12 ms·
Although the history of LARP as a legal defense is narrow, the authors share the concern that it may soon become commonplace. This is a reasonable concern. I
by DoreenMichele 3y ago
Although the history of LARP as a legal defense is narrow, the authors share the concern that it may soon become commonplace.
This is a reasonable concern.
I will note anecdotally not all role players are playing with a full deck -- though I am more familiar with role playing gamers, not LARPers (granted: not entirely separate groups). Some are mildly cracked, sometimes harmlessly -- the guy who exclusively played female characters and might have identified as trans had he been born later -- and some not so harmlessly -- the gal who forged her own sword which she took with her everywhere, even the mall, by concealing it under a cape, and genuinely believed she was the last special warrior of some sort from a fictional series.* She believed she was female to signify she was the last.
So that may complicate sorting out who is just playing games from who is a genuine threat of planned violence.
* https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elric_of_Melnibon%C3%A9 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elric_of_Melnibon%C3%A9
- throwaway128128 3y agoThe FBI is concerned more with the militia-like "tacticool" style of LARPing.
- hock_ads_ad_hoc 3y agoI thought there was a “has difficulty differentiating LARP persona from real identity” criteria on the list. Seems like that should come into play in the situation you described.
- DoreenMichele 3y agoThe closest I can find is this: On a psychological level, LARPers temporarily enter a fictional world with characters who reside within it and are separate from day-to-day reality; there is no discomfort in distinguishing between the two. It implies the opposite -- that violent extremists may have trouble distinguishing -- but doesn't seem to say it outright.