Are we TOO concerned with safety?

Hear me out before you grab your pitchforks.

I get that this is a business. I get that there are insurance concerns. I realize and understand that we have all different levels of physical ability – and disability – athleticism, comfort levels, ages, etc. This is a game that should be safe and accessible to all, with no one ever feeling like they are in a dangerous or uncomfortable situation, or that their person is in any way actually threatened. I 1000% totally and completely support that. A situation like this involving physical contact and potentially threatening interactions requires absolute trust and cooperation among the players involved.

But don’t you think we’re getting a little too obsessed about it lately?

This is a *contact-combat* game. Not everyone is into getting whacked all the time. Not everyone considers bruises to be a badge of honor. But just by showing up there has to be a certain understanding and acceptance of what you’re in for, doesn’t there? And for those uncomfortable with it, isn’t that why we have green headbands?

It’s getting to the point where combat stops every 15 seconds because someone roleplayed their damage too well. Every interaction takes forever, as we stop constantly to check “is this ok? Is this ok?”. I understand that for all our jokes about “safety third”, it really is Safety First, but those kinds of pauses have a hugely negative impact on play. It breaks the flow of a scene. It breaks character. And worst of all, it puts a huge stress on every player’s interaction, since at the back of your mind every second thought is “it seems innocuous and like interesting roleplay, but will this get me in trouble?” I really truly think that half of our obsession with safety doesn’t even have anything to do with people actually care if someone gets hurt, so much as fear of getting in trouble for it.

What’s worse, things aren’t even enforced uniformly, leading to questions about what is or is not acceptable for the sake of the game.

An example that actually happened last year:

I climbed a tree. Well, a semi-fallen one. I was alone at the time, and pretty high up. But hey, I’m an elf. I climb trees.
After a time, I saw a group of NPCs coming towards me. The marshal leading them noticed me and shouted “IF YOU DON’T GET OUT OF THAT TREE RIGHT NOW I AM GIVING YOU A RULES VIOLATIONS”. So out of the tree I went, and on my no-longer-quite-so-merry way.
Later, I was recounting the story to a friend, who was also a marshal. Just before I got to the part about being ordered out of the tree, he suddenly exclaimed “WOW THAT’S SO COOL! If I had seen it I would have given you so many roleplaying points!”

Those are… pretty polar extreme opposite reactions, I think you’ll agree. I also think most people would agree that, insurance concerns aside, an educated 30 year old woman can make the decision for herself as to whether or not an object is sturdy and safe enough to climb on – and if she’s willing to take that risk on herself.

We ALL have a responsibility to keep the game as safe and fun as possible for everyone involved. But maybe we should also focus a little more on personal responsibility? We have a safety word, after all: It’s “HOLD”. If I give someone a particularly hard whack and they stumble back, shouldn’t I have the right to assume that everything is fine (and press the advantage!) unless and until I hear that safety word? If I trip and fall during combat, shouldn’t it be up to *me* to decide if I need that safety word, not someone next to me screaming it and ruining a particularly energetic and exciting moment for everyone?

I’m not quite sure how to end this honestly. And as someone who admittedly has a reputation for being a bit on the hard-hitting side, maybe you think I'm just mad that I'm not allowed to go around breaking skulls. That's... that's super duper not the case. Like, I can't even begin to stress that enough. I’m not saying everybody needs to abide by “Jersey Friend Rule”. And you should ALWAYS know the comfort level of the person you’re taking an extreme action against. I’m posting this not to rail against safety policy or suggest that we’ve suddenly become a game of wussies, just as an appeal to both players and staff to maybe give thought to the way we go about things, so that the game remains, has it always has been, exciting, dynamic, fantastical, and most of all, safe.

Honestly Jenna you have some really great points. Safety is a big issue, but it shouldn't be too stressed. With LARPing there is a line that each player stands on, and you don't know if something is safe or not. I have crossed that line before, and I tend to have my roleplaying on the more physical side. I like the idea of doing more physical skills. It doesn't mean I'm going to tackle everyone I see under the pretense of physical roleplay, but if I have permission from the player I will grab them, lift them (if I can), push them, and not just say I'm mad and speak as if I'm mad, but act it. I can't guarantee that you wouldn't feel a little pain. Maybe a good push would have you fall on your butt, but my goal is not to hurt you. I want this to feel real, but not to the point of actual injury. If you don't feel comfortable about something, just tell me.

With things like tree climbing, running really quickly on uneven surfaces, long jumps, and other stunts, I made this decision regarding my own health. I'm not trying to hurt anyone, but things like this are part of the whole roleplaying. I am in an expansive space that's woodlands, rocky roads, streams, and even forests. If I'm going to climb a tree that looks safe for me to climb and I have judged it to be safe for me, then I can going to climb it. It's my decision with my own safety in mind.

To be honest, I have never been a fan of the idea of "Safety First." I get that at KR we always say "Safety Third", but sometimes it seems like "Safety First". And I understand that you guys want me to be safe, but I made a stupid decision on my own. I don't need safety shoved down my throat by people, even if they have my best interests. If I made a stupid decision, it's up to me to suffer the consequences.

And that's my two cents.

I feel you put in your post many good arguments against your thesis. This is a business, not just the larp, but the camp. There are insurance concerns. However, I think it goes beyond that, I like to think that we actually don't want anyone to get hurt because we care about our players.

That said, I am glad you listened to the marshal on the spot. It was their call to make if they felt the situation was safe. Not just for you, but for the next person who saw you do that, and so they also took to doing something similar, for the NPCs who might have decided that it was safe to follow you up the tree to attack you (which could have ended badly).

In the end, I understand where you are coming from, but I hope you know that we do our best to have a fun game everyone can enjoy and we try to limit the amount of accident and injuries that happen.

I hope that in the end you understand my position, and why I am locking this thread. I don't want what you started as an honest question to be turned into a banner for reckless behaviour on the part of others.

Thank you.