Do we play, MilSim, AirSoft, LARP or LARPSoft?

Over the past week or two I've heard the term LARPSoft or LARPSofting a few times thus brings today's post "Do we play, MilSim, AirSoft, LARP or LARPSoft?"

Padre' aka Tacticool NOOB

        Think about it, most of us when we started Airsoft, went to our first game or two, wearing jeans and maybe a t-shirt or sweatshirt and joined into the game with the idea of having fun shooting other people with our plastic BB's. You went to that game and saw a few (or more) of the people wearing really cool gear that looked like they just walked off the battle field! Maybe you grabbed a bunch of surplus gear and slap it all together for the next game.... (See good ol' Padre' back in the day....) You hear phrases like "This is a Seal Team Six Loadout" or "This is "EXACTLY" what the Marines are wearing in Afghanistan!" Soon you may fall into the trap of always searching for the newest gun and the hottest new camo pattern. There are even whole segments of the airsoft community that are divided over the manufacturer Condor   My favorite is "Crye or Die!!!"  I know people that have spent so much money on their gear that they will actually go home on a rainy day rather than risk getting their precious stuff wet or muddy!

But what does all this have to do with shooting plastic BB's at each other???? So let's break this down into exactly what this sport is and isn't.

MilSim: 

"MilSim is an abbreviation of military simulation, and refers to military simulations conducted by civilians for entertainment purposes. There are several forms of MilSim: airsoft games, paintball games, and video games simulating military scenarios and tactics. Weapons used in MilSim are commonly airsoft guns. Airsoft guns are used more often in MilSim than paintball guns due to their availability as replica weapons without any modification......... MilSim most often falls into two different categories: reenactment and simulation. Reenactments focus on a particular event in history and aim to provide the most accurate representation of the time period, events, and outcomes of the historical event. Simulation, however, may only focus on a particular time period and representation of which course a particular situation may have taken in history. In most cases a simulation event includes fictitious characters, groups, and political situations." - Wikipedia

        So from the above, Are we "MilSim"ing when we go out to play airsoft? My answer is no for the bulk of the times that we go out. Let me explain, while we wear "uniforms" and

"loadouts," work as "squads" and perform "maneuvers" such as "flanking" and "ambush" the bulk of the games that we are involved in do not have the realistic aspects of true "MilSim." If you are using high-caps or mid-caps, just how true to realistic are you being? Think about it, 8 high-caps can be as much as 4,000 or more "rounds!" Realistically a rifleman would only carry about 400 - 600 rounds at the most, so you get the idea.... Is that to say that we are never being truly "MilSim" players? No, I have participated in many MilSim events that limit the "ammo" capacity and also institute medic rules that require a full minute of contact with the medic to be "healed." Further they are set in either a period of history, and a battle that has happened or with a "Event" that is the starting point and how the game is played will determine the win or loss of the battle. For true MilSim there needs to be a high degree of realism in the game, that means uniforms that define the side that you're on (or even no uniform at all - rebels), weapons that follow the appropriate sides of the conflict. No Alien Pulse Rifles! A Chain of Command structure that is used throughout the game. All of these things and more make up a true MilSim game. Most of all, we must go into the "Battle" remembering that this is a game and that we are playing BBWarz, honoring the real warriors of our military not becoming them.

Airsoft:
        If you ask "What is Airsoft?" you will undoubtedly get as many different answers as the number of people you ask! For some it is a game in which you get together with a few friends and "sling plastic" at each other, proudly wearing the welts that you got as a medal of how tough you are. For some it is an opportunity to join others in a "team sport" that you can come home afterwards and celebrate all the "kills" that you made and the comradery of that day. There is always that crowd that we refer to as the COD players. They are the ones who want to live out the game on a field of battle. - Of course these always seem to be the ones that are never "Hit" and cause ALOT of problems with the honest players... Then there are the kids that want to play alongside the experienced players and enjoy being welcomed into the fold. The final group is those who want to live out the adrenaline high that they had on the real battlefields. "Airsoft" can be games of "Force on Force" - fighting on the field till there is only one team left. It can be games like "Capture the flag" - an all out battle to "capture" a specific objective. Like my friend Hasmeen says, "What we could do with the game of Airsoft is infinite!"

LARP:

LAPRing

"A live action role-playing game (LARP) is a form of role-playing game where the participants physically act out their characters' actions. The players pursue goals within a fictional setting represented by the real world while interacting with each other in character. The outcome of player actions may be mediated by game rules or determined by consensus among players. Event arrangers called gamemasters decide the setting and rules to be used and facilitate play.
The first LARPs were run in the late 1970s, inspired by tabletop role-playing games and genre fiction. The activity spread internationally during the 1980s and has diversified into a wide variety of styles. Play may be very game-like or may be more concerned with dramatic or artistic expression. Events can also be designed to achieve educational or political goals. The fictional genres used vary greatly, from realistic modern or historical settings to fantastic or futuristic eras. Production values are sometimes minimal, but can involve elaborate venues and costumes. LARPs range in size from small private events lasting a few hours to large public events with thousands of players lasting for days." - Wikipedia
 
LARPSofting:

Mr Evan Ohl's Masterpiece

        Soooo......, having read the definition from Wikipedia above, how does that fit into your definition of AirSoft? Or does it really matter? For me, it has got me thinking as how a lot of what was posted does fit Airsoft. For me, I had always associated LARP with the geeks that are into Dungeons and Dragons, but.... could that really include my sport??!! Or again, 

"Does that really matter?"

        For me, airsoft has always been about the comradely and the fun of the sport. Yes we do get to look Tacticool while we are at it. But I also believe in finding your own way in the sport - call it your uniqueness. Mr. Evan Ohl is one of those that created a functional and unique look that he owns and rocks! Check out shots of some of his work....

 
  



















So in the end, does this answer the original question,

 "Do we play, MilSim, AirSoft, LARP or LARPSoft?" 

Probably not! I don't set up my gear after any branch of the military (although I've been asked that question more than a few times) nor do I consider myself a "LARP" player. I set my gear up for the weapon of my preference, an A&K Masada and most important what works for me. You can call it MilSim or Airsoft or (grinding his teeth as he types this...), LARPSoft but in the end, its all about BBWarz and Slinging Plastic..... See you on the MilsimAirsoftLARPSoftBBWarz field!

Here is an additional thought from Ms. Tiff Davis - " I just read it. Idk what I'd call it, honestly it doesn't really matter. It's fun, stress relieving, and exercise. Lol"
 

Padre' out...