NationStates Jolt Archive

What do you think about LARP? (Live action roleplaying) Personally, I do it. I'm a druid. :D I got some of my friends to start it. They actually like it. Some of you may think its for geeks and nerds, and catholics will think its evil and satanist, but hot damn, I LOVE DOING IT!

I think it's very silly, but no different than acting.

It looks very silly, but I can't argue against it. When I feel like crap I start writing; we all have our escapes.

Yes, LARP is for geeks and nerds. It also can admittedly be fun.

My only personal experience with it is Vampire:the Masquerade, back in it's humble beginnings when the whole idea of using rock/paper/scissors as a game mechanic was new (and just as funny then as it is now.)

The problem was that it got all of the social misfits together in one place, when they should have been locked in their parents basements doing proper tabletop RPG'ing. And even worse, they tricked some goth chicks to come out and play, and they propogated the species!! Heaven forfend!

On top of that, most of these people would constantly refer to each other by their character names, so parents would be getting calls asking for 'demonicus' and such nonsense. You couldn't walk through the mall without some face painted dweeb crossing his arms and saying 'you can't see me.' (And you really didn't want to anyway.)

It caused a feeling of Vampire burnout for me, and to this day anything with Vampires bores the hell out of me.

Wow. I guess I've been waiting to get that out of my system for some time... Thanks! :)

never tried it
sounds like fun
not high on my list of roundtuit priorities
but it does interest me
at least potentialy

=^^=
.../\...

Yes, LARP is for geeks and nerds. It also can admittedly be fun.

My only personal experience with it is Vampire:the Masquerade, back in it's humble beginnings when the whole idea of using rock/paper/scissors as a game mechanic was new (and just as funny then as it is now.)

The problem was that it got all of the social misfits together in one place, when they should have been locked in their parents basements doing proper tabletop RPG'ing. And even worse, they tricked some goth chicks to come out and play, and they propogated the species!! Heaven forfend!

On top of that, most of these people would constantly refer to each other by their character names, so parents would be getting calls asking for 'demonicus' and such nonsense. You couldn't walk through the mall without some face painted dweeb crossing his arms and saying 'you can't see me.' (And you really didn't want to anyway.)

It caused a feeling of Vampire burnout for me, and to this day anything with Vampires bores the hell out of me.

Wow. I guess I've been waiting to get that out of my system for some time... Thanks! :)
Meh. I'm a druid, so I don't have to worry about that. We have a "clan", of sorts, of Druids and Rangers and the such. We had a battle with the necromancer/dark warrior/etc. "clan" a few days ago. Our healing magic utterly destroyed thier undead, and then our rangers sniped the necromancers, then a few of us druids transformed into wild forms and kicked the dark warriors asses.

I remember that, when I was a kid I used to do that with my friends. We were all like 10 years old and had a lot of fun playing we were soldiers in enemy territory and stuff like that.
Ahhhh, good times.

EDIT: Oh, you mean you actually still do that? Seems a bit childish, but oh well.

I remember that, when I was a kid I used to do that with my friends. We were all like 10 years old and had a lot of fun playing we were soldiers in enemy territory and stuff like that.
Ahhhh, good times.
Yeaaaa, LARP is more mature than that. There are actual rules and regulations, people don't go saying "WELL I HAD MY INVUNERABLE SHIELD ON SO IT DIDN'T HIT ME!!!!111!!ONE". If we get our heads cut off, we lay on the ground and wait to be revived or wait until the game is over.

Meh. I'm a druid, so I don't have to worry about that. We have a "clan", of sorts, of Druids and Rangers and the such. We had a battle with the necromancer/dark warrior/etc. "clan" a few days ago. Our healing magic utterly destroyed thier undead, and then our rangers sniped the necromancers, then a few of us druids transformed into wild forms and kicked the dark warriors asses.

So what's the game mechanic? Nerf weapons and bean bags for spells? Do you get all decked out and spend a weekend in the woods?

So what's the game mechanic? Nerf weapons and bean bags for spells? Do you get all decked out and spend a weekend in the woods?
You'd have to play it to understand.

You'd have to play it to understand.

Try me. I've been around the block. Have you played other LARP's that are comparable?

What has bugged me about LARP was a LARPer who once came to a WMA club and thought that due to his extensive LARP experience, he would make a good sword fighter because he could fight with his foam sword.

He didn't like the fact he couldn't do most of the stuff he could do with his foam sword and got angry (threw a hissy fit, comlained about US being unrealistic, not real swordsmen etc etc) and left.

Moron.


But I've taken part in a few LARP type encounters and they have been a lot of fun, so I'm not against it at all.

Yeaaaa, LARP is more mature than that. There are actual rules and regulations, people don't go saying "WELL I HAD MY INVUNERABLE SHIELD ON SO IT DIDN'T HIT ME!!!!111!!ONE". If we get our heads cut off, we lay on the ground and wait to be revived or wait until the game is over.
Yeah.. I think the 10 year olds with toy guns were having more fun in a less geeky way.

So what's the game mechanic? Nerf weapons and bean bags for spells? Do you get all decked out and spend a weekend in the woods?
You'd have to play it to understand.
That's a "yes" for those keeping track.

"Everybody's doing it..... What you've never heard of it. Thats live action roleplay. Sheesh!"

"Well.......give me a roll."

"The last of the football tribe has no chance to scream as the force of your blow reduces it to a pink mist."

Must watch (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7521044027821122670)

I used to do it when I was younger, now... Hah now I'm older!

EDIT: Oh, you mean you actually still do that? Seems a bit childish, but oh well.

Well, I've heard that people older than 15 are known to play World Of Warcfat... This isn't bad, compared to that.

What do you think about LARP? (Live action roleplaying) Personally, I do it. I'm a druid. :D I got some of my friends to start it. They actually like it. Some of you may think its for geeks and nerds, and catholics will think its evil and satanist, but hot damn, I LOVE DOING IT!

i see alot of elitist posting in this thread. Saying we wouldn't understand, saying catholics think it's evil and satanist, etc.


I for one am a catholic, and i don't think it's evil or satanic.

I don't play it, but I don't see anything wrong with it (although I don't actually know how it works). If people find it fun, that's all that matters. It's would be ridiculous to stop playing just because some insecure people said it was uncool or childish.

I don't play it, but I don't see anything wrong with it (although I don't actually know how it works). If people find it fun, that's all that matters. It's would be ridiculous to stop playing just because some insecure people said it was uncool or childish.

do a video google for "lightning bolt"


it's pretty funny.

do a video google for "lightning bolt"


it's pretty funny.

Yeah kinda funny (assuming I clicked the right one). I think that the issue is that LARP tries to go half-way between actually representing the fictional elements (e.g. costumes, fake weapons, etc.), and using imagination, and the result looks kinda strange.

I hadn't heard of it before, but it doesn't seem worse than those people who recreate battles, except that in those the outcome is predifined (unless you're Cartman).

I've done it a couple of times, and I've had a lot of fun. Mind you, I didn't play for a longer period of time, just for about a weekend each time. And only "homemade" stuff...

I've also only done modern, urban settings. A kind of Call of Cthulhu-setting, some vampire-settings (not Vampire: the Masquerade), Godfather/mafia-setting and stuff like that. I've enjoyed them all. Good times :D

I have never tried fantasy-settings, and I doubt I ever will. Nor have I ever done anything like this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knqkSFUqZ84&search=Reno%20911)! :p

I think it's ... odd. A buddy of mine used to do it with the Vampire system. He had some funny stories to tell about it, but I don't think I'd feel comfortable doing it. Give me pen and paper gaming any day. :)

I RP with some marine buddies of mine. But I don't LARP.

do a video google for "lightning bolt"


it's pretty funny.
The next customer who gives me a problem, I'm going for it.

"LIGHTNING BOLT! LIGHTNING BOLT! SLEEP!"

I'm Catholic and I don't really see anything wrong with it... it seems a bit silly and not my cup of tea, but then again I suppose having a weekend touch football league is silly as well. As long as it isn't hurting the environment/other people it's not a big deal. Just don't video tape it because then it'll end up on the net and you'll be mocked! :p

I'm not a fan of LARP. Roleplaying is something you do sitting in a comfy chair with beer and dribbly candles.

"Everybody's doing it..... What you've never heard of it. Thats live action roleplay. Sheesh!"

"Well.......give me a roll."

"The last of the football tribe has no chance to scream as the force of your blow reduces it to a pink mist."

Must watch (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7521044027821122670)

I love that film :D

The next customer who gives me a problem, I'm going for it.

"LIGHTNING BOLT! LIGHTNING BOLT! SLEEP!"

haha..... DEATH!

I'm not a fan of LARP. Roleplaying is something you do sitting in a comfy chair with beer and dribbly candles.

Yes, or sitting around a table in a dank basement eating cheese doodles with your nerdy pals. At least one person has to sit behind a cardboard screen. LARP has far too much activity.

so its like civil war re-enactments but without knowing how it ends?

so its like civil war re-enactments but without knowing how it ends?
and without the history lessons. And you roll dice to see what happens, and that sort of thing.

The next customer who gives me a problem, I'm going for it.

"LIGHTNING BOLT! LIGHTNING BOLT! SLEEP!"
reminded me of a link to a GREAT Star Wars parody a friend sent me.
while not about LARPs, it is nerdy :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz0hoNdyE1s&search=job%20star%20wars

There is exactly one LARP that I've been known to participate in... of course, Assassin/Paranoia/Mafia is unusual even by LARP standards, so it might not exactly count.

Water to the back = instant win! ...provided you're on my kill list...

Paranoia FTW!

There is exactly one LARP that I've been known to participate in... of course, Assassin/Paranoia/Mafia is unusual even by LARP standards, so it might not exactly count.

Water to the back = instant win! ...provided you're on my kill list...

Now Assassin is fun, real fun. Beware the margarine on the bottom of the door handle. ;)

Now Assassin is fun, real fun. Beware the margarine on the bottom of the door handle. ;)

And unto you I reply, "Check your chair". After all, it might just have a bomb on it... :p

Yes, or sitting around a table in a dank basement eating cheese doodles with your nerdy pals. At least one person has to sit behind a cardboard screen. LARP has far too much activity.

Plus, you have to be able to listen to Hammerfall or Luca Turilli, or something equally corny while playing.

Plus, you have to be able to listen to Hammerfall or Luca Turilli, or something equally corny while playing.

Like Burzum?

Plus, you have to be able to listen to Hammerfall or Luca Turilli, or something equally corny while playing.

Around our hearth, the tunes of Robin Hood and Bram Stoker's Dracula were very common. Invariably, someone would get frustrated and pop in Motley Crue or Metallica. Oh, the days of yore...