Consent (roleplaying)
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Freeform role-playing games, also called freeforms, are a type of
role-playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, or abbreviated as RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out ...
which employ informal or simplified rule sets, emphasise costume and theatricality, and typically involve large numbers (eight to two hundred and fifty) of players in a common setting. Actions are typically adjudicated on the spot by a referee, though variants exist whereby players jointly mediate their own actions.


Theatre-style LARP

The most common form of freeform game is the Theatre-style
live action role-playing game A live action role-playing game (LARP) is a form of role-playing game where the participants physically portray their character (arts), characters.(Tychsen et al. 2006:255) "LARPs can be viewed as forming a distinct category of RPG because of ...
(LARP). Such freeforms have sprung up around the world independently. Some sources suggest the genre originated in
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
where the first large-scale (100 player) freeform was played at the CanCon gaming convention in Canberra in January 1983, quickly spreading to Melbourne and later Sydney gaming conventions. Others suggest
Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...
, or to games played at the
University of York The University of York (abbreviated as or ''York'' for Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a public Collegiate university, collegiate research university in York, England. Established in 1963, the university has expanded to more than thir ...
and popularised in the
fanzine A fanzine (blend word, blend of ''fan (person), fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) for the pleas ...
Aslan Aslan () is a major character in C. S. Lewis's ''The Chronicles of Narnia'' series. Unlike any other character in the Narnian series, Aslan appears in all seven chronicles. Aslan is depicted as a Talking animals in fiction, talking lion and is ...
in the late nineteen eighties. Freeforms are particularly popular in
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
, where rules-based
LARP A live action role-playing game (LARP) is a form of role-playing game where the participants physically portray their characters.(Tychsen et al. 2006:255) "LARPs can be viewed as forming a distinct category of RPG because of two unique featur ...
games have only become common during the last decade. Some Australian conventions run specific tournaments for small-scale freeforms that challenge the players or the normal conventions of roleplaying in ways not possible with other types of games. Such freeforms may experiment with different narrative styles, contemporary social issues or unusual themes, and can be very realistic. Such games are often restricted to mature players. "Multiform" or "systemless" styles of gaming are theatrical hybrids of traditional and freeform role-playing which may also incorporate elements of LARP. They typically emphasise theatrical expression and close emotional identification with the characters portrayed. In a multiform game, players sit at the table for social or strategic roleplaying and may even use standard tabletop rules, but will stand to act out more physical aspects of the game, often without use of formal rules sets. This style of gaming is frequently used at Australian conventions and many tabletop games employ it without being specifically labelled as multiforms, though it is not often used in home games.


Freeform computer-assisted gaming

"Freeform" can also refer to
online text-based role-playing game An online text-based role playing game is a role-playing game played online using a solely text-based interface. Online text-based role playing games date to 1978, with the creation of '' MUD1'', which began the MUD heritage that culminates in t ...
s which lack rules or contain only basic guidelines, relying instead on the player's acting abilities and commitment to a good story. (In
MUSH In multiplayer online games, a MUSH (a backronymed variation on Multi-user dungeon, MUD most often expanded as Multi-User Shared Hallucination, though Multi-User Shared Hack, Habitat, and Holodeck are also observed) is a text-based online social m ...
or
IRC IRC (Internet Relay Chat) is a text-based chat system for instant messaging. IRC is designed for group communication in discussion forums, called '' channels'', but also allows one-on-one communication via private messages as well as chat ...
settings, these are often called consent-based, because what happens to a character is influenced by a potential "veto" from that character's player.) These systems must either rely on carefully selected individuals or strict moderation, in order to prevent less mature players from taking advantage (god-moding) of the rule-free environment, for example by unrealistically shielding their characters from the consequences of their actions. Similarly, "freeform" can refer to online forum-. and email-based role-playing games which lack rules or which lack statistics by which to judge a character's abilities. As with freeform MUSHes and IRC games those running the game rely instead upon the players' writing talents and use of description to determine outcomes – ''if'' a GM is used to control the game at all. Some online freeform games closely resemble
collaborative fiction Collaborative fiction is a form of Writing style, writing by a group of authors who share creative control of a Storytelling, story. Collaborative fiction can occur for commercial gain, as part of education, or recreationally – many collaborat ...
, while others have much more structured rule sets, such as the Role Player's Creed.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Freeform Role-Playing Game Live-action role-playing games Role-playing game terminology