Differences in larp cultures

"To really understand larp, you need to experience it."

It's a sentence we often tell new players when they ask us about larp. And it's true. You cannot really describe immersion. You probably cannot even remember all the tiny details on other people and in the environment that added to your experience and immersion.

A photo may tell a thousand words, but no amount of photos can truly show you how it really is. Words and images of larp are only pale shadows of experience. Larps are meant to be felt.

But for some inexplicable reason, lots of existing larpers seem to think this no longer applies to them. In a way, your first larp is a very defining one. You always remember your first larp. It leaves a huge impression on you.

It also tends to define the way you see larp in the future. Seeing your first larp defines your perception of what larp is - not just the larp you saw, but larp in general. After it's done, you tend to expect certain things from larps. The requirements, game style, the way they're run, the rule design (if rules are used), duration, comfort standards, equipment standards... Everything.

Me wearing a simple fantasy larp kit on Krvomeđe

Me wearing an elaborate fantasy larp kit on Tragači zore

Me wearing my Steampunk larp kit (clothes from my wedding, actually)

What you have, what you use, what you do, how it's done and why depends on a larp you're having at the moment. It's more than just gear (gear is just easiest to show on photos). It's the genre, playstyle, and pretty much everything.

The welcoming town of Novi Dom on Croatian Fallout larp

It can even differ so much that what you're considering to be an essential larp experience is simply missing from another larp or larp series. In such a case, it's almost as if some people get paralyzed. Not understanding other larps and how they work. Not wanting to understand. As if they're somehow a lesser form of larp, stripped of the essence of what makes a larp. Unfortunately, I see this viewpoint all too often.

“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.”

― Stephen Hawking

What people usually fail to see is that every larp (considered successful by a group od people) has some value. Or a lot of value. Something that makes it tick, which people find valuable enough to call it successful and good. And nothing is set in stone. Be curious, go and see stuff that is different than what you saw so far. You're probably going to enjoy it, learn something new in the process, grow as a larper, and maybe help improve other larps you're on.

Gareyth and his tent on Crolarp

Just in case you were wondering, no, I'm not addressing any Croatian group in particular. I'm addressing players from various Croatian groups, and I'm addressing probably most of you larpers worldwide who are making the same mistake. I'm not hoping to win any popularity contests by doing it, but I hope some larps get improved by doing it...

Dr. Zippovitz and his automaton Zip-7 on Steampunk larp Para pokreće svijet: Vrata rata

See what's out there, see how it works and how it's different. There's no one true way of larping - check out different larps and different cultures, nationally and if you can internationally, and help to make every larp you're on a better experience for everyone. You should care, it's your game too. Keep your mind open and never be afraid to discover new things in larp.

“Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.”

― Aldous Huxley, Complete Essays 2, 1926-29

The 15 rules of larp

The following 15 rules (warning: strong language) were written some years ago in Great Britain, and have been pretty much generally accepted on the British larp scene. Especially popular is rule 7 - widely known by its number and commonly considered to be the most imortant rule of all (and I agree). Even the biggest British larp forum has taken Rule7 as its name. The rules have been originally created by the Drunken Monkeys and edited by Rick Wynne who added some extra stuff in the explanations to make them more understandable to international audience (it still contains some British larp lingo though), more work-safe and to throw in his two cents. (copy of the original wording is available here ) 1. Don’t play a mighty warrior; play a warrior and be mighty. Don’t label your character. As soon as you say that you are the best swordsman in the land someone will come along and kick your ass. Just get into the mindset of the person and role-play it out. 2. No one cares about you...

TESC IV: Ebonheart review

TESC is a Croatian Elder Scrolls-inspired larp, started by Marko Zadro and ran by him and his team for more than 4 years so far. During its first two years of existence, four larps were ran (the second was the one actually counted as first, as first larp was counted as playtest) which were well-received, well-visited and raised the visual level of Croatian fantasy larps. Yet TESC IV: Ebonheart was a whole different beast altogether. General ideas were formed by organizers far before the logistics to do them became available, and 2.5 years elapsed between the previous larp of the series and this one. Also, this is the first larp so far directly inspired by the organizer's (and mine) favorite game of the series, Morrowind. Inspired by the European blockbuster castle larps, TESC IV became the first Croatian blockbuster castle larp - although at the far lower entrance price (€85 as opposed to €500+ price typical of those). While this means production values weren't exact...

It's been way too long without any updates

I'm just back from PoRtaL XII, which was back in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, 6 years after PoRtaL VI , which is - incidentally - only 3 posts below this one on my blog, and I still remember it like it was yesterday. And this means I failed to review the past two year's PoRtaLs, also excellent. Here's some representation for them. Back during PoRtaL 10 in Krakow, I did a presentation called Designing larps with intent . It was streamed, and can be found on Youtube. For PoRtaL 10, I also wrote and ran a larp Journey to Tau Ceti - an expanded version of the Arrival at Tau Ceti. I was a mess at documenting it, and it still remains in an unpublishable state. Both of these were run on Friday, which means I haven't really see much else on the convention that day, but I did on Saturday, when I was also able to play Ties that Bind larp by Alexandros Alexiou. I skipped Sunday, as we had to go early to drive home. For documentation purposes, full program listing is here . At next year...

Diary of a Croatian larper

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