How Live-Action Role-Playing Games Can Benefit Adults?

Let us travel back in time to childhood where you can freely play any character you want. The entire world appeared like a fairytale land and supplied a good range of characters, whom we imitate. Now the magic of childhood is gone, and that we adapted our role-playing skills for more professional purposes. Live-action role-playing games can provide that whimsical experience even if you are an adult.

A live-action role-playing game focuses on an activity where the participants are physically portraying their characters. The players have objectives within the game’s setting which they represented in the world while having the ability to interact with other characters. LARP has also been mentioned as live role-playing (LRP), interactive literature, and live-action role-playing. A number of these terms are still in common use; however, LARP has become the foremost commonly accepted term. It's sometimes written in lowercase, as LARP. The live-action in the definition of LARP is a homage to the term live action that is mostly used for the film that differentiates the work of human actors compared to animation. Playing a LARP is usually called LARPing, and one who does it's a larper.

Players create their characters inside the fictional universe where the LARP game is established. Sometimes, they can have combative characters with skills that can level up as they benefit their group or themselves inside the fictional setting. Some examples of the games might be overthrowing a tyrant leader to rule a kingdom, becoming the strongest player/s within the game, or just seeking revenge thereon one friend that always screws you over. Most larping games involve fantasy or medieval combat. Players use soft weapons while some have pre-determined stories. Others would allow the action of other players to affect the overall outcome of the plot.

As a child, playing as robbers or cops have changed its form as adults. The focus is to avoid annoying your spouses, children, or even workmates. To play numerous roles in our lifestyle we'd like a good range of interpersonal skills (and often the art of keeping a straight face). Nevertheless, for a few folks, this just isn't enough. The so-called live-action role-playing games (LARPs) have for almost a decade, been offering an excellent opportunity to experience new and exciting sensations. The increasingly popular activity isn't limited to entertainment. It also conceals an in-depth business potential.

Beyond The Fictional Setting

While playing certain scenes, larping players can develop their universal competencies and skills. They can train their creative problem-solving, abstract thinking, persuasion, teamwork, or empathy. Total immersion within the LARP world often constitutes the most motivation inspiring participants to get entangled in events of the discussed kind. One more reason to play is to inform an exciting and convincing story to supply spectators with aesthetic experiences. In this context, having an impressive effect with dramatic scenes is more important than completely sticking to the profile of the character.

Besides, LARPs also offer an opportunity to require part in and make situations, which go far beyond the fictional setting. Those experiences can make larping a great tool to help people fight their weaknesses. This is often true both for participants, who overcome themselves to assume a task and for the represented characters, who overcome themselves to realize their goal.

One of the initial challenges that LARP organizers had to consider is the way participants interacted, especially when portraying violence and love. Some LARPs allow higher levels of physical violence, for instance when playing the role of an apprentice undergoing witcher trials within the Witcher School. On the opposite hand, there's no reason to incorporate scenes inspiring strong emotions in corporate events, where physical violence is punished by being excluded from a game. This type of limitation doesn't need to be an obstacle because it exposes new possibilities for imagination and thinking outside the box.

Live-Action Role-Playing in Marketing and Business

LARPs, albeit present for several years, are rarely considered an efficient brand experience tool. Although event marketing won the hearts of many clients, LARP-type activities seemingly still are side-lined, neglected by corporate customers. Customers want innovative solutions that are simultaneously straightforward and wouldn't need their input. 

The abovementioned theatrical character of LARPs makes it easy to regulate them to the requirements of consumers. Industry experts agree that there are not other types of event formats that can offer similar opportunities. Larping generates very strong emotions. This is why larping is an effective tool to convey content for any businesses who may want to use this as a way to also reach their audience. Additionally, its scenario-based theatrical formula makes it possible to make any story that's required to accomplish the goal that was created for the event.