Jeff... I follow the perception standpoint you are making.  the more realistic things look the more freaked out people get... that is basic psychology... especially for those who hate real guns anyway.  But those who really hate guns will tend to hate anything that involves shooting a projectile at someone else. You would be surprised, actually.  The appearance of impropriety is far more disturbing than any impropriety itself in the minds of many gun-grabbers I know and have met.  I know many people who are considered prototypical gun-grabbers who quite enjoy the game of paintball, percieving it to be nothing more than a fun pasttime.  These same people look upon airsoft as a war simulation, something they are very against.  Often, the difference stems from actually playing paintball vs not playing airsoft.  The image that airsoft projects to them is simply too much for them to overcome and give it a whirl , whereas the image of paintball is one that is much less abrasive, which is what we want.

The image that airsoft projects to them is simply too much for them to overcome and give it a whirl , whereas the image of paintball is one that is much less abrasive, which is what we want. Ultimately the problem again lies with the person who has a problem with either paintball or airsoft.  The guys I play with know that in everything we do we must be respectful to others, have good sportsmanship, never use the guns unsafely, never use them to vandalize, never take it so seriously that you can't have fun. Jeff... I see your points and I see from a psychological standpoint why some freak out over airsoft more than they do paintball, but in the end the person with the problem is either the person who can't stand guns and doesn't ever want to see a gun type device involved in a sport/game or the person who can tell the difference between a game and reality. I respect your viewpoints and appreciate you sharing.  I think ultimately I could sum up my thoughts as follows: I love the sport of paintball... I love also playing airsoft.  In either sport there are individuals that make me nervous and can't tell the difference between a game and reality... regardless of whether it is a scenario game or a speedball game.  The thing I enjoy the most out of both paintball and airsoft... regardless of game type... is the teamwork required to be a successful, winning team. Thanks again for your input and your time put into your responses. Greg

The only thing I can really come up with thus far is the paintballers that dislike the airsofters are the paintballers that play speedball exclusively.... and that game _style_ is so different from the game _style_   most airsoft p_layer_s play... that each group dislikes the other's _style_ of play. Well, sort of.  I play woodsball, and I don't care for the airsoft scene. I DO like the guns, and would have one if they weren't so rediculously expensive. I can buy a REAL AK47 for half the price of an airsoft version. The thing I dislike most about it is the obsession with *acting*.  Some of these people are completely lost from reality to the point of having ranking systems, marching drill, etc. Thats where I step off, thanks. I think it's less about the sport, and more about the imagination game... like Dungeons and Dragons. Also the lack of pain really takes the edge off too, and takes more away from the realism than anything else can contribute.

FWIW: I could care less about playing war . I say play away.  The key word here is PLAY.  Kids play war all day long on their computers, xboxes, and playstations. I don't hear you guys screaming about that. What about Quake?  Playing war is what paintball IS, like it or not. It's simulated combat no matter what color you are wearing or how shiny your gun is. I have no problem with airsoft.... I just don't care for the Dungeons and Dragons geeky atmosphere from the diehards who create and issue ranks, in painful detail.  In fact, if the group near me wasn't full of these people I'd have already been down there playing. I think even with all of the military detail of airsoft, paintball is still far more realistic as a combat simulation.

Thanks again for your input and your time put into your responses. And thank you for your polite discourse.