[Eeyore]

Originally Posted by mcguyver

If all you are going to do is play scrims at a paintball field, you don't need anything but a gun, hicap mag and some BBs. The rest is all fluff.

If you want to get more serious, or play other types of games, you need it all, you need it immediately, or you become a liability to yourself and other players (unless you are tasked with playing a specific role by the admins).

What Brian has mentioned is a sympton shown in other aspects of society. We all know about tourists. They decide they want to go for a backwoods nature hike, and take a water bottle and garnola bar. They get lost, someone dies, and the survivor bitches about how SAR failed to save them. Sometimes, people expect they should just be able to do what they want, how they want, when they want, everything on their terms. If you are alone in your endeavour, this is fine. When you have to join a community at the bottom of the totem pole, this is totally unacceptable.

If a community has set a minimum standard, it is the responsibility of the new guy to conform, not the responsibility of the community to accomodate. Nor is it the responsibility of the community to mentor. Nobody mentored me, you learn what you need, you get it and get your job done.

This is not an airsoft issue, this is part and parcel of what we allow society to think is acceptable. Years ago when I started in the electrical trade, you bought your own tools, you made sure you had everything you need. What you absolutely did not do is ask your journeyman to borrow his tools, nor did you do any creative or independent thinking. You did what you were told. If you didn't have money for tools, too bad, you sold your mother if you had to. Now, all I hear is whining and complaining about "I can't afford it" or "why can't I borrow your drill, you have 4 of them?"

This whole issue boils down to personal responsibility first, and responsibility to the community you enter second. Mentoring is not a right to be expected by new guys, and it is not the job of vets to mentor. If it occurs, it needs to be treated as a privilege subject to review.

During the Keystone game in 2006, the Red team lost about 1/2 their number throughout the 24 hours to dehydration, injury, exhaustion and disgust at getting their asses handed to them from the game start. Other than injury, the rest is not acceptable in my opinion. Guys showed up with a couple of bottled water and a granola bar to sustain them in a 24hr game at 28 dgrees outside.

There is no shortage of info on this website that anyone can learn all about what they need to do for themselves and their fellow players long before they ever step onto the field. I think Brian's whole point is that guys don't give a shit, show up, do whatever, "if I like it, I like it, if I don't, I don't" attitude with no feeling of personal or community responsibility.

Notice how I didn't mention anything about guns or gear here? This is only a symptom of an underlying problem.

Mcguyver I understand your points and agree with your points about preparedness. However reagardless of how much new players have read their is always things that the vets can and should show them. This is my way of thinking regardless of the precautions we take for safety airsoft is innately dangerous. Why? We runs around wooded areas shooting projectiles at each other at somewhat high velocities. It comes down to this : Am I as a player willing to take the time to mentor and correct the people who will be pointing their gun at me and pulling the trigger? I can only speak for my experiance in paintball, but if I have an opportunaty to correct a flaw of another player I will take it. Because it will make it afer and more enjoyable for me. Why would you as a verteran not want to make better players out of others? Don't better players (notice I said better not more skilled) make for more enjoyable games?