Anybody else miss the good old days?

[TheFull9]

Well to be fair not everyone uses that definition, a lot of people just use it to mean someone that's big in to their high-end/realistic gear and getting it looking 'just so'. Obviously in airsoft there's nothing wrong with that, whereas there's a lot wrong with lording it over people just because you spent more money than they did, so I think we need to be slightly cautious throwing down phrases that don't have one, single, widely accepted meaning.

 

It's clearly a phenomena that's been around for a long old time, I imagine some guy with an original TM M16A1 rocked up to a game one day in the early 90s swaggering like a *badgeress* making out he was, like, totally operator with his electricity and all. That said, I must be fairly lucky because I've never met anyone with an attitude like that, which is nice, though I imagine the day will come.

 

So there's something that was probably still bad in the 'good' old days, and some things don't change.

[FireKnife]

I think, like many things in airsoft we need to set something to mean geardo.

 

We have something for new players, we have Milsimers and WW2 and Vietnam players. We have a name for everything so why not define geardos in this way. Not to give people a label, but to clear up on what we mean.

 

I personally found that the nickname for a person obssessed with having the right look was a stitch-*badgeress* (humourus name, not to be used as offensive), only when they added an attitude to lording it over others did they become a geardo.

 

I must admit any time outside of this forum that i have heard the word geardo it is in regards to a player with a 2-3k setup and an attitude that all are inferior to him.

 

It is just unfortunate that like non-hit takers and those that think they are in a real fire situation somethings wont change.

 

'FireKnife'

[Aitch]

A geardo is some <insert rudeness> who refers to Airsoft as "PLASTIC DEATH" someone so odd that they must have owned high end tac gear long before they possessed any form of weapon/accessory to store in said gear,

I do hope those types don't exist, but it is the vibe I get from some geardoes.

[Maki]

One thing is for sure imo, whoever said the almost famous "Airsoft is 75% looks", must have been a Geardo

 

Or maybe im just missing out on the fun of having to bring 50+ Lbs of gear to my games.

I mean, do you Really need all that ###### in your loadout? K.I.S.S

 

I started with a full on chestrig, 12mag loadout, but now, i only have my M4, 3 mags(68rds), and my trusty S&W .40 (15rds), i find that i move A LOT faster, feel all the hits so i won't accidentally ghost on someone, i am more stealthy, so i get more sneak-hits = More fun/Challenge to the other team.

 

Airsoft should be 100% fun and adrenalin. But thats just my opinion, and i do respect the effort put in to someones gear, i just don't see the reason why.

 

 

The downside of the old times for me, was that i didn't have the nerve to take apart my guns.

[FireKnife]

The downside of the old times for me, was that i didn't have the nerve to take apart my guns.

 

I think we all have that until we crack open our first gun and see that it isn't actually that complicated in there, as much as the exploded diagram makes it look.

 

Personally i find geardos good fun, perfect for catching unawares, especially when they see you in basic camo, four pistol mag pouches and a belt with a 1911 and get annoyed that they didn't spot you coming.

 

'FireKnife'

[Cannonfodder80]

I think we all have that until we crack open our first gun......

 

Other way round for me, my first repair I tried I started with lots of enthusiasm and a Top Gear style attitude of "how hard can it be?" 1 hour and lots of swearing later I had a half built AEG and a bag of bits to give to my regular sites tech wizzard

 

Simply put I learned the hard way that I have the engineer skills of a drunk chimp

[Kenworth W900]

Simply put I learned the hard way that I have the engineer skills of a drunk chimp

 

Thats chimp-ist - how dare you insinuate that they can't service AEGs very well

[Cannonfodder80]

You want this guy doing your repairs? Infact he could probably do better than me

 

[Tariel]

Thought I'de comment on the geardo/elitist attitude. To some degree I'm one myself but I like to think I'm not a total jerk about it. Here's my question though, there are many elements that make up the airsoft sport and every player has a different take to it. What's wrong with being an elitist? While I understand that it's something that trolls and jerks and feed off of, not every body is as bad as the stereotype. I carry the mindset of, "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all", but doesn't mean I can't think it or discuss that privatly with friends or those interested. I for one do take a certain pride in my investments and like to let it show for itself. For anyone who does that, of course we have the "others who can't/don't measure up are inferior" attitude, regardless if they are or not. It's just how you behave with that mindset. I can proudly label myself an elitist, but a good sported one lol.

 

 

[FireKnife]

I can proudly label myself an elitist, but a good sported one lol.

 

Elitist and geardo require that attitude of 'i am better than you as i have spent more money / have more guns / have palyed longer than you'. If you don't have that attitude then you are not a geardo you are just a normal player that has a fair bit of kit. I have had a fair bit of kit in my time but have never ever used my experience or size of my wallet as a means to lord it over other players and that is what geardos do, hence why people don't like them at all.

 

'FireKnife'

[Tariel]

I suppose I have a misunderstanding about it then.

[FireKnife]

If you are a player that has lots of gear and enjoys the game then you are a player.

 

If you have lots of gear and tell everyone without 100% matching gear that they are losers and lord yourself over all others because you have a correct loadout with all the trimmings you are a geardo.

 

If you just lord yourself over others becasue you think you can you are a twat and should leave the hobby.

 

Pretty much it.

 

'FireKnife'

[Joker_IMPACT]

Ahh yes the good ole days.... I miss them greatly. I can remember when the TM M4 first came out! Hard to believe I have been doing this for 13 years now.

 

BTW Inferno's custom weapons were nothing short of amazing. And the things that guy could do with a TM Benelli were mind blowing. A very inspiring player.

 

I can remember taking the full stocks off of spring G3s and putting them on our spring UHC MP5s. How is this for custom:

 

 

 

 

And before you ask it was a pump Daisey BB gun. It was converted to shoot airsoft bbs (replaced the barrel). The stock was cut off (not really sure why lol). Custom silencer was added and the barrel went all the way through to the end. It took a spring G3 mag and the little low power scope was added for good measure. And yes the more you pump it the higher the FPS. You could also just pour bbs down the barrel and use it like a real steel shotgun. Yes not the safest thing in the world but we were young dumb kids.

 

I agree with the OP's main point. Players and kids these days have it WAY to easy. When I first bought an AEG it was a TM AK. If I wanted an optic on it I had to make a custom rail because they did not make scope rails for them yet. But before all that I was playing with spring weapons for years. Now kids get mommy and daddy to hand them a brand new AEG, I learned the hard way and IMO the fun way. Not only are the days of real custom weapons mostly long gone but the days of young players having to earn things are long gone as well. But I digress....

 

~Joker out....