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[Suggested] Live Action Roleplay - A Brief Overview

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[Suggested] Live Action Roleplay - A Brief Overview Empty [Suggested] Live Action Roleplay - A Brief Overview

Post  Amanda R Sun Mar 27, 2011 9:01 pm

So, what exactly have you gotten yourself into?

Wikipedia describes a LARP as "a form of role-playing game where the participants physically act out their characters' actions. The players pursue goals within a fictional setting represented by the real world, while interacting with each other in character." Practically, for those coming from a tabletop game, this means you take the place of the miniatures on the table while remaining a player character (PC) - you have to run and attack the werewolves, or drag your friend away to heal them, or sneak behind a tree to ambush. Dice rolls and simply saying that you're going to perform an action don't cut it anymore. For those really wishing to immerse themselves in a character, everything is real except the blood and the weaponry. LARP is the most immersive impromptu character interaction imaginable - not only are the other PCs going to be unpredictable, but the game masters (GMs) even more so! Really delving into someone else's head is not something you can do while you've got your mind on sports teams or video games, and LARP provides an effective escape from the real world.

Still interested? Here's three more things to keep in mind.

1) SAFETY FIRST

Seriously.

The goal of LARP is to have a good time, and someone breaking an ankle or getting a concussion puts a screeching halt to any enjoyment. Be mindful of others' limits. Keep control over your swings. Construct and use weapons safely. Don't jump off buildings. Use the safety calls if you feel someone is out of control. Common sense should not fall by the wayside just because you are away from the real world for a while - physics still applies, even in an imaginary world.

2) EVERYTHING IS IN-GAME!

EVERYTHING.

If you and your friends are talking about what you plan to do to the guy you don't like two weeks prior to the game, and they find out about it, that's your own fault. People can talk all they want about "metagaming" (the practice of the player using knowledge the character would have no idea about), but on the whole, it is difficult to separate the two, and some people have no qualms whatsoever about using this "illicit" knowledge. If you want to keep your backstory a secret, DON'T TELL THE OTHER PLAYERS. Again, common sense - this is not a reason to keep the knowledge that the goblins are going to blow up the inn at midnight a secret.

Of course, that only applies when the GMs specifically tell you that the goblins are attacking at midnight. The ONLY exception that applies to this rule is anything you oversee or overhear at NPC Camp (the headquarters for those running the game). You are only spoiling the surprise for yourself if you use this knowledge, and you will likely be censured or banned from the game if the GMs find you to be the source of the leak. Stay out of NPC Camp unless you have an in-game reason to be there, it's not a safe zone!

3) THE GAME IS WHAT YOU MAKE OF IT

Again, you are here to enjoy yourself, or at least see if LARPing is something you'll enjoy doing. There are those who do enjoy sitting quietly in a corner and not talking to anyone for a full 48 hours, but those people likely would be hard pressed to attend the event anyway. Live Action Roleplay tends to reward those who contribute the effort. Go out on plots, talk to that interesting looking guy in the corner, run in terror from the NPCs. You'll be glad you did, to the point that you may not want to sleep for fear you'll miss something!

We all played make-believe in the backyard as kids. Live Action Roleplay is little different, simply with an enduring narrative and structure in place, allowing you to experience a grand collection of stories, both those told by the GMs and those you'll tell your friends after the event has long finished.

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I did my best to keep this generic - there are a couple of ways this could be tailored to be closer to Final Haven, but this is supposed to be a overview of the whole LARP experience.

Amanda R

Posts : 5
Join date : 2011-02-04
Age : 38

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