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Slugs And Domes And Taggers, Oh My!

What's in YOUR dart bin?

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Poll: Slugs vs. Domes vs. Everyone Else (114 member(s) have cast votes)

What Kind of Darts do You (Prefer to) Use?

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#26 VACC

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Posted 08 February 2011 - 08:39 AM

I find it very frustrating that people claim that slugs are either fragile or dangerous. Poorly made darts of any kind are a problem. Darts are 50% of the nerf equation, and making shitty ones really should not be an option. In fact, there is, and has been for the 15+ years I've been doing this, a very strong correlation between the quality of ones darts and the quality of the nerfer.

Whatever kind of ammo you want/have to use; take the time and learn to make it well. I've found that well made slug darts are extremely durable, fast to make, and usually cheaper than their domed alternatives. They don't shoot as far, I know. I just don't care.

My wars mandate slug darts. We generally take nerf way too seriously, and no one shows up with anything that wouldn't be competitive anywhere in the hobby. Slug darts are the easiest way to ensure that 90% of blasters need not be banned in order to ensure the type of playstyle we enjoy.

Your war, your rules.
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#27 BrokenSVT

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Posted 08 February 2011 - 09:04 AM

Thanks to everyone for the thread, and for the responses in it. Thanks especially to those who provided intelligent and fact-based insight.

I think VACC, Langley and Demon Lord made a lot of sense of the debate. The fact of the matter is that we, as war hosts, can't monitor and regulate all behaviors at these events. We can however, limit one of the most important factors leading to those behaviors and that's the ammunition.

Furthermore(and to echo VACC's sentiments), I'm yet to have one of my slugs self-destruct at a war. Not a single one. Like all things in life, practice leads to a better product. Blowing through 500 dart blanks, washers and felt dots in the span of a couple hours a good dart doesn't make. Learn some best practices from the folks who are good at it, apply them to your process and quit crying about how hard they are to make.

Slugs...hard...to...make...lulz.
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REVOLUTION Be there or be square.

#28 taerKitty

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Posted 08 February 2011 - 09:18 AM

Some of the objections aren't that they're hard to make, but that the supplies are hard to come by, barring McMasters. You can buy BBs just about anywhere, cheaply. I haven't seen washers locally cheaper than $0.025 per, which isn't a lot, but you can get BBs at less that $0.01 per. And felt pads locally I've seen for no cheaper than $0.06 per.

FBR is a common and constant cost. A dart will cost the same minute amount as far as FBR goes, domed, slug, or whatever.

However, a domed BB dart costs less than a penny each, often much less. It may take more hot glue, but that is the whole of your price per dart.

A McMaster slug costs $0.02 per for base materials, and, if you're only ordering 500 washers and 500 pads, I'll add $0.01 for their S&H. However, as said before, not everyone can order from them. Parental concerns, credit limits, or lack of time may be reasons. I'd love to hear more.

If you're one of those who cannot order from McMasters, then you're looking at almost $0.09 per dart, which is a substantial cost at the number of darts a serious Nerfer makes.

===

On an aside, McMasters somehow manages to deliver to me in Seattle the very next day, and for only $6. While this is no way close to going to the local Big 5 or Sports Authority, it's still not that big a lag. For those who have ordered, how long does it take for your stuff to get to you, and how much?
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#29 BritNerfMogul

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Posted 08 February 2011 - 09:44 AM

The only reason I use washer and glue domes is because it's all I can get my hands on. That's the only reason...
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#30 HasreadCoC

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Posted 08 February 2011 - 10:07 AM

WHY Glue Domes w/washers ARE DISCOURAGED:
- Exposed metal, there is a line between taking a welt and getting cut

That's why i use #6's, no problem with those, only with #8's.

My way of nerfing is better than your way of nerfing!

Zomg someone's opinion on the internet is WRONG! I must correct them!

Was the sarcasm really necessary? Funny, yes, but necessary? This goes beyond the internet and into our local parks and other places of nerf. Words on the internet that stay on the internet are all but meaningless, but when this stuff goes IRL, shit gets real.

As to my personal opinion on all this: At smaller wars (10>people) it seems to me it would be better to let people use what they want as long as their ammo is safe and make adjustments on a person-by-person basis. At larger wars (BritNerf-sized LOL) I can understand how this isn't possible, but something should be done to prepare for those who don't make/can't make slugs. If a few of the people proficient in making slugs could make a large number for the war, anyone who can't make slugs can buy from them. The problem that arises here is people trying to make a profit, there's nothing wrong with making a profit, but if you ban all other darts and charge 3x the cost to make the dart it can be pretty costly for people who can't make them themselves. It's not a matter of it being hard, just that not everyone can get a hold of all the materials. I, personally, have never ordered from McMaster, although I have been planning to do so anyway for parts to make homemades (already have the polycarb, thanks Split!), so things are working out pretty well for me; I just add a few extra items to my cart, others aren't so lucky. Basically, since the war is still a ways off, it would be nice if preparations could be made in advance to make a bulk number of slugs to be sold at about at-cost (a little extra to cover the beer you'll inevitable drink while making the slugs LOL) to those who can't get a hold of them otherwise. Granted, it could be difficult to keep this from turning into a "take advantage of cheap prices" thing, but if a user could work it out beforehand with the dart maker, it could work.

It's going to take some work getting everyone to just universally switch to slugs, just making them mandatory won't do it for new people who are trying to get into the hobby, or even for some older members who just can't make slugs for one reason or another. I'm not against using slugs, but something needs to be done for those that can't.
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I'm the only respectable person here. The rest of the NIC are pretty much just child molesters.


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#31 BrokenSVT

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Posted 08 February 2011 - 10:56 AM

...something should be done to prepare for those who don't make/can't make slugs.


Six weeks' notice isn't enough to prepare slugs? Or to save up the whopping $20 or so that it takes to make 500 of them?
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REVOLUTION Be there or be square.

#32 taerKitty

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Posted 08 February 2011 - 11:15 AM

Threads are organic, and a work of collective contributors. Specifically, as OP, I don't claim 'ownership' of this thread.

Short form: if we're gonna talk about wars as opposed to just dart preference, so be it. (Not that I can stop you.)

Here's my very limited experience:

I've only been to Dayko's wars. He's a fantastic war host. Over-the-top, even. He brings a huge community dart bin, he brings loaner blasters, and he supplies melee weapons. His dart are mostly slugs, but I've contributed a few hundred of my bumper head (glue dome + washer) darts there as well.

He allows any darts so long as your dart + blaster mix doesn't break 150', angled. (In my experience, that works out to about 120' flat, but YMMV.) He brings a measuring wheel to verify. His wars are small-to-medium. We've had 6, we've had 20.

As CoC pointed out, for small wars, the host can verify each Nerfer's kit. At 20, that may be a little too much overhead. Larger wars, maybe, because they usually have multiple hosts who are in close contact and mindset with each other. Mongo wars, no fscking way.

Someone else suggested that if the war host is going to mandate a certain type of dart, or ban a certain type of dart, he should supply a community bin. No one should be forced to "pay to play". As others have pointed out in the Rev thread, there are substantial costs for the more far-flung Nerfers just to attend. It seems unfair to have them have to shell out for darts, especially when they've had to sacrifice the effort they spent tuning their blasters with their darts.

That brings up another point - I do 'tune' my barrels for my darts. I test, I measure, I chop off a sacrificial barrel inch-by-inch until it gets max performance with -my- darts, be they slugs or domes. I don't do it for multiple types of darts, and I don't do it for multiple sources of foam. Foam varies by a fraction of a millimeter, and your range could drop 20'. Unless you tune your barrel for that new foam.

If I have to use a community dart bin, that means I'm sacrificing my efforts above, and am just hoping that the dart-barrel fit doesn't absolutely screw me.
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#33 VelveetaAvenger

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Posted 08 February 2011 - 11:27 AM

"Throw it indoors; you can't damage lamps or break windows. You can't hurt babies or old people."

I personally think that padded darts like slugs bring the game more in line with Nerf ideals, leave the welts and bruises for airsoft and paintball.

Some of the objections aren't that they're hard to make, but that the supplies are hard to come by, barring McMasters.

I just want to say once more that you don't have to go through mcmasters to make fbr padded darts, which should be acceptable at any slug dart war. Even when I was using felt tips I still used bb weights to cut down on costs.

It's going to take some work getting everyone to just universally switch to slugs, just making them mandatory won't do it for new people who are trying to get into the hobby, or even for some older members who just can't make slugs for one reason or another. I'm not against using slugs, but something needs to be done for those that can't.

I don't think there is much can't, just a lot of won't. Regardless, something already has been done for these people; war rules are up to the host, and nothing stops them from hosting their own wars.
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#34 Split

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Posted 08 February 2011 - 11:54 AM

Alright, I just finished reading this thing, and am just going to correct a few explicit mistakes which will lead into my short opinion on the matter.

Dome darts are as safe, or safer, than the average slug when made correctly. A hole is burned into the foam, creating a well. You should then add some glue to the bottom, drop in your weight, then glue to the top of the hole, then create your dome. This not only covers the weight, but secures it into the foam. The only way I've ever seen a BB come out of a dart is after being fired from a BBBB into a brick wall at the 2009 Winter Columbus War.

The measure for safety you're using seems to be whether or not the dart will explode out of the barrel and shoot into someone's face. For one, it's a stupid measure. Both darts, as Vacc and others have said, can only be compared when well made. When both are well made, they do not explode violently.
The proper measure for safety is something that Doom has done a lot of quality research on, called kinetic energy density. It's the energy in the dart as it's moving divided by the surface area it contacts with. Lighter darts have less energy, slug darts have less velocity (higher drag, less efficient energy transfer from the blaster) and more surface area (cross sectional area, not hemispherical surface area for glue darts, the whole tip doesn't imbed into your body). Slug darts are exponentially safer.

As for felt dots, has it ever occurred that not everyone has a source? Not all people can order things willy nilly online, and my local arts stores don't supply felt dots. Another drawback of the slugs, they cannot be weighted correctly for some people. The closest washer I have found around my area was an sixteenth of an inch too wide on each side. The next closest was a sixteenth of an inch too narrow on each side. The first wouldn't fit into my barrels. The second fishtailed out of my AR removed raider. Neither gave me any reason to use slugs. A third reason, not everyone has the most powerful blasters. I myself prefer to run around with an Eliminator as my primary, and a Longshot as my secondary. I don't believe an eliminator has ever hurt anyone, and my Longshot barely hits 80' on a good day.

I still don't understand the inability to buy things online. If you're 15 with a bank account, you can get a visa debit card, and spend the $18 to get enough tip supplies for 500 darts. If you're less than 15, your parents are going to be in-the-loop about you making/buying blasters that shoot far and fast. Just ask them to buy the stuff for you. $18 isn't a lot of risk to an adult.

Slugs are not an equalizer, but cause decrease in range from almost any weapon. This may be fine with +bows, rainbows, and other high powered blasters, but it leaves those of us who prefer to be unique and use what you most likely consider "less common" blasters to be taken out first, unless they are extremely good at dodging high speed darts being launched from out of their blaster's range.

They cause a scaling decrease in range. This means that blasters that normally shoot 150' lose 30-40 feet of range while those that shoot 80' only lose 10. Therefore, it is an equalizer. You chose to use blasters that don't shoot a lot to start with, if anything, slugs help your chances. Range does not make the nerfer though.


To be honest, I agree with boisie.
Not everyone has access to the materials required for Slug darts, it doesn't even out the field, and it doesn't make anything safer. (explained above)

Get over the fact that it might hurt.
This is an impact based hobby, its gonna have some sting to it.
Don't mandate a kind of dart that less than half the field can make.
That will cut as many people out as the "scary" dome darts would turn away.

Just my (irritated) 2 cents.

It never has been about pain for anyone that I nerf with, except maybe Zach Attack's 8 year old brother or Ice. See explanation at end.

However, a domed BB dart costs less than a penny each, often much less. It may take more hot glue, but that is the whole of your price per dart.

===

On an aside, McMasters somehow manages to deliver to me in Seattle the very next day, and for only $6. While this is no way close to going to the local Big 5 or Sports Authority, it's still not that big a lag. For those who have ordered, how long does it take for your stuff to get to you, and how much?


In my experience, the hot glue required to make any substantial amount of dome darts costs far far more than the small dab of plumber's goop that makes slugs last just as long. Hot glue is expensive, especially if you're making full domes plus gluing the weight to the foam and filling the well, and using high temp glue (which you generally should, for durability) and possibly using colored glue.

As for mcmaster, overnight shipping is more the rule than the exception. Very few people haven't gotten their orders overnight, and under 1 lb for usps should be $5.85 shipping. I still get overnight shipping on $300 orders that weigh 40 pounds, though shipping is obviously more costly. My school is about 20 minutes closer to the warehouse than me, and they often get packages same day.

Someone else suggested that if the war host is going to mandate a certain type of dart, or ban a certain type of dart, he should supply a community bin. No one should be forced to "pay to play". As others have pointed out in the Rev thread, there are substantial costs for the more far-flung Nerfers just to attend. It seems unfair to have them have to shell out for darts, especially when they've had to sacrifice the effort they spent tuning their blasters with their darts.

That brings up another point - I do 'tune' my barrels for my darts. I test, I measure, I chop off a sacrificial barrel inch-by-inch until it gets max performance with -my- darts, be they slugs or domes. I don't do it for multiple types of darts, and I don't do it for multiple sources of foam. Foam varies by a fraction of a millimeter, and your range could drop 20'. Unless you tune your barrel for that new foam.

If I have to use a community dart bin, that means I'm sacrificing my efforts above, and am just hoping that the dart-barrel fit doesn't absolutely screw me.

This is typically a low-budget hobby. Yes, the $100+ primaries that have dominated the last two years have brought that up substantially, but the $18 for 500 darts (that, when made correctly, last for 3+ wars) is not terrible by any means. The benefits (see below) far outweigh the costs, especially when an entire region of war-hosts uses one dart type.
A still better point: If we allowed all darts, but banned blasters to get the same effects, do new darts cost more, or do entirely new blasters? Here, too, the barrel "tuning" point is moot.
Assuming the tuning is that important - I just keep a whole range of barrels around. Cpvc, pvc, petg and even having a bunch of brass barrels around is not that expensive. The more blasters you have, the more time it saves having them all pre-made and swappable. The same goes for changing foam sizes (even within the same batch). Changing weights is just a matter of swapping barrels and checking range/velocity, just like you'd have to for everything else.
This also eliminates your fears for the community dart-bin. Similarly in that scenario, if a host is providing darts, perhaps they could provide a range of matching barrels.



Now for my point - Nerf over here (east cost, one of the three largest communities) has always been a range game. We stay on the edges of each others' ranges - this is not how I define standoffs. But we can only run so fast, so as blaster rate of fire increases and ranges increase, there is some point at which you can no longer ever rush and win, because you're limited by how far you'll get before they shoot you and before you can shoot them reliably. That is the standoff issue.
However, I, in particular over here, am a huge an of the nerf tech, if you haven't noticed. I wouldn't want to limit the blasters you can use or barrel/clip types and sort of impede the tech from getting anywhere substantial (Had +bows been banned for being too powerful, where would we be now?). It's costly to the members and it gets exponentially difficult to enforce. Dart weights offer not only an easy way to regulate everyone at a low cost, this particular change is a scaling effect. Everyone is brought in closer, but they have the same relative advantages. +bows still shoot further than longshots, as opposed to everything above a certain power shooting the same distance. It allows all of the nerf tech we have in a competitive manner - it eliminates that standoff effect.

Now I particularly said "dart weights." I like slugs because they're easy to identify. You can tell the kids that aren't carrying them in a second. They have other advantages too, like being easier to model mathematically, but I doubt that's relevant to more than a couple of people. I'm not good at conclusions, but that's all I wanted to say.

Edit: Shit that's way longer than I thought it'd be. Someone posted since I started writing this. @HasReadCoC: People sell slug darts pretty readily. I sold about 1000 of them at Apoc, plenty of others did too. That's plenty of solution for those who can't.

Edited by Split, 08 February 2011 - 11:56 AM.

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Teehee.

#35 taerKitty

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Posted 08 February 2011 - 11:56 AM

Sorry, misspoke. Not "hard to come by", but "more expensive".

The fact remains that a felt pad costs dinero. $0.06 per at my local Ace. A glue dome -might- be $0.01 in hot glue. I doubt it costs that much.

So, even if we call the cost of the FBR blank and the BB a common denominator, we're still talking a delta of $0.05 per dart. At 500 darts, that's $25.
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Fugly is a feature.

#36 HasreadCoC

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Posted 08 February 2011 - 01:46 PM

I just want to say once more that you don't have to go through mcmasters to make fbr padded darts, which should be acceptable at any slug dart war. Even when I was using felt tips I still used bb weights to cut down on costs.

Now this I like, if rules would allow FBR tips (that are the same thickness as the felt in question) and other types of weights (as long as said weights were buried deep enough in hot glue completely inside the dart) I don't think anyone would have cause to complain; it would probably be cheaper than either full-glue domes OR slugs. Can we get a ruling on whether or not such darts will be allowed at Revolution and other such slug wars?

Oh, and on a side note, Slug, I just got the Polycarb sheets in the mail and they look wonderful; I shall have fun with my new scroll saw very soon.
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I'm the only respectable person here. The rest of the NIC are pretty much just child molesters.


AKA: ObiWonTwo on Nerfrevolution, and most of the rest of the internet for that matter.....

#37 VACC

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Posted 08 February 2011 - 01:59 PM

Now this I like, if rules would allow FBR tips (that are the same thickness as the felt in question) and other types of weights (as long as said weights were buried deep enough in hot glue completely inside the dart) I don't think anyone would have cause to complain; it would probably be cheaper than either full-glue domes OR slugs.


In my experience this manner of construction makes for less durable darts and poor performatnce. You should try actually making them before petitioning for their inclusion.
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#38 shmmee

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Posted 08 February 2011 - 02:13 PM

Now this I like, if rules would allow FBR tips (that are the same thickness as the felt in question) and other types of weights (as long as said weights were buried deep enough in hot glue completely inside the dart) I don't think anyone would have cause to complain; it would probably be cheaper than either full-glue domes OR slugs. Can we get a ruling on whether or not such darts will be allowed at Revolution and other such slug wars?


I'd like to add extra emphisis on deep enough with hot glue. The first steffans I ever tried to make had Fbr tips hot glued over a pair of pellet gun pellets (wad cutters, not bb's. My first mistake, don't repeat it.). The pellets shot through the hot glue and fbr tip and out the front, leaving a small dent in my oak cabnet. (good thing i was testing and not in a war type scenario). All 4 of that style did that on impact with a solid surface. I then went to washers. FBR over a washer wore quickly and became permantly compressed after hitting the wall a few times. Though, spherical BB's may act differently (with enough hot glue to keep them inside the steffan).
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"and we should respect the people who make our blasters. Even if we do molest the hell out of them..."
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#39 BritNerfMogul

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Posted 08 February 2011 - 02:17 PM

Posted Image

Been there, done that. They have all lasted to date unless shot from my titan into a wall.
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#40 taerKitty

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Posted 08 February 2011 - 02:59 PM

I had an odd experience with washer+FBR tips: on my LAHB (4B at twice the price), there'd be times the head would rip free of the body. I don't have a MythBusters™ high-speed camera, but if that head was tumbling in flight, there's a good chance someone would take it metal-first.

This wasn't a case of an oily washer, either. The busted side of the washer still showed hot glue and a layer of foam. It was crap foam, so that could have contributed to why it broke so easily, but it still broke.

This wasn't a one-off, either, Eventually, all my washer+FBR tipped darts went this way (as opposed to the way slugs go, where they slowly separate from the foam, giving me a chance to see that they're not long for this Earth.)
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Fugly is a feature.

#41 princexbuster

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Posted 08 February 2011 - 03:01 PM

I dont understand why everyone is concerned about their personal safety. Maybe it's just me but I almost die at least once a week. No one has ever died by being hit by a dart. Maybe instead of trying to make everything safe we should instead focus on conquering our fear or pain. Life is short, why spend it worrying about our friends accidently causeing us physical harm.

In other words, who gives a fuck?
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Sexy Dwarves.

#42 HasreadCoC

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Posted 08 February 2011 - 03:28 PM

Now this I like, if rules would allow FBR tips (that are the same thickness as the felt in question) and other types of weights (as long as said weights were buried deep enough in hot glue completely inside the dart) I don't think anyone would have cause to complain; it would probably be cheaper than either full-glue domes OR slugs.


In my experience this manner of construction makes for less durable darts and poor performatnce. You should try actually making them before petitioning for their inclusion.

Actually, I have made them before, and I can agree with you that performance and durability are limited. However, considering the cost effectiveness per dart compared to slugs (I usually lose almost all my darts anyway, so reusability isn't an absolutely huge factor for me) and the universally available materials, it's an avenue that's at least worth looking into. With some tests, theories, more tests, and the talent of this community, I think a method of making FBR darts can be created that would make the darts as good, or even better, than slugs. Only time will tell.

I dont understand why everyone is concerned about their personal safety. Maybe it's just me but I almost die at least once a week. No one has ever died by being hit by a dart. Maybe instead of trying to make everything safe we should instead focus on conquering our fear or pain. Life is short, why spend it worrying about our friends accidently causeing us physical harm.

In other words, who gives a fuck?

Ignore whatever this man says; he is clearly suicidal and would be happy to bring you with him without a second thought.

Lulz.

Anyway, I must extend some congrats to taerKitty on the thread; this is shaping up to be one of the most successful and interesting Polls on this site in a long while, usually we just get "vote on a war date" polls or "wat gun shud i get?" polls that either simply serve their small purpose and then fade, or fail altogether. This poll on the other hand is providing a very interesting view on the recently changing dart views throughout NIC.
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I'm the only respectable person here. The rest of the NIC are pretty much just child molesters.


AKA: ObiWonTwo on Nerfrevolution, and most of the rest of the internet for that matter.....

#43 Split

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Posted 08 February 2011 - 03:31 PM

I am going to diddle your face with darts. Also, it's not about the pain, it's not having to stand 150' away of people to stay out of their range. That gets crazy boring. Forcing all guns to drop range with darts is cheap, easy to enforce and, most importantly, makes for a much more fun game.
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Teehee.

#44 BrokenSVT

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Posted 08 February 2011 - 03:38 PM

That was the most horribly-stated opinion I've heard on this matter to date. I should hope that EVERYONE is concerned for their personal safety at all times.

That being said, carry on with using whatever ammunition you prefer; just not at my wars.
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REVOLUTION Be there or be square.

#45 HasreadCoC

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Posted 08 February 2011 - 03:40 PM

Uh, Split, is that comment being directed at me or princexbuster? Because i'm not sure why you would "diddle my face with darts" considering that fact I actually plan on making actual slugs, although I feel for the people who can't, as I have been in their position, which is why I would be in favor of allowing at least a few alternatives as long as it can be proven that they are at least as safe as slugs.
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I'm the only respectable person here. The rest of the NIC are pretty much just child molesters.


AKA: ObiWonTwo on Nerfrevolution, and most of the rest of the internet for that matter.....

#46 VACC

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Posted 08 February 2011 - 03:45 PM

I am going to diddle your face with darts. Also, it's not about the pain, it's not having to stand 150' away of people to stay out of their range. That gets crazy boring. Forcing all guns to drop range with darts is cheap, easy to enforce and, most importantly, makes for a much more fun game.


Split sums it up very nicely. We find slugs to be more fun. Now, not every nerf community is as competitive or as concerned with pacing elements as we are. This is not a slight, just an observation. And even then, not everyone in our community agrees with this preference. That said, it's cause exactly 0 people who I wanted to nerf with not to attend a war.
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#47 taerKitty

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Posted 08 February 2011 - 04:25 PM

I ain't Split, but I think he's talking about/to the whole NIC. Nerf wars are about fun. And, what you feel is fun is only half the puzzle. You have to consider what everyone else considers fun. A lot of time, it's a compromise. You give up a little bit of fun, I give up a little bit of fun, but we're maximizing the total group's enjoyment.

If only one person who is having fun, I'd think twice about attending another war by the same host. If I'm the only one having fun, then I'd feel like a douche.

Mind you, there are many other aspects to Nerfing that can be fun. Has someone made this mod before? Have I advanced the art? Have I pushed myself? Is this a clean mod? Is this PJ slick? Is this something that will make people laugh when they see it?

No two people will put the same worth on all the different ways we have fun. Most of these are solo endeavors. Maybe we'll post them to the Mods and PJ thread to share, but, in the end, the fun is singular.

Nerf wars (and mod parties, to a much lesser extent) are where you have shared fun. As Spider Robinson wrote, "A joy shared is a joy squared."
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Fugly is a feature.

#48 flamincows

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Posted 08 February 2011 - 04:27 PM

Could someone in the community please start selling washers and felt pads (split)? I don't like slug darts, but I'm not nearly petty enough for that to keep me from going to war. I can play a closer game if I have to, but I simply do not want to possess any form of plastic money. It's mostly a way of budgeting myself and keeping track of my finances.
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#49 VelveetaAvenger

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Posted 08 February 2011 - 05:41 PM

Now this I like, if rules would allow FBR tips (that are the same thickness as the felt in question) and other types of weights (as long as said weights were buried deep enough in hot glue completely inside the dart) I don't think anyone would have cause to complain; it would probably be cheaper than either full-glue domes OR slugs.


In my experience this manner of construction makes for less durable darts and poor performatnce. You should try actually making them before petitioning for their inclusion.


We haven't had any big wars in MN for a while, but I haven't had a single one of my last batch of darts fall apart from test firings. They're also harder to rip apart with your hands then slug darts.

You might be right about performance, I've noticed that they curve a bit more then darts I've made in the past. I think anyone who doesn't want to order things online can deal with it for a war though.

↓ I did make one "foam-dome" using the hot glue gun tip. It worked but I didn't really test it to see if it was better. Definitely something I've had in mind for my next batch.

Edited by VelveetaAvenger, 08 February 2011 - 06:29 PM.

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"I never saw Beastmaster, I just wanted to be cool..."

#50 HasreadCoC

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Posted 08 February 2011 - 06:07 PM

We haven't had any big wars in MN for a while, but I haven't had a single one of my last batch of darts fall apart from test firings. They're also harder to rip apart with your hands then slug darts.

You might be right about performance, I've noticed that they curve a bit more then darts I've made in the past. I think anyone who doesn't want to order things online can deal with it for a war though.

That's why I was thinking, what if the FBR pieces on the end were dome-shaped? Rather than 1/8" thick felt, how about 3/8" thick dome on the end of the dart? Just because we want the darts to hurt less doesn't mean that they need to be less accurate or less aerodynamic (which they invariably will be anyway, but hopefully a bit less so with dome shaped foam rather than flat). I dunno, but I guess i have a few ideas to start testing now...... I'll post once i have a bit more info and testing done.
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