Larp-Design

Dem Ansatz der „Performance Ethnography“ (Denzin 2003) und ihrem Grundsatz „Show, don’t tell“ folgend, versuche ich meine Forschungsergebnisse in eine erfahrbare Form zu bringen. Larps (Live-Action Rollenspiele) machen es möglich, die Lebenswelten anderer erfahrbar zu machen, und bieten sich daher als Methode für dieses Unterfangen an. In einem kürzlich erschienen Artikel habe ich dargestellt, wie Larps Realitäten schaffen (in Simulation and Gaming in the Network Society, Kaneda et al. 2016), und erkunde aktuell die Möglichkeiten von Lerneffekten durch Larps in einem akademischen Kontext.

Unten finden sich die Design-Dokumente von Larps, die ich (ko-)kreiert habe bzw. aktuell entwickle.

Staying Alive: A Live-Action Roleplay about Judging A Human’s Worth

Co-scripted with Julia Becker. 2015.

“Staying Alive” is a drama about a commission’s questioning and judging of ordinary citizens about their worth for human society. This live-action roleplay in the Nordic tradition takes place in a hearing room setting with inquisitors, aspirants and an unlimited number of people acting as members of the commission. A participating audience is also present, making the game a good introduction for non-larpers/spectators. This is a larp which questions our societal systems, social interactions and the consequences of expressing random judgments.

Keywords: Absurd realism, black box, improvisation, larp, live-action roleplay, post-apocalypse

Genre: Absurd realism
Duration: 2 hours
Actual play time: 1.5 hours
Number of participants (min,max): 15, unlimited
Number of organisers: 2
Workload: Simple
Possible locations: Black box, gallery, classroom, conference room
Equipment: Tables, chairs, a podium or a stand for the Aspirants
Playing style: Realistic, but with plenty of improvisation

Design Document: PDF.

Village, Shelter, Comfort

Co-scripted with Katō Kōhei. 2016.

This is a larp about feelings of comfort and safety pitched against the necessity to leave the source of these emotions behind. Dealing with the question of leaving the familiar or staying behind, the larp moves from the fantastic to the everyday in three scenarios, a remote pseudo-medieval village facing a plague, a post-apocalyptic shelter running out of resources, and a single room, in which the different mental and emotional faculties of a single person are faced with suddenly diminishing comfort. How would you choose? The known threat or the unknown salvation?

Keywords: Abstract realism, black box, improvisation, larp, live-action roleplay, withdrawal

Genre: Abstract to absurd realism
Duration: 5.5 hours
Actual play time: 3.5 hours
Number of participants (min-max): 3-7 (always an odd number)
Number of organisers: 2
Workload: Medium
Possible locations: Black box, gallery, classroom, conference room
Equipment: Some small items (chains, pins, sashes) to differentiate players; a laptop
Playing style: Realistic, but with plenty of improvisation
Food and drink: Some snacks and water

Design Document: 2017 Version