Live-action roleplay (LARP) is one of the most amazing hobbies to have for more reasons than I can list in this article. Personally, it has been my hobby for nearly 15 years. The creativity, community, and fun it offers are difficult to compare to. In all community-based hobbies, there are the organizations that run them and there is one thing that they must keep more than anything: the trust of their community.
Trust is lost 10 times faster than it is earned, so keeping that trust is crucial to any organization’s success. From the get-go, there are several ways you can establish trust within your LARP community even before the first game starts. Please note that I am not an expert, and these are based on my opinions and experiences as a LARPer and as a health and safety professional.
LARP is for everyone
You can’t play a game like it was meant to be without the rulebook. To no one’s surprise, LARPs have rulebooks as well. While the primary use of these rulebooks is to explain the in-game mechanics and the in-game world’s lore and history, there is usually a section of legal jargon. However, we have seen a growing trend in these rulebooks that is an enormous help to ease the players’ minds. I’m referring to the messages that illustrate that the community is about the inclusion of all backgrounds, genders, and belief systems. They should also include a section against racism, sexism, trans/homophobia, etc. with punishments laid out in the wording. These disclaimers not only serve as the organizers doing their due diligence, but they also are an open invitation to anyone who will be entering your community. This is one of, if not the biggest, tools to gaining a LARP player’s trust, whether that be an existing player or a new one.
Transparency and Teamwork
In any company, organization, or community, there are going to be things that the executives cannot share with everyone. In this case, the players. Or are there? Well, it depends. Transparency is a tool that gains trust enormously. We have seen time and again instances of businesses having shady practices that could have been avoided if they had just talked to those who would have been involved. This does not mean that the entire community has control over what the executive team does. That would be a ludicrous and unrealistic expectation. A way to have transparency and still have the community involved is to announce changes, instances, and acknowledgement of mistakes when they happen. This doesn’t just extend from the executive team to the players, though. The executive team must also have transparency towards each other.
An example of this could be that an executive member has found a charge of $50 that has not been recorded or is missing. The first step should be to reach out to the executives, both past and present, and ask for clarification. A previous treasurer may know where that extra charge came from and explain why it was not reported. This not only serves as due diligence for professional and legal reasons (more on that in the next section). It also shows that the treasurer trusts the other executives and their team. If no one has the answer, the next step would be to launch an investigation.
You can easily see where trust is tested and where it could easily be lost in this type of situation. If the executive had cut out, avoided, or failed to approach the other team members and announced that an audit or investigation was suddenly being conducted, the alarm bells will immediately start to ring for those not involved. This will easily leak to the players and the rest of the community by word of mouth and, worst of all, by rumours. That is why it is so important for people in the community to trust one another and to make sure that they have done their due diligence, which brings us to our next topic.
Protocol and Due Diligence
A tragic breach of trust can be prevented. All problem-solving starts with two things: proper protocol and due diligence.
This is where I’m going to have to switch from my wide-brimmed leather LARPing hat to my shiny plastic hard hat. While LARP may not appear to be a hobby or community that might need a how-to list of what to do when things go wrong, this could not be further from the truth. The top three responsibilities of an executive team are to protect the players and yourselves. There is no, “Safety Third” policy in LARP. Preparing for worst-case scenarios and incidences is how communities and LARPs keep people safe. The people I am referring to are not just the ones who are presently playing or involved. This also includes the people who will inevitably join your community as a whole, regardless of in what capacity.
So, what is to be done? First of all, a line of communication should be established between those who would be involved in a worst-case scenario. Having a written document is the most common way to do this. This clearly outlines who is in charge of what and who should be reported to. For example, a medical officer has reported that a serious injury has occurred. Who do they report to first? Is it the director, the art director, or the ombudsman? This answer must be written clearly so the line of communication can flow easily and the response and be as fast and efficient as possible.
Due diligence works in the same way, just on a broader scale. Due diligence is more commonly referred to as, “covering all your bases”. Whether it’s a non-profit or a multimillion-dollar corporation, you need to be sure that everything has been checked, signed, and sealed. This becomes extremely relevant when dealing with legal implications. As mentioned in the previous section, performing your due diligence can save a lot of time, trouble, and in most cases, money. Too often we see the case of an event being blown way out of proportion when it all could have been avoided by speaking to or interacting directly with all factors.
The most important thing to remember about LARP is that teamwork and community are vital. Establishing trust is not easy, which is why we all must do our part in ensuring that we utilize the tools, people, and standards that we set for ourselves, and to stay true to our values. This may have been a scary topic to discuss in the open, but I feel it is important enough to be talked about out in the open so that we can all feel a little more at ease about how much goes on behind the scenes and to ensure that we keep each other safe.
So, what are you waiting for? Grab your sword and strap on your shields! You have an amazing game to play! Unleash your full potential and show the world how LARP and its community are the best at what we do!
Written By: G. Durward – July 24, 2024 – Veteran LARPer, Occupational Health and Safety Professional
