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GeekNights 090305 - Laser Tag, Paintball, and Airsoft
Tonight on GeekNights we discuss the non-video gun games: laser tag, paintball, and airsoft. We also do some extra pimping for our next book club book The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay.
Scott's Thing - Michael Jackson's Patent
Rym's Thing - Ohio Denied Plates
Scott's Thing - Michael Jackson's Patent
Rym's Thing - Ohio Denied Plates
Comments
I'd love to get into that, and probably will eventually, but it would be even more awesome to get into this Operation Irene business (run by "Operation Lion Claws", which appears to have an HQ in NY, by the by).
Page- Number (comment)
1- CATZASS (Cats Ass?)
2- FACEMAN (?)
2- VETGASM
2- FURMOM (??!)
3- CATZAZZ (again?)
3- MASTRB8 (Subtle.)
3- TITTIES
4- 0RLY
4- ARSNLFC (In America?)
4- OMFGNUB
6- EARGAZM
6- GOMD (Emily?)
6- NEATFRK
- Expect cheating, grow to not care. Unlike paintballing there is no mark or proof if you've hit someone or been hit. A good group of players and a well marshelled game counter this.
- Go to a site and rent guns first like you said for sure. See if you enjoy the sport before you make any real investment. Unlike paintballing, the hire guns are usually good quality.
- You'll find you like the sport, everyone does. Buy a decent Tokyo Marui rifle. You can't mod them as much as other brands, but they never brake, unlike my friends more powerful guns. When your sick of that buy something else, you'll probably have a decent knowledge of the rifles by then,
- Go play in these abandoned factories with the crew. Playing with friends means there is no cheating and you can have more tactical games.
- Lastly, like paintball, no blind firing. You'll take someone out.
Am I the only airsofter here?If the crew or anyone else has time before Otakon and access to a car, you guys should probably try it out.
My favorite out of the three is paintball. I've been a few times and love it! In the forests in holes or ducking behind things in a ring, either way I have a much better experience. Plus the games are longer and I'm much better at it than laser tag. I can move faster because I only have my fatigues and a gun. Sometimes my extra paint bullets, but I usually keep those on the sidelines.
Airsofts are okay for collecting and freaking out your friends but I never knew anyone who bought them for play. Eh.
I've got a couple friends who are really into Airsoft, both the collection side and the playing. We've been talking about it, and for the first time I might join them this weekend. (Saturday) What do I find when I turn my freshly synced ipod, but a geeknights show on the very same subject. Awesome. ^.^
A warning: If you get into the collecting side, and you're interested in some of the more realistic and higher quality guns, they can easily run upwards of one to three or four hundred dollars.
Have fun!
Ironically it is not because they are rare that they are more desired, as an equally rare gun might be worth significantly less here, but rather the common agreement that something is desirable that therefore adds perceived and by extension, monitory value.
If you just want something that looks cool, you're in the clear.
PLEASE NOTE: I am not encouraging the collecting of, nor the value of these Airsoft. I simply spend enough time around people who do that I am familiar with the process.
Fox
Other stuff I didn't understand (page # in parentheses): FYYFF (1), JOE0 (1), EJ00 and 00EJ (1), W000T(1), QQQQU (2), ok fuck it...I could list a shitload that I don't understand why they're on there.
Any explanations behind the [seemingly] harmless ones on this list?
At higher levels airsoft is LARP, the main idea is the same in that what the players are trying to achieve a feeling of simulation and authenticity. One of the big things of the airsoft scene is the large scale events known as operations or ops where the LARP aspect can come into play. Ideally operations create scenarios where one iconic faction is pitched against another and the difference between the two factions will be the outfits and the weapons they wield. What this means is that a player is going to collect different model guns and costumes in order to accurately portray the different fighters of the world. So unlike some other forms of collecting, this serves a useful purpose.
TL;DR version: I suppose one way to put this is a lot like comparing the guns to golf clubs, if all you do is mini-golf then all you need is a putter, but if you want to play 18 holes then you need a full bag of clubs. I wonÂ’t deny that the fanboys exist but the same has been said of all hobbies, there is a dark side to everything.
I love me some paintball, although strangley I've not played at all in the UK. All 3 times I've been have been in Dubai during highschool. Let me tell you, it's TOO BLOODY HOT to be running around outside, googles and glasses steaming up...
I reckon you guys would love airsoft. As others have said already, the airsoft community tends to be a lot more serious about real combat simulation.
You mentioned gas blow back and electric powered guns at the end of the episode. The blow backs are generally limited to pistols and can extremely satisfying to fire since the pistol essential has the same external moving parts as a real pistol so it feels like the real thing (minus the recoil). I'd recommend getting a high quality full metal because you get to feel the weight and sturdiness of the weapon. I've got a KJ works M9 Beretta with tactical grip which definately recommend (although I think they've discontinued my particular version).
Unfortunately, the UK Government has decided that all airsoft guns imported or sold in the UK have to be at least 50% brightly coloured (i.e. bright green or orange) so it kind of kills the "realism" a bit.
Lol, funny story. A mate of mine in London had a flatmate who had a massive collection of airsoft weapons (M4's, Grenade launchers, AK47's and even a gas mask etc.). One day the plumber was in their place doing some work and he saw the collection. Thinking they were real guns he called the cops and my friend and all his flatmates were arrested by armed police (armed police response is quite a major incident in the UK). Luckily they only had to spend several hours at the police station before being released.
all of our neighbors do allow airsoft though, so all I have to do is hop over the border... ='(.
GeekNights checkbook? I'd buy that for a dollar
Paintball - only done it once. That was enough for me. First off, I hate that you get fucking messy with the paint. Sure I guess it helps to see if you got hit or not, but people wipe anyways. It's also expensive as hell. I also got paint in my mouth, which sucked.
Airsoft- done it a few times. I like it a lot better than paintball, for various reasons (price, lack of getting messy as hell, gun realism). On the other hand, it's still not something I'd want to get in to.
Laser tag - Meh. I've never been good at it. I've done it quite a few times, though.
All in all, I've just never been a guns dude. Suck at playing them, suck at aiming. Same reasons why I'm not a big FPS dude.
Also, you guys mentioned martial arts a lot in this episode. I really think everyone ought to try out some kind of full-contact martial arts for at least a little while. Boxing, muay thai, judo, jiu jitsu, something. To quote some movie, how much can you know about yourself if you've never been in a fight?