Mortavian
February 18th, 2014, 11:56 PM
Wanted to talk about airsoft a bit, since it's pretty much my go to hobby here in the sticks of Japan. Typed this up at work today, but I saw Godson started up a real steel gun thread here (http://gtxforums.net/showthread.php?620-The-Boomstick-Thread) and I don't want to step on his toes! If there's a conflict of interest, just let me know.
What is airsoft?
Did you ever run around with toy guns as a kid and pretend to shoot your friends? Well, airsoft is basically the grown up version of the same. Airsoft is a tactical simulation game which uses airguns to fire plastic BBs at other players. Paintball is the better known cousin of airsoft and shares many similarities, though the player communities seem to largely prefer differing play styles. Paintball is often seen as emphasizing the game-like aspect of the sport, while a significantly large draw of airsoft is its simulationist aspect.
How do you play?
There are many rule and gametype variants, but a vanilla game of airsoft typically pits two teams against one another with a "one hit, one kill" style of play. If you get hit, you're "dead" and out of the game. The standard operating procedure for this is to identify yourself when you've been hit (this is "calling your hit"), usually by raising your hand and/or calling out, "hit." Then remove yourself from the play area and return to the safe zone outside the field. Once the current match ends, all players leave the field and return to the safe zone. There will then be time to prepare for the next match, at which point everyone returns to the field at the start of the next game.
Referencing back to paintball again, play in airsoft is very much the same. One main difference though is that hits in airsoft aren't always easy to identify since the BBs leave no visible mark on clothing, so the honor system is paramount to the integrity of the game. If you've been hit (or are reasonably sure you've been hit), it's expected that you'll call your hit fairly. Sometimes disputes over a hit can arise and sometimes there will be players that don't uphold the honor system, but overall I've found most people in airsoft are fair and honest in their gameplay. We're all just here to have a good time, after all.
What do you need to play?
Besides a safe environment and other players, the only essential equipment you need to play are a gun and proper eye protection. Airsoft players and their kits (clothing, weapons and equipment) run the gamut from the super casual (shorts, jeans, hoodie, etc.) to the super dedicated:
http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/9227/waxhawairsofthl9.jpg
http://cache.wists.com/thumbnails/6/f8/6f8071d20830445649558853d0237230-orig
Some people play airsoft just for the FPS game-like element of it, while others are extremely invested in the cosplay/costuming aspect of the game (though you'll get different reactions from different players on addressing their hobby as dress-up, make believe wargaming :lol:). Some people like airsoft for the tacticool element of making their kit as realistic as possible, while other folks are gearheads and are extremely invested in tinkering with and modifying their guns and equipment. There are always some folks who take their hobby way too seriously, but in my own experience I've found everyone I've played with to be friendly and out to have a good game.
Is it safe?
Absolutely, though protective equipment and a certain amount of common sense are required to maximize safety while playing. One of the most common questions people ask is, "Does it hurt?" The answer is, "Sometimes, but usually not." The ammunition used in airsoft are small plastic BBs that are 6mm in diameter. Sometimes you can get hit and not even feel it; sometimes the BBs can break skin (though this doesn't happen often).
It all depends on circumstances. If you're running around the field wearing only shorts and a t-shirt, it's possible you may go home covered in welts and bruises at the end of the day. I definitely wouldn't play in shorts, but I've seen plenty of people doing so. Getting hit kind of feels like being snapped hard with a rubberband that's held right up next to you: if it's on bare skin, it's going to hurt. However, if you're wearing jeans and a long sleeved shirt, you probably have little to worry about.
The number one rule of safety is to wear eye protection. That can't be stressed enough. Face protection is also recommended (there are many stories of people getting chipped teeth from stray BBs to the mouth), but solid ANSI rated eye protection is the most important thing. Use a bit of common sense (e.g. always wear your eye protection on the playing field, treat your weapon as if it were a real gun, etc.) and you really won't run into any problems.
More posts to come. Comments, questions and miscellaneous whatever are always welcome.
What is airsoft?
Did you ever run around with toy guns as a kid and pretend to shoot your friends? Well, airsoft is basically the grown up version of the same. Airsoft is a tactical simulation game which uses airguns to fire plastic BBs at other players. Paintball is the better known cousin of airsoft and shares many similarities, though the player communities seem to largely prefer differing play styles. Paintball is often seen as emphasizing the game-like aspect of the sport, while a significantly large draw of airsoft is its simulationist aspect.
How do you play?
There are many rule and gametype variants, but a vanilla game of airsoft typically pits two teams against one another with a "one hit, one kill" style of play. If you get hit, you're "dead" and out of the game. The standard operating procedure for this is to identify yourself when you've been hit (this is "calling your hit"), usually by raising your hand and/or calling out, "hit." Then remove yourself from the play area and return to the safe zone outside the field. Once the current match ends, all players leave the field and return to the safe zone. There will then be time to prepare for the next match, at which point everyone returns to the field at the start of the next game.
Referencing back to paintball again, play in airsoft is very much the same. One main difference though is that hits in airsoft aren't always easy to identify since the BBs leave no visible mark on clothing, so the honor system is paramount to the integrity of the game. If you've been hit (or are reasonably sure you've been hit), it's expected that you'll call your hit fairly. Sometimes disputes over a hit can arise and sometimes there will be players that don't uphold the honor system, but overall I've found most people in airsoft are fair and honest in their gameplay. We're all just here to have a good time, after all.
What do you need to play?
Besides a safe environment and other players, the only essential equipment you need to play are a gun and proper eye protection. Airsoft players and their kits (clothing, weapons and equipment) run the gamut from the super casual (shorts, jeans, hoodie, etc.) to the super dedicated:
http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/9227/waxhawairsofthl9.jpg
http://cache.wists.com/thumbnails/6/f8/6f8071d20830445649558853d0237230-orig
Some people play airsoft just for the FPS game-like element of it, while others are extremely invested in the cosplay/costuming aspect of the game (though you'll get different reactions from different players on addressing their hobby as dress-up, make believe wargaming :lol:). Some people like airsoft for the tacticool element of making their kit as realistic as possible, while other folks are gearheads and are extremely invested in tinkering with and modifying their guns and equipment. There are always some folks who take their hobby way too seriously, but in my own experience I've found everyone I've played with to be friendly and out to have a good game.
Is it safe?
Absolutely, though protective equipment and a certain amount of common sense are required to maximize safety while playing. One of the most common questions people ask is, "Does it hurt?" The answer is, "Sometimes, but usually not." The ammunition used in airsoft are small plastic BBs that are 6mm in diameter. Sometimes you can get hit and not even feel it; sometimes the BBs can break skin (though this doesn't happen often).
It all depends on circumstances. If you're running around the field wearing only shorts and a t-shirt, it's possible you may go home covered in welts and bruises at the end of the day. I definitely wouldn't play in shorts, but I've seen plenty of people doing so. Getting hit kind of feels like being snapped hard with a rubberband that's held right up next to you: if it's on bare skin, it's going to hurt. However, if you're wearing jeans and a long sleeved shirt, you probably have little to worry about.
The number one rule of safety is to wear eye protection. That can't be stressed enough. Face protection is also recommended (there are many stories of people getting chipped teeth from stray BBs to the mouth), but solid ANSI rated eye protection is the most important thing. Use a bit of common sense (e.g. always wear your eye protection on the playing field, treat your weapon as if it were a real gun, etc.) and you really won't run into any problems.
More posts to come. Comments, questions and miscellaneous whatever are always welcome.