On Site Briefs.

[Doodleplex]

Just want to know what the general opinion on site briefs are around the UK.

Do some use a PA system to provide the brief or do most just have a man reading out the does and do not's of the site.

I have so far only seen the later, causing briefs to vary in length, covering all the basics and nothing more unless prompted.

Obviously it depends on who is reading it, but sometimes it is difficult to hear if you are at the back of the group.

I was just wondering if this is a common occurrence, or if the brief was improved by the use of a speaker system at the site or not.

I would appreciate you opinions and incites as it will help with a project i am working on at the moment.

 

[M_P]

Just read out everywhere I've been to, I guess if it's too quiet you could either mention it too them or move closer.

 

[two_zero]

never had a bad one. I tend to ask marshals to go thru grenades (as beginners often think them as 'flashbang' - which is understandable).

best airsoft brief I've heard was at Epsom bunker, that man got humour!

 

[M_P]

Yeah I often get my local to run through the riot shield rules with a bit more detail if there looks like a lot of new players to the site. There's about 4 on the site and they work well but only when the rules are followed for them

 

[Lozart]

Wonder how long it will be before Jay83 comes and complains about how long the one at the Malls is?

 

[M_P]

Wonder how long it will be before Jay83 comes and complains about how long the one at the Malls is?

To be fair the majority of the people I know who've been comment on the length of the brief so I'd assume to people who aren't regulars it's a noticeable issue?

 

[Airsoft-Ed]

I can appreciate a long safety brief, so long as it's not read out in an incredibly dull way... Longer ones are generally the mark of a good site in my experience, but I'm talking long whilst being consistently to the point without any interruptions, not long because people ask a million questions or the marshal is verbose and rambles.

Tac House are a good example of this, their brief must last easily over 5 minutes but it's well presented and you always get the comedy groans when he says it won't take long. I think it shows they're passionate that the site is run correctly and I have a lot of time and respect for them for that.

The worst briefs I've ever had have all been at F&O sites, because the marshals make it plain that anyone who does anything wrong, whether minor or major, purposely or accidentally is, and I quote, "a twat" and I just don't appreciate their attitudes at all. They are marshalling me, not minding me like a child.

That said, short, sweet and to the point is also good, but I do not take well to the 30 second exaggerated version of "don't be a dick" I want to hear an actual brief that's been written down and learned, not just some random goings over of things that save time to mention before they actually happen.

Airsoft sites are after all, businesses. I expect a certain level of professionalism, and when I don't see that, I black mark the site. If they aren't going to take my business seriously, then they aren't going to have it. It's all well and good keeping the rest of the day light hearted, but a safety brief needs to be serious at heart and my heart and mind can be won and lost over the presentation of it.

 

[M_P]

I get what your saying Ed but a lot of reports suggest a 30 min briefing, not sure how accurate or exaggerated that is but that's a hell of a long time

 

[Chock]

Only ever seen verbal presentations with everyone gathered around. Usually they'll demo acceptable behaviour for knife kills and throw a grenade to demo kill radius etc, demo unacceptable things such as blind firing, power playing etc. Occasionally I've seen briefings kept to a bare minimum at sites when only a few regulars have turned up and they know everyone is au fait with things.

 

[Lozart]

I get what your saying Ed but a lot of reports suggest a 30 min briefing, not sure how accurate or exaggerated that is but that's a hell of a long time

That's actually about right. Depends on who is delivering the brief and how many people think that they'd rather chat among themselves than just pay attention.

As I've said before though (and will no doubt say again.....and again) The Mall briefing covers both site safety and basic game rules. The site does have some specific risks they have to cover (both for practical and insurance reasons) and it seems to attract a special breed of dickhead that means that rules have to be spelled out every single time. Believe me - the marshals get just as bored of having to spoon feed the fuckwits as you and I do of hearing it but there you have it. Yes they are very strict on things like BFG throwing but for good reason (I'm sure you've all seen the coma story by now). I'm sure that every site has nice short briefings until something happens that then has to be covered which makes it longer, it's just the way of the world.

I'd love it if they could have some kind of "briefing waiver" for anyone that has played regularly for over 6 months or something but they don't. Such is life. They never have such small numbers of only regulars that they can ever really get away with saying "you all know what you're doing - don't be dicks" unless there's a private game of all site members. Equally while everyone likes to think that they've been playing airsoft or even specifically CQB long enough to know what not to do, if you haven't played at the Mall then you really should just pay attention. There is enormous capacity for that place to bite you in the arse if you're dick.

 

[BrightCandle]

The longest one I have seen was at the Mall, it was probably 20 minutes. Its also the best the one I have had, it was very effective.

 

[Mr Monkey Nuts]

I like the way Halo Mill do their briefs, you get a quick 1on1 brief when you sign on before you even open your kit, You get this every time unless you become a member, in which case you sign up to the rules and are obliged to abide by them.

It works well because the marshals are brilliant and there is rarely more than 20 in at any one time.

At other sites, I often find the ones at the back not listening are the ones that "twist the rules" so to speak.

 

[springs]

a lot will be verbal, a couple of sites have a projector setup and i know that the airsoft events i help out on have a projector for the brief as well just to give a bit more of a visual presentation

 

[SuicidalBarrelRoll]

Only ever seen verbal presentations with everyone gathered around. Usually they'll demo acceptable behaviour for knife kills and throw a grenade to demo kill radius etc, demo unacceptable things such as blind firing, power playing etc. Occasionally I've seen briefings kept to a bare minimum at sites when only a few regulars have turned up and they know everyone is au fait with things.

Power playing?

 

[Mr Monkey Nuts]

Power playing is Rambo style, aggressively running into a room to get just a few guys knowing full well you will get hit then re spawning and doing it again until everyone is dead.

Trojan run mostly "attack and defend" where defenders only have one life and attackers have unlimited re spawn, so if everyone just kamikazes the defenders it gets very tedious, very quickly. The rule promotes good teamwork, and tactics over outright bombardment.

 

[Ian_Gere]

^^The way to stop that is to make the regen far enough away that it takes a fair while to get back.

I think briefings could be paired down and be at least as effective, if not more so, if the marshals were more serious about it - there's no need for any light heartedness or humour - it's for safety and the rules which allow the games to be fun: if people can't be serious for 5 mins listening to it, they should fuck off. IMO marshals should shush people who talk during briefings... with extreme prejudice.

But many people do have a short attention span. Keeping anything specific to a particular game or zone out of the main safety/rules brief and only bringing it up before a game where it will become relevant is probably the best way to go - you'd probably have to repeat it anyway just to be sure that everyone had either remembered or actually listened.

Something I've only seen sporadically, but which could be a good idea to do systematically, is for marshals to mention in the mini brief just before a game starts common instances of rule breaking/bending, poor sportsmanship, or whatever bad behaviour which have occurred there before. For eg "This is a rolling defence game. There are limited opportunities to take effective cover and it is supposed to be like that - we want you to shoot and move - avoid being hit by displacing. We've had defenders using dead men as cover before. Don't do that. It just makes the game needlessly difficult for the attackers and, when we turn it around, you wouldn't like it if they did it to you."

 

[Snowdrop]

Or of course Rich at GZW with his "midgets" and "that's just weird" so much so that people quote it in unison!

 

[Doodleplex]

a lot will be verbal, a couple of sites have a projector setup and i know that the airsoft events i help out on have a projector for the brief as well just to give a bit more of a visual presentation

Do you find that this, more visual presentation, works better? Is having something to focus on and keep the attention of the audience helpful?

I am interested to know if improving the brief can be done through making the marshal's voice louder so everyone can hear, or if restructuring the briefs so that the players are given the brief in smaller groups or on arrival might be better.

At other sites, I often find the ones at the back not listening are the ones that "twist the rules" so to speak.

I find this true, but i wonder if the rules are twisted because of misunderstanding or mishearing?

 

[Esoterick]

Best briefing i've seen is from the chap Tony that runs RIFT airsoft. He's very enthusiastic and gets through all the key points in such a way that makes the amount of time it takes seem shorter than it really is.

A lot of marshals really need to have a cheat sheet to hand as i've seen rules missed at sites i've been to before that don't have them.

 

[M_P]

I think a visual presentation might help to shut up the usual load at every site who insist on talking through briefs.