Airsoft Games - What is MilSim?
Airsoft is a game that is played with airsoft guns, also called soft air guns, where the objective is to 'tag' other players or get them 'out' of the game by shooting at and hitting them with pellets from a soft air gun.
There are many different ways to play airsoft, and different players and leagues have different games that are played with airsoft equipment. The most popular of them all by far is MilSim, an abbreviation for Military Simulation.
Military Simulation is a game in which simulations of actual or imaginary military engagements are conducted by members of the civilian population. This is done for fun, and can be done with paintball as well as airsoft.
This type of game is much more often played with airsoft guns as they are made to be replicas of real guns. Paintball guns require modification in order to appear as strikingly similar to the actual thing as possible.
Types of Airsoft MilSim
There are two main types of MilSim that players take part in. Military simulations and reenactments are the main types of MilSim that are played with airsoft guns. While they fall along the same lines, reenactments and simulations are very different.
Reenactments are re-makings of the actual event that occurred in history. Certain battles are reenacted with realistic weapons that adhere to the time period. They are designed to be as close to the actual event as possible, including the time period during which it took place, the weapons that are used, the events that took place and the outcome of the battle.
Generic military simulations do not have to be so specific. They focus on a time period in particular in which a battle may have taken place as well as any costumes or weapons that were used. This is where the specifics end, as the events and outcome can go whichever way the players determine it to go. These events can be based off of events, people, and places as well as politics that are entirely fictitious.
Military simulations of any sort are designed to allow players to get into the heads of those involved in combat, both fictitious and historic characters alike. This is why so many different guns and equipment is used during airsoft play; some players have a whole arsenal of airsoft equipment all designed to be as realistic as possible.
