As mentioned in my previous post, we spent the last weekend in June in
Pembury with the Green Cloaks Sci-Fi LARP system. This post is about how
those experiences will affect Blastersmiths development pipeline and
how our kit holds up in combat.
Being outdoors was a
huge change and not just for the effect on blaster range. I found myself crawling through
bushes, lying prone and firing down a hill and generally getting dirty
and muddy - things I'd never do as a BUZAN player. My left hand holster
is currently a mess having gotten incredibly muddy and dirty to the
point where we might have to consider putting it through the washing
machine (a 30 degree wash is fine, for reference). This is an important
realisation, BUZAN needs quick access to darts but if you're running for
a whole day then some compromise solution might be in order. While I
still maintain flaps are going to get you killed (and they did get a player killed at least
once) I think a zip type solution to switch between combat readiness and
not would be a good idea. I also think some kind of blank spacer to save me having to constantly throw away the first dart in my magazine.
Our current kit held up very
well. The MkII and MkIII drop-leg holsters performed admirably alongside
some of the other kit we saw around. It was a lovely feeling to stand
atop a hill with lines of players filing past struggling to tell if our
holsters were in use or not; they're designed to be low impact and the
fact the manufacturers struggle to spot them at a distance I think
proves we met that criterion!
The prototype chest rig I
deployed held together fine, too - there are some bugs that need fixing with
its construction but generally, the idea is sound. The Camel Back was an
absolute life-saver. Everytime I was told to 'Hydrate or die' all I had
to do was reach for my catch tube. It also had the fantastic effect of
being a huge heat sink keeping me cool under all that gear. It's
certainly a winner and the design will be taken forward.
Another
point relating to kit is that the bruises on the back of my right leg
are only just fading. Normally, I use a 2 point combat sling to hold my
blaster out of the way. Only problem is that it will bang against the
back of your leg while on long marches. A three point sling or a QR
sling would have been a much better idea and would have saved the pain.
After being asked for one several times, such variants are our top
priority.
Other kit changes include our approach to our rig systems.
Our tactical chest rig as it stands is fine for HvZ but I don't
honestly think it can continue to as it is. To that end, we've revised
our approach to include two different tiers. Tier 1 will consist of
lightweight shoulder rigs, pancake holsters, belt systems and the like
while Tier 2 will consist of full vest kits. We've got some sewing
pattern-fu in the works and so we'll be able to offer differing sizes.
Our commitment to the MOLLE adaptability system remains solid, our
company motto is 'Take your blaster' - while the full meaning of that is
yet to become apparent to the public, making your kit your own is a key
part to success in any system, be it LARP, HvZ or NIC wars.
The
form that the end of the current chest rig system and the introduction
of the new systems is currently unclear. We have some chest rig parts in
stock and will likely make those up to order but produce no more once
those parts are used. The deployment of the new tier systems will be
coincide with our new website that's coming at the beginning of August.
Our new products will be combat tested around the place, both indoors
and outdoors.
If there's one thing I could take away
from this last weekend it would be that we're doing the right thing.
Seeing people struggle in the field with poorly adapted equipment was a
nightmare for me and it's spurred me on to get us moving. The lack of MOLLE mounted vests was disappointing and the fact people were electing for ill-fitting Viper and Webtex rigs makes for a strong case for selling starter kits and packs for people looking for an adaptable load out. Eventually, it's just
a case of getting people to know who we are and why we do what we do.
:)
There's a very strong possibility we'll be back
in Pembury in August to fight alongside the Green Cloaks once more (it
would be a certainty but I've not discussed it with the guys yet). I'd
like to reiterate my earlier sentiments and thank Enys, Hollie, Woj and
everyone else for a fantastic weekend. We learned so very much and we hope we can repay you by either fighting alongside or being the faceless mooks you wage war through in the coming months. :)
-Mike, BSUK MD
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