Slow take-off

A slow take-off is a technique for beginning a larp, often accompanied by a slow landing.

Description

At the onset of a larp, players do not begin role-playing immediately (as in a flying start) but take time exploring various states between "off-game" and "in-game". These may consist of role-playing flashbacks to the characters past, group meditative activities, receiving media input etc.

Uses

The slow take-off is intended to give players more time to prepare for role-playing, and may also be used to introduce facts about the larp universe.

History and Examples

While earlier examples can be found, the slow take-off was formally introduced along the Slow Landing at Europa, where it included role-played scenes, meditative sessions and media. Kjærlighet i fornedringens tid begins with players closing their eyes, silently listening to a song, holding hands across a cafètable. The Narrator(GameMaster) holds a Monolog describing the past and the expectations of the couples relationship. As a kind of hypnosis at the start, the players are counted (from 1 to 10) into their characters state of mind, and at the end counted out of their characters (from 10 to 1).