i've never LARPed, i have no friends who've LARPed, but i'm interseted in it... so guys, you who've LARPed, what is it like? what have you played? what would you recommend?
Mixed feeling between 'oh my god this is great" and "oh my god I wished that elf wore something else than running shoes".
The total immersion feeling can be VERY cool, if the actors, players and terrain alike can keep enough attention to details to keep you immerse.
The combat moments can be awesome, but the real jewels of LARPs come out when there are no combat and the players manage to stay in-character even when there are no direct incentive to do so.
'findel
Pretty much like what Laurefindel said. If you can find a good LARP where people stay in character and the props and costuming are immersive it can be amazing. A lot like being in the middle of a D&D game where you act out what your character does.
On the same token though a LARP with bad immersion and poor costuming can really kinda suck. It'd be like if in the middle of a really good movie one of the actors just stopped doing what they were doing and starting talking about WoW. Or if in a high budget fantasy/historical movie someone walked on set in a pair of tennis shoes, a hockey jersey and a baseball cap and started asking people if they watched the football game. It kills the experience.
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i've never LARPed, i have no friends who've LARPed, but i'm interseted in it... so guys, you who've LARPed, what is it like? what have you played? what would you recomend?
Just did my second Live Action Role-Playing yesterday.
Basically, it's acting. You're given a character portfolio that describes the setting, your character and goals, and rules. You (usually) dress appropriately for the game. You interact with the other players in character as much as possible. Gamemaster(s) are on-site to answer questions when out of character.
i've never LARPed, i have no friends who've LARPed, but i'm interseted in it... so guys, you who've LARPed, what is it like? what have you played? what would you recomend?
The honest answer is "it depends."
With the right group, LARPing can be an excellent combination of role-playing with physical props and a great social experience as well as a gaming one.
That said, I confess to being an uber-geek and having done more than a half-a-dozen LARPs over the years. I've never been part of a long running campaign, but my experiences in general were less positive than more positive.
The most important factor in having a good experience is to make contact with the group beforehand and ensure that you are comfortable with the GM crew and approach. If the GM can work you into the main plot, you will likely have more fun.
LARPs tend to be the same as table-top RPGs with a very, very simplified combat and skill resolution system, and LARPs tend to rely heavily on player controlled and self-moderated actions.
They are Live Action; so, the amount of latitude that you have in your actions depends entirely on the GM crew. Some are very strict, and others are looser.
If you are interested in seeing what a medieval evening and combat event are like then you might be best served by attending an SCA event first. While not a LARP, the SCA generally is populated by folks that have an interest in the middle ages and will welcome newcomers. (These are generalities.)
If you are new to LARPing and want to break in to it, I recommend that you try one at a larger CON where the quality is likely to be high.
If you have further questions, please feel free to contact me directly.
In service,
Rich
www.drgames.org
It really very much depends upon what kind of LARP you attend. I´ve played fantasy LARP as well as Vampire:the Masquerade, and have been judge, gamemaster or however you call it for both kinds many times. I´m still into fantasy LARPing today. This is from my perspective here in Europe, of course. It may differ in the US or elsewhere.
Important is to ask yourself what kind of LARP you want. Mass combats, adventures, court settings are some things I have seen at LARPs. These draw different players and characters, of course. What role would you like to play? That is an important decision, as you will have less fun playing a straight fighter in a court setting (well, most probably), and playing a courtier on a battlefield is probably not that fun either. Most organizers are always looking for folks playing various NPC roles, this is a good opportunity to test yourself LARPing. The combat part is not for everyone, as accidents can and do happen. I took more than a few hits to the head over my LARPing career, and hit a few other players where it really hurt as well. So, if you don´t want to get bruises, don´t go into combats.
Try to find folks who are into it, and who have a style that you like. I will go into fantasy LARPing here. It makes a huge difference if you just have a black pirate shirt, black jeans, a duct tape sword and combat boots, perhaps a cheap chain mail, or if you invest some money and buy a decent outfit (or make it yourself, if you have the inclination). A group usually has a certain style, between "nerds just wanting to act WoW out" and "medieval reenactors, authentic down to the underwear" is a huge span. Generally, though, better outfits help getting into the role. With a group, you might be able to lend a few things, so you don´t need to buy everything up front.
There is a difference between having a show at a ren faire and playing a LARP. With a ren faire, appearance matters most. With LARPing, good character play can help to ignore the "beginners look".
What is LARPing like? It can be just running around and bashing others with foam weapons, or it can be deep immersion in a compelling story. If there are any online fora etc. about LARPing in your area, there will most probably be some opinions about past LARPs and just what kind of LARPs the organizers make. I would recommend starting at smaller events, as you will probably closer to the main story line, which helps immensely in enjoying the experience. Big events will have more sideline spectators among the players, as not all can participate in solving the plot.
LARPing is obviously not your latest special effects movie, as really good effects are incredibly costly to use successfully in a LARP. Fog machines, artificial blood, some masks, perhaps some light effects in the night and in some instances, some music is usually the extent of special effects. The less the organizers depend on special effects, the better it is usually.
So much for now. If you have further questions, just fire away.
Stefan
