If you ever have to explain what we do when we go "CAMPING"

16x9 : Role Play: What's it like to LARP?

I normally just look the questioner in the eyes and say "I sneak through the woods and shoot at people with a crossbow."

What really sells it is the deadpan delivery and matter of fact manner in which I saw it. They usually don't ask twice...

I post that with a bunch of people I "frolic in the woods." To give credit where it is due, Norm came up with the phrase.

Oddly, people don't really question it when I tell them that I "go into the forest and pretend to be English."

I tell people precisely what I do. I also tell them it is called Knight Realms, that a lot of other really cool people do it too, and then I usually show them some pictures.

Chris McKenzie wrote: I normally just look the questioner in the eyes and say "I sneak through the woods and shoot at people with a crossbow."

I tell people that too! Nothing like having people give a mom plenty of space at the playground

I am usually just blunt and tell them I am a LARPer, and I explain it's live action roleplay. The most common thing I say, "It's like being in a movie...except you're out in the woods for a weekend, wearing costuming you have made/bought, there is no script and you make your own characters and there are story-tellers who do plot stuff that you follow." and answering questions as they ask them usually helps.
For the more nerd-savvy I tell them it's D&D live action.

I'm blunt too, and I tell people that I am LARPing. But for people in my age group, the best explanation is that it's the thing from Role Models, except bad-ass.

Yeah I'm pretty blunt about it too, haha. I usually just go out right and say that I LARP- like in role models only WAY cooler! And then I show them pictures!

Alicia D. wrote: Yeah I'm pretty blunt about it too, haha. I usually just go out right and say that I LARP- like in role models only WAY cooler! And then I show them pictures!

that's exactly how I explain it too hahaha

ahem

the term I use is

interactive improvisational theater group

I look them in the eye and say "I commit legalized assault"

I usually respond with this...

pretty good Paul!

"You ever watch Star Trek? It's kind of like the holodeck. Picard picks a book and gets to be the main character of that book for an afternoon. He gets to play out that world. LARP is the same way. You get to step into a character of your own creation and interact with characters created by players - like yourself - or with characters who are directly part of the story and exist to motivate the plot."

At the border it's always fun.

Patrol: So what are you doing?
Me: Do you know what larp is?
Patrol: No
Me: Have you seen Rolemodels the movie?
Patrol: No
Me: Ok well I dress up like an elf and run through the woods
Patrol: *Just stares at me* Really?
Me: Yup it's kind of like Dungeons and Dragons in the woods or World of warcraft in the woods
Patrol: *Just stares at me* So You dress up like an elf and play a game in the woods? *Examines (Normally when I drive down) all the guys in the car*
Me: Yup we've got interesting hobbies.
Patrol: So it's like Anime. I get anime. Have a good day miss.

I get a lot of awkward conversations at the border.

Offer to hit him a few times with a sword, that'll help!

I told my job that I went "camping" for my first event but then I realized the people at my job question everything. So when I immediately requested off for the following event, eyebrows were raised.
I reluctantly explained and now they call me "little queen larper" and make jokes about slaying orcs while running to get dishes from the kitchen.

truly a threat to national security.

It's difficult explaining the once a month 'camping' I do during the weekends... and that's WITH explaining / showing my mother the Knight Realms website. She tells me it's simply okay as long as I'm safe. I reply, "Well, at least I have a foam dagger and I haven't seen any bears yet." My mother stares at me quizzically most times or asks me questions like: "Are you sure you'll be okay?" or "Why would you do this to yourself?" I simply shrug and wonder if she thinks her sweet, proper Chinese daughter is a secret fantasy masochist. I wouldn't put it past her, seeing as everything I do is peculiar to her--like: spending time with friends instead of studying.

Oh, the woes of being an enigma.

it's really silly that descriptions like
"We're going to stand in a square and deck each other in the face until one of us is knocked out"
or
"we;re going to stand in a line and try and smash each other to the ground, that way, no one gets to run around with an egg shaped ball."
or
"i'm going to hit this thing with this metal pole and it's going to go far."
or
"I really enjoy watching cars turn left at 237498234 miles per an hour and end up in the same place as they started"
are all totally acceptable!...

but
"I immerse myself in a story where I get to be a character in a world with armor and a sword and sometimes magic. We use camp grounds for atmosphere and have almost no dangerous physical contact aside from combat safe latex weapons"
is weird, socially off beat, and juvenile.

*claws at face*
WHY CAN'T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG
*sings kumbayyyaahhhhh*