Spoiled for choice

My latest has as many uniforms options as you can without either leaving the front lines, or just being silly. And Rifles for hire. It is people's choices, not accessibility.

It is people's choices, not accessibility.

It's also their perceptions and preconceptions. usuallly, these are brought on by people who have not attended the type of event that they slag off, or by "chinese whispers".

And, to be fair to us, we were on track to make our rather niche event perfectly viable before we had the rug pulled from under us by the site owners.

If you're referring to Hut 9, I'd just like to casually say that I am excitedly waiting on bated breath for the announcement of when it gets rescheduled to!
Games like this (Hut 9) where the "shooty shooty" aspect is just a part/function of the event as a whole (in this case, patrolling/searching) and a bit more closer to a living history style aspect, is right up my street.
As another example; currently I'm rather excited about the role of Signals linesman at tomorrow's Crete game, with my weapon being there mainly to protect myself from the unexpected as I go about my assigned task of upholding the airstrip's communications.

More on topic;
Unfortunately, in my life I have nearly every weekend fully booked up with something or other (no, I'm not popular, just have too many odd hobbies...), usually many months in advance. For me; I'd happily attend any game that comes along, and borrow/rent kit for that event, but most events clash with something else going on in my diary. Because of this, and my preference to play British (due to already owning the kit/weapons, and knowledge about the life/style/routine of the average soldier*), I actively "worm my way out" of the other commitment/event in my diary to allow me to attend. Obviously, I can't "worm my way out" of everything in my diary to attend as many events as I'd like to, and so I naturally opt to do so for the events which I can guarantee I've got all the kit for and know I can get "in the zone" for.

*[Off Topic: i.e; I feel like a character, rather than it just being me dressed up in, say, a Russian uniform - but enough of this as this is just my own problems with perspective which I am trying to work out of me]

i really did not mean in any way to criticize any organizers ,that was the furthest thing from the intention of this thread .my aim was to preserve the hard work of those involved and prevent game failure in the future through late booking.i apologize if any comment came out critical as it was not meant to be.

Not at all. Good thread!

I'm rather tired and brain function is running at only 40% but my take on this as someone who came into this in 2009/2010.

There always seemed to be at least one game a month back then? The main difference is that there does seem to be more people wanting to organise games. There also seems to be a deviation between the preparedness to compromise way back when and now. Wladek and Lipton got me into this and I accept that the compromise I have to make is major travel time as everything is in the south of England or Wales, at least 3 hours plus. Just for almost any game. Being in the north and working weekends make me personally have to have a major compromise to attend events. This year I have missed many due to personal issues but previous I was attending regularly. Yes money is an issue, especially when I have to take time off, but that can be workd around. Car sharing worked for us for example, but that requires people to live relatively close together......

A quick perusal of the forum recently does suggest that there is a sense of entitlement building up with people developing such a narrow focus of what they want to do they talk themselves out of any event! I sometimes get the feeling that maybe people don't actually want to go to events. I have borrowed so much kit at various times and found everyone very accomodating to the point that even without ownig the right kit for a particular thing, I have been able to get close enough because people have been nice and lent me something. I thought the point of having airsoft guns/kit was to go out and play......

The cries of exclusivity are perhaps a bit of a red herring as I don't feel any event I have been to that's supposedly "elitist" really has been? I've only been to a couple of open days and frankly found them a bit dull and lacking in any real interest, if that was airsoft I wouldn't be doing it...

I think Wladek and Heidi have it right when they say that you have to attend something to know what it's about. I ummed and ahhed for a couple of years while Wladek was telling how good it was until I relented and went to Cassino. LOved it and never looked back. I've lost my thread a little....... Is there something in the way it's become more of a "consumerist" thing rather than a "labour of love" I get the feeling it was at the start? To much forum argueing about minutae in specific appraoches to organisation of games and not enough getting out and playing?

There is an upside to all this though. With many games - well, actually, one a month isn't 'many' but it is more than the market can currently bear - game organisers will have to up their game. The days of slapping a scenario up on the forum and expecting players to book by the hundred have gone. For all the reasons previously given, players have external pressures (not least pressure of free time - and there are plenty of other dressy-up games to play out there ) and therefore, often, have a hard choice to make. An enthusiastic, committed and communicative organising team is a must!

I have never thought any game got cancelled because it looked shite! It realy comes down to a bit of pot luck wether it all comes together at the right time for many! I have never 'sold out an event' in 3 days. It takes three months for a gunman game to 'sell out' and im not sure 'as many have suggested' that the tweeking of game rules is the cause of a few games getting binned (in my case anyway). Big events (80+) are made of 'groups' that book on as mates, we know of loads of 'groups' that have dispanded, dont play anymore etc etc...The idividual was rare but is now the back bone of the hobby, but its harder to sell to 80 guys, rather than 10 guys that have 10 mates. The only way a big game works is if you can get the 'groups' and they aint in fashion at the mo

Money is a massive part of the problem. I see it in all aspects of the hobby, but it's on the way up again. Ive just started advertising in AI and will be trying to get a big game in November + a good old full page spread in the mag should help. My March/November games have always been the main battles for me and my cancelled August game was a poor choice I admit that should have stuck with Italy or Europe. Which is a pisser as I love eastern front (heyho).

The key one here is when a game gets cancelled, its not the player who feels it (though they may well be disapointed). Its the organiser who is always the most gutted and feels a failier...and thats just not true. Good on anyone for trying to put something on, as long as you give it 100% and show your enthusiasm, no one can ask anymore of you. My open days are turning into mini events and almost taking up the same amount of time to write as the bloody events, which is a big reason why my attention and eye hasnt been on the ball enough for WW2 events. Sticking to 'the old format' ill be running 3 events a year. 2 battles (big and epic I hope) and 1 Secret mission (happy if 10 book on).

Im not aware of any other WW2 community or WW2 games outside this community, but maybe there are more out there and we dont know it?

two things I have noticed, is there are large (play one day) groups that will travel to the midlands and around and a calling up North for more games. Maybe we should be taking the games to the players instead of the players coming to us (I bloody hope not, but its worth mentioning)

will be trying to get a big game in November

The big November game is one of the highlights of my year. Interesting point re the big groups though.

The best attended games in the last six months have been the ones within reach of both north & south, so I'm not sure putting one on up north is going to get a huge turnout. Lets see how the ex-site game goes. The Dirty Dozen game near Chester last June had a big turnout though so perhaps I am overly pessimistic.

Piddington is a good spot as is the new site near Watford. Both quite doable in a day from oop north, even if you do have to get up at five in the morning.

Cheers
Martin

If Porta, Tiny, Spiers and I didn't run games in the North we would all be traveling South, so we keep trying to make this activity more popular oop here.
Hence why trying to get a date right is important, having to time events with other WW2 airsoft organisers and re-enactment days is hard but it's something we have to do.
Dirty Dozen was changed rather rapidly on the day due to bad weather so didn't run as intended, not a problem we have in the tunnels at Drakelow or Portas site Gunman North in the old pot factory.

I hope the weather hold out for Monte La Difensa. [link]http://www.ww2airsoft.org.uk/php/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=242[/link]

EDIT Prideofengland and Marsha are now in the fold so more new blood to run events, and they both have ideas to bring with them

I have always brought things to the Midlands, checking on Google maps before hand that traveling form Huddersfield and Bournemouth (my 'either end' locations) are close to equidistant.

i know some folks really hate open days and i not always the biggest fan , but we have found playing some open days in our ww2 kit attracts new players , our group of USA infantry have gone from about 6 to 15 since gothic line where we decided to take a bit more serious on our set up and organisation, some are friends we have dragged in but some are just players we knew who saw our kit and not even aware of the whole WW2 scene , also we now have some friends who have other ww2 kit as well and come to some of the open days in it or just open day ww2 theme games. We get a lot on interest not just because of the kit but that we stay and try to play as a squad all the time and not get broken up and will use garands etc

So there are budding new recruits out there I think it will work josh the AI bit when i help In Jd Airsoft sometimes the reports from Gadge from gothic line and others etc in Airsoft Action always get some good comments , we slowly trying to get more german players by us as at open ww2 theme days etc tends to be brit and usa heavy

But its important to remember airsoft is different things to different folks and i think there are different levels of immersion , hey ho lets hope all future games do well and next year we moaning not enough games for players as they all to full (i can hope)

i know some folks really hate open days and i not always the biggest fan , but we have found playing some open days in our ww2 kit attracts new players

Eh... I wish. If I had two-three other London guys playing open days wouldn't be nearly as painful as it is. But being the sole WW2 guy lost in the tacticool crowd isn't fun at all.

i know some folks really hate open days and i not always the biggest fan , but we have found playing some open days in our ww2 kit attracts new players

Eh... I wish. If I had two-three other London guys playing open days wouldn't be nearly as painful as it is. But being the sole WW2 guy lost in the tacticool crowd isn't fun at all.

Been there, done that (in 2003/4/5), as have all the other folk who were around when we set all this up. I quite liked it. My favourite was when my Chinese friend came along in Wehrmacht clobber and they all ripped the piss out of him about an 'ethnic' wearing 'Nazi' gear. He had this picture in his pocket to politely inform them they were wrong:

ww2 kit at open day's is a must to advertise our little hobby

British '37patt belts!!!
How odd

That's exactly what I was thinking! The Germans did use a lot of captured weapons, maybe they did it with webbing as well?

iirc the 'Chinese' were Koreans who had been conscripted into the Red Army, then captured by the Germans who put them in Ost battalions and off they went to fight in Normandy attached by battalion to various divisions.

The Ost battalions still had a lot of Sov kit in their inventory (45mm AT guns etc), and British webbing wouldn't surprise me in the least.

I've also done the Open Days thing a fair bit, and yes, any sort of unusual loadout attracts interest, be it WW2, Cold War or anything else out of the ordinary. My interest in WW2 airsoft was piqued by a guy who used to turn up at our local site in a range of kit, it was much easier to talk to someone about it than just look at websites.

I haven't been to an Open Day for ages though, my weekend passes and only sufficient to cover WW2 these days and I've either cut down or given up some other activities entirely. I've had some real fun at ODs though, it is easy to be a bit snobby about them, but they are just a rather variable experience. Occasionally the combination of the site, weather, scenario and players who turn up produce a magical experience. Sorry.

Cheers
Martin

I've had some real fun at ODs though, it is easy to be a bit snobby about them, but they are just a rather variable experience. Occasionally the combination of the site, weather, scenario and players who turn up produce a magical experience. Sorry.

Absolutely. I don't think it is a case of being 'snobby' - more that the fun of open days wears very thin after a while (witness the cycle of the normal airsofter - attend wearing site's DPM and hire gun; rush out and buy own uniform and gun; spend inordinate amount of money perfecting one's loadout; spend time and money fettling guns to gain advantage over noobs; spend more time in safezone chatting than playing; after the nobs have been mown down trot to your favourite spot where you know you will be safe and can rack up kills; get a girlfriend and leave/buy a car and leave/get a wife who makes you leave/go to uni and leave/become a site marshall etc)

So, for those that want something different there is WW2 - whatever the organiser or game style it bears little resemblance to open days other than 6mm plastic pellets.

So, for those that want something different there is WW2 - whatever the organiser or game style it bears little resemblance to open days other than 6mm plastic pellets.

A bit different cycle here

1. Decide I want to do Airsoft (sort of always wanted to)
2. Decide there's already about 10bln US Marines on the planet and each country by now has more US Marines than the USA
3. Being a re-enactor decide to do a WW2 loadout and being a Pole decide on 1SBS or other PSZ/AK formation
4. But just buy basic kit for Airsoft only, no going over the top with re-enacting obsessions! Buy the kit from WPG and that's it!
5. Get into my familiar re-enactment obsession, MUST HAVE THE COMPLETE GEAR! and how exactly did those buttons look?
6. Buy books, spend stupid time researching on the web something that was supposed to be a sideline
7. Buy a two-tone G36C
8. Do the mandatory three open days

My impression from the first open day was horrible. It was raining, there was a gale force wind which for me is just fine (soldiers are supposed to crawl in mud), but meant little attendance at the site. Spent a lot of time trying to move and maneuver while everyone else just sat at their favorite camp sites. Learned that with 200 pellets in the air at each given time maneuver was suicide. Got frustrated by artificial constraints, invisible walls, nonsensical rules created to counter side effects of the hi-caps. Most of it was just two teams on a single line with invisible walls preventing any maneuver and doing spray and pray with random victory going to the one that happened to have wind advantage. Even hitting the mark wasn't very satisfactory as I didn't feel I worked for it, just sprayed a bush until something stuck. The one kill I properly worked for, crawling through thorny bushes, taking aim, waiting for the target to pop up and hitting him with a single shot.... well, he looked at me and ducked, not taking the hit.

The second game was better, some 4 times more people and some invisible walls removed as a consequence, so maneuvering and flanking became viable. It was decent fun, but not really what I'm looking for.

I'm having my third game this Saturday. After this I will switch sites. I'll try the Firefight Combat Simulations people, they seem to be doing proper scenarios and they have some ammo and team composition limits. I hope it will be more fun than just a bunch of people emptying 600bb mags at each other from behind a tree. But what I'm really looking forward to are proper WWII games.