RPG.net Thread on How LARPers sometimes Treat Each Other

[Mike Taylor]

Link Here (http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?p=8401628&posted=1#post8401628)

A poster named Candestine complains about having to deal with what I call "system snobbery" and others call "One True Way-ism" in LARPing. Have any of you run up on this?

[Travellar]

not that I can recall. I've realized the value of "it works for me" arguments, after which things like that don't matter anymore.

Every game has, and will have flaws. (possible exceptions being chess and checkers) What is an acceptably minor flaw to one player will be a game devastating weakness to another. There's alos the problem where many of the games we play are dependant entirely on those who play them with us.

I've been known to say I don't care for "Vampire: the Masquerade". Note that statement is in the first person. It didn't interest me. The other players weren't snobs or bullies, it was the game itself which failed to keep my interest.

As a counter to that point though, if someone were to be equally dismissive of Warhammer, I'd point out that I rather enjoy it. I'd focus on those aspects I enjoy, or stories of games that I thought were particularly amusing. If that's still not thier cup of tea, oh well.

[sableagle]

Meh. Now I can't remember where I was when I wanted to find this strip, but this is almost appropriate, so here it is:

http://flemcomics.com/d/20060102.html
http://flemcomics.com/d/20060104.html
http://flemcomics.com/d/20060106.html

For everyone who takes it too damn seriously!

[Mike Taylor]

http://flemcomics.com/d/20060106.html

For everyone who takes it too damn seriously!

I love the last one.

[Talen]

Sure. Even to the point where related system fans trash each other.

Classic geek pack behaviour. The proper response is to have people who know better smack the offender (gently) upside the head until it's corrected.

What's good? When people are having fun playing. If people are having fun playing, the system is good, even if it's not your kind of fun.

[ladylilo]

The only major system-brawls I've seen in LARPing are in games where one game ripped off the rules from the other game.

I've seen it get pretty nasty.

[idleknight]

ive seen a fair bit of system snobbery especially the linear versus fest lines drawn

its odd in the uk there are approx 15000 larpers, i personally think they should work together but there is a fair amount of cliqueyness.

[JennieB]

There's drama
Huge amounts of drama
You don't mention solar at nero or visa versa

Flemcomics is my new favorite. I fear the google image search.

[Crazeyal]

And the whole Alliance/Ashbury mess...

Yeesh..

[Talen]

And the whole Alliance/Ashbury mess...

Yeesh..

Which, by the way makes the Ashbury campaign have more alternative versions than anything short of the DC universe.

(There's not one, not two, but three different timelines, all of which diverge at various points from each other, all of which are active campaigns with three different rules variants and over 15+ years of varying levels of bad blood...and I think I'm one of the few human beings to have been in all three.)

[sableagle]

There's drama
Huge amounts of drama
You don't mention solar at nero or visa versaCan I take a solar-powered radio to a Nero event for out-of-character time, and study the biographies of Roman Emperors at a Solar event, just to cause twitchiness, or is that rude?

[Seolta]

Can I take a solar-powered radio to a Nero event for out-of-character time, and study the biographies of Roman Emperors at a Solar event, just to cause twitchiness, or is that rude?


Between the fact that "solar" and "SOLAR" are pronounced differently and people really aren't that likely to pick up on the fact that you're doing those things deliberately, I doubt anyone would care.

[DarkPirateShea]

Between the fact that "solar" and "SOLAR" are pronounced differently...

How so?

[Seolta]

How so?


Mostly a matter of which syllable gets emphasis...with SOLAR, it's the second syllable...so the ar is like in SONAR or RADAR.

[DarkPirateShea]

Ooh, ok.

[ladylilo]

Can I take a solar-powered radio to a Nero event for out-of-character time, and study the biographies of Roman Emperors at a Solar event, just to cause twitchiness, or is that rude?

Except that Roman Emperors don't exist in SOLAR universe, the following PC history accepted.http://www.solarinc.com/socd/?pagename=ViewCharacter&characterid=2

[Seolta]

Except that Roman Emperors don't exist in SOLAR universe, the following PC history accepted.http://www.solarinc.com/socd/?pagename=ViewCharacter&characterid=2


Hm...could try explaining that the emperor in the book was a race-changed Fendari...

[Travellar]

I'd have no problem with it, except I won't even mention NERO at a NERO event.

I love the irony involved.
Rules the same:
"OMG! U stolded teh rulz!"

Rules different:
"Ur doing it wrong!"

I wonder if offers to bring and demonstrate live steel versus other system forms of combat would be effective...
"tenmltenmltenml..."
*THWACK!*
"dude, you were so dead by the time you'd taken that swing..."
"MEDIC!"

[sableagle]

I wonder if offers to bring and demonstrate live steel versus other system forms of combat would be effective...
"tenmltenmltenml..."
*THWACK!*
"dude, you were so dead by the time you'd taken that swing..."
"MEDIC!"Oof. I took someone on with wooden katana against a LARP (i.e. spongy) sword at Bristol. Totally hot Devil May Cry costumes, for anyone wondering whom I mean. Damn, but that weight difference was hard work. I was going to offer to swap because the wooden one hurts more, but the tip on the LARP thing split so we had to stop.

Give me a French cavalry sabre and I reckon I could keep up with a LARP broadsword for a while ... maybe longer than it would stand up to being used against a steel sabre ... maybe.

[Travellar]

Dude, using a boken? OUCH!

I imagine pretty much any sharpened blade would destroy most boffer weapons in one to two hits. Of course, I imagine most "live steel" orginizations disallow sharpened weapons.

Someone gimme a mace.
or a flail...

[freiman]

Yeah, most live steel clubs require what are called rebated blades. That's a blade that has been forged just to be made a rebate put on a grinder and ground to (usually) a one and a half or two mm flat edge. Rebates tend to be made from scratch for the purpose, and the blades tend to be really heavy, like fighting with a crowbar.

And about the actual topic. I am really, really surprised that nobody has brought up my home club, the SCA. I can only assume that is either because you guys are just too polite to do it, or that any SCA interactions you may have had were so bad that you psychologically blocked them out.

A lot of SCA folks tend to be really, really bad about putting down other clubs and games. It just seems stupid to get superior and say "My dress up in funny clothes in the woods and pretend to be somebody else game is better than your dress up in funny clothes in the woods and pretend to be somebody else game".

Honestly, that really tends to really get on my thungas.

f

[KiaKat]

Gah. Too many newbies.

Peeks nose out of room. OMG! It's a NEWBIE!!!!!

Thumpa Thumpa Thumpa Thumpa

*runs past newbie*

cRaSh

grrr

*Pushes off wall*

*Aiming at noobie...*

You see a small creature smiling maniacally, and feel fear. This is something you've never encountered before, and it looks as though the creature is probably crazier than the Cheshire Cat.

Mwuahahahaha

And here we go...

Aiming...

Wiggle-butt...

Tail-twitch...

Runs at newbie...

Bypasses newbie, going at Mach 2, flies around corner...

Runs back around corner, putting the fear of Kitten into all watching...

POuNce dA nOobIE!!!!!

Welcome to the forums. You might need these *hands newbie pile of sparkly mongooses* never mind what they look like, they're great for distracting the forum members.

Though you'll probably get pounced anyway. We're quite good at multi-tasking.

(RE: SCA: it's been discussed, but usually in the context of comparison. Feel free to start a thread to find out who participates)

[DrT]

*turn the corner nonchalantly. Stops suddently, staring*

OOooOOOooooOOOOoooo a Newby !

*stretching*

Hang on a sec.... gotta get the knots out.

*gets a good distance*

K. There goes.

*starts Ride of the Walkyries*

Running start of the flaming cow !

*get to run on the wall*

Wall run a la matrix

*Bounds, brushing past ChaoticFlame*

Feint of the Strawberry picker !

*rebounds in a nearby column*

Pooooouuuuunnnnceee the nooooooooob !


Hi !
I'm DrT. Welcome home.

ps: we have SCA type persons around here, somewhere. They're nice. Good munchin' too.

[Sehson]

Yeah, most live steel clubs require what are called rebated blades. That's a blade that has been forged just to be made a rebate put on a grinder and ground to (usually) a one and a half or two mm flat edge. Rebates tend to be made from scratch for the purpose, and the blades tend to be really heavy, like fighting with a crowbar.

And about the actual topic. I am really, really surprised that nobody has brought up my home club, the SCA. I can only assume that is either because you guys are just too polite to do it, or that any SCA interactions you may have had were so bad that you psychologically blocked them out.

A lot of SCA folks tend to be really, really bad about putting down other clubs and games. It just seems stupid to get superior and say "My dress up in funny clothes in the woods and pretend to be somebody else game is better than your dress up in funny clothes in the woods and pretend to be somebody else game".

Honestly, that really tends to really get on my thungas.

f

As DrT said we have a couple scadians about. I used to be one back in the lands around seattle. Good bunch of folk out there.

Then I moved back to MI and well the lot local are a stuck-up bunch of prats and prisses. I get sneared at by people in garb for wearing a kilt. What are my folded pleates not straight and even... I like my fun to be fun. The local batch are well very hung up on the politico's and posturing, too which I say bahh... go sod yur sheep...

[asianmommy]

GAK! I just happened to wander through this thread and there's a NEWB!!!!


::POUNCE!!!!:: oooh look at the sparkly penises.
::CHASE::


((On topic: I've never LARPed but I think all forms of geekery has its own sense of snobbery, because all forms of life have their own sense of it. There is always someone or some group that we feel superior to, even if it's just a little tiny bit))

[freiman]

Wow, guys, Thanks for the welcome!

I feel all special and stuff now. I was actually sorta active on the last DP board, but when the great switch came, I kinda faded away.

But seriously. I have never been able to play in a stateside LARP, but I have had a great time playing with the ones over here in Europe.

f

[Mike Taylor]

Welcome back, then!