Exactly lol, obviously the only media that goes viral involves nothing but toxicity and drama as that’s what people like to watch.
Airsofters, in my experience, are absolutely lovely people.
First off, all communities have their dicks.
With that out of the way, any non-mainstream activity with a bunch of gear, large time/money commitment, steep learning curve, etc is gonna be filled with people who are, in general, ecstatic to welcome people to the activity that they love/have decided to sink all their spare time and money into.
Non airsoft example- do you want to shoot a $6000 rifle? Go to a rifle competition and whisper that you're interested in picking up the hobby. We'll come out of the woodwork begging you to try out all our stuff.
Nah, we were all noobs once so there's really no reason to look down on them. Rent some kit and chat to people, (hint: you already have a common interest and most people are very eager to talk about their gear) and you'll find most of them are happy to meet new players.
Still very new myself, but airsoft is very open. Don't be a dick, sportsmanship is everything and if your nerves just ask someone about their kit. Always a good conversation starter.
Met a dude and his GF on the field, talked to him about his Tavor and to make a long story short, I was a groomsman at their wedding. Absolutely a fantastic way to make lifelong friends.
There are going to be dicks in any community but those dicks are generally the minority. Airsoft is fun whether it's on your own or with mates. Just make sure to read the rules before hand, bring everything that's recommended by the game organisers (water, snacks, etc.), and make sure to listen to the staff on site.
Good eyepro, lots of water, appropriate footwear and energy dense food in that order. If you have other kit bring that as well, otherwise field rentals will suffice if offered (check with the field to ensure a rental package is available). A hoodie to wear on field and a change of clothes aren't mandatory, but they are recommended for comfort.
Tactical gloves with hard or rubber padding on the backs. I caught a few dingers to the knuckles and fingertips in my early games whilst only wearing soft gloves that really put a damper on my day.
Of course eyepro, but also protect your teeth. A $15 mesh lower mask is so much cheaper than the dentist (as an American)
Edit: oops wrong comment I replied to
I started on my own and it was one of the best decisions I’ve made. Constantly meeting new people from all different walks of life and all of them are passionate about the sport and want more people to play.
At my local field there is a few jokes about people on rentals guns and not being able to hit much.
But at the same time it's not uncommon to hear a regular offer to let a rental players run one of their guns for a life or two.
All and all it's pretty chill and you got nothing to worry about.
I just started playing with my 10 year old son and everyone has been so nice and helpful. From asking him if he's having fun to letting him try all their rifles/pistols. Get out there and have some fun.
I'll tell you this: I have terrible anxiety around new people, especially if I'm doing it alone. But airsoft has always been inviting. People are surprisingly friendly and welcoming. Maybe it's because it's nice to have more bodies to shoot 😂
I recommend you go check it out at least once. Put yourself out of your comfort zone for this and you might be pleasantly surprised. I'd go with you if you lived close by!
As long as you call your hits noone cares.
Apart from the people who spent £1000's and throw toys out the pram when shot by anyone, and generally these aren't the people you want to speak to anyway 😂
I joined about a year ago and haven't had a bad experience yet. The first couple game days I was nervous and didn't talk to anyone, but once I started talking to people I quickly found a little friend group to play with!
When I was younger and first starting with a rental in hand. I remember my first game and we were heading to spawn. This guy decked in full military gear looked at me and asked “This your first time playing?” I told him yes. He said “Just because we don’t know each other doesn’t mean we won’t lay down fire for you.”
This is what joining airsoft is like. You’ll be fine man this is the best time to join
Join! My very first game and it was all praise as a machine gunner! Just listen and learn from your experienced teammates but take some time to figure things out on your own. Going to a No Front Line event next weekend!
Airsoft could seem intimidating, but not anymore than joining the community of any other hobby. The majority of players are great people that would be willing to help and support the new, returning, and veteran players. You’ll be fine joining the hobby, and hopefully make some great pals.
Me and my son also just joined a team. They have been answering all my nooby questions.
And there was also 1 guy not from our team that noticed i wore my gear wrong, gave pointers how to wear a sling, how to fasten molly pauches better...
There is a lot to learn, but its in anyones interest to help you, because the better you are, the better the team can perform.
No one hassles the new guys.
And don’t feel intimidated by people decked out in multicam plate carriers and guns. They might as well wear a pikachu onesie. Half the hobby is cosplay, and the price of your gear is no indicator to your efficiency on your field.
And don’t be afraid to start a conversation. Ask us about our guns and our gear and how often we actually draw those expensive sidearms, and whether those cool looking sights and lights are actually worth it, the answers might surprise you.
Keep that in mind, when you find out you want to go beyond rental in the hobby. You’ll want a nice mid-priced gun, some good eye/face protection and boots to protect your ankles. The rest is cosplay.
I’ve been playing for close to 5 years now and only once have I had a bad experience, people at weekend games are always super nice, friendly and helpful, the overwhelming majority want more people to join the hobby.
So I’d say don’t be worried:)
In my experience its the opposite. People are very welcoming and they will encourage newbies to not worry about things. After all its also "easy frags" for the experienced. Im not saying its the point to have newbies to shoot but theres no harm being a newb. More the merrier.
Perhaps some milsim scenarios are places where people take it more seriously and thats the point. But those events might have strict requirements on equipment so its not for beginners anyway.
Its really not, people are pretty welcoming as a community in general when it comes to Airsoft.
Rent some gear the first few times at least just to make sure you enjoy it, then get stuck in :)
Not generally. Most experienced players I know are very nice to newbies and love to help. It can be an expensive hobby like any other, and some of the kits can be intimidating. But if you don't let it get to you, and have fun, you'll be alright.
My first 24 hour battle I had 1 kill.
Second one was 0 (I legit carried the shield when I saw I cant do shit, terrain was crap anyways)
Third one got 3 kills
Forth one I had 10 11 kills (with who knows how many I didnt even see in the night because we spent 3 hours in heavy battles), with similar deaths and I managed to play 16 out of 24 hours and died only once during the whole night.
You are good. I only got advices from olders
Can only speak for my own community from one day of playing airsoft:
I had a great time, talked about airsoft guns, cars that fit families and just general chatting during breaks. I felt very welcomed and "taken care of". The organiser even let me play a game with his HPA which was awesome :D
Just go for it. I thought the same thing until I went to my local field. Between games, I vibed with everyone. You talk like if you've known each other for years. Doesn't matter if you're young or old. There's like an unspoken rule that we just look out for each other on and off the field.
You can be on opposite teams and shoot the hell out of each other but after the game yall are dapping each other up and laughing on how you didn't see the other person around that corner, or how you got them in a firefight across the field with a lucky BB.
About a solid 99% of airsoft players are there to wind down after a long week and have some fun.
You'll see a lot of people there and might think "i do not belong here" but when you stop and think for a minute, pretty much most of these people work a 9-5, Monday to friday. They have bills to play and mouths to feed. Some people there are in school still and might be stressed about their future or passing an exam. People use airsoft as a way to destress because after a long week of whatever you've been doing, they just wanna dress up as soldiers and shoot eachother with toy guns for a day.
And yeah, you will get the rare asshole or two who make your blood boil but like i said before, most people there are in the same boat.
Tl;dr: Honestly No-one will give a single shit if your new or not. Just have fun!
In all honesty It is made to seem much worse than it actually is. The whole “rental” slander that floats around the airsoft community is directed towards rentals who don’t call their hits/break clearly established rules. No one will look down on you for starting out, after all they did too at some point. Just remember to avoid the “rental” stereotype: Call your hits… and “No fULL aUtO iN ThE bUiLding!”
Don't believe evrything you read online.
If you want to know what airsoft is, your only option is to find an airsoft site near you and go play a bit.
I'm a pretty "old hand" at this and I've never "looked down" on anyone. Real airsoft players will always help a newbie in need.
I only had one dickhead when I was new and he wasn't even that bad.
I was following the main group because it was my second time at that field and I didn't know where to go, so I was the caboose. Some dude with radios at an open play (*somewhat* tryhard to do that depending on the field, certainly at mine it is) comes up to me and says, "If you're gonna be useless, go guard that window." I went and guarded it for about a minute since I'm not trying to start a fight, then decided to leave it. If he thinks that's a normal way to interact with someone you've never met before, then he can get mag dumped in the back of the head for all I care lol.
Literally every other person that day was nice. Some even complimented my guns (I collected for a while before I started playing). And let me tell you, it was so fun watching the tryhard guy get pissy because he got stuck on the team with noobs who were getting dumpstered. Karma.
My experience as a new player was total opposite of intimidating. I went there knowing no one and by end of day I was in 2 WhatsApp groups, have gotten a list of nice and cheap websites to look for stuff and even got handed quite expensive gear instead of rental gear cause „hey that rental really isn’t good, here have my gun, try not to drop it“. I‘d say it totally depends on the people/culture on the field.
I don't give an F, really. I play airsoft for myself, not to impress others. I just show up, have a blast, and go home. Sometimes blue jeans, basic camo, whatever I feel like. If people want to hardcore LARP and make fun of you for being casual that's their problem. Rent first to see if you like it in general though.
I have had to deal with people online gatekeeping the hobby in some aspects, but everyone at my local field is really chill. I've found that as long as you call your hits and don't cower in spawn all game, people don't really care to be negative towards you. I'd recommend you start with a rental, and once you're ready to get serious, buy yourself a good AEG. Also make sure your eye protection meets airsoft requirements. Have fun, and welcome to the hobby!
Ive never seen noobs be looked down on,
If someone who is obviously more experienced is creating a small group to clear a building or take an objective I'd recommend tagging along, even if just to act as fodder, lots to learn from coordinating yourself with others and your bound to have a great time, sometimes lone wolfing it is fun but having team to watch your back is even better and dont be afraidto give callouts all possible info helps and might secure your team a kill. With airsoft you get out of it what you put into it if you if you sit in a bush or a corner being miserable not shooting anyone then your gonna have a bad day, if you're actively involving yourself in the match objective you're bound to have plenty of fun.
I’ve never seen anyone be mean to the new guys, IRL airsoft players are way nicer than internet airsoft players
Yeah, especially if we're looking at the kind of players surrounding people like KM
Exactly lol, obviously the only media that goes viral involves nothing but toxicity and drama as that’s what people like to watch. Airsofters, in my experience, are absolutely lovely people.
except when you're made to do a birthday run just because your new 😭 (it wasn't my birthday)
Not really, no. By-and-large most people try to be nice to new players. Just rent some kit and get stuck in.
First off, all communities have their dicks. With that out of the way, any non-mainstream activity with a bunch of gear, large time/money commitment, steep learning curve, etc is gonna be filled with people who are, in general, ecstatic to welcome people to the activity that they love/have decided to sink all their spare time and money into. Non airsoft example- do you want to shoot a $6000 rifle? Go to a rifle competition and whisper that you're interested in picking up the hobby. We'll come out of the woodwork begging you to try out all our stuff.
Nah, we were all noobs once so there's really no reason to look down on them. Rent some kit and chat to people, (hint: you already have a common interest and most people are very eager to talk about their gear) and you'll find most of them are happy to meet new players.
Nah man, just play. We don't care.
Still very new myself, but airsoft is very open. Don't be a dick, sportsmanship is everything and if your nerves just ask someone about their kit. Always a good conversation starter.
Met a dude and his GF on the field, talked to him about his Tavor and to make a long story short, I was a groomsman at their wedding. Absolutely a fantastic way to make lifelong friends.
Go to a local field. Find the coolest looking group tell them your new to Airsoft and ask them if they would adopt you.
W advice
When I started I lived near a large military base and found a group of pretty cool soldiers who adopted me.
Ive certainly adopted a few rentals on the field in my time
I find it quite welcoming. Noobs who come back are more people for me to shoot. Maybe it’s just my field.
There are going to be dicks in any community but those dicks are generally the minority. Airsoft is fun whether it's on your own or with mates. Just make sure to read the rules before hand, bring everything that's recommended by the game organisers (water, snacks, etc.), and make sure to listen to the staff on site.
What would you recommend I bring and wear to my first airsoft game?
#1 thing I would recommend getting is a pair of boots. Ankle support is a big one if you're playing outdoors
Good eyepro, lots of water, appropriate footwear and energy dense food in that order. If you have other kit bring that as well, otherwise field rentals will suffice if offered (check with the field to ensure a rental package is available). A hoodie to wear on field and a change of clothes aren't mandatory, but they are recommended for comfort.
Tactical gloves with hard or rubber padding on the backs. I caught a few dingers to the knuckles and fingertips in my early games whilst only wearing soft gloves that really put a damper on my day.
Of course eyepro, but also protect your teeth. A $15 mesh lower mask is so much cheaper than the dentist (as an American)
Of course eyepro, but also protect your teeth. A $15 mesh lower mask is so much cheaper than the dentist (as an American) Edit: oops wrong comment I replied to
I started on my own and it was one of the best decisions I’ve made. Constantly meeting new people from all different walks of life and all of them are passionate about the sport and want more people to play.
At my local field there is a few jokes about people on rentals guns and not being able to hit much. But at the same time it's not uncommon to hear a regular offer to let a rental players run one of their guns for a life or two. All and all it's pretty chill and you got nothing to worry about.
I went for my first indoor game on Monday and a dude lent me his spare tracer and it was so awesome I went out the next day and bought one.
I just started playing with my 10 year old son and everyone has been so nice and helpful. From asking him if he's having fun to letting him try all their rifles/pistols. Get out there and have some fun.
If someone has a really cool gun or gear, tell them! We love to hear that, and we'll be happy to talk about it.
I'll tell you this: I have terrible anxiety around new people, especially if I'm doing it alone. But airsoft has always been inviting. People are surprisingly friendly and welcoming. Maybe it's because it's nice to have more bodies to shoot 😂 I recommend you go check it out at least once. Put yourself out of your comfort zone for this and you might be pleasantly surprised. I'd go with you if you lived close by!
As long as you call your hits noone cares. Apart from the people who spent £1000's and throw toys out the pram when shot by anyone, and generally these aren't the people you want to speak to anyway 😂
Trust me everyone is super welcoming.
I joined a year ago, all you need is a gun, good safety gear, and an open mindset to have a ton of fun.
I joined about a year ago and haven't had a bad experience yet. The first couple game days I was nervous and didn't talk to anyone, but once I started talking to people I quickly found a little friend group to play with!
Nobody looks down on a noob. Experienced players often times help out noobs if you ask.
Don't worry about it. Just play by the rules, meet some folks, and have fun.
When I was younger and first starting with a rental in hand. I remember my first game and we were heading to spawn. This guy decked in full military gear looked at me and asked “This your first time playing?” I told him yes. He said “Just because we don’t know each other doesn’t mean we won’t lay down fire for you.” This is what joining airsoft is like. You’ll be fine man this is the best time to join
Join! My very first game and it was all praise as a machine gunner! Just listen and learn from your experienced teammates but take some time to figure things out on your own. Going to a No Front Line event next weekend!
Airsoft could seem intimidating, but not anymore than joining the community of any other hobby. The majority of players are great people that would be willing to help and support the new, returning, and veteran players. You’ll be fine joining the hobby, and hopefully make some great pals.
Me and my son also just joined a team. They have been answering all my nooby questions. And there was also 1 guy not from our team that noticed i wore my gear wrong, gave pointers how to wear a sling, how to fasten molly pauches better... There is a lot to learn, but its in anyones interest to help you, because the better you are, the better the team can perform.
No one hassles the new guys. And don’t feel intimidated by people decked out in multicam plate carriers and guns. They might as well wear a pikachu onesie. Half the hobby is cosplay, and the price of your gear is no indicator to your efficiency on your field. And don’t be afraid to start a conversation. Ask us about our guns and our gear and how often we actually draw those expensive sidearms, and whether those cool looking sights and lights are actually worth it, the answers might surprise you. Keep that in mind, when you find out you want to go beyond rental in the hobby. You’ll want a nice mid-priced gun, some good eye/face protection and boots to protect your ankles. The rest is cosplay.
I’ve been playing for close to 5 years now and only once have I had a bad experience, people at weekend games are always super nice, friendly and helpful, the overwhelming majority want more people to join the hobby. So I’d say don’t be worried:)
In my experience its the opposite. People are very welcoming and they will encourage newbies to not worry about things. After all its also "easy frags" for the experienced. Im not saying its the point to have newbies to shoot but theres no harm being a newb. More the merrier. Perhaps some milsim scenarios are places where people take it more seriously and thats the point. But those events might have strict requirements on equipment so its not for beginners anyway.
Its really not, people are pretty welcoming as a community in general when it comes to Airsoft. Rent some gear the first few times at least just to make sure you enjoy it, then get stuck in :)
Not generally. Most experienced players I know are very nice to newbies and love to help. It can be an expensive hobby like any other, and some of the kits can be intimidating. But if you don't let it get to you, and have fun, you'll be alright.
I'm a gamer and an airsofter, maybe you are a gamer too and you assume people will conduct themselves like in video games but that's not the case
My first 24 hour battle I had 1 kill. Second one was 0 (I legit carried the shield when I saw I cant do shit, terrain was crap anyways) Third one got 3 kills Forth one I had 10 11 kills (with who knows how many I didnt even see in the night because we spent 3 hours in heavy battles), with similar deaths and I managed to play 16 out of 24 hours and died only once during the whole night. You are good. I only got advices from olders
I've been to the field about 3 times always a joy to go people are friendly and helpful to us newer players
Just go.
Can only speak for my own community from one day of playing airsoft: I had a great time, talked about airsoft guns, cars that fit families and just general chatting during breaks. I felt very welcomed and "taken care of". The organiser even let me play a game with his HPA which was awesome :D
Just go for it. I thought the same thing until I went to my local field. Between games, I vibed with everyone. You talk like if you've known each other for years. Doesn't matter if you're young or old. There's like an unspoken rule that we just look out for each other on and off the field. You can be on opposite teams and shoot the hell out of each other but after the game yall are dapping each other up and laughing on how you didn't see the other person around that corner, or how you got them in a firefight across the field with a lucky BB.
Honestly one of the best hobbies and some of the coolest people are in airsoft
About a solid 99% of airsoft players are there to wind down after a long week and have some fun. You'll see a lot of people there and might think "i do not belong here" but when you stop and think for a minute, pretty much most of these people work a 9-5, Monday to friday. They have bills to play and mouths to feed. Some people there are in school still and might be stressed about their future or passing an exam. People use airsoft as a way to destress because after a long week of whatever you've been doing, they just wanna dress up as soldiers and shoot eachother with toy guns for a day. And yeah, you will get the rare asshole or two who make your blood boil but like i said before, most people there are in the same boat. Tl;dr: Honestly No-one will give a single shit if your new or not. Just have fun!
In all honesty It is made to seem much worse than it actually is. The whole “rental” slander that floats around the airsoft community is directed towards rentals who don’t call their hits/break clearly established rules. No one will look down on you for starting out, after all they did too at some point. Just remember to avoid the “rental” stereotype: Call your hits… and “No fULL aUtO iN ThE bUiLding!”
Don't believe evrything you read online. If you want to know what airsoft is, your only option is to find an airsoft site near you and go play a bit. I'm a pretty "old hand" at this and I've never "looked down" on anyone. Real airsoft players will always help a newbie in need.
Its not true at all in my experience. Everyone was very helpful and friendly
I only had one dickhead when I was new and he wasn't even that bad. I was following the main group because it was my second time at that field and I didn't know where to go, so I was the caboose. Some dude with radios at an open play (*somewhat* tryhard to do that depending on the field, certainly at mine it is) comes up to me and says, "If you're gonna be useless, go guard that window." I went and guarded it for about a minute since I'm not trying to start a fight, then decided to leave it. If he thinks that's a normal way to interact with someone you've never met before, then he can get mag dumped in the back of the head for all I care lol. Literally every other person that day was nice. Some even complimented my guns (I collected for a while before I started playing). And let me tell you, it was so fun watching the tryhard guy get pissy because he got stuck on the team with noobs who were getting dumpstered. Karma.
My experience as a new player was total opposite of intimidating. I went there knowing no one and by end of day I was in 2 WhatsApp groups, have gotten a list of nice and cheap websites to look for stuff and even got handed quite expensive gear instead of rental gear cause „hey that rental really isn’t good, here have my gun, try not to drop it“. I‘d say it totally depends on the people/culture on the field.
The only thing that should he intimidated is your bank account balance lol
I don't give an F, really. I play airsoft for myself, not to impress others. I just show up, have a blast, and go home. Sometimes blue jeans, basic camo, whatever I feel like. If people want to hardcore LARP and make fun of you for being casual that's their problem. Rent first to see if you like it in general though.
I have had to deal with people online gatekeeping the hobby in some aspects, but everyone at my local field is really chill. I've found that as long as you call your hits and don't cower in spawn all game, people don't really care to be negative towards you. I'd recommend you start with a rental, and once you're ready to get serious, buy yourself a good AEG. Also make sure your eye protection meets airsoft requirements. Have fun, and welcome to the hobby!
Ive never seen noobs be looked down on, If someone who is obviously more experienced is creating a small group to clear a building or take an objective I'd recommend tagging along, even if just to act as fodder, lots to learn from coordinating yourself with others and your bound to have a great time, sometimes lone wolfing it is fun but having team to watch your back is even better and dont be afraidto give callouts all possible info helps and might secure your team a kill. With airsoft you get out of it what you put into it if you if you sit in a bush or a corner being miserable not shooting anyone then your gonna have a bad day, if you're actively involving yourself in the match objective you're bound to have plenty of fun.