Airsoft larps and Roleplaying
 

first off , I was unsure if this is board would be the right one for this discussion, so if it's the wrong one, my apologies to every one.

Now I'm still new to airsoft, but I'm not at all new to roleplaying and larps.
An well I just wanted to know if I was to make my way to a airsoft larp, just how much roleplaying should I be expecting?

I know that airsoft lends it self perfectly to Cyberpunk, shadowrun and other types of post apocalyptic type of setting. I can also see it be use in more modern setting games like Vampire: the Masquerade and other White-wolf world of darkness games.

cause I have been in One too many RPS ( Rock-Paper-Scissors) mass combats that last way too long that I gave up on the whole larp scene.

Now I just wondering, at these airsoft larps, are there areas set up that are combat free areas? that it safe to take off you goggles if you choose to do so. An if so are these area set up for roleplaying over combat?

Also another thing, when I use to pantball, the rule was One hit= kill.
But I have heard that in airsoft that that's not always that case, that you are allow multiple hits before you have to call your self out. I understand that depends on the game and the rules that day. that sort of reminds the hitpoint system that most roleplaying games use.

I also know that most people that airsoft play to shoot other people, but being that I use to roleplay, I know that a good PC should have both a stats in ranged and close combat (most often either in melee or brawl) for a number of reasons, save on ammo, stealth kills and so forth.

I also understand that MILSIM are a form of roleplaying for some (or that's what it looks like to me from what I've seen online so far)

Anways, that's it for me so far, i look forward to hearing any and all thoughts about airsoft and roleplaying. just to get a better idea of how the two go together.

thanks for you time
KwGeek

I participated in a loose airsoft LARP "Last Stand", based in the post apocalyptic Ontario, the NPC's posed small missions to search areas, get ambushed, kill other players, kill other NPCs... It was a blast.

A similar to heart game is being run in August, "Operation Hot Box" at the PRZ Picton facility, and will likely have a fair share of role playing.

The reason this role playing isn't as serious as "fantasy" LARP and more tongue and cheek is because the people involved aren't magical wood fairies, at least that's my take on it. We are, of course, dressing up to play soldier with toy guns. :)

Edit: MILSIM is not about LARP, it is about effective tactics, and a realistic approach to a military situation. I WILL roll my eyes if I see troops marching along...

Speak for yourself Mister


although there are clearly some elements of "LARP" in airsoft games.. there are distinct differences

for example there are no "characters" or "persona" adopted by the general players base.

Sometimes there are Roles Played by persons to advance the scenario but by and large the "person" you're playing is you in the situation presented.

but sometimes I do like to think I am a heavily armed magical wood fairie

Don't forget that while there is airsoft games that use LARP elements, there is also LARPs that use airsoft.

I organized and I play in such games (Cyberpunk and Post-Apocalyptic). Because most of our players come from more traditional LARP games, it's very similar to those, with the exception that airsoft guns are used (and the setting, of course). We try to keep it that way, because most players prefer roleplaying instead of combat. Airsoft is primarly a tool to represent more accuratly firearms: Nerfs guns have poor range and accuracy, lasers are lame, rock-paper-scissors is to slow and breaks the roleplaying.

Our rule for combat is very simple. Every attack deals the same "damage". When you're it on a limb, you lose it; when you're it two times on the chest, you're down. Armors protects you from a certain number of attacks. Most of the times, the combat are very fluid.

I think both airsoft and LARP can gain from being mixed together. Airsoft has certainly given us the opportunity to do realistic battles and having a kick-ass visual.

oh that is so going in my signature :)

Brian you dont have to think you are a magical wood fairy.. we all know you are :D .... many of us have seen the wood fairy gunrack

wood fairies are kick ass

Jorgen Von Strangle for the win

Airsoft is typically one hit = dead. Some games have wounding rules where hits to limbs simply disable that limb which is rather amusing, especially when trying to drag yourself down a hall because both your legs got shot out.

In a typical game though, if a person doesn't call their hits we just respectfully shoot them more until they do.

I've only ever played 1 game where the medic rules actually worked. Generally I found that players easily exploited them.

I think a Shadowrun airsoft LARP would be totally badass

I'd love to see someone pull off a shadowrun larp xD. Teleporting, spawning trees, cloaking or someone showing up in a troll costume lol.

That abomination is not Shadowrun.
No clue chummer.

I've tried to put together a few ideas.. but the playerbase is what decides weither or not it works... if all the players around you are skirmishers or "mil sim" only .. then it'll never fly ... very similar to the lack of established ww2'ers ... if your not in the right area of players.. your SOL or traveling ALOT ...

the closest I've managed to do is a slowly evolving Zombie "series" where all the participants are very badly equiped civilians caught off guard .