Have we had 'The Golden Age of Airsoft' - or is it now?

[Dentonboy]

Ok, so my question is, has Airsoft peaked already, or are we building up to the pinnacle still?

I would argue that we're over the peak. I think around 2005/6 was the best I can remember it for Airsoft. The VCRA Bill was yet to pass and ACM AEGs were yet to truly drop and flood the market.

Most AEGs were on a level playing field and TM GBBs were starting to get reliable and consistent (or at least, what I could see).

King Arms were dropping FN FALs, Classic Army destroyed STAR M249 owners' hearts with their M249 and Marui launched their incredible M14 series. AUGs and FAMAS' were exotic and everyone had an MP5...

MultiCam was new and exotic and Flecktarn pretty much ruled the roost. UCP was both a pattern to mock but also to look Gucci AF in.

Pre-2005, I knew Airsoft as TM springers, NBB gas guns and long guns with airlines attached. Places like Battle Orders released incredibly glossy catalogues filled with 'film weapons'.

Post 2006, it is all a bit, well, M4 shaped. Yes, blow-back and GBBR has arrived, but I miss sites like Guys N Guns 2,  Den Trinity and UN Company stocking allsorts of exotic brands at decent £/$ prices. I feel like there has been a bit of a regression.

MultiCam is now everywhere, with MTP and a dozen lookalike patterns adding to the blend. 

Or perhaps I am just an old git in my 30s who misses those simpler times.

 

[Asomodai]

Ok, so my question is, has Airsoft peaked already, or are we building up to the pinnacle still?

I would argue that we're over the peak. I think around 2005/6 was the best I can remember it for Airsoft. The VCRA Bill was yet to pass and ACM AEGs were yet to truly drop and flood the market.

Most AEGs were on a level playing field and TM GBBs were starting to get reliable and consistent (or at least,cwhat I could see).

King Arms were dropping FN FALs, Classic Army destroyed STAR M249 owners' hearts with their M249 and Marui launched their incredible M14 series. AUGs and FAMAS' were exotic and everyone had an MP5...

MultiCam was new and exotic and Flecktarn pretty much ruled the roost. UCP was both a pattern to mock but also to look Gucci AF in.

Pre-2005, I knew Airsoft as TM springers, NBB gas guns and long guns with airlines attached. Places like Battle Orders released incredibly glossy catalogues filled with 'film weapons'.

Post 2006, it is all a bit, well, M4 shaped. Yes, blow-back and GBBR has arrived, but I miss sites like Guys N Guns 2,  Den Trinity and UN Company stocking allsorts of exotic brands at decent £/$ prices. I feel like there has been a bit of a regression.

MultiCam is now everywhere, with MTP and a dozen lookalike patterns adding to the blend. 

Or perhaps I am just an old git who misses those simpler times.

Maybe we should organise an old school private day for AFUK. No M4's or Multicam allowed! 

 

[E21A]

Or perhaps I am just an old git who misses those simpler times.

Yea 

 

[Tackle]

Very good thread ?, & I too yearn for simpler times, the times before every dick thought he was an "operator" with the attitude to match, & sites gave you the unbiased opportunity to shoot each, without sales pitches disguised as 45 minute briefings & ridiculously complicated/flawed scenario's.

I miss sites having websites too, instead of shitty Facebook that most seem to rely upon now, having to trawl through all the sewage just to find the small bit of info I need is enough to put me off going.

& another thing, some of the site rules that were commonplace back then seem to have disappeared, such as box mags only on genuine support guns, not on micro stubby M4's running at 38rps, or similar bollocks.

Definitely think the so called evolution we've experienced within the game isn't all positive.

 

[MAX DICKER]

?

I miss sites having websites too, instead of shitty Facebook that most seem to rely upon now, having to trawl through all the sewage just to find the small bit of info I need is enough to put me off going.

Absolutely this. If a site doesn't have a legit website, I won't give them my custom. There's no way I'm signing up to Facebook just because site owners are too lazy to cobble together a legit website.

 

[E21A]

Absolutely this. If a site doesn't have a legit website, I won't give them my custom. There's no way I'm signing up to Facebook just because site owners are too lazy to cobble together a legit website.

What an odd thing to write off a site for. 

 

[Adolf Hamster]

I think it's a tricky one.

I do see airsoft becoming more acceptable and less niche, and whilst yes there is a sea of m4's and multicam out there you can still find plenty of folk who want to run a bit differently. For those that do the market has incredible choice although granted you cant expect everything to be excellent.

I must admit though to feeling that standards are slipping, hard to find a game day these days without some sort of shenanigans going on.

Had the pleasure today of a proper honest game, ironically despite being majority hpa players (boo hiss harumph they all joule creep at 50 million rounds per second et cetera et cetera) there was no running hot (or at least if there was nobody took the piss), no unnessecary use of full auto (it was used but not to the point of winding people up), people gave bang kills purely as courtesy and people took them in kind, people took their hits and there was no (just or unjust) accusations of it either 

Becoming mainstream has its own problems, i'm reminded of a point raised on one of forgotton weapon's q&a vids about uk versus us gun culture and ian's insight was that the restrictions to guns in the uk resulted in a smaller but more dedicated community, and i wonder if maybe the reverse is happening to airsoft, as it grows and becomes more mainstream the folk who are really dedicated are being mixed in with folk who are maybe not as committed and dont place the same store in the values that make this game great. Doesnt help either when people's role models are posting videos on youtube with "omg cheater gets pwned by insane 40 mike to the face" or other such bollocks which makes it seem like that should be normal airsoft behaviour.

Of course i've not been in this game for as long as some, so maybe i didnt see the glory days, but we all have our airsoft journeys which shape us one way or another

 

[Musica]

sites gave you the unbiased opportunity to shoot each,

without sales pitches disguised as 45 minute briefings

what do you mean around these two points?

I haven't played a year yet so I can't really contribute to the discussion but it's an interesting read.

 

[hitmanNo2]

2005/2006 was pretty sweet.  I seem to recall it was $2 to the £ which made stuff pretty cheap.  Loads of cheap ACM stuff coming on to the scene from 2006/2007.  Going back a bit further, 2000/2001 I was still at school and we could freely peruse the likes of Airsoft Dynamics and ogle at the various AEGs.  I remember when the teasers came out for the TM G36C which of course everyone thought was super cool when we were messing with TM springers and TM Steyr NBBs.

Sure, there's loads of M4s about now but when you consider what is also available, the sheer number of different models, it's mind blowing.  Not to mention the advancements in tech, MOSFETs, TM NGRS, GBB, HPA, etc.  I think we're yet to peak tbh. 

 

[DrAlexanderTobacco]

I think for as long as FB is dominant for Airsoft chat now, we're probably past peak community - Things feel very ephemeral, anything/anyone intensely popular will drown discussion out and FB algorithms determine what you see. Bad UX, hard to find old content etc..

From a tech and variety side I'd disagree, as Hitman said - I think the various exchange rates getting worse for us has definitely put a damper on the fun stuff you see being imported though, UK stores don't seem to go for brands which might otherwise be worth their time to bring in.

 

[Tackle]

what do you mean around these two points?

Sites that use the alleged safety briefing to promote site membership/ukasa/future events yada yada yada, if I've turned up on X date, prob travelled a considerable distance, & I'm spending my hard earned to be there, I want a proper briefing & then I want to play, I'm not there to make friends or financial commitments, nor do I want to hear the owners "interesting anecdotes (cos usually their not).

 

[clumpyedge]

Sites that use the alleged safety briefing to promote site membership/ukasa/future events yada yada yada, if I've turned up on X date, prob travelled a considerable distance, & I'm spending my hard earned to be there, I want a proper briefing & then I want to play, I'm not there to make friends or financial commitments, nor do I want to hear the owners "interesting anecdotes (cos usually their not).

Spot on.

 

[E21A]

Sites that use the alleged safety briefing to promote site membership/ukasa/future events yada yada yada, if I've turned up on X date, prob travelled a considerable distance, & I'm spending my hard earned to be there, I want a proper briefing & then I want to play, I'm not there to make friends or financial commitments, nor do I want to hear the owners "interesting anecdotes (cos usually their not).

Agreed 

 

[EvilMonkee]

Guys N Guns is still going they just dont have a website or export anymore.  Which is a shame as they had some lovely pieces when I was in HK back in 2017

 

[Cromulon1994]

I only started in 2012/2013

I blame call of duty and it's decent into wankness. Seriously. 

This is the obsession with m4s and "new" models that have just had some selectors anodized. 

Go to a site with an uzi, or a mac, noone under 25 knows what it is. 

There's the technology and the companies out there to make some really nice stuff but it's more profitable to sell tatted up reheated crap. I would love a North East gbb sten but no UK supplier kills it for me. 

Call of doodie has also bought about a weird obsession with making juggernaut load outs or riot shields, because they alone want to walk around in god mode. 

We should organise a day to let them all do that and they'd see how wank they make the game. 

And lastly, youtoobers, like nob itch. Don't need to say anything about his antics, aimed at a target audience of new players. There's an obsession with winning, and if they come with that mindset they miss the point. 

Come, play, enjoy, have beers after. 

 

[Tackle]

Go to a site with an uzi, or a mac, noone under 25 knows what it is.

HaHa, I had this, used my M14 socom (the short one) on a site recently, bout 4 times I was asked "what sniper rifles that" ?

 

[EvilMonkee]

There's the technology and the companies out there to make some really nice stuff but it's more profitable to sell tatted up reheated crap. I would love a North East gbb sten but no UK supplier kills it for me. 

 Airsoft World I believe are stocking them.  Though judging by the shooting test neo365 did on YT (French WW2 dude) they look pretty meh.

 

[Adolf Hamster]

There's an obsession with winning, and if they come with that mindset they miss the point.

absolutely, it's rare i even pay attention to who won or lost a game, and frankly a good fallback game where you put in a good fight all the way till the end can be more rewarding than a "winning" a team death match.

 

[GeorgePlaysAirsoft]

Its better then its ever been. Back in 2005/6 if you wanted a decent full metal AR you could choose between CA, ICS, G&P...maybe G&G. There is an insane amount of choice and new tech now and you get more bang for your buck with guns and gear.

But mostly there's more and cooler places to skirmish at nowadays. 

More interesting is the rise and fall of milsim organisers but maybe thats for another time.

Also worth pointing out that call of duty 4: MW came out in 2007!!

I think the kicker for people getting bored with the hobby is the adage 'the more things change the more they stay the same'. 

 

[Musica]

absolutely, it's rare i even pay attention to who won or lost a game, and frankly a good fallback game where you put in a good fight all the way till the end can be more rewarding than a "winning" a team death match.

While I see both sides there are plenty of shit players who are only playing to shoot people and don't care about the objective in the games.