Questions from an utter and total noob

[FinnAgain]

Hi there folks!
I just accepted a job teaching English in Seoul and I should be done with my orientation and training on or around July 1st.

I've never played any Airsoft games before, but loved playing laser tag with friends when I was in college. I know that, for obvious reasons, Airsoft is a different and more expensive game, but it sounds like a heck of a lot of fun. I'd like to find out a bit more about how much it costs to play, how I can demo/try out the game to see if I like it and if I'm any good at it, etc...

What are the options for a total noob to find out about the sport?

[krobinson103]

Welcome to the forums. I'll upgrade your access so you can access the game forums. The best way to find out about airsoft is to come to a game and play. Most of our long term members have a gun or 2 that can be borrowed for a few games. If you find you like airsoft you need to be willing to spend about 400,000 won to get a decent gun, a radio, and a uniform in whatever pattern you prefer. On your first day be sure to wear long sleeves and long pants unless you want red marks all over your arms and legs. You also need some form of eye protection. Bb's can and have damaged eyes and teeth.

[FinnAgain]

Thanks very much for the quick response. I'll post some more once I have a better idea of what my schedule's like and I'm used to getting around Seoul. 400,000 won sounds doable if I get into it. I'd love to attend a match and get a feel for things, I really appreciate your advice.

I'll make sure to wear proper clothing. I assume that jeans and a leather jacket would work better than khakis and a long sleeved sweatshirt or something? Also, is there any way that I can borrow/rent a mask and goggles so that I don't catch a round to the face, or should I plan on buying something like that before the match?

[krobinson103]

In July you will die of heat exhaustion in Jeans and a leather Jacket. Cargo pants and anything long sleeved will work fine. Most people have a spare set of goggles but I'm not sure on masks. If you want one of them you might want to get one in advance.

[FinnAgain]

Thanks very much. I'm somewhat used to high heat since I've been living in Texas the last few years, but I hadn't figured on Korea being quite that hot. Good thing that you let me know. I'm still workings things out as I've gotten another offer, but I'll update this thread as I've got more info and I'm settled in to Seoul. The more I read up about Airsoft on the 'net the cooler it seems and the more eager I am to try it out. Thanks again for your help.

Is there a page here somewhere that I'm missing that's got a list of the rules y'all play under, or something of the sort?

[krobinson103]

Check out the top banner. It has a sub menu called "ask information" you should see all you need in there. Its not the heat its the humidity. 80% humidity and 35 degrees c makes for a hard day.

[FinnAgain]

Ah, duh, thanks very much. I was looking around the site but somehow missed that tab.
I'm still finalizing preparations but I should be in Seoul by the end of June. I'll post a bit more when I've gotten settled in, gotten the lay of the land and have some extra won to throw around.

Thanks again for all your help, I hope to see you folks soon and the first round of beers are on me.

[FinnAgain]

I know that I'm horrible but I'm in Korea, I'm fairly well settled, and I've got my phone and everything. I'm looking to get gaming starting in November when I have some cash available. Sorry for the delay, but I'm looking forward to some shooting.

blargh.

I'll keep folks updated. :)

[impi]

You don't need to wait till November. If you're here already and you can use public transport, then you can join us for a game. New players can sometimes get a loaner from someone who has more than one. All you have to do is ask.

[FinnAgain]

Only problems are that I teach on Saturdays and, to be honest, I really wouldn't want to play without a good facemask... I'd rather not have any shattered teeth, unlikely as it may be. I'd like to be able to afford something like that first and October is going to be a tight month. But if someone has an extra facemask and gogels and can let me demo a gun, I'm totally down.

[impi]

We mostly play on Sundays. Even though we have had 2 people who suffered dental damage, those were exceptional circumstances and the majority of guys here play without face masks and only wear eye protection. The velocity limit in Korea is lower than in most other countries and we mostly play against responsible players.

[FinnAgain]

Hrm... I have to admit I'm still a bit nervous, but I might go for it. When/where is the next meeting day? I live in Gongdeok so it's pretty easy to get around Seoul by subway.