LARP World Magazine made its Volume Two, Issue One debut in early March—coincidentally on the anniversary of co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, E. Gary Gygax’s passing (July 27th, 1938 – March 4th, 2008).

LMW is a digital, interactive magazine on information, tips and tricks, interviews, and in-depth coverage on the innumerable attributes of live action role playing. The original publication of this magazine was released in 2006 and now, is re-released for an exclusive view of the community.

Highlights

“[LARP World Magazine is] not the first periodical to examine live action role playing…nor will it be the last,” Aaron Vanek, Editor-in-Chief of the new digital magazine.

To begin, this statement says it all. I’m glad this was made clear from the beginning because it makes me feel confident that the magazine will do well. Nowadays, I’m seeing more entrepreneurs and business people acknowledge the fact that there will be competition regardless of their efforts. But from my own interpretation of the publication thus far, I wouldn’t want to switch to another one anytime soon.

  • Recent Hot Topics Within the Community

LMW writers decided to discuss recent hot topics, such as the recent attempted ban on LARP archery; cosplay and copyright law; and the continuous discussion of The College of Wizardry and the upcoming November event New World Magischola. The most important article debuted is what it means to be part of a LARP community. That was the one article that I was able to connect to most and would love to talk about that in further depth with my own experiences. Also, an exclusive interview “Illuminating the World of Darkness” with Martin Ericsson.

  • Reviews

I had a small chuckle to myself when I saw the first item reviewed in this section. Many non-LARPers have asked me in the past if the hobby is like Grown-Ups or Knights of Badassdom. The star-rating chart is a great interpretation of how each of these films, books, shows, etc. should be reviewed and if it is worth our time to watch as LARPers. There needs to be more substantial and accurate examples to what LARPing is and what it stands for.

  • How-Tos, Tips, and Tricks

It was an interesting to see that there weren’t only tips for players, but for those who run LARP events. From writing lore and developing plot, contributor Piotr Milewski helps those looking for inspiration to tackle all of their “ifs.” There are also short sections on preparing a LARP meal for the weekend, combat strategies, and a crafting tutorial.

LWM coverFinal Thoughts

Overall, there weren’t many aspects of the magazine I didn’t like. I enjoyed reading from guest contributors, like LARP Girl; adaptations of stories in different concepts (“A Tale of Two Hamlets”); and my personal favorite, “What to Talk about When We Talk about Community.”

My only issues with the magazine was linking to external or internal links while reading on my tablet. That could have been a compatibility issue with reading it through my Google Drive or it’s not tablet-friendly (yet). Little things of that nature don’t bother me as much.

Important sections of this publication are letters to readers by the publisher and editor. “I want to create a publication for the larp community around the world to feature their games and stories,” Publisher Joseph Valenti writes, “With your support, we can grow our base and show new and non-larpers what we are all about.”

Currently, the magazine is advertising for contributors from photographers, artists, vendors, games, etc. to showcase. “[LWM] publishes four digital issues per year with one print annual.”

Click here to receive your digital copy of LARP World Magazine – Winter 2016 now!
Website: www.larpworldmag.com
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