Airsoft Canada - View Single Post - See through guns and the death of "airsoft"

Bonjour43ma · August 8th, 2009, 17:25

I made sure I read all 12 pages before posting my thoughts and frankly I'm quite SHOCKED that a lot of you have such close-minded mentality when it comes to having OTHER people joining a sport/hobby. Sure you can make it a total hardcore milsim hobby but NOBODY EVER SAID AIRSOFT WAS CREATED FOR THAT PURPOSE ONLY.

Let me summarize to the best of my ability on some of your concerns and why I think it is not COMPLETELY the fault of the new players:

Objection 1: New people have no real concept of the commitment that may be required to "properly" do milsim-type games

Well, that's why they are new, isn't it? Please think back, whether it's 5, 10, or 15 years ago when you guys first started - did you know everything and owned all the gear that's necessary to play it properly? I DOUBT IT.

New players need to be taught the rules, the etiquettes, the proper attires, etc etc for playing this sport. You can research all you want on the internet but the best training comes from veterans. If you want newbies to play "properly", then YOU need to train them properly at YOUR game. Teach them the rules, set up restrictions on what guns are allowed, lay out guidelines in clothing requirements, etc. If nothing is enforced then of course you will see gang-bangers showing up with clearsoft guns with jeans and a baseball cap.

You set the rules, enforce them, and you will get your "quality" players. The bad ones will naturally get weeded out if proper rules are set in place at your local games. There is a learning process for all hobbies and this one is no different. Nobody wants to see irresponsible and immarture players at games and ruining it for everyone but with more people joining this hobby there are bound to be some bad seeds in the group.

Objection 2: ClearSoft/CanSoft guns are not worthy and should not be used or even mentioned on this forum

Why? Because they are cheap and have clear/tinited lowers? Please think about the fact that newer players DO NOT HAVE ACCESS to some of the higher end guns, or at least not to easily purchasable all-black all-metal guns that you vets already have. Also, why should there be a monetary limit set on a hobby that is meant for ANYONE that wishes to participate? I'm sorry but no one has the right to tell me how much money I should spend on my gun before I can have fun with it. You may have a budget of $5,000 on gear but sorry to tell you that not everyone has the same amount of disposable income as you do. That is the beauty of a hobby - you spend as much/as little as you can possibly afford to get the most return in your investment. Newbies should do the best they can to make sure their equipment can stand up to the abuse on the field but you (veterans) should not judge a player's ability to game, based on what he can or cannot afford to buy.

Think of it this way, do you tell people to stop riding bicycles because they bought their cheap bikes for $100 from Canadian Tire, instead of your $2500 road race bike that you think is somehow more worthy to be ridden on public roads? They are the ones that will look silly during a road race but that is THEIR problem - they probably know that they won't win against guys with better gear but the bottom line is that they just want to have fun like everyone else and may not necessarily want to buy a $2500 bike.

This is an OPEN hobby - the elitist attitude should not be perpetuated (as seen in this particular thread). Just because you admit that you are an elitist doesn't automatically make it okay to discriminate against newbies. This attitude is only harmful to the hobby as you will see in the following point.

Objection 3: The "Get out of my hobby" comment

I was quite shocked to see a comment like that being posted, let along a few other members that acutally agreed with it. You do not OWN this hobby/sport and anyone that wishes to participate should not be discriminated against because they have a different view than yours. I have many hobbies that are expensive (photography, cars, speedskating) and I have NEVER seen a comment like that in any of those hobby forums. I cannot believe someone acutally said that with a straight face... A comment like that to newbies like myself is utterly offensive and hurtful.

This is the first hobby that I picked up that made me feel un-welcomed, belittled, and un-wanted simply because I am new to it. If you guys really want quality players to stick around and grow into it you should perhaps start thinking about changing your own attitude and try to be more open-minded.

Like BloodSport said - share the fun with others (that are of age/18+), that's the bottom line.

August 8th, 2009, 17:25	#171
Bonjour43ma Trader rating Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Vancouver	I made sure I read all 12 pages before posting my thoughts and frankly I'm quite SHOCKED that a lot of you have such close-minded mentality when it comes to having OTHER people joining a sport/hobby. Sure you can make it a total hardcore milsim hobby but NOBODY EVER SAID AIRSOFT WAS CREATED FOR THAT PURPOSE ONLY. Let me summarize to the best of my ability on some of your concerns and why I think it is not COMPLETELY the fault of the new players: *Objection 1: New people have no real concept of the commitment that may be required to "properly" do milsim-type games* Well, that's why they are new, isn't it? Please think back, whether it's 5, 10, or 15 years ago when you guys first started - did you know everything and owned all the gear that's necessary to play it properly? I DOUBT IT. New players need to be taught the rules, the etiquettes, the proper attires, etc etc for playing this sport. You can research all you want on the internet but the best training comes from veterans. If you want newbies to play "properly", then YOU need to train them properly at YOUR game. Teach them the rules, set up restrictions on what guns are allowed, lay out guidelines in clothing requirements, etc. If nothing is enforced then of course you will see gang-bangers showing up with clearsoft guns with jeans and a baseball cap. You set the rules, enforce them, and you will get your "quality" players. The bad ones will naturally get weeded out if proper rules are set in place at your local games. There is a learning process for all hobbies and this one is no different. Nobody wants to see irresponsible and immarture players at games and ruining it for everyone but with more people joining this hobby there are bound to be some bad seeds in the group. *Objection 2: ClearSoft/CanSoft guns are not worthy and should not be used or even mentioned on this forum* Why? Because they are cheap and have clear/tinited lowers? Please think about the fact that newer players DO NOT HAVE ACCESS to some of the higher end guns, or at least not to easily purchasable all-black all-metal guns that you vets already have. Also, why should there be a monetary limit set on a hobby that is meant for ANYONE that wishes to participate? I'm sorry but no one has the right to tell me how much money I should spend on my gun before I can have fun with it. You may have a budget of $5,000 on gear but sorry to tell you that not everyone has the same amount of disposable income as you do. That is the beauty of a hobby - you spend as much/as little as you can possibly afford to get the most return in your investment. Newbies should do the best they can to make sure their equipment can stand up to the abuse on the field but you (veterans) should not judge a player's ability to game, based on what he can or cannot afford to buy. Think of it this way, do you tell people to stop riding bicycles because they bought their cheap bikes for $100 from Canadian Tire, instead of your $2500 road race bike that you think is somehow more worthy to be ridden on public roads? They are the ones that will look silly during a road race but that is THEIR problem - they probably know that they won't win against guys with better gear but the bottom line is that they just want to have fun like everyone else and may not necessarily want to buy a $2500 bike. This is an OPEN hobby - the elitist attitude should not be perpetuated (as seen in this particular thread). Just because you admit that you are an elitist doesn't automatically make it okay to discriminate against newbies. This attitude is only harmful to the hobby as you will see in the following point. *Objection 3: The "Get out of my hobby" comment* I was quite shocked to see a comment like that being posted, let along a few other members that acutally agreed with it. You do not OWN this hobby/sport and anyone that wishes to participate should not be discriminated against because they have a different view than yours. I have many hobbies that are expensive (photography, cars, speedskating) and I have NEVER seen a comment like that in any of those hobby forums. I cannot believe someone acutally said that with a straight face... A comment like that to newbies like myself is utterly offensive and hurtful. This is the first hobby that I picked up that made me feel un-welcomed, belittled, and un-wanted simply because I am new to it. If you guys really want quality players to stick around and grow into it you should perhaps start thinking about changing your own attitude and try to be more open-minded. Like BloodSport said - share the fun with others (that are of age/18+), that's the bottom line. Last edited by Bonjour43ma; August 8th, 2009 at 17:34..