MMO designers should study LARPs more. If you think about it, they’re actually a much better analog to MMOs than the tabletop experience everyone tries to emulate. Tabletops are about cooperative storytelling. LARPs are much more self-running, with a small cabal loosely managing a large herd following fairly simple and cut-and-dried rules. They also do a better job of thinking of events that involves the whole populace, and still feel world-changing.
But this is all from anecdotal data – I’ve never taken part. Humorously enough, though, I had a girlfriend once who swore she would dump me if I ever LARPed. I’m pretty sure she meant it, too.
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