Here's my $0.02...
1. Forget handing out BBs and setting rules around what weight can be used in which rifle...too complicated, you're trying to make the rules and game organization simpler/easier, not harder.
2. If you want to introduce a difference between types or weapons, consider setting FPS limits for different weapons. Chrony them all w/ 0.20g bbs and then let the players decide what BBs they want to run and what works best for them.
- pistols = stock-310fps
- SMG = stock - 310fps
- 5.56/SAW = < 350fps
- 7.62 = < 400fps
- sniper rifles (bolt action or electrical/mechanically fixed semi) = <450fps
***depends on the game and CQB/open field setup...lower or raise all the limits to suite...but most indoor places are capped at 350fps and most outdoor at 400fps so that's a good level to start with.
***a lot of "vets" don't really care if all the guns are shooting 400fps...when they're at games when they know the large marjority of guys have good trigger control and discipline. Op Broadsword was a good example of such a time.
3. Set SIMPLE and CLEAR ammo rules...spot check...follow through.
- BW rules may not appeal to those who want real cap...but they're simple to follow.
- Real cap (or low/mid caps loaded to 33-34 rounds) makes for a higher consciousness in the player (or else they wonder why they're out of ammo after the first hour).
- Make the respawn/resupply point far enough away that people who get killed or run out of ammo are out of the action for at least 15min. Impress upon them that getting killed or running out of ammo is NOT A GOOD THING.
4. If it was up to me, I'd stick to the following:
- you can carry as much ammo as you can in loaded mags (real cap...or low/mid loaded with 33-34rnds...pistols loaded to real cap). No limit on the number of mags...take a backpack full of them for your squad if you want.
- no reloading on the field...no recharging mags, grenades, 203's, etc...
- no highcaps
Simple...easy to "impress" on the players...easy to spot/enforce
Teams will figure out that it's advantageous to run similar weapons and share ammo pretty quick.
5. Have min 3 chrony's to get everyone through registration...it sucks to wait in line for ages to get chronied when you're trying to prep for an OP.
- guys are bringing more than one rifle and it takes time to chrony all those guns...one line up, three or more stations (just like a bank line up).
- Guys should walk up with their weapons and empty mags....10-12rnds of 0.20 are then loaded by game control and then their weapons are chronied. The rifles that pass are noted.
- Wolfpack have a good system where they have a card that is signed off with your name, your chrono'd weapons and it's copied onto your registration sheet. You have to keep that card on you for the game and be ready to display it to game control upon request. For any dispute, there's a record of what you were permitted to use...but diputes are rare, because everyone knows that every gun on the field has passed chrony. Any discrepancies are quickly checked by an on-the-spot chrony with 0.20's and dealt with right then and there.
- Sorry...but black zip ties are silly. In my gear bag I typically have at least a dozen or so zip ties that I use for general sh*t. An honest player isn't going to take a hot gun on the field...and the gun card system avoids any discrepancies.
6. Noobs/Newbs/Whatever
- As long as the game is open and not regulated by some other mechanism (i.e. invite only, pre-vetted, vouched, min previous games, etc...) you can't get away from the guy who shows up to such an event, 24hr milsim/BW/etc..., as his first game...or his first game in a long time.
- It's utopic to buddy them up or put them under the wing of other guys (this is not a direct shot at your plan Brian M.)...but for games of this magnitude it's not a realistic expectation to put on the "vets". Any pairing up should be well in advance...game day is too late. You can be assured that the "vets" have put a lot of time, money and effort into prep'ing for the event. Or the 18yr old who paid $60-100+ and traveled 2+ hours to walk onto the field with a rifle should take a bit of initiative to sort themselves out so they actually have mags, batteries and some sense of tactics when the horn goes.
- Please no Newb-tags...
- it's essentially April...BW is in July (d'oh...sooner than I originally thought)...3 months out...there's still lots of time for someone to un-noob themselves. Hell, if those persons make a good effort to get out to as many games as they can...they'll probably get more time in than the "vets" by Sept. Encourage other game hosts to run some games similar to the "mil-sim" style/rules...to get guys working with a command stucture and different load out rules. Doesn't have to remove the "fun" games...but if the mil-sim organizers aren't working with the other game organizers, they're missing a huge opportunity to make their own events so much better.
- I'm all for helping guys out. F*ck, I've given a guy the belt off my pants once just so he could participate at a CAPS event (and the quick little bugger beat me...
). But for "big/serious" events...each and every participant has to go into it with an appreciation that the expectation levels are very high and they'd better be ready to run or get left behind.
7. From what I see of BW3, there seems to be quite a bit of other playing area added to what we played for Op Broadsword. I suspect that there will be several objectives set outside the building so being "crammed in a hallway with a bunch of trigger happy campers" won't be the only option for guys who don't want that. As long as game control weight the objectives properly...it can work. Even closing off buildings (or parts of) as they are "destroyed" can hugely shift a game and force people to move.
8. Blackrain....I strongly suggest that you get out to a couple of Brian M's FTF games. He runs a tight ship and has been running rules that work well with mil-sim games.
9. Scrap medic and wounding rules....one hit = dead. Dummies like me are too stupid to differentiate how many hits we're taking to armour vs. leg vs. whatever. Better off to avoid getting hit.
10. How to get "vets/more senior" members out to these games?
- Prove out that the play level of the great majority who will be attending will be held to the highest level. Trigger control, tactics, organization, command & control, etc.... If you have a ratio like Op Broadsword...they'll be there in a flash.
- Keep the mission objectives simple and clear. An example that was frustrating was the continually changing alliance of the partisans last year at BW2...it seemed like every 5 min they were flipping allegiances and whatever they're alignment was, they were shooting as us. Keep it simple for us dummies.