|
|
|
Heroic Knight
 
Group: Basic Members
Last Login: Yesterday @ 11:40 PM
Posts: 155,
Visits: 1,634
|
|
| One of the things I'll often come across when larping (or just discussing larp) is people who's attitude to larp can be summarised as: "In real life I'm a loser, so I larp to feel like I'm a somebody" (or variations on this) Are you one of these people? Do you larp with them? how does it effect the style of roleplay/game? From personal experience I tend to find this type of person tends to be in the "larp is all about fun, so no PvP killing, or intimidation, lets just all get along" type of game. Do other people find this?
|
|
|
|
|
Wag
Group: System Moderators
Last Login: Thursday, August 21, 2008 11:39 PM
Posts: 1,141,
Visits: 3,626
|
|
What you are talking about there is 'wish fulfillment' and is one of many reasons why people roleplay. Its not one that many admit to, however, unless you apply pressure  After all, how many people are willing to admit they are a total loser?One indication of wish fulfillment is munchkin tendencies - people trying to get as much power as they can in order to be 'better than they are in real life'. Though this is only the extreme end of the spectrum. Personally, I like seeing how the story comes out which may be why I prefer to crew or ref as that gives a more observation based position. I think PvP and the like is all good as it adds an extra layer of complexity to the plot.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Whispering God is your friend... trust the Whispering God... Ruins of Empire 1st - 3rd Feb, 2008, Gladstone scout centre, Chester
|
|
|
|
|
Wag
Group: Basic Members
Last Login: Today @ 7:32 PM
Posts: 1,228,
Visits: 10,407
|
|
Yeah I suppose there are people in LRP that are in it 'to be someone'. But to say that they tend towards the 'fluffy' end of roleplay is a mistake. In my experience those that have something to prove tend towards the reverse in fact. They want to powerplay and kill/subjugate others via PvP actions.
_____________________________________________________
RL: Mr Sofar
Curved core weaponry and bespoke stuff.
ShelfordFX
|
|
|
|
|
Wag
Group: System Moderators
Last Login: Thursday, August 21, 2008 11:39 PM
Posts: 1,141,
Visits: 3,626
|
|
| Never said that they didn't PvP. Just that there are more than one motive for PvP than just wish fulfillment. I suppose the difference is motive. A munchkin may consider it appropriate to engage in PvP 'Just because its fun' and they get to demonstrate their power over others. The example there may be some of the muggers in Omega who mug because they want a fight. However, there are legitimate story and character reasons for PvP as well - sometimes even instigated by the plot team or inherent in the background. Several of the Maelstrom cultures have that aspect built into them. There are good IC reasons why any two of them may come to blows.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Whispering God is your friend... trust the Whispering God... Ruins of Empire 1st - 3rd Feb, 2008, Gladstone scout centre, Chester
|
|
|
|
|
Wag
Group: Basic Members
Last Login: Today @ 7:32 PM
Posts: 1,228,
Visits: 10,407
|
|
| Sorry Balor I was replying to the first post at the same time as you. The comment was directed towards James when he said: From personal experience I tend to find this type of person tends to be in the "larp is all about fun, so no PvP killing, or intimidation, lets just all get along" type of game.
_____________________________________________________
RL: Mr Sofar
Curved core weaponry and bespoke stuff.
ShelfordFX
|
|
|
|
|
Heroic Knight
Group: Basic Members
Last Login: Yesterday @ 11:40 PM
Posts: 155,
Visits: 1,634
|
|
| Larp probably is (at least partly) about wish fulfillment, different people have different dreams.. For me, the wish is to experience a different place/time than I can physically achieve (until time machines or holodecks are invented!) I guess it depends on the person(s) involved.. some will play powergaming tossers, and some become 'fluffy' players. I guess a fair amount depends on the personality of the person, and also who else plays (e.g. how quickly pgt's are slapped down, how many liberties are allowed) I find I really can't get on and roleplay with these people, I get too annoyed with the artificial IC limits to what is allowed and not. ("Oh you can't kill X, that wouldn't be fun for him/her", usually taken to the extreme of "You can't do anything that might reduce the fun of someone else") Pah!
|
|
|
|
|
Wag
Group: Basic Members
Last Login: Monday, November 17, 2008 5:18 PM
Posts: 2,003,
Visits: 8,520
|
|
James_Adamson (9/26/2006)
"In real life I'm a loser, so I larp to feel like I'm a somebody" (or variations on this)
I think this is a bit silly - there are a group of people with tendency A (losers!), an external judgement which very few people are likely to agree with - I believe they tend to play in style-of-play B. I think there are many decent grounds on which to undermine style-of-play B, but simply associating them (by allegation) with losers is a bit weak and liable to be thrown straight back at you.
James_Adamson (9/26/2006)
From personal experience I tend to find this type of person tends to be in the "larp is all about fun, so no PvP killing, or intimidation, lets just all get along" type of game. Do other people find this?
No - certainly people who can't handle/succeed in conflict OOC tend to play characters who can't IC either. Partly it's that OOC pecking orders don't seem to alter greatly IC (which on the one hand seems to be a massive shame - where better to try out different, perhaps superior, forms of behaviour than in a larp game - however, that's rather the point - if you play a character who turns out to be better at achieving his social goals than you are, you're probably going to learn from that OOC) - people who cannot (rather than choose not to) throw their weight around OOC can't usually do it IC either.
But I don't think that necessarily makes them losers, just people who have more to lose than gain from conflict. Some of them may be playing wish fulfilment alter egos to feel better about themselves, but I think the majority are just playing because they enjoy the gentle social interaction that occurs through roleplaying a character. A "let's all be friends" attitude is preferred partly because they fear OOC grief from someone who can't handle "confrontational play", probably there's an element of people who aren't good sword-fighters won't want the game to involve lots of sword-fighting - people who don't do well in social confrontation would prefer it if the game didn't involve too much of that/it didn't come there way - and there's partly a protectionist "I'm rather enjoying my tea-party, why should I surrender it to your grand dynamic realpolitik game?".
I think there may be people who have such a need to identify themselves as "good" people that they cannot play "bad" characters or, if they do, they have to constantly caveat it as "funny" or "to make a better game for everyone else". However, I find it rather hard to empathise with since I find it irritatingly blindly absolutist and it strikes me as running counter to the whole basis of the game (IC != OOC - making a point of saying you're uncomfortable playing "bad" characters rather implies you have equivocal feelings about players who play "bad" characters - undermining the nonjudgemental basis of roleplay).
Marios
|
|
|
|
|
Wag
Group: Basic Members
Last Login: Today @ 7:32 PM
Posts: 1,228,
Visits: 10,407
|
|
| Oh sorry I misunderstood! This is going to be one of those 'flaunt with trolling' threads. Learn one thing please. Everbody and I mean everbody roleplays differantly, they all play the game differantly. Whinging on about how other people handle games is getting a bit old. If you are only going to fest size events then you are going to have to tolerate peoples differant styles. If you can't tolerate that then find a smaller game. Smaller games tend to have just one kind of style of play. Go play there.
_____________________________________________________
RL: Mr Sofar
Curved core weaponry and bespoke stuff.
ShelfordFX
|
|
|
|
| | |