Fallout 3 inspires extreme Larping in Russia
When I was in college, I was approached by a friend of mine to participate in a LARP-ing event that was taking place just outside of Boston. At the time I had no clue what LARP-ing was, nor was I aware of the stigma that was associated with it. Why would anyone want to dress up and act out the Lord of the Rings with bean bags and foam-covered sticks? Well, if your LARP-fest included Brotherhood of Steel members wielding gigantic mini-guns, you might not be so skeptical (I certainly wouldn’t be). In an article by the blog “English Russia”, a group of Russian Fallout fans posted a collection of photos documenting their Fallout-inspired LARPing sessions.
Using dilapidated buildings as the bombed-out remains of “New California”, these dedicated players have gone to great lengths to recreate the outfits, weapons, and scenarios from the Fallout series. While none of this is inspiring me to throw on a BoS outfit and jump in, I have to give these guys a lot of credit for taking their time to pay respect to the game series they love. The level of detail is really impressive. And the photos feel like they’ve been lifted right out of Fallout 3.
LARPing will always be one of those acquired tastes. A hobby for eccentric people who need an outlet to support their love for acting out scenarios that could never exist in the real world. But as strange as these people may seem to us: the outsiders, the skeptics, and the critics, there will always be a group that makes us stop, look, and respond with real interest and curiosity. “How did you build that?” “Wow, that almost looks real?” “What inspired you to do all of this?” And no matter what they say, we still may never understand the draw or allure of it. But these people will continue to participate and create and honor the worlds they love. In a way, these guys have shown the Fallout series the highest form of flattery and respect. That’s certainly something worth noticing.
Check out the rest of the photos at English/Russia
LARPing is becoming an art-form. Most countries have some kind of organized larp activity going on, and this is awesome.
Ake