The future past of milsim airsofting

For the purpose of this blog post, I will focus on a growing segment of the airsoft community, ie "Namsoft" and the options for namsoft players.

What's a "namsofter?" Namsofters portray any branch of the military during the Vietnam War, including USFOR and OPFOR using uniforms and gear. This gear is readily available from many quality resources. Both US and NVA Rifles are made by Tokyo Maui and Classic Army, and MBK's are available from G&P and Hurricane. Correct uniforms are available from online sources (or from the MCHA) as well and range form budget priced ($30 for a shirt and pants) to historical reproductions ($175 for uniform).

With the addition of the GBB M16 series, namsofters are getting even more similar to their real steel reenacting brethren in both real-cap and historically correct tactical training.

Options for the Namsofter include skirmishing with friends, going to large scale games like the small leaders courses "Recondo School" offered by The War Department (nonprofit) and the Historical Military Simulations Group, or blank-fire/airsoft immersed training provided by the Marine Corps Historical Association, (nonprofit) at Basic Reconnaissance School. The most recent addition to the namsofter is Live Action Roleplay, LARP.

LARPing got its start in the 1970's mainly with the focus on medieval studies and fantasy role-play. But it has evolved to any era of history. Imagine a FPS game that comes to life. Sound familiar? It should, because the vast majority of airsoft players have a base character already. "I'm a SF operator" or maybe you're a "Navy SEAL." To take it to the next step to a LARP, all you need do is create a little background for your character. Where did you grow up, live as a child, what did your parents do, why did you join the Navy, Army, Marines, NVA, Viet Cong, etc are all questions you'd consider as you build your "character."

So, you created your background and have all your gear...now what? Do you still want to go into a skirmish with modern tac-vest wearers? No. More than likely you want to play with others who also have a character impression and "fight" your war using your own scenario. That's great...for a while. Soon, you'll be searching for other groups on which to test your skills.

That's where the Namsphere comes into play. The Namsphere is a virtual world where your actions have an influence on other teams. For example: your team "the 3d NVA Battalion" won a battle in your local game. Great. Good for you guys. But imagine if your win affected how all other US teams in your "region" were supplied. A team in one part of the country could effectively decide a battle on the other side of the country. The Namsphere is an ongoing "war" where battles are recorded and their consequences are felt throughout the "world."

What if your character gets "blown up by a claymore?" does he die? In the Namsphere he just might. Depending on experience and "hit points" he may not be able to "regen." If that's the case, you'll make a new character and start at the beginning of the game--earning experience and hit points again.

The Namsphere is a proprietary world, created by the Marine Corps Historical Association, MCHA, that encourages airsofters to learn more about history of the Vietnam War. Participants can choose any service, both allied and enemy for their character. For a nominal annual fee of $25, the MCHA provides the rule set and complies the provided after action reports of member groups and coordinates the Namsphere. If you would like to learn more, or link your group into the Namsphere, please contact me for details.