At the recent Comic-Con International in San Diego, the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) had a demonstration of some of their hardsuit fighting. See this interview with one of the SCA fighters, where he talks about the organization, the fighting, the armor, the weapons, and how the SCA is not a LARPing group. (Psst! It’s really an educational organization, and is in fact a 501(c)(3)!)
Too true. What we do in the SCA can not be considered LARP. LARP is pure fantasy and acting out a part. The fights during SCA events are not scripted or choreographed, there is no predetermined winner. Plus, the SCA is more than just fighting. It’s about research and teaching, learning and recreating real skills used by people of a long gone age. SCAians truly learn to master their crafts and skills. Certainly not a LARP.
It’s larping. Saying, in effect, “it’s not larping, it’s real” just makes it super larping. Don’t feel bad, just admit it. You’ll feel better.
The SCA certainly falls within a broader definition of larping that is described on Wikipedia:
“A ‘live action role-playing game’ (LARP) is a form of role-playing game where the participants physically act out their characters’ actions. The players pursue goals within a fictional setting represented by the real world while interacting with each other in character.
The outcome of player actions may be mediated by game rules or determined by consensus among players. Event arrangers called game masters decide the setting and rules to be used and facilitate play.”
The SCA pretty much ticks all those boxes except instead of “characters” we have “personas” and instead of “game masters” we have the “autocrats and marshals”. All the SCA Kingdoms are part of our fictional world in which we have non-historical Crown Tournaments to elect our in-game rulers.
Kind regards,
Derek Tomes
AKA Sir Inigo Missaglia (KSCA – Kingdom of Lochac)