This is what I dread. You're going to get your Gen Z'ers around now who think Call of Duty is real life and for whom honour is a foreign concept and cheating is a 'tactic.'

Sad because I doubt the youngest now even grasp the concept that this action hobby is more about recreation and getting the 'feel' that comes from playing all-day/night heavily-themed games and not 'winning' or being the best or whatever shit. I'll never forget those zombie themed all-nighters at FR Cambridge.

Also having another retro-realization: I've been on this forum/interested in airsoft for a little over half my life on this planet.

Amen brother - where Airsoft and fine cuisine met hand in hand...lol

Honour is not lost on the young. I've played with a few older 40+ aged manchildren who are absolutely terrible. Overshooting and lack of hit calling. At the field I play at, the refs are aware of them and are watching them closer.

As for younger players. It is easier to be a good example for them than the manchilds.

Adult day care.

Hahaha - that is pretty much the life of a Airsoft venue worker.

Getting ready to pack it in out here in Alberta. Kids, some old nagging injuries and a lack of enjoyment getting to me.

Ontario welcomes you with open arms! Daycare is hella expensive tho, mate

Yeah im a late 2000’s guy as well trying to get back into it since moving to the GTA. Being as there are more kids playing these days is there still a decent group of 30 or older guys playing? If so is there better times/days to catch them at places like siege airsoft?

Not a 30+ year old guy (I'm one of the newer young guns) but try weeknights at Siege instead of Friday or weekends. I find Wednesdays and Thursdays are the most chill and enjoyable times unless you like large numbers and chaos. Blackline events are awesome too and attract a more experienced player base.

I stopped playing in 2015 because of work. I have been back in Calgary for just over 2 years and I have no motivation to play. I have a sweet G18 AEP I spent a lot of time and money on, but I sold all my other guns. My KA M4 is sitting in parts in storage and has been so long I am getting worried about the lipos with it.

Honestly I played mostly at Warpaint, but I heard it's a dilapitated shit hole now. I guess I could go to some other field but I honestly feel more interested in other hobbies. Airsoft was this super cool thing I could do but wife+kid+work means my weekends are more enjoyable sitting around the house or going to a farmers market. Every once and a while I see some awesome thing on the classifieds and think "Yeah I want that" but then I just kind of forget about it and move on.

I'm one of those 30s guys.

For Siege Airsoft
Wednesdays - Good mix of people from young to 40+ usually good group of people that are friendly and you get regulars who come. Although once in awhile you'll get a few non-hit callers, just fire for effect till they feel it :)

Thursdays - Noob/Renters night. Mostly quiet on these days not many regulars, great day to just go in and tune your gun at the range if you need.

Friday - Similar to Wednesdays. A mix of regulars of all ages.

Wednesdays and Fridays are good days to go. Whereas Sat and Sun can be a mix bag of chaos. On weekends, the crowd is not as predictable as Wed/Fri group and it is usually overcrowded.

In terms of safety - the staff take safety seriously and watch people to remind them of the rules.

In terms of equipment safety/stealing - there are a few cameras around the premises so you will be able to see who stole what. Stolen equipment does not happen often. The last time it happened they caught the guy and was able to get the stolen item back. Weekdays are the safest cause you get all the regulars. Weekends can be tricky cause it is a big mixture of newbies and regulars.

Thats awesome guys! Its always tough to break into the hobby again but Toronto seems to have a fairly large airsoft scene so thats great. Do guys plan many Milsim games here in Southern Ontario and any Milsim teams kicking around the GTA?

Holy ass hats, I just came back and didn’t even think oldies were alive! I gotta search around and see how Tru and the others are doin during this terrible time to be alive. I agree tho, 90’s to early 2000’s were great, I haven’t been on the field in a long time tho so I can’t compare.

Flagswipe is doing some reno work during all this so could be some new stuff to check out when this shit is all done

Agreed, I've been playing since 05 or 06 with few issues until facebook got involved. Actually had my first airsoft related fist fight at siege a couple years ago. Some guy and his buddy decided to try push up stairs, he got shot, and just stood there while his friend used him as cover, then got all pissy we didn't stop shooting, decided to get in my face and swing on me, so I tackled him down the stairs and ended the fight.

Only been out a handful of times since then, and the player base has somehow actually gotten shittier than that guy.

Honestly, most of my friends have retired or moved too far to play with, and when we do meet, we just hang out, so I'm considering just selling it all and dumping the money into more real steel, an ILTIS or WWII Reenacting.