The structured chaos of larp is difficult to parse, especially when such unpredictability is precisely the point. In this talk, Evan Torner discusses how emergence works as an aesthetic principle in larp, and suggests a rubric for how to understand our incredibly complicated larp experiences in retrospect.
Evan Torner is Assistant Professor of German Studies at the University of Cincinnati, where he also directs the UC Game Lab. Though his primary research focus is East German cinema and science fiction, he has maintained an active presence in the role-playing game scene as a player, designer, and researcher. He co-edited Immersive Gameplay: Essays on Participatory Media and Role-Playing with William J. White, and is currently an editor for Analog Game Studies, which he co-founded. He also co-founded the Golden Cobra contest, and has written numerous freeform larp scenarios.