Wired has probably the best, most balanced article on LARP-ing — Live Action Role Playing — I have ever seen. I’ve known LARPers, though not done any myself, and to a person, they describe as an incredibly fun activity they look forward to throughout the year. However, media coverage has always taken the kook/geek/deviant/possible terrorist angle. Likely it’s easier to make fun of people than to have fun with them?
Reading this article makes me want to get a costume, grab a lute (because of course I would be a bard!) and head into the woods to hang out with my kind of folks!
I need to also recommend a book to you if you are at all interested in this sort of thing — Peter S. Beagle’s The Folk of the Air. What if playful — or murderous — spirits decided to use a hapless and largely unaware LARP war to summon a great evil into the world? Beagle wrote The Last Unicorn and A Fine and Private Place and is one of the US’s greatest fantasy writers.
I would never LARP – if I want to feel part of a fantasy realm I would rather write, or read, or play a game. My friend forced me to play D&D once and I completely ruined the game in hopes that he would never ask me to play again. I was noisy, interrupted the GM (or is it DM?), chose inane stats and abilities that I made up myself like “Master of Wrestling” and “Shadow Puppetry Adept”, demanded “recounts” on certain dice rolls even if they were in my favor, and ate all the pizza before the designated “pizza time”.
Next weekend I give my friend a call to see what he’s up to – He hesitates to answer at first, and in the silence I hear the distinct clatter of dice hitting a table in the background and the soft murmur of bloated voices with skittle-filled mouths. “N…nothing…I think I’m going to go to bed early actually, see ya”.
Mission accomplished.
How about we just fantasize about LARP-ing?
Check out my slideshow midway down…
Also note…as I walk around the Faire, I will roll imaginary dice in my head everytime I get near the “Scrub Girls”… (Who sing (Bards as well?), have rather large “wash tubs” ((ahem)) full of water to claim as part of their show)..in the hopes aggro will ensue, and I will be washed up!
Does that count as LARP?
Alright, I give up, how many times did you puke at these events?
@Einhorn
Is that directed at myself? And if so, in what respect? I will assume you mean “consumption”?
Seeing as I am a non-drinker….it would be ZERO!
Yes…I dress that way non-inebriated…your point?…lol
Cheers
Wow, another non-imbiber? I don’t think Einhorn drinks either. We should form a Temperance League!
Does it get lonely up there in your ivory towers?
Wow Einhorn. You purposefly disrupt people trying to have a good time because they had the audacity to invite you?
Does it matter what people do if they have fun doing it and are not bothering anyone else?
As for my serious comment, if LARPing was more historical fencing and less comic-con I’d probably be down for it.
Wow, I cant spell. Purposefly = purposefully
@Openedge1:
Just a little reference to a conversation you and I were involved in a few days ago involving you and your wild concert-going past. I meant no offense, just a poke. Hehe.
@Mayadhros:
You may have missed the part where I explained my friend FORCED me to play against my will. I am famous for making things very difficult when I find the activity to be against my ideals and best interests. If someone were to put me in a position that is, on it’s own, not very fun for me – well can I really be blamed for making my own fun?
@Captain Angry:
Actually our towers are pretty cool. The three of them are placed relatively close to one another such that we can toss paper airplanes back and fourth. The three of us have long conversations that ramble on in to the night and generally go something like this:
“Hey Tipa, would you ever leave your tower if you could?”
“Good heavens, no!”
“What about you, Openedge?”
“Hell nah!”
“I wonder what’s down below us, you know, at the bottom of these towers we’re in…”
“That’s dangerous thinking there, Ein.”
“I guess you’re right, woah check out that awesome cloud!”
*together* “Sweet!”
And so on…Oh! Excuse me I have to get going, speak of the devil, I think Tipa is calling me on the dixie cup phone we strung up yesterday.
@Mayadhros I like the word purposefly. I think we should keep it. The concept of an insect with a mission appeals to me.
With regards to LARPing I have never done it. It sounds like a lot of fun but I am thinking of waiting till my kids are teenagers. It sounds like a perfect addition to my armoury of things dads can do to embarrass their kids 😀
Purposeflies?
I think the article has a pretty limited view of what LARP is. Effectively what they’re describing is a genre of LARP that you can call “rubber swording”. A LARP like Vampire: The Requiem, whether as an independent troupe game or part of The Camarilla‘s global chronicle is an entirely different entity, far more socially and politically based roleplay and in a modern setting. I find that kind of LARP far more enjoyable.
@Robin — they used to do some of this sort of LARPing down in Cannery Row in Monterey (CA) when I lived there. People had cards that said “GUN” on them which they would show to people — every object in the LARP was on cards. The only way you really could tell a game was being played was by the way people dressed.