Greetings Survivors!!! Welcome to the afternoon edition of Pro-Tip Thursday!
This is our First pro-tip of the New SEASON!!!!!!!
Hopefully you are as excited as I am for the year that we have coming up!
We have been working like crazy behind the scenes during this break to get things ready for the new year! I also took a good long break to make sure I was ready and able to bring to you the best pro-tips in the waste!
In case you are not aware, our first game is going to be on March 15th! We are risking the weather gods on having a march game! If the weather is too cold, we won't have water at the lower camp. Keep your eyes on the discord and Facebook for information on camp conditions!
But let's get to why you are really here! Pro-Tip time! Today our topics are going to be about weapons and weapon safety! I want to lead off with this topic because its time to dig out that gear and start making sure things are in good condition and we are ready to whack each other in safety!
This information I am about to go over will also help serve as a reminder what it takes for your weapons to pass inspection to be used in game. Safety is always the first rule. So if you are bringing in something new to use or just checking your current weapons for the new year you will know what we expect.
To start off, let's talk about melee weapons. These are the basic requirements for melee weapons.
Checking Melee Weapons
Is it padded two inches on either side?
Does it sting you when you are struck?
Does it have enough foam on the striking surfaces?
Does the weapon bend too much when swung?
Is the core dangerous?
Does it need maintenance?
Does the weapon meet size requirements?
Does it meet genre requirements?
Any weapon we have in our game that makes contact with a person needs to pass this check. We get some pretty awesome looking weapons made by people that we have to decline every year because they can't pass this list. When buying a premade weapon ( nerf or other) sometimes they will not pass because they are too hard. Or have a breakable core inside the weapon. So either new or old, make sure you check these basics before bringing them into the game. Some new weapons just need to be broken in so they are not too hard. Taking it outside and beating it against a tree is a good way to break in a weapon.
Now we move on to Projectile Weapons!
One of the fun things we get to do in our game is shoot people with nerf guns. Who doesn’t like that???? Most nerf guns that have not been modified can pass the following check list.
Checking Ranged Weapons
What is the FPS?
Does it hurt when shot?
Does it look illegally modified?
Does it meet genre requirements?
Since you can NEVER use a gun to block a melee strike it does not have to be contact safe. It is only used for shooting projectiles. Most Nerf guns fit the FPS requirements. The following is an excerpt from our national book on projectiles
The basis for measuring Dystopia Rising safe blasters will be shifting to FPS limits moving forward and FPS limits will be based on projectile type.
Full length & half-length darts 130 FPS
Rival rounds - 110 FPS
Mega Rounds - 90 FPS
Ammo / Projectiles will have an approved list. Projectiles on this list meet the criteria for what is considered safe at the above posted FPS limits.
Homemade projectiles and at home cut down darts will not be allowed.
The current approved list of projectiles/ brands is as follows.
Full Length:
Nerf Elite (NE)
Nerf Accustrike (NA)
Koosh Darts (KD)
XShot (XS)
Dart Zone Bamboo (DZ)
Adventure Force (AF)
Worker (W)
Half Darts:
Worker Gen 1-3 (W1, W2, W3)
Dart Zone Bamboo (DZ1/2)
Adventure Force (AFI / 2)
ACC Gen 3 (AC)
Rival Like Ammo:
Nerf Rival (NR)
Headshot (HS)
Mega:
Nerf Mega
Nerf Mega Accustrike
These guns are what are already approved. If you have something else in mind bring it and we will check it out. The key thing to remember is the following: “ DOES IT HURT WHEN SHOT AT ME FROM 5 feet away?”
That is the key for both styles of weapons. Does it hurt? Most of us know we are a lightest touch combat system. But that does not stop us from feeling our adrenaline during a fight and whacking someone harder than necessary. If someone is telling you to check your swings then you are causing pain. So be aware of this.
To wrap this up. Bring out your weapons and make sure they are ready to go. Make sure they are safe for people and props.
We can answer a lot of questions in discord and Facebook about weapons, but most often we will tell you it will depend on when we check it at game.
Hopefully this will encourage you to pull your gear and start checking things!
Till next Time Friends!
See you in the waste!!!!