Darkzone

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Darkzone, Megazone, Ultrazone and Zone 3 are names of a laser tag system manufactured by P&C Micros of Melbourne, Australia. These systems are sometimes collectively referred to as the "Zone Empire".

The name Darkzone is used in Canada and Australia. The name Zone 3 is used in Australia. Megazone is used in Europe, the UK and the middle east. Ultrazone is used in the U.S. Not all Zone system sites are known by these names, even in these regions; some sites use Zone equipment but use their own distinctive name.

Zone sites are in the business of providing competitive, indoor laser games, or laser tag. The games require players to wear vests, or packs that contain a number of infrared sensors, and carry around laser phasors / guns which activate these sensors and deactivate the hit player's pack and phasor for a period of time. There are many different kinds of games, many of which are team-based, played with three teams total, and the games are played in indoor arenas.

Many Darkzone sites run weekly leagues in which experienced players compete to win. There are inter-site competitions also, for instance a North vs. South competition between the two stores based in Perth, Western Australia, and a national competition between stores from all over Australia.

Contents

[edit] Technology

[edit] Packs

Vests, or packs, are strapped onto players, and have on them a number of sensors encased in clear plastic which are designed to detect the infrared light which is shot by the phasors. Each pack has on it 4 sensors, which are located on the front and back of the pack, and on each shoulder. There is also a sensor located on the phasor. The sensors are decorated by coloured lights which shine in the colour of the player's team, when activated, and which are shut off when deactivated. When a player's sensors are shot by another player, the player is said to be deactivated, and will remain this way for a number of seconds. During this time the player's sensors are turned off, so the player cannot be shot at any longer, and the player's phasor is shut down, so he or she cannot shoot for this time either. The player will be reactivated after a period of time that differs depending on the game being played.

Packs have displays on the top of the front that players can read by looking down at them. The display usually holds information, such as remaining time, or power, depending on the game being played. There is a black button on the front that players can press to light up the display, or that is sometimes used to join some games called black button games, where knowing how many players are participating is important. There is also a round part on the front that receives a member's login button, or login tab, which is used to attribute statistics from certain games to a member account, so that a member can see how they compare to other players over an accumulated number of games.

[edit] Phasors

The phasors are relatively small and are operated by a trigger, shooting infrared light which is detected by other player's sensors, and base devices, and also emit a visible dot of red light roughly to where the phasor is aimed. The phasors are connected to the packs by a cable, and have sensors on them, on the top, like the packs do, which allow the player to receive return-fire, even when the pack sensors are hidden. The phasors also have a touch-sensitive sensor underneath them, near the front of the phasor, which a player must place their hand on while playing, otherwise will be unable to shoot. This ensures that players hold their phasors with both hands and do not carelessly drop their phasors.

[edit] Bases

Bases, or base devices, are the devices located in areas around the arena. The device itself and the area around the device are both known as the bases to players, although it is clear to players that the device is what is being referred to when talking about destroying a base or shooting at a base and the area around the base is being referred to when talking about going to a base or sitting in a base. The device is contained by an open box which is mounted on a wall somewhere, and the device itself is hemispherical in appearance, black, and decorated by flashing lights. There are many red lights on it for decoration, however there are three green lights located around it which are also sensors and which players shoot at; inexperienced players often have trouble because they aim at the red lights, which are not sensors. If a player shoots the base a sufficient number of times, the player will eventually deactivate or destroy the base, which means that the player has just collected a large number of points for their team, and also that the base has been deactivated for a period of time. This varies from game to game and the bases are sometimes used for completely different purposes, or not at all, in games.

In games in which bases are used, a particular focus is placed on the bases because often they are the largest source of points for players. In games such as these, common team tactics are to invade and occupy an enemy base area in the hopes that each player on the team can destroy the base, thereby earning a large amount of points. Because in these games the points earned by deactivating other players pales in comparison to the points earned by destroying bases, deactivating players is often merely used as a means whereby a player can stop an enemy from destroying a base and earning points, or a means whereby a player can secure a period of time in which they can destroy the base.

[edit] Reload Bays

Some games are played with reloads enabled, which means that the number of shots a player can fire, or the number of times a player can be deactivated, is limited by a power level the player has. Each player has a certain amount of power for their pack, which is used up slowly by shooting and used up more quickly by being deactivated. Once that power is used up, in order to resume play the player must go to a reload bay, which are walk-in areas around the arena which will resupply the player with power. The actual device that reloads the packs is a green, flashing device on the wall or roof of the reload bay. Shots and deactivations use up the same supply of energy, so if a player is continually deactivated, they will not only have a lower number of deactivations left until they must reload, they will also have a lower number of shots to use. After a player reloads there is a short delay before they are reactivated.

Games that use reloads are different to games that do not because of the way players are forced to act. A common tactic in games involving bases, is to sit in a base area and camp there for a long time, defending it or waiting to attack it. In games that use reloads, players are forced to vacate areas from time to time, so that attackers can buy time in which they can safely attack the base, by shooting the defenders until they must reload. Likewise, defenders can shoot attackers until they have to reload, and then take up the freedom to position players in areas best suited to attacking the base, so that the attackers cannot easily attack the base.

[edit] Game Rules

There are many different types of games at Darkzone stores. Standard games are typically played during regular store hours, and there are special novelty games which are played at special events or other times. Also there is a special kind of game for the Darkzone Leagues, which is similar to the standard game, but with variations to make it more challenging and competitive.

[edit] Standard Games

Standard games are the games that are most often played in stores during the day. They are team-based and the players from each of the three teams must start the game in their teams base area. In the standard game, a major goal is to attack and destroy the enemy bases, of which there are two, and it is possible to destroy each of them twice. To destroy the bases, a player must shoot at the base three times in succession; a substantial pause in between, such as might be caused by a distraction, or deactivation of the player attacking the base, will require that the player start all over again. Also, if one player attacks the base, and then another player shoots it, the first player might have to start again. Around 2,000 points are earned for players who destroy a base, meaning that players can gain around 8,000 points by destroying all of the bases in the time allocated.

In a standard game it is possible to shoot and deactivate enemy players, but not team mates. Each player has an unlimited number of shots to fire and there is no limit on the number of times the player can be deactivated. Each time a player shoots another player they receive a number of points, depending on which sensor they shot at, and the player who was shot loses a smaller number of points.

[edit] League Games

League games (or League X) are similar to standard games but differ from standard games in a number of ways. First of all there is a long list of technical rules, related to how players are allowed to move, hold their phasors, etc. to prevent cheating or dangerous movement. League games last for only 12 minutes and in that time each player is only allowed to destroy each enemy base once. League games are played with reloads, so there is a limit on the number of shots or deactivations a player can have in a row, and it is possible to shoot and deactivate team mates, although not possible to shoot your team's base or yourself.

Shooting bases is different in league games also, for whenever a player shoots a base, they lose 500 points. The player shoots the base twice, losing 500 points each time, and then when the player shoots it a final time, gains 1000 points to regain the points lost from the first two shots, and 3001 points for destroying the base. If a player shoots the base once or twice without destroying it, and is deactivated, or distracted for long enough, then the player will have to start all over again, losing even more points the next time the player shoots the base; the player will only gain 4001 points for destroying the base, so failing to shoot the base too many times may result in a significant loss in points for the team. This means that players must be very careful to destroy the base on the first attempt. If a defending player deactivates an attacking player after they have shot the base once or twice and before the attacker has destroyed the base, the defending player earns 500 points for that deactivation, in addition to the fact that the attacker has just lost 500 or 1000 points.

League games are overlooked by a number of referees who stand in the arena with the players, watching for violations of the rules. Referees hold what are commonly known as god boxes, which are remotes with three buttons on them that can be used to punish players who break the rules, either by shielding them or terminating them. The shield is a warning punishment used for minor offenses, and it has the effect that a player cannot shot or be shot for a period of time, like being deactivated, except that the lights on the pack stay on, and the player does not lose power. Terminations deactivate a player for a period of time, and in addition they remove a large number of points from the player, and these are used for major offenses. There are two types of terminations, level ones and level twos, the level two termination being the more severe of the two. If a player receives three level two terminations, then the player leaves the game and receives a zero score.

League games are faster paced than standard games, because of their competitive nature and also because of the shorter time the game is played in. League games are also more challenging and difficult, because many experienced players can learn some very advanced techniques, for instance standing or sitting in certain, legal positions, that obscure their sensors effectively, the ability to bounce shots off reflective surfaces, and various other skills related to attacking bases or defending against other players.

There are variations between the implementations of the league game formats and the rules used for league games, from store to store, league to league, or season to season, as the organizers might make changes to improve the challenge and quality of the game.

[edit] Vampire

Vampire is a novelty game played sometimes at Darkzone stores. The game does not involve bases, and is not actually team-based, instead it involves players known as peasants and vampires. The game begins with one vampire, who has unlimited shots and lives, and the rest of the players are peasants who have a limited number of shots and lives. The aim of the game is for the vampires to turn everyone else into vampires, and for the peasants to survive until the end of the time limit of the game. Often the vampire is given some sort of advantage, such as a shorter deactivation time and increased fire rate. Vampires can shoot one another and peasants can shoot one another.

[edit] Zone Ball

Zone Ball is a novelty game played sometimes at Darkzone stores. The game involves bases, but instead of trying to destroy the bases, players use the bases as a sort of soccer goal. The game is team-based, and the aim of the game is for each team to score the highest number of goals in the game. In the beginning, players must stand in their team's base, and then the bases lights will turn on. The first player to shoot any base anywhere, is given the ball, and an audible signal will be heard every few seconds to confirm that the player has the ball. There is only one ball at any one time in the game. The goal is then to make it into an enemy base and shoot their base to score a point. Players can pass the ball to team mates by shooting them, and players may steal the ball from enemy players by shooting the player with the ball. Players can shoot enemies who do not have the ball, in order to deactivate them for a period of time, so that they cannot steal the ball or cause any trouble. Once a player has scored a goal by shooting an enemy base while in possession of the ball, there is a short delay before the ball is up for grabs again, at which point players can grab the ball by being the first to shoot any base.

[edit] Time Warrior

Time Warrior is a novelty game played sometimes at Darkzone stores. The game does not involve bases and is not team-based. At the beginning of the game, each player is given a certain amount of time. Time is constantly being used up, but the player can gain more time by shooting and deactivating enemy players. A player who is deactivated will have effectively lost the time they spent deactivated in, because in that time they are unable to shoot players to gain more time. A player who is constantly being deactivated, or who cannot shoot and deactivate any enemy players, will eventually run out of time and will leave the arena. The winner of the game is the player who is the last player in the game, or who has the most time left when the time limit for the game is over.

[edit] Leagues and Competitions

[edit] Western Australian Leagues

Perth, Western Australia has two stores, a store in Willetton called Darkzone and a store in Northbridge called Zone 3. Both stores have regular social leagues that people can play in for a greater challenge and a good time. Both stores are owned and ran by Michael Thomas, so the leagues are very similar and there is also an annual League played between the two stores, called North vs. South, where regular players from both stores compete against one another over three weekends. Finally there is an occasional doubles tournament consisting of many teams of two players, and a solos tournament that are played at both stores.

The format of the regular social League is a team-based competition where teams consist of 5 players and compete for league points for most of the league, to earn a position on the competition ladder that runs for about 9 weeks. The competition is a very rough round-robin style where each team plays three games each week and eventually plays all of the other teams. Points are awarded to teams depending on the results of the game, and the player with the highest individual score for a game also earns bonus points for their team. On the 10th week of the league an elimination tournament is held, where the players who are lowest on the competition ladder play first and continue playing until eliminated. The final three teams remaining in the elimination play three games together to decide the winner of the league.

Players in the social leagues are graded according to skill and a percentage handicap calculated from the combined skills of the players, so that teams with less skill are still able to win some games. There are rules that players must abide by and there are referees standing in the arena watching the game, who are able to punish rule-breakers. Trophies are awarded to the winning team, highest individual average score, fairest and best and most improved.

The North vs. South competition is the competition played between the Northbridge and Willetton stores, so-called because both stores are on either side of the Swan River, which divides Perth. There is no handicap system, there are referees, and there are six players per team. Three rounds are held over a length of three weeks, played on Sundays, and the teams play at one venue for the first round, the other venue for the second round, and then both venues for the final round. A shield is awarded to the store with the winning team, and medals are awarded to the winning team, player with the highest average score, and for the best and fairest player, voted for by the referees.

[edit] Australian National Tournament

The Australian Zone Nationals has been held annually since 1999. The main event is the team competition, which currently attracts approximately 20 teams of five players (plus fill-ins) from every Australian state and territory. Teams play about 24 games before semifinals. All games have three teams playing. Typically all teams get a go in semifinals, but the system is stacked to favour teams who finished higher on the ladder at the end of the preliminary rounds. The scheme used is typically an Ascension or Skip Ascension. The top three teams go into a grand final, which is a three-game series in which each team plays on each colour once.

There are a number of minor tournaments held at the Nationals, including Solos, Doubles and Triples, which attract 90 to 100 players each. Solos typically has 20 players in each game, with no bases or reloads. Doubles typically has 10 teams of two in each game, with each player being able to shoot all three bases. Triples has approximately 7 teams of three in each game, with each player being able to shoot all bases. Other minor events include Masters' (over 30s) and Women's.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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