what is real skirmish

[rage_sniper]

correct me if im wrong but why is it that when getting new players to play laser skirmish they bitch that its not real skirmish as in paintball skirmish
now from what i can tell the definition of skirmish is
Military. a fight between small bodies of troops, esp. advanced or outlying detachments of opposing armies.
why is it they get so worked up when you tell them that to have a real skirmish u need to be in the defence force

[REAPER_Jackal]

good point i hate those people bitching about it not being real skirmish. real skirmish is with bullets and gun powder

[spectreJACKAL]

good point i hate those people bitching about it not being real skirmish. real skirmish is with bullets and gun powder
you forgot to include the gun otherwise whats the point of having bullets

[mangohill]

Real skirmish is played with a Sheridan bolt action 68 calibre, getting 20 shots to a drinks co2 canister. This requires stealth and marksmanship.
Unreal skirmish is all those poofters in bright coloured clothes with electronic markers that go off like a fire hose, while hiding behind soft puffed up air ballons. Alright for kids parties, but it doesn't get you out in the bush, with the real men
.It needs about the same level of marksmanship, as watering Gran's garden.

[spooky]

... I used to love paintball back then. I feel much better knowing I'm not the only one who remembers bolt-action Sheridans :)

[SABREJackal]

I don't really know paintball so i say yeah real skirmish is with bullets gunpowder and the gun of course

[Colin]

I always thought skirmish was the idea of small forces having a battle regardless of the weapons used - be it real guns, paintball, lasertag or even arguments!

In regards to the whole paintball vs lasertag thing (I think thats what this thread is about), I've played both from time to time - I simply ask the paintballer guy how much money he spends each month on his pursuit, then laugh when I tell him mine is a lot less.

At the end of the day, to each their own. I personally prefer the tactics of lasertag due to the longer range. Paintball can be somewhat boring when you go to shoot someone, the shots fly off the side after 5 metres (I use rentals) and then the person you're shooting at turns around and hits you in one shot. Still fun, but annoying.

[cottonwood]

Standard answer for any paintballer complaining that there is no pain involved with laser.

Count up how many times you have been hit and when you get back to base camp , i will hit you that many times.
Funny that none have taken me up on the FREE offer.
Yes we do not charge for the PAIN option it is a free add on sale.

OH and i totally agree with the price point, most have never played paint ball and have no idea of the true cost.

[Colin]

For me, the pain factor of paintball was never a real drawcard. It was the more the fact that there were real objects wizzing in the air past your head as you duck for cover... or you can hear heaps of rounds splattering the front of the cover you are hiding behind. Supressive fire was a tactic that could easily be employed in lasertag and getting a headshot was more enjoyable.

Its this simple fact that there was an actual projectile flung through the air that makes me say paintball can have an edge over lasertag, but thats about the only positive.

[Hendrik]

The best thing about PB is that it keeps a lot of the aggro types away from OLT. As a fairly hasty generalization I would say that people who are into the pain factor of PB(both receiving and giving) would more than likely not be the most charming of people. This works both ways in the sense that a lot of the hardcore PB players think that laser tag is for kids and whimps, so I guess there is a nice balance.
Also to a certain extend PB has just about come to the end as far as development goes, whereas OLT still has a way to go.
Now if I had to back one or the other I would go for OLT everytime, due to the potential for growth. Not only in the commercial sense but at the grassroots level as well. PB will never have a grassroots(ie. kids and families playing in the local park) level due to the dangers involved.
This is not to say that the OLT and PB industry can't get together to promote skirmish sports and lobby Governments to keep skirmish sports legal.

[Ozzy]

Most of the irregular paintballers count pain as a reason to play or an additional challenge. After several years of regular tournament play, it tends to lose meaning when compared to the need to leave the field once you're hit.

Unfortunately, 50% of the paintball business is in the market area of these people, and therefore most single play encounters with "seasoned" players tend to end up with the slightly more experienced people lighting up the walk-ins - and the story lives on.

Funny side note: Whenever talking about lasertag in a paintball forum, I usually get similar responses as in writing about PB over here :)

[tekkyy]

This works both ways in the sense that a lot of the hardcore PB players think that laser tag is for kids and whimps, so I guess there is a nice balance.

Anyone seen videos showing tactical team play of outdoor laser skirmish?

Its easy to tell friends about the improved range and accuracy but...

When I compared it to the indoor laser tag in darkroom with dust, one friend replies "sure, of course we want to be shot at and not know from where".

When I mentioned the range and accuracy, one friend replies "I can hardly see that far".

I really hope there are good videos out there to show my friends.
Tactical play, teamwork, adrenaline...maybe even a dig at paintball :p showing the same game played with the inaccurate paintball shots.

[Andy in Indy]

Funny side note: Whenever talking about lasertag in a paintball forum, I usually get similar responses as in writing about PB over here :)

What is even funnier, IMHO, is that I get a similar set of responses about OLT from the people who do Indoor Laser tag. To many of them, we are all (OLT, Airsoft, Paintball) "Crazies in Camo", as one operator at IAAPA described us.

The truth is, people just like to stick with what they know. As more people become familiar with the other games, there is less prejudice and misinformation. Many indoor operators were surprised to find that Birthday Parties are such a strong core of OLT business, just like thier own business.

Personally, I think of "skirmish" as any pursuit game that requires "Situational Awareness". Just running aruns with "guns and camo" is fun, but its not a "skirmish" game until you have to be aware of things around you. Teamwork, communication, tactics, and technical advancements all come from our preceptions of "Situational Awareness".

-Andy in Indy