Post Fanime 2010 Weapons? Props? Peacebonding? Policy? Ask those ? here...

[loner]

So, I have a question. I'm planning as dressing as Ghost from MW2 this year, and I already have the whole kit together. I just need to know what I can do for the weapon. According to the 2009 weapon's rules, it cannot have any moving parts. BUT, I have an M4 (Not real steel, cannot fire real bullets, etc.) It, however still has a few functioning parts, and I want to know what else I need to disable.

1. The trigger can still be pulled.
2. The stock can be collapsed into 5 positions.
3. There is a small lever on the stock that allows it to be collapsed.
4. The magazine release can be pushed in to release the magazine.
5. The flash hider (tip) can be removed. Do I need to glue it on?

I also have a glock (side-arm) that again has no functionality, but is just the shell of the gun.

1. The trigger can also be pulled
2. The slide can be pulled back.
3. The slide lock functions
4. The mag release is functional, and mags can be inserted and removed

Please note that none of these are real firearms, all stripped and gutted airsoft replicas that can no longer fire any kind of projectile.

What other modifications do I need to do?

I would strongly suggest that you pose your questions to [email protected]. One of the guys will be able to answer you.

I can not speak for them, but I will tell you that majority of conventions will not allow any real fire arms (functioning or not) due to state and local laws. If it looks real then you will freak someone out. There are too many law enforcement officers (both on and off duty) that visit the convention over the course of the weekend and you might just end up spending your con in the local police station answering questions.

As a fan of such series as Resident Evil, I can tell you that the weapons policy of most conventions has become what it is due to something that has happened in the past at some con or show. I was there when the SFPD showed up at JTAF 2 and were questioning some MGS and RE cosplayers about the "Weapons" they were carrying because a person was afraid that the group were going to attack patrons or were in the process of a "gang" war. That took about an hour to straighten out and no one went to jail to my understanding, but it could be scary to an outsider looking in.

Suggestion for what ever prop weapon you end up with: make sure that it looks NOT real as much as possible. A blazing orange tip and butt along with some other type of marking could go a long way. BUT I would like to state it again, please contact [email protected] with your weapons/props questions. They are more of the authority on what will and will not be allowed at Fanime.

Thank you
BSaphire

BSaphire:
Let start by saying I was the metal gear cosplayer who was approached by SFPD....it wasnt THAT serious, in fact the only reason they had a problem with it was JTAF2 was held 911 a year after the attacks....thats genius on the scheduling i know! but my resident evil friends hunk and chris redfield both were gearing up on GEARY street and some old lady reported terrorist activity. Now fanime's "cops will shoot you 1st" lecture is complete BS and is the only thing that bogs down my awesome time at fanime. SFPD werent only just cool about it but they stayed to see our "skit", one officer was standing next to my mom during the skit and was laughing and cheering us on. Afterwards we left our weapons in the cars out of respect and they told us if there wasnt a report they would have a problem with it. Now fastforward to 2 weeks ago (WONDERCON2010) my cousin and I cosplayed RIOS AND SALEM from ARMY OF TWO. I took my M4A1 with NO ORANGETIP nothing whatso ever that tells SFPD/CONOPS/PUBLIC it was a fake....and yet 4 SFPD officers watched us gear up and smiled at us, so this whole thing about laws and crap is thrown out the window at cons right? wrong....fanime con ops tend to bully and harass congoers who just want to pose with weapons, hell ive seen the officers at fanime and all they care about are the kids crossing the railways to get to the stage...i know for a fact they bully us, the one year they PEACEBONDED MY STUFFED FISH.....really? and as master chief last year one rover insisted i peacebond my COVENENT PLASMA RIFLE, google the picture and tell me that looks just like a plastic fish....so throw out the "if it looks real from 20 feet away" rule....apparently they change the "rules" at will depending on if they like you or not....2008 there was a soldier in world war 2 costume and a ready for this????  DECOMISSIONED ROCKET LAUNCHER.....complete with fanime peacebond, and no he did not rip it off something that was peacebonded because i was there when the CON OPS ok'd it, so tread carefully when dancing with con ops, "for fans by fans" not when it comes to weapons policy....to be fair i have tried to go with the rules, eve as far as memorizing the rules word for word. So i gut out a kids toy $2 at a flea market non painted,none working, no trigger and guess what? Still they say no and when there was a girl behind me with a 7 foot sniper rifle made out of pvp they ok'd that in a heartbeat...was it because she was showing cleavage? i dont know? so, sound off if you had a similar expierience with this, NEVER ONCE have they had a problem with me, NOT EVEN CLOSE....they need to pay more close attention to the religious protesters causing problems outside then they do with "weapons policy" this "SJPD will shoot you on the spot bs" seriously, i just wanna have fun with photoshoots and letting people take pictures.

[SnakeOut]

I agree and I'm stating my opinion. That really just isn't fair. Especially about a kids toy have a 7 foot sniper rifle out of pvp. And a Covenent Plasma rifle, peace bonded...? I would understand if this was the year 2553....? But no... a Plasma rifle from Halo looks nothing like a real rifle. I also didn't have problems at WonderCon 2010 myself. Hell, I saw an awesome Storm Trooper Wolverine with metal claws, and no problems. They should also focus on the religious protesters too, which seems like a way bigger issue. I want to be in character, and have photoshoots myself without any problems.

[loner]

or better yet how about HUG ALLEY? HUG HALL? or all those stupid hugger who ruin wigs and costumes when they hug you for no reason and no permission? NOTHING.....simply allowed to do it.....

[Jerry]

This thread isnt about debating about the reasoning about why peace bonds are needed.

Although the prop/weapons policy isnt a perfect system- its in place because we're trying to avoid safety issues as well as respect the local laws of what is allowed to carry in public items that could pose a threat.

yes, SJPD is around, and no we do not claim that they will shoot anyone because of any one item in particular.

for a response to your questions/concerns or issues with why you think you allowed to ignore or bend the Fanime Rules completely - I politely suggest that you e-mail :

rovers[AT]fanime[dot]com

yes, individual experiences may vary - but theres a reason why Fanime has one of the best Cosplay communities out there --- because they understand and work with rules given to them.

on side note: Anywhere INSIDE the SJ convention center Fanime Staff we will try our best to train our staff to be polite about enforcing our rules... but just because you want to argue and be rude about it doesnt give you the right/privilege to again ignore or fight us on the rules set by this Convention.


once your OUTSIDE [usually the fountain area] of the SJ Convention Center, you are allowed to do what you will - take off peace bonds, pose anyway you want and etc... assuming you dont pose a threat to the SJPD or your fellow con go-ers.  Again please do not harass or gather against the protesters, we politely ask that you let them be and enjoy your time at the convention.

As for the HUG LINE - this has been duly noted, and if you didnt report it to a staff member, then next time you should. Our staff has been asked that any line or massive group of huggers is to be dispersed immediately.

[loner]

I never said i was arguing...werent you reading what I posted? I tried to respect the convention by memorizing the weapons policy, the only rude ones are the rovers who abuse their powers, want an example? how about the rover who works at bloomingdales security? i dont know his name but i complained about him being really really rude once before, and i still see him on staff....like i said before and i guess you might have missed it in my 1st post. I HAVE NEVER POSED A PROBLEM FOR FANIME OR SJPD NOT ONCE, now thats not me being rude,apparently you were saying i was and that i was arguing. I did complain about those huggers messing up my master chief shoulder armour...and results? nothing.....so no arguing here just couldnt hold in my frustration with con rules at fanime how inconsistent it is.....but i love fanime and the only thing that ruins it are rude authority figures who abuse their powers....

[Jerry]

both attendees as well as staff have a given privilege to take their concerns to our Fanime Con Ops at any time to file a complaint.

Both Attendees and Staff members have ID numbers written on the badge or you could take a description of said member or staff [though a name and ID # would be ideal] if you truly have issues with any given member of the Convention.

each issue will be reviewed case by case and will be dealt with accordingly.

Until then I suggest going back to the main topic at hand.

Again I cannot speak or act on all Rover behalf, and I've tried my best to get a link to the updated 2010 Weapons/props/ item policy so I'll keep buggin them to get it posted somewhere.

otherwise please contact my Rover heads at:

Rovers[AT]fanime[DOT]com

Thanks!

[dark-lord-of-sith]

Ok really Fanime is just over a month away. I have not seen any weapons/props policy anywhere on the site. Am I missing something? Crazy idea, make a list of rules and just review them from year to year. Why make a whole new set of rules each year? For someone who goes to this Convention and wants to bring a prop weapon of some sort this is not fair. I don't care if you are after your heads to post the rules. They should have already been up like three months ago. I have never brought prop weapons before but this year I am planning to and yeah you can give me an email to contact someone with but that is not the point. By the Fan for the Fans? Really? If that was the case this policy would already be up. I check this Forum weekly and still I have not seen anything that tells me one way or another if I will be able to bring the props I am making.

[BrightHeart76]

Am I the only one who gets the feeling this thread is dangerously close to getting locked for being off topic?

Anyway, back on topic.

My sister had a question.  She is wearing a crown for one of her cosplays.  She has a choice, the one that looks better is stiff wire holding beads.  The metal wire is covered by beads and while it is stiff, it bends and breaks very easily.  This is the better crown and the one she prefers.  The other choice is plastic, painful and not as pretty.  The question is, would she have to peace bond the wire and bead crown since it is part metal?  She'll have to have her sceptor peace bonded, so the problem isn't peace bonding, she just doesn't want to walk around with a zip tie on her head.  lol, I can see her point.  We had planned to just bring both crowns and ask when we have her sceptor peace bonded, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask in advance either.   :D

[loner]

to answer your question about the sceptor, if i had to peacebond a stuffed fish....then yea im sure they will bug about the sceptor, prior fanime rules also ask that if you have a prop of some sort that it gets peacebonded to a part of the costume so you CANNOT pose with it. Unless of course they decided to change it again on the spot on a person by person rule change.

[ichigocorcor]

so to my understanding, peacebonding a sword means you can't unsheath it.

basically, i want to know if it's worth purchasing/making a tia halibel sword, if i can't show it off during gatherings or photo ops. will i be able to unsheath it during those times, and then get it re-peace bonded? or should i just carry around an empty sheath?

[Darroc-san]

Oh I'm not even going to ASK if I can bring an airsoft pump shotgun with no ammo. I guess Bill from L4D doesn't NE- *cough* sorry I couldn't even lie that.
oh well... sucks but it's the state of the world I have to blame not Fanime.

[BSaphire]

I would strongly suggest that you pose your questions to [email protected]. One of the guys will be able to answer you.

I can not speak for them, but I will tell you that majority of conventions will not allow any real fire arms (functioning or not) due to state and local laws. If it looks real then you will freak someone out. There are too many law enforcement officers (both on and off duty) that visit the convention over the course of the weekend and you might just end up spending your con in the local police station answering questions.

As a fan of such series as Resident Evil, I can tell you that the weapons policy of most conventions has become what it is due to something that has happened in the past at some con or show. I was there when the SFPD showed up at JTAF 2 and were questioning some MGS and RE cosplayers about the "Weapons" they were carrying because a person was afraid that the group were going to attack patrons or were in the process of a "gang" war. That took about an hour to straighten out and no one went to jail to my understanding, but it could be scary to an outsider looking in.

Suggestion for what ever prop weapon you end up with: make sure that it looks NOT real as much as possible. A blazing orange tip and butt along with some other type of marking could go a long way. BUT I would like to state it again, please contact [email protected] with your weapons/props questions. They are more of the authority on what will and will not be allowed at Fanime.

Thank you
BSaphire

BSaphire:
Let start by saying I was the metal gear cosplayer who was approached by SFPD....it wasnt THAT serious, in fact the only reason they had a problem with it was JTAF2 was held 911 a year after the attacks....thats genius on the scheduling i know! but my resident evil friends hunk and chris redfield both were gearing up on GEARY street and some old lady reported terrorist activity.

Ok.. I was told a couple of things, but the gang thing was what came up the most. Thanks for clarifying that for me. Though SFPD was with you, did you ever consider that maybe the Convention had to spend some time with SFPD also... thus the about an hour statement. I am glad that nothing bad happened and that everyone continued to have fun.

Now fanime's "cops will shoot you 1st" lecture is complete BS and is the only thing that bogs down my awesome time at fanime.

I never said that the cops would shoot you 1st. As for law...  well I'm not going to argue law with anyone, but I do know that California's Penal Code section 245(a)(1) does play a part in the legal wording and law abiding that conventions do... I'm not a part of Fanime's legal department either so I am NOT speaking for them. Here is a link that might help you understand some of the complexities of that particular section of the penal code:
http://www.shouselaw.com/assault-weapon.html

... Now fastforward to 2 weeks ago (WONDERCON2010) my cousin and I cosplayed RIOS AND SALEM from ARMY OF TWO. I took my M4A1 with NO ORANGETIP nothing whatso ever that tells SFPD/CONOPS/PUBLIC it was a fake....and yet 4 SFPD officers watched us gear up and smiled at us, so this whole thing about laws and crap is thrown out the window at cons right?

Glad that there were no issues, but "Legally" there could be consequences especially if something serious had happened. I don't mean just you, but the convention also.

wrong....fanime con ops tend to bully and harass congoers who just want to pose with weapons, hell ive seen the officers at fanime and all they care about are the kids crossing the railways to get to the stage...

I can not speak to whether or not Fanime Con Ops or Rover's "Bully" since I have not really had that experience with them and as for the officers that was probably because it was "outside the convention" and a more immediate danger possibility. I don't know since I am not SJPD.

i know for a fact they bully us, the one year they PEACEBONDED MY STUFFED FISH.....really? and as master chief last year one rover insisted i peacebond my COVENENT PLASMA RIFLE, google the picture and tell me that looks just like a plastic fish....so throw out the "if it looks real from 20 feet away" rule....apparently they change the "rules" at will depending on if they like you or not....2008 there was a soldier in world war 2 costume and a ready for this????  DECOMISSIONED ROCKET LAUNCHER.....complete with fanime peacebond, and no he did not rip it off something that was peacebonded because i was there when the CON OPS ok'd it, so tread carefully when dancing with con ops, "for fans by fans" not when it comes to weapons policy....to be fair i have tried to go with the rules, eve as far as memorizing the rules word for word. So i gut out a kids toy $2 at a flea market non painted,none working, no trigger and guess what? Still they say no and when there was a girl behind me with a 7 foot sniper rifle made out of pvp they ok'd that in a heartbeat...was it because she was showing cleavage? i dont know? so, sound off if you had a similar expierience with this, NEVER ONCE have they had a problem with me, NOT EVEN CLOSE....

I just want to restate that I am NOT a part of Fanime Rovers... with that said I do know that the department heads have been working on making the rovers staff better informed and hopefully this year will be better.  Thank you though for working at not being a problem even if it has been taxing for you.

I remember the second year I attended Fanime and had my daughter's bamboo flute (1' long) peace bonded... still has that zip tie on it matter of fact. :)

they need to pay more close attention to the religious protesters causing problems outside then they do with "weapons policy"

As long as they stay on that sidewalk they are not on convention property and thus Fanime and the Convention Center hands are tied because of their constitutional right of "Freedom of Speech." It is up to SJPD to remove them.

this "SJPD will shoot you on the spot bs" seriously, i just wanna have fun with photoshoots and letting people take pictures.

Again, I never said anything about shooting you, I did say "and you might just end up spending your con in the local police station answering questions" Questions being the operative word here not "shoot."

I agree with you that gathering, taking pictures, cosplaying, and all around fun is what I want too so how about we both try to have fun this year. I have asked to have a peace bonding station next to the gatherings table for convenience to the cospeeps. I want to say thank you again though for not being a problem and should you have an issue this year with rovers for some reason please take note of their staff badge number or name and talk to the Rover department head or second immediately. Please don't wait so that they can act upon it asap. If there is a problem it is better to address it immediately. Sometimes it could be simply a person that needs to go get 12 hrs of sleep, eat, and shower which can make a huge difference.

As a side note... Why isn't the W & P policy up yet? I don't know... and I am curious too.

[jemz]

....fanime con ops tend to bully and harass congoers who just want to pose with weapons,

As someone who used to work in the ConOps dept. at FanimeCon, I would like to correct this assumption of ConOps staff going out to "bully and harass congoers". ConOps does not do any peacebonding of any kind for the past 4 years (that I've worked for FanimeCon, and 5 if you will count this year) and would not do so while on duty. ConOps staff will answer your question or help you find an answer to your question if it pertains to something you've lost, something you found, something that requires a Dept. head's attention, or something else. The staff will direct you to Rovers if you have any questions about weapons.

However, if I see something that I think should be peacebonded (meaning, I feel uncomfortable with your prop), I'll let one of the Rovers know so that they can check it out and enforce the weapons policy.

[loner]

its not an assumption, ive recently did a poll on facebook with the people who go to fanime con or cons in general and they all were very verbal and more "wordy" with their comments, but in the end we all felt the same way that some people get treated real aweful by rovers/conops and some people are able to get away with things that are obviously against weapons policy, and the ones who follow it are given a hard time. Bad thing about is I have to expect to be treated worst every year even though I DO NOT argue and I follow what they say whoever it may be. Speaking of weapons policy where is the official guidelines? so I print it out and oh wait... it doesnt matter...

....fanime con ops tend to bully and harass congoers who just want to pose with weapons,

As someone who used to work in the ConOps dept. at FanimeCon, I would like to correct this assumption of ConOps staff going out to "bully and harass congoers". ConOps does not do any peacebonding of any kind for the past 4 years (that I've worked for FanimeCon, and 5 if you will count this year) and would not do so while on duty. ConOps staff will answer your question or help you find an answer to your question if it pertains to something you've lost, something you found, something that requires a Dept. head's attention, or something else. The staff will direct you to Rovers if you have any questions about weapons.

However, if I see something that I think should be peacebonded (meaning, I feel uncomfortable with your prop), I'll let one of the Rovers know so that they can check it out and enforce the weapons policy.

[Rodney_Pheonix]

Wow this topic is a mess.


Anywho, back to being on topic, I plan on making a combat style sheath knife out of pine and Balsa, and I intend to paint it rather realisticly. my question is will it have to be peacebonded into the sheath?


Also, For the same Cosplay I'm going to have a Dead Airsoft pistol, basically meaning I gutted it, and then messed with the slide so that doesn't work anymore.

The Mag release works, as does the trigger (to an extent) meaning that I can "load" a magazine into it and release it, but cannot cock the pistol in any way shape or form. I do have a  holster I can leave it in. The question is will I have to have it Ziptied into the holster?

[loner]

lol that was me that started it but i couldnt stay quiet anymore, from what i understand it cant be anytype of weapons that are and WERE firable, no moving parts or magazines. ive read, no gutted airsofts at one point....but who knows since there are no official guidelines

Wow this topic is a mess.


Anywho, back to being on topic, I plan on making a combat style sheath knife out of pine and Balsa, and I intend to paint it rather realisticly. my question is will it have to be peacebonded into the sheath?


Also, For the same Cosplay I'm going to have a Dead Airsoft pistol, basically meaning I gutted it, and then messed with the slide so that doesn't work anymore.

The Mag release works, as does the trigger (to an extent) meaning that I can "load" a magazine into it and release it, but cannot cock the pistol in any way shape or form. I do have a  holster I can leave it in. The question is will I have to have it Ziptied into the holster?

[Jerry]

again: individual cosplaying experiences may vary.

I honestly dont know why the new 2010 Weapons policy has not been post and I share in your frustrations considering that fanime is less than a month away.

regardless~ @Loner -
I've repeated myself several times now that you should take your concerns directly to the Rover's e-mail so that can respond.   Rovers[AT]fanime[dot]com

My Rover's department heads rarely if at all check the fanime boards on a regular basis. and your tone and attitude towards Bsaphire and comments against Con Ops have been very tactless.

you continue to put a negative spin on the whole weapons policy but Rovers and Cosplayers have been having positive cosplay events for 5+ years at the SJ convention center and although there are legitimate issues from time to time, cosplayers adapt to the ever changing rules of the convention.

If you honestly dont like it, then I suggest finding another convention that allows you to do whatever you want in regards to your "weapons & Cosplay" until then dont harass fellow staff members, nor troll this thread.


@ Rodyney --- sorry but again there is a ZERO TOLERANCE against airsoft weapons on site.
again the "grey area" is the fountain and cosplay/photo ops areas but again you will be asked [probably several times] by several different rovers to either put it away or hide it in your room/car.


again any member or even fellow staff member that improperly harasses anyone else should be reported promptly - a vague description really doesnt help us identify the solution if your just gonna say "some random staff member gave me a hard time"

we really need more information to better service our fans and attendees of Fanime Con.

Thanks.

[loner]

I was merely correcting Bsaphire's story about what happend at JTAF2 since he was talking about a situation I was in and it was completely wrong, how was that tactless? until you have been in my situations you wouldnt share my frustrations to the ever changing policies, and no im not putting a "NEGATIVE SPIN ON POLICIES" so stop "putting words in my mouth". But, even this wont stop me from going to my favorite convention so dont tell me otherwise, get a weapons policy up so I can start studying it.

again: individual cosplaying experiences may vary.

I honestly dont know why the new 2010 Weapons policy has not been post and I share in your frustrations considering that fanime is less than a month away.

regardless~ @Loner -
I've repeated myself several times now that you should take your concerns directly to the Rover's e-mail so that can respond.   Rovers[AT]fanime[dot]com

My Rover's department heads rarely if at all check the fanime boards on a regular basis. and your tone and attitude towards Bsaphire and comments against Con Ops have been very tactless.

you continue to put a negative spin on the whole weapons policy but Rovers and Cosplayers have been having positive cosplay events for 5+ years at the SJ convention center and although there are legitimate issues from time to time, cosplayers adapt to the ever changing rules of the convention.

If you honestly dont like it, then I suggest finding another convention that allows you to do whatever you want in regards to your "weapons & Cosplay" until then dont harass fellow staff members, nor troll this thread.


@ Rodyney --- sorry but again there is a ZERO TOLERANCE against airsoft weapons on site.
again the "grey area" is the fountain and cosplay/photo ops areas but again you will be asked [probably several times] by several different rovers to either put it away or hide it in your room/car.


again any member or even fellow staff member that improperly harasses anyone else should be reported promptly - a vague description really doesnt help us identify the solution if your just gonna say "some random staff member gave me a hard time"

we really need more information to better service our fans and attendees of Fanime Con.

Thanks.

[loner]

dont matter im gonna enjoy the con because in the end i will only listen to what sjpd will tell me!

see you all there!

[dark-lord-of-sith]

Also will it be told to the Rovers to willingly let the people they talk to see their id badge so if the fan at the con did not like what happened and felt he or she was treated poorly they may take the name and id number to who they need to so they can file a complaint? That is only right. If a rover does not let someone see their id badge to get their name and id number then reporting any abuse would not work at all and give the rovers power they could abuse if they wished to. Also a general question about getting my props peace-bonded. Who do I have to talk to and where exactly do I have to go. I plan on getting to the con Friday night and I want to get my props done then.