NationStates Jolt Archive


LARPs!

Guibou
10-05-2008, 23:16
Yes, this is a thread about Live Action RolePlaying games.

How many of you participate in such events?

If you don't go to any such games, what do you think of people who do? Are they necessarily "geeks"? I hear a lot of stereotypes and misconceptions and I'm curious about what you, NSGers, think of us, LARPers...

As for myself, I will be going to 2 LARPs a month this summer, which is supposedly more than...pretty much everyone I know. I'm just not satisfied with only one a month, which is the frequency at which my current LARP takes place, so I've decided to try another one out (in addition to my crazy good actual one). You never know, it might be fun.

Oh yeah, I'm talking about medieval/fantasy LARPs, but anyone is welcome to share their experience with other LARPs (Vampire:TM LARPs, anyone?)

I will try to make a poll.
Ifreann
10-05-2008, 23:20
http://media.ebaumsworld.com/picture/Kargoth/wizard.jpg


:p
Guibou
10-05-2008, 23:23
http://media.ebaumsworld.com/picture/Kargoth/wizard.jpg


:p

Whoever said LARPs are an intellectual activity is...well, wrong. It's much more physical than intellectual, as in real life, they're really isn't that much to think about.
Free Soviets
10-05-2008, 23:31
Are they necessarily "geeks"?

yes.

this has been another edition of short answers to simple questions.
Guibou
10-05-2008, 23:40
yes.

this has been another edition of short answers to simple questions.

You bring a valid, yet unexplained, point.
Yootopia
10-05-2008, 23:45
You bring a valid, yet unexplained, point.
LARPers get a score of about -3 on the scale of '1 to cool'. Sorry.
Cannot think of a name
10-05-2008, 23:52
When even paper and pencil gamers think you're kinda geeky, you're damn fucking geeky.

But I did a documentary about RPG conventions in college, and when I did, the LARP chicks were hotter.
Dyakovo
10-05-2008, 23:53
When even paper and pencil gamers think you're kinda geeky, you're damn fucking geeky.

But I did a documentary about RPG conventions in college, and when I did, the LARP chicks were hotter.

So were any of them into cosplay? :D
Lacadaemon
11-05-2008, 00:00
What is it exactly?
New Manvir
11-05-2008, 00:00
What exactly is a LARP? like Dungeons and Dragons type games?
JuNii
11-05-2008, 00:01
I wouldn't mind trying it... looks fun.

My friend was into vampire:TM.

her character picked up an addiction so she had to rp it by eating pixie sticks...

at the end of each session, she was wired for HOURS!
Yootopia
11-05-2008, 00:01
What is it exactly?

What exactly is a LARP? like Dungeons and Dragons type games?
Live Action Role Playing.

So aye, dressing up and wielding swords and such.
JuNii
11-05-2008, 00:02
What exactly is a LARP? like Dungeons and Dragons type games?

kinda, except remove the pen and paper... put on a costume and gear and you play out the adventure.
Lacadaemon
11-05-2008, 00:10
So aye, dressing up and wielding swords and such.

So it's like the territorial yeomanry regiments, but with no entrance requirements?
Yootopia
11-05-2008, 00:26
So it's like the territorial yeomanry regiments, but with no entrance requirements?
Not really, more just like playtime days but with adults instead of kids imagining stuff.
RhynoD
11-05-2008, 00:32
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVZczLuoJoU
Fartsniffage
11-05-2008, 00:42
A brief description of the positions within the company for which I work. Level 1 is director level, Level 8 Position 4 is entry level scummer.

I recently found out the one of the Level 4's on my site is a LARPer who recently had a LARP themed wedding with each reception table having a different class theme.

I work for the largest energy supplier in the UK and this really bothered me.
New Manvir
11-05-2008, 00:44
Live Action Role Playing.

So aye, dressing up and wielding swords and such.

So, it's a bunch of nerds in some basement pretending to go on quests?
RhynoD
11-05-2008, 00:44
A friend of mine I play DnD with actually owns a copy of the Book of Erotic Fantasy.

She's not allowed to bring it.

I don't think she actually uses it, it's just there for novelty. But still. Dildoes do not need stats.
JuNii
11-05-2008, 00:49
A friend of mine I play DnD with actually owns a copy of the Book of Erotic Fantasy.

She's not allowed to bring it.

I don't think she actually uses it, it's just there for novelty. But still. Dildoes do not need stats.

... if one has on a girdle of Giant Strength or the gauntlets of Orge power... the hardness of the dildo would come in handy to see if it gets crushed...

and I can see some cleric brandishing a blessed Dildo against the ebil Incubus/Sucubus...

So yeah, they do need stats... :p
RhynoD
11-05-2008, 00:50
... if one has on a girdle of Giant Strength or the gauntlets of Orge power... the hardness of the dildo would come in handy to see if it gets crushed...

and I can see some cleric brandishing a blessed Dildo against the ebil Incubus/Sucubus...

So yeah, they do need stats... :p

Best spell ever:
Block the Seed
JuNii
11-05-2008, 01:02
Best spell ever:
Block the Seed

really? I would've figured 'Enlarge'.

Combined with the many spell feats...

use your imagination... :D

Best magical item... the Diaphram of Annilation...

scratch that... owww!!!!
Conserative Morality
11-05-2008, 01:44
I wish I could go to one... :(
Eofaerwic
11-05-2008, 12:10
So, it's a bunch of nerds in some basement pretending to go on quests?

Who said anything about a basement :P

LARP can go from small local (often University associated) groups running adventures in a local field which some of the players acting as the adventurers and the rest playing monsters trying to kill them. Our University has a very popular one of these (although I don't have time for weekly LARP).

All the way up to fest events, which are more popular in the UK/Europe. These consist of literally hundreds of players together in a field effectively playing representatives of large nations (often the army/warband of said nations, but not always). You become your character for an entire week-end and interact with other factions, as well as outside NPCs/monsters in a variety of ways. The more combat orientated systems (CP/LT in the UK) will then culminate in big battles with hundreds of people on either side. Others, like Maelstrom, are more political in nature and don't have organized battles, although skirmishes between the factions are very frequent.

Yes... as you can tell, I LARP almost exclusively at fests (CP(Jhereg)/Maelstrom(Rukh) in case anyone is wondering). Yes it's geeky but frankly, I don;t care, it's immense fun. And the range of people you meet is immense from undergrads, PhD students to postmen, to lawyers/doctors, teachers and pretty much everything in between.
Eofaerwic
11-05-2008, 12:14
A friend of mine I play DnD with actually owns a copy of the Book of Erotic Fantasy.

She's not allowed to bring it.

I don't think she actually uses it, it's just there for novelty. But still. Dildoes do not need stats.

It could be worse, it could be FATAL. A system which does literally have you "roll for anal circumference"
the Great Dawn
11-05-2008, 15:38
Who said anything about a basement :P

LARP can go from small local (often University associated) groups running adventures in a local field which some of the players acting as the adventurers and the rest playing monsters trying to kill them. Our University has a very popular one of these (although I don't have time for weekly LARP).

All the way up to fest events, which are more popular in the UK/Europe. These consist of literally hundreds of players together in a field effectively playing representatives of large nations (often the army/warband of said nations, but not always). You become your character for an entire week-end and interact with other factions, as well as outside NPCs/monsters in a variety of ways. The more combat orientated systems (CP/LT in the UK) will then culminate in big battles with hundreds of people on either side. Others, like Maelstrom, are more political in nature and don't have organized battles, although skirmishes between the factions are very frequent.

Yes... as you can tell, I LARP almost exclusively at fests (CP(Jhereg)/Maelstrom(Rukh) in case anyone is wondering). Yes it's geeky but frankly, I don;t care, it's immense fun. And the range of people you meet is immense from undergrads, PhD students to postmen, to lawyers/doctors, teachers and pretty much everything in between.

It scares me man....really, it's scary as hell. I mean, when I just imagine you guys killing eachother "Taste my fireball! *makes wierd DBZ like hand movement* Gaaah, my plate defence was useless, aaa you killed me!" it just looks so...odd and emm, static (static as in, nothing really happens, I don't imagine a ranger actually shooting arrows into one's chest).
Nanatsu no Tsuki
11-05-2008, 15:54
I went to a LARP at least 2 times. It was about the V:tM books. But the people took the RP too seriously and things started losing the fun aspect so I stopped going. It´s kinda freaky when your buddies start thinking they´re real vampires and the like and start acting accordingly...:p
Eofaerwic
11-05-2008, 16:09
It scares me man....really, it's scary as hell. I mean, when I just imagine you guys killing eachother "Taste my fireball! *makes wierd DBZ like hand movement* Gaaah, my plate defence was useless, aaa you killed me!" it just looks so...odd and emm, static (static as in, nothing really happens, I don't imagine a ranger actually shooting arrows into one's chest).

Funny, cos they do. Well they're tipped with foam, but the effect is there. And hitting people with swords, generally most combats involve a lot of swords and very little magic.

Then again, really you just have to not take it too seriously and go with the flow. Trust me, we are aware of exactly how ridiculous we look, it's part of the fun.*

On which note:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ6exaC5ryE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGLALLcqb40&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93KaSCAiIWw&feature=related


*This may not apply to Vampire:TM players, but then there's a reason I don't do Vampire LARP
Jello Biafra
11-05-2008, 16:34
LARP can go from small local (often University associated) groups running adventures in a local field which some of the players acting as the adventurers and the rest playing monsters trying to kill them. Our University has a very popular one of these (although I don't have time for weekly LARP).So are the monsters obligated to let the raiding adventurer party win?
Fishutopia
11-05-2008, 16:49
I've done some LARPing. The reason why some pen and paper gamers (which I've done more off) say it's nerdy is that they are too fat and slovenly to be able to LARP. :p

Basically there tend to be two types. The more "social, diplomacy" kind of one. Basically all the "How to a host a murder" games got the idea from LARPing, but put some pretty commercial packaging to it, and it is somehow cool, while LARPing is not. So basically think "how to host a murder", but the dramatic hook doesn't have to be a murder. If they have conflict, often the conflict is represented in some manner that isn't physical. Some can be cheesy, such as paper scissor rock, and some can be quite sophisticated.

Option 2 are ones that are very combat orientated. You'll have foam weapons with a hard inner core, so you don't get the silly nerf combat going on. Often you will get people decked out in chain mail or simiar medieval gear. iYou'll have a fight, and then the combat depends on the people involved. Some can get hard core, and allow nearly anything, while others will be very safety orientated, and ban head hits, while some are in between. The LARPS tend to be very "Jackie Chan". A flimsy story to get to the next action sequence.

As a disclaimer to the 1st paragraph. Any Vampire LARP tends to have way too many sad goths or emos, and while 1 or 2 may be hot, they are all lame. It just is not worth it. ;)
Eofaerwic
11-05-2008, 16:52
So are the monsters obligated to let the raiding adventurer party win?

Nope, not at all. Although normally the players will have the advantage in terms of armour, equipment etc... it's perfectly possible for entire adventure parties to be wiped out or for them to fail in the mission.

Similarly in the big fest events, in one of the systems we're playing in they changed the battles to avoid them being too scripted by allowing the 'monster' armies to act like intelligent armies and develop their own tactics. Which last year resulted in about 75% casualty rate on the battlefield for some factions.
Rhursbourg
11-05-2008, 17:31
done it sold my soul to Lorien Trust enough times was once a member of the shrouded Circle
Wilgrove
11-05-2008, 17:34
I never done LARP.
Second Axis
11-05-2008, 17:49
Not really, more just like playtime days but with adults instead of kids imagining stuff.
QFT.
Dyakovo
11-05-2008, 20:10
I went to a LARP at least 2 times. It was about the V:tM books. But the people took the RP too seriously and things started losing the fun aspect so I stopped going. It´s kinda freaky when your buddies start thinking they´re real vampires and the like and start acting accordingly...:p

What, you mean like dieing when they get a stake in the heart and their head chopped off?
JuNii
11-05-2008, 20:18
It scares me man....really, it's scary as hell. I mean, when I just imagine you guys killing eachother "Taste my fireball! *makes wierd DBZ like hand movement* Gaaah, my plate defence was useless, aaa you killed me!" it just looks so...odd and emm, static (static as in, nothing really happens, I don't imagine a ranger actually shooting arrows into one's chest).

Check out the nearest Ren Faire or SCA tourney!
Dyakovo
11-05-2008, 20:28
Check out the nearest Ren Faire or SCA tourney!

SCA is not LARPing
The Alma Mater
11-05-2008, 20:34
Nah - I prefer metal swords over latex ;) I 've done some historical re-enactment including battles though.
Katganistan
11-05-2008, 20:40
I've done tabletop RPG with props, but no -- dressing up, and playing in public, not my cuppa.

So, it's a bunch of nerds in some basement pretending to go on quests?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3TEG9KbHSU

No. It's folks dressing up and acting their characters out, but not having a script.
Thinks "cops and robbers".
JuNii
11-05-2008, 20:45
SCA is not LARPing

no, but it will give one the basic idea.

and granted the SCA here is heavy into the RPing, but I don't know if it's the same everywhere.
Katganistan
11-05-2008, 20:47
What, you mean like dieing when they get a stake in the heart and their head chopped off?

That tends to kill mere humans, too.... (So said my Gangrel paper-and-pencil tabletop character while she was smacking around a young wanna-be vampire hunter.) ;)
JuNii
11-05-2008, 20:51
That tends to kill mere humans, too.... (So said my Gangrel paper-and-pencil tabletop character while she was smacking around a young wanna-be vampire hunter.) ;)

HEY, a fellow Gangrel!

For killing Vamps (those that attempted or did break the masqurade) I usually just stake em in the heart, then while they're lying there, I soak them in some gasoline, then wedge a carflare in their mouths and pop the cap. I like to give them time to reflect on their actions.
Dyakovo
11-05-2008, 20:53
That tends to kill mere humans, too.... (So said my Gangrel paper-and-pencil tabletop character while she was smacking around a young wanna-be vampire hunter.) ;)

That was kind of my point...


I wanted an explanation from Nanatsu...
Katganistan
11-05-2008, 21:01
HEY, a fellow Gangrel!

But of course. What other clans are actually worth the time? :D
Dyakovo
11-05-2008, 21:15
But of course. What other clans are actually worth the time? :D

Malkav
Katganistan
11-05-2008, 21:20
Malkav

Pre or post restart?
Dyakovo
11-05-2008, 21:24
Pre or post restart?

Don't know, it's been years since I played Vampire, so probably pre...
New Manvir
11-05-2008, 21:56
Who said anything about a basement :P

LARP can go from small local (often University associated) groups running adventures in a local field which some of the players acting as the adventurers and the rest playing monsters trying to kill them. Our University has a very popular one of these (although I don't have time for weekly LARP).

All the way up to fest events, which are more popular in the UK/Europe. These consist of literally hundreds of players together in a field effectively playing representatives of large nations (often the army/warband of said nations, but not always). You become your character for an entire week-end and interact with other factions, as well as outside NPCs/monsters in a variety of ways. The more combat orientated systems (CP/LT in the UK) will then culminate in big battles with hundreds of people on either side. Others, like Maelstrom, are more political in nature and don't have organized battles, although skirmishes between the factions are very frequent.

Yes... as you can tell, I LARP almost exclusively at fests (CP(Jhereg)/Maelstrom(Rukh) in case anyone is wondering). Yes it's geeky but frankly, I don;t care, it's immense fun. And the range of people you meet is immense from undergrads, PhD students to postmen, to lawyers/doctors, teachers and pretty much everything in between.

Like this:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6c/Live_action_role_play_battle.jpg

That looks kinda cool actually...
The Alma Mater
11-05-2008, 22:21
http://www.krakant.de/images/gwen2.jpg

Someone saying something about geeks :p ?
Nanatsu no Tsuki
12-05-2008, 00:24
What, you mean like dieing when they get a stake in the heart and their head chopped off?

Not that extreme but actually biting and functioning at night mainly. Or enact the laws of the Masquerade and stuff like that. Then, of course, they had the tendency of breaking into the city´s ancient graveyard and... well... many of them got into trouble with the authorities.

I RPed as a Toreador, as an Assamite and lastly, as a Malkavian. I think I excelled at the last. I have a penchant for insanity, I guess.
Eofaerwic
12-05-2008, 00:45
Like this:

That looks kinda cool actually...

Yup :D Or this:http://www.theflasher.co.uk/pictures/displayimage.php?album=18&pos=137

Or

http://www.theflasher.co.uk/pictures/displayimage.php?album=18&pos=181

For the record, I consider the people dressed only in kilts and paint to be insane as it was bloody cold at that event.
New Manvir
12-05-2008, 04:07
Yup :D Or this:http://www.theflasher.co.uk/pictures/displayimage.php?album=18&pos=137

Or

http://www.theflasher.co.uk/pictures/displayimage.php?album=18&pos=181

For the record, I consider the people dressed only in kilts and paint to be insane as it was bloody cold at that event.

That does look kinda fun, I'd maybe take part if it wasn't so nerdy.
Bann-ed
12-05-2008, 05:11
I only do LA.
Wilgrove
12-05-2008, 05:58
I wonder if there's any Matrix LARP that take places in abandoned factories. That would actually be cool.

I'd be an Agent. :D
Ryadn
12-05-2008, 06:34
So, it's a bunch of nerds in some basement pretending to go on quests?

Pretty much.

1. Live Action Role Playing
Public Humiliation: 100%
Live action role playing, or LARP, is a nerd’s parent’s worst fears come true: Dungeons and Dragons has finally made their child go crazy. These people dress up like fantasy characters and go on adventures where other nerds play the parts of enemy monsters, which would be fine if the participants were in the second grade. When adults do it, it’s like a renaissance faire and backyard wrestling met, had demonic babies, and gave them weapons.

Damage to Sex Life: 100%
If you and your team of paladins are thinking about leaving your mom’s basement to move your fantasy quests into society, you might as well leave your genitals behind.

Distinguishing Characteristics: Aside from the barbarian clothes and giant monster heads, it’s impossible to know who might be LARPing. The only way to be sure is when they throw make-believe fireballs at you from their very fingertips, but by then... it’s already too late.
Eofaerwic
12-05-2008, 09:22
Pretty much.


Damage to Sex Life: 100%
If you and your team of paladins are thinking about leaving your mom’s basement to move your fantasy quests into society, you might as well leave your genitals behind.

Bah! Lies. The male:female ratio at Larp events tends to be about 60:40, compared to every other sort of geeky hobby where you're lucky if you find a women at all (oh how often I am the only women in the room).

Of course the scary thing is when they spawn (and many do)... now there's breeding for autism :p
Peepelonia
12-05-2008, 13:47
Yes, this is a thread about Live Action RolePlaying games.

How many of you participate in such events?

If you don't go to any such games, what do you think of people who do? Are they necessarily "geeks"? I hear a lot of stereotypes and misconceptions and I'm curious about what you, NSGers, think of us, LARPers...

As for myself, I will be going to 2 LARPs a month this summer, which is supposedly more than...pretty much everyone I know. I'm just not satisfied with only one a month, which is the frequency at which my current LARP takes place, so I've decided to try another one out (in addition to my crazy good actual one). You never know, it might be fun.

Oh yeah, I'm talking about medieval/fantasy LARPs, but anyone is welcome to share their experience with other LARPs (Vampire:TM LARPs, anyone?)

I will try to make a poll.

I used to in my youth and early manhood. Then I stopped, the reason?

I just got fed up drinking with people who could only talk about RPG's and LARP's. I mean come on fun hobby that it is, there are other things to talk about, and whilst an indepth analysis of your nth level cleric/mage/thief/dwarf/monk would engage me for a while, not 3 hours solid.
Peepelonia
12-05-2008, 13:49
Bah! Lies. The male:female ratio at Larp events tends to be about 60:40, compared to every other sort of geeky hobby where you're lucky if you find a women at all (oh how often I am the only women in the room).

Of course the scary thing is when they spawn (and many do)... now there's breeding for autism :p

Heh we took a friends sister to an event once, she declined to come a second time, because of all the umm men hitting on her, it was like they have never seen a woman before.
Neo Bretonnia
12-05-2008, 16:34
I've been to a couple.

The best one was a VTM LARP at a SciFi convention at a Holiday Inn in Frederick, MD. I was a LaSombra (5th Gen) and had a pretty good time. The LARP had lots of NPCs from the books including Prince Vitel from Washington DC (whith whom I had a personal audience on behalf of my faction.) I got attacked by werewolves and left my friends to die (Sabbat, me) and Even got revenge on a vampire who wanted to diablerize me. (Laudanum, it's what's for dinner! FD'd his arse.)

But they never did another Vampire LARP. I think it was overcrowded and freaked out the other guests. They did do a Star Wars Larp where I got to be the Senator from Ord Mantell. Got to be in a senate session where Senator Organa ordered Vader to remove the Star Destroyers form the planetary blocakde. Vader basically told him to blow it out is arse.

Good times.
Ryadn
12-05-2008, 19:37
Bah! Lies. The male:female ratio at Larp events tends to be about 60:40, compared to every other sort of geeky hobby where you're lucky if you find a women at all (oh how often I am the only women in the room).

Of course the scary thing is when they spawn (and many do)... now there's breeding for autism :p

I think in general it's good to try and crossbreed among the geek species so the genes don't turn British Royalty. My bf and I understand (most of the time) each other's geekiness and share some interests, but we're different basic kinds of geeks (me--lit, fantasy, rpg, sports; him--video games, comic books, programming, sports) so if we have kids they might have a reasonable shot at being normal. Ish.