So here comes a confession: I am an avid, happy as a clam LARPer. That’s Live-Action Roleplay for those who don’t know the term. Lots of folks don’t understand it, even other geeks. Yet every weekend, gamers across the country put on their best costumes and embark on storytelling adventures with their friends and fellow players in games that span a dozen genres. From the theater style games like White Wolf’s long-standing Camarilla Club games, to the all-out lightest touch combat (or boffer) games most often seen in the media, there’s a lot of variety in LARP out there. Still, I’m often boggled at how badly LARP is perceived by people. After considering reasons why that might be, I came come up with one decent reason. When you take a look at how LARP has been portrayed in the media, the offerings are, sadly, pretty horrifying.
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