Why is it that hobbies we loved as a child are so frowned upon once we “grow up”? Why are some childhood hobbies deemed okay, but only because of pop culture? What is it with society telling adults that we still have to mature?
I love LARP. LARPing gets me through the tough times all adults go through. LARP, for those who don’t know, stands for Live Action Role Play. Simply put, it’s a fun way to be someone else for a weekend and act out scenarios you don’t get to in real life. For instance, my main LARP is medieval fantasy. Players are able to make characters of a multitude of races, including elves, dwarves, orcs, and more. It’s awesome.
Now, some media does paint us in a bad light. There are the stereotypes of LARPers being neck-bearded basement dwellers (of which there may be some, but they’re still cool people), but in reality the majority of LARP goers that I’ve met have been rather ordinary. We’re your coworkers. We’re your receptionists, your professors, your veterans and service-men. We’re your cooks, your lawyers, your engineers, and your nurses. We’re a spectrum, just like the “real world”. And, despite how it may seem, the gender ratio is pretty even across the board. The male/female ratio of my home LARP is roughly half and half (though certain races do lean one way-for instance, most of the orcs are male players).
I know I keep focusing on medieval fantasy setting, so if that isn’t your thing, there are also LARPs with modern, future, and dystopian settings. I have seen LARPS based in World War II, based off the show Firefly, modern Vampire: The Masquerade, and dystopian futures that give off Mad Max vibes.
Geek-dom has made it to pop culture. Star Wars and Star Trek have both made it to mainstream media. Even medieval fantasy like Game of Thrones has surfaced. Merchandise for these franchises is found everywhere, and is no longer limited to specialty “nerdy” stores. So let’s push this geek culture even further into the light and start to shine on LARP.
I get it, though. Dressing up and playing pretend does really seem childish if that’s how you boil down the facts. That being said-don’t you miss it? The carefree break from the chores you had to do? It was fun to sword-fight with sticks with your friends. It was fun to change your name to something fantastical and turn yourself into a mage of great power. Don’t you miss being the knight in shining armor saving the town from an evil necromancer? Don’t you miss being a space marine battling invaders? I don’t, because I still do.
Not all LARPS have combat, either. Some are light touch combat (not using full strength), some are heavy combat. Some LARPs don’t have combat at all, or use rock-paper-scissors in place of it. Want to be in a combat LARP with your friends but don’t want to fight? Be a healer, or a merchant, or a smith/mechanic.
Don’t have the money? My characters’ clothes are all from thrift stores. Some LARPs have loaner gear, including weapons. Some will let your first event be free. Do some research into what interests you to see if there’s anything nearby. Go alone or with a group. Blow off some steam. Work sucks, being human is a drag, so go out and be whatever you want to be.
