The 40K LARPers Have Arrived!

[Bigred]

http://www.dexposure.com/tsmc2013.html

You and 4 of your friends can now BE Space Marines - kind of...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zqpht1aC67w

[pauljc]

I just facepalmed my keyboard...

[White Tiger88]

No, Just....No.

[Panxer]

Being sarcastic, but not hating on anyone (seriously, this is 'Merica...good for you) but how is anyone going to do a CC round, if they're running (ACKEM! waddling) in SM armor at 1 to 12? By the time they get to one another they're going to be huffin and puffin so bad that I'm willing to bet that the chainsword will be leaned against, not used to swing at anyone...

The dude in the background (stage right) looks eager to play too...

[jgebi]

what sounds cool and could be cool will properly just be ****en stupid I like the idea but just no

[YourSwordisMine]

Kill it... kill it with fire...

before it spreads...

[bfmusashi]

I get why people like LARPing. It's an organized activity in costume and there's a lot of appeal in that. It's not my flavor of geekery and I think 40k is a horrible setting for it. I want to know why they aren't just using straight Lazer Tag gear though.

[Dalleron]

Laser tag might seem better, and would definitely be simpler and already exists. However, laser tag doesn't have anything to do with random ness that is 40k and dice rolling. Also, how would you account for power armour in laser tag. 3 hits and you're out kind of deal?

But I think I'm in the camp of NO.

[Mr Mystery]

Ok. I'm a seasoned LRP player....

And I have to say, why not just air soft it? Much less fannying around.

Mind you, I do fantasy stuff, and still consider clonking some with my mace, or otherwise lapidating my opponent about the cerebellum to be the whole point. Guns are for girls. Go get stuck in properly, you simpering great nancy!

[White Tiger88]

Kill it... kill it with fire...

before it spreads...

There is not enough fire to deal with larp's...............

[Mr Mystery]

There is not enough fire to deal with larp's...............

Says the man who has most likely never tried it.

[White Tiger88]

Says the man who has most likely never tried it.

Watched once, tried to try......Then broke out laughing. Its not my thing to pretend to beat someone with a mace, or shoot people with foam darts for fun......

[Mystery.Shadow]

Played a 24-Hour Role-Playing Paintball Game one time with dice. 2D10s to be more precise. Hitting and 'wounding' is as simple as shooting 'enemy' players with paint. Just like the original game.

But since it was more of a role-playing game, there were players who had a 'particular set of skills' that could be tried in the field.

For example, an Expert Bomb Technician could disarm a boobytrap 85% of the time. He attempts his disarm, and a Referee rolls the 2D10s. Lets the player know of the result.


But your average grunt has a 3% chance. There's no time to get a specialist, gotta do it NOW! The Referee rolls the result.... The Referees in the area let everyone know that everyone in 5D10 foot radius of the device are now dead!

Great times.

[eldargal]

LARP is a social hobby that promotes exercise, not a bad thing at all. As a serious (as in I take it seriously) reenactor and cosplayer I do find most LARP groups don't me my standards. I don't blame them, making gear that looks like it stepped out of the appropriate time/setting is time consuming and often expensive and usually requires specific skills that have to be learnt from scratch. So I couldn't join them.

But I do applaud them, I mean it is no sillier than watching oversexed young men kick a ball around a field for a million pounds a game.

[Kawauso]

My ex was a LARPer. Not my thing really but I don't fault him or anyone else for enjoying it as a hobby.
Honestly I find the stigma LARPing has kind of odd given some of the things people enjoy - as eldargal's just pointed out. I mean, this is a forum dedicated to people who enjoy playing war with dice and little plastic models representing aliens and futuristic soldiers. :)

My brother's a historic reenactor who's into paintball and the like and this summer he's joined up for some paintball LARP-ish event which actually sounds pretty interesting. It's a huge thing run by some ex-military guys who rent out this huge piece of property with abandoned buildings and everything. They also come up with a mission scenario and briefing for both of the teams that makes sense, given their backgrounds. Lasts several days and they even have tanks and helicopters with pilots and everything to ferry people around and smoke and paint grenades and all manner of fun toys...I think there're going to be something like a few hundred people in attendance - it's not the first year this thing has happened.

So something like that might interest me. As other people have suggested, however, most LARPing is too low-quality to really get me all that interested.

[Defenestratus]

But I do applaud them, I mean it is no sillier than watching oversexed young men kick a ball around a field for a million pounds a game.

When you say these things about me in a public forum - it hurts.

[eldargal]

You have it coming.:p

[YourSwordisMine]

I'm ex-SCA...

But when I think of LARPING, 90's era Vampire instantly springs to mind...

And for that... you need fire... lots of fire...

and probably penicillin...

[Renegade]

Could concentrate on what was being said, kept thinking how much fun one could have with a big old magnate and a car battery on a bike with that fat dude.

I wonder if GW will send the a C&D claiming it brings the hobby in to disrepute?

[Uncle Nutsy]

From a technological standpoint, this is going to be rather difficult to pull off. As others have mentioned, either airsoft or lasertag would work better.

But instead of those two things, a nerf-like system would work the best. Slower moving projectiles, able to shape foam to bolter-like rounds, and you can also add electronic sensor pads to the costumes themselves to record the to-hits. Also, based on the location of the hit, you can use a simple algorithm to calculate the chance of a to-wound.

[DarkLink]

Seriously, you all are way, way overthinking how to make a game of paintball fun.

In fact, I've nothing nice to say about the idea that you should literally roll to hit and wound while actually physically paintballing, so I won't say anything at all. My mother would be proud:rolleyes:.

Just paintball or airsoft or whatever. It's tons of fun. Trying to simulate dice rolling will just get in the way of the things that make paintballing fun. You wanna roll dice? Play tabletop 40k or Dark Heresy or something.

[Archon Charybdis]

Do we need to break out the flowchart here?

http://ifanboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/geekchartbig.gif

[Mr Mystery]

Watched once, tried to try......Then broke out laughing. Its not my thing to pretend to beat someone with a mace, or shoot people with foam darts for fun......

Guess you missed the thrill of combat, the fun of the camaraderie, and all the drinking. And the dirty songs. And the monstering. And the facing down a group of would be attackers with some Peter Parker style lip, despite knowing you have nothing to back it up with?

It's a solid weekend's fun. Well. 5 days if your a bit mental.

As with pretty much anything, you get out what you put in.

But overall, whilst you are entitled to your opinion, and respect for at least having tried it..... But sadly, your comments seem to suggest that your head is quite firmly ensconced within your rectum, and you are simply unable to tell the difference between the value of something you don't enjoy, and an inherently unpleasant activity, like cleaning out a privy.

[Uncle Nutsy]

I get the thrill of combat from videogames by running up to a baddie, pulling the trigger on an ungodly powerful shotgun and watching him get gorshed all over the place.

It's chunky salsa time!

[Kawauso]

Do we need to break out the flowchart here?

http://ifanboy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/geekchartbig.gif

Wait, why're furries at the bottom of the hierarchy?

I call shenanigans - some of you nerds are way nerdier than -I- am. :P

[jgebi]

hate me if you want but larping looks like it could be fun just remove some of the dice stuff

[Uncle Nutsy]

Only reason I play 40k is because it's the closest thing to owning an actual railgun that can kill a tank.

[DarkLink]

Closer than this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Egd333pMfzQ ?

[Archon Charybdis]

hate me if you want but larping looks like it could be fun just remove some of the dice stuff

http://belegarth.com/

Full contact foam combat with minimal RPG elements outside appropriate fantasy/historical garb.

[Uncle Nutsy]

Closer than this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Egd333pMfzQ ?


yes because that's still using primitive technology. :)

[Denzark]

I have watched live, full contact medieaval jousting. It occurs to me that, excepting arrow stuff, LARPers could and should go for melee, not-to-the-death tourney rules, and would instantly attract more kudos. 'The thrill of combat'? MM there is no risk from a foam morning star - where is the 'thrill'?

[Mr Mystery]

Hard to explain if you've never tried it. Definitely 'one of those things'.

There is something about standing as part of a shield wall (though I'm a second ranker, dual wielding and taking advantage of my gangly arms) and hammering away at your 'foe'. Sword in my right (off hand. Lefty by nature, lefty by politics!) held high an horizontal, fending off pole arms (carbon fibre cores mean no thrusting). Mace in my main hand (or my axe, perhaps my dagger. Depends how clumsy I've been. Mostly mace....) flashing out to deliver a blow to a distracted opponent. It's particularly funny and rewarding when one of their healers has come to the front line for a bit of magicky healy, and you tonk that one hit squishy into the dirt.

But the main thrill for me comes from monstering. Carefully isolating a player from their mates, seeing the genuine panic (if they're doing it right) as they realise they're very, very likely to get horribly paggad in the next few seconds. Last year, in a single engagement I bagged no less than 5 player characters, whilst monstering as an Imp (which involves red face paint and some 'extremely violent 6 year old' type antics. Giggling through out the combat, blowing raspberries at them, forcing them to back into a tree, then drumming on their head. Glorious stuff!

And the best bit about monstering? Nope, it's not being able to enjoy combat without thought to self preservation, but bagging a hearty round of applause from your fellow players for a good punch up well fought.

Add in the general enjoyment of camping, lots of drink, plot to get involved in, and making new friends over the weekend, and that's what it's all about.

But, as with all social interactions, even the most promising weekend can be utterly ruined by people being arses. Second year I went, I bought a crossbow (Mother currently awaits a new string). And it turns out I'm a bit of a natural, and have a distinct knack for loosing into the rear ranks of a melee, typically bagging a head shot. Sadly, one of those dropped by me, despite him monstering at the time decided to tell the refs I'd loosed point blank into his eye. Which was bollocks. But because of that one accusation, I very nearly got booted off. Thankfully, one of our faction refs had been stood standing next to me. On the brow of the hill. A good 30 metres away from the ongoing combat. Worse, is when people don't take their hits, then demand you pull your blows. In one pagga, I should have single handed lot dropped three players, having smacked each one upside the head around 7 times each. No matter how heavy your armour, no rank and file would have that many hits. Even allowing for extras, the most you can get (without being an Ogre..) is your standard one per, body dev for another base point (taking us up to 2), and then 4 points for Extra Heavy armour, for a total of six hit points. Stuff like body dev is phys repped by ribbons, ribbons none of them were wearing... Makes you wonder what the point of going into combat is if you refuse to take your hits. The bellends.

[DeadPanda]

Don't like the idea of "Larping" never have, I have a HUGE dislike of cosplay too, its just not for me. It seems childish and pointless in a way that painting toys soldiers doesn't. I paint my marines or whatever because I enjoy the creativity and I except that its the same for Larping and being proud of a costume you have made. Very good, that's costume design and a fine art in its own right it is too, but to pretend to run around as a fictional charecter and role play etc is just a step too far (for me). I was quite indifferent about it until some dick dressed as a commissar at the 2008 UK GD really pissed me off and decided it would be "role playing" to glare at people and push his way around the 3 halls the entire day. Suffice to safe he got pushed back.
I like the cool costumes people make, they are fun and the recent Imperial fists one I saw on beasts of war looked great, but the whole playing thing is just a bit too weird. Each to their own, I just find it a bit odd.

I will stress once again before I get hated upon, Larping isn't my thing and never will be, but if it makes you happy and your not getting in anyones face. Crack on.

[Kawauso]

I have watched live, full contact medieaval jousting. It occurs to me that, excepting arrow stuff, LARPers could and should go for melee, not-to-the-death tourney rules, and would instantly attract more kudos. 'The thrill of combat'? MM there is no risk from a foam morning star - where is the 'thrill'?

That strikes me as being a bit like knocking paintball or airsoft as being 'not dangerous enough'...which seems silly.

[White Tiger88]

That strikes me as being a bit like knocking paintball or airsoft as being 'not dangerous enough'...which seems silly.

Screw Airsoft & Paintball real men fire cannons at each other!

[bfmusashi]

Screw Airsoft & Paintball real men fire cannons at each other!

Real men don't need the cannons, we just glare until things explode.

[White Tiger88]

Real men don't need the cannons, we just glare until things explode.

You win this round....

[eldargal]

I have watched live, full contact medieaval jousting. It occurs to me that, excepting arrow stuff, LARPers could and should go for melee, not-to-the-death tourney rules, and would instantly attract more kudos. 'The thrill of combat'? MM there is no risk from a foam morning star - where is the 'thrill'?
My reenactment group uses blunt metal weapons of the appropriate weight. It's much more interesting to do and far more exciting to watch. The downside is you have ot have someone who knows what they are doing to teach new members because even with appropriate safety precautions it requires skill and concentration not to cause an injury.

Foam weapons just don't cut it after that.

[DarkLink]

Real men don't need the cannons, we just glare until things explode.


You win this round....


Relevant: http://www.twogag.com/archives/2917

[Demonus]

There are definitely some fun "LARPS" out there. Darkon (www.darkon.org) Ive been going to for almost 20 years now and still have a blast. Dagorhir is another one that is pretty well represented in the US. Full contact fighting with foam weapons and fairly real armor. Its not the stand in front of the other guy and rap them in the head with your wooden stick that SCA is. You are running around, jumping over fallen trees, fighting fake monsters, enjoying adventure, as well as beating on people with sticks. I hear there are groups in Europe that even fight in old castles. Shrug. If its not your thing, its not your thing, but no one that plays with plastic army men should ever mock people who are exercising....even if they dress up in tights like that jackass in my profile pic :)

[Mr Mystery]

http://curiouspastimes.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/renewal-12-2_1/375954_10151217321933488_171724056_n.jpg

See that? That's me behind that big thing. You can see my mace swinging. Around 10 seconds after that photo was taken, it had turned round and horribly horribly mullered me in the face. Thankfully, there was a healer nearby and I got better!

[Demonus]

That is most awesome. Love the costume!

[Mr Mystery]

Made by my friends, who are accepting custom kit orders on Facebook. Can't find their name right now, but will post up later!

[Demonus]

Are you guys using the Latex weapons or are they "Plasti-dipped?" I think we would break regular latex ones with our gaming style.

[miteyheroes]

http://www.deathuntodarkness.org/about.html is a UK 40k LARP. All reports I've heard about it have been very good.

If I ran a 40k LARP, and I do ponder it from time-to-time, I'd make all the players play members of a penal legion. That gives people a broad range of costume ideas, but makes sense of why they're all working together (ish). Weaponry would be foam for combat, nerf for ranged. I'd aim for a stupidly high deathcount, really go for an all-out "Predator" style experience.

The other alternative is a Necromunda game. Find a disused warehouse, and go mad!

[Mr Mystery]

Are you guys using the Latex weapons or are they "Plasti-dipped?" I think we would break regular latex ones with our gaming style.

Latex, foam and a carbon fibre core. If you know what you're doing (I don't, but the guys do) you can make suitably resilient weapons.

[bfmusashi]

Is that Hurley behind you?

[Mr Mystery]

Not sure who that is! I'd not long been healed before jumping the big guy as best I could!