When Nerf meets LARP :)

[MyLastDart]

Hey guys, this is a recent interview I completed with the UK LARP (Live Action Role Play) group Dark Sun. With Nerf, it has so many different facets - modding, HvZ, Battles, Short movies, etc.

This is another side of the hobby, let me know what you think? Is this something that you do or would want to get in to?

Cheers for your thoughts and appreciate any constructive interview tips you can give me.

If you are interested in reading the interview, feel free to follow it here
http://mylastdart.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/when-nerf-meets-dark-side-of-larp-sun.html

MfG Ash

 

[Nachtmahr]

Nice interview, but don´t they visually mod their Nerfs? All Blasters look like the stock versions. If you go to a LARP in Germany, the least mod is to paint the blaster black, so it doesn´t look that toyish.

 

[MyLastDart]

UK law dictates that you must have over 50% bright colors with an orange tip. To avoid any issues, keep the blaster in its stock colours. I would love to see some German LARP communities Do you LARP Nachtmahr?

 

[Nachtmahr]

Ah, I forgot, that the UK has even stricter laws concerning weapons than Germany.

I was into LARP about 10 years ago, then stopped it for quite some time. Last year i went to my first LARP since a long time.
A lot of members in our forum are LARPers, many of them are at the F.A.T.E. and the Zombie Apocalypse: Lost Ideas

 

[geNerft]

I bought my first Nerf Jan 2011 when preparing my Marine character for the Twelve Colonies LARP (set in the universe of Battlestar Galactica). Playing (at least in parts) in the public we have (hopefully "had") to use the original colors there. Last year I started with Zombie LARP (Zombie Apocalypse by Lost Ideas) where all Nerfs have to be painted, most of them are power modded and some changed in appearance. More changes in design can be found in the Nerfs used in the FATE LARP (by Lost Ideas, too). Old, rusty or looking home-made or at least using different spare parts. I think many of the optical mods found in this forum have a background in playing LARP.

Starting with one yellow Recon (that has gone black meanwhile) a Stampede (with one black and one yellow shell), an AT (planned to be modded into a G36), a Rayven, a Maverick and a Reflex (for the Golden Shot <g>) followed the next months... well, yeah, for me Nerf and Larp means quite the same: Buying things (more than you will ever need) and changing them (wanting more than yoo will ever be able to actually do). <g>

 

[MyLastDart]

Thank you geNerft- that post made me smile and it was interesting to know about the Twelve Colonies LARP. I love BSG The actor who plays Admiral Adama (James Olmos) actually follows me on Twitter! I nearly had a heart attack when I saw who it was for real!

Nachtmahr - indeed law is strict here, I do wonder what will happen to Australia with the new blasters. They are already very strict on Toy/Airsoft/Pball

 

[Naramag]

I did a lot of LARP, but at the moment, I am in a preparation process... once my guns and other stuff is complete, my wife and I start again.

But to the question of weapons law in Germany: We still try to figure it out, because it's a a little bit of legal limbo there. We have the legal term of "Anscheinswaffe", literally pretence weapon. Everybody can possess a pretence weapon and use it on private ground. A time ago, I had some dialogue with a police offical via email. The result was, that even completly painted, a NERF gun wouldn't be considered a pretence weapon, because it can always identified as toy from close.
But from a distance, it could cause confusion and therefore evoke a police action. There would be no direct legal consequence for waving around a completly painted NERF in public, but you could be fined for disturbing the public peace or something. Of course, if you were approached by the police and wouldn't comply to their requests, something worse could happen.
From a plain legal point, it would suffice in Germany, to paint the tip of the gun with a bright colour, red or orange. But still, we here agree that's a stupid idea to point anything at a police officer or even shoot at one. Everything is still theoretical, because luckily, nobody as far as I know had any trouble because of a painted NERF.

I'm just in the process of cleaning up my workspace to start modding and one of my first project is a Big Salvo Mod into a M202 Flash Rocketlauncher. Because I intent to stay close to the real dimensions, I going to paint some bright flames on the side and a big smiley on the front cover... It'll be a paintjob that wouldn't destroy the immersion, because it would fit to the character I play...

 

[SirScorp]

I have something around 15 Blasters.... I bought them all whit the Idea of using them on LARP.. but by now I only made it once to an event with the right Settig... and the most Blasters are still stock.. but maybe this year ^^

 

[MyLastDart]

Naramag - thanks for the post! Do you find the preparation process just as satisfying as LARP'ing with it? Thats very interesting and insightful to read about the dialogue and advice you had from the Police. Do you have any pics or journal of your M202 Flas Rocketlauncher mod? I would love to hear about this I really laughed that you will paint a happy face on it - it reminded me of The Watchman - the Comedian? Take a photo with a small eye mask and cigar with machine gun

 

[MyLastDart]

SirScorp hoho I hope you get to attend some more LARP What mods would you like to do with the blasters you have?

 

[Naramag]

I'm a creative guy and it all goes hand in hand. Often I find a small item or a little story and a concept around it emerged. Some thing I want to try aren't even for LARP'ing with it... I just want to see if it works. As for the M202, I haven't started really... at the moment I just have took the Big Salvo Blaster apart to see if it works. It looks good, so I hope to start in the next few weeks (at the moment the biggest problem is to clean up my workspace... it is so full with stuff, didn't even have the place to put a screw somewhere).

And you're right, the Comedians pin in Watchmen was some point of inspiration, als well as the the Joker in Full Metal Jacket. This kind of "Yeah, the world has gone to pieces, so I laugh about it not to cry" attitude.
As you can see in the picture, the front cover flips down... so I thought it would be nice to have a friendly smiley when it's closed and a evil one on the inside.

 

[MyLastDart]

Naramag - wow i'm in love with your work! Do I understand correctly - you are trying to modify to fire foam projectiles? How long did this piece take you? It's really amazing. Major respect ps. do you think you could try your hand at a cs-50 drum?

 

[Master-of-Hardcore]

I think you misunderstood, he wants to rebuild the weapon.

 

[Naramag]

Yeah, you misunderstood me there. I am not modifying a real M202, I try to build one from scratch. From my point of view it is not much more than to build a box, place the Big Salvo parts inside and decorate and paint it.

This is the blaster I am working from:

At the moment, I have little time to work, so I think it's still at least a month down the road before I can present anything at all.

 

[Jefe 2.0]

I also use my Blasters only for LARP. But my mods are a little bit more "strange" I got 2 double shot ( very rusty) and after modding they shoot between zero and five meters, but i dont know which one will shoot how long. My Maverick has do by loaded from the front, because the drum can not be clap out and also you have to move the drum from hand into the next position. My Barrel Break shoots - sometimes. I really like this - it makes more fun when you play. My Weapons for Zombie LARP are in normal condition or have voltage mods like the Rayven.

 

[Nachtmahr]

I think for a lot of people here LARP is the main impulse to mod their blasters.
From my point of view there are 3 main types of blaster modders:

1.) The players: Those who do blaster wars with friends and want to get an advantage for that
2.) The tinkerers (i am not sure if this word is a totally correct translation, for it seems to have a negative conjunction in english, the german word would be "Tüftler"): those who want to max out their blasters
3.) The LARPers

Most people here are a mixture of type 2 and 3 with different ratios in the fields of interest.

 

[GumSmith]

Moinmoin Ash,
i came in contact with Nerf just a few month ago and till then my armory fills up rapidly. I come from the military modelling scene, so i like building model kits etc. I buyed the first blaster to play with my kids in our garden, but soon i started with optical modding. First a simple paint job on a Rayven (my favourite blaster), next was a little bit more as you can see in the gallery of this forum - again a Rayven. Next will be (as i hope) a high end full auto Rayven.
When i started, i didn`t think about LARP, but next weekend i will go to Lübeck for a "Battleground-testing", just doing some Nerf wars on a ground that will be used for a new LARP - Event in April. May be i would have visited this Con, if there wasn`t the Euro Modell Expo at Heiden on the same weekend, a big Model exhibition/Con where i am with guys of model builders Forum.
So, for me it is a mix of building functional models, playing with my kids and lets see, what comes next.

cheers GumSmith

 

[SirScorp]

What Mods?

I've made one for the Competition in this Forum (Bild 3 von 20 aus dem Album My Work)! I'm planing on a new (better) shoulder stock and a new colour designe for my Post-Apocalyps Soldier!

I've got two Longshots I hopefully Brass brech and make a Internal Shotgun mod and I have a buzzbee cougar (https://www.frontlinehobbies.com.au/images/r_545x/Product/95206/pro-16209.jpg?ts=1353022842) which I want to make a "BOSCH Nailgun" from! ( As a Present to my best friend's Character Bosch ^^)

 

[Pelayo]

Morning Ash... well, brits are well known beause they have no sense for good meals nor Style have a look here to become a small impression abour our LARP Niveau ....Lost Ideas - Galerie - FATE

 

[Pelayo]

thats me

 

[Fallout_Boy]

@MyLastDart,
welcome to this community.

The German Zombie Apocalypse LARP has become very famous all arround Europe because of the amazing location.
There you will not have any problems using Painted Blasters or wearing all kind of uniform.

I have to admit, that some players are a bit disapointed.
Because the organisation is in need of improvement.
But i bought my this years ticket and i am looking forwand to the LARP.

But most times do some little Nerf wars with some kids.
LARP is not my main interest.

 

[MyLastDart]

Thank you Fallout_Boy - I love hearing the plans of everyone here, your projects and how you found LARP Lost Ideas - FATE - has taken my breath away. I feel like i'm watching screenshots of a movie! Do they have any plans for a LARP movie? Does Blasted.de have its own LARP system?


Pelayo - hello /wave is the little blue fellow your familiar?

 

[Nachtmahr]

The LARP-System at the Lost Ideas Events is DKWDK, which means "Du kannst, was Du kannst" or "You can do, what you really can do". This makes playing rather simple and fast - no magic, no superhuman powers, no "but my gun does 3 damage!!". The rules are reduced to an absolute minimum.

 

[Pelayo]

have a look dear Ash......(back up)Rückendeckung - YouTube

 

[MyLastDart]

Pelayo - oh my God. This was... it left me truly speechless, wow. I hope they make a full movie, I would happily pay money to support the project!! (ps you remind me of Macgyver from Star Gate SG1

It took my back to my Fallout computer game days!

Nachtmahr - perfect system - no room for arguments maximum room for fun!!

SirScorp - fantastic projects All the best with them!