Definitely bring them along - one more option for a gametype to play.



The list of items for the giveaway has been updated!

Also, please be aware that there are no restrooms at the war site. Go before you get there, and go during lunch. You have been warned!

We are now 1 week out from the war. All of the details seem to be coming together well, and the list of confirmed and possible attendees keeps growing strong. (I'm not even listing the FaceBook "maybes" here!) If you plan on coming, but you haven't said as much, please do. If you are on the maybe list, but you know your are coming, again please speak up! (You can still come if you don't, but we want to have a good idea of how many people may be coming if possible.) Right now, Weather.com is calling for sunshine and a high in the low 80's - sounds like a great day for Nerfing!

Don't forget that there will be free Nerf blasters handed out on a first-come, first-served basis at the beginning of the war, so make sure you get there on time to get your hands on one! If you don't, your chances are still good, however, as every half-hour we will be giving another Nerf blaster away in a random drawing.

If you still have any lingering questions, get them asked. If you haven't read up on the rules or game-types, please make sure you do that. If you still have some finishing touches to put on some mods, get cracking. The clock is ticking...!

Glad to hear it. If nothing else, this should prove to be a BIG war - confirmed/possible attendance is fairly high. Hopefully the FUN level will be high as well!

Awesome! Hope we can help make your first NIC ware a NICe war.

Make sure you read over the rules and expectations - that goes for everyone. We want this to run smoothly so we can have as much time as possible for the fun stuff!

GAMETYPE RULES AND VARIATIONS

These will be explained in detail as needed at the war, but for any of you who may be interested in the rules for the various gametypes we will probably be playing, here they are. (Other Than Strategic Assault, I did not create any of these game types, though some of them may have been subtly altered from incarnations found at other sources.) All of these rules are subject to change at the whim of the hosts and the players present - we will do whatever we feel makes for the most fun and exciting rounds! (Respawn count-times are especially variable - they may be made longer or shorter depending on the pace we want to set for the games.)

If anything is unclear - please feel free to ask questions. If anything is wrong - well, I'll just take my ball and go home! (Just kidding of course - point out my egregous errors so that I may bow to your obviously superior knowledge of Nerf!)


Format

Teams: The number of teams required/allowed by the game type

Setup: How the field is set up, where teams start, and any special areas or equipment that will be used for the game type.

Respawn: How many "lives" each player has, and how they go about returning to active play.

Objectives: The goals which the teams work towards. This may be the same or different for each team.

Special Rules: Any unusual rules specific to this game type.

Variants: Any specialised variant rules for a game type which change the objectives, setup, etc. These may or may not be used, in part or in whole.



Meatgrinder

Teams: 2 or more

Setup: Teams begin play at their designated "spawn point" (1 per team), which should be spread out evenly around the play area. Nothing else is needed.

Respawn: Unlimited, 15-count at designated "spawn point"

Objectives: Have fun and get warmed up for future rounds. (There is no true objective in Meat Grinder.)

Special Rules: None



Capture the Flag

Teams: 2

Setup: Each team is given a "base" where their flag is kept, as well as one or more designated "spawn points" (which should be at least 20-30 yards away from their "base" locations). Players begin play in their "base".

Respawn: Unlimited, 15-count at designated "spawn point"

Objectives: Take your opponent's flag from their base and return it to your base without being tagged. The first team to return the enemy's flag to their base wins.

Special Rules: If a player is carrying the flag and they are hit, they must drop the flag where they were hit before heading for their "spawn point". A player form either team may then pick up the flag. If a player from the owning team picks up the flag, they must attempt to return it to their base as quickly as practical, (No running around in the backfield with your own flag.)

Variants: It may be declared that both flags must be at your base in order to win. In this case, players are always required to move any flag they are carrying towards their base as quickly as practical. It may also be declared that a player carrying the flag may not use their blaster while carrying it. (Melee weapons may be used as normal.) It is also possible that the flag may be a melee weapon, and the only melee weapon allowed in the game.



Sieze the Balls

Teams: 2 or more (generally at least 3)

Setup: Each team is given a "base" location consisting of a bucket filled with a number of balls (3 or more), as well as a designated "spawn point" (which should be at least 20-30 yards behind their "base" locations). Players start at their designated "spawn point".

Respawn: Unlimited, 15-count at designated "spawn point"

Objectives: Take balls from your opponent's buckets and return them to your own bucket. The team with the most balls in their bucket when the time is up wins. Balls not in buckets when time is called do not count towards any team.

Special Rules: A player may only carry a single ball at any given time. If a player is hit while carrying a ball, they must drop the ball where they were hit before returning to their "spawn point".



Team Powerball
(Adapted from multiple sources.)

Teams: 2

Setup: Each team is given a "base" location consisting of 3 buckets spread out 20-40 yards apart, roughly parallel to the opposing team's buckets. (The center bucket on each side should be a bit further back than two outside buckets.) Each team is also given a designated "spawn point" which whould be 20-30 yards behind the "base" location. Finally, each team is given 8 balls of their team color (red or blue, or similarly contrasting colors) and 4 white balls (the "Powerballs"). These are placed at the team's designated "spawn point" at the start of the game.

Respawn: Unlimited, 15-count at designated "spawn point".

Objectives: Take your balls to your opponent's "base" and get them into one of their buckets. Any balls in a team's buckets when the time is called score points for the opposing team. The two outside buckets are worth 1 point each, the center bucket is worth 3 points. A "Powerball" in a bucket is worth double the normal points (so 2 or 6). Balls not in a bucket when time is called are worth no points. The team with the most points wins.

Special Rules: A player may only carry one ball at a time, and they may only carry balls of their team's color or "Powerballs". No player may intentionally touch, pick up, block or otherwise disturb a ball of the opposing team's color at any time. When a player is hit while carrying a ball, they must drop that ball where they were shot before returning to their "spawn point". (The ball may not be dropped into a bucket after a player has been hit.) Any player may touch, pick up, carry, block, etc. a "Powerball" at any time, except that you may not attempt to strip a "Powerball" from the hands of another player. Once a ball, whether it be a normal ball or a "Powerball", has been placed in a bucket, it may not be removed by either team.

Variants: One player per team may be designated a "Goalkeeper". The "Goalkeeper" is armed with either a melee weapon or a single shot blaster that shoots less than 50 feet (but not both). The "Goalkeeper" must remain on his team's side of the field (i.e. may not cross the "center line"). The "Goalkeeper" is invulnerable - i.e. he may not be eliminated by either shooting or melee hits. (Optional - the "Goalkeeper" may be "stunned" for a 5-count by shooting and/or melee hits - which means he cannot move or shoot/swing melee.) Unlike other players, the "Goalkeeper" may touch the opposing team's balls - but only to attempt to block a thrown ball or to quickly throw a ball back towards the opposing team's side. (The "Goalkeeper" may not hold an opposing team's ball for more than a 3-count before he must throw it away, and all throws must be directed toward the opposing team's side - no throwing it behind your own team's buckets.)



Strategic Assault

Teams: 2

Setup: Each team is given a "base" location which contains a number of "Objectives" (see below). These "base" locations may be fortified with mobstacles and other objects to make defending them easier, but the objectives must be accessible - i.e. no blocking an objective completely with an obstacle. Each team is also given a designated "spawn point" which should be 20-30 yards behind their "base" location.

Respawn: Unlimited, 15-count at designated "spawn point"

Objectives: Clear the objectives within your opposing team's "base" location while preventing them from cleaing the objectives within your own "base" location. If one team clears all of the objectives within the opposing team's "base" location, they win. Otherwise, the team which has cleared the most objectives when time has called wins.

Special Rules: The various objective types are described below. Generally each team will have the same number and type of objectives in their "base" locations, but this could be varied if desired.

Small Targets: Set up 1 or more small targets (such as those that come with the Nitefinder) together in a small area. (Three seems to be a good number.) These targets should be easy to knock over with a Nerf dart from a reasonable range - provided they can be hit. This objective is cleared when all of the small targets are knocked over - which may only be done by shooting them. (No melee hits.) Point blank shots are allowed.

Large Target: Set up a large target of some type (such as a hoola hoop, a box with a hole in the lid, etc.) The target should have an opening which is covered with a single layer of tissue paper. This objective is cleared when a rocket/arrow/ball/etc is fired through the hole, breaking the tissue paper. (No melee hits.)

Melee Target: Set up some kind of standing target, such as a flag or something similar, which is easy to knock over. This objective is cleared when a player knocks it over with a melee weapon. (The target must be quickly set back upright if it is knocked over in any other fashion.)

Capture Objective: Set up a portable object (such as a flag, a backpack, or something else large enough to be clearly visible when carried). Only a member of the opposing team may carry this objective - i.e. it may not be returned to the "base location" by the owning team. This objective is cleared when a member of the opposing team carries it to their designated "spawn point".

Demolition Objective: Set up a small "target area", which could simply be designated by a flag, circle of chalk/rope, hoola hoop, etc). Also place a "bomb" object (a colored ball for example) at the opposing team's "spawn point". The "bomb" may be carried by any member of its owning team, and the carrier may not attack in any way (shooting or melee) while carrying the "bomb". If the "bomb" carrier is hit, he must drop the "bomb" where he was hit before returning to his "spawn point". Players on the opposing team may not touch the bomb at any time. This objective is cleared when a "bomb" carrier stands inside the "target area" with the bomb and counts (out load) to 5. That player immediately counts as being "hit", i.e. they must return to their "spawn point" before they may return to the game.

Variants: Set up only a single base with the chosen objectives. Teams take turns as the "Attackers" and "Defenders", timing how long it takes them to clear their objectives, or seeing how many objectives they can clear in the allotted time. To add a sense of urgency for the Defenders, they could be given a limited number of "respawns" - either per player or for the team as a whole - allowing the Attackers to attempt to thin their numbers down before quickly clearing their objectives.





Defend the Core

Teams: 2

Setup: Each team is given a "base" location with a "core" - a large container with a receptacle for darts/arrows/missles/nerf balls/etc to be fired into. Each team is also given a designated "spawn point" which should be 20-30 yards behind their "core".

Respawn: Unlimited, 15-count

Objectives: Put as many darts/arrows/missiles/balls/etc into the opposing team's "core" as possible within the time limit. Each "hit" on the core - i.e each dart or other projectile put into the "core" - counts as 1 point. The team with the most points when time is called wins.

Special Rules: None

Variants: Scoring can be adjusted by allowing larger projectiles, which are generally shorter ranged/less accurate/otherwise harder to get into the core, to be worth more points. For example - all arrows/missles/nerf balls could be worth 5 points. There could also be 1 or more "bombs" placed in the middle of the playing field. (i.e. a colored ball - a player carrying it may not shoot/melee, and must drop it immediately if hit.) The ball may not be thrown, it may only be dropped into the "core" when the carrier can touch the "core" with both hands. These bombs could be worth additional points - i.e. 5 or even 10.



Infection

Teams: 1 or more "Zombies" (each armed with a single melee weapon only), everyone else is a "Human" (each armed with whatever weapons are allowed). Zombies should be designated by wearing a clearly visible loop of flagging tape around their neck/head/arm/etc.

(For games with 10 or more players, starting with 2-3 "Zombies" can keep the game from getting off to a slow start)

Setup: The "Humans" scatter throughout the playing area, while the "Zombies" remain in the center of the playing area at a designated "Zombie Spawn" location. (The "Zombie Spawn" location should have an ample supply of melee weapons and flagging tape.)

Respawn: When a "Human" is tagged out by a "Zombie", they are "Infected" and turned into a "Zombie". The new "Zombie" must go to the "Zombie Spawn" location and drop all weapons they are carrying and arm themselves with a single melee weapon instead. They must also acquire a flagging tape loop as described above.

When a "Zombie" is tagged out by a "Human", they should sit/kneel down and begin a 15-count. During this time the "Zombie" may not move or attack. When the 15-count is reached, they may become active again.

Objectives: The "Humans" must try to survive until time is called. The "Zombies" must try to "Infect" as many humans as possible. The only winners are the surviving "Humans" when time is called.

Special Rules: None

Variants: If, during their 15-count, a "Human" gently taps a "Zombie" with a melee weapon, the "Zombie" must stop their count and move to the "Zombie Spawn" location. Once there, they may resume their count. Once they reach 15, they may become active again. It may be declared that some/all "Zombies" may only walk. (i.e. only starting "Zombies" may run, or only non-starting "Zombies" may run, etc.)

Ok, I'll see if I can get a more firm response from him.

Also, it is possible that my nephews may be coming - they are 12 and 13.

1) I will be there by 9:30 at the latest, though I will probably be there a little earlier. My co-host is planning on being there some time around 9:15.

2) Lunch will probably be at least 45 minutes - I like to have time to digest, and my wife and kids are likely to make an appearance around lunch time.



(As an aside, I will be providing maps to various local fast food places, all within a 10 minute drive from the war location, some even closer. If you want to go out for lunch, you should have plenty of time to get there, eat and get back.)

I do what I can. We're expecting anywhere from 20-40 people to this thing. Gettin Nerf'd and I will be doing our best to make sure everyone (including us) has a great time.

So I take it you guys did end up hitting the Golden Corral as I suggested?

Melee rounds rule - as long as everyone understands we aren't out to break bones, they just plain work. It is fun to get up-close and in your face - easier to hear all the trash-talk! (I wouldn't want a melee-only war, but a round or two is probably going to be a staple at my wars now!)

And quit hatin' on my state. You're just mad that there isn't a site as awesome as Glenwood Park in your mediocre wannabe state. At least we pronounce all of the letters in our state's name!

Sorry this took so long - but the pics are now available!

I decided to post only a few here, as we have over 100 pics from the war! For the rest of the pics, see my photobucket album at:

http://s205.photobuc.....- 08-28-2010/


We weren't kidding when we said we had 40+ active Nerfers. This pic was taken before several people arrived (Carbon, Ryan, Kane & a few others).



This day had everything!

Frantic action...



...stealth and cover...



...sweet bows...



...tacticool dedication...



...desperate escapes...



...zombie Obama wielding the Overcompensator...



...and the coolest homemade ever!

Pros:
-Finding out I'm actually awesome at melee. Dual-wielding lightsabers on the melee-only rounds and getting both assaults, and going through 2-4 people with sword and shield before death on the other times was awesome. Although I'll have to break down and get actual nerf swords; even when being careful, lightsabers can still hurt. So I should try not to abuse the option in the future.

Cons:
None come to mind, actually. Maybe finding that even dual-wielding has a hard time with the Overcompensator?...but that was a lot of fun in it's own right, so no biggie there.

You were quite skilled with the dual-sabers. I was bummed that I never really got to take you on - I love testing my skillz against a fellow duelist. Maybe next time...

And yeah, the Overcompensator is awesome, but a bit unbalancing. I need to make another one so we can make sure each team has one.

Cons:
My shoes are now very, very dusty.
Had to sit in a car for 2.5 hours to get home

Yeah, dusty shoes here too. Last time it had rained all night before. The treese swallowed up most of the water, so we weren't playing in mud, but the ground wasn't dry and dusty like the desert it was for this war.

Oh, and I don't hear you complaining about the 2.5 hour car ride to get to the war...

List that everyone else loves to do:
+ Fun game types - not how I typically play Nerf but quite entertaining
+ Hosted wonderfully. Very little down time and nice about explaining game variants - Good job Ambience and Matt
+ It felt like a real event, not just a gathering of nerds. Pro

- Minor problem with a few particular people cheating

I shot some video of the war and some things. I'll post the link to the video when it's up - give me a week, I have other things to do.

I'm glad you enjoyed the game types. I tried to get a nice varied list of games out there, hoping everyone would find at least something that suited their tastes. I think the Zombie rounds, Carpe and Strategic Assault were my favorites.

Thanks for the compliments on the hosting. I actually felt like there was a bit too much downtime - especially when we were trying to get teams divided up - so the fact that you thought the opposite means it was probably pretty much ok.

Sorry about the cheating. I've read your further comments on it, and I think I know what you are on about. I'll see what I can do about preventing that in the future. Glad it didn't ruin your whole day!

I look forward to seeing the videos that you shot. Hope I don't look too awful in them!

- Not knowing that Fort Wayne is in Eastern time zone. Oops. Just as well, no way was leaving at 3:30 happening.
+ Meeting Ambience, Coop, Buffdaddy, and a whole bunch of new Nerfers. Everyone was great.
+ What was the age range, like 6 to 40? Fantastic.
+ The youngest player there, tearing it up with a sword and a shield. I swear he tagged everyone there at least once.
+ My daughter had a great time, and is already looking forward to getting to nerf again.
+++ The biggest war I've ever been to. It's amazing how much some of those games change when you get double the number of people on the field. Games that have always been a lot of sprinting and firing turn into firefights for every inch of ground.

Great war, Ambience (and Gettin' Nerf'd! thanks for the giveaways!). I'm looking forward to coming out your way again.

Thanks Carbon. You didn't miss too much during that first hour - mostly a few melee only rounds while my buddy ran back to my house to get some darts so we could have at least some supply until Ryan got there.

It was quite nice meeting you as well sir. You are a gentleman Nerfer and it was a pleasure to fight by your side as well as against you!

I think that was about the spread, yeah. And you weren't the only 40+er to join the fray. AbyssMods mom (I'm pretty sure that was who she said she belonged to) said she was 41. She tore it up during Carpe - got at least two balls during the round to help my team pull out the victory.

Yeah - that little guy was so sneaky, and he kept cutting people down with his sword before they even knew he was there. I know I was his victim more than once!

Glad your daughter had fun. It sure looked like it. I remember the look on her face when she out-shot me to get a kill. Brought a smile to my face. Way to train her up right, dad!

I certainly agree with your game size comment. Strategic Assault esepcially felt truly Effeminate, with people forming groups to try and push ahead to one of the objectives, and fighting for every bit of progress. The number of times people started counting for the bomb, only to be eliminated before they said "boom" was awesome!

By the way, Tacti-cool was supa cool.

Yes. Yes he was. Dual-wielded Mag-Strikes FTW!

Along those lines...with that many people, it'd probably work just as well to do random team picking, i.e. line up and count off by twos or threes. It's hard to pick teams when people are coming from all over, and no one knows names (and you can't see the nametags).

We'll keep that in mind for the future. I think you may be right.

I AM BEAT!

Seroiusly - you guys wore me out. Next war is officialy a 2 hour affair, this fat old guy can't hack it. (Kidding of course - at least about the length of the war!)

I might get around to a more detailed recap post at some point, but I wanted to get a quick one up for now, while it is still fresh in my mind.


Pros

- Over 40 active Nerfers on the field at the same time for much of the day. (Remember, we had a total of 9 players at the last one, 8 for most of the day - and broke at about 1:00 because half of them had to leave.)
- Nerfing with Nerfers from 6 different states - Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. (Yes, they made a 10 hour drive to be here.)
- 10-ish spectators in the forms of moms & dads, some of which joined in for a round or two - that was awesome!
- Getting to meet lots of new people - many of whom I've seen or talked to online.
- Everyone had awesome attitudes, no problems that I was aware of.
- Getting to see Ryan and Kane again - you guys are fun to hang out with, and even more fun to shoot at/be shot at by.
- Seeing and using Ryan's newest Homemade. I won't spoil it for anyone not at the war, I'm sure he'll show it off sooon. It is made of 100% pure crystallized win. With a cherry on top.
- Seeing Kane's HAMPs again, as well as his new bows. They are awesome.
- Meeting Carbon and his daughter, and seeing their sweet bows in action. (And acquiring one for myself!!!)
- The Melee-Only rounds were a nice change of pace, especially spaced out through the day.


Cons

- My feet hurt.
- Trying to scrape together enough darts to play until Ryan and Kane got their with their Dart stash, which wasn't until after lunch. (Don't worry, you guys are forgiven.)
- One kid threw up from too much water and too much fun.
- I think one kid hurt is wrist. I hope it's ok.
- I ran out of steam and didn't participate in the final 2 rounds, which were Defend the Core - a game I really wanted to play. My problem, not yours.
- My feet hurt.



We played the following game types:

Melee-Only CTF
Melee-Only Meatgrinder
Melee-Only Assault (Carry the bomb to the kill point, count to 5 and BOOM)
Humans vs Zombies
Sieze the Balls (3 teams)
Strategic Assault (Large Target, Melee Target, Capture and Demolition objectives on both sides)
Defend the Core (single-core, Attack/Defend)

I think that was all. If not, someone else will remind me what I am forgetting.

Yes, that is the correct address.

Last I heard, Ryan was still coming. His darts fit pretty well in my CPVC, is just a tad tight (but works) in 17/32" brass, and fits great in PETG for my Airguns (I got my PETG from Ryan).

Buffdaddy is correct - unless your PistolSplat is hitting under 50', it wouldn't be usable in a Pistol-Only round.

Can't wait to see what new monstrosity Ryan has created.

Can't wait to try out one of Carbon's bows. (Wish I had some cash so I could think about buying one!)

Can't wait to see what kind of turnout we get, what with all the hype and the large number of maybes.

Basically - I just can't wait. Better go try and get some sleep now! See you all in the morning.

While that is true, Ryan, I did promise to do so in the original post.

Dodobeam - I plan to get them up soon - my co-host has been bugging me about them too. Had several things crop up in the last two weeks (including 2 family deaths within 1 week) that have kept me from doing so.

Demon Lord - enjoy all that space.

Awesome guys.

Carbon - did you decide whether do bring your daughter along or not? Dragonsnipe's boys are a maybe right now (he is a definite). If she is still interested in coming, I can try to get a more solid answer from him if you'd like.

Excellent news Ryan.

To everyone else - the above post means you no longer have any excuse for not showing up. Ryan is providing darts and even loaner blasters - so if your gear is not up to snuff, no worries. So get off your duffs and get out to the war!

(And don't forget - you can win FREE NERF BLASTERS!!! - see the first post in this thread for details!)

Ryan - would it be OK if I quoted your post on other forums so everyone knows why they don't need to bring darts?

Although we only had a small group (9 total participants), I still consider the first Foam in the Fort a success - and one I want to repeat and build upon. To that end, it's time to announce the next chapter of Foam in the Fort...


When:

Saturday, August 28th, 2010
10:00 am until we are beat (probably around 5:00-6:00 pm)

Please try to arrive a bit early (~9:45) so that the first round can start promptly at 10:00 am.



Where:

Glenwood Park Elementary School in Fort Wayne, IN



This is simply an awesome location for a war! As you can see in the above image, there are lots of trees to use for cover, but spread out enough to allow for lots of room to maneuver. There are also two different playground areas that might also be usable for CTF or other objective games - I don't have any shots of them yet though.


FREE STUFF!!!!:

Yes, that's right - free stuff!

What am I getting on about? Well, my co-host, Gettin Nerf'd, has decided to "sponsor" this war by offering up a generous supply of swag that will be handed out to attendees on a first-come-first-served basis. We aren't just talking stickers here - we're talking exciting stuff, like free Nerf blasters! Here is what my co-host has to say about this:

Gettin Nerf'd here,

So, how this will work, all attendees will check in and receive an "Event Badge" with a place for your name. (This will help others identify who you are, that you are part of the event, and that you are "game" unlike an innocent bystander walking across the grass knoll.) On the back of the badge you will have a specific number addressed to your filled in name. Every half hour starting at 10am, we will draw a prize and then a winner. You MUST be present and have your badge to claim your prize, otherwise you forfeit and a new number is redrawn.


Now for the legal part (Boo, I know),

*Once your number is drawn, your number is discarded from the draw pile. However, if you have other family members there, they are still eligible until they are drawn. Any volunteers of the event are NOT excluded from winning, except me.

Items MIB that are up for giveaway include:

Titan Unity System (1)
Recon (Yellow) (3)
Big Salvo (2)
Big Bad Bows (2)
Maverick (2)
Longshot (1)
Element (1)
Nite Finders (5)
Recon (Red) (1)
Deploy (1)
Raider (Double Darts) (1)
Shadow Fury Sword (1)
Thunder Fury Sword (1)
Marauder Sword (2)
Warlock Battle Axe (1)
Battlemaster Mace (1)
Vulcan (1)
Clear Mavericks (2)
Clear Nitefinders (2)
Clear Recons (2)
Clear Deploys (2)
Belt Blaster (1)
Double Shot (1)

If there are other items that you would like to see thrown in the pool, pm either Ambience327, or me (Gettin Nerf'd) and we will see if it is doable!

Our gracious host has also "twisted my arm" to allow me to persuade you brethren to show up early and on time so we can have a great event, therefore, 30 - 40 Nerf blasters will be given away on a first come, first served basis as a "Thank you" for setting your alarm clocks. That is it for me, look forward to meeting you all bright and early.

Some details are still being hammered out, and these will be limited in quantity - but unless way more people come than we are expecting, you stand a good chance of getting something cool - especially if you show up on-time, (hint, hint, wink, wink).



What to bring:

- A Primary (more than one is a good idea - in case you have breakage!)

- A single-shot pistol (should shoot around 50 feet of less, and require both loading & cocking for each shot - speed loader/turrets/etc will not be allowed for pistol-only rounds)

- Darts - EDIT - Ryan McNumbers has confirmed he is attending, and bringing his "dart bucket of doom". We will be asking everyone to use these darts if possible so that dart sweeps will be quicker/more efficient.

- Eye protection - anyone under 18 MUST wear it. 18+ at your discretion, and at your own risk.

- Lunch / Money - There are lots of fast food places within a 10 minute drive. You are of course welcome to bring a bag lunch and eat on the field during the lunch break.

- Water (Cups will be provided and cold water will be available in case it is extremely hot.)

- Proper clothing - It will most likely be rather warm. Also, don't be a moron and show up in camo unless it is neon pink or something.

- Any and all missle/rocket/ball shooting weapons you might have access to. You might find they come in handy during some of the game-types, and they are always useful for breaking shields.

- Melee weapons and shields will be permitted - see below...



What not to bring:

- Dangerous blasters/darts/etc - i.e. no metal spikes, wooden "gunblades", no tack-darts, etc. Blasters will be banned if they are deemed unsafe for any reason, including firing way too hard. No blanket bans will be imposed, but it is unlikely that your singled Titan will be used unless it is fairly underpowered. (No, "I will only pump it X times" will not be acceptable!)

- Blasters or other gear that could be mistaken for actual weapons (i.e. black-painted blasters, silver "knives", etc.). These should definitely be left at home.

- Participants under 13 years old are welcome, but MUST be accompanied by a parent or a responsible adult (18+) who will assume full responsibility for the youngling's actions, attitude and safety. I will only assume responsibility for younglings that I personally bring. NO EXCEPTIONS.



Miscellaneous Information:

- If you act like a 3-year-old, we'll send you home like a 3-year-old.

- Please clean up after yourselves - a trash bag will be provided, and everyone is expected to participate in dart-sweeps.

- Please note that there are no restrooms at the war site. Go before you get there, and go during lunch. You have been warned!

- Please keep the loud outbursts and swearing to a minimum - we will be playing in a schoolyard with nearby residential areas and don't need any residents or passers-by to have reason to complain about us.

- We will break for lunch some time around Noon or a bit later, probably for 30-45 minutes.

- I have not set up a specific game schedule. Gametypes will be determined mainly by popular opinion - but we will likely be playing mostly objective-type games (CTF, Sieze the Balls, etc). Meatgrinder will most likely be used as the first round and the post-lunch round - it is just a great way to get warmed up! I have the gear for the following objective games:

Sieze the Balls
Capture the Flag
Team Powerball
Defend the Core
Infection
Strategic Assault (a game of my own devising - involves "destroying" the enemy base before they "destroy" yours by scoring hits on special targers)

(Details for these gametypes can be found later in this thread.)



Melee & Shield Rules

Melee weapons will be allowed, though they should conform to a few basic rules.

- No metal should be used in the construction of the Melee weapon.

- All striking surfaces should be covered with a sufficiently thick layer of foam.

- Unmodified, store-bought plastic toy lightsabers will be permitted without regard to the above two rules. Lightsabers are cool. Bonus points if you use them with batteries for that lovely hum & glow.

- Anything I deem ridiculous or dangerous will not be allowed.

- Melee weapons can be used for blocking darts just like shields (see below) - but only if they are in your hand. If your Melee weapon is holstered, a hit on it counts just like a gun hit.


(thanks to Ryan McNumbers for the basis of these Shield Rules)

You'll be limited on the maximum size of your shield depending on what blaster you're wielding. This will be the standard ruling for most gametypes. Here is the breakdown. (Your most powerful blaster is what counts here.)

Melee Only = 3 sq/ft
[The largest blocking face of the Melee weapon(s) counts as part of the maximum shield area.]

One Single shot pistol, ranges < 50' - 2 sq/ft

Anything else, ranges <50' - 1 sq/ft

Blasters shooting over 50' will not be allowed to use a shield.

Shields may be used to deflect darts - hits on shields do not count as long as the shield is in your hand, strapped to a blaster that is in your hand, or strapped to your forearm. A shield strapped/slung anywhere else will not block hits - it will count the same as a gun hit.

Balls, missiles, rockets, etc. (basically any ammo larger than a Mega dart) may not be blocked by shields or Melee weapons - a hit on a shield or Melee weapon with ammo of this type will count as a normal hit.

Shields can be made from whatever, cardboard should be reinforced with duct tape. Shields that do not meet the specifications for Melee weapons may not be used as such. (i.e. Don't go whacking people with a large wooden shield!)



Attendees:
Ambience 327 (host) + Guests
Gettin Nerf'd (co-host & sponsor) +1 Guest
DarkMatter +1 Guest
Ryan McNumbers + Dart Bucket/Mobstacles/Loaner Blasters/etc.
Carbon
dodobeam +1 Guest
Dragonsnipe +3 Guests?
DemonLord
Abyss Mods + 1 Guest
Hipponater + 1-2 Guests
THE_MICHIGAN_NERFER +1-3 Guests?
Coop

Possibilities:
KaneTheMediocre
Buffdaddy
sawtooth
Beaver
Sodizzle3113
qwerty + 1 Guest?

Cool. It's a bit of a ways away, but put me as a maybe for now. Most likely I'll make it.

If I/Kane comes, we'll have darts, mobstacles, and cores provided.

Sounds great! Hope to see you there!

Count me as a sorta maybe. I'd like to make it to a war in the east direction, and it's actually a closer drive than the twin cities.

I know you said no blanket bans, but it's worth checking: homemades are OK, right?

Second question: what are the youngest younglings going to potentially be? My daughter has been bugging me to go to a war, and I'd be a lot happier bringing her to one if there were going to be other kids as well.

Homemades are definitely welcome - SNAPs, HAMPs, etc. I'm even willing to test out homemade airguns. If it is fun - use it. If it puts holes in kittens, leave it at home.

I can't guarantee the ages that will be present, but Dragonsnipe brought his three boys to the last event, and they were all rather young (but cool). I didn't get their exact ages, but if I had to guess, I'd say the youngest was somewhere around 7 or 8. We didn't have a date set yet, but at the end of FitF1, they said they were really excited about coming back - so they will probably be there if they can. Basically, as long as the kid knows that getting shot might hurt, and their parent/responsible adult takes responsibility for their behavior and such, I have no issues. (If we have a large enough group, and enough of the youngins - we might consider splitting them off into their own group at times. There is plenty of space at the location for two, or even three games to take place simultaneously - especially if Ryan/Kane/someone shows up with the mobstacles - as we can use the nearby practice football field if we add some cover.)

Strong maybe here. If I can't go, I'll try to get someone else to take the mobstacles to the war.

I'm really sorry I couldn't make it to the first one. You have a good sense of fun, and I'd like to help the IN community out.

Hey, no problem - I know its a drive and we all have lives outside of Nerf! (Well, most of us...) I appreciate the compliment - and I know if you make it, that will make the war that much more fun.

I'll really try to be at this one, hopefully +1-3. With the girlfriend on vacation, there won't be much to prevent me from attending.

I agree with Kane, you really do have a good sense of fun.

Awesome - and thanks.

Are you immediately a part of the other team, or do you have to go and pull a "respawn", i.e. head to a designated "spawn point", count to a specific number, then return. I could see this as being the norm, but a few rounds of "insta-switch" could be interesting, and would discourage groups from clumping together too much - you never know when your allies will instantly become your enemies.

As noted for one of the above scenarios, you would also have to use flagging tape or some other easy way to identify which team you are currently on, to avoid confusion and make the game more fun for all involved.

I can see where some people would find that to be a problem. To me, that sounds like a fun situation. Yes, you are fighting a losing battle, but how long can you survive?

Also, this could be helped a bit more by having more than two teams to start with - and each player would have to switch armbands or whatever at the "spawn point" when they switch teams. It would take some planning and preperation (to have 3 or more sets of colored armbands/bandanas/etc) but I could see it being a fun round or two, and might think about giving it a try at one of our youth group's games sometime soon.

Do you have any easy visual way of knowing which team a person currently belongs to? If not, how do you know who you should be shooting at if you don't see someone get tagged?

I'm not projecting here, I'm speaking from experience as I've run a few similar rounds. I just think it works much better in smaller wars. If you REALLY want a "me against the world" scenario, run a small hvz game in an indoor facility.

Should work fine for us then - we generally play with between 10 and 30 people, usually towards the lower end of that scale.

Wow - I think this may be a first. A necro-fest that actually adds quite a bit to the conversation.

Noobs take note - THIS is when it is ok to bring old, crusty threads kicking and screaming back into the light!



To keep on topic, here's one that I've been brainstorming for a while, which can work well with any group of about 6 or more players, though more players would make it better:



TROPHY HUNTERS

This is a free-for-all. Each player starts with a token (clothespin, poker chip, etc) that is easy to carry & hand over. When a player is eliminated, they have to quickly hand over their token to the player that eliminated them, then vacate the field. (Any tokens they have already collected from others stay with them.) When time is called (or you are reduced to one player standing), each player counts the number of tokens they are carrying. Whoever has the most tokens (including their own if they have not been eliminated) is the winner.

My question about knowing who's on what team was more for the game type being described where people would be switching teams regularly. I think it might be a bit difficult for everyone to carry around multiple colored jerseys or armbands or things like that.

What would be an easy, visual way to keep track of 3+ teams, where each player might be on any given team at any given moment? You wouldn't want the switch to take very long (unless you had a mandatory "out" time where they had to sit down and couldn't be shot again until they stood back up - then they would have time to switch bands/bandanas/etc).

I play indoors with the youth group at my church (my wife & I are sponsors), and one game that we repeatedly come back to is King of the Hill. It is relatively easy to set up, explain, officiate, etc. and is a lot of fun as well.

Basically, two teams start at opposite ends of somewhere (a large gym, a building, a field, etc). In the middle of the two areas is an area marked out in some way as "the hill". (We use a colored square on the floor of the activity room in the basement - big enough for our purposes.) When the starting whistle is blown, each team must try to get their forces on to "the hill" and keep them there until time runs out. Players who are hit must return to their team's starting point to respawn. When the final whistle is blown, whichever team has more surviving members on "the hill" wins the game.

It is very fast-paced, and quite a lot of fun - at least in our experience. If "the hill" is sufficienly small and barren of cover, it can be quite the kill zone as well. Works best if the players don't know how long the timer will be set for.


As an alternative, if you have two players willing to sit out each match, you could have teams rack up time on the hill instead. Each time-keeper would pay attention to whether his own team has one or more players in "the hill", and run a stop watch during that time. The first team to rack up a set amount of time would win. You could stipulate that the hill may only be occupied by one side to rack up time if you want. The important thing is to have observant timekeepers who can get a good view of the entire "hill".

Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future


Most of you have no idea who they are right not, but if the reboot goes through and is successful, you will...

I will do my best to get myself and as many of my locals out that way as possible. No promises yet though.

Unfortunately, neither date works for me. Guess that means not Cata for Ambience...

Hope you guys have a blast - and hopefully I can still get up that way for a war some time this summer.

I replied on NHQ, but I know some folks here don't go there, and I wouldn't want them to miss out on my nostalgic drivel, or the chance to see how ancient I am! So here is my reply, re-printed (with permission from myself) from NHQ for the NH community:


Although I had a game system since the mid 80's, I still played a lot of PC games back then - and for quite some time afterward!

I spent many happy hours on the following games:

Bugs Bunny's Cartoon Workshop
SimCity (the original)
Sid Meier's Civilization
X-Wing
Tie Fighter
Dark Forces
Jedi Knight
Warcraft 2
Starcraft
Wolfenstein 3D
Doom
Duke Nukem 3D

I could go on...


But if you want to go really old school, and still technically "computer" games rather than console, we had an old TI-99/4A computer system that we got for Christmas back in '81, when I was 3. (Man, I'm feeling old right now!) That thing had some great games that I still love to play (via an emulator and LEGAL ROMs)!

The best would be Parsec and Tunnels of Doom (One of the earlier graphical RPGs, and a great game for its time - you can read about it at Wikipedia by clicking right here. The Wiki page even includes a link to the free emulator "Classic99", which includes completely legal, licensed ROMs of many TI-99 cartridges!).

Of course, it was only 2001.

Wow, way to make me feel even older there Bomberman!

And it would certainly cut down on the creepy factor a bit. Maybe my wife would play it now?

Let's see, older games....

...BLAH BLAH BLAH...

-Piney- (really old person)

I humbly bow to the even-more-ancient-than-I among us.

I'm wondering if this thing would have enough kick to shotgun load a few nano-stefans (2-3 per barrel). That would increase the foam load, though it would probably decrease the overal blast radius. Still, a 3'-4' radius with 12-18 shots would probably be a slight bit more effective than 6' x 6-shots. One thing to try would be to put the weights in off-center, so the darts would (intentionally) fishtail a bit, causing a more erratic flight path and, theoretically at least, a more effective spread.

I know if I get my hands on one or two of these, that's what I'll be trying.

Vimes - your efforts are greatly appreciated! Well done getting one of these broken down and taking pics for us.

A few questions though:


1) Your last pic is fairly blurry. Do there seem to be AR's in there to remove?

2) Do you think that one would be able to add extended barrels without interfering too much with the pump operation or the grenade's flight? (I'm not thinking anything huge - just enough to squeeze a few extra nano-stefans into the mix. If there are AR's, and if barrel replacement helps any, we might see some use out of these things if we can get enough foam scattering the area - like I mentioned above, off-center weights might help here with additional scatter effect.)

They can't be already posted modifications, right?

No previously posted modifications will be allowed to be used nor will any modifications used in another contest.

Correct


-EDIT - Beaten to the punch.

I think everyone needs to stop worrying so much about what their score will be, and start worrying about how cool their new blaster will be. I think, in the grand scheme of things, you're going to have to compromise on some or all of the criteria if you want to make something that you personally will enjoy using. Don't try to maximise your score in each area, just make the best blaster you're capable of and let it win on its own. I don't even think it will be possible to max out in each score category. How high do you think you can get your Functionality score if you retain both a stock look and low mod difficulty?

Personally, if I get the money together in time, my blaster should do well in the Functionality category, but it will probably lose a few points in the Cleanliness category due to some external integration. Mod Difficulty will be decent, but not great, and I'm hoping people see it as rather Creative. Writeup Quality is, of course, solely up to the writer - so I only have myself to blame if my score there is low.

Off topic, I wonder how many of the youngin's recognize the quote in the subtitle for this thread. It makes me smile every time I read it.

Ryan let me take this thing out for a test drive Saturday at Foam in the Fort. Let me just say that it was truly the most fun I have had with a foam-flinging blaster in a long time. This thing is awesomeness in its purest form. The draw is extremely smooth, the handle quite comfortable, and the firing action both strong and accurate.

Oh - and it's a freakin' crossbow. A REAL freakin' crossbow. 'Nuff said.

September:
[url=http://nerfhaven.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=23069]22nd [IN] Foam in the Fort IV[/url]

I like to think that the cocking slide, shown in three of the four images in the first post, which draws the string and plunger rod back to the catching point, would be what qualifies this as pump-action.

Oh, and in case the pictures weren't enough, reading the words helps too:

The pump grip merely pushes back the nylon bow string, until the catches, obviously. I'll probably add a return spring for the pump later.

And yes, he typically runs this with a hopper. In fact, he has probably never actually Nerf'd with it with any setup other than a hopper.