[slink182]

When I played in the early '90s, it was a progression on paintball, mainly from the realism perspective (engagement distances, equipment, etc.). We were - for the most part - honest about our hits because we knew that the game was driven based on the Honour System. Also, there weren't many of us playing back then - a large game was 20 bodies on the field, whereas a typical game was 4-8.

Times have changed and airsoft has gotten much greater exposure. In recent years (via heresy) the consensus is that the "quality" and "civility" of players has degraded. I haven't seen this yet, though I've seen my share of hot-heads this season. I think part of the reason for this feeling of degradation is that more people are entering the sport, but are coming from the perspective of video games (CoD, MoH, ArmA, take your pick), where "dying" is something to avoid at all costs, even if it means "glitching" or "cheating" at the game. They feel they must "stay in the field" at all costs, and being sent back to respawn affects their "kill streak".

Guess what - the game doesn't work that way.

The game has rules, but the rules are all based on the Honour System. The system doesn't favour cheaters or folks looking for loopholes (e.g., the recent sniper MED loophole to challenge a mercy). The rules are there so everyone plays on a level field. It comes down to personal integrity/honour, willingness to take the risk, and living with the consequences. The game is as much about personal responsibility as team responsibility.

A hit is a hit is a HIT. Suck it up. Call yourself out. Recognize that you're not always going to be lucky, or fortunate, or more accurate, or faster on the draw. That you may just be in the wrong place at the right time. That hindsight is 20/20, and foresight is often a clusterfuck. Recognize that your BBs will veer, that rounds may hit and go unnoticed, that people DO MAKE MISTAKES.

And then, shake hands and move on.