Editorial - Special Issue: Living Games Conference 2018

Abstract

IJRP 9: Special Issue — Living Games Conference 2018

Table of Contents

Evan Torner, “Editorial”

This special issue contains four articles chosen from among those presented at the Living Games Conference at Northeastern University in Peabody, MA, on May 17-20, 2018.

Russell Murdock, “Legal Liability in Live Action Role-Playing: The Law is Dark and Full of Terrors”

This paper explores the legal liabilities and risks associated with running a live-action role-playing game (larp), including issues related to alcohol consumption, employee behavior, and personal injury.

Diana J. Leonard and Tessa Thurman, “Bleed-out on the Brain: The Neuroscience of Character-to-Player Spillover in Larp”

This article pairs emerging neuroscience theory and research with classic psychological models of emotion and motivation to examine the causes and consequences of the important larp phenomenon of bleed-out.

Brodie Atwater and Alex Rowland, “Developing a Framework of Larp Counseling”

This paper outlines the purpose and challenges of the role of larp counselor in order to discuss the need for standardization due to liabilities and expectations of care. The authors propose a three part guide containing a code of ethics, procedures, and best practices.

Jason Cox, “Documenting Larp as an Art of Experience”

This article approaches larp documentation and representation by foregrounding player experiences over the narrative created by the designers. The author discusses the development of The Magischola Museum website, designed to house artifacts from the larp series New World Magischola.