Advancement of the game

I dont see this as likely to cause a split, there are so many game organisers now each with their own style, some will tweek the rules/game style to try to enhance things, some wont. At the end of the day punters will decide what events they attend and how far it goes

there are a few who "wont go to that type of game its just an open day in period gear" and others who don't like the move toward real ammo limits and rifles only... but as has been said before its a broad school here .i like both and don't deny it, i like getting my gun off and i also like 100 rnds per day, there are plenty who like both types of game and will attend any game and there are people at the extremes ,tis part of the rich texture of life but i dont think it will cause a rift and so long as everyone keeps a variety of games going we can cover all bases ,it would probably be a mistake for all game organisers went the same way.

i am with Dadio on this one, variety being the spice of lfe.

I too like to let rip and play everything from CQB modern to WW2 (or will be as of next weekend woohoo). some games i enjoy and some not so much. But thats usually down to my mood rather than anything else. From what i have read so far, its the different types of games which makes WW2 stand out along with the uniformity of dress (stupid colour arm bands).

it would probably be a mistake for all game organisers went the same way.

Absolutely, the worst thing would be for all games to be the same format & style.

Having experienced accusations of 'elitism' in the past I don't think splits (or the perception of splits) is anything new at all. I'll make four points:

a) The original group of five kicked off the WW2 things as an antidote to open days and other's themed airsoft weekenders. Key to this was establishing a feeling of 'being there'. All game since have kept that idea at heart and rules for lives/ammo limits/uniforms/medics etc have constantly changed and evolved.

b) Organisers put together games they want to play - it's comes from a personal excitement and ambition and expectation that others might like to share in the experience (and sometimes they don't). There is nothing to stop anyone organising the game they wish to play themselves from running around in 'Allo 'Allo costumes to mandatory gasmasks and MG42's firing from the hip to standing in a muddy ditch for the weekend. If you don't like the games you are being offered (or think you can offer a new experience) then get off yer arse and organise something yourself!

c) I'd agree there does seem to be a bit of evangelism at the moment for the ultimate lowest ammo limit and toughest 'life' rules etc as if it is a goal in itself. I don't personally subscribe to that view and think all rules should be appropriate to the game/scenario. I'll illustrate this - The Eagle has Landed had American troops with no weapons for the first hour of the game, a perimeter patrol sent out with just 10 bb's and at Op Aerial British troops had no ability to engage the enemy until ammunition caches were found and the same at Op Jedburgh. Two of next year's games will see very limited issue of ammunition because that fits the scenario. Conversely, at Gunman's ambitious D-Day game the Germans were pouring ammo at landing Allies as they struggled to get off the landing craft, and the same as the Americans tried to attack a defending German force at Devil's Hill - which was awesome. Neither action lasted that long but did offer something that pinging with low power bolt actions couldn't.

d) There is and has been a wide spread of game styles, concepts, sites, parts of the country, historical accuracy etc. This looks like continuing in 2013 too. BUT the biggest problem and has been for a good while now, is not anything to do with ammo limits etc is just the simple fact that people are increasingly reluctant to make the effort to leave the house and spend a bit of money on attending a game. It is exasperating and it is why I'm a bit dismissive of the whingers and whiners. Get out there and play a game. Anyone's game. You will have a great time and you will have an experience to remember. I have only ever been to one game that could possibly be described as absolute pants but even that had excellent moments to remember!

Frankly I'm happy to play any game at all, and to to attend all the events I possibly can, the only barrier being work/family commitments. I am certainly interested in pushing the boundaries, but equally an open day blatfest can be entertaining too.

The main thing is to get some use out the mountain of kit I seem to have acquired over the years.

This is a hobby not a job, and people will turn up to events they are interested in and to the events put on by organisers who have put on good games in the past. The definition of a 'good game' will vary one person to the next, but even at events which aren't necessarily to our taste, we can try to make it so by behaving in the way which we think is appropropriate.

The more variety the better, but as Chommers says, the main thing is to get out there and actually attend some events.

Cheers
Martin

even if the game is not to you'r taste then its still nice to meet all you comrades from previous games and meet new ones,also its good to be familiar with the kit you use,if you only use the uniform and kit 2-3 times a year then its not familiar and you waist time fidgeting with it or it can be a pain in the neck,i more often than not use ww2 kit at open days and it may leave me flagging against the m4 massive but helps me on the ww2 days.in the past its been difficult for me to attend as many events as I'd like due to shift work but this year I've gone to as many as i can get to while my shift pattern fits.

I dont see this as likely to cause a split, there are so many game organisers now each with their own style, some will tweek the rules/game style to try to enhance things, some wont. At the end of the day punters will decide what events they attend and how far it goes

Also you do not know if you would like something until you are exposed to it through someone else's game/ideas.

i love to play whether it's Wracking kills at a gunman game or winding up comm's wire with CIA! Variety is as they say, the spice of life. I'm looking forward to the Bastogne game as they may bring yet another approaach to us. let's see. I would also like to try out the tighter controlled 'rifle only' games and hope they can give me what I originally looked for in ww2 airsoft. an experience as close to the real deal as i will ever get.

Split, never! Organisers going in different directions, yes and thank god! It shows no one has monopoly or got it right as you simply cant 'get it right' for everyone! When some one says, 'that was the best event ever', what they mean is, 'more people loved that game including me, than any other game I have been too'.
Im so very lucky to have had so many great players to my events over the past 20 years and any success I have had has come from getting the right people in the field and thats it.

For the record 'I dont run the game I would want to play' as I have no idea what that is, but run games and senarios I think will work with the people that booked on. Part of that is continually changing the experience to keep it fresh, tweeking rules and challenging the people that have booked on, but making sure they get the game they want at the same time.

Low ammo isnt new and has one feature that makes it work, a level playing field. Also extreme medic rules arent new, but do rely on a field of guys that are willing to play that game and possible sacrifice their experience for others. When your paying £x for a day/weekend, you want to make sure you get your monies worth and they game you paid for!

Indeed, i think Josh and I took a chance with '300 rounds per life' as an experiment when we co ran first and only 'road to arnhem' together.

Players loved it and it made the game really tense but if everyone had said 'thats crap lets go back to having 3000 rounds magged up' then you'd have to accept thats what folk wanted.