Post by shiftysgarand on Aug 5, 2020 10:54:14 GMT -5
I think it goes without saying that proper uniforms and equipment are a critical part of WWII Airsoft. After all, they are the single biggest thing that separates us from everyday weekend airsofters or kids playing in their backyards. Most established groups on this board and many individuals have reached impressive standards for accuracy in terms of uniforms, weapons, and gear.
A second, deeper level of accuracy is adhering to proper, period-correct squad and unit tactics. 2nd Bat especially has been instrumental in running and assisting with events in the Pacific Northwest and Northeast regions that put a heavy emphasis on correct use of fire and movement, unit formations, and coordination as used by the belligerent sides during WWII, and the results showed. The Battle of the Bulge events I attended in upstate New York remain by far the most immersive WWII airsoft experiences I've ever had, and I cherish the memories I have of them.
The third level of immersion, which I think most of us have yet to attain, is the correct use of the language of the combatants. Most of the individuals we portray did not speak English, especially as a native default language, and I think that might remain the biggest inaccuracy in a lot of events (aside from the obvious, unavoidable ones like eye protection, 6mm BBs instead of 7.62mm lead, and participants' ages.) Uniforms and tactics played a huge part in the immersiveness of the New York events, but another aspect was hearing German on the other side of a wall and getting that sense of dread that the enemy was close and combat inevitable. In other events I have attended where the German team communicated in English, even when I recognized the voice of someone I knew was on the enemy team, that kind of encounter did not invoke anywhere near the same kind of thoughts. The correct (or at least ample) use of "the enemy language" was what took the event to the next level for me, and as a proficient (though still decidedly non-native) speaker of Japanese, I now try to convey that same sense to the American team in our PTO events.
Beyond battlefield immersion, knowledge of your impression's language has assorted additional benefits, such as increased research resources (the Wehrmacht, IJA, and Red Army did not conduct business in English), enhanced cultural background on the soldier you are portraying, and all the other traditional benefits of language learning. For the hardcore guys especially, but also the more casual WWII airsofters, I think it should be something on your radar, at least more than it is now. I'm fully aware of the difficulty of learning a foreign language, and I agree that it is unfair to expect fluency from the get-go; this is my 6th year of studying Japanese, and I've still got a painfully long way to go before I'm satisfied. But I think starting from simple battlefield commands and expanding your knowledge to fill in the gaps is a low-cost, straightforward method for anyone to improve their impression, deepen their knowledge on the period, and enhance the immersion for their comrades and enemies at WWII airsoft events.
Thoughts? I'm curious to hear ideas, resources, objections, anything pertaining to the topic!
A second, deeper level of accuracy is adhering to proper, period-correct squad and unit tactics. 2nd Bat especially has been instrumental in running and assisting with events in the Pacific Northwest and Northeast regions that put a heavy emphasis on correct use of fire and movement, unit formations, and coordination as used by the belligerent sides during WWII, and the results showed. The Battle of the Bulge events I attended in upstate New York remain by far the most immersive WWII airsoft experiences I've ever had, and I cherish the memories I have of them.
The third level of immersion, which I think most of us have yet to attain, is the correct use of the language of the combatants. Most of the individuals we portray did not speak English, especially as a native default language, and I think that might remain the biggest inaccuracy in a lot of events (aside from the obvious, unavoidable ones like eye protection, 6mm BBs instead of 7.62mm lead, and participants' ages.) Uniforms and tactics played a huge part in the immersiveness of the New York events, but another aspect was hearing German on the other side of a wall and getting that sense of dread that the enemy was close and combat inevitable. In other events I have attended where the German team communicated in English, even when I recognized the voice of someone I knew was on the enemy team, that kind of encounter did not invoke anywhere near the same kind of thoughts. The correct (or at least ample) use of "the enemy language" was what took the event to the next level for me, and as a proficient (though still decidedly non-native) speaker of Japanese, I now try to convey that same sense to the American team in our PTO events.
Beyond battlefield immersion, knowledge of your impression's language has assorted additional benefits, such as increased research resources (the Wehrmacht, IJA, and Red Army did not conduct business in English), enhanced cultural background on the soldier you are portraying, and all the other traditional benefits of language learning. For the hardcore guys especially, but also the more casual WWII airsofters, I think it should be something on your radar, at least more than it is now. I'm fully aware of the difficulty of learning a foreign language, and I agree that it is unfair to expect fluency from the get-go; this is my 6th year of studying Japanese, and I've still got a painfully long way to go before I'm satisfied. But I think starting from simple battlefield commands and expanding your knowledge to fill in the gaps is a low-cost, straightforward method for anyone to improve their impression, deepen their knowledge on the period, and enhance the immersion for their comrades and enemies at WWII airsoft events.
Thoughts? I'm curious to hear ideas, resources, objections, anything pertaining to the topic!