Editing Live action role-playing game (section)

==Fiction and reality==
[[Image:Duché de Bicolline.jpg|left|thumb|alt=A small town constructed in a medieval style, surrounded by forest|A medieval LARP venue, the Duchy of [[Bicolline]]]]

During a LARP, player actions in the real world represent character actions in an imaginary setting.<ref name="Tychsen2006Embodiment"/> Game rules, physical symbols and theatrical improvisation are used to bridge differences between the real world and the setting. For example, a rope could signify an imaginary wall. Realistic-looking weapon props and risky physical activity are sometimes discouraged or forbidden for safety reasons.<ref>For example, the [[Mind's Eye Theatre]] system forbids realistic looking weapons and contact. From the "Basic Rules" section: "#1 - No Touching. This means none whatsoever, even with consent ... #2 - No weapons as props ... real weapons or anything that even looks like a real weapon ... are a definite no-no." (Dansky 1996:136). Similarly, the ''Rules to Live By'' system forbids certain sorts of physical action, and recommends against realistic-looking weapons: "A participant should never have to run, climb, or jump over anything... Participants should never, ever use real weapons, even as props. They should be extremely cautious about anything that looks like a real weapon - police get nervous." (Kilgallon et al. 2001:2)</ref> While the fictional timeline in a tabletop RPG often progresses in ''game-time'', which may be much faster or slower than the time passing for players, LARPs are different in that they usually run in real-time, with game-time only being used in special circumstances.<ref>(Bestul 2006:28) "All of this, with the occasional exceptions, takes place in real-time, with the idea of game-time only invoked in certain situations (combat or emergencies, for example). "</ref>

There is a distinction between when a player is ''in character'', meaning they are actively representing their character, and when the player is ''out-of-character'', meaning they are being themselves. Some LARPs encourage players to stay consistently in character except in emergencies, while others accept players being out-of-character at times.<ref>(Waern, Montola & Stenros 2009:1550) "[In Nordic 360° illusion larp] the players stay in character continuously (unlike American larp as reported by Lancaster)"</ref> In a LARP, it is usually assumed that players are speaking and acting in character unless otherwise noted, which is the opposite of normal practice in tabletop role-playing games.<ref>(Tresca 2010:190) "Generally speaking, players in a larp are usually expected to be in character first and then signal their desire to speak or act out-of-character second, the reverse of a tabletop game."</ref>

While most LARPs maintain a clear distinction between the real world and the fictional setting, ''pervasive'' LARPs mingle fiction with modern reality in a fashion similar to [[alternate reality game]]s. Bystanders who are unaware that a game is taking place may be treated as part of the fictional setting, and in-character materials may be incorporated into the real world.<ref name="MontolaStenros2008">{{cite book| last = Markus| first = Montola| author2 = Jaakko Stenros| editor = Markus Montola, Jaakko Stenros| title = Playground Worlds| chapter = Introduction| publisher = Ropecon ry| year =2008| isbn = 978-952-92-3579-7| quote= The third and youngest design ideal is ''pervasive larp''. These ''pervasive'' LARPs blur the line between larp and life as the game spills onto the streets. The whole world becomes a playground...}}</ref><ref name="Montola2007">{{cite conference| last = Markus| first = Montola| editor = Baba, Akira| title = Tangible Pleasures of Pervasive Role-Playing| book-title = Proceedings of DiGRA 2007 Situated Play conference| publisher = The University of Tokyo| pages = 178–185| date = 2007-09-24| url = http://www.digra.org/dl/db/07312.38125.pdf| access-date = 2008-06-04| quote = Alternate reality gaming is the most widely established subgenre of pervasive gaming, but others are evolving as well.| archive-date = 2011-09-27| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110927170956/http://www.digra.org/dl/db/07312.38125.pdf| url-status = dead}}</ref>