Landscaping and Airsoft

[Seth_Erebor]

Have you ever gone to a site and seen some really creative use of natural obstacles, etc?

I see some places that have done this really well and others that appreciate the rough look.

Any landscapers here btw? Need some advice on trees, shrubs, grasses, etc.

 

[Druid799]

I like to cut the brambles back with bbs outside the kitchen door when I’ve been working on my toys , does that count ? ??

 

[Seth_Erebor]

I like to cut the brambles back with bbs outside the kitchen door when I’ve been working on my toys , does that count ? ??

Click to shrink...

not quite what I meant lol

 

[Immortal]

What sort of advice? I'm not a paid Landscaper but I have been over the years and my fingers are green.

 

[Adolf Hamster]

not much in the way of full on landscaping, one site did used to have a mock trench with a full bridge built over it, was quite the job trying to push over that given how easy it was to ambush on the other side and how slippery it got in winter.

otherwise most sites the extent of landscaping is just using what's there in the way of vegetation/hills/old buildings.

 

[Seth_Erebor]

What sort of advice? I'm not a paid Landscaper but I have been over the years and my fingers are green.

Click to shrink...

Well, I was looking at the prices for small trees, etc and the variety is enormous! So I thought, let me find out exactly what I want/need before I try looking for a good deal.

not much in the way of full on landscaping, one site did used to have a mock trench with a full bridge built over it, was quite the job trying to push over that given how easy it was to ambush on the other side and how slippery it got in winter.

otherwise most sites the extent of landscaping is just using what's there in the way of vegetation/hills/old buildings.

Click to shrink...

The place we're at is a bit of a blank canvas, bit flat too, which is not a good combination at all.

So I need to nail down the exact type of trees, etc that will not grow too big or have shallow roots, etc.

There is a lot to consider, cost especially.

 

[Adolf Hamster]

if you're looking for ideas then that's going to be tricky depending on what you want to go for, personally i love a good proper forest but of course those don't grow so quick so not all that useful for trying to scratch build a site.

 

[Immortal]

Well, I was looking at the prices for small trees, etc and the variety is enormous! So I thought, let me find out exactly what I want/need before I try looking for a good deal.

Click to shrink...

OK, I'm not the right person in that case. Good luck. ?

 

[Robert James]

Plantation do some landscaping I think. @Prisce would know loads more but they've built a maze like tree/bsuh area which leads into a village

Then behind that they have the mortar pits etc which I believe is all the excess dirt etc and makes for some good fire fights

 

[Seth_Erebor]

if you're looking for ideas then that's going to be tricky depending on what you want to go for, personally i love a good proper forest but of course those don't grow so quick so not all that useful for trying to scratch build a site.

Click to shrink...

You can get trees for free from some charities and in bulk you can build a decent woodland for maybe 20k

OK, I'm not the right person in that case. Good luck. ?

Click to shrink...

NP

Plantation do some landscaping I think. @Prisce would know loads more but they've built a maze like tree/bsuh area which leads into a village

Then behind that they have the mortar pits etc which I believe is all the excess dirt etc and makes for some good fire fights

Click to shrink...

Is the attached screenshot the entire site? And is the paintball a coincidence or... ?

View attachment 42020

 

[Prisce]

@Robert James is 100% right.

Airsoft Plantation has natural woodland with a built in barrier(mud mound). A CQB tarpaulin zone, a CQB maze built out of hedges and shrubs, a semi CQB open zone built into the middle of a coppice of trees. 

On the far left side of the site is an open field with “mortar pits” mud and water,  with a mixture of trees shrubs open zone and built in decorations to the north of this.

The site constantly changes and they are constantly working and improving it.

RIFT used a heritage woodland in Tewin that they couldn’t do anything in, but nature builds in a lot of natural obstacles and  hideaways.

 

[Crazy_Crystal]

Then behind that they have the mortar pits etc which I believe is all the excess dirt etc and makes for some good fire fights

Click to shrink...

that kind of things is what I would find interesting and makes the site a bit more immersive. proper emplacements and hides made using log walls with soil piled on the side etc makes things interesting, and is a step up from knocked together plywood or crates scattered around.

similarly any subtle features can be exentuated and used to change the flow of a game. things like an old wall, dried up stream bed or drainage ditch can be used as a way onto a target etc. it's rare that even a flat area is featureless when you start looking hard at it... anyways just a few thoughts that I had ?

 

[Prisce]

View attachment 42020

Click to shrink...

Top right from lake to boundary is the play area, but they own all of it. The lake is used for fisherman. They don’t do paintball as far as I’m aware. 

Oh, and my brother was a landscaper till last week!

 

[Immortal]

TBH unless you have years to wait then you'll pay a lot for mature trees. Pine is a quick grower but can cause allergies to certain types of people (hence why people wear masks in Japan for example). Silver birches grow fairly quick but can be quite sappy, but quick in tree years not human if you know what I mean.

Sapplings are potentially fragile so if you're planting to make a game site you'll want to leave it kind of fallow for a long time otherwise most will just get damaged one way or the other or be so insignificant it wouldn't really be a forest till you retire.

How about Elephant grass - instant forest, same for giant bamboo... they both spread like Rabbits.

 

[Seth_Erebor]

TBH unless you have years to wait then you'll pay a lot for mature trees. Pine is a quick grower but can cause allergies to certain types of people (hence why people wear masks in Japan for example). Silver birches grow fairly quick but can be quite sappy, but quick in tree years not human if you know what I mean.

Sapplings are potentially fragile so if you're planting to make a game site you'll want to leave it kind of fallow for a long time otherwise most will just get damaged one way or the other or be so insignificant it wouldn't really be a forest till you retire.

How about Elephant grass - instant forest, same for giant bamboo... they both spread like Rabbits.




2

Click to shrink...

Elephant grass! I like that! That is just the kind of thing I am looking for.

Top right from lake to boundary is the play area, but they own all of it. The lake is used for fisherman. They don’t do paintball as far as I’m aware. 

Oh, and my brother was a landscaper till last week!

Click to shrink...

Ah, nice. They must have a friendly rivalry with Delta Force then haha!

Does he play and is he free for a side project?

@Robert James is 100% right.

Airsoft Plantation has natural woodland with a built in barrier(mud mound). A CQB tarpaulin zone, a CQB maze built out of hedges and shrubs, a semi CQB open zone built into the middle of a coppice of trees. 

On the far left side of the site is an open field with “mortar pits” mud and water,  with a mixture of trees shrubs open zone and built in decorations to the north of this.

The site constantly changes and they are constantly working and improving it.

RIFT used a heritage woodland in Tewin that they couldn’t do anything in, but nature builds in a lot of natural obstacles and  hideaways.




4

Click to shrink...

Hedges and Shrubs, that's also on the list, now to know the right kind, I don't want to introduce anything that will spread like crazy or require a lot of maintenance.

that kind of things is what I would find interesting and makes the site a bit more immersive. proper emplacements and hides made using log walls with soil piled on the side etc makes things interesting, and is a step up from knocked together plywood or crates scattered around.

similarly any subtle features can be exentuated and used to change the flow of a game. things like an old wall, dried up stream bed or drainage ditch can be used as a way onto a target etc. it's rare that even a flat area is featureless when you start looking hard at it... anyways just a few thoughts that I had ?

Click to shrink...

Kind of like a Pillbox bunker? 

I like an idea up the top with bridges, but that's down the line.

I look at games with good map design for tips on flow, but I'm not going to worry too much. Everything will change.

 

[Immortal]

Elephant grass! I like that! That is just the kind of thing I am looking for.

Click to shrink...

It grows very fast and spreads like the common cold. It'll get to about 8 foot in a few months given sun and moisture.

It will die off over winter but grows back just as quick. You can either chop it back or accept the brown as it dries and dies.

 

[Prisce]

Ah, nice. They must have a friendly rivalry with Delta Force then haha!

Does he play and is he free for a side project?

Hedges and Shrubs, that's also on the list, now to know the right kind, I don't want to introduce anything that will spread like crazy or require a lot of maintenance.

Click to shrink...

He does play. But with his new job he won’t be able to do anything for a few months now.

Beech hedges are good for thick coverage, they grow steady too. 

Lalandy trees make a good hedge, fast growing and when they get to the height you want them, lop the tops off and they won’t grow any taller.

 

[Iceni]

Laurels - they give really good coverage and are easy to maintain. Grow well inside woodland with dense coverage. It's by far the best plant for airsoft because of how thick it can get, and how well it takes abuse. It's also evergreen so you get winter screening as well. It also doesn't flower like buddleia so it doesn't attract so many bees and wasps.

Laurel is also the fastest growing no conifer hedge plant. It can be shaped and grown as a hedge or left as bushes. It's also cheap.

I would avoid fur trees, The reason for not adding furs is they tend to not offer a lot of cover, and most of them will grow vertically. Confier also takes a long time to recover from damage and with people smashing into it I would expect it to look leggy in no time at all.

Slower growing UK trees are actually better, Willow, Silver birch ect. It'll take longer for the site to mature, but there will be less maintenance once it's mature. You also have local laws to abide by. It's not uncommon to have a list of approved trees, and limits on buildings and fences.

Willow also doubles up as building material once it's established. So you can set up structures for other plants to grow on once you get them to the pruning stage.

Fence laws can be used with building laws. It's easy to make a fence village. You are probably allowed climbing frames up to a certain number as well (think lookout towers).

Drainage ditches can also be manipulated. Since you can embank the sides with the spoil. Creating trenches (provided it follows the water flow of the land).

Follow the local laws to the letter, But see them as challenges rather than restrictions. My local (the grange) is now well established and has had to follow some of the strictest rulings i've seen for a site. It wasn't a fast process but the site is now far far better than if they had taken the fast route.

 

[Seth_Erebor]

Laurels - they give really good coverage and are easy to maintain. Grow well inside woodland with dense coverage. It's by far the best plant for airsoft because of how thick it can get, and how well it takes abuse. It's also evergreen so you get winter screening as well. It also doesn't flower like budlia so it doesn't attract so many bees and wasps.

Laurel is also the fastest growing no conifer hedge plant. It can be shaped and grown as a hedge or left as bushes. It's also cheap.

I would avoid fur trees, The reason for not adding furs is they tend to not offer a lot of cover, and most of them will grow vertically. Confier also takes a long time to recover from damage and with people smashing into it I would expect it to look leggy in no time at all.

Slower growing UK trees are actually better, Willow, Silver birch ect. It'll take longer for the site to mature, but there will be less maintenance once it's mature. You also have local laws to abide by. It's not uncommon to have a list of approved trees, and limits on buildings and fences.

Willow also doubles up as building material once it's established. So you can set up structures for other plants to grow on once you get them to the pruning stage.

Fence laws can be used with building laws. It's easy to make a fence village. You are probably allowed climbing frames up to a certain number as well (think lookout towers).

Drainage ditches can also be manipulated. Since you can embank the sides with the spoil. Creating trenches (provided it follows the water flow of the land).

Follow the local laws to the letter, But see them as challenges rather than restrictions. My local (the grange) is now well established and has had to follow some of the strictest rulings i've seen for a site. It wasn't a fast process but the site is now far far better than if they had taken the fast route.

Click to shrink...

Well... thanks! Mind if I ask how you know all that?

 

[Iceni]

My shooting partner is Ex-staff for the grange. I get to chat to the marshalls on a site level most visits because of him talking to the marshalls about the site and how it's progressing rather than the general conversations you have.

Some of the restrictions are very interesting, but you would never be aware that any restrictions had ever been in place.