What's the most important aspect of good mil-sim?

[TOP]

Pfft, "all of the above". Are you saying absolutely every one of these is 100% essential to a proper Mil-Sim game? Location? Backstory?

I say Command Structure. Without it, any op, no matter where it is, what you're wearing, or what you're shooting, is just a gaggle of guys running around with no clear sense of direction.

Although if you have a Command structure and your job is to take out an enemy bunker... and when you arrive it's nothing more than yellow ribbon around 4 trees... I think it all plays a part in the game.

LOL damn if I didn't try and get some artillery simulators...

[Steve]

I've prioritized my list from most important to least important

Real Capacity Magazines
Uniform Requirements
Command Structure
Location
Vehicles, Props & Pyro
Excellent Backstory

For me, Real Caps take first place because having guys with hicaps running around really breaks reality too much for me to move past it.

Uniforms are in second place, because if you can't be bothered to show up in the right kit, you have no business at a mil-sim event.

Command Structure is pretty important. Not 100% crucial above the squad level, but important none the less.

Location is fairly important. If you are hosting a Viet Nam Jungle event, playing in the high desert in eastern Oregon is kinda silly. Doable with enough work, but silly.

Vehicles and props help the mood, but are not a make / break thing. Pyro on the other hand is pretty big. I'd actually bump that up to on par with uniforms.

Backstory is something I can live with or without as long as the briefing tools are good and both sides have a good grasp of what the mission is. A well-written 5 paragraph Op Order does me a lot more good for planning purposes than 20 pages of script describing the event. (See Steel Talon's Op Order for a good starting point, and add maps and graphic overlays by phase to round it out)

[Flyerfye]

Pfft, "all of the above". Are you saying absolutely every one of these is 100% essential to a proper Mil-Sim game? Location? Backstory?

I say Command Structure. Without it, any op, no matter where it is, what you're wearing, or what you're shooting, is just a gaggle of guys running around with no clear sense of direction.

Although if you have a Command structure and your job is to take out an enemy bunker... and when you arrive it's nothing more than yellow ribbon around 4 trees... I think it all plays a part in the game.

LOL damn if I didn't try and get some artillery simulators...

Fair point, all of these play a part, and they are all important... but the question was which you think is MOST important.

[TOP]

Technical... I call foul.. This is AP, you can't be that technical

[Bad Karma]

Magazine capacity limits seem to be a sub-category of loadout/uniform requirements, which I value as being of the utmost importance. Adherence to basic gear requirements is a decisive way to weed out individuals who are not convicted enough to the idea of milsim. I can't trust you to follow orders or to assume your roll in a command structure if you can't, or won't, even bother to wear the right attire for the job. Having distinct uniform divisions makes target acquisition easier and gameplay more fluid. It also heightens the realism of the conflict at hand.

[CommieHunter]

It seems that uniform and magazine capacity are two big ones.

The main reason for that is that it keeps people that don't really care enough away. You say you can't afford to get more than 2 hicaps? Well, either learn to use a speedloader, get some midcaps, or it says that you don't care quite enough.


I know it's harsh, but I'm tired of acquiescing and regretting it afterwards.

[Bad Karma]

I'm tired of acquiescing and regretting it afterwards.

QFTMFT

[Fluffy]

If I had to pick one, I would go with command structure. Because if you get a good command, all the others on that list should fall into place :P

Same, although I am a strong believer in Midcaps/realcaps. And props/uniform requirements.

All of the above man.

Agreed with these 2. I think that props help it feel and look real. I feel the lowcaps etc help the play feel more real. the uniforms help weed out the weak and make it look more real. But if the command structure sucks then it will just be a really nice looking cluster shazaam.

[Bad Karma]

If I had to pick one, I would go with command structure. Because if you get a good command, all the others on that list should fall into place :P

Same, although I am a strong believer in Midcaps/realcaps. And props/uniform requirements.

All of the above man.

Agreed with these 2. I think that props help it feel and look real. I feel the lowcaps etc help the play feel more real. the uniforms help weed out the weak and make it look more real. But if the command structure sucks then it will just be a really nice looking cluster f**k.

I'm hedging my bets that the command structure will fall into place once the other details are worked out. The people that are going to take the time to have the proper gear and uniforms aren't the kind of people that favor clusterfucks.

[Fluffy]

If I had to pick one, I would go with command structure. Because if you get a good command, all the others on that list should fall into place :P

Same, although I am a strong believer in Midcaps/realcaps. And props/uniform requirements.

All of the above man.

Agreed with these 2. I think that props help it feel and look real. I feel the lowcaps etc help the play feel more real. the uniforms help weed out the weak and make it look more real. But if the command structure sucks then it will just be a really nice looking cluster f**k.

I'm hedging my bets that the command structure will fall into place once the other details are worked out. The people that are going to take the time to have the proper gear and uniforms aren't the kind of people that favor clusterfucks.

That's a good point. I didn't really think of that to much.

[Fluffy]

*All of the above*

I'd have to say the mid/real caps and uniforms/loadouts are most important, because like other people said that will weed out the people who show up in faded Woodland BDUs with half ALICE, half MOLLE gear.

Mid/real caps also make people reload, and watch how many rounds they fire, and not just spray BBs around expecting to hit something (unless you're SilentStalker with the SAW, that is)

I find that I have more fun with low caps than with anything else. I love reloading. it also makes you think about tactics more than "run with the trigger held down". I'm okay with midcaps simply because one BB is not as accurate as a bullet. So you may need to send a few more to hit the target.

[Ivan Daylovich™]

Vehicles, Props & Pyro
Command Structure
Uniform Requirements
Location
Excellent Back Story
Real Capacity Magazines


Not a fan of just using real caps but for a mil-sim game it is important to remove high caps.

[CommieHunter]

I'm okay with midcaps simply because one BB is not as accurate as a bullet. So you may need to send a few more to hit the target.

That's my stance. These little inaccurate pellets can't do what real bullets can. They're not as accurate, so occasionally it takes more. Thus, I'm ok with midcaps. Hicaps no.

[Steve]

If you are doing military simulation, you should simulate the magazine capacity.

Compromising on the amount of ammo in your mgs is not mil-sim.

Compromising on the minimum uniform standard is not mil-sim.

Carrying a replica that was not issued to or authorized to be used by the unit or force you are simulating is not mil-sim.

Or did I miss the whole concept of mil-sim?

Jeans, hicaps, and hoodies are fine for skirmishes. Mil-sim means doing your best to recreate what you are emulating, be it realistic uniforms, realistic magazine capacity, or realistic weapon selection.

[CommieHunter]

Not being able to hit a guy at 200yd is not milsim.

Not being able to shoot through a juniper is not milsim.


Therefore, there are some tradeoffs. I'll trade 30rd mags for 100rd mags because of the two things listed above. I still think 300rd mags are no-go.