It's the un-larp

[the_fantastic_ms_fox]

I'm fiddling with the image for the cyberpunk noir "thing"....
Yes, "thing:" it' s an ongoing interactive theather event (OITE), it's Altered Reality Theatre (ART), it's Indrama, it's' something, but it's not a L.A.R.P. Why? Because I want to market this, and I want to play this, and "larp's" have too much baggage, a problem which shows up every time someone tries to run one.

So, in an effort to draw out select portions of the non-larping demographic, and encourage some larpers to stay away, I'm trying to brainstorm the "problem elements" that they may be queitly purged.

What bothers you about the image of LARP? What do you think bothers othe people? How can I skirt this? I also need an acronym. Suggestions please.

Comments

[hundun.livejournal.com]

For example, what do you think of a dress code backed up by in-story elements?

e.g. "People associate black trenchcoats with the Australian neo-fascists of the 2030's. The Den's owner's mother spent ten years in a 'happy thoughts' camp noth of Perth. So wear something else."

er, this is probably non-sensical. Oh well.

[algae-al-fresco.livejournal.com]

I hate in game fighting mechanics; they're always cheesy and I would personally much rather have the person(s) running the thing go 'ok, so you just punched him, well, you'll get a few more punches in but you're going to lose' and then act it out. That's my wanting to act not win side and I think a lot of larpers would have huge issues with that, but yeah. hate mechanics, they're silly if you're going for any sort of realistic feeling.

I ...lets use a less agressive word...dislike the fact that characters never do anything to support themselves in game. I dislike the 'oh I go to work when I'm not here and earn money...really' response. I would like to be able to start a business ingame if I felt so inclined, exchange goods for money, etc etc, and I dislike having to deal with any sort of production points system where you're told how much of something you can make - say you're making little mechanical spiders that spy on people - so in game you would be scouting around for bits, or making them, or using them, or selling them or the info they collect, or maybe you made a few at home and you try to find a buyer....I dunno, I find that little roles get passed over in most larps and the majority of players want to be the heroes all the time, which gets pretty boring.

I dislike small fixed locations, I like large player numbers. I like the idea of being able to interact with non players without breaking character (certain rules need to be really clear if you do that though, I'd think)

I dislike death not being permanent in any way.

I like the Altered Reality Theatre acronym, myself.

I need to sleep!

I summed what you said all up

[arrogant-gamer.livejournal.com]

Hi

She wants less mechanics and a down-time based "sim" element.

z.

Re: I summed what you said all up

[algae-al-fresco.livejournal.com]

haha awesomeness. I get all wordy and wierd late at night, which is the only time I'm online these days.

[arrogant-gamer.livejournal.com]

Hi

In a LARP everybody hates everybody and there is no such thing as an ally or a friend. No one is ever interested in casually roleplyaing the personalities of their characters, they are only interested in arranging new and more impressive ways to betray or embarass you. This has been almost my entire experience of LARPing, people saying "Hey, you're a Toreador too? Let me nail you to a wall and laugh at the size of your cock."

The exception to this was so perfect that it made me want to run a LARP myself for just the reasons you are saying: to do it right, to make people happy. In Kurrs' LARP we were all friends, we had happy times and angry times, but in the end we were brothers and sisters, and drunken uncles giving good advice about sex and the future.

I think that Cyberpunk may not be the setting best adapted to removing people's need to fuck each other with their brain plans.

z.