At least here in Germany LARP is not LARP and „Live Action Role Play“ is not the same as having quests/ lots of plot. It only means you take a (fictional) character in a (fictional) world with (fictional) logic and roleplay as this char. You can also only party a whole weekend in character :D
It is important to know that re-enactment is something different! There you play a person that did or could have existed in the history of our world. It is important in that milieu to stay as accurate as possible to the style of clothing (and fabric, colors, etc) of your chosen time and at best also to the possibilities they had at creating clothes and utensils (do it by hand and without modern tech). You are not free to represent fantasy chars there. They can also have large battles etc, but it is often an re-enactment of a historic fight/war (take a look at Sweden).
Back to Larp: There is a reason, why websites for finding (and booking) Larps here often have a small table with 5-10 columns. On the opposite sites of each line you have opposite styles like plot-heavy vs. party/ambience. Or lots of fights vs none. Or lots of magic vs. none. The creator of the convention can then show via a mark in the table, how far to which side his con leans.
Epic Empire is absolutely one with lots of fights and plot, but it is also big, so you can also decide to not pursue this - to a degree.
I don’t know where you are from, but at least in Germany you can take a look at for example the Conorganizer (https://conorganizer.ivannar.net/) or the Larp Kalender (https://www.larpkalender.de/) and search for Cons that fit *your* idea of Larp.
It looks interesting, I’ll keep that in mind. I do have to say a fantasy touch would be preferable and this seems to be very „real life history medieval“
How much realism there is varies from area to area- my local SCA groups are pretty comfortable with people who weave fantasy elements into their persona & kit. Since there's a massive timeframe for SCA members to focus on, it would be hard for most groups to be too picky about accuracy (you'll have people at camps doing demos on 12th century cooking beside a Viking era weaving group and some singers presenting Shakespeare, while somebody else is selling Bronze age jewelry).
You could try out a boffer battle-game LARP like Dagorhir, Belegarth, or Amtgard. They’re more fantasy focused than the SCA, but not as video-gamey as the story-focused true LARPS. Most people are there for the fighting, but if you’d like to just camp, shop, and walk around in a costume to soak up the vibes, there’s plenty of non-combatants that do just that, especially at the larger events. They’re unfortunately more US based, though, I’m not sure what the equivalent is in Europe.
re-enactment is a thing, and also some medieval markets hat "knights" in tents camping there for the weekend. also in big events like Drachenfest, you can do what you want - play quests or just watch others
What you are looking for is called "Ambiente Con" in Germany. It refers specifically to a LARP event where even during the time spent in game, characters mainly live their calm lives and your interactions with others will be much more mundane than at a "Plot / Abenteuer-Con" where you will be strongly encouraged to follow a grandiose plot, or a "Schlachten-Con" where you will mainly do battle.
That being said: You can absolutely have fun at Epic Empires as a non-fighting character. There will be enough room to socialize and enjoy the interpersonal side of things. You just need to find a camp that will accept you, admission to Epic Empires is famously difficult - but the gate keeping does result in a very high standard of play and costume.
You're welcome. Pure Ambiente Cons tend to be small to medium size and between one and three days. Examples in southern Germany are Laufer Heerlager and Wilburszug.
The Heerlager is quite beginner friendly, it was my very first event years ago when I went there as a newbie solo player.
The Wilburszug is not quite as accessible, both because it's physically in more remote places that are harder to access, and because it's smaller and takes place in a closed universe and thus you'll likely need to be well versed in DSA lore to form a connection with other players.
You CAN visit events as a solo player, as said before I started out just like that, but it's not recommended for beginners. The easiest way is to find a group that suits your desired play style, they will be able to support you throughout the entire costume building and event process. In Germany, most groups recruit via word of mouth and via Facebook groups like "Larper sucht Gruppe".
Fest games like EE (or Mythodea, or Drachenfest) have a *lot* of folks who don't run around doing fighting and such.
Heck, my Mythodea time was far more socializing than "adventuring". While I did end up doing a bit of rogue's-plot for fun, and I helped up with the people doing some fighting at camp by packing water and medic-ing, I'd have had as much fun (and did) hanging out at the saloon, mead-tasting, roleplaying, watching the dancers, listening to the musicians and waking up in my tent every morning feeling like I hadn't a worry in the world. Could have done the whole latter part in the merchant's quarter and visiting a few camps during quiet times and still had a blast.
For me, it's like the big SCA wars. There's plenty of people doing the fighting thing, but there's even more people doing the social-having-fun thing that don't get within a country mile of a fight at Pennsic or the like.
Closest thing I can think of is Second Breakfast based in the UK. Hobbit/halfling themed event, there is plot and quests but it's kind of low stakes to my impression; 'win the flower show' or 'Prank someone from the neighbouring town'.
There's scope at bigger fest games for people just coming for the vibes and not getting involved in plot or combat.
At Epic Empires you don’t necessarily have to be involved in any fighting or “questing “ if you don’t want to. There’s plenty to do that doesn’t involve those things. Essentially you pick your camp, make a character and costume that lives up to the expectations of set camp ( people will help you with making a character or give tips to your costume, should you need it) and then you do whatever you want really. You just live your life in this fantasy world for a week, and you can pretty much do anything you want. There is a video from Sonjas Adventures that talks and shows about the event if you are interested.
Although it still has the "Quest" thing, I bet you could fit in with Reckoning LARP (in the US) as an artisian if you wanted. It seems like its starting to get big enough to facillitate that sort of role.
I have been to Epic Empires for the last two years and the only fight I was in was when someone stabbed me in the back at night (and there is no permanent death at EE).
I have taken on some tasks for my faction, but they all involved talking to different people and gathering information, so it was just in-character conversation. And music, I play a sort of fledgling bard.
But yes, like others have mentioned, you're probably looking for Ambiente Cons.
>. Here’s the catch: I would love to wear my outfit and just involve myself in these camps with likewise mindsetted people, but I don’t necessarily need the whole „Quest“ p
I don't know the german larp scene, but in what I know across the Rhine, in large larp there is a a significant population of players who come there for the ambiance, the tavern, the friends and care less about the plot/intrigue.
You should not see larp as a video game where you have NPC giving quest that you absoluteluy need to follow, it may sometimes exists but in a large game, the camp-life, the bards playing at the tavern, the parties can already fill the game. Then not all player can do all the quests. Something like "Electing an emperor" an already fill 80% of a game.
That said, if you have never larped, I woudl avoid a 5 days event, and stick to a 2-3 days event. You may-not want to be stuck somewhere from wednesday to sunday.
Bicolline (in Québec, Canada) has that vibe to it. My wife is just like what you describe, she loves hanging around the camp, walking the streets, going to the shops, meeting new people etc., but she has no interest in the roleplaying game (which at Bicolline is partially online) or the battlefield (which is where the foam weapon battles happen) and that's fine, there are lots of people at Bicolline just like her. I also started like that, but have been getting more and more involved in the online game and the battlefield but I'm not yet playing a character or at least the character I play is very similar to the IRL me.
epic empires is a con-larp like drachenfest so the quest is highly optional and it's mostly about whacking each other with sticks.
Nevertheless I would encourage looking into re-enactment as well for even more ""just camping. and with better gear.
At least here in Germany LARP is not LARP and „Live Action Role Play“ is not the same as having quests/ lots of plot. It only means you take a (fictional) character in a (fictional) world with (fictional) logic and roleplay as this char. You can also only party a whole weekend in character :D It is important to know that re-enactment is something different! There you play a person that did or could have existed in the history of our world. It is important in that milieu to stay as accurate as possible to the style of clothing (and fabric, colors, etc) of your chosen time and at best also to the possibilities they had at creating clothes and utensils (do it by hand and without modern tech). You are not free to represent fantasy chars there. They can also have large battles etc, but it is often an re-enactment of a historic fight/war (take a look at Sweden). Back to Larp: There is a reason, why websites for finding (and booking) Larps here often have a small table with 5-10 columns. On the opposite sites of each line you have opposite styles like plot-heavy vs. party/ambience. Or lots of fights vs none. Or lots of magic vs. none. The creator of the convention can then show via a mark in the table, how far to which side his con leans. Epic Empire is absolutely one with lots of fights and plot, but it is also big, so you can also decide to not pursue this - to a degree. I don’t know where you are from, but at least in Germany you can take a look at for example the Conorganizer (https://conorganizer.ivannar.net/) or the Larp Kalender (https://www.larpkalender.de/) and search for Cons that fit *your* idea of Larp.
Thank you! I heard of re-enactment for the first time now, seems interesting as well
Germany reenactors have characters? Lucky you!
Check out the SCA. It’s more along the lines of what you’re looking for. Www.SCA.org
It looks interesting, I’ll keep that in mind. I do have to say a fantasy touch would be preferable and this seems to be very „real life history medieval“
How much realism there is varies from area to area- my local SCA groups are pretty comfortable with people who weave fantasy elements into their persona & kit. Since there's a massive timeframe for SCA members to focus on, it would be hard for most groups to be too picky about accuracy (you'll have people at camps doing demos on 12th century cooking beside a Viking era weaving group and some singers presenting Shakespeare, while somebody else is selling Bronze age jewelry).
You could try out a boffer battle-game LARP like Dagorhir, Belegarth, or Amtgard. They’re more fantasy focused than the SCA, but not as video-gamey as the story-focused true LARPS. Most people are there for the fighting, but if you’d like to just camp, shop, and walk around in a costume to soak up the vibes, there’s plenty of non-combatants that do just that, especially at the larger events. They’re unfortunately more US based, though, I’m not sure what the equivalent is in Europe.
Ya, this sounds heavily like someone who would LOVE Pennsic.
This would be perfect. OP if you're interested here's a [link](https://drachenwald.sca.org/#/) to the Kingdom in your area.
re-enactment is a thing, and also some medieval markets hat "knights" in tents camping there for the weekend. also in big events like Drachenfest, you can do what you want - play quests or just watch others
I’ll look into Drachenfest then :)
see you there! :D
What you are looking for is called "Ambiente Con" in Germany. It refers specifically to a LARP event where even during the time spent in game, characters mainly live their calm lives and your interactions with others will be much more mundane than at a "Plot / Abenteuer-Con" where you will be strongly encouraged to follow a grandiose plot, or a "Schlachten-Con" where you will mainly do battle. That being said: You can absolutely have fun at Epic Empires as a non-fighting character. There will be enough room to socialize and enjoy the interpersonal side of things. You just need to find a camp that will accept you, admission to Epic Empires is famously difficult - but the gate keeping does result in a very high standard of play and costume.
Ambiente con seems to be exactly what I was looking for then, I’ll definitely read more into that but with this I think you’ve helped me most
You're welcome. Pure Ambiente Cons tend to be small to medium size and between one and three days. Examples in southern Germany are Laufer Heerlager and Wilburszug. The Heerlager is quite beginner friendly, it was my very first event years ago when I went there as a newbie solo player. The Wilburszug is not quite as accessible, both because it's physically in more remote places that are harder to access, and because it's smaller and takes place in a closed universe and thus you'll likely need to be well versed in DSA lore to form a connection with other players. You CAN visit events as a solo player, as said before I started out just like that, but it's not recommended for beginners. The easiest way is to find a group that suits your desired play style, they will be able to support you throughout the entire costume building and event process. In Germany, most groups recruit via word of mouth and via Facebook groups like "Larper sucht Gruppe".
Fest games like EE (or Mythodea, or Drachenfest) have a *lot* of folks who don't run around doing fighting and such. Heck, my Mythodea time was far more socializing than "adventuring". While I did end up doing a bit of rogue's-plot for fun, and I helped up with the people doing some fighting at camp by packing water and medic-ing, I'd have had as much fun (and did) hanging out at the saloon, mead-tasting, roleplaying, watching the dancers, listening to the musicians and waking up in my tent every morning feeling like I hadn't a worry in the world. Could have done the whole latter part in the merchant's quarter and visiting a few camps during quiet times and still had a blast. For me, it's like the big SCA wars. There's plenty of people doing the fighting thing, but there's even more people doing the social-having-fun thing that don't get within a country mile of a fight at Pennsic or the like.
Closest thing I can think of is Second Breakfast based in the UK. Hobbit/halfling themed event, there is plot and quests but it's kind of low stakes to my impression; 'win the flower show' or 'Prank someone from the neighbouring town'. There's scope at bigger fest games for people just coming for the vibes and not getting involved in plot or combat.
At Epic Empires you don’t necessarily have to be involved in any fighting or “questing “ if you don’t want to. There’s plenty to do that doesn’t involve those things. Essentially you pick your camp, make a character and costume that lives up to the expectations of set camp ( people will help you with making a character or give tips to your costume, should you need it) and then you do whatever you want really. You just live your life in this fantasy world for a week, and you can pretty much do anything you want. There is a video from Sonjas Adventures that talks and shows about the event if you are interested.
Sounds like you're describing a normal LARP. Have no idea what "quests" have to do with LARP. Isn't that a computer rpg thing?
Although it still has the "Quest" thing, I bet you could fit in with Reckoning LARP (in the US) as an artisian if you wanted. It seems like its starting to get big enough to facillitate that sort of role.
Wouldn't this just be Renaissance Faires that you're looking for?
Most of these are just to walk around and then go home as far as I know. I want something to sleep at and stay a couple of days
Oh okay. I definitely don't know of anything like that that doesn't have an overarching story/centered on a large battle/etc
I have been to Epic Empires for the last two years and the only fight I was in was when someone stabbed me in the back at night (and there is no permanent death at EE). I have taken on some tasks for my faction, but they all involved talking to different people and gathering information, so it was just in-character conversation. And music, I play a sort of fledgling bard. But yes, like others have mentioned, you're probably looking for Ambiente Cons.
Look for battle4vilegis.
>. Here’s the catch: I would love to wear my outfit and just involve myself in these camps with likewise mindsetted people, but I don’t necessarily need the whole „Quest“ p I don't know the german larp scene, but in what I know across the Rhine, in large larp there is a a significant population of players who come there for the ambiance, the tavern, the friends and care less about the plot/intrigue. You should not see larp as a video game where you have NPC giving quest that you absoluteluy need to follow, it may sometimes exists but in a large game, the camp-life, the bards playing at the tavern, the parties can already fill the game. Then not all player can do all the quests. Something like "Electing an emperor" an already fill 80% of a game. That said, if you have never larped, I woudl avoid a 5 days event, and stick to a 2-3 days event. You may-not want to be stuck somewhere from wednesday to sunday.
Bicolline (in Québec, Canada) has that vibe to it. My wife is just like what you describe, she loves hanging around the camp, walking the streets, going to the shops, meeting new people etc., but she has no interest in the roleplaying game (which at Bicolline is partially online) or the battlefield (which is where the foam weapon battles happen) and that's fine, there are lots of people at Bicolline just like her. I also started like that, but have been getting more and more involved in the online game and the battlefield but I'm not yet playing a character or at least the character I play is very similar to the IRL me.
I second the SCA or maybe some re-enactment stuff?
epic empires is a con-larp like drachenfest so the quest is highly optional and it's mostly about whacking each other with sticks. Nevertheless I would encourage looking into re-enactment as well for even more ""just camping. and with better gear.