looking through some recent posts it struck me how easy it is to get 'behind' your core impression and actually feel that everyone else is doing something different.
I say this as a few players thought their was a 'yank hate' or no 'yank game' but statistically it seems you're more likely to get a game as a us player than any other allie
Now i always feel as a largely brit player that there are hardly any other brit players about and that every one else is amercian or german... its not the case as i see when i'm at events but its how it seems on forums some times.
Similarly i notice that people go on about 'the brits' , 'the yanks' and 'the germans' as if they actually are some racially or culturally seperate group and not actually 'dave and his mate from derby'
You seem to get this in re-enactment too and its a bit odd. I think i get this myself a bit less as these days i play so many roles working for gunman that its hard to be partisan (in the last two years i've been a US navy Seal, brit line inf officer, a native american hunter, a post apocalyptic barman, a waffen SS group leader and an airlanding major to say the least!) but it is odd how people will say 'german players are like x' and 'us players are like y'...
(and i know I recently said myself that *some* us players *seem* like z 
)
Strange isnt it how you band behind the identity of some fancy dress?
Again its a bit like football i suppose, you get quite tribal about it.
"I think we are in rats' alley - Where the dead men lost their bones."
...I say this as a few players thought their was a 'yank hate' or no 'yank game' but statistically it seems you're more likely to get a game as a us player than any other allie...
Lies! Damn lies and statistics! 
By which I mean it was only a single years look, the figures for the year before alter the picture.
Taking a look from the last 3 years the basic picture for the big three is:
British: allowed in 60% of the games
US: allowed in 50% of the games
Russian: allowed in 23% of the games
So, the western Front ones are pretty much the same, with an average extra game per year that allows Brit (Of course simply labeling Polish as Polish would make them dead level).
perhaps we should have a forum convention of labelling 'brit/british' as CW for commonwealth as its easier to type and more apt...
Might end up with people getting confused with Chommers though!
"I think we are in rats' alley - Where the dead men lost their bones."
or 'Imperial/empire' that would be cooler and funnier.. i wonder if we'd get more brit players if we were called 'imperial infantry'
"I think we are in rats' alley - Where the dead men lost their bones."
Well 'Commonwealth' doesn't cover it either! As the choices have been Brit or Polish... not aware of a Commonwealth side really. I think Mindham was once Canadian.
No but i mean as a catch all phrase for 'uk equipped' allied nations
(and my uk equipped, i mean predominantly wearing BD and 37 pattern or close approximations/variants so for example the south africans, canadians, polish and late war italians?)
"I think we are in rats' alley - Where the dead men lost their bones."
to answer the original question i think it is human nature to feel a bit invested in the team you portray ,however i play both Brit and German but other than at a game i feel no great hatred of Russians or of Americans (well maybe Americans cos they won the war 
),its more a pride in my own team type of thing.
armoury
m1a1 Thompson,sten mk2,mp40,stg44,sterling,mk2 bren gun,lee Enfield no4 mk1,Mauser Kar98, Walther ppk,smith and Weston m10 and Mauser m712
Give me a big enough hammer and a place to stand and I could fix the world.
i'll kill a man in a fair fight or if i think he's going to start a fair fight or over a woman or.......
a problem shared is a problem halved ,but an advantage shared is no advantage at all
if a job's not worth doing then its certainly not worth doing well
I remember one of the daftest things I heard was at Patton stalled ((about the whole X players are more Y) well I didn't hear it as I wasn't there, but it was heard by others) and that was someone said "If it was the Russians fighting us they would have 'done x', or 'advanced more y'". I remember looking around at the allied (US) side and thinking "it's the same people"... we'd probably swap in Lardy and Martin, and loose a couple, but the rest is exactly the same."
Apparently that different hat has a real important impact on... playing with guns? 
LOL, perhaps they were thinking of Josh & Portas patented 'Russian Flag Charge' rule. Great fun to take part in, but ultimately not very effective as the heaps of bodies on every occasion we tried one demonstrated.
Like Dadio, I tend to identify with the 'team' I'm playing with, German, British, Russian or whatever. Might have a bit of banter with our comrades in mixed nationality/force games, and possibly even the other side if the situation is appropriate. The rivalry between Luftwaffe, Heer and SS is often entertaining even if they are supposedly on the same side. I just wander around generally until I find a friendly face at the social though, don't care what hat/coat they are wearing.
On the forum I don't identify with a particular side, they are all just costumes hanging up in my wardrobe.
I think a bit of tribalism is inevitable though, and if it isn't along uniform/team lines, possibly it is along game style lines. One of the things I like abut Airsoft (and wargaming) is that it is a hobby which attracts all sorts of different people, but humans as social beings tend to like to hang out with people they have something in common with, be it a team or a point of view or whatever.
Cheers
Martin
"Mistakes in the initial deployment cannot be rectified" Helmuth von Moltke
Toys: AGM MP40, Cyma M1A1, TM M14/G43/SVT40, TM VSR/K98, SnS No. 4, ASG Sten, Ppsh.
Arnhem3,Gumrak,Campoleone
Don't get me started on bad Russian charges
On the forum I don't identify with a particular side, they are all just costumes hanging up in my wardrobe.
Quite right there though, I don't get any... 'loyalty?' to one fancy dress costume over another.
I like the idea of the football comparison, I was born in Watford and even though i moved house alot I was always close to the stadium . I had a season ticket for years and when we drew Luton in the cup (our local derby) my dad warned me of trouble, I was 16 at the time. Prior to that I had only seen Watford play Luton once and I was too young to remember the expereince. That night the Luton fans caused a distraction outside of the ground which then lead to this happening inside of the ground. Sorry for the poor quality video it was on national telly although I cant find it.
After seeing that match and watching Luton fans jump into the dedicated family stand and attack people there I was appaled. The main stand which was not targeted started booing the Luton fans who had run on to the pitch and the chants of "Scum, Scum", I can remember 11 years on being so loud and full of anger. Since then I have always tongue in cheek called anyone from Luton "scum" and... I have meet some real scum, but on the other end of the spectrum I have met loads of really nice people and even my current young lady.
So the comparison, there may be a player he might be "Brit", "Yank", "German" or "Finn" but just because you thought one didn't take a hit or you just plain don't like someone (scum) doesn't mean we should all be labeled cheats or hated. Those of you may remember this thread I hint of which has started some new "Yank Hate".
http://www.ww2airsoft.org.uk/php/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=16280&hilit=hit+taking&start=15
You could read into this as much as you want:
1. 40% of all the people that have attended a WW2 event with U.S believe they cheat.
OR
2. 14 people of all people that attend WW2 events with U.S believe they cheat.
But Its this unfair labeling which frustates me the most, I consider myself the most honest players you can come across and I am take it very personally if am looked down upon or labeled a "cheat". And for anyone which believes U.S dont take there hits... you at least got 2 kills at the Gothic line. Heh playing BAR gunner i wanted to get into the thick of it, and to give my new BAR a good run out but died so much. Komrade even did a drawing of me.
So why do people do certain impressions? The love of a certain kit, grand parents being in certain units, films they watched when they were younger, air fix kits, the list goes on.
For me its about the guns, when i first started out I picked up a TM Thompson, a Hudson Grease Gun and a Marushin Carbine. So grabbed some yank kit. With the addition of the Viva 30 cal, VFC BAR (and now clone), the King Arms Thompsons as well as the China Thompsons, 4 AEG grease guns, A GBB Mag ejecting Garand as well as the newly released ICS Garand and a G&G one on the way. the variety of M1 / M2 Carbines including a newish CO2 one. The gas powered Springfield is also set to be released at some point this year so Im set for a long time.
While you look at German guns there are a variety to choose from. As well as Russian.
So what do the Brits have? A Viva sten and a China clone (with a hop unit!) and a incorrect early war Thompson to use? Thats what has put me off personally adding more to my Brit collection atm, although I cant wait till S&S finally bring out there "mass" produced Enfield. I am following Warrens thread closely. Maybe when I do get one I might not be branded a high cap, gun ho Yank cheat. Who knows i might even get to hate the yanks too?!
But like I said thats just my preference. Currently tho If an "airsofter" was looking to do WW2 and wanted a gun(s). All sides have a mass produced affordable AEG SMG (Horray!) but Yanks just have more and the most to choose from atm, everyone should actually be blaming the Japs, The Chinese and The Taiwanese for not bringing out more skirmishable WW2 guns!
I don't feel Loyalty towards U.S just bad done by, although it is the only kit I have used (except resistance) in the WW2 envioment so far.
And Prideofengland I am sure you will still be welcomed at our campfire, just bring some Beers with you to kiss and make up. 
Perhaps people are simply getting fully immersed and into the mindsets of the nation they are portraying!?
So when portraying....
American- solve problem with massive amounts of firepower.
Russian- solve problem with suicidal charges of expendable infantry.
British- solve problem by brewing up.
German- solve problem with superior tactics and discipline.
“I wanted to come to the Volga at a specific location at a specific city. By chance it carries the name of Stalin himself. So don’t think I marched there for this reason – it could carry another name – but because there is a very important goal... this goal I wanted to take – and you know – we are very modest, we have it already."
Adolf Hitler, November 1942
"Comrades, Red Army men, commanders and political workers, men and women guerrillas! It is on your perseverance, staunchness, fighting skill and readiness to discharge your duty to the country that the defeat of the German-fascist army and the liberation of the Soviet land from the Hitlerite invaders depend! We can and must clear the Soviet land of Hitlerite vermin."
Joseph Stalin, November 1942
if we were called 'imperial infantry'
Well Ive always wanted to do Imperial Stormtrooper but Marsha wont lend me the kit in case it gets dented by bb's 
And Prideofengland I am sure you will still be welcomed at our campfire, just bring some Beers with you to kiss and make up.
I certainly never meant that post to be a yank bash or imply that yanks were cheating, although unfortunately it went of on that tangent. A lesson to me to think more carefully before I post 
Still will bring the beers as requested 
Perhaps people are simply getting fully immersed and into the mindsets of the nation they are portraying!?
Perhaps, I certainly try to when I'm portraying a given unit. I think trying to move, think and fight as they would have done is as important as the uniform you're wearing. Outside of the game though it is just fancy dress though. I may choose to make fun of other 'nationalities' but it is only every in jest and normally at those who I know will respond in kind.
I think problem comes with any sort of tribalism when people only stick with one side, or tribe if you will. People often end up playing with and against the same people and it can lead to a 'them and us' mentality, often without them realising. I'm as guilty of this as anyone despite the mountain of kit in my loft.
As Gadge suggests the best way to break this is by mixing up the sides you play for so you get to know 'them' a little better and see things from the opposite perspective. Easier said than done of course. All the money people have invested in kit they understandably want to get as much use out of it as possible. However I doubt your kit will mind too much if for just one game at least you try something different; by borrowing kit or doing it on the cheap if necessary. Its sure to break down barriers and who knows you might like it on the other side.
Russian- solve problem with suicidal charges of expendable infantry.
Only because they don't have a battery of artillery, some katyushkas and a platoon of T34s to clear the way first. If the razvedchiki haven't already slit their throats as they sleep 
I don't mean to be a stitch counter, but you're wearing your death all wrong. There's no way an airborne airsofter would cover up his best chance at getting his face photographed.
I think problem comes with any sort of tribalism when people only stick with one side, or tribe if you will. People often end up playing with and against the same people and it can lead to a 'them and us' mentality, often without them realising.
Good point Lardy.
Perhaps people are simply getting fully immersed and into the mindsets of the nation they are portraying!?
So when portraying....
American- solve problem with massive amounts of firepower.
Russian- solve problem with suicidal charges of expendable infantry.
British- solve problem by brewing up.
German- solve problem with superior tactics and discipline.
Still missing the Like button on this forum. 
Trying to apply the British Spirit of dogged resisitance and copious supplies of tea.
Perhaps people are simply getting fully immersed and into the mindsets of the nation they are portraying!?
So when portraying....
American- solve problem with massive amounts of firepower.
Russian- solve problem with suicidal charges of expendable infantry.
British- solve problem by brewing up.
German- solve problem with superior tactics and discipline.
Still missing the Like button on this forum.
Trying to apply the British Spirit of dogged resisitance and copious supplies of tea.
if hitler was really trying to beat us he would have tried to invade Ceylon or china and cut off our tea, or would that have just made us mad
armoury
m1a1 Thompson,sten mk2,mp40,stg44,sterling,mk2 bren gun,lee Enfield no4 mk1,Mauser Kar98, Walther ppk,smith and Weston m10 and Mauser m712
Give me a big enough hammer and a place to stand and I could fix the world.
i'll kill a man in a fair fight or if i think he's going to start a fair fight or over a woman or.......
a problem shared is a problem halved ,but an advantage shared is no advantage at all
if a job's not worth doing then its certainly not worth doing well
