Anyone still around from the old days?

[T3CH]

'looks in after a few years away'

Wow gotten REAL quiet in here.

[ED-SKaR]

9 hours ago, T3CH said:

'looks in after a few years away'

Wow gotten REAL quiet in here.

*Slowly awakes*

What....

[Shadowbane.snafoo]

Hey,

 

I was a forum member from '04 to '07 and recently got back into airsoft and the site. Was a Admin on ClassicAirsoft.net for the same period.

 

Thanks,

Ramsey

[8h3eZy]

Hello,

I was really into GBB until 3-4 years ago. I am looking to sell my GBB, but have not been successful. I have sold and traded on both classicairsoft.net and gasguns.info.

This topic is very relevant to me. Thank you for posting.

- Andy

[oikoik]

On 4/3/2019 at 4:06 PM, Schnakey said:

I'm new here, just joined today, but anyone from the old ascuk/Ukan/old blue crowd should know me.

pop pop pop!

 

 

 

 

added:

kwong wah st! i remember spending hours and hours around there!  (around 20 years ago i think)

Probably been a bit messy these past few months..?

 

 

 

Edited November 24, 2019 by oikoik

[Delta_Knight]

On 11/24/2019 at 12:46 PM, oikoik said:

kwong wah st! i remember spending hours and hours around there!  (around 20 years ago i think)

Probably been a bit messy these past few months..?

 

Kwong Wah has been relatively unscathed, but has severely driven off a cliff in the last 10 years for Airsoft shops anyway. The glory days are definitely long gone of being able to spend a day there.

Mostly watch shops these days, bar a few of the old boys (Dens & GnG) still going strong. 

[RSM]

What's done that? I can't believe Guns n Guy is still going as well as Den Trinity...do DT still do that thing where they email you an invoice to pay prior to shipping overseas? I seem to recall there used to be a retailer called something like "BoomArms Cafe"?

[hitmanNo2]

Boom Arms is still around.  And still frustratingly slow to respond to emails most of the time.

[Delta_Knight]

I think Boom Arms still trade online with their hilariously ancient website, but the cafe was one of the first to go yonks ago. That unit is a Thai restaurant or hotpot place now, I can't remember exactly. 

Frankly I can't answer the root cause, but I remember a mass exodus from Kwong Wah about ten years ago (likely due to ridiculous rent) and a few moved to and area called Lai Chi Kok (where WGC and Redwolf now operate their online shop from, after also bouncing around a few places). Since then the handful that did go out there, eventually moved to Diamond Hill which sort of had a new cluster growing, but with the death of EhobbyAsia is also kind of dead now (Tiger11 warehouse is there, and MMC are holed up in a factory building that way still).

I should probably do a write up at some point for any tourists to avoid disappointment. 

Michael

 

[Eugene_Stoner]

Yes please do- I went 2 years ago and was a little disappointed. 

Was cool to se regardless, luckily my trip was paid for me but I don't think I would go again.

[snowman]

If anyone's interested in nostalgia, I've just rehosted JustPistols.

You can find it at http://justpistols.epizy.com

Apologies for typos/broken links/etc/etc/etc...

Cheers.

Edited December 12, 2019 by snowman

[hitmanNo2]

Nice.  Good to see Just Pistols up and running again.

[Cannonfodder80]

After drifting oover to Facebook like many others, I've started coming back as the groups there get worse and worse

[3vi1-D4n]

2 hours ago, Cannonfodder80 said:

After drifting oover to Facebook like many others, I've started coming back as the groups there get worse and worse

I find that the BBS structure of forums allow for better navigation of themes and discussions than Social Media based Group UI.

 

As for airsofting, some of us have been in this hobby for 20-25 years.  I remember my first skirmish in 1994. 

 

The thing is, learning and growth in airsoft gets to a particularly point and then the challenge curve reaches a plateau.  You can get proficient at weapon-tech, individual fieldcraft, and then build a good section/squad.  But to build beyond that size of organisation for anything more epic, requires doctrine, training, military mindset and discipline, and lots of money and hardware.  Most civilian players are not willing to commit to this for a 3-24 hour affair.  Only people who will function beyond the plateau are ex-military personnel, who have had the conditioning to begin with. 

 

Hence airsoft is a bit of a lost cause to most, and life has other priorities that will push it aside.

 

It is a shame, a well planned airsoft event with combined arms and a good battlespace infrastructure can be far better experience than the average company sized infantry exercise.  Even a well planned section level airsoft event, is far more dynamic and team dependent than footie, rugby or basketball IMHO. 

 

Airsoft is the sport of kings (or king makers).

Edited December 12, 2019 by 3vi1-D4n

[Gigueand]

Speaking as someone who remembers the "old days" of both airsoft (at least in the U.S.) and Arnie's, there's definitely an evolution that longer term players go through. Definitely reminds me of this somewhat famous graphic from paintball.

In general, most airsoft players are in the hobby for a season or two - just a couple of years. The primary demographic of airsofters, in my experience, is the 14 - 18 year old crowd. Kids who are old enough to afford the hobby and who are relatively immobile life-wise. They're usually living at home, finishing their undergraduate education and they drift away from airsoft once they leave home and go to university/college.

The folks who survive this tend to stick around longer and go through several phases. 

Speaking for myself, I came over from paintball and into airsoft nearly 15 years ago after having played a decade of paintball. I was, frankly, shocked by the amount of gear and other gucci nonsense people were carrying around (MICH 2000s, CIRAS vests, etc - you can guess the time period...) and I built purely lightweight, functional loadouts. Then as I got more into the hobby and more interested in kit I started buying more gucci stuff (Mayflower, Crye, ATS, TT, etc). Eventually transitioned into building impressions which didn't always work out very well. Nowadays I'm far more interested in having lightweight, functional kit that is comfortable to wear and let's me keep up with the kids. What I've got is still nice (Velocity Systems, PVS-14, etc), great for milsim events, but also totally fine for your average rec play with 12 year olds running to and fro.

[ardrummer292]

18 hours ago, 3vi1-D4n said:

The thing is, learning and growth in airsoft gets to a particularly point and then the challenge curve reaches a plateau.  You can get proficient at weapon-tech, individual fieldcraft, and then build a good section/squad.  But to build beyond that size of organisation for anything more epic, requires doctrine, training, military mindset and discipline, and lots of money and hardware.  Most civilian players are not willing to commit to this for a 3-24 hour affair.  Only people who will function beyond the plateau are ex-military personnel, who have had the conditioning to begin with. 

Perhaps the most insightful chunk of text I've read on this website. I do take slight issue with the assumption that only ex-mil folk will push themselves past the "plateau" you mention. I'm ex-mil and have civvy friends who are right there with me.

Aside from that minor niggle, you are 100% spot on.

[Gigueand]

Its pretty unbelievable the level to which many, fairly large groups of guys are going for MSW events here in the U.S. 

Sure, there's your odd .MIL person here or there, but a lot of these are civilian dudes who are going above and beyond. Not only are they building very solid impressions, but they are also acquiring the appropriate sustainment gear plus the equipment needed for successful night antics (NVGs, IR devices, etc).

I attended Ruins of Saratov in November and our platoon of 50(ish) dudes had 47 guys with NVGs, 1 guy with thermals only and only two guys who had nothing NVG-wise.

Edited December 13, 2019 by Gigueand

[Cannonfodder80]

A big factor in older players drifting away is real life getting in the way, eg a mortgage and bills to pay or having kids

[Got Wood?]

For me it’s the earlier starts. That’s what puts me off going when I have time. I’ve done 5 or 6 pre 7 wake ups in a week, I don’t need another.

Why sites don’t start at like 11 and roll until 6 or 7 is beyond me

[scorch]

56 minutes ago, Got Wood? said:

Why sites don’t start at like 11 and roll until 6 or 7 is beyond me

Because marshals have homes to go to?

Also, in the winter you're done by 4.30 due to a lack of daylight, so it makes sense to not be switching up your start time just to get a decent days gaming in.

[Got Wood?]

No I get that. In my opinion it’s nice that it gets dark though. Switches up the day a bit

[scorch]

I like a bit of darkness at an urban site. Brings an atmosphere that can't be matched.

Woodland though? Nah. Too much to trip and face plant on. 

[Cannonfodder80]

Could it be that a site's insurance won't cover night games due to extra trip hazards etc?

[Skarclaw]

Playing in woodland at night is very challenging (espicially without NODs!) but thats part of the fun shurely!?

Insurance playing a role is plausible but im sorry to say that a fair amount of sites will do the bare minimum to keep the same locals turning up 2 sundays a month and that extends to night games.

Fortunately a few places are starting to pick up on the demand for them - though this seems to be in the summer, its almost like darkness is seen as a bug not a feature. 

Case in point: site near me started doing saturday night games... they stopped early december... literally the only reason id go there is cause its a skirmish on a saturday night, its otherwise completely unremarkable. South coast cqb (cracking site) only does evening games on a thursday march-august too.

Night games also present challenges when it comes to marshalling. A bunch of us recently went to a semi-private night game with mandatory tracers and it was great. Suffice to say some NODs are on the shopping list!

If south coast cqb / the gaol did saturday evening games - even in the winter(!!!) Id be there on a monthly basis, even with at least 5 total hours of driving. One can dream! 

My final moan is: sites that only do sundays.. why!?!?! Going skirmishing on a saturday then for pints after with nothing to do the next day but sleep is probably my ideal weekend.

[Gunmane]

I find that usually the reason a game host runs on Sundays is either because they work Saturday (or their close associates do), that is the only day they get away from the family, or because they want to go to play at events/games themselves on Saturdays.  Also often at paintball fields here and elsewhere there is the usual stigma of the owners that airsoft doesn't get a big enough crowd to justify running it on their more active Saturdays.  Certainly that has changed over the years (my closest field is being more intertwined with airsoft over the past year) but it still exists.  I for one would appreciate playing on Saturdays more, but I have come to accept that I would likely have to play "can I not overdo it enough to make work tomorrow ultimate hell" on Sundays now.

Of course, I can't say much about that now since I haven't went to play the past few months due to the side pain.  Probably won't be able to play again at this point.