/cgl/ - Cosplay & EGL

>>6902787
Yeah. Just expect employees to have no idea what you're talking about. I personally enjoy wandering around hardware stores grabbing things I can put together into larger things.

I had a nightmare of a time finding the right kind of foam once, but that's because finding regulation-legal foam on this side of the US is a bitch.

In fabric stores, you can at least get your point across by mentioning historical re-creation, in a hardware store you're on your own, nobody is going to know what you're talking about, so have a full list of supplies including regulation lengths, foam thicknesses, and allowed cores (most games don't allow metal cores, for example) so you can take care of yourself.

>>6902448
A basic weapon (used primarily by newbies. All long term players use latex weapons these days) is made with foam surrounding a pvc pipe core. The regulations on it are far more complicated than that, but they differ from game to game.

I don't know anyone who has ever lied openly about what they were doing while buying supplies. I don't see any reason to lie- it's not like they won't sell you fabric, and if you explain that it's a little like historical reenactment they can point you towards the more in-period textiles. In-period fabric is a huge thing, satins, obvious polyesters, tiedyed or otherwise modern colors and prints are all frowned upon pretty heavily (though they are excused if the player is a newbie).

Since there's no real "found out" here (seriously guys, it's not that big a deal) nothing happens. Fabric store clerks have heard weirder things.

The only case when I could see not mentioning it (not lying, just not mentioning it) would be if you were applying for the job, but if you're applying for a job, why the hell are you talking about LARPing?

All the folks in the games I've played in are very, very open about their LARPing. Most of them even use photos from game as profile pictures since they're kinda badass.

Like I said, with professional games, you don't even know that they are there, which is part of the problem because less professional games get all up in other people's business, so people assume they are the only thing out there.

There's a podcast all about LARPing specifically in the north west area done by some friends of mine, if you want to check it out at nwnerdcast dot podbean dot com

>>6901237
No, I have not, but other girls at from the game have. However, no one has ever been accused of being a fake nerd girl at game, even the plastic bikini girls just showed up with the wrong idea.

I think it's because I don't push the "tee hee, I'm a nerd, you guis!" thing. I have my hobbies, I enjoy my D&D, and I leave it at that.
I don't think I'd really care if I was accused. Once you're beating other nerds up in the woods with pieces of plumbing material dressed as a giant spider... well... some dudes comment at a convention won't make any real difference.

I have been practically interrogated about my knowledge of nerdy things by people at conventions, which is pretty annoying, but they don't know me so it's perfectly fine to just walk away.

Anons, you don't have to put up with that bullshit, just walk away.

>>6901314
It happens, no worries. I'm just glad the thread well before then.

>>6900999
As long as they look good, it's okay. If they're interested in learning how to make their own gear though (which becomes more and more useful, especially if you wind up having heraldry) other players are willing to teach. The other ladies and I have a monthly sewing club to gather, sew our new stuff/repair our old stuff and gossip over tea.

>>6900988
Yes, many.
The most popular one in terms of quality is North Fur, which started out catering latex masks and prosthetics to furries, but then realized that fursuits were still more popular, then they started catering to LARPers. There are separate stores for LARPing prosthetics, LARPing gear, everything. Plus many of the gamers themselves make a bit of cash on the side selling commissioned stuff.
There's also a huge market for the nicer weapons we use. Pic related.

>>6900975
I've only been kinda involved in the special effects makeup community, so I may be answering out of my ass here, but LARPers are a huge source of sales. We need durable, professional looking prosthetics, they like our money, and not all of us can make our own.
In general the communities seem pretty meh about each other, though when a new prosthetic company comes online the larpers will usually get all excited about testing it out.
We also only buy the more expensive hot foam latex prosthetics as slush cast won't hold up in the forest for a full weekend, which also makes the prosthetic makers happy.

>>6900966
Yes, they can leave and go to a hotel, however, actually having sex at the site can get the game in trouble with the campsite they are renting, and, if it is a national organization, the home chapter. You'd be banned from the game if you were caught, which could kinda suck. The same thing goes for drugs and real alcohol. Smoking can also be regulated depending on the campsite.
If you're going all the way to a hotel for in-character banging, complete with smudged makeup and ripped prosthetics, it's kinda a waste of an $80 weekend.

>>6900957
Whoops,
>>6900947

>>6900940
I'll answer your question in a sage by answering a larger question, since, troll or no, there's a larger story there. In almost all LARPs actual sex at games is forbidden, as well as foreplay, and the nebulous unexplained "over exuberant PDA."
However, in character sex is a real thing that happens in game, but when the players may not actually be into each other, or may even be married out of game, the rules have thankfully provided a solution. Sex in game, for most games, is represented by a closed door with a sock on the knob, with the two players in question hanging around awkwardly playing cards for a half an hour.
Since playing awkward "our personas are totally banging right now" cards kinda sucks, most players avoid in game sex.
However, if you are interested in historical sexy times with loose nerds, SCA is probably what you are looking for.

I doubt you'd ever manage to convince them to have sex with you in exchange for NPCing, unless you happen to be particularly attractive, in which case I suggest you show up to game and ask politely with lots of eye batting.
If I get called in as a customer service rep on that one though, I'm sorry in advance for laughing at you, and you may be a subject of stories for many, many years.

>>6900924
You're welcome.
Since /r9k/ has descended, I'm stopping this thread, but I lurk frequently so if this kind of a topic ever comes back I'll be there. Have a nice night, anons.

>>6900874
I've never been on one with paid NPCs. All the ones I've ever been in offer free room and food. There's a shortage of NPCs at day long events, since they are cheaper and everyone wants to play their own character. Weekend games usually have a dozen or more NPCs not including staff, but it's been a dry year and we've only been having half a dozen or so.

can I join?

Looks like we're all Lady Larper OP now HOORAY

>>6900797
>"Why aren't you getting angry?"
That's what some girls actually believe.

>>6900854
Sounds entertaining to watch anyway. If you get any offers, other Lady Larper, let me know and I'll pop some popcorn.

>Do I like having 15, 4 inch scabbed over, barely erect penises inserted into each and every one of my equally scabbed over orifices?

Yes, sometimes.

>>6900845
LARPs have such a bad reputation in the US that we're always really careful to be nice and respectful to anyone who isn't part of the game, answering questions and suchlike.

>>6900832
When we're double booked there really isn't much we can do. It's the campsites fault, not the other people, and talking to the rangers doesn't really help anything. Usually the other people and the staff come to an agreement on staying out of each other's way.
This last event we were double booked with Google people setting up for a big event, and they broke a ton of our stuff so yeah...

The girl scouts were okay. They were loud, obnoxious, and pretty typical 12-13 year olds. Their chaperones and our staff came to an agreement, and we split the lodge space down the middle. The girlscouts were told that if we accidentally came after them in the dark with weapons they should shout "girlscout!" as loud as they could, and that made everything mostly okay.

We're all kinda used to that kind of stuff, so we take it in stride and run with it. I think I told the scouts "Because it is weird, that's why it's fun." then they asked a bunch of questions about my makeup (which was cool).

>>6900778
Last one from a public game:
>Be middle of the night.
>Need to pee, again.
>Once again, bar is the only place open.
>Be in the bathroom washing my hands in all my blacks and the crucifix.
>3 drunk women stumble in.
>They are in their mid-30s, all wearing 7 inch stilletos, nearly falling over.
>"Biiittccchhh I just want to fucking fuck him you know?"
>"Then just fuck him bitcccchhh, just do it."
>They are blocking the door, which I need to get through.
>Walk up, politely say "Excuse me please."
>They all stop talking with a look of sheer aghast horror, then they all look down at their feet.
>You can feel the shame in the room.
>One of them mutters "Sorry sister."
>They all get out of my way.
>Wellthen.jpg

(New) One from a weekend game:
>Our campsite is double booked again
>Be surrounded by dozens of... girl scouts.
>Getting into spider gear in the bathroom at the lodge, painting my face and adjusting the mask
>8 girlscouts pour in, all between 12 and 13 years old, they all stop in their tracks.
>"What are you supposed to be?"
>"A giant spider"
>"That's pretty weird."
>"Yeah, I know."
>Pause
>"I said, that's pretty weird."
>"I heard you."
>"Why aren't you getting angry?"
>Wat.jpg

>>6900774
Thanks anon.
Bide your time. I'm poor as well. Start off simple, play a human with a poet shirt. Gather your materials and save your money, and if you can make your own stuff then you have it made.
I built my full spider rig (which includes full sized extra arm prosthetics, the latex mask, and a full bodysuit) for under $100, but it took a lot of time.
I got my plate armor by saving my money for a while, then, when a friend of mine was moving, he sold me his old full rig for $200, for a full set of plate that isn't so bad.

>>6900773
Same game:
>Be playing my usual character, the one all in black with the dead face and the crucifix.
>Be sitting on park bench with my "father"
>My "father" out of character is a good friend of mine. He's a devout mormon of the good sort, and has a beautiful wife. I appear much younger than him. We've been roleplaying with each other for years, and are very comfortable with each other.
>I guess we must have been sitting pretty close to each other or something, I don't even know. A woman walks up in high heels and bunny ears.
>"Hey, can I ask you a question?" to me.
>"Yeah, sure."
>"Are you a Christan?" gesturing to my crucifix.
>"Yeah, sorta." In fact I'm a casual nondenominational Christian out of game.
>"So am I" she pulls out a crappy gold color crucifix she has tied around her neck with a plastic ribbon. "My friend got me this, it's actually a bookmark but I tied it around me neck and now I can't get it off."
>"Oh... umm..."
>"You know, I think it's awful that young people are being with people so much older than they are, no offense to you two, of course."
>My "father" looks aghast.
>"Don't you feel any shame, taking advantage of a young trusting soul like this girl? I mean, she's christian, she has no experience with the real world."
>My "father" splutters.
>I hurriedly step in "Actually, he's my uncle."
>Woman is instantly appeased "Oh, okay. Have a nice night folks!" She stumbled away.
>My 'father' turns to me "Uncle? Seriously? Why not cousin?"
>"Because everyone says cousin, no one believes that story."

>>6900740
Alright, reposting stories.
At a public game:
>be me, 6 foot tall female
>Temporarily play a male character. Professional grade mustache, makeup, and binding.
>Playing an ancient celt brought to modern times, so I have a pouch made of a real fox head tied around my waist, fox face over my crotch.
>Late night, need to pee.
>Only one place open, it's a bar.
>Walk in.
>Skanky drunk girls walk over "Hey, is that fox real?"
>I've been in character all night, so I respond in my deeper voice "Why yes m'dear, tis truely the real thing."
>"Can I touch-" *licks lips* "-your fox?"
>"...Yeah... sure." I lifted the pouch so she could feel the fur without grabbing my crotch.
>She fondles my fox, and squints at me.
>"Hey.... is that mustache... fake?"
>"...Yes,"
>"Are you... a woman?"
>"...YES."
>She nearly falls over herself leaping away.
>"OH MY GOD I'M SO SORRY."

Same game:
>Context is unnecessary for the scene.
>Standing on the busiest thoroughfare of main street dressed all in black with purple and white makeup on to make me look dead. Silver crucifix around my neck, no smiling.
>Next to me, casual businesswoman, high heels, skirt and jacket.
>Conversing with a hobo, falling apart shirt, stumbling, he even smells pretty bad.
>Right behind the hobo, the fairy queen in a sparkly green dress all lit up from the inside with lights. She's controlling the hobo like a marionette, and since we can't 'see' her yet we ignore her and talk to the hobo guy.
>all of the above people are players in the game, we all know each other.
>Large herd of drunken party girls walk past us, stumbling in oversized heels carrying plastic cups of beer. As one, they stop and stare at us, we ignore them and continue roleplaying.
>They collectively shake their heads in confusion, walk to the end of the street, and all throw their full cups of beer in the trash.

>>6900740
We very specifically do not remain in character inside businesses. We go out of character to buy food and snacks and things, and no one in public games dresses extremely enough to get anything other than a strange look, since they are modern settings. I posted a bunch of stories of interactions with mundanes in public games which I can try to find and repost. Most of the reactions are positive, if confused, and since a huge part of public play is not disrupting the mundanes it's usually them who approach us.

>>6900747
For high fantasy games, which have races that require prosthetics, it can be a money sink, but all games will give you the option to play a human.
There's a huge amount of stuff on creating comfortable larp prosthetics that can be taken on and off quickly but still look good. For a basic elf, all you need are those latex elf ears, but for more complicated costumes, like my tarantula girl, you can wind up investing either time or money or both in a costume. The more prosthetics you wear can also change your comfort level at a full weekend game.

>>6900516
>The situation you described sounds like the sort of thing that would make less patient people get annoyed, take their stuff and go home, maybe with some nasty parting remarks. Does that ever happen?
No, not really. With Vampire we usually get more people leaving because it's a high tension PvP game than because of the public play rules.

>When people leave larps they tried out and didn't like, do they tend to be polite and tactful about it, or do they say nasty things? Obviously, the former is preferable - it costs nothing to be nice, and you never know when burning a bridge, however small, might come back to bite you in the ass.
It really depends on the person, we have had some drama bombs explode with all kinds of dumbfuckery (some dude got pissed that he wasn't being paid enough attention once and ran off with one guy's full set of plate mail. That was a particularly bad time).
Most people duck out gracefully, particularly if it was their first game, no harm, no foul.
There are also people that ruin the game for everyone because they didn't like it by killing the rest of the game, or breaking the rules. That's what we have a staff and a customer service department for is to handle that sort of butthurt.