Is the airsoft Community getting worse?

[Hav0c]

Come on guys, the forums aint a place for arguments, eapecially not in a thread that'll be seen by a lot of folk.

I agree with what everyone has said in this thread. My cousin played airsoft years ago (5/6) and like you more experienced players said, he ended up quiting the sport due to the lack of trust and sportsmanship.

I myself am a fairly new player, I only got into the sport properly back in September, but have always respected the more experienced players and trusted their judgement over my own for a number of reasons (more knowledge of site, guns, etc.), and if the marshals tell me to do something I do it unlike some of the new players I've seen. I totally have respect for any older players who have been into the sport for a few years and one of the marshals at my local even told me that they are starting to notice me more.

 

[jcheeseright]

one of the marshals at my local even told me that they are starting to notice me more.

You're being groomed! Make sure he lubes up.

 

[Ian_Gere]

I wasn't there years ago so I don't know. What I have seen is that literally just 2-3 mates behaving badly amongst a group of 60-70 airsofters can lead to genuinely acrimonious arguments and a terribly unfriendly and even unsafe atmosphere, even at a site which is usually top notch for friendly, welcoming, well run, etc.

It's difficult to know how draconian marshals can be to protect what is good without ruining it by being wankers themselves. I tend to think that, during a skirmish, all a player can or should do is report anything they don't like to a marshal, but back in the safe zone we can interact with each other.

A lot of any bad feeling is always going to be down to men getting their testosterone on. That's not mockery, or me dismissing it; I'm male, I know for a fact that I have been and thus could again be a dick. Sometimes it's because something has really pushed my buttons, sometimes just because i've been in a bad mood generally, but whatever the reason, I've gone with the "Me man. Me right. Him challenger. Must back down." approach, rather than being open to resolving any genuine issue of behaviour, or finding a workable compromise to something which cannot be simply changed.

An 'honest broker' refereeing the initial "Oi mate, we need to have a talk." is usually all it takes for men to recognise when their stubborn intransigence has gone from looking manly to the border of looking like a right prick in front of their peers and, 'face' having been established and/or saved, we are usually willing to get more 'manly' points for being mature, reasonable and honourable men, whose word is worthy of respect, etc., and pack it in...

 

[Dan's Ark]

The problem at our site isn't the staff or "snobby players", ours is just naivety. There are at least five players turning up to skirmishes with £30 guns from JBBG and getting shot out CONSTANTLY. Fair enough if they're on a strict budget, but they could at least either hire a gun or save up until they can get something decent.

 

[M_P]

I dont think the community is getting worse per se, however the longer you're around it, the sooner you realised there are more arseholes around than you first thought.

 

[Ian_Gere]

@M_P: I call it the "ACF" or Absolute Cock Factor

Every site I visit gets one. It's based primarily on how many times do I think to myself, "You absolute cock!"

However it is modified by whether the AC appears to be a regular or not. High ACF's obviously result from AC staff.

Not to be forgotten though is that, for whatever reason, and quite possibly with good provocation, we can be AC's ourselves...