WAR : The Nerf War Suggestion

[KevFox2169]

Perusing my local toy store the other day I came across the Nerf section. And Then I realized; Much like a flashmob, a giant nerf battle would indeed be the best possible thing ever.  It can be a timed thing, or it can take up some space in the gaming room. or even the 1st floor main hall since that place is usually pretty sparse.  I don't think we'll need it peace bonded, since nerf "weaponry" is allowed for ages like 7 and up. Maybe we will though, but still, get your sniper rifles / dual weilding pistols ready boys and girls, because we could end up making a great thing unforgetable.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Do please let me know.

-Because I can.

[otakuapprentice]

Perusing my local toy store the other day I came across the Nerf section. And Then I realized; Much like a flashmob, a giant nerf battle would indeed be the best possible thing ever.  It can be a timed thing, or it can take up some space in the gaming room. or even the 1st floor main hall since that place is usually pretty sparse.  I don't think we'll need it peace bonded, since nerf "weaponry" is allowed for ages like 7 and up. Maybe we will though, but still, get your sniper rifles / dual weilding pistols ready boys and girls, because we could end up making a great thing unforgetable.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Do please let me know.

-Because I can.

know this before you go any further: if this is not an approved thing/event by con staff, prepare to get in trouble/get your badge revoked.

but to save even more time: stop now.

[lmskat]

Wow, that wasn't constructive at all.
Crushing the innocent dreams of a fun-faring boy, just as he was about to embark on the greatest adventure of his short life reminds me of the kind of thing a villain in a children's book would do.
Luckily, the villains in children's books never prevail!
Get connections. Talk to people in charge. Make it happen.
If you need permission and some sort of person overseeing the ordeal, get those things.
A dream of nerf wars should not be stifled. At least, not unless it is the kind of dream that crushes those of others.  :D Though I doubt it would be!
Dream on! (That wasn't sarcastic)
Let the battles begin!

[otakuapprentice]

Wow, that wasn't constructive at all.
Crushing the innocent dreams of a fun-faring boy, just as he was about to embark on the greatest adventure of his short life reminds me of the kind of thing a villain in a children's book would do.
Luckily, the villains in children's books never prevail!
Get connections. Talk to people in charge. Make it happen.
If you need permission and some sort of person overseeing the ordeal, get those things.
A dream of nerf wars should not be stifled. At least, not unless it is the kind of dream that crushes those of others.  :D Though I doubt it would be!
Dream on! (That wasn't sarcastic)
Let the battles begin!

your wrong, it was constructive; he wanted a suggestion, and i gave him one. the convention center isn't a playground, so dont treat it like one. the actions of everyone attending reflects back onto the con and determines if it stays where it is.

if anyone(not pointing to anyone specific, just in general) acts like they don't care what happens, they screw up the con for the rest of us that are there to enjoy it.

[KevFox2169]

Hey now little buddy, no one needs to be throwing around names. You would not be considered constructive because your suggestion was to not do it. Constructive criticism requires ideas on how to make something work, not by saying it simply won't work. More than that, we know what you're replying to because theres only 3 of us talking about it, no need to quote the entire reply right back to us if your post is the next in line.

But anyway, back to why I think you're being to quick to pull the "OMGZOR never try it" card. That is to say, Just because something hasn't happend yet, doesnt suggest it may not happen in the future. Innovation and novel ideas are often thought to be dangerous or inappropriate, but with time as well as a calm mind behind it, it could very well become a sacred tradition.

If but only to appease people like yourself, and hopefully begin by convincing you as well as the many others I'm sure I'll need to convince, let me begin by defining why it's a good idea.

Firstly, Nerf guns are toys. They're meant for ages 6ish and up. They are harmless foam projectiles. More than that, if its a problem; we can assign times of 10pm-12pm So that it is more obviously directed towards and "adult audience"

Secondly, democracy could prevail and if enough people agree, and support the idea, its more likely to be passed. Not to take a shot directly at you specifically, but nay sayers rarely help things get started. I think this would be a lot of fun, and could help get some much needed exercise into the con. there are tons of free open space, even more so at night, so I doubt it would really be a safety problem if we worked directly with the con organizers

Thirdly, it can even be an event. Teams sign up, sign waivers, and go at it for 10min rounds, What would be a more excellent way to generate funds that go directly to the good people at Fanime? If given enough forewarning, people could supply their own nerf guns and the like.

So Let me rephrase, since I may not have been clear enough to begin with otakuapprentice, I would like ideas, suggestions, comments more directed to HOW to make this happen. If it is later decided that it will not/can not happen, then we accept that. But prior to that moment, I feel it foolish to give up so easily.

-Because I can.

[Ninj4]

I have to agree with Otaku.  It wouldn't work out, but I will tell you why.

It's not going to work because it goes against our weapons policy.  In my opinion, the weapons policy is in place to comply with the guidelines set by the Convention Center AND the San Jose Police.  The way I see it, they're trained to shoot first, and ask questions later... if they see ANYTHING gun-shaped or anything else deemed as a threat, they can and WILL shoot first.  That's just how it is.

Nerf guns have already been discussed up and down by the con staff.  If you think you can make a good case, then by all means, discuss it with them.  But ultimately, the decision lies with them and them alone.

[otakuapprentice]

okay, lets try this again, shall we?

one: i said stop now, i didn't say don't try it; you could go and ignore my advice and advance this idea further, but if you get stopped by the con staff, then thats it.

two: by trying to set this up "after hours", there will be those that decide that they do not need to keep any type of judgment as to how they act whilst participating in this; whoever thinks its funny to shoot someone in the eye with a nerf dart will cause problems with the con, and the staff.

three: if you really want this to be safe and have no problems, submit your idea/event to the con staff, with rules, regulations, safety concerns, etc.; they might approve it, which if they do then do what you want with it. if they don't, then thats it; don't try to do this even if it gets shot down.

is that enough?

this idea is similar to the CTF idea(which i think got shot down), the 'assassin game' idea(which SHOULD NOT HAPPEN, or people are gonna get in trouble), and other stuff.

NOTE: Ninj4 summed it up right there; if it looks like a gun from a distance, and police/security cant determine if its fake or not, drastic actions can/will be taken.

[KevFox2169]

While that is a strong case against this little hatchling of an idea.  I think there are many ways around it.  For instance, if that's the case, so many guns carefully made by cosplayers would not be allowed. However, we all know they are allowed due to peacebonding. Now, whether these peace bonding ties are indeed magic police-bullet deterrents is beyond me, but it seems "weapons" get brought in all the time.

On the flip side, if that is indeed the problem, then it seems to me that the more people we have creating strong arguments FOR this idea, as well as a large enough thread of followers, we create a more appealing case for the Con-staff. I also would think discussing it here is a good way to get Con-Staff's attention. (I'd hope they read their own hosted forums)

As you suggested, if it's been "discussed up and down by con staff." Then it seems either, A: Con Staff themselves aren't that sure of their own decision seeing as how its still a discussion item. or B: A few fellow dreamers may have already been hounding the staff to allow nerf guns to be approved.  Both of which make it seem even more pertinent to see if theres an interest in this idea!

But to flesh out the idea itself, if it becomes an event, it would be much easier to deal with. Eye protection can be supplied, as well as mouthgards, helmets, whatever you want really. People can be warned ahead of time to prepare for this battle of epic proportions. I know I would pay 10 dollars to let myself and 3 of my friends go at it with nerf guns against 2-4 other teams of 4. I mean, specifically i only mention the potential money aspect because lets face it, when does a lucrative idea ever sound less appealing than a charitable idea? (don't answer that.)

-Because I can.

[Tony]

Now, whether these peace bonding ties are indeed magic police-bullet deterrents is beyond me...

They help identify safe props, as a visual cue.

I also would think discussing it here is a good way to get Con-Staff's attention. (I'd hope they read their own hosted forums)

We read it. ^^

As you suggested, if it's been "discussed up and down by con staff." Then it seems either, A: Con Staff themselves aren't that sure of their own decision seeing as how its still a discussion item. or B: A few fellow dreamers may have already been hounding the staff to allow nerf guns to be approved.  Both of which make it seem even more pertinent to see if theres an interest in this idea!

Actually, the decision was made years ago. It just keeps getting brought up each year - just like airsoft weapons.

But to flesh out the idea itself, if it becomes an event, it would be much easier to deal with. Eye protection can be supplied, as well as mouthgards, helmets, whatever you want really. People can be warned ahead of time to prepare for this battle of epic proportions. I know I would pay 10 dollars to let myself and 3 of my friends go at it with nerf guns against 2-4 other teams of 4. I mean, specifically i only mention the potential money aspect because lets face it, when does a lucrative idea ever sound less appealing than a charitable idea? (don't answer that.)

Often! We try not to monetize things at Fanime.

In any case, I doubt it would happen this year, for a lot of reasons. Mostly, it's too late for something as involved as this to get off the ground, and if Fanime doesn't sanction it, we would shut down this type of event in the case it happened spontaneously.

But you wanted "constructive criticism". Well, you'll need:

- Facilities. We're running out of places to put new events.
- Facilities negotiations. The SJCC is used to business conventions - there will be friction in proposing the idea, and that will have to be negotiated.
- Props. It wouldn't just be a bare room, would it?
- Prop purchase/rental and logistics. You've got to buy/make/rent obstacles. That requires research and construction and/or purchasing. Then you've got to get them to con - transportation costs and union loading fee, both in and out. Then there's storing the props for the remaining 361 days out of the year. Big issues.
- Liability protection. Our insurance would not be happy about this. Rates would go up, even with waivers.
- Waivers. Drafts would need to be made. A lawyer would need to read it over, which is expensive.
- Protective equipment. We would have to rent/purchase protective equipment to reduce liability. That's money and logistics to consider.
- Staffing. You'll need people to manage the event - and manage it well.
- Relevance. How does it fit into FanimeCon?

[KevFox2169]

Hahahaha Touche

That was an excellent post. And you did catch me without an answer a few times there.  (particularly the "relevance" part. Hmmm....) While I cannot give it real sustaining arguments and rhetoric to favor my original opposition (Its 9 in the morning, I've been up for a total of 2 minutes... give me a break) I do hope to get back to you all with something brilliant.

I dunno what it is yet, but I may even reinvent the toaster or LARPing or something. So just you all wait till its the afternoon and I'm back from class.

Off the top of my sleep deprived head, I can only say that even if its far too late for this year, someone should pick up the torch and keep up the fight if only for next year.

Hahaha but just you wait till I'm eloquent and intelligent again.

-Because I can.

[lmskat]

I'm not even going to begin with otakuapprentice...just because, there would be too many ridiculous things to mention! And who has time for that?
I'm glad Tony listed some things that we'll need. Just because they are virtually impossible to get, doesn't mean we shouldn't try, does it?
Personally, I think it would be a good thing to bring up with these people (a lot of you are using "we" to describe some sort of authority, so maybe we should just talk to you?), if not for this up coming con, then next year because it's ridiculous to shut something down without a true write-up and conversation. I do not think there was any intention of going to fanime without discussing it and firing foam pellets at random kids...that would be insane. If it is shot down this year, I say we get people to come with nerf guns in hand, ready for an outdoors game.
If you're one of the people who has been using "we", help us out, you obviously are in with the people in charge of these decisions...or you're creating false impressions of yourselves...either way, we could probably use your expert opinion/lying skills to get this show on the road.

After having written that, I've realized that I myself have no idea to contact people in charge of events. So that would be something to find out.

[david]

Did this end up happening?  I would have gone just to be a part of it.  Kind of sounded like you would have been stopped by the staff anyway but it still would have been a hell of a lot of fun.

[otakuapprentice]

No, this did not happen. This is an old thread where the pros and cons were already discussed and weighed against each other.

And it still probably won't get approved by staff if someone proposes it for next year, so just let the idea burn away.

[Mizuki]

This thread is done. Locked so we don't have to get over an argument that won't be passed for quite some time, plus multiple topics about this subject through the forums.