See through guns and the death of "airsoft"

[Brian McIlmoyle]

Ok, I was wrong... and I admit it.

I thought that the proliferation of inexpensive clear receiver guns would result in an expansion of this activity and a revitalization of the community.

I was wrong... What has happened is a "dumbing down" The bar to entry to this activity has been lowered so low at this point that pretty much anyone with $100 can get into the game.

Now we see retailers selling dollar store junk as "airsoft guns" at $60 and $80 to people who then will undoubtedly show up at the next game .. and subsequently whine about the "elite assholes" who looked down on them.

Instead of growing the community it has divided it between " Kraken toting mag ticklers" and those who invest in "real airsoft"

"real" airsoft has been pretty much marginalized as the purview of the affluent few.. with connections, submerged under a sea of Cheap clear guns.

Many people have withdrawn from the public community because of this.. retreating to enclaves of "serious players" who have written off for the most part the wider community.

Lots of guys called it right when the last of the large public retailers of "real airsoft" guns folded ... the writting was on the wall... but now its large enough for all to see.

The "barbarian Invasion" of "Kraken Toting Mag Ticklers "(KTMTs) is proceeding inexorably to the final conclusion .... when the back yard clear softers will inherit ASC.

The "serious" collectors and players are still out there.. and many still lurk here .. and granted many KTMTs graduate to real guns in time and make the transition to Real guns and committment to the activity. it's the ratio of "wheat to chaff" that I bemoan.

Call me Elitist if you want... because I am

[IceTray]

Need a Rep button.
I wonder if there just might be some suggestions to prevent this. Because honestly, seeing WalMart/CT guns sold in the classifieds, irks me - That needs to end. Now.
But I do agree with you, Brian.

[Boche]

There is something definitely wrong with the airsoft community in Ontario, and it started before the advent of the mag ticklers.

There have always been the 'enclaves', players loyal to a particular host or field, but these types of places have increased and the larger style community bonding games at places like Deadlands, Kossuth Rd. Flagraiders and Wasaga Beach haven't happened on a regular basis for a couple of years now.

Why this is, I don't know.....just something I noticed.

[Daiviet]

Wholeheartedy agreed. There are many, MANY of us who share the same sentiments.

[L473ncy]

+1

Although I didn't think it would actually come to this. Sure I thought that it was a good thing originally (with some cons that the pros still outweighed) but I now see that there are way more cons than what I had originally thought of.

[Jimski]

have the fields in Ontario been invaded by hordes of clearsoft players ?

[Danke]

An even better spot for my thoughts on the new breed of guns;

I see them as equal to the fake electric guitars in video games. People buy both so they can wave them around in front of girls. Like guitars (real or fake), most people who own these have no idea how to actually use them. At the end of the day, if it's a guitar or a gun, the average person is completely unconcerned with the actual quality of the object; instead, all they see is the shape.

So that leads to a couple questions. Is our fixation with a certain level of quality justified?

Are those clear and smoked AEGs an alarming drop in quality, or will they actually draw more players in who in fact will progress to better gear with time.

I have sent them at games, I really only notice the clear in the safe areas. I can't say what happens next, our local scene appears to have a huge churn with a both players with all the gear and guns you see in picture threads dropping of the map, and the new players who have one highcap and a surplus jacket pouring it on for one year and then packing up too.

So as always I would say the onus is on the more experienced players to guide the new ones. And if that means vibing out some jackasses with white runners and clear guns so be it.

[wildcard]

you are not an elitist you're just old, Welcome to the ranks of cranky old farts.

one thing i never understand is the bitching and moaning of the new players about the high end guns but yet these are the same players who will ask on how to modify their shitsoft clear guns to match the performance of a stock King arms or a G&P and bitch and moan again at the answer or the price they have to pay. Here is a tip "you get what you payed for" if you pay $199 for an AEG don't expect it to last as long or performed like a stock TM or King Arms. there are reasons why there is a huge variance in AEG prices.

[Jimski]

well sometimes when you drop them clearsoft and higher-end do behave the same, and break like cheap plastocrap

[Skruface]

The rise of crapsoft is the main reason I find myself playing less airsoft and shooting more real steel these days. Add me to the cranky old man club. We need a patch or something. Like Team Fat Bastard of the days of yore...

Personally, I think crapsoft should be treated the same way we treat bb guns on this forum...

We shouldn't promote it, and we ought to send people on their way to find a crapsoft forum if they want to talk about it or deal in it.

Eliteist asshole? You bet I am, and I have the obligatory $10K in guns and gear to prove it.

[S.H.I.E.L.D.]

We cranky old farts are becoming a dying breed! The sport is reaching the alarming annonymity of paintball(shudder). Meat/Staffsgt and I have commented on the lack of bonding at games. The old days are gone I think, the late 90's, early 00's where most players sported decent equipment/impressions, "real" airsoft guns with trades etc have gone the way of the dinosaurs. We're still out there, hiding out like Bin Laden, appearing only to shock and awe before decending to our dark armouries again lol.

[wildcard]

Originally Posted by Jimski

well sometimes when you drop them clearsoft and higher-end do behave the same, and break like cheap plastocrap

never have any performance issue with my King Arms or my inokatsu so far but i did out of curiosity bought one of those broxa mp5 from basspro and it broke within 4 mags worth of shooting. But in regards to construction of the parts well that's a seperate issue.

[HGI]

Originally Posted by wildcard

you are not an elitist you're just old, Welcome to the ranks of cranky old farts.

That's what I'm saying, I wrote a huge rant about that and thought it might hurt your feelings so I deleted it.

Get over it, not every new young player (age 16-18) have $1500-$2500 to blow away on a toy and heck only 30% of them end up playing for more than a season cause you cranky old farts turn them down or scare them away.

Less hardcore
More fun

[Daiviet]

Originally Posted by HGI

That's what I'm saying, I wrote a huge rant about that and thought it might hurt your feelings so I deleted it.

Get over it, not every new young player (age 16-18) have $1500-$2500 to blow away on a toy and heck only 30% of them end up playing for more than a season cause you cranky old farts turn them down or scare them away.

Less hardcore
More fun

its not like we endorse people from the age of 16~18 to join right away anyways. We always tell them to save up, observe at games, borrow from a friend first, and seeing if they enjoy the game before dropping the load of cash on it.

[IceTray]

Originally Posted by Skruface

Personally, I think crapsoft should be treated the same way we treat bb guns on this forum...

We shouldn't promote it, and we ought to send people on their way to find a crapsoft forum if they want to talk about it or deal in it.

I smell an idea?