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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ramien Meltides" data-source="post: 722424" data-attributes="member: 1475">I admit, I think most LARPers are freaky. And yet, I do look at some LARPs and think "Wow, that looks like fun".My feelings on the matter come directly from my own personal experience with LARPs and LARP-ers. Allow me to explain:All the LARPing I've ever seen has been at conventions. The majority of the LARPing I've seen has been white-wolf in nature.I'll try to organize my experiences by convention.Project: A-Kon 4 (anime convention): Vampire LARPers took over the Fan Video room... turned all the available chairs in a circle, turned on all the lights, and basically made things uncomfortable for any folks who brought something they wanted to show on the Audio/Video equipment. During the art auction, a cloaked and masked figure, I think he was a vampire LARPer by the arm positions he was making, enters and proceeds to loom over the bidders. This person says nothing, eventually sits down  and makes some more arm motions, then stands and leaves without bidding or buying anything. My experience: Negative.Project: A-Kon 5 (anime convention): Vampire LARPers wander about... I encounter three of them that stand out. One, a man dressed in an outfit composed solely of business ties. He and his pals make so much noise outside a video room they are asked to be quiet and leave. Two, an overweight woman spilling out of her corset walks up to me and demands to know "Where is the Prince? Do you know where the Prince is? I have to find him." Not being a part of her LARP, not knowing the answer to her question, not enjoying the unwelcome chatter, and not particularly caring, I walk away. Three, an ashtray is overturned in front of a bay window during a sunny day. A piece of paper with labled "malkavian" is left among the mess.My experience: Negative.FalCon 4: (general sci-fi convention, slanted towards LARP) I actually participated in a Vampire LARP at a friend's insistence. He suggested I play a Nosferatu and I brought along a large black satin cloak I own as a prop to hide the Nosferatu disfigurement. When I create my character, the folks in charge warn me sternly against making a "Combat Twinkie" with an aptitude for combat. I listen to their advice and make a sneaky-sort. The players are seperated into various camps... my friend and I attend a meeting where the leader-person who steps up to the podium says "Take off that damn cloak, what are you, advertising?" My friend mentions we're playing Nosferatu and the speaker at the podium (apparently some kind of official in the vampire society) tells me "So? Take off the cloak." About an hour and a half later, I'm dead... someone tosses a satchel at my feet when I'm talking to someone, and a storyteller comes by to ask me to roll some dice. Poof, end one character. In the same encounter, another PC reveals he has powers from some Dark Age book and proceeds to rip everyone nearby to shreds with his combat abilities. It had it's moments, but overall I really felt like I wasted my time. My experience: Very Negative.Conglomeration 1: (gaming convention) I am playing a round of Warhammer 40,000 with one of the gaming room staff members. In the later half of our game the gaming room is invaded by about thirty vampire LARPers who proceed to begin their Clan meeting... which includes shutting off the lights (which shuts down our wargame) and insisting on silence from the non-LARPers while they conduct their meeting. My experience: Very Negative.Gen Con 2000 and 2001: The LARPs conducted here looked very interesting to me, especially the Star Wars LARP. I found the players and staff to be extremely friendly, helpful, and accomodating folks who were not part of their game. It made me want to join them some time perhaps, because, unlike the other LARPs I've seen, it looked like FUN.My experience: Positive.In general, I think most LARPers are probably normal people just like myself, with varied interests and attitudes. However, I don't really like the thought of LARPing at a convention... in my mind, you're either at the convention to experience the -convention-, or you're just there to LARP. It always seems to me (except at the Gen Cons!) that LARPers are interfering with normal con-goer's convention experience, and I don't like the thought of that. It would probably open my eyes a bit if I were to try out a LARP that was NOT taking place during a convention.</blockquote>

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