Why american?

[CON]

Why is it most of the groups I see always base themselves or have names derived from american mil?

I dont have anything against americans(having worked with a lot of them), but i find it quite tacky and protentious.

 

[AirsoftTed]

The simple answer: Hollywood.

More films are based on Americans due to their higher budgets, therefore thats what the masses are exposed to and find "cool"

There's also a lot more replica American gear as opposed to Brit kit where we pretty much have to get surplus.

There is also an abundance of cheap M4's on the market, good for when you're on a budget.

 

[CON]

I underztand the whole hollywood thing but pretty much every EU country used m4s, theres not reallya huge kit difference, also ive noticed most uk airsoft players are those who jump straight into the whole " uk and eu mil are better than U.S mil" arguement.....(I beg no one start that debate on this thred)

 

[CON]

And yeah duhh ..I think uve hit the head of the nail there, was just havin this convo on a fb group, I think most people get the image of fun glorofied war from tv and gamex...american ...aha oh well

 

[Lozart]

Exactly. People watch Generation Kill or Zero Dark Thirty and they think that the US stuff looks cool (which let's be fair - it does), then they see Robson and Jerome in Soldier Soldier and nobody is the least bit surprised when they don't want to look like them

 

[CON]

Yeah I agree, however it pisses me off when I hear milslimmers say they get pissed off with filmslimers...sorta wana slap mesalf in the face.

 

[Esoterick]

Yeah mainly American media, including games. It's not really my thing though, but I guess there is a lot of source material when doing loadouts.

Maybe I should do an ultimate force loadout

 

[CON]

*simers

 

[PT247]

I guess folk wear loadouts they like, mine isn't based on any military unit, I just like it and imo think I look pretty good in it. Others want to look like a US Marine, others Speznaz etc. I imagine most UK players shy away from kitting out like a Booty or Para as wearing the berret means something and is an earned right, I am an ex submariner and would take some offence if I came across someone wearing "dolphins" that hadn't earn't the right to do so... not likely to happen in airsoft but you get my point I am sure.

 

[CON]

Well to be honest theres not a huge difference In us and uk kits. Otherthan standard issue for regulars, Our special force kits are pretty dejavu.

 

[Lozart]

Maybe I should do an ultimate force loadout

Did you see the Ross Kemp Afghanistan thing where he was being trained to shoot? The instructor watched him, gave him his score then turned around and said "ultimate force my arse". TV gold!

 

[CON]

I guess folk wear loadouts they like, mine isn't based on any military unit, I just like it and imo think I look pretty good in it. Others want to look like a US Marine, others Speznaz etc. I imagine most UK players shy away from kitting out like a Booty or Para as wearing the berret means something and is an earned right, I am an ex submariner and would take some offence if I came across someone wearing "dolphins" that hadn't earn't the right to do so... not likely to happen in airsoft but you get my point I am sure.

Battle groups dont wear berets these days mate.

 

[PT247]

Battle groups dont wear berets these days mate.

it is still the uniform though, and all the bootys on duty up in Faslane wear the beret which I guess is why I mentioned it, and an ex para mate of mine would probs put a chap on the floor if he saw him wearing the badge.

Trouble with the UK's current fatigues is that they are total crap in woodland, we get a lot of Polish woodland style loadouts as well as flecktern, that seems to work better than others. TBH, DPM still works the best IMO in a UK woodland skirmish

 

[Esoterick]

Did you see the Ross Kemp Afghanistan thing where he was being trained to shoot? The instructor watched him, gave him his score then turned around and said "ultimate force my arse". TV gold!

I don't think i've seen that one although I did quite like the series. There's an episode where a soldier on the GPMG gets hit and hes scrabbling up and down relaying info, a lot of people I've played computer games with freeze up when they are taking fire and need to relay information lol.

PT247 raises an interesting point too: I wonder if people take exception to airsofters wearing insignia of foreign forces or if it is essentially reserved for British Armed Forces? Personally I wouldn't do either, although a Super Army Soldier loadout is tempting.

 

[CON]

Yeah I agree, but most milsimers (not all) seem to base themselves of rangers or marines wearing some sort of desert dpm...in uk witch is a bit mad as you stand out...and when it comes to special forces,,, you kind of have a freedom of choice when it comes to kit no restrictions.

Ah well , im not having ago, I guess thats what they enjoy ...haha sorry just another one of my rants.

 

[Black Death]

This is a really good debate as I have often wondered this myself. Come the World Cup in the summer most of us (English born) will be donning England shirts but come Sunday airsoft the same peeps wanna chuck on American patches!

Hollywood is deffo a contributing factor but it affects some loadouts differently. Personally I've only ever worn camo twice! The rest of the time I prefer something a bit more Hollywood in the sense of resident evil meets terminator with a twist of blade. There's a few guys where I play cqb who play like this including one guy who exclusively uses swords only!!! It's difficult but he still gets a shed load of kills. I have another friend who wears a long black leather trench coat whilst dual wealding 1911s. When he turns around sharply the coat twirls (almost in slow motion). In my opinion these little touches are incredibly cool as apposed to the latest molle dildo holder for your helmet Blah blah blah lol. Sometimes on some days you see guys wearing stuff border lining on cosplay but it adds to the overall gameplay I think.

Nice to see a bit of imagination in the field chaps

 

[Lozart]

I don't think i've seen that one although I did quite like the series. There's an episode where a soldier on the GPMG gets hit and hes scrabbling up and down relaying info, a lot of people I've played computer games with freeze up when they are taking fire and need to relay information lol.

PT247 raises an interesting point too: I wonder if people take exception to airsofters wearing insignia of foreign forces or if it is essentially reserved for British Armed Forces? Personally I wouldn't do either, although a Super Army Soldier loadout is tempting.

It was in the very first episode. He made a pretty decent showing I thought. I certainly wouldn't have the bollocks to go to half the places he does let alone Afghanistan!

I was in my local airsoft emporium before Xmas and thios fell comes in being all Billy War. Him and his mates were off to a weekender and he was stocking up on ammo, now his mates were wearing civvies cos - you know, not actually on site - but Billy was in DPM combats and green T, boots the lot and to cap it all off (see what I did there?) he was wearing a Para beret. No badge but even so. He was a prize cock (for example he decided to announce that he could see no reason why a shop would sell XXL gloves as you would have to have hands the size of bear to need those and he had the biggest hands he'd ever seen - until I showed him my hands) and had my buddy Dave (who is a Para) been there he would probably have given him at the very least a damn good taking to about exactly WHY a 5'6" lard arse shouldn't be passing himself off as a Para. Now don't get me wrong - personally I see nothing wrong with a bit of dressing up, some of my best mates are cosplayers (indeed some of them are also airsofters) but I do think some people take things a teensy bit too far. I don't entirely understand the attitude you get from some players that because they have all the kit and look the part then they are better than someone in jeans and a T (exhibit A - our friend Captain Teamkill from that video at the Mall).

A bunch of my mates recently spent an evenings airsoft entertainment dressed in various animal print onesies (and a Batman one) and they got more kills than the guccicam brigade.

Anyway, rant over - as you were.

 

[TacMaster]

I don't really see it as a problem. I mean sure, it can be dull and there isn't usually much variation on the standard US themed load out, however you do see some breaks in the mould. For instance, there are a couple of guys at my local who rock up every month in full USSR kit, right down to the boots. One of them even has a Silverback PP-19!

US kit is not really all a normal airsofter sees, in fact I see more cobbled together loadouts with different coloured pouches, well worn holsters, mucky 'ol mag dump bags etc. And that's among the more senior of the guys I play with.

Granted I play mainly U18 games but a lot of these kids come from quite well off families. There was one 14 year old with a Celcius M4 and 4 mags for it at the last skirmish I went to- but he didn't really give a crap about his loadout, he spent the day in DPMs and a belt rig.

In fact what you don't see a lot of is the bog standard OD loadouts. I'm one of the few people to run a block colour setup.

 

[Black Death]

14 year old with a Celsius!!!!!

He's either recieved compensation from jimmy Saville OR he's plain spoilt lol

Find out for me if his parents want to adopt a 32 year old lol

 

[Del Monty]

Bluestone 42 load-out is where its at!!

I think the general reason is as said before .. Hollywood, the mass availability of American equipment and weaponry and cause Russia and China have yet to conquer the world ...