Interviewees Wanted: UW publication on LARP

[Webmonkey]

A reporter from a UW campus publication is writing an article about our games in the context of the 'mainstreaming' of LARPing. She has asked me to pass on the following questions.

Please comment on each only if you are interested in participating in this informal interview in the post below. I'll be directing the interviewer to the post at a later time.

1. I specifically am interested in the current mainstreaming of nerd culture that is happening and has been happening for a while. (Why do you think that is going on? What are your thoughts about it?)

2. I would love to know what draws you to LARP.

3. Beyond other RPG's LARPing is definitely much more involved and takes a greater level of commitment. (Discuss your thoughts briefly)

4. I would like to know if I could speak with someone, or send some questions, most likely via email, if anyone was willing to talk about their personal experience, the seemingly growing popularity, and any other questions I may have. (Please mention if you would be available for further comments, and an email address)

Thanks,

- Chris

[Webmonkey]

The publication is called "The Daily" and you can view it here: dailyuw.com/

I'll post a link to the finished article when published. Time is short so if you want to do this, post asap.

[Wit]

1. I specifically am interested in the current mainstreaming of nerd culture that is happening and has been happening for a while.
IMO recently, in the last 20 years or so, there has been a surge of innovation that has offered a number of occasions of what you know being far more important than who you know. This has allowed shake ups in the mainstream structure. This sort of shake up has occurred a number of times in the world, and the digital revolution has been another such time. Also the ability to use the net to find peers offers support to those that might otherwise keep quiet and to themselves now have a community to empower them to be more vocal.

2. I would love to know what draws you to LARP.
I am a gamer, and have been lacking in game. Now only does this offer a regular and frequent chance to game, but a large pool of folks to play with. This is my first larp setting, so I am not sure how much deeper I can get into why this larp. But It is an active set of social interaction with more people than I would normally be able to be active with in a standard dnd game


3. Beyond other RPG's LARPing is definitely much more involved and takes a greater level of commitment.
I don’t agree. I think that any type of community RPG (So not Computer game) takes commitment and the more involved you can get into the play the more you and the group you are with will be able to get out of it.

4. I would like to know if I could speak with someone, or send some questions, most likely via email, if anyone was willing to talk about their personal experience, the seemingly growing popularity, and any other questions I may have.(Please mention if you would be)
That seems Fine! [e-mail] is my Forum email! 

[Mercury "Merc" Miller]

1. I specifically am interested in the current mainstreaming of nerd culture that is happening and has been happening for a while. (Why do you think that is going on? What are your thoughts about it?)

This has absolutely everything to do with the internet and the ability of people to connect with other subgroups. While the furry community and NAMBLA show that there is a moral hazard here in allowing deviant groups the ability to reinforce each others' behavior as desirable, the flipside is that people who thought they were the only ones who watched Firefly, or rolled dice, or dressed up as a Klingon can find kindred spirits and pursue their interests in a supportive community.

2. I would love to know what draws you to LARP.

LARP is part improvisational theater, part personal therapy. It's a chance to take a particular aspect of myself, dial it up to 11, and collide it into other characters to see what happens. I completely understand the pure juvenile power-fantasy that LARP affords, but that is completely ancillary to my interests in it.

3. Beyond other RPG's LARPing is definitely much more involved and takes a greater level of commitment. (Discuss your thoughts briefly)

Unlike tabletop games, which allow a "theater of the mind" to let you become a caped crusader, starship captain or Old West lawman, LARP (specifically modern horror LARP) generally is grounded in the here and now, albeit with an extra helping of superpowers. Immersion is literally everything, and when people are able to completely commit and become their role, it's as compelling as scripted theater.

4. I would like to know if I could speak with someone, or send some questions, most likely via email, if anyone was willing to talk about their personal experience, the seemingly growing popularity, and any other questions I may have. (Please mention if you would be available for further comments, and an email address)

I'd be happy to respond to a more in-depth questionnaire; you can reach me at [e-mail]

[Webmonkey]

The interviewer has what they need. They send their thanks, and the photographer says he for some great shots. I'll post the article when it is published.

[Gavin]

1. I specifically am interested in the current mainstreaming of nerd culture that is happening and has been happening for a while. (Why do you think that is going on? What are your thoughts about it?)

There are a few factors at play here. First of all, geek culture has been going on for a few generations now, and you have whole family lines who grew up in the culture. Geeks with geek parents or even grandparents are less likely to feel a need to "hide" their geek flag, which can aid in mainstreaming.

As someone else noted, the internet is a huge part of this, too. It simultaneously changed everything and changed nothing. Fan magazines, mostly self-published, existed previously, to share fanfic or draw fans of obscure shows together over vast distances, often being mailed overseas or traded in convention hospitality rooms. The internet didn't invent anything new in this regard, but it did make it all faster and, more importantly, easier to engage. With the significantly-lowered bar for accessibility, it helps draw more people in.

Patton Oswald wrote an article in the last year or two saying how this lowered bar would kill geek culture. I remember reading that and thinking the man was officially old, and he missed the whole point. Geek culture isn't supposed to be an exclusive club. It's supposed to be about embracing who you are and what you enjoy. Making that easier can only be a good thing. If you want a sociologist's examination of geek culture, I can strongly recommend the work of Henry Jenkins. "Textual Poachers" is a wonderful classic examination, written in the mid-90s, and you can see the roots of what would come to be with the internet age, while his more recent work is just as insightful.

2. I would love to know what draws you to LARP.

I have made some of my best friends at LARP. I love storytelling in general, regardless of the format, be it a movie, a story-driven video game, a book, a play, roleplaying, or anything else. Roleplaying is a more interactive form of storytelling than the other formats, of course, which can be wonderful. I love getting together with friends, adopting an alternative persona for the evening, and seeing what adventures our characters can have. Letting go, letting myself have fun being a crazy guy who howls at the moon... it's a blast, and I get to share that with some great friends.

3. Beyond other RPG's LARPing is definitely much more involved and takes a greater level of commitment. (Discuss your thoughts briefly)

RPGs in general are a form of storytelling, and there are a number of formats available. LARP is just one format, with advantages and disadvantages over other formats. The stories in LARP work best when they are intensely personal. There are twenty (or however many players) different personal stories going on, sometimes intersecting, sometimes paralleling, sometimes colliding in spectacular ways. The more you put into it, the more you get out of it. It's also fun to see how your character can enhance the story of other characters, and help other people have a more exciting and engaging time.

4. I would like to know if I could speak with someone, or send some questions, most likely via email, if anyone was willing to talk about their personal experience, the seemingly growing popularity, and any other questions I may have. (Please mention if you would be available for further comments, and an email address)

Absolutely. I'd be happy to speak more. I have been gaming in various formats for 28 years now, and I've been LARPing now, on and off, for eighteen years. I've run LARPs (up in Bellingham) with upwards of 50 players in the past, though it's been many years now. The skills I have gained in RPing have been critical to my professional skills.

I can be emailed at gavin dot downing at gmail dot com.

[Webmonkey]

Completed article is here: vampst.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=show&thread=14392