Show Posts
1
Airsoft Discussion / Re: State of the community and ideas to improve MIA going forward.
« on: October 05, 2017, 04:19:03 PM »
I'm entirely new to the MiA forums, but I've been a member of the FB group for a while. I wanted to put my $0.02 into this topic, my buddy Ken and I have had long discussions about improving airsoft here.
The biggest thing I see being an issue is education. I play almost exclusively at MCA indoors for a multitude of reasons, not least of all I have bad knees and outdoor fields kill me. This is not intended as a shot at the guys at MCA, I think they're great, but because of the relatively large influx of renters and first timers, they don't really have time to explain a lot. They go over the rules for the field and get people out playing because let's face it, we don't pay to listen to explanations, we pay to play.
This is where the veterans can come in; we can explain the why of the rules and help teach the new kids how to play effectively. We can lead by example, by playing within the rules expected and keeping our tempers in check when we get bonus-balled. Instead of berating a new player for using bad tactics, we can teach them. We all love this sport, or we wouldn't be playing. We should be doing everything we can to instill that love into new players, or we'll all eventually be a bunch of old bastards in wheelchairs wheezing "call your hits!" at each other.
I try (and fail) to live up to those standards. I've lost my temper with people arguing and I shouldn't. I've ignored people trying to talk to me about their achievements on their first time out playing. I need to get better about that, and a lot of other players do too. If we want this sport to survive, we need to get rid of the salt and police each other on it.
Respect, at the end of the day, is what is needed. Just because I play a tactical game doesn't mean I need to talk crap about speedsofters and vice versa. The veterans of the sport need to, again, lead by example here. If we treat new players with respect, they'll see that and (hopefully) start emulating it. We need to take new players under our wings and teach them how to play. We need to gently correct players when they step outside the rules, and if that fails, we go to the ref instead of starting arguments.
We also need to make sure that our friendly jibes at each other over guns or gear are recognized as just that. I've had new players come to me concerned because people who have played together for a long time are sniping at each other verbally. What we say to each other is heard by other players and we need to be aware of that.
Another issue I've seen with the new kids is the fear of getting hit. Again, we can lead by example there. Grab a new kid and take them along with you and show them it's not a big deal. Get them playing, so they want to keep playing. We need to do better. If we do better, the game gets better.
While the field owners have skin in this game, ultimately it is up to us. We patronize fields that play by the rules and do things that make us want to play there. Fields that don't ultimately lose business. We are the driving force for airsoft in Michigan, for better or worse. It's on us as players to keep the community welcoming and eliminate the toxic attitudes that have started to invade the game. It's a huge responsibility, not only to the game but to each other. We need to keep each other in check, as well as keeping ourselves. Without players, there's no game.
The biggest thing I see being an issue is education. I play almost exclusively at MCA indoors for a multitude of reasons, not least of all I have bad knees and outdoor fields kill me. This is not intended as a shot at the guys at MCA, I think they're great, but because of the relatively large influx of renters and first timers, they don't really have time to explain a lot. They go over the rules for the field and get people out playing because let's face it, we don't pay to listen to explanations, we pay to play.
This is where the veterans can come in; we can explain the why of the rules and help teach the new kids how to play effectively. We can lead by example, by playing within the rules expected and keeping our tempers in check when we get bonus-balled. Instead of berating a new player for using bad tactics, we can teach them. We all love this sport, or we wouldn't be playing. We should be doing everything we can to instill that love into new players, or we'll all eventually be a bunch of old bastards in wheelchairs wheezing "call your hits!" at each other.
I try (and fail) to live up to those standards. I've lost my temper with people arguing and I shouldn't. I've ignored people trying to talk to me about their achievements on their first time out playing. I need to get better about that, and a lot of other players do too. If we want this sport to survive, we need to get rid of the salt and police each other on it.
Respect, at the end of the day, is what is needed. Just because I play a tactical game doesn't mean I need to talk crap about speedsofters and vice versa. The veterans of the sport need to, again, lead by example here. If we treat new players with respect, they'll see that and (hopefully) start emulating it. We need to take new players under our wings and teach them how to play. We need to gently correct players when they step outside the rules, and if that fails, we go to the ref instead of starting arguments.
We also need to make sure that our friendly jibes at each other over guns or gear are recognized as just that. I've had new players come to me concerned because people who have played together for a long time are sniping at each other verbally. What we say to each other is heard by other players and we need to be aware of that.
Another issue I've seen with the new kids is the fear of getting hit. Again, we can lead by example there. Grab a new kid and take them along with you and show them it's not a big deal. Get them playing, so they want to keep playing. We need to do better. If we do better, the game gets better.
While the field owners have skin in this game, ultimately it is up to us. We patronize fields that play by the rules and do things that make us want to play there. Fields that don't ultimately lose business. We are the driving force for airsoft in Michigan, for better or worse. It's on us as players to keep the community welcoming and eliminate the toxic attitudes that have started to invade the game. It's a huge responsibility, not only to the game but to each other. We need to keep each other in check, as well as keeping ourselves. Without players, there's no game.