Response from Exteme Laser Tag(tm) Group leader:

One of the most important things to remember, I think, is that groups and players need to be encouraged to secure permission to play at a location before they play ANYWHERE. That's just common sense. Another good sense idea for Extreme Laser Tag clubs is to take a few seconds before each game and call the non-emergency phone number of their local public safety office. This way central dispatch can notify their patrols, and be ready to quell the fears of any suspicious passers by that call them over the course of the night. Usually, depending on the location, an officer will "drop by" anyway to see for himself what it's all about. This is a good thing because players will begin to build a good repor with local officers and often times officers will take interest in the activity and eventually contact them to participate! Also, being mindful of what's going on around you and making "first contact" with passers by (letting them know that you are playing a game and that you have permission to be there), before they have a chance to be afraid, is a big part of a good Public Relations strategy. Having lrge signs posted around where you'll be can be a great "first contact" approach, too.
All of the games we've played over the course of the last 3 years, have been operated under these guidelines and I can tell you that the desk officers are always happy to hear from us, and respect us for taking the time to let them know what's going on. We're not trying to scare anyone and a little extra caution and integrety go along way in winning a community or a neighborhood over, to what you are trying to do.

The ELS system is a stand alone computer that programs adapter modules that plug into V2 gear. These adapters give your gear extra features.

List of main features:
1. Gives guns team capabilites which avoids the problem of shooting team members (or yourself).

2. Sytem Keeps track of the following:
For the individual: Total Shots, Total Hits, # Reloads, Accuracy.
For Teams: Winning Team (by shot score), Best Shooter, Total Shots and Hits for Team, Accuracy Rate for Team.

3. Programs special abilities for guns.

4. Can print out tracked information to printers with standard port configurations.

For the most part Electronic Survivor Shot (ESS) is compatible with most WoW gear(LAZER TAG brands). As far as we know, all Laser Challenge gear is compatible with other Laser Challenge Gear (so far)-although only V2 gear can use the ELS system. WOW/ESS is not in any way compatible with Laser Challenge Gear.

Remember the days when you used to play Cowboys and Indians/ Cops and Robbers/etc.? Ever wonder why children get all the fun and grown-up have to be boring and sensible?

The game of Lazer Tag began in the mid '80s with a boxed children's toy . It gets round the perennial problem of kids' "shoot-em" games ("I hit you!", "No you didn't!!", "YES I DID!!!"...etc.) by using a "gun" which puts out a coded IR signal that is picked up by a sensor to register a "hit". Once the sensor has taken 6 hits it sounds a siren and you are "dead". Unlike commercial arena-based systems there is no link between gun and sensor and no fancy scoring features or IFF so it is quite possible to accidentally (or otherwise) massacre your own team and no way of knowing who is shooting at you or where from, which makes for a very different style of play.

This talk of "guns" may bother some people, but rest assured that we do not seek to glorify war and killing. We play for fun, not for keeps and we know the difference between a game and real life.

In spite of the name there are no lasers involved - in fact the system is very similar in principle to a common TV remote control - so there is no risk of injury from the weapons. Unlike Paintball - a similar hobby which you have probably heard of - there's no scope for over-hormonal idiots to soup-up the guns to the point where they really do damage. Even the most powerful, with a range of up to 600m is no more dangerous than a pocket torch. (While we're comparing with Paintball - the longest range you'll get with a paint gun and still have a safe muzzle velocity is about 50m.)

For more on this see Sarah Clark's Lazer Tag Pages in LinksII