Paintball and Airsoft
There's been a lot of talk on the Spec Ops forums about "airsoft". I know, you're rolling your eyes already, but hear me out. Besides, you're here anyway so you may as well be entertained for your dollar. Oh, wait, free blog. Someday I'll stop giving it away.
Anyhow, let's take a look at airsoft. Airsoft, for those of you who don't know, is a game which is played in a similar way to paintball. The guns are often replica in appearance, except they use either gas or springs to launch a 6mm plastic pellet. There are "paintball" versions of the pellets available, but most don't use them. The games are usually of a "milsim" style.
Beyond that, I'm going to honestly tell you that I don't know how the mechanics of the games work. I'm guessing that it's different from group to group how they deal with "kills" and "eliminations". But these groups all have one thing in common. The honor system. If you're hit with a pellet, you are expected to react accordingly. From what I can gather, it's anything from laying down "dead" to not using a particular limb that's been hit.
I want to focus on that. The honor system. Paintball used to have something like that too. It lasted all of a few games when someone figured out they could rub their hand on a fresh hit, and it might look like an old one. Naturally in the old "oil based paint" days, this was a lot harder to get away with. If you want to freak an old timer out ask them what a "turpentine party" was. But you've gotta find some of the REALLY old guard for that. It's even past my years, and I'm ancient. Hear that? That's my back creaking.
But back in the day, there was more of an honor system in place. Yes, when you talked to the tournament style players they did what they could and tried to get away with anything (just like today) but the social game had a rock solid honor system. I've played paintball games without referees, based solely on the honor system. You get hit; you go out, end of discussion.
Airsoft, as a game, is in the same place paintball was about ten years ago. It's small, loosely organized, and very much an underground thing. The exception is that airsoft can ride the coattails of paintball into mainstream stores like Dicks and Wal-Mart Many fields are now recognizing that Airsoft players are an alternative to paintball. In my area, at least four fields have dedicated weekends specifically for the airsoft guys. Not just one trial weekend, Fox River has a standing gig with airsoft players.
So why? Paintball is big business, why take a chunk of that away for these camo-clad gun-toting milsim freaks? For starters, they don't take up a lot of resources. One or two referees and they only exist for time checks and to make sure nobody gets hurt when they dive into a hill or something. Second, they don't bitch and whine like paintball players do. If they have a problem with a player, that player is not invited back to play again. And third, a lot of these fields like the attitudes of the airsoft players.
In the previous entry I talked about a field that ran an airsoft style paintball game called "Wappball". It didn't work, because they put a punishment on failure and they had no restraints to curb cheating. On my way out the guy behind the counter commented that I seemed to be an "older style" player. Which really got me thinking about this stuff in the first place. Airsoft is almost a return to the "old school" play where players were expected to do their own checks and play their own way. A lot of the airsoft players are in fact old school paintballers who are discouraged by the attitudes of the modern paintball game.
To be honest with you, I don't see a problem with airsoft. Even the replica guns aren't that bad in the larger scheme of things. I mean how many paintball players mod out their gun to look like an M-16 or the like? So we shouldn't appalled at that. "What about the milsim aspect?" Again, I fail to see a problem with it. Paintball has scenario games based on WW2 and the Vietnam War, so it's frankly hypocritical of paintball to pretend to be offended by role-play of minor skirmishes. I may not like the reenactment games of paintball, but when you try to make it a TRUE reenactment, that's different. But that's another rant entirely.
Airsoft has its place in the genre of "pursuit" gaming. Just as Laser Tag has its place and FPS games have theirs, Airsoft fills a niche and a need. Some people want a more realistic milsim than paintball can give, and Airsoft fills that need. To be honest, paintball players are hypocritical all around in an absolute rejection of airsoft as a pursuit game.
We whine and complain that nobody understands the sport, that the media thinks we're all gun toting crazies who want to train for war. We bitch and moan when the media runs negative press or dumb press about "our sport", and we all scream "why can't they just accept paintball as a sport?" Then we look at airsoft, say they're all gun toting crazies training for war and they shouldn't be allowed to exist as a game or a sport.
As far as I can see it, no harm no foul. If they want to play a more milsim style of game, all power to them. For the most part, they're playing safe (just like in paintball, there's a few freaks out there who don't) and they're enjoying what they do. So why not let them? It doesn't impact the arena game of speedball, many airsofters cross over into paintball as well, so where's the problem?
Do I think they should be at certain events? No. When a Canadian airsoft club hosted a "CQB KILL HOUSE" at Skyball, that wasn't well thought out by all parties involved. Then again the fact the Canadian military had recruitment officers there too wasn't well thought out either. I would think that they would be well suited to run in conjunction with scenario games, or at fields looking to broaden their markets.
And before you say that they're too warlike, and that it's a bad image, keep in mind that's what most people think of paintball. I'd rather experience something for myself than take someone else's word on it.
Anyhow, let's take a look at airsoft. Airsoft, for those of you who don't know, is a game which is played in a similar way to paintball. The guns are often replica in appearance, except they use either gas or springs to launch a 6mm plastic pellet. There are "paintball" versions of the pellets available, but most don't use them. The games are usually of a "milsim" style.
Beyond that, I'm going to honestly tell you that I don't know how the mechanics of the games work. I'm guessing that it's different from group to group how they deal with "kills" and "eliminations". But these groups all have one thing in common. The honor system. If you're hit with a pellet, you are expected to react accordingly. From what I can gather, it's anything from laying down "dead" to not using a particular limb that's been hit.
I want to focus on that. The honor system. Paintball used to have something like that too. It lasted all of a few games when someone figured out they could rub their hand on a fresh hit, and it might look like an old one. Naturally in the old "oil based paint" days, this was a lot harder to get away with. If you want to freak an old timer out ask them what a "turpentine party" was. But you've gotta find some of the REALLY old guard for that. It's even past my years, and I'm ancient. Hear that? That's my back creaking.
But back in the day, there was more of an honor system in place. Yes, when you talked to the tournament style players they did what they could and tried to get away with anything (just like today) but the social game had a rock solid honor system. I've played paintball games without referees, based solely on the honor system. You get hit; you go out, end of discussion.
Airsoft, as a game, is in the same place paintball was about ten years ago. It's small, loosely organized, and very much an underground thing. The exception is that airsoft can ride the coattails of paintball into mainstream stores like Dicks and Wal-Mart Many fields are now recognizing that Airsoft players are an alternative to paintball. In my area, at least four fields have dedicated weekends specifically for the airsoft guys. Not just one trial weekend, Fox River has a standing gig with airsoft players.
So why? Paintball is big business, why take a chunk of that away for these camo-clad gun-toting milsim freaks? For starters, they don't take up a lot of resources. One or two referees and they only exist for time checks and to make sure nobody gets hurt when they dive into a hill or something. Second, they don't bitch and whine like paintball players do. If they have a problem with a player, that player is not invited back to play again. And third, a lot of these fields like the attitudes of the airsoft players.
In the previous entry I talked about a field that ran an airsoft style paintball game called "Wappball". It didn't work, because they put a punishment on failure and they had no restraints to curb cheating. On my way out the guy behind the counter commented that I seemed to be an "older style" player. Which really got me thinking about this stuff in the first place. Airsoft is almost a return to the "old school" play where players were expected to do their own checks and play their own way. A lot of the airsoft players are in fact old school paintballers who are discouraged by the attitudes of the modern paintball game.
To be honest with you, I don't see a problem with airsoft. Even the replica guns aren't that bad in the larger scheme of things. I mean how many paintball players mod out their gun to look like an M-16 or the like? So we shouldn't appalled at that. "What about the milsim aspect?" Again, I fail to see a problem with it. Paintball has scenario games based on WW2 and the Vietnam War, so it's frankly hypocritical of paintball to pretend to be offended by role-play of minor skirmishes. I may not like the reenactment games of paintball, but when you try to make it a TRUE reenactment, that's different. But that's another rant entirely.
Airsoft has its place in the genre of "pursuit" gaming. Just as Laser Tag has its place and FPS games have theirs, Airsoft fills a niche and a need. Some people want a more realistic milsim than paintball can give, and Airsoft fills that need. To be honest, paintball players are hypocritical all around in an absolute rejection of airsoft as a pursuit game.
We whine and complain that nobody understands the sport, that the media thinks we're all gun toting crazies who want to train for war. We bitch and moan when the media runs negative press or dumb press about "our sport", and we all scream "why can't they just accept paintball as a sport?" Then we look at airsoft, say they're all gun toting crazies training for war and they shouldn't be allowed to exist as a game or a sport.
As far as I can see it, no harm no foul. If they want to play a more milsim style of game, all power to them. For the most part, they're playing safe (just like in paintball, there's a few freaks out there who don't) and they're enjoying what they do. So why not let them? It doesn't impact the arena game of speedball, many airsofters cross over into paintball as well, so where's the problem?
Do I think they should be at certain events? No. When a Canadian airsoft club hosted a "CQB KILL HOUSE" at Skyball, that wasn't well thought out by all parties involved. Then again the fact the Canadian military had recruitment officers there too wasn't well thought out either. I would think that they would be well suited to run in conjunction with scenario games, or at fields looking to broaden their markets.
And before you say that they're too warlike, and that it's a bad image, keep in mind that's what most people think of paintball. I'd rather experience something for myself than take someone else's word on it.
What's in Tyger's CD player :
posted by Rob "Tyger" Rubin at
Thursday, July 28, 2005
2 Comments:
Alright. I'll begin with I think that Airsoft is... Hm... I just don't like it that much. It's basically because it's more of a shot confined to one small area. Strangely paintball hurts less to me than an airsoft pellet. But that's just how I feel about it.
But as far as airsoft playing... Eh. It's not really someting that has worried me ever. My only question would be what kind of eye protection do they wear?
By
Anonymous, at Thursday, July 28, 2005 10:23:00 PM
Echo, the usually just wear shop goggles because the pellets from a stock airsoft gun doesn't shoot as fast as a paintball gun at legal velocities. The few times I've played airsoft I wore a mask because I didn't think glasses were enough. Most of the airsoft player I've met were kids whose parents quit paying for paint and air. I've tried both and have to say I like paintball a lot more but airsoft is a nice alternative when your short of money. Also, airsoft can be played almost anywhere because there is almost no mess from the pellets and the guns don't shoo far/hard enugh to do any damage.
By
Anonymous, at Sunday, July 31, 2005 12:47:00 PM
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