FOAM FIGHTING: TECHNOLOGY AND CULTURE by David Wichinsky A Thesis Submitted to the faculty of The Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Masters of Fine Arts Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL May 2016 Copyright 2016 David Wichinsky ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author wishes to express sincere gratitude to his committee members for all of their guidance and support, and special thanks to my advisor for his patience, persistence, and encouragement during the writing of this manuscript and production of this project. The author is grateful to the Dagorhir and other foam-fighting communities for their warmness in allowing me to pursue research into this niche sport. iv ABSTRACT Author: David Wichinsky Title: Foam Fighting: Technology and Culture Institution: Florida Atlantic University Thesis Advisor: Shane Eason, M.F.A Degree: Masters of Fine Arts Year: 2016 Foam fighting is a form of Live Action Role Playing (LARP) that focuses on mock combat and recreational battle, with role-playing aspects taking a less prominent role. It is sometimes referred to as a “poor man’s martial art”. While there does not appear to be any clear documentation concerning the origins, research on foam fighting suggests the sport began in Maryland in the 1970’s and slowly spread throughout the United States. This research will illustrate how the sport of foam fighting demands a level of critical thinking that takes both the participant and audience beyond the sight of a swinging stick. I plan to show how this sport provides an outlet for high levels of creativity, social interaction and strategic planning skills. It is a hobby that has had a great impact on the daily lives of many of its participants and continues to grow and evolve. v DEDICATION This manuscript and accompanying project are dedicated to the foam-fighting community, which has enriched my life for the past five years; and to my friends that I've made through this community who have supported me through this process. I would like to also dedicate this work to my family who have helped and supported me through the writing and production of this process. FOAM FIGHTING: TECHNOLOGY AND CULTURE INTRODUCTION: THESIS STATEMENT ................................................................ 1 1.HISTORY .................................................................................................................. 2 2.CULTURE AND IDENTITY IN FOAM FIGHTING ............................................... 4 2A. UNITS, CLANS, AND COMPANIES .......................................................... 5 2B. LORE AND MYTHOLOGY ......................................................................... 7 2C. SOCIETY ....................................................................................................... 9 3.TECHNOLOGY AND MARKET ........................................................................... 12 4.GAME THEORY – KEY GAME CONCEPTS ...................................................... 15 5. EVOLUTION OF THE GAME THROUGH AR AND VR ................................... 19 5A. FOAM FIGHTING INFLUENCE ON GAMING? ..................................... 21 5B. OTHER TECHNOLOGIES ......................................................................... 22 6. CONCLUSION....................................................................................................... 24 APPENDICES ............................................................................................................ 26 APPENDIX A. GLOSSARY OF TERMS .......................................................... 27 APPENDIX B. FILM PACKET ......................................................................... 30 BIBLIOGRAPHY....................................................................................................... 70 vii INTRODUCTION: THESIS STATEMENT The purpose of this thesis is to explore foam fighting organizations (or sometimes referred to as Boffer Fighting) and their activity from a cultural, historical and technological perspective. I propose to demonstrate that foam fighting is a sport that has multiple dimensions and depth that go beyond a hobby or cult activity. Furthermore, I intend to show that although foam fighting has underlying common elements with Live Action Role-playing (or LARP) -- such as role playing battles, dressing in garb, home- made weaponry, and a set of rules -- each foam-fighting unit within an organization also develops their own culture that gives them a unique identity. This thesis, and accompanying documentary, traces the history of foam fighting, discusses its unique culture and provides an understanding of the motivations of the individuals who participate in this cultural phenomena. 1 1.HISTORY Documented beginnings for foam fighting are scarce. Evidence provided in Lizzie Stark’s Leaving Mundania suggests, however, that it may have started around 1977 with Dagorhir -- a widely known organization that emphasizes the importance of realism in play. At the time, the technology used in terms of weapons and shields, was much different (more dangerous) than it is currently (Stark, p.882). According to my interview with “Blackhawk,” the former vice-president of Dagorhir, original weapons were built out of basic materials such as couch foam duct-taped to a wooden stick or PVC core. Foam-fighting rules have changed progressively with organizations like Dagorhir, implementing hierarchal structure to enable safer game play and enforcing applicable safety restrictions. Changes made for safety included requiring better padding for protection, and mandating certain diameter requirements for the tip of a sword or the padding on a shield. (Dagorhir Manual of Arms) In 1983, Amtgard broke away from Dagorhir as its own organization in El Paso, Texas (AmtWiki). This organization was more focused on light striking force in combat, and other practices more commonly found in traditional LARP and “Dungeons & Dragons” games such as a structure based on player classes and magic.8a Amtgard was not the only organization to spawn off of Dagorhir. Much later in 2002, Belegarth was born from it; primarily due to actions by Dagorhir to protect intellectual property with legally binding agreements. As a result, Belegarth differs very 2 little from its parent organization. Way of the Sword (or WoTS) is a younger game that originated around 2008, and is exclusive to Florida. The circumstances for this split were similar to the way Amtgard spawned from Dagorhir. Participants in Tampa started out as the “Sakura Moon Shogunate”, and had claimed to be an Amtgard organization. However, they used an unauthorized modified Amtgard rulebook, and were contacted by Amtgard officials to cease use of the Amtgard name. They conceded to the demands, and became their own organization which started out as “The Sakura Moon Shogunate Rulebook”. (AmtWiki) Early iterations of the game, (including player class and magic structure) were vastly similar to Amtgard. The player classes were modified and focused around Japanese culture, such as Samurai (warrior in service to a lord), Bushi (another term for warrior), Shinobi (assassin), and Sohei (monk). For example, a Sohei could have invincible limbs as a perk, but could only use polearm weapons. A Samurai was limited to Katana, but could deal three points of damage at a high rank (usually this would apply more to armor rules at that time). (Way of the Sword Wiki) Around 2011, WoTS deviated from its Amtgard roots, and teetered progressively toward Dagorhir with the inclusion of allowing grappling, requirements of more sufficient striking force, changes regarding head-shots in the game, and the abandonment of the class system. WoTS now engaged in “cross-gaming”: the practice of welcoming people belonging to other organizations; but, as a result, many of the more serious fighters veered toward joining Dagorhir, and WoTS's popularity started to wane. Further distinguishing the two groups was the difference in skill level of a typical WoTS fighter versus a Dagorhir fighter. Most seasoned WoTS fighters would over-exaggerate their 2 movements, making them predictable; while a Dagorhir fighter would be calculating with his movements and utilize proper body mechanics. In addition, the technology and standards in Dagorhir at the time were much safer than in WoTS. The WoTS rulebook allowed for loose interpretations that were subject to loopholes, e.g. a throwable “knife” in WoTS could have a core on the inside, often resulting in more injuries due to either insufficient padding or improper security to the core itself Because WoTS could not offer a more distinctive experience, the unit suffered a loss of identity, with some gamers even referring to it as “Dagorhir, but with headshots”. Still, WoTS remains an important footnote in Florida's foam fighting history for its contribution to Dagorhir’s popularity within the state. 3 2.CULTURE AND IDENTITY IN FOAM FIGHTING In the world of foam fighting, there are a multitude of different organizations that exist depending on geographic location. For example, the current organizations that are active in Florida are WoTS, Dagorhir, and Amtgard. Differences between these organizations include the relative importance of role-playing, the variations in rule-sets of play, scope of events (i.e., large events held on a campground, or a small practice session at a local park), and general age range of participants. WoTS, Dagorhir, and Amtgard are all organizations that minimize their