Hunt Zombies With Nerf Guns at Expo 2012

[Kungfu_Teddybear]

So it's kind of like what Roosterteeh did?


Damn it I wish I could go

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

Aw man, I wasn't interested in the expo at all until I read this. HvZ is awesome, speaking as a human (and two time squad leader) who survived to the final battle in all three seasons he was able to play at his university. Two of those three seasons were human victories; our humans are seriously badass.

Edit: By the way, if socks are allowed, I can't recommend them enough. A good sock ninja is worth two guys with vulcans. I once took out eight zombies singlehandedly with nothing but socks.

 

[TimeLord]

Do we need to bring our own guns?

Sock grenades will be provided. We'll be posting the official rules in a short while. What we do know is that people can bring their own nerf guns, but they must pass inspection and be registered before they can be used anywhere within the expo to ensure safety. The guns can not be altered in any way, including alterations to paint or firing mechanisms. Further, all participants must agree to not fire a nerf weapon upon anyone not participating in Humans vs. Zombies or outside of The Expo on public grounds. Only participants of Humans vs. Zombies will have permission to use nerf guns on Expo grounds, and it must be while actively playing the game. This is to ensure that everyone at Expo has a good time, including both the HvZ participants and the bystanders.

Is there anywhere we could buy a Nerf gun around the Expo area? As trying to transport a gun-like object on an international flight will be laughably hard for us UK people

 

[staika]

Oh my this sounds like a lot of fun but my nerf gun is broken. Looks like I will have to begrudgingly buy a new one or just watch from the sidelines and take pictures.

 

[Evil Smurf]

shame I can't join in the fun

 

[CheckD3]

I feel sorry for anyone who would be rooming with Patient Zero, middle of the night, "RRRARGH YOUR A ZOMBIE NOW!!!"
"Damnit Bob, I JUST finally fell asleep!"

Seriously though, the more we get news on what's happening with the event, the more excited I get, I just hope they have extra ammo, cause I've only got an 8 shot revolver...maybe I can use the money I'm saving on travel and rooming (getting free ride from grandparents and free housing from cousins) to buy myself a nice new shiny N-gun...

This Expo = Epic and getting more epic!

 

[cricket chirps]

Question: Will this just be going on through the whole expo while other events are going on? Or is there a set area that things will only take place in or set areas it wont(assuming the later) but knowing ahead of time will be nice ^_^ thank you!

 

[Mike Kayatta]

Question: Will this just be going on through the whole expo while other events are going on? Or is there a set area that things will only take place in or set areas it wont(assuming the later) but knowing ahead of time will be nice ^_^ thank you!

Well, there will certain zones that are off limits, such as presentations and panel discussions. We'll have all the specifics for you guys before the event.

 

[Mike Kayatta]

Do we need to bring our own guns?

Sock grenades will be provided. We'll be posting the official rules in a short while. What we do know is that people can bring their own nerf guns, but they must pass inspection and be registered before they can be used anywhere within the expo to ensure safety. The guns can not be altered in any way, including alterations to paint or firing mechanisms. Further, all participants must agree to not fire a nerf weapon upon anyone not participating in Humans vs. Zombies or outside of The Expo on public grounds. Only participants of Humans vs. Zombies will have permission to use nerf guns on Expo grounds, and it must be while actively playing the game. This is to ensure that everyone at Expo has a good time, including both the HvZ participants and the bystanders.

Is there anywhere we could buy a Nerf gun around the Expo area? As trying to transport a gun-like object on an international flight will be laughably hard for us UK people

Yes, there are many places that you might procure a nerf gun in the area. I think they even sell them in drug stores, hehe.

 

[Dastardly]

I think I may have to go shopping for a Nerf gun this weekend.

Of particular interest (and danger) are lovely li'l critters known in the community as "Stefans."

...do I even want to know?

They're just homemade Nerf darts, named after the popularised maker of them. They are heavier and more balanced than stock darts, therefore they fly further, although the tips generally are made from felt or hot glue domes, so there is more of a risk of it hurting, although slim.

Hehe, you might choose to mention that the ones with "felt" tips only have the felt as covering for a metal washer... But otherwise, yeah, those are the critters. And, to someone who isn't used to them, they can sting -- especially when you consider that folks using stock ammo will tend to be in much closer.

That's the biggest risk with that type of ammunition. If other people aren't expecting it, they will unknowingly put themselves in the exact situations where that type of dart can hurt. It might not cause injury, but it wouldn't take much to bring the game to a grinding halt.

The Escapist Staff are taking on quite the project with this, and demonstrating a ton of trust in the community's better judgment. I just figured I'd let them know about something problematic that might crop up.

Modded ammo is a much bigger problem than a modded blaster.

 

[Dastardly]

Well, there will certain zones that are off limits, such as presentations and panel discussions. We'll have all the specifics for you guys before the event.

You maaaaaaaay want to tape off "zombie free" areas just outside the doors of those zones, to avoid a clusterhug while players (and non-players) enter/exit.

 

[JokerboyJordan]

I think I may have to go shopping for a Nerf gun this weekend.

Of particular interest (and danger) are lovely li'l critters known in the community as "Stefans."

...do I even want to know?

They're just homemade Nerf darts, named after the popularised maker of them. They are heavier and more balanced than stock darts, therefore they fly further, although the tips generally are made from felt or hot glue domes, so there is more of a risk of it hurting, although slim.

Hehe, you might choose to mention that the ones with "felt" tips only have the felt as covering for a metal washer... But otherwise, yeah, those are the critters. And, to someone who isn't used to them, they can sting -- especially when you consider that folks using stock ammo will tend to be in much closer.

That's the biggest risk with that type of ammunition. If other people aren't expecting it, they will unknowingly put themselves in the exact situations where that type of dart can hurt. It might not cause injury, but it wouldn't take much to bring the game to a grinding halt.

The Escapist Staff are taking on quite the project with this, and demonstrating a ton of trust in the community's better judgment. I just figured I'd let them know about something problematic that might crop up.

Modded ammo is a much bigger problem than a modded blaster.

I doubt whoever will be checking the blasters will be able to tell simple spring or voltage mods, as they leave no evidence of tampering.

 

[Dastardly]

I doubt whoever will be checking the blasters will be able to tell simple spring or voltage mods, as they leave no evidence of tampering.

Unless you're familiar with the model in question. It's not hard to tell when a blaster is a bit tougher to prime, or a lot louder when dry-fired, or whirring a bit higher than normal. Odds are, they'll have folks in that 'department' that know what they're looking for.

1. Check barrels. The addition of brass or PVC tubing make for a tighter fit, which (when coupled with more spring power) increases velocity. If it's re-barreled, odds are it's spring-modded, too. (Otherwise, the tighter barrel would actually hurt performance.)

2. Prime and dry-fire. If you hear more "clang" or "whack" than "puff," the air restrictors are probably removed. (Many times, you can tell this by looking down the barrel anyway). "Clang" sounds usually point to high-powered springs.

3. I'd highly recommend a battery check. Standard batteries only. If someone's upping the voltage, they'll have an RC car battery (or something similar) in there. At the beginning of the line, simply post a notice that anyone with battery-powered blasters should have the battery compartment opened by the time they reach the front.

4. Most importantly, check the ammo. All of these modifications really only improve distance or rate-of-fire, and pose no additional risk of injury beyond what is normal for the stock blaster. In fact, many of these mods reduce accuracy when using stock darts (which means that most mods are an indicator of non-stock ammo). The weighted-tip ammo is more accurate in high-powered blasters, and that extra weight is what adds risk of injury.

A stock blaster using modded ammo is far more "dangerous" than a modded blaster using stock ammo.

 

[Dastardly]

Aw man, I wasn't interested in the expo at all until I read this. HvZ is awesome, speaking as a human (and two time squad leader) who survived to the final battle in all three seasons he was able to play at his university. Two of those three seasons were human victories; our humans are seriously badass.

Edit: By the way, if socks are allowed, I can't recommend them enough. A good sock ninja is worth two guys with vulcans. I once took out eight zombies singlehandedly with nothing but socks.

Indeed. Simple = better, in nearly all cases. And as with a real zombie outbreak situation, if you're in all-out combat, you've done something wrong (like failed to take an opening to escape).

Your "weapon" is just there to buy you time and space to escape. If it's clunky, there goes your space. If it takes too long to prime and/or reload, there goes your time. And since it'll be brightly colored, it makes you a target. You might as well be carrying a squirming, screaming toddler.

That said, the blasters are way more fun.

 

[Rainboq]

Such a shame that my fall semester starts that week >.< Oh well, have fun!

 

[Buizel91]

I so wish i could go now

Unfortunately i live in England, and already have a trip to America in September

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

snip

This man knows what he's talking about.

By the way, there's one more modded blaster test: the pain test. Basically, even if mods are allowed, no mods that result in a painful hit with a dart are allowed. So you test it by shooting someone at close range.

 

[Theminimanx]

Tell me someone will be filming this. Pretty please?

 

[Kapol]

The more I hear about the expo, the more excited I get. I figured the expo would be more... serious? That might not be the best way to put it but you get the idea. Less messing around and more serious things going on.

I'm glad it's not though. That would make it boring. This seems like it'll be a great time. Though I'm not sure I'll be joining or not. Likely going to wait until I hear more about the rules. I don't want to have to worry every minute of every day about being infected. Playing magic is hard when you have to keep shooting zombies before you can throw out that 8/8 flyer with vigilance.

Also, 'freezing in their spot' for 10 minutes seems like a giant pain for the zombies. I'd hate just standing around for that long, unable to do anything. As well, it would be wise to make some rules about people becoming 'overly enthusiastic' about the game. Meaning running all over and causing a commotion for people who aren't playing. Though I'm sure that will all be worked out when the event gets closer. Just know I'm looking forward to it... and I might need to borrow someone's nerf gun.

 

[ThinRedPaste]

Is there any chance at all of altering the "no painted guns" part of the rules? I've got this nerf recon I made into a wh40k bolt pistol, and I was really hoping to use it. None of the internals are modified (in fact they're removed at the moment, due to rules at another event) and I only have stock ammo.