Encouraging New Players

Pete, how about "X kit on a budget" ? There's already a "Waffen SS kit on a budget" section, with full pics.

I don't know how I missed that but you're right it's an excellent format so I only need to concentrate on ones for the Allies, saves me a bit of work

I have lost much interest after a little argument with a member!
I would have loved to have got involved but due to this little upset i thougt i would stick to reenacting!
i could still be inspired but it would take alot.
Anyway just thought id say you guys do a good job
and keep it up but i doubt you shall get me to an event now
Many thanks
AL

I'm really sorry to hear that, I'm assumimg you've not been to one of the games yet? if not I do urge you to try and make one you won't be dissapointed.

I do know what you mean I've had a very poor opinion of re-enactment up until I got involved in this, mainly due to the attitude of some people on their forums, but having got to know re-enactors on this forum and realised that people vocal on forums do not necesseraly represent the whole hobby I've decided to give it a go, not sure what if anything I'll get out of it but it's worth giving it a go.

Well best wishes in what ever you decide to do, and if you do come back in the future be assured there will be a friendly welcome, (well from most of us anyway )

I agree with Pete.

Whatever people say, it is a fact that newcomers, after reading the forum, think they need a high standard of kit to play.

Our two new recruits for Haggard read the (whole!) forum before coming and were decidedly nervous about their gear. Needless to say we reassured them but the point is that is the impression they got.

I also agree that a Starting Out kit guide would be a good idea - I was considering offering to do something along those lines too.

I think the trick will be not to advise people to buy Counts As stuff, but to use what they already have, alongside some judicious first purchases, to get the look.

For example, for our recruits we did the following for a US look.

Helmet and pistol belt from Warren - £35.
Any old Olive drab top and trousers they already had.
Any old boots they already had.

Looks fine and no money wasted. Here they are -

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Im sorry if it appears im trying to put people off with my comments about Belgian Denisons for example-far from it im actualy trying to save people money in the long run if they do decide to go down the authentic look.

At the end of the day im sure the fun is the same if you play in kit say worth £50 in total for example than it would be in your all dancing all singing Gucci kit

Taff it wasn't your comment that set me on a mission your comment was a good one and said what was needed, buy this and this one is better, makes sense and was trying to save people money in the long run.

Barrie and Anne that picture is very good indeed, to me they look as though they put a lot of time and money into the kit, thanks for sharing that

No need to apologise taffpara - everyone who contributes to the forum has good intentions, that's understood and appreciated.

But all this illustrates the problem - the forum caters for a wide diversity of experience and expertise. Short of having 'beginners' and 'advanced' sections (and how condescending and invidious would that be!) I think we have to accept that all players have aspirations. And since WW2 airsoft would be a nonsense played in DPM some kit expenditure is inevitable. Let's face it, airsoft isn't a hobby for pocket money disposable income. The games cost money. Travel is always required. Weapons, consumables and clothing have to be bought. Gunman has catered exactly for the new recruit - weapons and clothing can be hired easy-peasy but still a not insignificant amount of expenditure is required to get playing.

A great deal of traffic through this forum is people actively seeking information. Those that don't voice it - the lurkers - are still information seekers. Heh, I have trawled the reenactor's forums for years and yet rarely post because if I want an answer to a question I know I'll find it if I look hard enough... That's the good side. Trawling a certain reenactor forum I would form an opinion that the reenactor world isn't for me - bitching, hostility and anality (is there such a word?) are not attributes I look for in a hobby. The reality, of course, with real people, real reenactors is very different.

So, the forum motivates, entertains and informs. And there is a fine line between encouraging and discouraging. I hope we have got the balance right - I think we have.

A little nudge then to encourage the new starter - and it looks like members have that in hand, good on you.

to me they look as though they put a lot of time and money into the kit

I thought exactly the same on the gameday. The kit looked good and above all they BATTLED

i thought about doing a CiA game in a black boilersuit, belt, boots and an MP5 - just in case someone was taking pics and folks visiting here could see a 'minimal' German loadout.

Should be in civilian (allied) garb at crich with big sticks for pointing

I tend to agree with Pete59, some of the comments of late have been very picky regarding weapon details, uniform colour etc., they were just the posters observations but when read by newcomers it starts to look slightly non inclusive.

Also worth noting it doesn't matter if your female or not, skybluepink with yellow dots, or have fug of red hair (not thinking of anyone there, that had hair that matched his beret when it was taken off ) Christ they let me play (and if it was upto me I wouldn't )

am sorry but disecting it like this sometimes does more harm than good (and that is something I've noticed way way WAY too often on the lh/reenactment forums) as some feel the need to justify the why they've improved kit/not and some feel alienated by it all, and they shouldn't but it sometimes comes across that way, even with the best intentions the written word is never read how you think it will be percieved. Non of it should matter, their are very unrestrictive basic guidelines (compared to lots of other hobbies of a similar ilk), mentioned lots on here that can be obtained cheaply (OD overalls £5 if it came to it) noone would mind, and anyone that does/would needs to remember the hobby isn't cheap once you get the bug, and theres no point paying a small fortune in kit to never use again, I for one would rather someone came and had a go, than thought we'd all be up our own rears when the reality (much as some reenactors when seen in the flesh shows its not true-note I put some )

I think Taffpara is bang on right to advise people not to waste money on counts as kit.

It's good we have all the helpful sections advising/debating what kit is correct etc.

But Pete is also right that we need some high profile "Getting Started" guides so that people who have read all the above sections are reassured they don't need everything at one go.

In my view the best starting point for anyone is to buy a helmet which, when accessorised with just about anything, will still give you the right sillhouette. Helmets never go out of fashion either and will never be a waste of money.

In my view the best starting point for anyone is to buy a helmet

Definitely. Head, tunic, webbing, trousers, boots - in order of priority for proper kit.
(Although I would use the word headgear instead of helmet, but that's just me.)
And I would say don't waste money by paying over the odds for looks-like kit. Buy cheap and you can recover your costs by selling on when you upgrade (which you will) as there is always someone looking for starter kit.

LOL, just re-read - 'Helmets never go out of fashion either'

One way we always try to encourage new players is to also offer civilian/partisan places on many of our games.

There couldn't be a cheaper, easier way of getting involved. When I can't play US I usually play civilian/partisan or borrow kit.

My civilian kit has now been Dutch and Russian and cost me less than £10 to put together. We do also always post links to the cheaper kit guides on booking threads.

HS

argh it is a thorny problem . Look a like kit is fine and great but at what point does it become wasted money. Most of us have been through several iterations to get a look we are happy with , generally "improving" the authenticity (if we can call it that) . The amount of gear i've given away , sold for peanuts later is large, in some ways I wish I'd bought the gear I'd rewally wanted first/

That said TBH there's time when I'd wish people would go down the cheap route first , my chums who have recently joined us are spending an awful lot on kit without haven't played a game - I just hope they enjoy it.

i thought about doing a CiA game in a black boilersuit, belt, boots and an MP5 - just in case someone was taking pics and folks visiting here could see a 'minimal' German loadout.

I'd follow you round and take the piss all weekend if you did , but only coz I like you and know you'd enjoy it

I think that Husky is going to be a lesson to a lot of people on ww2 airsoft, I have a few people that want to come along just to see you guys, I have said they can come to the social side of things, this could promote CIA and hopefully get you a few more followers, I am hooked and will be coming to games in the future but need other locals to help with the travel costs.
Also seeing kit in the flesh (so to speak) will help so much, I am so looking forward to this game I cant wait.
This forum is a great place and so many people I class as friends already, can't imagine not signing on here to have the crack

I think that Husky is going to be a lesson to a lot of people on ww2 airsoft, I have a few people that want to come along just to see you guys, I have said they can come to the social side of things.

Feldgendarmerie
Eingang mit Auswiess und Papieren.

do you know what caught me up in ww2 airsoft? ,,,,,,, yith turned up at phoenix urban in his hallamshire battalion officers uniform and i was like a moth to a flame. maybe to advertise ourselves in such a way might spark more interest.

True, I'm off to the next open day in fully fally kit.