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#1 bobafett109

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Posted 09 January 2008 - 09:25 PM

This is the first part of my draft, i'm slowing down because i'm running out of ideas. There's like a 600-1000 work limit, and so far I have 306. There is still a little I know i could do, but here is what I have so far. feel free to post your ideas!



[Essay]Remember that old Nerf gun you have lying around? You know, pick it up and shoot the guy in the office next to you. But what if you want to hit the guy in the office 50 feet away? Well, you won’t be able to do that with a regular Nerf gun. “Then, how do I hit him” You might be asking. Simple. www.nerfhaven.com is a website devoted entirely to nerf guns. How to mod them, how to make your own darts for them (called “Stefans, since the first person to make one’s name was Stefan, more on that later) and even making them!

Before we get started, here’s a list of some of the words we’ll be using.
1) Air restrictor (or AR for short, it’s something Nerf puts in it’s guns to make them shoot less powerfully)
2) Stefan (Homemade nerf dart, made with foam rod called Foam backer rod, otherwise called Caulk saver, which can be bought at most hard wear stores, and usually with some kind of weight in the front
3) Stock (Means out of the box, or unmodified)
(Give me ideas, I’m running on fumes here)
FAQ:
What is a “Stefan”?
A Stefan dart is a homemade dart. It usually is about 1-2 inches of foam rod, with some kind of weight attached to the front, using a hot glue, with the hot glue making a dome around the weight. Most people who nerf prefer these to stock darts because they shoot farther, and more accurate.

What’s a “Paintjob”?
A Paintjob is when someone paints their gun to look differently than it originally did. This has no affect on ranges.

Are there any other brands of foam dart guns, other than nerf?
Yes. One is Buzz bee. Another is laramy. (Help me out here, also, I don’t know that many)
[/essay]

So what do you think? I know I can still do integrations, a simple NF write up, and something on an insane mod (Eyes of Fire)
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QUOTE(Carbon @ Feb 17 2008, 10:17 PM) View Post

QUOTE(FoamSniper @ Feb 18 2008, 12:08 AM) View Post

You're probably all wondering how to get a range of 95' from a mech 20

I was figuring you threw it.

#2 jwasko

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Posted 09 January 2008 - 09:33 PM

Gut reactions:
It's a good start.
Needs some grammar/spelling improvement. For instance, it's spelled "Larami."
I wrote a little article on air restrictors for Foam Universe: link

If I get any more ideas about what to write, I'll let you know. Unfortunately, I'm not feeling very inspired right now.

PS: Not to sound like an English professor, but: That introduction was really good. If I wasn't a Nerfer already, it would definitely get me interested.

Edited by jwasko, 09 January 2008 - 09:36 PM.

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#3 hard rockr

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Posted 09 January 2008 - 09:43 PM

Why did you write this? Most of the people on this site no just about everything you mentiones...Just saying...
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#4 jwasko

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Posted 09 January 2008 - 09:57 PM

I won't even dignify your post with an answer, hard rockr (except what I just wrote).

On topic, I really think we need to express our hobby as something that is intellectually interesting yet at the same time brings out our inner child. As Baghead once said:

"...that's what's great about this hobby, you get to think like an engineer, and act like an 8 year old."

Oh! Idea! How about angling this as something that parents and kids/teens can enjoy together?

Also, I am on AIM and Yahoo IM as Jwasko1988 (or something like that), if you want to talk, Boba.

Edited by jwasko, 09 January 2008 - 10:01 PM.

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#5 dart

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Posted 09 January 2008 - 10:02 PM

you can put some of the realy bare bone mods in and say somthing like "isnt that easy to do?" or you can tell how its not lethal like airsoft of paintball. Or you can tell them about interagrations (sp?).
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I went into the choir room today and told the teacher," I can ony sing base" she said," I can fix that" she gave me a prompt kick in the nuts; i've been singing soprano ever since.

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#6 baghead

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Posted 09 January 2008 - 10:10 PM

"...that's what's great about this hobby, you get to think like an engineer, and act like an 8 year old."


If there is any attempt to use that professionally, I best get credit for saying it.

Boba, when you're done writing up your article, if you'd like it copy-edited, I'll gladly go over it with you. I've been an editor for my college's newspaper for 3 years now, so I'm sure I can help you.
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#7 penguin807

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Posted 09 January 2008 - 10:22 PM

Hard Rockr, It's an essay that we're hoping to get in Make Magazine. Bobafett109 kindly volunteered himself to write it.

I have 3 suggestions.

1. Your intro was good, but it seemed like a big commercial for the NIC. My suggestion is to include NerfHaven and Nerf HQ, but not in the intro. I believe the article is about modding and making homemades, not about websites.

2. Put the FAQ at the end. It looks more professional that way.

3. To start off the beef of the article, I think we should introduce motivations towards modding Nerf guns (other than the obvious). I'm sure most people would be surprised that we have organized wars with these things.

I think you can go from there, but if you need any more help, I'll try my best.

Edit: Other Brands of foam blasters? Lanard, Mattel (only one gun though), Airzone (Canadian TRU's version of Buzz bee), ERTL, and Pop Shotz. But we don't like to talk about that...

Edited by penguin807, 09 January 2008 - 10:34 PM.

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#8 Flaming Hilt

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Posted 09 January 2008 - 10:31 PM

Here's my edit. I just did minor grammatical stuff, tried not to change the content too much... it's not my essay, after all. And also, it's late, so it's possible I made some mistakes as well.

Remember that old Nerf gun you have lying around? You know, the one you pick up and shoot the employee in the next cubicle with? Well, have you ever wanted to hit the guy five cubicles down?

You won’t be able to do that with anyold Nerf gun. “Then, how do I hit him?” you might ask. Simple: nerfhaven.com is a website devoted entirely to Nerf guns. How to modify them, how to make your own darts for them (called “Stefans,” since Stefan is the name of person who invented them), and even how to make your own gun from scratch!

Before we get started, here’s a list of some of the words we’ll be using.
1) Air restrictor: AR for short, something Hasbro puts in their guns as a safety precaution. If you want range and power, you don’t want air restrictors.
2) Stefan: Homemade Nerf dart, a body of Foam Backer Rod (also known as Poly-Foam Caulk Saver) with some kind of ballast hot glued to the tip. I use BBs; another common choice is fishing weights.
3) Stock: Out of the box, not modified in any way to shoot farther than the producer intends.
4) Paintjob: A custom color scheme the owner of a gun dons to his weapon of choice. Usually has no effect on ranges, but if one isn’t careful, the paint can clog the insides and slow the moving parts – decreasing the range.
5) Buzz Bee, Larami, etc: Other dart gun companies besides Hasbro. Their guns aren't considered official "Nerf guns," but some of them shoot just as well.

FAQ:
What is a “Stefan”?
A Stefan dart is a homemade dart. It usually is about 1-2 inches of foam rod, with some kind of weight attached to the front, using a hot glue, with the hot glue making a dome around the weight. Most people who nerf prefer these to stock darts because they shoot farther, and more accurate.

What’s a “Paintjob”?
A Paintjob is when someone paints their gun to look differently than it originally did. This has no affect on ranges.

Are there any other brands of foam dart guns, other than nerf?
Yes. One is Buzz bee. Another is laramy. (Help me out here, also, I don’t know that many)

Don't need that information twice.

Edited by Flaming Hilt, 09 January 2008 - 10:36 PM.

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#9 jwasko

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Posted 09 January 2008 - 10:37 PM

I wouldn't dream of taking that quote away from you, Bags. If it gets put into the magazine without your name attached, I will...write a nasty letter to the editors! Yeah, you heard me, Make Magazine editors! And remember:

I'm watching you.

But, yeah, here's a contribution. It's a little under three hundred words, but (I think) gives a good summary of what I like to call the "main aspects of Nerfing:"

Nerf is a hobby that many people can enjoy, due to its many aspects. In the Nerf Internet Community (NIC), the aspects that have the most practitioners are the modification of Nerf blasters and the use of modified blasters in organized Nerf “wars.” The former obviously appeals to those who enjoy working with their hands and solving mechanical problems; the latter appeals to children and those who are children at heart, as a Nerf war is a very entertaining pastime that reminds many of the diversions enjoyed when they were children.

One longtime Nerfer, (insert Baghead’s real name here), once said that he liked to Nerf because “you get to think like an engineer, and act like an 8 year old." Nerf can be enjoyed by adults and teens that have a penchant for tinkering. Meanwhile, the idea of a Nerf war may take adults back to their days of playing “army,” and younger adults may even remember their days of playing similar games with unmodified Nerf blasters. In fact, Nerf can also be a great way for parents to connect with their children.

There are other aspects to Nerfing. One that is very similar, but more complicated than modifying a Nerf blaster, is the production of a “homemade” Nerf blaster (or, simply, “homemades”). Generally utilizing such materials as PVC pipe and polycarbonate, homemades often replicate or improve upon the mechanisms that mass-produced Nerf blasters are made with; other Nerfers have come up with ideas that were never used in the mass produced toy blasters.

There is even an aspect of the Nerfing hobby that is artistic. Many people have given their blasters (modified or left otherwise stock) new paintjobs. Some merely like the aesthetics, while others find them useful as props for costumes.


If anyone can come up with a good noun to go there, please post it. Any other comment, etc. are also welcome, of course.

Edited by jwasko, 25 January 2008 - 12:11 PM.

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#10 Rambo

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Posted 10 January 2008 - 02:25 AM

You really don't have anything approaching an essay... A glossary will be included in any sort of word count imposed. An anecdote (kind of what you have I suppose) is a great way to start an essay, but it's just not going to be an essay with a giant glossary, a moderately well done anecdote and a few sentences resembling an essay. I don't mean to be harsh, but that's just the fact of the matter.

Also, I really haven't read the other thread at all, but one question comes to mind - Why do we want to burden ourselves with another onslaught of new users? We've gotten some good members of the last seven thousand or so to be validated, but is it really worth it (from the administrators' POVs)?


The above was directed at Boba, not jwasko.

The below is directed at jwasko.

I don't like how you've used the word most twice in such a short period of time (first sentence). It doesn't sound crisp when you read it out loud. As far as a noun goes, I nominate pastime. This is as far as I've gotten, but I'll post other thoughts in a minute.

Other thoughts
-----

No offense to Boba, but I like jwasko's rough draft much much more. Again, it's mainly because it's an essay, not a glossary with an anecdote. He's worked his glossary into his essay, which, in my opinion is much more effective, especially for a magazine publication. I like what you have quite a bit, but I also feel that, if the objective here is to draw people to the hobby/community, it is imperative to compare this Nerfing to other wargames - airsoft and paintball, namely. This will shift the focus of the essay from a descriptive essay to a compare/contrast, or maybe even an argumentation. I don't know if this would fit within the confines of the magazine's restrictions, but I think it would greatly increase the effectiveness of the article, if allowed.


Since I have nothing better to do while waiting to get to the airport, I drafted something up. I am by no means in love with it (not that that would stop anyone from flaming me :P), so critique it as you wish.

NIC—Nerf Internet Community. This little known group has been around, in one form or another for well over a decade. We Nerf. We mod. We Make.

Starting with LISTSERVs in the early ‘90s and through the forum systems of today, NerfHaven and NerfHeadquarters, the concept of Nerf has improved greatly through hundreds of innovative inventions.

The Stefan, perhaps the greatest such invention, has served as great inspiration for many. Its purpose – increase the range and accuracy of Nerf weapons. Its concept has been transferred over to many other dart forms and has been elaborated on by many – a great symbol of this community’s ability to work with one another. Stefans can be found in any true Nerfer’s home as well as many parks and schools across America. These venues have played host to many great wars over the years.

Apocalypse, Armageddon, Deal, Reckoning, and Yellowstone Area Nerf Outing – all these wars have been integral in the perpetuation of the hobby over all these years. Organized by clans such as the LCM, LGLF, and Horsemen [ insert westie clans that organized YANO/Armageddon in past here ], they serve as the proving ground for all the ideas that seemed so great on paper. In deathmatch and capture-the-flag scenarios, mostly, Nerfers can test their worth and determine if they deserve to be known as one of the greats. Of course, as with all hobbies, there are multiple ways to achieve greatness. Participants of the forums who modify and create their own Nerf-like blasters (referred to as homemades) are often revered just as highly as those “gods” of the fields. 

Innovators such as Boltsniper, CaptainSlug, Carbon, and Forsaken_Angel24 have commanded much respect of the NIC since their first posts of modifications and homemades. These engineers of the sport have perpetuated it as much as the organizers of formal events. With modifications that changed the Rapid Fire 20 into the Rapid Fire 40 (more commonly known as The Eyes of Fire), and homemades such as the Fast Action Rifle (FAR) that blew every member’s mind, these great innovators have not only shown others the way, but provent that Nerf can compete with range comprable to paintball gun rainges. Among others, these four have been essential in making Nerf as enjoyable as it is today.

Perhaps more enjoyable than paintball and airsoft, the foremost “competitors” of Nerf, Nerf, allows the average person to pick it up without burning a hole in his or her pocket. For instance, to equip yourself with one decent weapon for paintball, you could effectively finance yourself for nearly six months of Nerfing with as many as three or four weapons. 

Nerfing is also seen by many as a more relaxed wargame. Minimal protection is necessary, only enough to protect the eyes from the moderate-by-comparison projectiles. Although you will not bleed or retain bruising as easily as you would from paintball or airsoft, you can still feel Stefans hit you. These two key factors primarily embody the mindset that allows most Nerfers to consider our hobby more enjoyable than the others.

Interested in this enjoyable, low-cost hobby? Wish you could shoot your colleague that is fifty feet away from your office rather than the one who is five feet away? NerfHaven and NerfHeadquarters could be the place you were looking for.


Edited by RAMBO, 10 January 2008 - 03:31 AM.

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#11 Ubermensch

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Posted 10 January 2008 - 06:54 AM

Nice work! Remember, it has to be 600 to 1,000 words, though. Also, it can't just be the facts. Like jwasko said, it has to be appealing to adults and parents as an activity they can do with kids.
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#12 Rambo

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Posted 10 January 2008 - 07:39 AM

Hmm, I see your point. I guess I was a little worried about getting the facts across. I'll work on a re-draft today, look for it this afternoon/evening.
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#13 jwasko

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Posted 10 January 2008 - 10:31 AM

I think that Rambo's essay, or at least a slightly modified version of it, should serve as a very good core for the final essay. While we do want to include things besides the facts, we do want to include at least some facts. And, Rambo's essay presented them well.

Rambo's essay is 550 words, according to MS Word's word count, so if we want it could be the more factual half of the essay while another half can talk about things like how Nerfing "brings people together." As mentioned before, there is the parents/kids thing. Of course, there are also the NIC wars, which can draw people from quite a distance (from one coast to another, for cryin' out loud!). A rather specific, cuddly little example is Piney and his Church's youth group (I think it's a youth group): he used Nerf to in draw kids/teens.

-----

As far as why we want to get new users, well, first of all z80 made a good point (in the other topic) that the audience of Make magazine is generally one of "modders and hackers just like us," and that they are "the RIGHT people to get to nerf."

Secondly, Groove (a Founder, lest anyone forget) supported the idea (also in the other topic).
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#14 Rambo

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Posted 10 January 2008 - 01:13 PM

I'm sitting here at work, where, strangely, I have no work, ever, and I'm trying to brainstorm. I don't really know what you guys are talking about when you say parents and their children are drawn together because of Nerf. The only angle I can come up with here is traveling to wars together. I suppose you could mean modding together too, but I'm not so sure this is the best example of drawing people together that we can use.

Anyone object to focusing on more war-related aspects of "drawing people together"? I'm not opposed to including the other idea, but I'd need some further explanation on exactly what it would be to get my vote for it.

I typed this out to get the drawing aspect in. I'm not really happy with it, but I figured I'd post it anyway.

Although it is a low-cost alternative, the hobby can become quite costly. Travel is necessary since it is not as popular as paintball. Events take place in only a few states, but these wars often see more than six states’ attendance – once again proving that the community is one of the strongest out there. Daytrips, overnighters – both quite common for the average war-gamer. However, there are those who take to extremes traveling cross-country to partake in this, their favorite pastime. Loving rivals, the two coasts poke fun at one another, much like siblings. When it’s time to Nerf, it doesn’t matter if you’re an Eastie or a Westie – you are a Nerfer, and the rivalries fade.

Want to become a Nerfer? Want to learn how to maximize the range on your blasters so you can reach your colleague who is fifty feet, rather than the one who is just five feet away? NerfHaven and NerfHeadquarters could be the places you were looking for.

Edited by RAMBO, 10 January 2008 - 01:25 PM.

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#15 bobafett109

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Posted 10 January 2008 - 03:57 PM

I Apologize if I made it seem like that was my idea of a final essay, but it was just a draft.
Rambo, the reason I see that we would like "an onslaught" of new users is that what's wrong with having new people? They'd have to go through the validation period, and then they'd get an idea of how things work. Not all new people are idiots. (Dare I say this?) I was new only a couple weeks ago...
Also, i'm just saying this so that no one finds out and suddenly flames me insanely, i'm only in 7th grade, so if anyone doesn't want me to help write something that will represent the NIC, speak now, or forever hold your silence.

Edited by bobafett109, 10 January 2008 - 03:57 PM.

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QUOTE(Carbon @ Feb 17 2008, 10:17 PM) View Post

QUOTE(FoamSniper @ Feb 18 2008, 12:08 AM) View Post

You're probably all wondering how to get a range of 95' from a mech 20

I was figuring you threw it.

#16 MoonMaster

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Posted 10 January 2008 - 04:55 PM

you can put some of the realy bare bone mods in and say somthing like "isnt that easy to do?" or you can tell how its not lethal like airsoft of paintball. Or you can tell them about interagrations (sp?).

Wow. I never knew that people could be killed shooting small plastic bbs at each other.
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5. Protip: sarcasm is good for making someone else look like more of an idiot than they already do. However, if you are an idiot to start with, using sarcasm just makes you look like a COLOSSAL idiot.


#17 bobafett109

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Posted 10 January 2008 - 05:44 PM

you can put some of the realy bare bone mods in and say somthing like "isnt that easy to do?" or you can tell how its not lethal like airsoft of paintball. Or you can tell them about interagrations (sp?).

Wow. I never knew that people could be killed shooting small plastic bbs at each other.


Eye, temple. Groin also, (when not wearing a cup) if you count dieing of pain.
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QUOTE(Carbon @ Feb 17 2008, 10:17 PM) View Post

QUOTE(FoamSniper @ Feb 18 2008, 12:08 AM) View Post

You're probably all wondering how to get a range of 95' from a mech 20

I was figuring you threw it.

#18 Diablo

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Posted 11 January 2008 - 02:52 AM

I tried to add a reply to this topic last night, but for some reason it wasn't letting me post. I really like the way Rambo's draft was written, but I think we need to focus more on the modification aspects of Nerf. The magazine we're trying to be published in is all about making/modding things, correct? If that's the case, we should put mods and homemades on the foreground and not talk as much about warring. Not to criticize you more, Rambo, but I also think that you don't go in depth enough with some parts of your essay. When you mention Stefans, for example, you never even say what a Stefan is. I think it would be best to let the reader know that a Stefan is a homemade dart so they know what you're talking about.

I edited jwasko's draft a bit last night, here is what I've come up with:


Remember that old Nerf gun you have lying around? You know, the one you pick up and shoot the employee in the next cubicle with? Well, have you ever wanted to hit the guy five cubicles down?

You won’t be able to do that with any old Nerf gun. “Then how do I hit him?” you might ask. Simple: modify your toy gun to shoot farther! There is a whole community of people who love to modify their toy blasters to shoot faster, farther, and more accurately. In this "Nerfing" community, the aspects that have the most practitioners are the modification of Nerf blasters and the use of modified blasters in organized Nerf “wars.” The former appeals to those who enjoy working with their hands and solving mechanical problems; the latter appeals to children and those who are children at heart.

One longtime Nerfer, (insert Baghead’s real name here), once said that he enjoys Nerfing because, “You get to think like an engineer, and act like an 8 year old." Nerf can be enjoyed by adults and teens that have a penchant for tinkering. Meanwhile, the idea of a Nerf war may take adults back to their days of playing “army,” and younger adults may even remember their days of playing similar games with unmodified Nerf blasters. In fact, Nerf can be a great way for parents to connect with their children.

There are still even more aspects to Nerfing. One that is very similar, but more complicated than modifying a Nerf gun, is the production of a homemade blaster. Generally utilizing such materials as PVC pipe and polycarbonate, homemade blasters often replicate or improve upon the mechanisms that mass-produced Nerf blasters are made with. Some Nerf enthusiasts don't stop after they've created or modified their perfect blaster though. Many people have given their blasters new paint jobs which adds an artistic outlet to the hobby.

Modifying your Nerf blaster to preform better can be very easy to do. Simple modifications include the removal of any air flow restrictions, barrel replacements, and spring replacements. These basic modifications are designed to create the best airflow possible out the end of your gun; resulting in a farther flying dart. For example, the Nerf "Nite Finder" shoots a dart about 25 feet without any modification. After modification however, some Nerfers have been able to achieve ranges of up to 70 feet with their Nite Finders.


That version has about 400 words. Let me know what you think, and please expand upon it.
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#19 Ubermensch

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Posted 11 January 2008 - 06:54 AM

Nice, but the one change it needs is that it is still too formal, in my opinion. Maybe I'm just nitpicking.
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#20 Rambo

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Posted 11 January 2008 - 12:07 PM

I tried to add a reply to this topic last night, but for some reason it wasn't letting me post. I really like the way Rambo's draft was written, but I think we need to focus more on the modification aspects of Nerf. The magazine we're trying to be published in is all about making/modding things, correct? If that's the case, we should put mods and homemades on the foreground and not talk as much about warring. Not to criticize you more, Rambo, but I also think that you don't go in depth enough with some parts of your essay. When you mention Stefans, for example, you never even say what a Stefan is. I think it would be best to let the reader know that a Stefan is a homemade dart so they know what you're talking about.


Quoth the zine:

And we also have 600- to 1,000-word articles about groups, companies, clubs, and technologies relating to DIY projects.


This is the angle I was playing at, 600-1k articles about our group, not just the modifications we do.

I know that some places I don't go in depth enough, and I don't take it the wrong way that you point those places out. As I said it was a very rough draft, I hadn't even proofread it myself before I put it up.

Edited by RAMBO, 11 January 2008 - 01:22 PM.

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#21 jwasko

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Posted 11 January 2008 - 12:18 PM

Firstly, a disclaimer: I've been laboring for the past couple of hours under the impression that Ubermensch asked for something "more personal." Just now, I reread his post and he didn't mention anything about that; apparently I didn't get enough sleep last night, or something.

So, in accordance with Uber's imagined request for something more personal, I came up with this little, fictional story. It covers the basic modifications (banding, improving plunger seal, AR removal, and rebarreling), and features what we use our modified blasters for (warring):

--------
The modification of a new Nerf blaster is a wonderful thing. It can be challenging, but extremely rewarding.

Let us say, for instance, that you are cleaning out your parents' basement. There you find a toy pistol with a foam dart in the barrel. You pull back on the ring and aim at your brother, who has been helping you with this chore. Pulling the trigger, the dart is launched out of the pistol, and hits the ground only a few feet away. Your brother, who was on the other side of the room (a mere 20 feet away, if that), laughs at the poor performance and suggests that you go play a "real man's" game like paintball or airsoft.

Later that night you are stewing over the incident. You remember how much fun you had with that toy when you were young, but now it seemed so unimpressive. It couldn't even hit the opposite wall of a room! Bored, however, you pick up the blaster again. You've already put some rubber bands around the ring in order to pull it forward faster and harder, and now the pistol was shooting a little further. Still unsatisfied, however, and noticing the screws in the blaster, you decide to open the toy. Inside, you find a spring on a large piston. Apparently, the force of the air compressed by the piston forced the dart out of the barrel. Seeing the innards, you would think that the dart would at least go a few feet further.

So, you get to work. First, you see that the piston does not form a very good seal with its cylindrical chamber. So, you wrap a few layers of electrical tape over the aged and rotting rubber. Reassembling the blaster and shooting the dart again, you see that the range has increased a little.

Opening the pistol again, you take out the piston's cylinder and the attached barrel. While tying to think of something else to do, you absently look into the cylinder. Strangely, you can't see much light coming through the barrel. "Aha!" you think: something is blocking the flow of the pressurized air. After retrieving your power drill, you drill a hole through the blockers. Also, you see a length of PVC pipe sitting in the corner of your workshop. The foam dart fits much tighter in the pipe than in the toy's stock barrel, so you cut off the old barrel and put on several inches of PVC pipe.

Fitting everything back together, you put the dart in the barrel and push it to the back with a pen. You cock the pistol, pull the trigger, and the piston moves forward, but nothing happens: the dart didn't leave the barrel! But it did get pushed forward a little, so you try again. This time the dart makes it all the way to the wall, though far below the point at which you aimed. In one sense you are pleased that you can now at least hit the opposite wall, but you are also disappointed by the inaccuracy and the fact that it took two tries for the dart to leave the barrel. You decide to retire for the night.

Lying awake, you continue to think about the latest results of your little endeavor. Suddenly, you have another eureka moment with the realization that the barrel that you made is too long. Trying this the next day, you get better results. The dart always leaves the barrel on the first try, and the dart hits the wall a little harder and only just below the point at which you aimed.

Two days later, your brother and his wife stop by for a visit. While the wives were off in another room, you pull the toy pistol from a drawer and hit your brother in the back of the head. He cries out, but you know it is much more out of surprise than pain; you shot yourself in the head at pointblank range to make sure it was safe, and it only stung a little. Turning around, he gapes as he recognizes the toy that you had found a few days ago, now transformed into quite the beast. You pull a second pistol from the drawer, one that you had bought from a toy store the other day and modified using what you had learned from your first modification. You tossed it to your brother, and he shoots it down the hall. He says, "Hey, these are pretty cool."

You think to yourself how right he is, but instead of wasting time by telling him you merely say:

"Wanna war?"
--------

It got longer than I wanted; it's actually 773 words. Feel free to cut the fat, or even not use it. At least it prevented some boredom.

Edited by jwasko, 11 January 2008 - 12:24 PM.

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We NERF ON all day, and FUCK OFF all night


#22 Rambo

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Posted 11 January 2008 - 01:25 PM

I don't really like it, to be honest. I mean, it encompasses only the modification side and maybe a little of the war side, but that's not really what a war is. It doesn't really even talk about the NIC at all, which, as I said previously, is what I thought the focus of the article was.
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#23 jwasko

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Posted 11 January 2008 - 01:57 PM

They say that honesty is always the best policy, Rambo.

And yeah, while I kind of like what I wrote, I don't think it belongs in the magazine article.

It's just that I wrote it while under the (mistaken) impression that Uber wanted something personal/human. I was done by the time I saw my mistake, so I figured I might as well post it.

Also, the point of it was mainly to show the joys of modification, before one finds the NIC (or, before the NIC even existed). I like to call it "Discovering Nerf." ;)

Also, I want to bring this point up: Right now, at least, we are writing an essay to get in the mag; not the article itself.

Edited by jwasko, 11 January 2008 - 01:59 PM.

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We NERF ON all day, and FUCK OFF all night


#24 Rambo

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Posted 11 January 2008 - 02:05 PM

Hmm, thanks for mentioning that, I wasn't aware that there was an application separate from the article we wanted to publish. Do the two have to be related?

I, too, like what you wrote, but agree that it's not all that relevant.

Edited by RAMBO, 11 January 2008 - 02:06 PM.

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#25 Guest_CornMan_*

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Posted 11 January 2008 - 03:23 PM

Something like this should be included in the essay, about a 13 year old kid doing a mod with his dad. People with think that is a great way to get in touch with their kids, and be invloved in their lives. My dad and I are going to do a phat mod on one of my at3k's, and I can't do a very good one on my own, so he is going to help me get some brass or PETG for the barrels to put on there, and he said "If you are going to do a mod, do it right. Why don't you let me help with it. (I could tell he was itching to mod them and play with them. ;) You could say it was implied) We are going to do the mod on Sunday. But yeah, I think that would appeal to people. A lot of my friend's parents barely know anything about their kids (my friends), and a lot of parents would probably like to learn.

Edited by CornMan, 11 January 2008 - 03:25 PM.

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