Genre
This is the best place to start. As this will determine who you’re going to get, where you’ll be playing, and numerous other factors.
LARP is a fantastic medium for getting really creative so the only boundary is your imagination. However, most LARP games commonly fall into one the categories below. Some games will also fall in multiple categories. These are completely arbitrary labels, of course. And there's no reason that fantasy genres can't be combined with other genres (Elves in a Wild West setting) or having a survival horror in a Far Future setting.
As a starting point, I would recommend spending time looking through other games that are already out there. There's a sizeable list of groups on LARPages which might give some more inspiration and guidance.
FANTASY
Fantasy games tend to be the most common of the LARP games out there, and probably the ones which people think of when they consider LARP. Most games fall into what's generally referred to as
HORROR
There's a range of horror LARP styles. Here's some common presentations
FUTURISTIC
This again can be quite a broad scope of settings, including
HISTORICAL / PSEUDO-HISTORICAL
This covers a whole range of games which have some kind of historical basis. They might be historically accurate or have a grounding in real history. Examples might include
NORDIC LARP
Nordic LARP is a style of LARP that has recently gained prominence in the UK. Its referred to as Nordic LARP merely as that's where this particular style of roleplay originates from. Nordic LARP is generally identifiable as being a more "serious" form of LARP which aims for high production standards with a more immersive feel and tend to focus on more thought provoking subject matter.
There are a number of sites which explain Nordic LARP in more detail including
http://nordiclarp.org/
http://nordiclarptalks.org/
http://nordiclarp.org/wiki/Main_Page
You'll also want to read these two files; a collection of short essays on the genre, and also the "debrief" document from Dragonbane; a large immersive LARP which took place in Sweden in 2006
LARP is a fantastic medium for getting really creative so the only boundary is your imagination. However, most LARP games commonly fall into one the categories below. Some games will also fall in multiple categories. These are completely arbitrary labels, of course. And there's no reason that fantasy genres can't be combined with other genres (Elves in a Wild West setting) or having a survival horror in a Far Future setting.
As a starting point, I would recommend spending time looking through other games that are already out there. There's a sizeable list of groups on LARPages which might give some more inspiration and guidance.
FANTASY
Fantasy games tend to be the most common of the LARP games out there, and probably the ones which people think of when they consider LARP. Most games fall into what's generally referred to as
- High fantasy - Plentiful non-human races, magic, supernatural and "godly" experiences are commonplace etc and all in a fantasy world setting
- Mid-Fantasy - The races tend to be primarily human but perhaps in a fantasy world setting where magic and other races may exist but are not that commonplace.
- Low Fantasy - Races are pretty much all human, although some other non-human races may exist as rarities, and there's usually a historical basis for the setting
HORROR
There's a range of horror LARP styles. Here's some common presentations
- You are the monsters (eg where the players are Vampires, werewolves of other typical "bad guys")
- You’re fighting against the monsters.) Fighting against could range all the way from the players being military units sent in to destroy an alien infestation or monster hunters chasing down their Vampire prey
- Investigative teams trying to uncover the mysteries going on around them, perhaps paranormal investigators
- "Survival horror" is a sub-genre where the goal of the game is just trying to stay alive.
FUTURISTIC
This again can be quite a broad scope of settings, including
- Near future / Cyberpunk - The game is set in the next say 100 years, and is generally on set earth. There might be cybernetics, cyborgs or other technological advances
- Far Future - Games set in the far future, perhaps on spaceships or other off-world colonies, where alien life is a normal part of life
- Post Apocalyptic - There's been some kind of cataclysmic event which has destroyed society as we know it. Humans live in a scavenging wasteland, trying to rebuild society.
HISTORICAL / PSEUDO-HISTORICAL
This covers a whole range of games which have some kind of historical basis. They might be historically accurate or have a grounding in real history. Examples might include
- Pure historical settings - Recreating Viking villages, or the scheming of the Forums of Ancient Rome, or the Wild West. or Prohibition era America
- Alternative History - There's a whole range of alternative reality games which are generally set in this world, in a similar time, but with a twist. The genre will include things like Steampunk games, modern fantasy games etc
NORDIC LARP
Nordic LARP is a style of LARP that has recently gained prominence in the UK. Its referred to as Nordic LARP merely as that's where this particular style of roleplay originates from. Nordic LARP is generally identifiable as being a more "serious" form of LARP which aims for high production standards with a more immersive feel and tend to focus on more thought provoking subject matter.
There are a number of sites which explain Nordic LARP in more detail including
http://nordiclarp.org/
http://nordiclarptalks.org/
http://nordiclarp.org/wiki/Main_Page
You'll also want to read these two files; a collection of short essays on the genre, and also the "debrief" document from Dragonbane; a large immersive LARP which took place in Sweden in 2006
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There's a Catch 22 situation in terms of picking your genre. You'll want to pick a genre that interests you, and you're enthusiastic about, but at the same time you also need to take into consideration things like the availability of suitable locations, whether the genre fits the size of the event that you're looking to do, whether you can get the costumes and props that you're going to need on the budget you have available
However, there are usually ways round the practical elements of the event restrictions. But if you don't have enthusiasm for the game you're running then it will come through in the event and you'll find that you won't enjoy it.
Having said that, there may be something to be said for setting up a game in a genre that's not what you want to run as a short term plan. This might be in order to create a reputation and a solid starting player base for the proper project, or just to raise confidence in others that you can make whichever genre work, or even because you want to build up a stock of kit or funds to create the ideal project. Its okay as a short term fix, but in the end you'll want to run the project that excites you the most
However, there are usually ways round the practical elements of the event restrictions. But if you don't have enthusiasm for the game you're running then it will come through in the event and you'll find that you won't enjoy it.
Having said that, there may be something to be said for setting up a game in a genre that's not what you want to run as a short term plan. This might be in order to create a reputation and a solid starting player base for the proper project, or just to raise confidence in others that you can make whichever genre work, or even because you want to build up a stock of kit or funds to create the ideal project. Its okay as a short term fix, but in the end you'll want to run the project that excites you the most
