Author: Eirik Fatland (---.online.no)
Date: 07-08-2004 10:45
A while back, I wrote a description of the Nordic scene as a reply to a different column here at rpg.net. Some of this might help clarify some of Mikes points, or create more discussion, or I dunno but here's a reposting of the <a href="http://www.rpg.net/forums/phorum/pf/read.php?f=137&i=438&t=438">original post</a>:
The convention for which "Beyond Role & Play" was published is called Solmukohta in Finnish, Knutepunkt in Norwegian, Knutpunkt in Swedish and Knudepunkt in Danish. The last three names have one unique letter each..
Knutepunkt (I'm Norwegian) is first and foremost a LARP con, one spent more on talking about LARPs than actually playing them. It's certainly the biggest LARP con in the Nordic countries, since it's the only one, and certainly not the biggest roleplaying convention. That title would have to go to Finnish RopeCon, Danish HyggeCon or similar. These general gaming cons attract like ten times as many participants as Knutepunkts.
A vocal group of Finns, incidentally some of the same folks who organized this years Solmukohta, has argued against the separation (in theory and practice) of LARP and RPG common in the three other countries. So they redefined this year's con as not a LARP con but a convention of "roleplaying, with a strong focus on LARP". So I understand where misunderstandings might arise.
Finally: Scandinavia proper is the peninsula on which most of Norway and Sweden is situated. The "Scandinavian Countries" are Norway, Sweden and Denmark. The "Nordic Countries" are the Scandinavian countries + Finland + Iceland + a couple of autonomous regions you've never heard about, and in some cases the Baltic countries (Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia) are added to the Nordic list.
The Nordic LARP community includes Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark and increasingly some neighbouring LARP scenes (most notably in north-western Russia and Estonia).
While a relatively small network of organisers, theorists and active players (who are *not* representative or typical for the "mainstream") meet regularly at Knutepunkts, there's a long history of interconnectedness between LARP in these countries - players, props and ideas have been crossing borders for at least a decade.
There is no such history when it comes to RPGs, where each country has its own national scene and regional scenes, and people tend to go to the English-language gaming industry and RPG culture for their international communication.
The Nordic style of LARP is also fairly different from what goes on elsewhere, especially in the English-language world. Hallmarks of Nordic-style LARPing are :
- zero or very little game mechanics
- heavy-duty scenery and props (it's normal to build medieval houses for a fantasy LARP)
- society, intrigue and character being much more important than combat. (boffer swords are often present, rarely used)
- Fantasy as the dominant genre (WoD being played only by a subculture within the subculture)
- in-character being the rule, you're expected to roleplay every single second of the LARP.
- a long history of local innovation, independent of the English-language industry.
Norway + Sweden have 5-day LARPs as a hallmark. In Denmark and Finland, from 4 hours to two days are common durations.
These hallmarks apply to the mainstream of Nordic LARP. In addition, the Knutepunkt crowd are usually proud of:
- Plenty of LARPs that are played in non-genre milieus without anything supernatural or science fictiony going on (the present day is the favourite "genre").
- Plenty of LARPs that discuss moral or political themes.
- A conscious blurring of the distinctions between LARP, art and theatre.
- A strong focus on actually being the character (immersion), at the expense of "just fun and games", physical comforts, and sanity.
- LARP design principles increasingly grounded in theory and ideology.
- Increasing support from the institutions of established art forms, in the form of recognition, collaborative projects and the funding that goes with it.
- Experimentation being a must: if it ain't original, we won't play it.
This style, what I usually call "Nordic arthaus LARP" (for lack of a better word), is often off-handedly called "Nordic LARP" when knutepunkt-goers talk of their preferences in English. But it isn't representative for the mainstream of Nordic LARPs.
I mention this in part because it's usefull backdrop to reading "Beyond Role & Play" or if you're considering a visit at Knutepunkt (next one in Oslo, February-05). Also because a couple of the more outspoken Nordics (Mike Pohjola and Juhana Petterson) have their own columns at rpg.net and it might help to know a bit about where they come from.
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