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There have been 76 items by Aquinas (Search limited from 12-November 96)
#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.
#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
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.
#291280 Baff #16
Posted by Aquinas on 21 December 2010 - 04:25 AM in Nerf Wars
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.
#287354 Baff #13
Posted by Aquinas on 22 October 2010 - 02:47 PM in Nerf Wars
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
#281200 Baff #10
Posted by Aquinas on 25 July 2010 - 03:41 AM in Nerf Wars
#281197 Baff #10
Posted by Aquinas on 25 July 2010 - 01:52 AM in Nerf Wars
#281192 Baff #10
Posted by Aquinas on 25 July 2010 - 01:06 AM in Nerf Wars
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.
#278119 Baff 9b- Very Important You Post Attendance
Posted by Aquinas on 20 June 2010 - 02:23 PM in Nerf Wars
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'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
#276211 Marshmallow Mforcer
Posted by Aquinas on 27 May 2010 - 08:36 PM in Modifications
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.
#275743 Baff #9
Posted by Aquinas on 23 May 2010 - 08:50 PM in Nerf Wars
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.
#274225 Where Are Nerf Guns Going?
Posted by Aquinas on 07 May 2010 - 01:44 AM in General Nerf
"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.
#271168 Brass Breached Longstrike
Posted by Aquinas on 02 April 2010 - 11:29 PM in Modifications
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
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.
#266996 Baff #6
Posted by Aquinas on 26 February 2010 - 02:01 AM in Nerf Wars
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.
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