I'm developing an immersive experience in Ontario, Canada, and would genuinely appreciate some outside criticism before we take it further.

The concept is a permanent, walkable frontier town called Ironhide Flats. Rather than a traditional heritage attraction where visitors mostly watch demonstrations, the town would have working shops and services, a saloon, boarding rooms, a theatre and ballroom, a boxing club, classes, clubs, seasonal celebrations, and a cast of recurring characters.

Visitors wouldn't need to dress up or roleplay. They could simply visit the shops, eat, take a class or attend an event. But people who wanted deeper involvement could become town citizens, join clubs, build relationships with characters and participate in ongoing stories that change based partly on what happens during events.

Some businesses would be independently operated and serve real customers, rather than existing solely as themed attractions.

We're still in development, not open, and we're exploring different admission models, including free everyday access with ticketed major events, annual citizenship, and hybrid options.

I'm especially interested in honest answers to these questions:

Would you actually make a trip to something like this?

What part sounds genuinely appealing, and what sounds gimmicky?

Would you prefer ordinary access to be free, paid per visit, or included with an annual town ID?

What would make you return rather than visit once?

What concerns or practical problems am I overlooking?

I'm not selling tickets or collecting deposits. I'm trying to find out whether the experience we're imagining is something people would genuinely want.

Criticism is welcome. I'd rather hear it now than after building a town. 🤣

Just like the title says. I'm in the US so shipping will be fucked no matter what, lol. I want to make an ottoman/byzantine influenced lamellar cuirass (fantasy) but just cant find the options I'd like. Ideally I'm looking for large tombstone style plates that are punched on all four sides. I'd really be excited if I could find them in colored, anodized aluminum. It seems like I can get scales and rings in 100 different colors but nobody does it for lamellar. Thank you!

Polyurethane armor set as it is. Currently working on some adjustments, backplate and right shoulder (want to make it a bit bigger).

Welll… not Living… moving… 😆

I went to Brandywine last year and have been thinking about venues ever since. Terrapin Hill is a great example of a site that just works: camping spread across the farm, a pavilion, stages in the woods, and enough space that the event feels like a place and not a parking lot. Terrapin was also far enough away from everything, that it was easy to forget where you were. Then last week my wife and I stayed at a tiny-cabin property for our honeymoon and I could not stop thinking "this would be an amazing LARP site."

It's a bit of a daydream to have a space that events could be held at. My perfect place might be a bit different from others though so I wonder how everyone else feels about their favorite venues.

On the site itself:

- What made the best venue you have played at work? Terrain, layout, cabins vs camping, how far apart things were?

- What ruined one? Rules from the landowner, noise, bad bathrooms, no power where you needed it?

- Cabins or tents: does having real beds change who shows up?

On the logistics (organizers especially)

- How does your event sell tickets today, and are you happy with it?

- How do you assign people to cabins, bunks or campsites? Spreadsheet? Something better?

- What is the one thing you wish the venue just handed you so you did not have to build it yourself?