So I Herd U Liek LARPz

LARPz, u liek them. But why do you like them?

This is an interesting question that often comes, in one form or another, on many many forums. And yet, despite asking this question, there are still tons of people who are less tolerant of the fact that people play LARPs for different reasons.

Truth is, much like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, there is no wrong way to play a LARP*. If I come to LARP because I find it fun to amass as much wealth as possible and have hopes to go all Scrooge McDuck on a pile of gold, that's fine.

Oh Hellz Yeah.

A person interested in stick-jocking for the weekend is just as justified as someone who wants to explore the more theatrical or political components of the game. Don't worry, it's cool. We can all coexist because LARPing is a complex system designed to capture many different mindsets.

And yet, there are people out there who think that their way is the one true way to play LARPs, and everyone else must be converted.

The beauty of LARPs is the fact that individuals with different interests have a common connection through the game, and therefore have a chance to interact. Even if your idea of fun is different than mine, we can find common ground to interact on, where we're both having fun in our own way.

So next time you're thinking about telling someone that they're not appreciating a part of the game enough, ask yourself why you're doing it. If it's because you have a lot of fun that way and you want them to experience that fun, then show them how fun it is to swing a sword or to sing a song to a bunch of strangers. But if you're doing it because you think they're doing it wrong, maybe you should focus more on what is fun for you, and not worry about what someone else is doing.

*Contrary to popular belief, cracking a Reese's PBC in half and shoving it down your windpipe is, in fact, the WRONG way to eat it. Much like that, there are wrong ways to play LARPs that should not be tolerated - Griefing, Cheating, breaking local Laws, and anything else with the expressed intent on impinging someone else's fun are some that come to mind. In general, don't be a dick.