How to Convince People I Am Not Crazy...

denise_eviana

denise_eviana

Newbie
What is the best way to tell people about LARP (such as family/friends/acquantiences) without having them think you are totally crazy?

I have something like this so far:

"Up until two months ago I had never really heard of "LARP" either. But one of my brother's friends wanted my brother to try it out and I had nothing better to do so I figured I would tag along. I totally thought it would be goofy…which it is when you think about adults acting like little kids and playing pretend. But who ever said we needed to stop having the imagination/creativity/and fun that kids have? Anywho…it tends to attract a lot of theater majors because it is basically like putting on a play. I don't know if you have heard of Civil War Re-Enactments, but it is a lot like that. There are various types of LARP's from Sci-Fi to Steam Punk - the type I go to is Fantasy based."

I have no idea...any way I put it people will probably think I need help in the head >_<
 
Its kinda hard to explain to people what you do and wonder what they'll think. My fiancee has an attitude of "I dont care what people think of me" so she'll pretty much tell anyone what she does. I'm alittle more modest in that aspect so aside from friends I dont really put it out in the open. I wont tell my mother because she wont really understand, my brother I told though. Its odd, you just gotta judge how well you know what the reactions of people will be.

I like to tell people I've got a hobby I play that takes me out of the city for several days and its pretty damn enjoyable. Thats enough to get most people to just nod their heads and understand because everyone has hobbies.
 
I usually say something along the lines of:

"Did you see the Lord of the Rings movies? Well now, instead of sitting there in the movie theater, LARPing has you get up out of that seat, through the screen and you are actually there, in the action, helping to create the movie yourself."

Or

"It is a cross between a ren faire and a dinner murder mystery."
 
I usually just say I'm going camping. ^.^
If people really want to know, I usually say: I play a game that is a combination of Gestalt Therapy, RenFaire with combat, and put into a fantasy book setting.
 
Just tell people you belong to a cult and keep a straight face when everyone laughs.

It'll never come up again.

Trust me.
 
honestly, and i hope no one takes this the wrong way but I REALLY wish people would just straight out and tell people what LARP is and not try to bat around the bush. Explain it as a sport that involves improve acting. Its a social outlet for meeting people across a large span of area with common interests. Its a great way to bring people from many generations together in a safe and friendly environment. It gets you out of the house, away from the TV and computer and Its great for exercise and imaginative growth.

I do understand why some people find it difficult to admit and talk openly about the game as there is this fear of being judged or worse being labeled and mistreated because of a "connotation". But this notion is self perpetuating. When a person acts ashamed or trepidations about talking about something it personifies and continues the idea in others that there IS a reason that the subject being spoken of should be something to be ashamed of. The more people talk proudly and openly of LARP the more others will hear of it and understand it. If we continue to bat around the bush we only continue the idea that we are odd and should hide our hobby from "normal" people, when we are just as "normal" as most anyone else. If you believe anything else that is your own prerogative...

honesty is the best route. I would say 90% of the people i meet, when i explain to them exactly what Larp is and why I do it, in the very least are accepting and usually a little intrigued. Of the remaining 10% most are just indifferent... very seldom do i come across a purely judgmental person and if i do.. so be it, they hold very little sway in what effects my life. If said judgmental person would/can effect your life, then that can be an issue for some people, in which case I can understand avoiding the subject. Otherwise just tell people the truth.
 
I don't usually bring it up, but generally go with 'at least it isn't WoW'. :D
 
I usually tell people straight up what I do, most of my coworkers, family and friends know, in fact most family events I bring boffers and I've brought them to work to teach a coworker how to make some for his kids (who destroy the nerf swords in about 5 minutes).
Sometimes I make it sounds worse then LARPing, that way it seems normal when I tell them what I actually do.
For example "I'm going out into the woods for the weekend in makeup and a costume, where I'll be beating people, who have paid for the privilege, with a chunk of pipe."

But most of my coworkers and family thought I was strange before I started LARPing, so nothing has really changed (most of my family & coworkers have thought it sounded pretty cool, actually).
 
I'm happy to tell people what it is to. But honestly sometimes it comes down to a time thing, and if you don't have 10-20 minutes to try to throughly explain, it can be very hard to get a clear picture across to some people.

But when I have to mention it briefly I say that its a reenactment sort of thing. Most people generally have the idea of what a reenactment is. :)
 
The sentence I use to describe Alliance to people unfamiliar with LARP is this: "It's like improv character acting with simulated combat, set in a Tolkien esc. fantasy world."
I just sold 3 people on the game by doing nothing more than being honest. Don't sugar coat it but don't give a rules lecture. I admit from a spectators stand point it looks goofy, however when you are in the moment it becomes real. Describe the experience as opposed to the game. If they show interest then talk about the rules.
Another good sell: "you can play <insert fantasy game here> or you can go out in the woods with some great people, get some exercise and live the fantasy."
 
My normal conversation is as goes:
"I larp"
"What's larp?"
"Live action role play"
"What's that?"
And then it's like a 20 minute conversation explaing what it is and everything and most of the time my family just gives me this, "I don't know what the hell you said but I'm going to go along with it," look.
 
I describe is as Martial Arts mixed with Lord of the Rings mixed with Improve Acting.
 
yikes Gary now I'm getting a little bit nervous about this next NH game... :o
 
Dreamingfurther said:
yikes Gary now I'm getting a little bit nervous about this next NH game... :o
Click to expand...

David,

You know it's set in Sadeen Moore right? ;) Cult is a pretty accurate description.

Gary,
"Cult" only works if you are not already from another planet, from which it is a step up on the crazy ladder. We mere earthlings receive interventions when we tell people we're part of a cult, not sighs of relief that there is in fact a rational explanation for all the bizarre occurances. <3

I tell people it's dressing up in costumes and running around in the woods hitting people with plumbing supplies. I haven't had anyone call me crazy yet. Although maybe that's because they were afraid to...
 
I don't know that LARPing has ever been "the thing" that convinced people I was crazy. The people that thought I was before used it as evidence, the ones that didn't would, at worst, write it off as my own idiosyncrasy.

That said, how I describe it depends on my audience. For instance, for table-toppers, I tend to describe it as dress-up DnD... if I think they have the same sense of wry self-deprecation I do about table-topping, I pitch it as "Battle Beyond the Basement" (a tagline I gave to someone for their larp on certain promo material). I described why I played once as "You know, sometimes I get sick of hearing about all the bastards in the world, and the bastardly things they get away with, and I take a weekend to play pretend with some people and feel like I stopped some bastard... other times, I just want to be the bastard."

There will never be a solve-it, one-size-fits-all description for LARPing. I think the three-shot video promo I tossed off as an idea and Mark wants to use was about as close to that as you can get. IMO, a big part of describing it is knowing what appeals to your audience and how to pitch it right. We all play pretend, we just do it in different ways, whether its DnD, WoW, Halo, Fantasy Football leagues, or whatever.
 
Random person/friend asks: I give em the website

Boss/coworker asks: Boyscout camp "straight face" yes boyscout camp.
 
I ask them if they know about D&D. If they say yes, I said its a Live Action version of it. If they say no I ask if they watched "Role Models". Which I then follow with, we don't hit as hard as them and we have more of a plot then just beating people. When I then talk about Alliance to the same people, I refer it to "frolic in the woods".
 
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