Why Do You LARP? question from Matt Calo
Well, I guess I should start out by saying what a LARP actually is for those who aren't aware. LARP stands for Live Action Role Play. You create a character based on the "world" the LARP takes place in and you choose classes and skills from said class.
There are many different kinds of Larps such as Post Apocalyptic, Steam Punk, Wild West, Vampire, High Fantasy, and the list goes on. The Larp that I attend fairly regularly is a Larp based out of the New Jersey/PA area and is called Knight Realms. It's a high fantasy larp meaning there are different races such as elves, goblins, orcs, sylphs, nyads, dryads, hobbits, like 5 types of humans. There is a pretty detailed class system including a wide variety of magic, combat and divine usage. Pretty much think of it as a Ren Fair mixed with Dungeons and Dragons and Lord of the Rings. That's the best way I can think to describe it. Well, at least the LARP i attend. Knight Realms is also a 50/50 split as far as role playing and combat. Something like SCA is more combat intensive. So if you're looking into Larping make sure you find the right Larp for you.
Now as to the reasons I larp. Honestly, I've always loved dressing up in period style clothing and going to ren fairs. Ever since I was little I enjoyed it. Felt like I was in my own little fairytale of some sort. I've always been drawn to that style of dress whether it's ball gowns or peasantry clothing, I find it all beautiful and very feminine. It's a nice change of pace going from T-shirts and jeans to fancy skirts and bodices.
First, let me begin by saying I have a slight social phobia. Being around large groups of people I don't know makes me go into panic attacks. It took a few months for a friend of mine to convince me to go in the first place, but everyone there is so incredibly nice that it began helping me get over my said phobia. This was one of the first reasons I had decided to go. I didn't want to live like a hermit the rest of my life and I came to the realization that I was letting fear limit me and my life. And so despite being uncomfortable with it, I decided to take the leap and thus far it's been greatly successful.
Secondly, I've suffered from self-esteem problems most of my life. Through Larping, I've been able to instill certain characteristics in my own personality that I have striven for, therefor helping me begin to overcome my self esteem issues. For example, I can be incredibly shy around new people and somewhat quiet, so I created a character who was a Barbarian combat class. Being a barbarian I was loud, boisterous, not being afraid of conflict or approaching people. Through constantly having to get into the mindset of this character i began to realize that I have the ability to stand up for myself, speak my mind and not be afraid of meeting new people. Through playing her I began to gain confidence in myself. After all, if you become so used to acting a certain way it becomes second nature for you.
I currently play two characters, a High Elf Mage and a Barbarian Dragoon. Both are complete opposites of each other. The Elf is very prim and proper and incredibly witty allowing me to express my intelligence without feeling like I'm blabbering away. Also, it allows me to see what is considered correct social interaction therefor making me less social awkward in situations. Where the barbarian gives me a new sort of confidence. It helps integrate certain traits I've desired in myself for a while but until recently haven't been able to bolster within myself.
Another reason I Larp is because it's fantastic stress relief. Being able to beat "monsters" with fake soft weaponry in a fantastic way to blow of some unneeded stress in life. As well as being able to be someone completely different for a weekend. Simply getting into the mindset and leaving your troubles at the door for an entire weekend is usually the step back from reality that I need to be able to journey back to real life and deal with issues that have been bothering me. It's actually been better for me than therapy and I'm much happier with this coping method.
The final reason that I Larp is because we're a pretty tight knit and nice community. There are people who go from all age ranges and all walks of life whether they be a poor college student or a wealthy retired business man. The friends I've made there have been absolutely amazing and I couldn't ask for a better experience ^_^
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