Live Action Role-Playing Games
A live action role-playing game , or LARP as it is commonly known, is a form of role-playing game where the participants perform some or all of the physical actions of the characters they play the role of. LARP may be considered a form of storytelling -based improvisational theater . LARP is alternately called live action role-playing or live role-playing .
In traditional tabletop role-playing games a player usually frames the words or actions of his or her character with introductory statements such as "My character says..." or "My character does..." In LARP, since the actions of a player become the actions of the character, a special distinction must be formed between actions a player takes as himself, (out of character, or OOC actions) and actions a player takes as his character (in character, or IC actions). There are often symbols, such as cards, ribbons, or gestures, to symbolize that a player is out of character so the other players know not to interpret his actions as actions of a character. This distinction is also sometimes called "On-role" and "Off-role," or "In Game" and "Out of Game."
Physical vs. symbolic combat
In traditional role-playing games, conflicts are usually resolved with complicated systems using charts, graphs, and dice to produce a random outcome. In LARPs many players feel that dice-based systems interrupt the flow of the game, and use a variety of creative methods to replace them.
One major method to resolve combat is to use actual physical combat. Boffer weapons, usually made of PVC with foam-rubber coating in the US and fibreglass rod covered with foam and coloured latex in Europe, are used in many such systems in order to ensure safety. The object is never to hurt the opponent, but to score hits, which deal fake damage often quantified based on the type of weapon used in the attack. Magic-using characters either throw "spell-packs" (usually small bean bags ) at opponents or simply point at their target and shout some words describing the effect. Games using this method are often known as "Boffer" or "Live Combat" LARPs.
The other major method is to use symbolic combat. Sometimes a system like Odds and Evens or Rock, Paper, Scissors , where two players throw hand symbols to generate a random outcome, is employed. In other cases, cards or dice are used, although one major advantage of symbolic combat is that you don't need any physical objects to do it. Another benefit of symbolic systems like this is that many more conflicts besides physical combat can potentially be resolved using symbolic methods.
Some LARPs avoid combat whenever possible, leaving only minimal or non-existent combat systems. Many murder-mystery LARPs lack any combat system, the focus is entirely on social interaction and investigation. Some games that discourage and penalize combat might use very simple rules, like pointing a toy gun at someone and shouting "Bang!" means that the target character is dead.
Genre and setting
LARPs can have as many genres and settings as novels, plays, or movies. However, there are some very common genres that comprise the most common LARPs.
Fantasy genre LARPs are usually set in pseudo-historical worlds that are inspired by legends and fantasy literature. These settings generally have very low technology, some magic, and non-human species based on myth and legend. Examples include Elves , Dwarves , Orcs , Faeries , etc.
Sci-fi genre LARPs are a little less common but take place in futuristic settings with high technology and possibly aliens but usually without magic. Examples include combat-heavy post-apocalyptic LARPs, dystopian LARPs, utopian LARPs, space opera and cyberpunk .
Historic LARPs take place in our world, at some point in history. They can vary from a 1930s murder mystery to a feudal Japanese Samurai story. Historical accuracy is often prized in these LARPs, and there are similarities with Historical reenactment .
Gothic-Punk LARPs bear mention because they are so popular and account for the spread of LARPing in America. Published by White Wolf Game Studio under the brand name Mind's Eye Theater , Gothic-Punk setting LARPs take place in the World of Darkness , a world much like our modern world, but with a few important differences. Supernatural creatures, like vampires , werewolves , ghosts , mummies , and changelings are real in the Gothic-Punk settings, and are in fact the roles taken on by the players. White Wolf also publishes a number of Historic Gothic-Punk style games, such as Dark Ages: Vampire and Wild West: Werewolf.
"Contemporary" LARPs occur in the present without the presence of the supernatural or supertechonological. Some are set in social situations easily recognizable to most players, such as a wedding, a family dinner or a high school class. Others are set situations that few players will have had direct experience of, such as organized crime, a Hollywood movie set, the UN security council.
