Live action role-players discuss the many benefits of screenless gaming
The digital world is often used to create real-world communities and events for gamers, activists, fitness fanatics and anyone with a common interest.
Amelia Campbell, a 30-year-old claims handler, and Richard Bryant, a 34-year-old insurance executive, sparked their romance on Tinder.
Richard and Amelia explain how social media, when used effectively, can actually encourage you to switch off and expand your social horizons.
Amelia was not a fan of Dungeons and Dragons(D&D) or live action role-play (LARP) when they met online. They bonded over the fact that she was aware of the games and had family members who were once keen LARPers.
“She was the first woman I met who knew what LARP was,” Richard recalls, an incredulous look on his face.
These days, they have a regular D&Dsession every Sunday with four or five friends in their late 20s. They eat pizza, drink wine and laugh.
Amelia speaks excitedly about the upcoming games night.
Get Offline
“The big difference between LARP and D&Dis that the first is done in a field, the other at a table,” she explains. Both seem like great ways to put your phone down and get offline.
Unlike Amelia, Richard has been into these games since he was 14. He says, “I didn’t have a massive social circle in school. I gravitated towards the weirdos. I loved fantasy and TheLord of the Rings.”
Role playing games and LARP communities have grown significantly in the past few years, with the success of big-budget television shows such as Game of Thrones.
But the digital world has changed things too, especially in regards to accessibility.
Online Communities
“Only today I commented on the Twitter page of the current lead rules designer for D&D,” says Richard. Growing up in the 1990s, there was no way for someone like Richard to communicate with creators or other players, but now there are a multitude of social platforms used to connect with people.
“I wrote to this D&Ddesigner on Twitter and he helped me with one of the rules. He lives in LA. I could never have done that before,” he says.
As well as the evolution of games themselves, the way gamers consume games has changed. They are played live on Youtube, Twitch and podcasts. Players use apps and websites displaying character information to aide their gaming techniques.
Amelia says, “I started watching that Youtube thing called Critical Role. Their characters are so real and believable you fall in love with the stories.”
Critical Role is an American web series in which a group of professional voice actors play D&D. The series has over 17 million views.
Technology has become a conduit for the role-playing community, proving extremely useful for engaging with other players, arranging meet-ups and becoming part of a bigger team.
When it comes to LARP, Amelia describes it as “the best holiday ever”, an escape from the daily stress of work and bills.
Richard strokes his beard and explains that all sorts of people go to LARP events. His group alone includes a prison warden, a pub cook, housewives, a recruitment consultant and a game designer.
He says, “There’s an entire group of people who dress as orcs, paint themselves green and go around murdering people (with foam weapons). In real life every single one of them has a normal job.”
Put your phone down and join in
So why role-play? Why not utilise any one of the thousands of immersive, high-budget video games such as World of Warcraft, with no imagination required?
Richard chuckles and responds: “You’re playing in a room with five of your best friends and instead of hitting a button to determine which skill you want to use, you roll a dice. It’s cheaper than console gaming and it’s the most social thing you can do.”
