You're havin' a LARP
I've never really been big into the whole live action roleplaying, hitting-each-other-with-latex-swords thing, but I've had fun with it once or twice and a lot of my gamer mates enjoy it. As mentioned downblog, last weekend I snuck into The Gathering, which I am reliably informed is the largest such event in the world, with well over three thousand participants. It's kind of like Glastonbury, only with battle armour.
I came along not for the LARPing but because of a reunion gig for a some of my old roleplayer mates from the 1980's - the infamous Enfield Suicide Squad; Conrad (GM), Scott (Jupe Le Loon), Robert (Rafe Lucas) and Neil (Stefan Feldspar). As I listened to the smack-talk going on over an Axis & Allies board I realised, with a warm surge of nerd nostalgia, that as much as things have changed, nothing had changed.
One cool thing was that both Scott and Robert brought their sons, gave them weapons and shields and made them fight. That's gamer parenting for you; outdoor exercise and instruction in the correct use of buckler and war-axe. Clearly they are both their father's sons, because Scott's lad Billy ended the day with his own Uruk-Hai sword and a firm understanding of game logic. Scott told him to eat up his breakfast and the kid declared "NO EFFECT!"
I came along not for the LARPing but because of a reunion gig for a some of my old roleplayer mates from the 1980's - the infamous Enfield Suicide Squad; Conrad (GM), Scott (Jupe Le Loon), Robert (Rafe Lucas) and Neil (Stefan Feldspar). As I listened to the smack-talk going on over an Axis & Allies board I realised, with a warm surge of nerd nostalgia, that as much as things have changed, nothing had changed.
One cool thing was that both Scott and Robert brought their sons, gave them weapons and shields and made them fight. That's gamer parenting for you; outdoor exercise and instruction in the correct use of buckler and war-axe. Clearly they are both their father's sons, because Scott's lad Billy ended the day with his own Uruk-Hai sword and a firm understanding of game logic. Scott told him to eat up his breakfast and the kid declared "NO EFFECT!"