LARPs?

[jgsugden]

OOC: How many of us have participated in LARPs (Live Action Role Playing)? I've only had the chance to do one so far, but I really had a lot of fun. Do we have a lot of other LARPers out there? Does anyone have any general stories to share about their LARPing experiences? (Please don't include detailed descriptions of your LARPing experience ... we don't want to spoil things for people that might play the same LARP in the future. If it can't be told without revealing something known to all players prior to arriving at the LARP, please don't mention it.)

In case anyone wants to try one out, there is one coming up in the SF Bay Area in June run by SILWest (http://www.silwest.com - tell them John Sugden sent you. ) called Nexus that is supposed to be very good.

 

[JesterPoet]

It's rare that I draw "the line"


But if there's a place I draw it, then LARP is where it is.



Quite a few of my friends do it, though. Actually, to include a shameless plug for one of my buddies, he created a program that is used to organize LARPs (at least I think that's what it is for), and it is free.

It's here GrapeVine

 

[Seule]

I find that in my area at least, a lot of people equate LARP with Mind's Eye Theatre, the system used by White Wolf for their World of Darkness LARPs. This is not the case. MET is just one example (and a pretty poor one system wise IMO) of the types of LARPs out there, which include full-contact (boffer-weapon) LARPs like NERO, and generic systems like Rules To Live By.
I've played a lot of MET as well as a bunch of home systems (including Shadowrun Live), and LARPing is nothing to be afraid of. It's a different setting for roleplaying, and is a lot more restricted in what you can do, but if you are into heavily political and heavily roleplay based gaming, LARPing may be for you. I encourage everyone to at least give it a try if you can find one that people actually recommend in your area, or try at a major convention. Convention LARPs are usually set up to be self-contained, which is a bonus for trying them out.
Whatever your preconceptions about LARPing, there's probably a game out there that breaks them. I've been playing tabletop since 1981, and LARPing since 1995 (although with all the local LARPs being MET I don't play currently), and I think there's room for all kinds of gaming in the community.

Plus, if you try LARPing, maybe you can find new players to sucker into real tabletop gaming.

--Seule

 

[Teflon Billy]

I've played in Vampire LARPS pretty extensively (mostly becasue I like hanging out in bars with women), but having seen that "LIGHTNING BOLT...LIGHTNING BOLT" mpeg of a fantasy LARP I can just say that although it looks like they are right into it, it doesn't look like my thing at all.

What's the story with that guy with the staff gently tapping the monster about twenty times on the back? (it looks like the monster can;t even tell he's being hit) Is that how fights are settled? I expected it to be more like the SCA where they really wale away on one another.

And that wizard...man, no way. No way.

 

[nimisgod]

I play in a LARP every month or so.

My favorite story was when I walking down the road at night. A bunch of PCs were laying in wait for someone to pass by. They popped up and asked me who I was, with weapons unsheathed.

When I gave my name and drew my swords, one of them said "Oh my Gawd, I know him!" and ran. The rest let me through.

And to think that my character was only level 2!

 

[JesterPoet]

GIS for LARP:

Hmmmm, I think I'll still pass

 

[nimisgod]

Hmmmm, I think I'll still pass

But they've got ninjas, dude!!! You can't get any kewler than that!

 

[JesterPoet]

But they've got ninjas, dude!!! You can't get any kewler than that!

See, that doesn't work for me. I'm a HUGE pirate fan. We hate ninjas!

 

[diaglo]

we just went into the backyard and wailed on each other with sticks, wiffle ball bats, and pvc tubes.

 

[jgsugden]

I guess there are good LARPs and bad LARPs. My experience at a LARP was pretty 'normal'. The costumes were reasonable, the people were sane, the game was fun and nobody got hurt in the process (except my friend, Gurk, but he hurts himself all the time).

Maybe you folks (with negative stories) are just going to the wrong LARPs? The line between typical RPGs like D&D and a good LARP is pretty small in some cases ... you just get to do it with a lot more people, a little simpler rules and a little more atmosphere.