WARNING: New obsession alert.

I read an article a few weeks back about a do-it-yourself (henceforth known as "DIY") lasertag system.  The general upshot is this:

Don’t go to a polite, enclosed indoor establishment and use the crappy guns against even crappier opponents (mostly asshole kids) in a small, unchanging environment.  If you do you only get to play a non-goal oriented game for all of seven minutes at a time before you have to stop and ditch your randomly selected equipment and start all over again.  The only other options are to shell out big bucks for a "private party" after hours where you still use the crappy guns in the same unchanging environment, or buy an off-the-shelf system from Wal-Mart which is not only cheap in price, but cheap in construction, limited in features, range and looks like it should be featured on Sesame Street — the "Tickle Me Lasertag" system.

Instead, spend those extra bucks and build your own gun (hence the DIY part of the equation) with more sophisticated electronics and modeled after your favorite firearm, or even one that doesn’t exist (i.e. the Pulse rifle from Aliens).  You can even build specialty weapons like shotguns with a shorter range but a wider field of fire, pistols that are lighter and less cumbersome to carry, and sniper rifles with an incredible range.  Your arena can be wherever you are cleared to play, be it private property or public land (permission to be asked for and granted first, or course).  This can lend itself to urban assault scenarios, capture the flag, last man standing, etc. all in an expanded and sometimes dynamic environment.  Your co-players are all people serious and interested enough to build their own weapons, increasing the likelihood that your games will be fun and adventurous.

Think of it as paintball without all the pain, mess or recurring ammo charges.

I know what you’re thinking — "Oh great, BUILD my own gun?  How the hell do I do that?  I don’t know a soldering iron from a nine-iron."  Not to worry.  Much.  The system I’m most interested in is MilesTAG, which is based off of the US military’s M.I.L.E.S. wargame system.  It is open source and fairly popular in the DIY lasertag community.  Jim Robertson (the developer) is nice enough to provide the code and schematics that make the brain, heart and soul of the gun system for free — hence "open source" — and he is currently working on the fifth revision of the system now.  This is the one I am going for as there are a number of dramatic improvements implemented.  He has released the schematics but not yet the code, and that’s dandy because I have my plate full with just that.  I’m currently in the process of researching the proper materials and components to build the circuit, including a few improvements of my own.

What does this mean to you, my adventure loving cohorts?  Well, it means that I am willing to do all the homework and footwork towards building guns for DIY lasertag.  I have the capability to make custom circuit boards, I have connections with electronics providers and I have an uncanny knack for fabrication.  Ultimately it means that I will be building the circuits to create the guns around.

What this does NOT mean to you my opportunistic pals, is that I will not foot the bill for anyone to have a gun.  It does not mean that I am going to build your gun for you.  I am doing the hard part, the research and the circuitry.  I am more than willing to assist and partner in building your gun, but you are going to reimburse me for the cost of circuit materials and further, purchase the rest of the items yourself.  Sounds like a fair deal to me.

What this means to me is the possibility of a tremendous amount of fun, not only playing some homebrew lasertag but doing all the fiddly bits involved in actually building the weapons.  What this also means to me is another good reason to get together with my friends and have a good time.

The overall cost is minimal.  I’m trying to keep the circuit price below $75… closer to $50.  The cost of the gun itself is up to you and how elaborate you wish to make it.  Of course, I will accept any and all assistance with regard to circuit assembly and gun design when the time comes (and we’re still a little bit away from that).

I want to know your thoughts on this.  Am I spinning my wheels uselessly as nobody is interested in joining me in this endeavor?  Is this the coolest thing you’ve heard of this year and you’re on-board too?  You let me know.