LARP is more of a blanket term. I call games like Amtgard and Dagorhir "Medieval Boffer Sports." Amtgard does describe itself as a LARP, but that's purely for marketing reasons.
as one of the few Amtgard larpers in canada, I'll say this. Back when my park was more role play heavy, it was alot more popular. We where able to attract more players, and keep more players. still was boffer, just roll play with boffer. My park has since become more battle game focused, but we're trying to get back into the more roll play focus.
I think, respectfully, that you're coming at this with the lens of your own personal gaming experience. I've been larping for 25 years in the US. I had a brief period in my 20s where I played a stick jockey type larp, but it wasn't for me and I have managed to larp consistently several times a year without ever touching anything like that since. I play games that are absolutely D&D in the woods with a heavy role play focus, character development, and high quality costumes, and I play it with lots of other like-minded people. I also play a lot of salons/ parlor larps that are entirely RP with no combat. I think my biggest issue with this video is the assertion that the majority of American larpers come from a sporting/ competitive background when there are lots of us who do not. I recognize that there are combat focused battle arena games in the US, but there are still lots of larp that Europeans would recognize as well. We're just not in the spotlight/ media as much.
My thoughts: "better" is subjective. American larp seems to take on a more gamey-style, maybe even more sporty. That doesn't mean it's worse than the more roleplay-heavier focus Euro larps have. It's just different. This video does a great job of summerizing the competitive perspective American Larp seems to have (from an outsider perspective), while Euro larp tends to focus around the immersion, imagination and storybuilding. And your statement of uplifting one another is absolutely right.
A good little video and I do like the idea of calling it a LABA instead of a LARP! Also I was sad to see your channel output for sound went from Stereo to Mono for the last half and that just threw me out of the video. :
I have to agree, in part: The foam battle groups have more akin to games like the SCA, than they do to the adventure larps that stem from the NERO. We also can't discount the parlor larps in the US (many of which are WoD based).
DnD can be also played as a videogame. I enjoy both roleplaying And gamey mechanice for different reasons. Also, there are plenty of larps that are more battles with light roleplaying and more of a competitive nature in Europe. One of the basic aspects of a larp culture are the commonly accepted safety standards and who has liability in case of an injury. This comes down to whether the game is more of a communal thing, where everyone participates in the games success, or whether it is a more provider-customer relationship between thé organizers and the players.
Halfway thru the video and again at about 8mins, the stereo sound goes on the right side-- not sure if you noticed but I'm deaf on the left side so I thought I'd point it out.
I feel like this is why I keep having issues with NA larps... I've been begging for an actual story/character driven larp for years and whenever I think I found one, I get annoyed with the lack of personalizaion a character can have due to it's more combat/gamey focus. Apperently wanting to dress in fun costumes and playfully fight with sticks means I need to find a different game, but then the combat I want in a game is too aggressive and I should once again, find a different game. But spending the amount of money needed every time to "test" a system is really starting to get annoying.
I can’t agree more with this. It’s so hard to find a game with the right combination of focuses that I want. I’ve played so many just be disappointed. I love the hobby, but I haven’t found that “perfect” game for me yet.
There really just needs to be more terms. You already have some like the Parlor LARPs, Event LARP, and similar... In the US there's also the issue where you have a lot more in the way of "Euro" style LARPs than you would think...it's just that most of them are a different genre than expected with the massive pile of Vampire the Masquerade based ones where it also hits the bad publicity issue of a modern setting creating far to much of a blurring between the game and reality...and seems to also be set up to pull the worst of people out there, often to scary issues exacerbated by several bad people seeing it as an excuse to act out leading to more problems. I've tried a few over the years, they all seem to be that way, it's the nature of the setting to do that... I got into the Star Wars LARP scene for a while since there was a decently sized group that would run relatively short event based ones with a consistent subsetting (Wayfinder Station) that transitioned through a couple rule sets over the years, shifting to something based somewhat off of the D20 system rules mixed with blasters and foam lightsabers near the end of it when there were other issues that came out post a major story transition where they decided and were planning on ending the main story with something that was supposed to happen alongside the Battle of Endor and the fall of the Empire because they wanted to reset things and have more options to draw from the, at the time, ongoing Clone Wars era stuff that kept coming. I've been involved in parlor larps on occasion, though one evolved into a combo of that with pulp wargaming...that I'm not entirely sure how to explain the setup beyond a pulp bar. I find the euro style games more compelling, where the point is to be part of the story...mainly because I'd rather not end up in head on combat all the time. When i want that, I've got some friends who did some of the HEMA stuff with things along with training weapons. I like the costuming and you hit the boffer style that, often, pulls me out of the concept...though the realistic ones are expensive pieces of kit.
There are loads of EU larps with a boffer focus. But those have differences to US larps too. Usually they'd be rules minimalistic and high levels of gear quality. Close to reenactment. Search for videos from Conquest of Mythodea, Drachenfest, Epic Empires, Krigslive, Krigshjärta to see examples.
i have no problem with the NA stick fighting thing... what really annoys me is the need to wear the cheapest "medieval" outfit to it.. wrapping a wool blanket around my waist and wear nike sneakers while pretending "roleplaying" a barbarian.,, because of the fur around my wrists..?? come on.. just stop it.-. i came from the "larp haven" group to watch this video.. and you´re right,., this is no larp... this is cringe... girls with cat ears and pointy ears.. standing on a field with a plastic cup in their hands.... get rid of the cringe wannabe outfits.. and i think no european will ever argue again... we EU larpers invest hundreds of hours to make the look and feeling of our overall appearence as immersive as possible... you pointed it very well,, its about the "role".,, i like youre suggestion of the term LABA... it takes the tension out of the topic.
I mean I get you on the half-assing costume side of the house. I've definitely played plenty of heavy combat boffer larps that are like that in my youth when I didn't have access to anything better. I've been larping for 25 years in the US and I have also played some really high quality, roleplay focused games with quality, immersive garb and 24/7 in character guidelines. I'm in one right now that's just starting it's third, long running campaign, and have something planned for next year that I'll be attending that's a parlor/salon style. There's definitely a huge movement toward that in the US over the last decade or two, and lots of people only play that style of Larp. There's still a lot of catching up happening, but you can absolutely be an active larper and never touch a nero style buffer game in the US. That being said, it's okay that some people like to play it like a sport. If it brings them joy, there's nothing wrong with it.
Yog Sothoth, I agree that better garb placed in a more realistic environment is the goal. However, that creates two problems: 1. The cost in time in money to look the part becomes a barrier for entry and encourages new players to look elsewhere. 2. A quality environment to use as a backdrop is manageable for an event you run about 4 times a year. But we larp every weekend. It just isn't logistically realistic to reserve a quality event site for every weekend. So I have a simple garb kit for the weekend and a pretty nice one for when I go to events. But, in the information age, you are just going to get more videos and pics floating around that are of weekend larping than event larping.
I want to get into LARPing myself, haven't went to one or even made a character yet but I do have ideas. I also feel like honestly, a good combination of U.S. and E.U. style. I mean, who DOESN'T enjoy the world building and the immersion of a good story and a good world that sucks you in. That said, also...who can honestly say that they don't enjoy a good battle or small skirmish along that adventure and world building?
Vast majority of battle arena cringe fest are in the united states you never see those type of play anywhere else...and by cringe i mean most larps in the states seems to take places in public park and i think that is the major aspect that makes it cringe...this and the absolutely awfull costume that you guys larping gear....most larps in Cabada are like the European ones
LARP is more of a blanket term. I call games like Amtgard and Dagorhir "Medieval Boffer Sports."
Amtgard does describe itself as a LARP, but that's purely for marketing reasons.
as one of the few Amtgard larpers in canada, I'll say this. Back when my park was more role play heavy, it was alot more popular. We where able to attract more players, and keep more players. still was boffer, just roll play with boffer.
My park has since become more battle game focused, but we're trying to get back into the more roll play focus.
There are many larps on the East Coast of the USA that are more story driven.
I think, respectfully, that you're coming at this with the lens of your own personal gaming experience. I've been larping for 25 years in the US. I had a brief period in my 20s where I played a stick jockey type larp, but it wasn't for me and I have managed to larp consistently several times a year without ever touching anything like that since. I play games that are absolutely D&D in the woods with a heavy role play focus, character development, and high quality costumes, and I play it with lots of other like-minded people. I also play a lot of salons/ parlor larps that are entirely RP with no combat. I think my biggest issue with this video is the assertion that the majority of American larpers come from a sporting/ competitive background when there are lots of us who do not. I recognize that there are combat focused battle arena games in the US, but there are still lots of larp that Europeans would recognize as well. We're just not in the spotlight/ media as much.
My thoughts: "better" is subjective.
American larp seems to take on a more gamey-style, maybe even more sporty. That doesn't mean it's worse than the more roleplay-heavier focus Euro larps have. It's just different.
This video does a great job of summerizing the competitive perspective American Larp seems to have (from an outsider perspective), while Euro larp tends to focus around the immersion, imagination and storybuilding.
And your statement of uplifting one another is absolutely right.
A good little video and I do like the idea of calling it a LABA instead of a LARP! Also I was sad to see your channel output for sound went from Stereo to Mono for the last half and that just threw me out of the video. :
I have to agree, in part: The foam battle groups have more akin to games like the SCA, than they do to the adventure larps that stem from the NERO. We also can't discount the parlor larps in the US (many of which are WoD based).
Master hood looking great, sir. Was great meeting you at coro 😄
Thanks! I love this hood. I had to wear it in my newest video haha. It was only fitting.
DnD can be also played as a videogame. I enjoy both roleplaying And gamey mechanice for different reasons. Also, there are plenty of larps that are more battles with light roleplaying and more of a competitive nature in Europe.
One of the basic aspects of a larp culture are the commonly accepted safety standards and who has liability in case of an injury. This comes down to whether the game is more of a communal thing, where everyone participates in the games success, or whether it is a more provider-customer relationship between thé organizers and the players.
Halfway thru the video and again at about 8mins, the stereo sound goes on the right side-- not sure if you noticed but I'm deaf on the left side so I thought I'd point it out.
This is a good topic!
I feel like this is why I keep having issues with NA larps... I've been begging for an actual story/character driven larp for years and whenever I think I found one, I get annoyed with the lack of personalizaion a character can have due to it's more combat/gamey focus. Apperently wanting to dress in fun costumes and playfully fight with sticks means I need to find a different game, but then the combat I want in a game is too aggressive and I should once again, find a different game. But spending the amount of money needed every time to "test" a system is really starting to get annoying.
I can’t agree more with this. It’s so hard to find a game with the right combination of focuses that I want. I’ve played so many just be disappointed. I love the hobby, but I haven’t found that “perfect” game for me yet.
There are NA larps that have a more EU larp feel that exist across the country.
There really just needs to be more terms. You already have some like the Parlor LARPs, Event LARP, and similar...
In the US there's also the issue where you have a lot more in the way of "Euro" style LARPs than you would think...it's just that most of them are a different genre than expected with the massive pile of Vampire the Masquerade based ones where it also hits the bad publicity issue of a modern setting creating far to much of a blurring between the game and reality...and seems to also be set up to pull the worst of people out there, often to scary issues exacerbated by several bad people seeing it as an excuse to act out leading to more problems. I've tried a few over the years, they all seem to be that way, it's the nature of the setting to do that...
I got into the Star Wars LARP scene for a while since there was a decently sized group that would run relatively short event based ones with a consistent subsetting (Wayfinder Station) that transitioned through a couple rule sets over the years, shifting to something based somewhat off of the D20 system rules mixed with blasters and foam lightsabers near the end of it when there were other issues that came out post a major story transition where they decided and were planning on ending the main story with something that was supposed to happen alongside the Battle of Endor and the fall of the Empire because they wanted to reset things and have more options to draw from the, at the time, ongoing Clone Wars era stuff that kept coming.
I've been involved in parlor larps on occasion, though one evolved into a combo of that with pulp wargaming...that I'm not entirely sure how to explain the setup beyond a pulp bar.
I find the euro style games more compelling, where the point is to be part of the story...mainly because I'd rather not end up in head on combat all the time. When i want that, I've got some friends who did some of the HEMA stuff with things along with training weapons. I like the costuming and you hit the boffer style that, often, pulls me out of the concept...though the realistic ones are expensive pieces of kit.
We just call them Battle Games or Battlesport
Personally I think WAG would be better. Warfare action games.... Or that could just be the 40K slipping out.
No need to re-invent terms that already exist. Find the book: "Battle Gaming: The New American Sport", and read it.
I dunno man I'd rather say LABA instead of BGTNAS, doesn't have the same ring to it 🤣
Seems legit.
There are loads of EU larps with a boffer focus.
But those have differences to US larps too. Usually they'd be rules minimalistic and high levels of gear quality. Close to reenactment.
Search for videos from Conquest of Mythodea, Drachenfest, Epic Empires, Krigslive, Krigshjärta to see examples.
i have no problem with the NA stick fighting thing... what really annoys me is the need to wear the cheapest "medieval" outfit to it.. wrapping a wool blanket around my waist and wear nike sneakers while pretending "roleplaying" a barbarian.,, because of the fur around my wrists..?? come on.. just stop it.-. i came from the "larp haven" group to watch this video.. and you´re right,., this is no larp... this is cringe... girls with cat ears and pointy ears.. standing on a field with a plastic cup in their hands.... get rid of the cringe wannabe outfits.. and i think no european will ever argue again... we EU larpers invest hundreds of hours to make the look and feeling of our overall appearence as immersive as possible... you pointed it very well,, its about the "role".,, i like youre suggestion of the term LABA... it takes the tension out of the topic.
I mean I get you on the half-assing costume side of the house. I've definitely played plenty of heavy combat boffer larps that are like that in my youth when I didn't have access to anything better. I've been larping for 25 years in the US and I have also played some really high quality, roleplay focused games with quality, immersive garb and 24/7 in character guidelines. I'm in one right now that's just starting it's third, long running campaign, and have something planned for next year that I'll be attending that's a parlor/salon style. There's definitely a huge movement toward that in the US over the last decade or two, and lots of people only play that style of Larp. There's still a lot of catching up happening, but you can absolutely be an active larper and never touch a nero style buffer game in the US. That being said, it's okay that some people like to play it like a sport. If it brings them joy, there's nothing wrong with it.
Yog Sothoth, I agree that better garb placed in a more realistic environment is the goal. However, that creates two problems:
1. The cost in time in money to look the part becomes a barrier for entry and encourages new players to look elsewhere.
2. A quality environment to use as a backdrop is manageable for an event you run about 4 times a year. But we larp every weekend. It just isn't logistically realistic to reserve a quality event site for every weekend.
So I have a simple garb kit for the weekend and a pretty nice one for when I go to events. But, in the information age, you are just going to get more videos and pics floating around that are of weekend larping than event larping.
I want to get into LARPing myself, haven't went to one or even made a character yet but I do have ideas.
I also feel like honestly, a good combination of U.S. and E.U. style.
I mean, who DOESN'T enjoy the world building and the immersion of a good story and a good world that sucks you in.
That said, also...who can honestly say that they don't enjoy a good battle or small skirmish along that adventure and world building?
Right? I think a good mix is my favorite too.
Vast majority of battle arena cringe fest are in the united states you never see those type of play anywhere else...and by cringe i mean most larps in the states seems to take places in public park and i think that is the major aspect that makes it cringe...this and the absolutely awfull costume that you guys larping gear....most larps in Cabada are like the European ones
I'm 16 seconds in... and I already know europe does it better. Lol their events look like freaking movie sets