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#296830 Baff #19

Posted by Aquinas on 29 March 2011 - 03:05 PM in Nerf Wars

Sorry guys, I'm out of town for this one also. Things had been a little crazy 'round here.



#296411 Baff #18 Canceled Due To Bad Weather

Posted by Aquinas on 22 March 2011 - 12:45 AM in Nerf Wars

The average walking speed is about 3mph, if you took half an hour to walk the distance is probably only around 1 mile.


Just double-checked the distance on Google Maps. It's 2 miles. On average, I can walk a mile in 15 minutes, so the half-an-hour walk time is on the mark for me. I tend to walk briskly anyhow, out of my usual habit of (attempting to) beat hoards of travelers at passport control checkpoints.

Bottom line: a 2 mile walk should be manageable for most within 30 - 45 minutes. Search for "Union City BART" and "William Cann Memorial Park, Union City, CA" on Google Maps.



#296354 Baff #18 Canceled Due To Bad Weather

Posted by Aquinas on 21 March 2011 - 04:40 PM in Nerf Wars

The closest BART station to the park is Union City.

Run a quick search on Google Maps and it'll show you the fairly straight-forward route. You essentially walk west on Alvarado Niles for about 5-6 miles. I walked in about half an hour.



#295324 Spy Gear Rocket Blaster

Posted by Aquinas on 04 March 2011 - 02:30 AM in Modifications

This looks a little awkward to hold... How is it? It seems that you put wyes on all your blasters...


I had the same initial thought when I first saw the blaster, and waited until the Kohl's sale to get one. This is essentially a bullpup 4B, and as Buffdaddy said, very easy platform to modify. As for the form factor: I think it's very compact and adaptable, plus the top of the blaster gives you a nice sightline. It's definitely an adjustment from, say, a +bow, but I'm 6 feet tall with reasonably-sized hands, and it suits me fine. It's even got a built-in stock.

Man, Buffdaddy's be on fire as of late! (and putting wyes on everything sort of make sense in this day and age, for better or for worse) The next step would be to work out a pump replacement towards the front of the blaster and get rid of that stock / pump bit, which will be super easy to do. Let's see if I'll ever get around doing it...



#294158 Slugs And Domes And Taggers, Oh My!

Posted by Aquinas on 08 February 2011 - 03:27 AM in General Nerf

Regarding the difference in quality between McMaster felt pads:

I started making Slugs since 2008, and I definitely noticed a change in quality with the McMaster felt tips between then and now (at least for our purposes). To echo utafnerf, the current white tips unravels too easily. Green or black will do, I suppose, but still unravels too easily for my taste.


An alternative option is actually making tips with craft foam in conjunction with Plumber's Goop and washers or BBs, as demonstrated here:

http://nerfhaven.com...topic=20149&hl=

Packets of craft foam sheets are available for cheap at Michaels, Walmart, etc. The most basic (and labor-intensive) way of making it work is to simply take a 1/2 brass pipe and "drill" (or cut) away at the foam sheet.

This method takes A LOT of time. However, I've actually found a 1/2" hole puncher at Onestopsquare.com in my possession that could potentially change all that.



All this fundamentally comes down to finding a balance between the desire to shoot darts really far (modification of blasters, heavier weights) and safety (whatever that means; we all have different definitions). It also comes down to monitoring human behaviors (common sense) and protecting against human instincts (at the heat of the moment, you're more likely to pull the trigger rather than barrel-tapping; nothing douche-y about it). I'm not sure if such balance exists. It ultimately comes down to the local communities (or whoever is hosting in most places) to come to a consensus on how all this will work out.



#293179 Baff #16

Posted by Aquinas on 21 January 2011 - 03:14 AM in Nerf Wars

Hey nerfman! Long time no see! Hope to see you on Saturday.



#291280 Baff #16

Posted by Aquinas on 21 December 2010 - 04:25 AM in Nerf Wars

I'm in. There should be no scheduling conflicts this time.

Also, there had been discussion about possibly seeking a new venue in previous months. I'm happy with William Cann, but I'm certainly won't object to new locations, if they're sensible (accessible to most people) and suitable (restrooms will be a big plus) to our needs. Just want to throw this out to you guys in case somebody's done some good scouting in the area.



#288762 Baff #14 No Longer Happening

Posted by Aquinas on 22 November 2010 - 11:44 PM in Nerf Wars

Sorry to pour on the bad news, I'm afraid I can't make it either. Something suddenly popped up, I'll be out of town. Sorry.



#287381 Baff #13

Posted by Aquinas on 23 October 2010 - 11:16 AM in Nerf Wars

See you all soon!



#287367 Baff #13

Posted by Aquinas on 23 October 2010 - 12:06 AM in Nerf Wars

Haha, definitely in.



#287354 Baff #13

Posted by Aquinas on 22 October 2010 - 02:47 PM in Nerf Wars

Yeah, checking the weather right now... doesn't look too good, at least for the time being.

Based on experience, the weather in Union City is typically above and beyond expectations (even when it's supposed to rain, the sun usually magically appears in the afternoon); however, seems like the entire Western half of the United States is precipitating, so perhaps the odds are against us this time around.

I say that we wait a few more hours and revisit the forecast at, say 8:00 pm tonight. We can make a decision then. Weather can change in a hurry here, as we all know.



#286019 The Clothespin Trigger

Posted by Aquinas on 24 September 2010 - 11:11 PM in Homemades

This is so timely (I was just reading the SNAP threads extensively in preparation to make my own SNAP)... the trigger and the catch is always some of the most tricky parts to fabricate on a springer, and this really cements my knowledge and understanding of how the CPT works. Thank you.



#285891 Baff #13

Posted by Aquinas on 22 September 2010 - 09:13 PM in Nerf Wars

In.

Awww man, is that Jman I see in the picture?



#284707 Baff #12

Posted by Aquinas on 03 September 2010 - 10:24 PM in Nerf Wars

In!



#284034 Baff 11-b

Posted by Aquinas on 26 August 2010 - 04:03 PM in Nerf Wars

The cake is a lie.

Ya'll have fun!



#283661 Baff 11-b

Posted by Aquinas on 21 August 2010 - 12:21 PM in Nerf Wars

I unfortunately will not be able to make it... have an appointment that I must attend. Sorry guys. Definitely next month.



#282807 Baff #11

Posted by Aquinas on 11 August 2010 - 12:55 AM in Nerf Wars

Sorry, can't make it to this one.



#281202 Baff #10

Posted by Aquinas on 25 July 2010 - 04:13 AM in Nerf Wars

You're not the boss of me, Blue. :(



#281200 Baff #10

Posted by Aquinas on 25 July 2010 - 03:41 AM in Nerf Wars

Part of the issue is that kids LIKE blasters that shoot 1092320349023 feet. And that's not limited to kids. There is no way we're going to SKIRMISH with those. But some of the kids don't necessarily care about skirmishing. They just want to be able to use these (what we consider to be) overpowered blasters that they've made / bought. That's why I specifically said target practice, where it will be a highly controlled setting, be it the range / distance of the shots, what kind of targets they'll be, to where the spectators will stand. That way, kids can fire the crap out of their modified Titans and Cobras and nobody will get hurt.



#281197 Baff #10

Posted by Aquinas on 25 July 2010 - 01:52 AM in Nerf Wars

We've already talked about this, but it might be good to have some "target practice" games from like 100 feet out for blasters that simply can't be considered safe for normal skirmishes. Heck, we can even have a few guys (I'll be the first to volunteer) to wander far out in the middle of the field in a horizontal fashion as "moving targets" or something, while people like Gabe can launch from his modified Cobra at will from a safe enough distance. I think there can be some way where we can let the kids have their fun with those massively overpowered blasters (everybody loves range and power. That just can't be helped). We just need to facilitate it safely.



#281192 Baff #10

Posted by Aquinas on 25 July 2010 - 01:06 AM in Nerf Wars

Ditto Jake. It was a good day. I crashed when I got home.

It was very nice for me to meet some of the new-er people that's been coming to BAFF, as well as watching Bob introduce foam flinging to those kids! I also thought that everybody did a pretty good job dart sweeping today.

Let's get working on our date(s) in August.



#279789 Baff #10

Posted by Aquinas on 08 July 2010 - 10:17 PM in Nerf Wars

Running around in a park wielding plastic toys is a great jetlag cure.

I'm 70% sure I can make it. Something may or may not come up on that day. I will make a post again later to confirm.

All ya'll have fun at 'Geddon.



#278689 Baff 9b- Very Important You Post Attendance

Posted by Aquinas on 27 June 2010 - 01:18 AM in Nerf Wars

12 is actually a great number. You can keep things a bit less structured, more laid back, and still able to get lots of games in. You can't do that if you have, say, 20 people. Tee hee.



#278686 Baff 9b- Very Important You Post Attendance

Posted by Aquinas on 27 June 2010 - 01:00 AM in Nerf Wars

Pizza with garlic butter sauce. That's always a plus.

What was the final head count?



#278119 Baff 9b- Very Important You Post Attendance

Posted by Aquinas on 20 June 2010 - 02:23 PM in Nerf Wars

Ditto everything Bob, Ben and Jake said.

One additional thought: not everybody can operate at the same pace. Some of us like things to move along faster, others may not. There is absolutely nothing wrong with needing additional breaks in-between when everybody else still wants to play. I'd simply like to propose that if you need a break, don't get in the way of those who want to play. Don't actively go around and get everybody to trade with you. Don't engage in idle chatter with everybody around you. Have the decency and courtesy to wait until the round begins, with the people who wants to play "out of the way," THEN you do your thing with the others who are taking breaks also. At the heart of a BAFF Outing is flinging foam. I dare say that most of us show up to a BAFF Outing to fling foam. If that's not your primary motivation for showing up, that's fine; just don't be in the way of the rest of us who are there to PLAY.

We're really trying to do things as a community, where everybody gets a say, and not rule with a top-down, iron fist model- which means that we'll occasionally run into problems that other NIC communities may not. But I think doing things this way is worth it. If every single one of us exhibit a little civility and be willing to give and take a little, I think we'll be fine.


p.s. As great as Papa John's pizza is, we might need to investigate into cheaper options as far as meals go. Nerfman suggested Little Caesar's, and Ben is willing to hook us up with CostCo's if need be. Another way is to take a more accurate tally of how many people will actually be eating pizza, so that we can order more appropriate portions (I think we ordered a little too much yesterday, which wasn't anyone's fault). I just hope the nearby Domino's will be back in business soon. They've got great deals, and it's a 1 minute drive from the park.



#278047 Baff #9

Posted by Aquinas on 19 June 2010 - 04:01 AM in Nerf Wars

I got a hold of Jman, and unfortunately he has to work, so he's a no go. I don't think his guest will be coming either.

I'll be there. Car's still not fixed, but this is yet another opportunity to utilize our wonderful public transportation system.

See all ya'll tomorrow today!



#276211 Marshmallow Mforcer

Posted by Aquinas on 27 May 2010 - 08:36 PM in Modifications

Thank you! The Marshmallow Mforcer had by far been one of my most disappointing foam-flinging related purchases ever. This modification fulfills my original intent for this thinger: a high ROF, indoor / HvZ type blaster.

The black piece and the attached pump mechanism is definitely the weak link on this blaster. I guess it never occurred to me that I can simply get rid of it. Props for your creativity and execution.



#275759 Baff #9

Posted by Aquinas on 23 May 2010 - 10:09 PM in Nerf Wars

The "BAFF 9B" is a very smart idea. Well done Bob.



#275743 Baff #9

Posted by Aquinas on 23 May 2010 - 08:50 PM in Nerf Wars

I'm a go for the 19th, and no, there won't be any surprise wedding invitations. I won't make it on the 26th.

If it isn't too much trouble for Blue, it might be good to simply put up another thread for BAFF 10 on June 26th, and run another attendance list there. I feel it'll keep things organized and straight-forward.

While it may be strange to have two active posts for BAFF Outings at the same time, I think of this as more of an unique circumstance; I think it'll be a while before we have BAFF Outings on back-to-back weekends (every other weekend during the summer months might be more feasible). I also like our numbering system and wish to keep the continuity going. It's a great and simple way to chronicle our progress, and it'd be a while before we get to the triple-digits anyway. The fact that we're up to BAFF 9 since last September with above-average attendance each time is quite amazing.



#275000 Baff #8

Posted by Aquinas on 16 May 2010 - 09:53 PM in Nerf Wars

Bad news, and sorry for the belated notice: totally forgot that I've got a wedding to attend this coming weekend (long story...). Kinda sucks, but that's the way things go sometimes. All ya'll have fun now.



#274225 Where Are Nerf Guns Going?

Posted by Aquinas on 07 May 2010 - 01:44 AM in General Nerf

As tempting at it is for any one of us to try and make the farthest-shooting blaster possible, I always try to remind myself of this simple fact, stated outside the packaging of any Nerf Blaster:

"Ages 8+"

This, for me, means a number of things. As many have stated over the years here on NH, no matter how young or old we are, these are toys that we're wielding. Of course, we all inevitably ignore the "do not modify" warning within seconds of returning home with a new blaster, but for me, there's still a line to be drawn. Fundamentally, this is a kid's game. This is theirs. I'm just a quasi grown-up trying to relive part of my childhood through foam-flinging, lots of running around, being silly, yet still working towards a common goal with my teammates. It is a game. You are really not supposed to get hurt, and this is definitely not a test of manhood. All these ideas, as a starting point, definitely dictates how I approach this hobby in general, as well as my attitude in interacting with my fellow foam-flingers.

I find myself really enjoying pistol-oriented (or prominently incorporated) gametypes, rather than just pitting one primaries-wielding team against another. My RSCBed-Triggerfire is fast becoming my favorite blaster (though I didn't get a chance to use it in the past two BAFFs...), and I think it's a good balance between solid velocity and range (hits pretty hard at about 60 - 80 ft), along with excellent ROF. Of course, that means having to get over myself, suck it up and put my high-powered blasters away.

At the end of the day, Hasbro is going to produce products that sell. I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing, with the way new products are coming out. We can choose to be stubborn, or we can start coming up with gametypes that can incorporate a wide range of blasters, are objective-driven, fast-paced and engaging. For me, that equates to fun, rather than having everyone standing around with a cannon taking pot shots at each other, with rounds taking forever to complete.

Ultimately, I think what makes foam-flinging communities work comes down to this (and in this order): the people, the games, and the blasters (in a distant 3rd). If you've got great people who are willing to be creative, make compromises, come up with awesome gametypes, than the matter of what blasters you play with isn't nearly as big a deal as we often make it out to be.



#273593 Baff #8

Posted by Aquinas on 28 April 2010 - 01:54 AM in Nerf Wars

I'm in as well.

Falcon, looking forward to seeing you again!

Ben, after this whole date change and everything, you better show the heck up :oP



#272455 Baff #7

Posted by Aquinas on 17 April 2010 - 01:42 AM in Nerf Wars

Nerfman006, if you get this, please bring the SG Signal Launchers! I'm interested in buying one off you. Please don't forget!



#272452 Baff #7

Posted by Aquinas on 17 April 2010 - 01:02 AM in Nerf Wars

Are we all going to at least try to show up on time this go round?



#272147 Baff #7

Posted by Aquinas on 13 April 2010 - 09:03 PM in Nerf Wars

There are picnic tables there for us to set up, and it's about 100 feet (?) from the side of the road (where you'll park) to the tables. It's a short walk.



#271422 Baff #7

Posted by Aquinas on 05 April 2010 - 05:56 PM in Nerf Wars

Just realized I haven't confirmed yet. I'm a go.

Hal, if you can make this and need a ride, join the Yahoo! message board and drop me a line.



#271168 Brass Breached Longstrike

Posted by Aquinas on 02 April 2010 - 11:29 PM in Modifications

I've got to say, nice brass work! Can't wait to see it in action soon.

Hope you didn't cut your finger this go round, haha.



#270942 Baff #7

Posted by Aquinas on 01 April 2010 - 02:21 AM in Nerf Wars

@ Ben: You park by the curb. The park is fairly secluded, there isn't too much traffic, and there'll definitely be parking.

As for assault, it's a new game type that we're trying out. Basically you've got an offensive team, armed with pistols and unlimited life, trying to eliminate the defensive team, which we've situated on top of a playground / monkey gym, armed with mid-to-long range blasters, but with limited life (we've experimented, and right now we've settled on 2 lives). The offensive team has 3 minutes (we're still experimenting with the time) to complete their mission, while the defense is trying to hold out. Also, we're also mandating that the offensive team has to remain inside the playground area the entire time (therefore definitely within range of the defense, and must relay on cover, movement and teamwork to avoid enemy fire). Lastly, once hit, offensive players must step outside the playground and count to 10 before resuming play, while the defense count right where they're hit (of course, they only get to do it once, as the next hit means that they're out).

Believe it or not, of the 7-8 rounds or so that we played, the offensive team won all but ONE round. I think the blasters distinction is good, and that the offensive team has unlimited lives (but has to race against the clock) is good. We just have to continue to experiment regarding the actual time per round, as well as how many lives the defense should have.

I'm also working on a variant that wouldn't require a playground. We like this setup thus far because unlike CTF or Zombies, which requires constant movement and leans more on individual display, assault is more team-based while without having to be running all the time (especially for the defense). I felt we were getting quality time in, staying high-paced without wearing ourselves out as quickly.

There are lots of variants out there in the NIC. We're just trying to come up with a version that works for us.



#267770 Hitler Finds Out About The Nerf Longstrike And Deploy

Posted by Aquinas on 03 March 2010 - 01:48 AM in Off Topic

From the 2004 German film Der Untergang ("The Downfall" in English).

That particular scene had been parodied the world over on Youtube.



#266996 Baff #6

Posted by Aquinas on 26 February 2010 - 02:01 AM in Nerf Wars

I don't know if any of you have foam balls (leftovers from all the PASes that we have), but I think if we're alright with melee rounds, using foam balls as the only ranged weapon will perhaps be more aligned with the spirit of melee rounds (at least in my opinion) than pistols.

We may also need to talk more specifically about certain rules for melee rounds. When everybody gets up close and personal in order to get a frag, there will bound to be arguments over "oh, I got you first!" or "no, you missed!" When situations like that comes up (very close calls), should both people just be out to safe the hassle? Also, It's a no brainer that the foam sword must make contact with the body to score a frag. However, could one sword "deflect" a strike of another? Are we going to do the "lightsaber duel" bit? These aren't particularly difficult questions, we just have to have consensual answers on most of them.

I think it'd be pretty nuts to do CTF with melee weapons. I think it'd actually work.


And Hal - just checked out your portfolio. Pretty sweet. Welcome to our little community. And as Ben just demonstrated, we've got plenty of foam-flinging WMDs for you to choose from.