Back in Article 12 I wrote about starting and ending a larp. This month I’ll be writing about what happens before and after the larp.

Setup

Most larps involve putting on a costume of some kind, and possibly physically setting up props or applying makeup. This could be viewed as a necessity or it could be handled as part of the process of getting into character. For example:

• A character putting up makeup in the morning could be viewed as the character grooming themselves, even if it isn’t exactly what the character is doing. In the case of a supernatural character such as a spirit, it might represent them actually manifesting a physical form. The act of studying oneself in a mirror for a length of time can also be useful way to fix the mental self-image of the character.
• Setting up a tent or other in-game space for the character can be viewed as an in-game task. A player of a noble might briefly play their own character’s servant setting up their tent, which might give the player a chance to reflect on how their relate to their servants and what their servants think of them, from an alternative point of view.

The underlying point is, if certain practical details have to be done by the players, is it possible to have them done in-game, rather than off-game.

Briefings and Workshops

Beyond this, some larps use briefings or workshops to convey elements of the larp, such as:

• how rules (often combat or other complicated systems) work
• how to engage in combat or other interpersonal physical activity
• how to use appropriate meta-techniques for the larp
• identifying who the first aiders are and other safety information
• Developing the characters to be played, such as building social group dynamics between characters.

In some play cultures this has become quite elaborate and ways of delivering this have developed as larp has developed. Some of it can be delivered by written material in advance, but some of it is better delivered ‘live’ and in-person. Some larps have separate workshops on earlier dates in advance of the larp. What I’m not covering here is the kind of material delivered in written format well in advance, such as information about the setting.

Many larps suffer from a lack of debriefing and post-event analysis; in contrast role-play carried out for training purposes normally includes a greater focus on debriefing. To avoid uncontrolled post-event bleed it can be important to talk through what happened from different perspectives. It’s also important to study what worked well and what didn’t if only to create a better event for next time. A national difference I’ve noticed is that some larp traditions have a much stronger tradition of an event after-party with most people staying on site the evening after the event ends.

With a short regular game such as typical monthly vampire larp, it can be worthwhile organising an off-game meeting at a different point if only to reaffirm people’s relationships apart from those of their characters. Such meetings can also be a good opportunity to reflect on the game, handle downtime, and so on.

Conclusion

With all the effort that goes into organising a larp it’s easy to overlook the before and after planning and slip into merely doing things ‘the way it’s always been done in larps round here.’ This is particularly true of debriefing. Our larps have moved on from the days of bashing orcs with gaffer weapons in the 1980s, but often our briefing and debriefing methods haven’t developed to keep pace with those developments.