Does LARP freak anyone else out?

[Tsyr]

Re: Re: Bothered about LARPs

I have a life to live and I dont need to live another.

For the average LARPer, this is absolute hogwash. It's no more "living another life" than playing DnD on weekends is. Yes, there are people who carry it to far, but there is with *anything*... LARPs, Tabletop, Anime, Computers, Cars, Hunting, you name it.

 

[Donatello]

So the guy in the Blue tracksuit throwing beanbags at you yelling lightningbolt, doesn't make you think of a guy in blue robes, casting lightning bolts at you. You'll see him as the guy in the Blue tracksuit.

I tend to agree with you, actually. LIONE has a very high costume quality over all. We endeavor to put our scripts (the LARP term for NPC's) in good costuming, and the players really go all out. The only time costuming suffers is in extreme heat, but even then it's still pretty solid.

When it's roleplaying, you see the d6 on the battlemat (your character) opposed to a d4 (an ogre)but when the DM says: "The ogre wildly swings his greatclub at you and strikes the barren ground in front of you as you step back." You can picture it. I think that is why larping doesn't appeal to me.

How about this? When the large man in front of you wearing ratty bloodstained burlap (and a very good laytex Ogre mask), wielding what appears to be a 5' long club, swings at you, and you jump backwards just in time to feel the tip of the club whoosh by your chest and then counter with a quick thrust of your own while the beast recovers... there's no picturing there. There's very little suspension of disbelief. Except for the Ogre's call of "8 damage!", which you know would crush your puny human frame, it's all right there in front of you.

Spells aren't just declarations, they're incants. "By Divine Power I summon LIGHTNING!" is evoked, and then the beanbag comes flying at you. The beanbag isn't a special effect - it's components. Spell packets are in-game items. You can try to dodge that spell (i.e. make your saving throw), or watch forlornly as it hits you in the chest/arm/leg/shield and you take 15 points of damage.

A tabletop game has never scared me. A tabletop game has never had me in a situation where I wanted to accurately portray grief by summoning up fake tears, or love by pitching woo to a young elf lass for hours, or rage by screaming and running top speed across a field at the monster that dared to kill my brother. It's one thing to say "I scream, and charge the troll!", but it's a whole new world when you actually look across the field, see the green-skinned horror laughing at you, and you pick your sword up over your head and emit a roar of pure rage as you run, top speed.

That's why I love LARPing. I know a lot of you think it's wierd or over-the-top... and I know that my sentiments will probably reinforce, rather than dispel those misgivings, but as I pack for my adventure weekend right now (leaving in about 3 hours), going through my costumes and weapons, making sure I have everything I'll need, I can't help but feel that little burst of adrenaline when I take my sword in my hand... even after 12 years.

 

[dave_o]

LIONE! That's the awesome one I found!

Man, oh man, do I wish I lived near it.

*siiiiiigh*

 

[mistergone]

Re: Re: Bothered about LARPs

It's a laudable goal

Oh, I totally agree. I'm just saying that it seems silly to make more of it if that's what it's gonna be. But, social mores being what they are, I guess we must couch these things in other guises.

 

[DDK]

Re: Bothered about LARPs

First, let me preface this by saying that after reading through a few more posts, I'll admit one thing: it is entirely possible that the two experiences I had with LARP's were negative because of the groups involved, not because LARP'ing is inherently evil.

Another drive-by LARP instance...

-snip-

You know... that would explain a couple of weird experiences I've had...

And you know, every story about a WoD LARP I have ever heard and every one I have been in has turned out to be, however convoluted and contrived, and organized attempt to score with chicks.

*cough*Umm... you know... maybe... I mean, really... I should probably give it another go, you know... just to make sure the groups weren't the problem...

Originally posted by The Cardinal
you're my brother! Should you ever come to Germany I guarantee you a place at my table and free beer!

ROFL! Done and done! Maybe one day when I go to Germany and Denmark (or was it Norway... I can never remember) to visit all my relatives I'll call you on that! Mmm... german beer... mmm....

 

[jgbrowning]

well, if there's anything stupider than LARPing i haven't found it yet. unless its a bunch of guys sitting around a table rolling some dice and saving "the world."


reminds me of the southpark christmas episode where they're pretending they're in LoTR and the run across a group of younger kids.

"What are you doing?" Cartman asks, prending to be Gandalf.
"We're playing Harry Potter." a little kid responds.
"That's ****!" says Cartman.


Made me cry. too much like real life...

joe b.

 

[mistergone]

How about this? When the large man in front of you wearing ratty bloodstained burlap (and a very good laytex Ogre mask), wielding what appears to be a 5' long club, swings at you, and you jump backwards just in time to feel the tip of the club whoosh by your chest and then counter with a quick thrust of your own while the beast recovers... there's no picturing there. There's very little suspension of disbelief. Except for the Ogre's call of "8 damage!", which you know would crush your puny human frame, it's all right there in front of you.


A tabletop game has never scared me. A tabletop game has never had me in a situation where I wanted to accurately portray grief by summoning up fake tears, or love by pitching woo to a young elf lass for hours, or rage by screaming and running top speed across a field at the monster that dared to kill my brother. It's one thing to say "I scream, and charge the troll!", but it's a whole new world when you actually look across the field, see the green-skinned horror laughing at you, and you pick your sword up over your head and emit a roar of pure rage as you run, top speed.

Well see, that's where we depart. I don't think I want to be actually scared. Mock fear can be fun, like when you go see a scary movie. But some freak in a costume trying to swat me with a foam sword is not to my taste. If anything, to me it's frustrating and annoying. Thus, I avoid it. Don't get me totally wrong, I agree that LARPs (especially the boffer kind) CAN be fun. Heck, I've said that much. But yeah, and I know you'll agree, it's not for everyone, which this thread has made clear.

 

[Ciaran]

My theory on freaky LARPers:

The reason that LARPs seem to have more weirdos in them than tabletop games comes from the fact that, as a general rule, LARPs have an open admission policy.

If you’re starting a new tabletop game and advertising for new players, and someone with mental or social problems shows up and creeps you and your friends out, you wouldn’t invite them back, would you? In fact, many DMs I know who have had bad experiences like this in the past now ‘interview’ new players to see what they’re like, preferably in some neutral environment like a bar or restaurant, so that they don’t have to worry about inviting a psycho over to their own house.

But most LARPs (in my experience) have no such restrictions. LARP gamemasters seem to labor under the impression that, in order to remain impartial, they have to refrain from making any value judgements in regard to the player base, making it inappropriate for them to reject people from the game; or else there are so few LARPers available that they’ll take anyone they can get. The result? Players with the sort of severe issues that would get them rejected from tabletop groups are able to get into LARPs; they are, in fact, only able to get into LARPs.

That said, I was in a really, really great LARP for two and a half years, a game that lasted for over five years before the gamemaster wrapped up the storyline and brought the game to a close. It was one of the best games of any sort I’ve ever participated in, with excellent players who really involved themselves in their characters while there and had active, normal social lives outside of the game. Unlike most LARPs, that game was by invitation only.

- Eric

 

[Synicism]

Yeah, I LARP on occasion.

No, I don't think it's any weirder than tabletop gaming.

Honestly, I don't see what the big deal about it is. There isn't really any difference between rolling dice and using Rock-Paper-Scissors (white wolf), drawing cards (some Deadlands games I've seen), or any other luck-based method of conflict resolution. Some LARP's I've seen use dice.

When I play tabletop, I rarely sit down. I stand up, I alter the inflection of my voice, I pace around, I move, and I bang on the table, depending on what my character is doing. I don't call that acting. I call it getting into character. To me, there's a difference between "OK, Jasin stalks across the room and grabs the guy by his shirt, and starts threatening him" and actually taking a couple strides towards the GM, hands raised, and vividly explaining first person how I'm about to disembowel him with a spoon (no touching though). Not everyone does this. For me, it's part of the fun.

Just like there are different varieties of tabletop RPG's (D&D is not
Vampire is not HERO is not Call of Cthulhu, etc...), there are different kinds of LARPS with different degrees of action and roleplaying resolution. White Wolf LARPS rely on rock paper scissors. Boffer-LARPS like NERO use simulated weapons. The Grand-Daddy of them all, the SCA (I'm a SCAdian, and I admit it's the world's biggest LARP complete with real sex and alcohol), has people dressing in costume, assuming a persona, and lining up 50 or more to a side and fighting it out with anything from fencing gear and practice rapiers to full, articulated plate mail and bashing each other with wooden swords until they fall down.

I like LARPs for the same reason I do goofy stuff at the gaming table. I get into it. It's one thing to make some rolls in order to get away from a bad guy. It's quite another to feel your heart pounding in your chest as you run for cover because there are four guys with rapiers who want to stab you and your gun is out of ammunition (darn those single-shot period firearms). It's a different kind of fun.

 

[DDK]

In fact, many DMs I know who have had bad experiences like this in the past now ‘interview’ new players to see what they’re like, preferably in some neutral environment like a bar or restaurant, so that they don’t have to worry about inviting a psycho over to their own house.

Heh, I'm doing exactly this (although I'm not a DM) with about five other guys in about three hours at an Irish pub in the city. They were all wishy-washy about venue up until the evening of yesterday until I just sent them all an email saying, "RIGHT! We're going to Bridie O'Reillie's! See ya there!"

Way I figure it, if they're all morons, at least I can sink a few Kilkenny's