Making Body Armor Worth The Money

[john]

I was thinking of an idea to make body armor more realistic. I don't know if the idea would work for everyones event because it is a matter of preference. Maybe those who would like to give it a try could help me better refine the idea?

As alway KISS Keep It Simple Stupid

2 men face each other on the field. 1 has body armor 1 does not. The man that has the body armor; is shot in the chest. Hit Hit MEdic!!!CCC ARGH *DRAMA* all that good role play.

*At this point if he were hit in the leg, head , arms armpit it's up to god or the medic!*

But, he was hit in the chest. Red Rag is on. Now the soldier starts to rip off his vest to stop the pressure created by the mere force of the round;260fps .20 ouch. :)

Technically you are hit and have to submit to any opfor you encounter. You can't use your weapon....yet and if they tag you (touched on the shoulder knife style) You are out. Being Shot by any bbs since your red rag is placed on your head would also result in death.

*live soldiers may not with intent, shoot red ragged soldiers regardless, no excuses. i think that is the most important rule for SAFETY*


So how does the body armor help: Unless you are dragged out, takenprisoner, tagged(killed anyway) or healed by a medic you aren't going anywhere for a while.

Say 5 minutes after all opfor are gone and if none of the above happen.
You may continue gasping for air and finally manage to get your vest back on now you may get up and continue on. Sure you took a hit but you don't have to respawn.

Why do this?

1 To make sure people that wear vests don't secretly start just taking bullets to the chest and sayin ahh ... give me that one for buyin a kevlar.

2 To do something fun with vests

3 Because you wouldn't always die from a chest wound while wearing kevlar. And if you managed not to get shot by your own team while trading fire with the OPFOR. Or get captured/Tagged. You managed to probably play dead well and keep quiet enough that the OPFOR didn't see you or bother your positoin.

Well so what? You mean they don't die?

No they don't die. But if they are shot in vest again there is no tellin what the damaged plate did to the integrity of the vest.

*Require tape white electric. To be taped to the vest signifying a hit has been taken to the vest. And the person is to follow non vest rules if hit. Tape could be neon color to give player a disadvantage*

I know it sounds complicated. But i had to rewrite in a lot of rules still in place.

HNIC

Could it work? If So, if not, How do we aprove upon the idea?

[Zorak]

I don't think the idea that players with body armor can be fully killed by additional hits after they put their red rag on will work in practice. Safety rule notwithstanding, you're created a good reason to shoot people with rags on, and people will find ways to rationalize it.

Munin had a suggestion I liked better: players with obvious body armor get a discount on medic or respawn time. It has to be obvious - replica plates in a plate carrier or unmistakeable soft armor. No claiming that your Guarder is styled like an Interceptor and ought to count unless it's as thick and bulky as a real IPA.

[Munin]

Yeah, my thought was as follows - all times for medic to treat a wound on a player wearing obvious body armor are halved, and if the medic draws an "instant death" card for the armored player, the medic may draw again. The results of the second draw count (so if the medic draws a second "instant death" card, the bullet somehow managed to defeat the armor and the player is making the long hike back to his reinforcement area/field hospital/whatever).

Simple, easy to implement, works with most of the existing medic rules people are using these days. It also keeps body armor from being too powerful or from relying on a single person's perception ("you hit me in the chest...really").

We have guys wearing replica hard plates in their chest harnesses right now just for the hell and realism of it. It would be cool if they actually got something for the extra weight, bulk, rigidity, and heat that they're taking on.

[strikers_blade]

very good idea Munin....something to be tested real soon ;)

[Zorak]

The point about the weight of real armor is well taken, but I think we're kind of stuck with it for now. I actually thought about buying real plates for maximum versimilitude, but then Munin pointed out that ceramic plates can chip or break if handled improperly. I can't imagine how dumb I'd feel if a $300 SAPI plate broke in an airsoft game. Even the replica plates I have in my carrier definitely encumbered me more than my mesh LBV would, so I feel that we are getting closer to realism.

If anyone ever does come out with a replica plate priced under $100 with realistic (or nearly so) weight, then yeah, I'd be all for requiring players to have one to get the bonus.

[john]

You are right about them being able to be killed after red rag. We should scratch that.

If forgot one important part. That is an engineer can repair your vest. Assuming he had plates. We could use cardboard cut outs. This could be added to your idea. So that people with vests could simply get their vest repaired if shot in the chest.

Letting people get less medic time because they have a vest is a good idea that i feel can be inplemented into our current way of milism.

The only thing i like better about letting them get up is the steps it takes to get to that point. Trying to add realistic events or actions into the players actual role. My strongest tie to this idea is that it gets people thinking about where they have been hit.


The idea came to me at North meats South. My squad got flanked, unknown to us Dman and his band of rebels snuck right up on us. I noticed that when dman shot me he took the time to aim for my armpit. He placed a single round in the only place there wasn't kevlar.

Help me refine the idea.

JOHN