WaterWar.net

Posted: **Fri Feb 02, 2007 2:25 pm**

Rule Set
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4: Equipment / Water Sources
- Equipment is defined as any objects brought onto the battle grounds that are used by Players
- Water Sources are defined as areas / facilities that are approved for Players to use to refill their water guns / soakers / refill bottles / water dispensing devices
- use of any equipment to intentionally injure and/or harm another person is strictly forbidden
- use of any equipment to intentionally damage and/or destroy another person's property is strictly forbidden

4.1: Water Guns / Soakers / Water Dispensing Devices
- Definition: the term "soaker" is used loosely in these rules and can refer to stock soakers, modified soakers, and homemade water guns depending on the context. "Soaker" is, however, not used when referring to water balloons, hoses, or non-water-containing equipment
- all water dispensing devices must be filled only by water from approved Water Sources
- all water dispensing devices must be in good working order (i.e. no heavily rusted parts or being significantly damaged in a way to pose a threat to any Player or others)
- all Team Commanders must agree to the use of significantly more powerful water blasters
- no water blaster should be used in such a way to inflict injury on another Player
- any device deemed too dangerous for game use by any Team Commander and/or by the majority of the Players must be left out of the game

4.1.1: Soaker Classification

4.1.2: Stock Soakers
- stock soakers are defined as any mass-produced retail-store bought soaker, but not those purchased from specialty stores or custom-building stores

4.1.3: Modified Soakers
- modified soakers are defined as any stock soaker which has had either its internals and/or externals significantly modified from the original model; this includes but is not limited to painting, nozzle drilling, addition of accessories, power modding, tank expansion, etc.

4.1.4: Custom-Built Soakers
- custom-built soakers are defined as soakers built from scratch (i.e. from simple tubing and valve parts) or made in very small batches (less than 100 built)

4.1.5: Water Balloons
- water balloons are defined as devices typically made of latex or paper containing water that are thrown or launched which, upon breaking, release water upon the target

4.1.6: Hoses / Sprinklers / Unlimited Dispensers
- Hoses / Sprinklers / Unlimited Dispensers are defined as water dispensing devices that have continuous access to a large volume of water that can be quickly or continuously output (over the amount of water that can be reasonably carried by two adults of average strength); this includes garden hoses, fire hydrants/hose, motorized river pumps, etc.

4.2: Other Rules / Additional Equipment
4.2.1: Allowable Soakers
- restrictions on the type of soakers that can and/or cannot be used in a game must be declared well in advance prior to the start of the game.
- Option A: anything capable of dispensing water is allowed
- Option B: only handheld soakers are allowed (no vehicle-mounted soakers, portable pressure washers, etc.)
- Option C: only soakers of a given class (usually defined by measured stream output and range) are allowed
- Option D: only soakers of a given mass are allowed
- Option E: only a specific type of soaker is allowed
4.2.2: Back-Up Soakers
- Option A: no backup soakers are allowed; Players must rely on a single soaker; this works best for small skirmish-type battles, but is not recommended for larger water wars
- Option B: Players are allowed one primary soaker and one back-up soaker; this works best for small to medium length skirmish-type battles, but is not recommended for larger water wars
- Option C: Players can use as many soakers as they can carry; this is the most preferred and common option for longer games and does not have the problem of soakers being "stolen"
- Option D: a fixed number of soakers are allowed to be brought to the battle ground by each Player (whether the Player can carry them all or not; recommended numbers between 5 to 8 soakers); soakers a Player cannot carry are stored somewhere on the battlegrounds for later use; this can work, but is subject to problems if not all Players can be trusted not to "steal". There are also problems if not all Players have many soakers. There is also the chance if using a public ground that a non-Player may find a soaker cache and take/use what does not belong to them
- Option E: backup soakers can be stored in soaker cache areas on the battle ground, but can only be used by the specific Player/Team; this works well, but is subject to problems if not all Players can be trusted not to "steal". There is also the chance if using a public ground that a non-Player may find a soaker cache and take/use what does not belong to them
- Option F: backup soakers can be stored in soaker cache areas on the battle ground, but can "stolen" by the opposing Team if discovered; there is the chance if using a public ground that a non-Player may find a soaker cache and take/use what does not belong to them

4.2.2: Tools:
- Tools must only be used for repairing soakers and must never be used as weapons
- for short games (less than or up to an hour)
- recommended: no tools or repairing is permitted if the game is short
- refilling bottles and other equipment can be used so long as Team Commanders and/or all Players agree to their use; equipment not permitted for use must be kept outside the battle grounds and not used during the duration of the game
- long games (more than an hour)
- small tools, tape, etc. for repairing soakers are permitted
- small knives are permitted if Team Commanders agree to their use

4.3: Water Sources
- water sources are defined as any place within the battlegrounds from which a soaker can be refilled
- water is defined as a liquid with a relatively high purity of the chemical, H2O, and no large amounts of bacteria/microbes, salts, sugars, and/or other additives; water MUST be free of anything toxic or life-threatening
- Note: not all tap water is clean or even safe; some lake and pond sources can be very clean; water sources in question should be checked and verified by all concerned Players
- Option A: only water that is clear, colourless, odorless, and drinkable is permitted to be used
- Option B: water from some natural sources (i.e. ponds, rivers, creeks, lakes, etc.) can be used if agreed to before by all Players; all Players should be allowed to inspect all filling sources; any source deemed too unclean by at least two Players would not be an allowed source for refilling
- water from waste disposal sites, toxic dumps, sewage contaminated water, etc. must NEVER be used

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Note: set will be expanded and modified as members contribute ideas and rules.

Posted: **Fri Feb 02, 2007 2:59 pm**

CTF+1HK
4.1: You may use any device you want, as long as you use it responsibly and don't injure anyone with it.
4.2:
-Don't bring any real weapons
-Bring anything else you wish (for communication, to signal the start/end of the war, etc.)
4.3:
-You may bring water bottles with you
-If there's an artificial source, you may use that
-If both sides agree, then you may use natural sources (creeks, rivers, whatever)
-There's no protected refilling.
-You may refill anytime during the war, even when you're 'dead'

Posted: **Fri Feb 02, 2007 3:08 pm**

Sorry for the confusion, mr. dude, but the way I'm hoping to organize the rules is so that they are totally flexible to meet different options for different game types. The way you're writing is setting the rules pretty much for your CTF game. Need to think in general first, then select sub-sets of rules for specific games (if that makes any sense)

Posted: **Fri Feb 02, 2007 6:43 pm**

I'm still suggesting open water sources. Either your battlefield has all hoses, all natural sources, or some combination; and it's the player's choice as to what they want in their gun.

It's safe to say that there's plenty of debris even inside a city water system, so it's not much safer.

Obviously no additives or unsafe water sources. But beyond that, I don't think there would be too many complaints.

Posted: **Fri Feb 02, 2007 7:05 pm**

The way I thought we were going is for every person to write about one type of war. Sorry about that.

Posted: **Fri Feb 02, 2007 9:13 pm**

I guess I'll just dive in and bring up possibly the most difficult of the combat rules.
Deciding on the scoring of kills.

From what I can see, there are 3 options.

1: Any amount of water that is more than mist equals a kill.
2: An amount of water on clothing.
3: Some sort of wearable object that gets sprayed off, soaked, filled, etc.

Personally, I opt for the 2nd option, such as a fist sized blotch anywhere on the torso, but I'd like to hear what other people have found effective and hopefully get this thing resolved once and for all. Though I understand that there will be variations between individuals as to which is the best method.

Posted: **Sat Feb 03, 2007 9:47 am**

WaterWolf wrote:Deciding on the scoring of kills.

From what I can see, there are 3 options.

1: Any amount of water that is more than mist equals a kill.
2: An amount of water on clothing.
3: Some sort of wearable object that gets sprayed off, soaked, filled, etc.

For scoring of points/kills, I believe (though could be wrong) that the majority of the online community would not consider a mist-shot a scored hit.

The problem is streams and amounts. While the "fist-sized splotch" rule is common, it is also a little bit subjective. Whose fist size are we talking about? Also, is it fair if a solid hit from a smaller soaker (say an XP215) contacts, but due to its low output, is unable to make a full-sized fist-sized splotch? What is a solid hit versus a glancing hit?

These are some of the tough issues for scoring. Might need to start a poll to see how best to order the options or whether some options can be totally excluded from the general rule set.

Posted: **Sat Feb 03, 2007 1:40 pm**

4.1.2: Stock Soakers
- If a player's <stock> gun breaks during the war, they should have a backup. If not, gracious professionalism is encouraged by helping the person fix their gun, or giving them a replacement gun
4.1.4: Custom-Built Soakers
-No overly powerful homemade soakers that could harm someone is allowed, with the exception of the homemades shown on sscentral and other waterwarfare related sites
4.2: Other Equipment
- All equipment required to maintain a soaker (i.e. screwdriver, spare parts, etc.) are allowed, but cannot be used as weapons
- No knives allowed, unless all players agree with certain people having knives
4.3: Water Sources
- Option B:- All players should see the natural water source, to see if it is clean enough to shoot at each other. If not, this is an illegal source of liquid

Posted: **Sat Feb 03, 2007 1:47 pm**

Also, is it fair if a solid hit from a smaller soaker (say an XP215) contacts, but due to its low output, is unable to make a full-sized fist-sized splotch? What is a solid hit versus a glancing hit?

I would say that a small gun can still score a hit, should one be hit in the same area more than once. I would however, give a maximum time limit for that, for instance a maximum of 10 seconds seperating the two hits for them to count as a kill.

And Croc, I would take out the part about website homemades only. We want to encourage people to get creative and build their own designs. Just leave it at no dangerous use.

Edited By mr. dude on 1170528597

Posted: **Sat Feb 03, 2007 1:57 pm**

Rather than going by "fist size", something like 3" would work, but it can't get too strict. If the splotch is roughly that size, even if it's actually a millimeter shorter, it would still count.

I do agree that things like many droplets of water instead of a solid area would pose a problem, perhaps a larger area of several droplets (about at least 20 I suppose) can also count as a hit, with the area being about 6 inches or so. Just a thought, not sure if it would work.

If it went by just one droplet for a kill, that would obviously pose a problem, neither players will know who hit who first, and the droplets typically cannot be seen, felt, nor heard.

For sources, I agree that all players should agree on what's being used. Typically, I'd opt for tap water (I cannot be sure on this, but non-tap can cause problems with some springs inside the gun), but many situations don't allow for it, so it's up to the players. Going inside should probably be prohibited, even if it's just the laundry sink. (still don't want to get anything wet.)

Edited By C-A_99 on 1170529218

Posted: **Sat Feb 03, 2007 2:38 pm**

Oops.. just realized that this isn't the right thread to discuss the scoring issues. Please use Pt.1 for continuation of the scoring discussion.

Posted: **Sat Feb 03, 2007 2:48 pm**

The RM-WB rules utilize both the fist-sized kill and the direct hit. The fist-sized kill has a very generous estimation amount. Roughly the size of the individual player's fist is good enough for the point. The direct hit is a bit more objective. The shooter must see the whole of their shot make contact and rarely does scatter from an angled shot count. A direct hit is most likely to be conceded when the shot is level and the range is close. The "hit" player has the final say, which works only because we have a strong honor system, but the team commanders in joint agreement can override the decision of anyone involved. Everyone liked this set-up, so we brought it back for this year. The dual killing methods allow for even the weakest pistol to be of use against even the most powerful cannon.

Water should be up to the players. If both teams agree to limit it to tap water or leave it all open, then fine. There is, however, a difference between "tap water" and "clean water". Tap water is not clean. In Environmental Science, we had to test various water sources for various signs of purity. Ridgewood tap water had a dissolved oxygen rating of 13, yet contained traces of lead. The Ho-Ho-Kus Brook, which runs through Waterbridge, had a dissolved oxygen level of a mere 5, yet contained no lead. You also can't judge a book by its cover. The Ramapo River looked disgusting, but had a DO2 of 8 and the only pollutant was iron. Lakes in Harriman SP looked really clean, but yielded DO2s in the terrible 5-6 range. You can, however, guess by area. The Housatonic River in CT's rural Litchfield County had a DO2 of 10 [which is amazing for a natural source] and nothing at all for pollutants. The Hudson River at just north of New York City had a DO2 of 5 and contained lead, iron, cyanide, and a whole bunch of strange toxic chemicals.

Basically, only bottled water [at DO2 of 14 by law] and distilled water [pure water] are actually "clean". But who really uses either for water wars? I wouldn't bother buying bottled water or chemically filtering distilled water for a war. Under a microscope, even bottled water reveals a whole host of little critters shooting across the slide. I really wouldn't worry about water being unclean unless you know the particular source is badly polluted.

Posted: **Sat Feb 03, 2007 5:24 pm**

I don't like the options for backup soakers. None of them allow one to carry the soaker with them.
Just thought I should get that out of my system.

Posted: **Sat Feb 03, 2007 5:51 pm**

For rules, if it doesn't say you can't, you usually [with certain exceptions] can. No mention of whether you can carry a backup = you can carry a backup.

Posted: **Sat Feb 03, 2007 6:53 pm**

Nice point about the water, Duxburian--I don't have the info to have backed the claim up.

I would also not include any rules regarding number of guns. It's your choice to carry more weight, have to switch between weapons, and pump multiple guns if you have multiple guns; likewise, it's your choice to have no backup and to only be able to aim at one target if you only carry a single gun.

Just like with firepower or with a strong tactic--there's always a weakness and a counter.

Posted: **Sun Feb 04, 2007 9:36 am**

Rule set updated.

@Silent Guy: though the majority of games members likely prefer would be "open to carry on as many soakers as you can carry yourself", I still opted to add in some options with soaker number limitations with brief explanations.

Posted: **Mon Feb 05, 2007 7:46 am**

Hmm, I would opt for "E" on the backup soaker issue. That way, all the players on a team are contributing to its strength, rather than the individual who brought the soakers.
But I would prefer some kind of system where by the person who brought the soakers can decide which ones are allowed to be borrowed.
You wouldn't want somebody taking your beloved CPS-2000 right when you needed it, but if they take the XP-310 that you brought, then its probably fine.

So perhaps the players should store their favorites separately, and then have their other soakers cached around the battlefield for any of their team-mates to use.

Edited By WaterWolf on 1170680370

Posted: **Mon Feb 05, 2007 1:26 pm**

The only soaker limitation I can see worth putting in is if the user is unable to handle a certain amount, and especially if they're borrowed, people do not want the risk of having to repair a blaster. So basically, my stand on this would be to have all players agree on who can handle what and how much. Also, I would allow blaster stealing, but only if no one else is touching them.

For water sources, I agree with DX, along with the fact that everyone should know of and approve of the water sources.

Posted: **Tue Feb 06, 2007 10:20 am**

The above concerns over equipment seem to me more about preference as opposed to different options. In the situation where one person is supply a bunch of people with soakers, the owner of the soakers should simply temporarily 'loan' certain soakers to specific Players, thus for the purpose of the game, those Players possess the soaker, though not owning them in actuality.

Having all to agree to water sources is good in most cases. There are, however, some times that all cannot agree, hopefully the rule set can help bring about some sort of compromise.

Posted: **Tue Feb 06, 2007 11:18 am**

Yeah, I forgot to mention the number of blasters limitations. All that can really be done is both teams and all players within the teams agreeing to the blaster distribution, or at least finding something that works. I have to do that lending a lot in my wars, and I try to keep things equalled in firepower (they're soakfests anyway), though sometimes you just have to have players agree on something. Actually, on my last war, my team had more firepower, but then my 2000 was stolen by the other team, but it was of no use to them. Most people couldn't handle heavy weapons, and my own team, though with the hose, wouldn't step up to defending the flag. (I didn't lead them so well either)

Anyways, there are too many water source situations to mention, in many cases, teams that would normally set up bases will have to forfeit that. If some will not agree to using a natural water source, then large tanks of water would probably have to be set up, and the whole group of both teams forced to conserve their water supply. At the very least, if no sources are present nor allowed for use, then there will have to be many tankers and water bottles to be carried. It depends on many things.

But really, if a water source is clean enough to swim in, there shouldn't be reason for anyone to not agree to using it, and if it's a war on boats, denying use of the water below is just stupid, someone is probably going to use a paddle or something to soak someone else anyway. (whatever there is)

Edited By C-A_99 on 1170778751

WaterWar.net

Pt.4: Equipment / Water Sources - Soaker Combat Rules