Topic: LARP/Airsoft meets Video Games

[catbarf]

Just an idea I've been thinking of, this is completely hypothetical, but would it be possible to have a computer 'run' an airsoft-esque game? Such as, an airsoft gun with a built-in laser, so when the laser registers a hit, the target's 'health' is reduced? Then there's more that could be done- like drafting a few hundred people and playing a game of Warhammer! Think about it: If a computer is running everything, it wouldn't be difficult- let me give an example of cannon fire.

Cannon is 'loaded'(either a blank, or just doing something to approximate reloading, or perhaps just a timer)
Then the gunner aims the cannon, and designates on a PDA-type device the target
Computer calculates the accuracy of the aim the gunner has set
Computer randomly determines hit/damage
Targets hit get some kind of message that they just got killed (perhaps they carry a small device that beeps when they die)

With hand-held ranged weapons, it follows the same procedure- except the leader of the regiment designates targets, and then the computer checks to see how many of them are pointing the Handgun the right way- so the Handgunners don't actually fire or designate targets, but their leader does; and then the Handgunner just needs to aim his Handgun as accurately as possible at the target unit.

Melee just has to be the usual LARP- not difficult.

With the same idea, you could potentially make... I don't know... real life Counter-Strike or something. Like airsoft, but with health, and since all weapons' effects are virtual, the sky is the limit when it comes to designing new equipment/weapons/stuff.

What would be your thoughts on this?

[Rufas the Eccentric]

A little time on your hands, eh. 

I prefer my LARP (in a manner of speaking) with real black powder.  I love the smell of black powder in the morning!  Is smells like........ (What do you mean someone already used that line?)

Actually, the technology is already out there in laser tag.  I am sure as we speak, in some back room, a group of techno-geeks is developing the next generation.

[catbarf]

Right- use lasers from laser tag to provide input for computers to run the game is generally the gist of what I was saying. And it probably wouldn't be costly... every man just needs some sort of transmitter- no more complicated than a walkie-talkie.

[HoS]

But the computer running the whole thing would either need to be a centralized system receiving, calculating, and resending all the data. Or you could attempt to do what Laser Tag has and put the computer into the gear itself. However, with the sophistication you are talking about it would have to be a fairly advanced piece of equipment, with even more time spent protecting it.

With a centralized system you could have a lot of people in the battle doing complicated things, but it would be a rather expensive system if it going to be in any sort of transportable form. Like a laptop or something. Not only that, but the range on each item either would not be great, or you would need a powerful central communication system that could make it possible for all of the individual systems to communicate with each other.

With the computers/servers in the equipment range would be limited severely, seeing as that is a lot of data being transmitted quickly to a lot of systems.

Not only that but any communication system you got may require a license, which takes training and money. I am not sure, it depends on the type, but a license could put a big wrinkle in the works.

[Soju]

I've seen what you're on about. Sorta like how the damage of weapons and location of damage is calculated by a computer and when reduced to zero you are 'out of the game'. Sure I've seen that kinda stuff before. I think there was an airsoft competition area... in a museum of science. I can't remember which one it was, but i definitely saw it with my own two eyes. Sad that I couldn't go, my little cousins are all below 10 lol so they couldn't play.

But yeah. in the one i saw, basically airsoft damage was calculated by impact, by location etc. but instead of you dying, or going out of the game, your team loses 'tickets' like the BF series, where, each death, or each minute you didn't achieve the object meant that you lost a ticket? Sorta like that. I thought to myself wow that is really complicated... but then again, I kinda expected something like that to exist. it just would be more fun if you are reduced to zero health you get tazered out of action LOL

sj

p.s. i forgot to mention; the people are wearing large pads etc. which have the sensors. so the guns are normal airsoft stuff, it's just the armour that carry the computer etc.

[Zoren]

Yeah I think it could be done, but just the cost of developing the equipment would be huge! Let along building or buying it.

So let me - in all modesty - point to my own thread on LARPing
Admitted there where no handguns or crosbows, but it was complete with pistols, bows, a cannon, a mortar and an organ gun...
Who needs computers anyway?

-Søren

[catbarf]

Well, look at what video games have done- I can load up Battlefield 2 and play on a 64 player server being run by just one computer. And think about it- with this idea, the computer doesn't have to load graphics, maps, AI, or anything of the sort. Each player just needs a 2-way transmitter to send and receive to the main computer. This means that each man's transmitter would be no more complicated than a walkie-talkie- no calculations need to be performed.

And the programming wouldn't be hard, I've worked with robotics using laser sensors and the like, as well as object-oriented computer programming.

[Zoren]

Yeah, but you still need reliable digital transmitters working on variable or at least different channels, or else you'll need to convert the digital signals from the lasers to analog ones for transmitting through standard radiochannels, wich is to say computing on every piece of equipment.

So of cource it could be done, and I certainly think there would be a market, especially if combined with virtual reallity gear.
But it's expensive.
Rubber swords on the other hand are not.

-Søren

[Donnachaidh]

I love the smell of black powder in the morning!  Is smells like........

Rotten eggs?

We did a training weekend in the woods that formed part of the battlefield of Cheriton 362 years ago.

I can't remember the rules for cannon (the one piece was on our side anyway, so I didn't need to), but the rest of it worked that for every 6 musket firing at you, the unit had to take one casualty, if you were hit in hand to hand (steel weapons thankee) you were a casualty.

Casualties had to remove themselves by 100 yards or so and count to 100 before being allowed to rejoin the fight.

I was just gutted that I fouled my musket after the 5th or 6th shot 

[Rufas the Eccentric]

I love the smell of black powder in the morning!  Is smells like........

Rotten eggs?
I was just gutted that I fouled my musket after the 5th or 6th shot 

1.  Yeah, that's it! 
2.  That's why you should always carry a nipple pick.

[Donnachaidh]

1.  Yeah, that's it! 
2.  That's why you should always carry a nipple pick.

Not much use with a doglock, not having a nipple as such.

I did have a touch-hole pricker for all the good it did me 

What I needed was a worm and my cleaning kit, but with these older design shooters with their wooden scouring sticks, there's no provisions to attach any tools to the reverse end (unlike my 1736 Tulle - a very nice piece)

[Rufas the Eccentric]

Ah, the wonders of 19th century high tech! 

[Donnachaidh]

And 17th century low tech 

I was using one of these (but with the full stock that extends to the end of the barrle and the forged hardware to make it more mid c17th)



But at least it's not a matchlock - you can get really fed up of matchlocks...

[HoS]

Hey Donnachaidh looks like you need to upgrade your account. That picture needs money!

[Wyzer1]

I think it would work better for 40k than fantasy, because I think 40k (IMO) translates better into realtime than fantasy does.

The issue would be tanks, but hey some crafty players with golfcarts or a spare car could be entertaining.