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[cxwq]

Recently on the section of the bulletin boards devoted to Mojo Rising, a topic was suggested to me that was such a good idea that I really could not refrain from writing an article about it. That is the subject of Air-pressure Nerf guns vs. Spring powered Nerf guns. I have recently had a conversation concerning this issue with Famine (of the horsemen) and have derived some interesting ideas about this issue. There are several sides to it, so let me briefly outline them.

The first factor concerning this issue is the movement Nerf has made to the air pressure systems and its eventualities. Second are simply the pros and cons for Nerf, followed by the pros and cons for the nerfer. And lastly, the possibilities of this new movement are perhaps the most interesting part of the subject all together.

On the subject of Nerf's transition, I have to say that I feel it is going to be fairly permanent. Larami's development team has become ever more involved in the creation of Nerf's weapon lines, and is now the primary development team for Nerf. This plainly displays that the movement to airjet was not a coincidence but a transition that Nerf plans to stick to for quite some time. What does this mean? Well basically it means that we cannot expect to see spring powered weaponry as the primary members of any production line, and may never see them in Nerf again. Of course none of this constitutes Nerf's official position, but with the new Larami management and the overwhelming popularity of the Airjet line, this is the best guess that I can offer.

However, what does this mean for Nerf? Well, frankly I think Nerf loves it. Of course their sales are up, and Nerf is exciting to a whole new generation of children, but there is something that Nerf loves about this even more. We can't fuck with them nearly as much! Sure, these guns are better then the older models out of the box, but the modification possibilities for these guns are far less than those of the spring-powered guns. When kids get hurt, Nerf gets sued! Why do you think guns like the crossbow were terminated? Lawsuits! Why do you think there are modification warnings on all Nerf boxes now? Lawsuits! And why do you think that Nerf is moving away from spring power? That's right, it's simply too dangerous, and with the airjet power the modifications that the average kid is capable of will do little to enhance their power. Besides, those kids who do have enough mastery of the airjet systems to modify them are making homemade guns. Airjet is a safety net for Nerf.
So is this bad for the Nerfer? No....and yes. The same reasons given for Nerf apply for the nerfer as well. These guns will give us better performance right out of the box, and are capable of the coveted fully automatic fire that we have all sought for some time. These guns open up new avenues for Nerf wars that never before would have been possible. Yet, at what cost? Personally, there is not a gun I use today that is not modified. Without modifications even the strongest gun out of box simply falls far too short in the range department (no pun intended). Sure, I can seal air release valves and plug plungers, but there is nothing I can do to out reach my Lock N Load with a Powerclip. Also, these guns rely solely on rip rockets as opposed to full-sized mega darts. This means not only are they not compatible with my primary weapons (multi-ammo-type wars are cumbersome and undesirable), but it also adds another reason why they cannot fire any decent distance. This does not mean that I do not like the Powerclip and the Blastfire, just that I do not use them in my normal outdoor wars. I own a wildfire, Powerclip, and a Blastfire, and love them. I use them for pistol or indoor wars, and am glad the Nerf has produced such guns. However, I could not build an arsenal on these guns alone. I have every gun that I am ever going to truly need, but if I did not, I would be in dire straights. In short, Nerf's transition to "airjet" power has produced some high quality weapons that are great assets to any warrior, but the continuation of this type of weaponry would not bode well for the active nerfer.

So what do I hope for from the new Nerf? Well, I hope that they prove me wrong. I hope that Nerf looks beyond rate of fire and uses their air pressure designs to create a variety of weaponry including superior pistols and long-range rifles. There have been rumors floating around for quite some time now that Nerf is planning on producing a classics line of guns that would include the popular Nerf weapons of old. This may be purely wishful thinking by the mobs of nerfers desiring the older weapons that are not available to them today, but that does not mean that it is not a good idea. Nerf, as a company, knows that they could sell a ton of guns if they released the older classics. The dilemma is, however, the same one they faced when they stopped making these guns; they can be modified to be too powerful for safe use. So make them air pressure guns! That's right, take the designs for the crossbow, the mantarays, and the other guns of old and transform them into airjet weapons. The possibilities are limitless. It would be a triumph for both Nerf and the nerfer. But alas, perhaps t'is only the dreams of a dreamer. Regardless, airjet is likely here to stay, and Nerf better figure out some way to make the "fad" last, a way to, as the wise would say, Nerf-On or Fuck Off.

Vacc