аЯрЁБс>ўџ ўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџ§џџџўџџџўџџџ  ўџџџўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџRoot Entryџџџџџџџџ РF uwSхМ€WordDocumentџџџџџџџџ %CompObjџџџџџџџџџџџџ^џџџџџџџџџџџџўџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџll. It's sold to complement other entertainment facilities within a location, rather than to be capable of supporting a facility on its own, and the equipment is designed to particularly appeal to children. Indeed, some Laser Storm systems go so far as to dispense with the vest altogether; instead, players try to "disrupt" other players' guns. Laser Storm arenas are distinctive; the scenery hangs down from the ceiling (stalagtites rather than stalagmites, as it were!) and a dividing line keeps players on one team physically separeated from players on the other. I am not aware of anywhere in the UK where it is possible to play Laser Storm (also known as Laser Blaze or Laser Runner). Megazone is also available in this country; it's known in the USA as Ultrazone, in Canada as Dark Zone, in Australia as Zone 3, in South Africa as Zone 4(!) and so forth. Its unique selling point is that three teams compete at the same time in the same game rather than two. It also features uniquely light guns and an elegant scoring system which rewards players most highly who hit other players' most inaccessible targets. Teams from Las Vegas and Virginia Beach are traditionally the most highly regarded. The Megazone in Morecambe (Lancashire) is unique for being the only laser game facility in the world to contain a licenced bar; it is inadvisable (and, more to the point, impossible) to use the bar and take place in the laser game simultaneously. The original Photon system is undergoing a slow rebirth in Maryland at the moment; the Baltimore centre was the last of the first generation to close and for a time none of the system's centres at all were open. Photon's system is unique in that the packs emit infra-red and the guns, when their triggers are pressed detect it, rather than the other way around as in almost every other system; furthermore, Photon Warriors (as players are known) wear helmets during play so that the head is a valid target as well as the torso and the issue of covering becomes rather more irrelevant. A nicety is that a custom-designed soundtrack plays in the background while the game goes on; this soundtrack neatly complements the activity of the game and adds to the experience. I'm no expert on the specifics, but the Photon soundtrack has a pleasantly atmospheric, ambient, futuristic feel and has aged little over more than ten years and has probably been the six-minute piece of music I have listened to most in the last couple of months. Photon was available in Japan for a while, but never in Europe (apart from Milan - and even Photon veterans regard the Milan centre as semi-mythical). Laser Force is a development on the original Photon game mechanics but without the helmets, and is promoted on the Internet by an ill-tempered Australian. I won't go into the other systems in great detail but would be loathe not to point out two other British-designed systems, Actual Reality (who have one centre in Canterbury whose arena uniquely features a fireman's pole for players to slide down) and Darklight (whose equipment facilitates particularly complicated games and can be found in Woking and in Lincoln). To an extent, the branding issue is irrelevant, as most people only have one centre in a twenty-mile radius - increase this pro rata with area in America - and so don't feel they have the choice yz{Т У Ф ЈЉЊЇЈЉВГДЈЉЊтуфћїѓяычуплзгЯЫЧУПЛЗГЏЋЇЃŸ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a ]a мЅe#Р %,$l,$l$$ $ Њ[($ь$˜$Tю$[ MS Sans Serif SymbolTimes New Roman ArialTimes New Roman "Earth's favourite laser game" is how Q-ZAR (or Quasar as it brands itself here in the Commonwealth, where the Quasar name is free for use) describes itself, and I shall gratuitiously declare it as the de facto standard on the grounds that it is the system in use at the recent tournament I mentioned at the start featuring fifteen teams from the USA, one each from Canada and Brazil and three from the UK. For reference, The Borg, an English amalgam of players gathered from between Great Yarmouth and the South Coast, came sixth, and a team from Romford did about as well in the equivalent tournament the year previously. Q-Zar is often seen as an isolationist firm and particularly disparate from all the other systems because of technical differences in the equipment leading to a completely different rhythm and flow of play to all its competitors. It's all to do with cheating. Most laser game systems make the participants wear vests with sensors in four critical locations; you have to shoot the player directly on one of the sensors for the shot to be counted as successful. These are typically the chest, the back, the shoulders and the gun, so that anyone hiding with only their gun showing (and presumably their head, if they want to know where they're pointing it) can still be shot. Conversely, if you are shot anywhere where there isn't a sensor, the shot is deemed to have missed. Systems other than Q-Zar consider it cheating and reprehensible play for a participant to cover their sensors and make themselves harder to hit, often punishable by removal from the game. However, it's perfectly possible for players to cover their sensors without being seen; you're only cheating if the referee catches you, right? Accusations of cheating are not uncommon, but developing an effective cover which protects all your sensors at once (and meaning you can't be shot) is physically impossible. If a player covers one of their sensors, you just shoot them in another one. However, Q-Zar has a different philosophy. There are no sensors on the shoulders. If you can contort your body so that no sensors are available to be hit, good for you; covering your sensors is encouraged, not cheating. To compensate for this, though, a shot player has the privilege of a special "reflex" shot only available within a second and a half of being shot. The prevalent skill in Q-Zar is to shoot someone and then move so that they can't then immediately shoot you back. This is unique to the system and requires a whole different sort of mastery to the skills demanded when using other forms of laser game equipment. Those who have cut their teeth on Q-Zar and know no other system enjoy the flow of the game played this way; it requires particular speed and suppleness on top of the usual requirements of good aim and accurate shooting, for players' bodies are constantly ducking, dodging, jumping, swinging and sliding when the game is played at the top level. It's very energetic. Laser Quest is the biggest rival in Britain to what we call Quasar, and never the twain shall meet. This game is characterised by the infra-red beams fired being far narrower than in Q-Zar, so especially accurate shooting at the small targets is required. A typical encounter in Laser Quest sees the two players facing off against one another firing several shots before one of them is recorded as a hit; the equipment is known to have software interrupt-driven problems when asked to fire a shot and deal with recording being shot at the same time, so delicate timing is needed for success. There were thirty-six Laser Quest arenas open in Britain in September 1996, and the recent North American Challenge featured competition between teams from twenty-six sites. Laser Storm is the biggest rival in America to Q-Zar and has a different philosophy stizУ ЉЈГЉуњѕ№ыцсмз№№№№№№№№џџџџџџџџ#!K@ёџNormala "A@ђџЁ"Default Paragraph Fontаџ@ўџ џџџџ РFMicrosoft Word 6.0 Document MSWordDocє9Вq