Scumm" he wrote the gossip column and later continued that for fps magazine...
. NERO suddenly had over 5,000 active members.
NERO began to expand with new chapters quickly, starting with one in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, called the Ashbury Campaign. They later broke off to form Alliance LARP. Other early chapters were the Pittsburgh chapter (now PRO), and the Atlanta chapter, now running a game based on an early set of the NERO rules, now calling themselves SOLAR.
Ford ran the first game to own its own site dedicated to Live Roleplaying in Ware, Massachusetts
Ware, Massachusetts
Ware is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 9,707 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.Part of the town comprises the census-designated place of Ware....
. This site had 105 acre (0.4249203 km²) of woods and fields and 27 structures, including an old New England Inn, barns, and many cabins.
Ford sold the game in 1998 to Joe Valenti. After overcoming health issues, Ford is now involved in several new projects, including a new concept in LARP, The Osiris Sanction.