Attending WWII airsoft events

As a further note for any organisers I will list things that I do and do not find important when deciding.

People - Very important. Firstly if my 'troupe' are not going I cannot get (as they drive me) so that is simple enough. Secondly it is the people I am playing with that makes the day for me, so if I see names I know, I tend to go.

Scenario - Quite important. By this I do not mean what unit/what famous battle. These things do not concern me - have uniform will wear - the rest I don't mind. What does interest me is how the game is going to be played. Low ammo limits, a request for riflemen, a desire for cohesion and a sense that the game will try and capture the period tactics and feel get me excited. Conversely if a game keeps mentioning that it's aim is to attract new people/gets 'inclusiveness turretts syndrome' I will tend to be discouraged.
Likewise lots of props and bangs do not float my boat, they are fine, but only in addition to the above, if the above doesn't sound good then no amount of pyro will excite me.

Site - Not important. I am not bothered about exciting new sites hugely. It might swing the balance if it is close, but I am far more interested in the 'scenario' and the players. How the game is going to be run definitely outweighs where it will be run.

Travel distance - Not important. Obviously there is a large qualifier here - I do not drive. So if the people I tend to convoy with think it is not worth it, then so be it. However I am pretty much willing to travel with people throughout the country for games that fulfil my criteria, the right game and people makes it a little holiday for me.

Edit: Variety - Oh, and given that I have the uniforms to play most games, on most sides, Variety become very important. They all interest me and I like to get use out of them all. So I will try and get an even spread of all variants throughout the year.

Hope that helps in some way for you Mr Steiner.

I prefer to go to a large game that has something interesting to offer be it vehicles interesting site, good scenario.
Small games don't float my boat, I also like the game to run smooth and not have stops and starts and multiple tea breaks

Also within a decent range of me unless it is really special for as above.

For me WW2 was a big step in technology and tactics from the boar war so I like to see the difference.

Important considerations for me have to be :
(in no particular order)

- interesting site - a cool site will make an event stand out from the crowd
- friends - if my friends want to go it makes me want to go
- scenario interests me - I tend to prefer early war over late war (there's a lot more to WWII than the stuff after D-Day)
- taking me away from family for as little time as possible - I have two young kids and they come first
- cost (including travel) - car shares help with this
- not knackering me for days afterwards - I have to be able to work and if I can't because I'm in no fit state, then at the very least I'll feel guilty. I've done hard events several times in the past and an event will have to promise me a hell of a lot before I put that much into it again. BTW, this does include excessive driving time!
- units. I prefer a game with a command structure and defined units to one which is a bit of a free for all.

For me to attend a WW2 event there has to be a few things:

Distance: I don't mind traveling a fair distance if the event does not cost too much, but with fuel prices the way they are these days the cost of going to a game could also cost me £60+ in fuel where as my car can run for 2 weeks on just a full tank.

Expense: I have twins! I don't have any money anymore, the last game I made was Sennybridge in March and that was only because it was my Birthday.

Time: As I work away from home I only get to see my kids at the weekends or when I am on leave, I have to weigh it up now between seeing my kids or not seeing my kids for two weeks and knackering myself out.

Game scenario, i prefer bigger games, but have attended small ones i dont care what peroiod 1939-45
as for real life scenarios, i dont mind filmsim or hardcore, either is good.
i have really enjoyed some of the rifle heavy games, and id say i prefer them, but ive also enjoyed the dual weilding mp40 blatathons as well

people, i am also more inclined to go if people i know and like are going

distance, never used to be an issue, but now it is, id not go north of carlise , or south of reading (unless it was something really special, then i would)

my main problem is time, work, and being in a 3 man firm means im working 1 in 3 weekends and holidays need covering i fecking hate it, spending time with the kids and the guilt of buggering off all weekend, the wife now having a job thats mostly weekend shifts, adds up to most games being when i cant attend.
Its all stacked up against me getting to games this year, so i did a gunman game, (which i enjoyed a lot ) and hence why i volunteered to help oddball, as his game is a date that i can actually make

im hopeing the CIA game in the autum will be on a "Joseph Porta" friendly date

the main problem really for me is getting off this bloody rock in the middle of the irish sea
ferry and air prices are bloody micky take! then add to that fuel, maybe 2+ overnight stays depending on travel times etc, time off work

I seem to be in the minority of 1 at our local club, some of the lads have expressed an interest but thats as far as it goes
add to that theres no re-enactment scene here what so ever and you can imagine Im pretty fed up with it

then theres the fact like others here I have 2 young children, Ethan, 8 months and my daughter Demi, 2 years, she has a large facial birthmark so we spend quite a bit of time at alderhay hospital, liverpool for laser treatment every 6 weeks she gets better each time we visit alderhay so the trips and pain are well worth it , everytime she see's a ww2 pic she points and says "like daddy"

also my girlfrind and i are saving to get married next year which is tying a lot of cash up, maybe the backend of next year I might get to a game yet

despite me living in nz i still visit regularly so will deffinatly have gmes with u guys in the future and this december....so organise a brit/ kiwi game for my xmas prezzie please !!

I'm in the 'as many events as real life allows' category, but unfortunately real life doesn't allow that many.

Prefer hardcore to filmsim, but really any excuse to dress up and use the gear is fine by me. I've done the odd open day in WW2 gear, but it is fairly dispiriting being shot to pieces continually by hi-cap M4s and getting funny looks, so tend to do those in my Cold War stuff. Not too bothered about blattage, would happily spend the day digging trenches and laying mines. Like Wladeck, prefer games with some sort of unit cohesion, command structure, very limited ammo etc ie different to normal open days, but less bothered about 'interesting' sites, all I want is one I can drive to and find easily.

To echo the comments above, main limitation is family time, my wife didn't sign up to be an airsoft widow and I find it hard to justify spending a whole weekend away if all I'm actually doing is playing a couple of hours Saturday afternoon and then a couple of hours Sunday morning. My other hobbies (wargaming, running, sailing) don't take up as much time as this, just a few hours at a time with the odd day or very infrequent weekend away. So, prefer one day games, ideally long continuous ones with no tea breaks apart from in-game brew ups, and a social the night before or after is always fun if staying over. Naturally prefer close by, but travelling isn't a huge problem although it does add to the time away once you are looking at 3+ hour journeys as they will usually need an overnight stay.

Like Porta, am also crossing my fingers about the actual date of the CiA autumn game, I have other stuff I need to arrange for October and I can't put them off forever, so it would be really nice to have a firm date to work to!

So I guess that is something else, useful to have a decent amount of notice of game dates (which is generally the case in fact) but as they are so infrequent compared to normal airsoft games, the longer notice the better.

Cheers
Martin

Personally speaking, with my player head on, rather than my organiser one, my ongoing health issues dictate what I can and can't attend. 'Hardcore' is out, frankly, and unlikely to be back again. Organising events, and helping to run sides from the rear is where my airsoft is, now.

Although there haven't been any PBI-run games this year, I've been helping Gadge out as a runner/2IC, as he's helping run the sides at Gunman ww2 games, which has, and continues to be, good fun.

As regards events, I tend to prefer mid-to-large scale ones, anything less than about 20 a side doesn't really get me into the ww2 experience, regardless of kit levels, though I prefer those to be fairly good, too. A decent scenario, and attendees that i know and get on with, also tends to get me more interested. A novel site would turn my head, though it's *that* important.

Fortunately, no brats and an understanding girlfriend means dates aren't an issue for me.

I voted 'Fairly Interested' as I still do modern milsim, although I'm struggling getting to any airsoft event this year due to child care (long story). I started WW2 due to a schoolboy interest in that period of history, it being another way of playing airsoft and wanting to scratch the 'back to basics' itch, so it isn't the be all and end all of my airsofting.

My biggest problem is only having a US Para loadout and there not being any easy to reach games available for that. I do have a British Para and US Inf loadout as WIP, but cash and other prioities are delaying their completion.

Yes I could look at other loadouts, but it would mean buying more weapons and mags and I can't justify that (I have to have my loadouts right, so won't do look a like - airsoft OCD!). Plus, I build loadouts on units that interest me, so won't build them just to play (US Inf being the only real exception to that).

For me its difficult/ Impoosiable because im 15 and im not allowed to attend alot of games,

Not impossible by any means Rooster - only two events this year (and three last year) you can't attend due to age - all the rest no problemo (but with usual airsoft game stipulations for under 18s).

I voted for the first option, i'm fairly new to C.I.A having only played one game so far (H Horn in April) but i'll be attending all the events that i can from here on in. Haven't got to know many people yet so personalities make no difference to me whether i attend or not. Being from London i would prefer games that aren't too far north but i'll give anything a go if leave & funds allow!

I`m not sure if there`s a category there for me. But in one word the problem is travel costs. Living down here in satans bottom it costs me well over a tenner just to get up to Exeter and the motorway.
The one and only WW2 event I made it to was Gunmans first D Day event, and whilst it was very good, the fuel alone cost me £50 and that was way back in 2007 ? Goodness knows what it would cost now. If I still lived in Swindon I would probably be more active.
I`ve got one game lined up for this year, near Portsmouth, but thats Nam themed. It`s taken me quite a few months to save spare cash just for fuel, and the main reason I`m going to that one is to finally meet up with some of the lads from the Nam forum.

im desperatly keen but i work shifts and only get about 1 weekend per month off and couple that to travelling(happily up to 2-3 hours) that has left me only one game this year on the list and only two last year that i could get too .i cant change my holidays and they have to be booked 18 months in advance ,long before any game is anounced .i really wish i could attend at least 4-5 events per year but its just not possible unless i bunk off work .also money wise im really limited to up to £50 as i just cant justify more than that and i now have my son comeing as well to cough up for.
i love larger games but ive been to good small ones too,but i'd be happy even going to meet ups on open days if enough of us came in period kit.i think whats most important is a well organised event with a mix of fun and history,im more into enjoyment and imersion than suffering but at the same time a pivotal point in history or a poiniant moment that i can researchas well.

I'm certainely mad keen on ww2 airsoft, and I would like to become more involved in actual WW2 events, not just the open days that I will attend once a month. My first WW2 weekender is now booked in, so I hope that will be a great experience!

Important factors

Cost- Under £50 cannot warrant over that for a days play along with all the goodies that go with attending.

Game- like many have played small and big games but under 20 a side seems a little lost when people are down so mid to large please.

Site - not really an issue, If we are playing Ardennes then trees if we are in italy Quarry great idea but equally an Arnham game can be put on without buildings as there were many aspects of the battle which were fought around the town and some parts inside a park! Main thing here is scenario, playability and people attending.

Kit and units- I love getting all my kit together for a game but I know from 1st hand experience Don`t limit the player base, put bums on seats better business sense.

Travel- I won`t travel more there and back than actually playing so Mid Wales across and South for me and the gang.

Probably one of the biggest attractions which has seemed to have evolved this year is the long Saturday game with a social and then off on the Sunday. This gets the better than playing on the Sunday as well, I see people put more into it on one day quick tipple at night sleep and then chance to get home at a reasonable time for brownie points with the Frau

Dislikes- Don`t want to play Blatfest games and will not do night time yomping around, even if it is not compulsory Done that for real and even used to get paid for it

Things dear to my heart

Game cost- always a factor, especially taking into account petrol costs
Travel: distance to site can be an issue as I can’t always camp over on a Friday
Game: I like the style of a long Saturday game. Not interested in games that involve period camping or blatfest’s.
Kit: Being new to the WW2 air softing scene part of the fun is collecting and building on my collection, but I don’t want to be a re-enactor, stitch counter.

Not interested in games that involve period camping

That's interesting. Why specifically are you against this? It's not something we've encountered problems with before.

We sometimes ask for period tents but not totally period campsites. We're perfectly happy for people to have modern sleeping bags and rollmats for example.

Plus, CiA have a few period-style pup tents that we can loan out.