From: ollis@redbck.stl.dec.com (Stephen Ollis)
Subject: Re: Laserzone  (Fairly long..)
Reply-To: ollis@redbck.stl.dec.com (Stephen Ollis)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1992 03:32:05 GMT


Ok ok ok ... I've been inundated with email asking for details ... I'll give as
much as I know... 

Well, as I mentioned before they have been opening places in the UK and have
a fair few there .. 70 was the number quoted to me, but I have no concrete 
proof..

Are they opening in the US? Other places in Australia? No Eye Dear!!!! But they
did have a big promo banner running across the screen of their PC saying that
people who were interested in franchises to call a phone number.. Unfortunately
I haven't got the phone number here.. but call Laserzone in Sydney (only one
around) and ask them for details.. The number is (02) 261 2444.. for you 
international types that translates to country code 61 and phone number
22612444

Suggested apparel for the up & coming laserzoner... Basic black.. Lots of it!
Black T-shirt, and black martial arts pants are my choice.. You might want to 
work out some method of identifying yourself (ie bandanna's) etc but it's your
own choice.. I'd prefer people not to be able to recognize me in order to stop 
`revenge' attacks.. don't laugh.. it happened to me at another places.. and I 
had the facial cuts to prove it!

The management of Laserzone.. They are a very friendly bunch of people, and
were very willing to talk about the setup of the game, explain the various
options, and were extrememly helpful all round.. The front-desk-angels were a 
little too inexperienced in the use of the gear, but that's to be expected as 
the place is still VERY new.. They seem to be very forward thinking as well, 
discussing new sites they were planning to open (Bondi was one, I think 
Parramatta was another .. I hope!!).  They also have plans in place for a
competition between companies (this Laserzone is about 1-2km's from the very
heart of Sydney's central business district). Each team nominates a charity, 
and the prize money from the comp is donated to that charity, but also giving
benefits to the team players as well! They seem to have setup a good working
relationship with the local constabulary, as the police were walking and joking
around with the management while I was there...

The facilities.. well as I mentioned originally.. it's a very tight squeeze..
There's space for m & f toilets, and the front desk.. there's a SMALL waiting 
area; you could swing a cat in there, but only if it was a very doped out cat,
and didn't mind a few nasty knocks around the head... The actual playing field
was well laid out, and pretty well controlled by the referees.. The no-running
rule was administered, cramping my playing style, but it's good to see them 
actually sticking by the rules they've setup.. The only complaint I had about 
the field was that there appeared to be a leaky tube feeding the fogger machine
and it had leaked onto one of the main thoroughfares on the field.. This stuff
is basically an oil, and is slipperier than all get out.. wonderful stuff when
it gets on your rubber based shoes.. Sliiiipppppppppppp -- thhhhunkkkkkkk!
That's another thing too.. they fog the room up pretty well using 2 or 3
foggers, so if you are asthmatic then you had better not be planning to do any
majorly energetic stuff, or you may find yourself in the back of an ambulance!
I do concert production in my copious spare time, so I'm used to the stuff now;
Take it slowly and keep your ventolin puffer handy..

Games are 20 minutes in length -- 5 minutes to suit up and get force fed the
instructions, 15 minutes playing time.. I only played the gamed called
Energise 4.. it's a team vs team game, where the main objective is to knock out
the op teams `tower'.. they also have a `battleground' game that wasn't quite
ready, which is a mod on the energise 4.. it has various `gun emplacements' 
around the place that fire randomly .. the guy mentioned 20 emplacements.. 
this coupled with another team would be downright murder to play in.. the other
main style of game is solo game, where >1 people go into the arena and 
basically blow the flux out of each other.. believe me there are some good 
hiding places around there, and it would be an interesting 15 minutes... 
I personally was less than impressed with the guns.. the beam has less diameter
than a standard pen, making it more difficult to hit people.. my preference I 
guess, but my idea of a laser rifle is like the rifles out of Star Wars, 
capable of blowing a smoking hole in the opposition, not a smaller-than-pencil
beam capable of cauterising the above smoking hole.. horses for courses!

This has turned into quite a diatribe.. Part 2 coming RSN...

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