Have we reached a plateau?

YouTube · by **Matt** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 2:36 pm

The guns are getting better and worse at the same time. I could hit a dime from 125 feet with my Tokyo Marui AK47, that was 7 years ago. (Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating but it was accurate!) Now - AEGs are being released 400 fps out of the box but the BBs fly all over the place.

The events could stand to be improved. More vehicles, better props, more pyro, more $$$ invested in making them exciting and realistic. Better locations with roads, indoor/outdoor at the same field, etc.

However, I do think Airsoft's popularity has sort of reached a plateau. Our largest game, at 420+ people was a couple years ago now. We'll see an influx from some of the soldiers returning from deployment who are bored and they want to experience that camaraderie they did in the field. Beyond that, where else can it go? You can't televise it, it's a terrible spectator sport, your audience has no bearing of what's going on or who hit who. You'll never sell out a stadium to a live Airsoft sporting event, again, nobody knows what's going on. Without television or some sort of mass media, there's no incentive for sponsors to support Airsoft hence no reason for sponsors to pay Airsofters a salary to play the game. There will be no professional Airsofters, and I think that's a good thing. It'll always be an underground hobby activity, not a sport.

We need to be concerned about quality vs quantity right now. Both with events and with products.

by **Mini-Marine** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 2:44 pm

Both the technology and the games themselves have a ways to go.

Everyone seems to be drooling over GBB. Personally, I would rather not deal with gas. I'm drooling over the TM SOPMOD M4 as a bunch of people already know since I can't shut up about the damn thing.

It has all the nice features of a GBB like a bolt stop and recoil, but without the issue of having to worry about gas.

I am really hoping more companies start using that sort of system.

Dan is right though, as far as the games are concerned. The more milsim stuff isn't really gonna take off until people are willing to invest time and money into it.

Everyone loves their tacticool special forces gear, but not many are willing to invest the money to get a Haji looking OPFOR loadout.

by **Variable** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 2:51 pm

Mini-Marine wrote:Everyone loves their tacticool special forces gear, but not many are willing to invest the money to get a Haji looking OPFOR loadout.

For one, I am.

by **Darius137** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 3:01 pm

Variable wrote:
Mini-Marine wrote:Everyone loves their tacticool special forces gear, but not many are willing to invest the money to get a Haji looking OPFOR loadout.

For one, I am.

Sir, I'm working with an Afghan right now on getting some shipped over.

by **Mini-Marine** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 3:13 pm

I know you are, but that is a new and exciting thing. It hasn't really been a part of airsoft up to this point.

by **MitchD** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 3:18 pm

There will be no professional Airsofters, and I think that's a good thing. It'll always be an underground hobby activity, not a sport.

I would be glad if that is how airsoft would stay. Because that is exactly what paintball moved away from back in the 90's. It started the move from outdoor matches towards a more "speedball" style of play. I was in one of the first televised Tournies back in 1995, and the whole goal of the promoters was to make the "sport" spectator/TV friendly to bring in sponsors and money.
And also another reason for the move was that with event purses getting very high, cheating was rampart in the sport. Having the players easily viewable also made cheating more difficult. When competing for a $12k first place slot, morals seem to go by the way side for alot of players/team. ><

True Story -I was actually kicked off of a team at an event I was "hired" to play in, simply because I did not wipe a hit and keep playing. The team captain got on my case about it. And I told him to F-off, and that I do not play that way. He said he couldn't afford expensive losers like myself on his team. So I changed my plane ticket and went home. LOL Crap like that is exactly what AirSoft doesn't want, and or need.

$50,000 in prizes seems like super neat-o for a Pro NPPL tournament. But the $2000 entry for a 10 man team, 8-12 cases of paint per player, airfare, hotel, meals, rental car, was not. The price for being a sport??

I think everyone should enjoy and be glad for the community that Airsoft has. Promote it with good quality events, MilSim to massive BB Fests, to zombie games and training events for new players. Keep it challenging, keep it fun. Support your local shops and fields. That will continue to make it grow, and make it last.

Everyone seems to be drooling over GBB. Personally, I would rather not deal with gas. I'm drooling over the TM SOPMOD M4 as a bunch of people already know since I can't shut up about the damn thing.

It has all the nice features of a GBB like a bolt stop and recoil, but without the issue of having to worry about gas.

That gives me a stiffy too. Not dealing with Gas is a bonus.

by **Shiloh** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 3:41 pm

I think that the guns seem too real for airsoft to go main-stream. Too many soccer moms would see it and start freaking out

But no, I personally don't think we've reached a plateau. Some of the clone companies like CYMA/JG/echo seem to be really stepping up and edging out of the standard M4/AK lines. (well, M4's at least.)

As for GBB's, I think that the cost of gas and magazines is going to steer some people away. I like the idea of a blowback AEG, but it seems all those moving parts and friction could really put some stress on the gun. But that's just my opinion.

by **quigly** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 3:42 pm

I do like the whole gas rifle idea. I just think that they need to make more reliable, cheaper, and more efficient guns. I believe that gas guns will take us to the next levels in this game. I ALSO think that we need larger fields that are both wood land and open fields, long ranges and cqb. These fields need to incorporate vehicles as a necessary part of the game, these could be anything from a atv for a troop transport, a pickup for a technical, or even a vehicle that is a med evac. These vehicles would not be like tanks that are bullet proof. Not saying that there shouldn't be APCs, they should just have to be built properly and approved by all admins to be a go. Another thing I believe needs to take place is that all snipers and/or support gunners have to take a class and be certificated to be able to use these weapons in a game(not skirmishes). This will cut down on the 14 year old carrying around guns that shoot 500+ fps, or the little ones that carry a SAW just to use like a normal rifle. This will improve the realism of the game and let kids learn how to be a part of a team before they get one of these weapons. If we keep the ratio of snipers:support:assault rifles like they should, it also would increase the realism of the game. I think that if all these things happen that this hobby would be at its max potential, or be alot closer.

YouTube · by **Matt** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 3:58 pm

GBB rifles = NOT a new idea. Look up "Classic Airsoft" and you will see that there were several brands of GBB M4 and other replicas. Some of them had working bolts, some of them had recoil, some of them even had shell casings. History is repeating itself. Gas hasn't gotten any better, it's the same. Still sucks for Oregon winter, still poops out on you in times when you have the drop on somebody and you pull the trigger to hear your gas billow out like an old-man fart.

As for vehicles, using ATVs and trucks isn't progress. It's been done. I'm talking about Humvees, Half-Tracks, Duece and a halves, M114s, Little Birds, UAVs. They had an M114 and a half-track at Gallant Saber 2, that was years ago. They cost $$$ to move and $$$ to operate, so be prepared to pay for events - but the price is worth it. That half-track with a mounted propane 50 cal was probably the coolest thing I've ever seen at an Airsoft event, and hearing it shoot in the background while the event was going on was incredible. That event costed $65, almost 6 years ago (which was EXPENSIVE for events back then), but worth every penny.

by **Mini-Marine** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 4:06 pm

Another thing I've talked about and Wombat six is actually incorporating into his game is tiered FPS limits for weapons types SMG<carbine<full size battle rifle<DMR<Bolt

I know its not a popular idea among many people here, but hey, a boy can dream.

by **quigly** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 4:20 pm

I think that that is a great idea.

YouTube · by **Matt** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 4:21 pm

I would have to agree about the differentiation of weapon platforms, but again you're getting into the advancement of "mil-sim" and not just Airsoft in general when you talk about that. When squad guns and sniper rifles are used adequately as force multipliers, amazing things happen. The planets align and somebody gets the smackdown hard, harder than any smackdown ever delivered by a lone gunman with a Super9.

What good is an M249 or an M60 without incredible riflemen to push the flanks and eradicate the enemy while you are laying down fire? You may as well be standing there with a 15lb cement brick screaming "SHOOT AT ME! HERE I AM!"

What good is an L96 or an M24 if you are just plinking people randomly, giving away your position, and then getting shot by 100 angry kids with full auto when you have to relocate? No good at all.

This message paid for by the people for advancement of squad tactics at Airsoft games.

by **vibora** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 4:34 pm

Darius137 wrote:
Variable wrote:
Mini-Marine wrote:Everyone loves their tacticool special forces gear, but not many are willing to invest the money to get a Haji looking OPFOR loadout.

For one, I am.

Sir, I'm working with an Afghan right now on getting some shipped over.

One thing that I would really like to see is more interaction with our local active duty military. I get to interact with a lot of SF and security (having a colonel for a dad has great bonuses) and the one thing I hear complaints about all the time is "lack of quality force on force training." If you funnel the Afghan outfits into something like this, they would get some great use. Hell, I would even learn some real Arabic for that.

Shooting at real, living people is waaay different from paper targets, as many of you know. Take some of those people that like the big clusterf**ks, put them in a scenario event like that, and you'd even get realistic "Al Qaeda training quality" out of 'em.

If it would save only one of our soldiers lives because he didn't hesitate to shoot the teenager with an AK, I'd do it.

Even if our hobby has reached a plateau, (and I don't believe it has) you can always put it to different and creative uses.

by **Atown** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 4:40 pm

I am going to agree with the various people that said anything NOT gas is a good thing...

I left paintball for a reason, and for guns to go back to gas...well that just brings back horrible memories...

And with the TM sopmod m4...this...this is progress people...gas is not!

Mini-Marine wrote:It has all the nice features of a GBB like a bolt stop and recoil, but without the issue of having to worry about gas.

Quote FTW!

by **Mini-Marine** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 4:47 pm

Seeing actual squad tactics would be a wonderful thing. That is one of the reasons that PLA has started putting on the training days. Hopefully people will see that working as a team works and really start making use of it.

Have we reached a plateau?

Who is online

Links to Stuff

Manage My Stuff

Follow AP