Night of the Unexpected

I suppose the first unexpected thing that happened last night was that I got to play laser tag at all. This weekend I am running the sound equipment for a production happening just outside of Albany, so I was at rehearsal last night and didn't expect that we would get done as early as we did. I figured I might get the opportunity to go out the following evening, but I did not make plans in advance to play laser tag last night. However, since I had some time available I checked out www.wheretoplaylasertag.com and found there was an arena within ten miles of where I was, so I headed into the Albany area to explore. I had not brought appropriate clothing for the night. In fact I arrived wearing a dressy sweater and cinch belt and my glasses (as my contacts had been bothering me all day), so I probably looked more unassuming than usual. Thankfully, I had a pair of jeans and sneakers in the backseat of my car, so at least I wasn't running around in the tights and ballet flats I was wearing earlier :)

I arrived at Zero Gravity just as a game was being called in to the briefing room and I hurried up to the counter to see if I could still get into this game. I was told yes, but that it was a group of kids they had been keeping in a game all together and he suggested I wait for the next one in fifteen minutes, which was perfect because the place was full of adult players that would be going into that one. So I agreed, took the token I was handed to join the next round and waited in the lobby while watching the scores flashing on the display monitor. Scores were not as high as I expected...I wondered how old the "kids" were that he was talking about. The next game was called into the briefing room before I had a chance to find out, but based on the uproar I could hear coming out of the arena I imagined the kids were not really all that young. Regardless, I figured I was heading into a more appropriate game as there were only adult players going into the round with me. There were 18 of us playing that round. We first entered the briefing room and it looked like a little black box theater with a good amount of space and risers up against a dark wall of stars. You know I do love a good space-themed arena and based on the Star Trek like doors to the vesting room I was pretty sure this place would not disappoint.

We walked into a vesting room that was lit up with black lights from above and two team colors flashing. We had the option of red or blue (no third selection). At first the other players were calling out for the women to play on one team and the guys on the other, but that mix didn't work out very evenly, so moments later the teams were mixed and I grabbed a red pack with the name "Blaze" and lined up against the far wall.

This center plays Zone Infusion. I asked the staff members a few questions about the system before going in and looked up some details on my phone. I wondered if power ups were the main difference between this game and what I was playing the last couple of weeks (besides playing only two teams). Although I play Zone frequently with the Rift Blaster I was not sure if I had played Zone Infusion before...until I got the phaser in my hand.

This harkened back to some of my laser tag experiences from years ago. It was an older game system (but then I still sing the praises of Photon, so to my mind there's nothing wrong with that) and what clicked in my memory was seeing the hands on the back of the phaser light up in warning when you took your hand off of the heat sensor. Yes, that was very familiar and I'm quite certain the place I played years ago used this same system before upgrading. Very cool to experience it again, as everything felt both new and familiar at the same time. I slid on the vest and secured the sides to make sure my sensors were properly positioned.

Then we went in. The arena was impressive! I was told by a staff member that the arena was painted by hand. It included plenty of day-glow neon touches along with "brick" barriers and barrels to hide behind. Lots of cutouts. And there were multiple levels including a bridge that could be accessed by a steep incline on one side or various ramps. Generally I love to get to the top of the arena as quickly as possible for the best vantage point. However, I decided since I had three games in front of me to play this first one differently. Instead of going all out from the start I decided to familiarize myself with arena first and I simply walked the perimeter looking to find the bases and get acclimated. Within moments I was being shot at...a lot...and I just let it happen. Of course if someone was in my sights I would take a shot too, but for the first few minutes I had a different agenda and I didn't even have both hands on the phaser while I was taking my little tour.

Because I knew I was taking a lot of hits and not defending myself much I didn't expect anything out of that game other than an education about the arena space. I stumbled upon the bases and learned which was which through trial and error (they both looked identical with red lights, so only once I deactivated the "blue" base was I sure of where it was. At this point I was getting tired of hearing my pack register all these hits (they are noisy things, but they gave excellent feedback on hits scored and hits received) and I started shooting back. Actually, one of my favorite moments in this game was while I was still taking my time exploring and someone was shooting at me from behind. In agitation at being looked at as an easy mark I took a very cavalier over-the-shoulder shot behind me and the pack responded with a confirmation I had made that shot blind and tagged my opponent without even looking in his direction...I know that was just pure luck, but it was a cool moment. Outside of just taking a few random shots here and there when they were right in front of me I literally was not even trying until the tail end of that game, then I started to get into it. At the end of it all I had my next unexpected experience of the evening. We walked out and I knew I had done nothing that game and was ok with it because I had accomplished the goal of figuring out the arena. The next game would be different. Everyone gathered around the display monitor and out of 18 players my name was up there in third place...WHAT?! My numbers were not that far behind the other two players ahead of me either. How in the world was it possible for me to score over 11,000 points when I literally WAS NOT EVEN TRYING? 

I was blown away by this outcome, simply for the fact that I knew how little I had put into that game. So...if I could pull third place without making any real effort, I was sure that I could knock it out of the park if I was bringing my "A" game. Time to unleash the Tivia.

I asked the staff member at the counter how much time I had before the next round, hoping to change into a t-shirt since I was still wearing my sweater outfit (I may not have exerted a whole lot of effort, but it's still quite hot to play in a sweater). However, the next game was going right in, so I didn't bother. The next game there were only 13 players, once again all adult players and there were several novices were on my team, but I barely noticed because I was getting "in the zone". That game I brought it. I was playing hard, scoring every time I turned around and taking out one blue team player after another quite consistently throughout the whole game. I was in the right head space and I was positive that I had this one. When we walked out of the arena after that round I left with a confident stride simply KNOWING that I had to have won the round. Then the next unexpected thing happened. We got to the monitor...and I was in third place again...double WHAT?!?! I was completely astounded that I had ended up in virtually the same position between the first game where I played the absolute least and the next game where I thought I tore it up. All I can figure is that because there were novices on my team they must have made for easy marks and lots of easy points for the blue team. I was at least in first place for the red team...of course that and fifty cents will get you a cup of coffee...but the players who outscored me on the blue team did approach me afterwards and ask about my pack name (I used the same pack all night because I play favorites). One of them said "Were you Blaze? I didn't see you in there once!" and another acknowledged this as a high compliment from him, so I accepted the acknowledgement with thanks. Then I bought a t-shirt so that I could change before the next game.

I was ready to go in and take the next round. Unfortunately nobody else was. This was a Friday night and things got quiet by the end. Nobody stuck around for another game, so I hung out for a few minutes just waiting to see if anyone else would show. I got to chat with the staff about some of my usual questions...average scores, typical turnout on the weekends, whether or not they participate in tournaments and the like. I learned they have a good clientele of college students...knowing that would definitely be incentive enough to return, as that would be the competitive age range I like to play against. I want to thank Jordan, Dominick, Mike and Kyle for answering all my questions and giving me some great info about this arena. It was nice to chat with you guys!

There was one final unexpected thing that occurred last night. As nobody else was showing up that late in the evening and I still had one game left I was told that I could either swap it for a game pass to use another time or, if I wanted, I could play one on one with one of the staffers. Hmmm...my first reaction was that going up against a game master on his home turf would not likely end well for me (as any game master would certainly know their own arena like the back of their hand and I had only just figured out the lay of the land). But, then again, I never run from a challenge, and I was in the right mindset to play it out, so I accepted. However, first I asked if I might be able to take a tour of the arena and snap some photos for my blog. Jordan was kind enough to show me through and let me ask more questions. While talking I learned that they have the capability to use a key tag system to assign personalized names to the packs (I wrote about this a few weeks back...should have asked how interchangeable those tags are). I offered my two cents on the matter, which is that I always like that option and would happily pay extra to become a member in an arena that offers it simply because I like being able to use my player name and have "Tivia" register on the monitor. I greatly appreciated getting to snap some pics from the top of the bridge also, as I think it's cool to look down on the layout of an arena (even though the camera on my phone has some limitations in really showcasing  the full picture).

Then it was time for my one on one game with one of these guys. Dominick stepped up and suggested that to make it interesting we could play in stealth mode with the lights on the packs turned off. Excellent! We had a blast playing stealth mode in Canada a couple of weeks ago and the opportunity does not present all that often, so I took him up on the challenge. We went in and I got the first shot off the bat. It occurred to me that one of two scenarios might present...either he might be exceptional on his home turf and I would be about to have my lunch handed to me or he might play it soft and not give me a real run considering I was the "customer". I told him not to go easy on me. Kudos to him for meeting me somewhere in the middle. It felt like a pretty evenly balanced game and I could tell he really was not going easy on me...thank you for the respect to play it out for real. At the same time, I also felt like I was totally on my game too. It felt more like the kind of "real deal" game you have when there are just a few really good players in the arena and everyone is gunning for the win. Except, of course with a one on one match you really only have one target, so it was that vibe with a bit of sniper suspense.

There was one point in the game where he was on the bridge and I was hidden behind a barrier with a cutout (from which I took my shots) on a raised level. We both knew where the other was at this point, but he seemed to have the upper hand and get multiple shots on me rather easily when I was in this spot. That makes me wonder if the cover was not as good as I thought and the height difference between there and the bridge was enough that he was shooting over the barrier? Or if he simply tagged my phaser through the cutout that many times from that position I have to give him props for being a really good marksman. I had my best advantage when I was on the bridge and shooting downward at him. The full view of the arena is an advantage, but especially so when you have your eyes peeled for a single point of motion. It was a solid game with a worthy competitor and I could tell we both played it fully. At least, right up to the end when we broke off early for a couple more questions. I asked him if a "courtesy shot" was built into this game (if you're not familiar, don't worry, I will explain the strategy of the courtesy shot in a future post). He suspected it did occur, but was not explicitly addressed in their handbook. And from there we somehow ended up on the topic of National Laser Tag Day (which is coming up on March 28th...plan for it). I suggested checking out the Laser Tag Museum website for some resources for it...the site is www.lasertagmuseum.com. I hope they are able to use that tidbit to celebrate the day in style, as 2015 marks 31 years of the laser tag industry.

When we were done with the round we chatted about our respective laser tag experiences in the vesting room (he has apparently played at this center for about ten years, long predating his time as a staff member). Jordan came in and asked who was "Terra" and who was "Blaze". I had once again taken the Blaze pack and he informed me that I had won. Cool. Good way to end the night, especially considering it was with really good solo competition. Dominick said it was the first challenge he's had in a long time. I take that as a high compliment. I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing at Zero Gravity. Since I am not local to the area and was only there because of the show I was working on, I left thinking I would not likely be in a convenient position to return again soon. However, while making the drive back home it occurred to me that, simply in travel time, this facility is not much further away than the places I frequent in the opposite direction. So I think there's a very good chance I'll be back. Zero Gravity is definitely an impressive facility with a terrific staff and a cool arena where I'd love to play again.

If you have comments or questions please feel free to visit my website at www.tiviachickloveslasertag.com or email me at tivia@tiviachickloveslasertag.com.

Laser Tag 101

The other night I had arrived at the laser tag arena much earlier than necessary. The extra time gave me a chance to explore some shops including a little artists' gallery on the upper level. While browsing, the man minding the store commented on my shirt. "It says 'legally blonde', but you are not blonde" he observed of my shirt from the broadway show. I said "true, but it was the first black shirt I grabbed out of the laundry" as I went on to explain that I needed dark apparel for laser tag that night. This prompted a continued exchange where he had lots of questions about laser tag...

"Are you going to a birthday party?"

"Does it take place in a maze?"

"Do you need to bring a partner or already be part of a team?"

He seemed to take genuine interest and, moreover, he asked really good questions that someone unfamiliar with the sport would sensibly ask or have preconceived ideas about. I suppose I take for granted that anyone reading this blog is already familiar with laser tag, however this exchange made me think that this would be a good time to use this forum to answer some questions and dispel some misconceptions about what actually happens when you enter a laser tag center. First, I'll address what he asked...

Q: Are you going to a birthday party? Subtext implied - Is this a game with a bunch of little kids?

A: Although laser tag is an all ages game and there will likely be some kids around early on, I prefer to go to a center where the players are mostly high school students and other adults who play, particularly into the later hours on Friday and Saturday nights. That's not to say there might not be some kids...you never know who will show up...but playing later at night on a weekend helps ensure there will predominantly be a more appropriately aged group of players. I personally would not enjoy a game where I am just playing against little ones...that's not a sport! I appreciate that even though most players are a bit younger than I am, that for the most part they are grown people who play with strategy, tactics and heart...not little kids. Some of the players I've seen on a random night include jocks, athletes or volunteer firefighters, so it can be an athletic challenge and age is not really a factor in the arena. However different places and different days may lead to a different mix of participants and I would fully expect that there would be more younger kids during the daytime than there are at night when I choose to play...so select sensible times if you want to play against other grown players.

Q: Does it take place in a maze?

A: Yes. Each arena is set up differently, but you can expect the space to be large enough to get lost in with plenty of barriers, obstacles and hidey-holes to assist with that. I prefer arenas with multiple levels (the one I was at this weekend has two bridges that constitute the upper deck) as it is nice to be where you can see more of the activity going on below and get a clear shot from the best vantage point. The maze is integral to the game and also really sets the scene and makes you feel like you've stepped into a whole other world...even if it is just the next room over.

Q: Do you need to bring a partner or already be part of a team?

A: Nope. You can show up alone and you will either be put on a team or given the chance to select a team to join based on the colors of the packs you will find in the vesting room. It is often team play with a solo scoring component. Essentially, the better you do as an individual the more you help raise your team's score overall. However, you do not need to arrange  a team in advance or even know the other people playing on your team. Although odds are you will get familiar with them before long.

I'd like to walk you through a typical night of laser tag for me. First of all, it will be a weekend. I go out on either Friday or Saturday night because any other time is hit or miss whether there will be other players there (and during the daytime it's more likely there will be younger kids if there are players at all). On the weekends I expect to see a good turnout, often times a packed arena. Before I leave the house I put on dark jeans, a black t-shirt and sneakers...and usually my lucky hat with my hair tucked through it in a ponytail. You ideally would want to wear dark clothing like this so as to be less conspicuous (even though you will be throwing on a vest with flashing lights shortly anyway). I can't tell you how many times I've seen people show up in bright or white clothing that just looks day-glow once they step into the briefing area under the black lights.

Upon arrival at the laser tag center I will go purchase a wristband if I plan to play for the entire night. This is the best option for the most games, although if I was a newcomer and just wanted to try it out I could buy my games individually or in smaller packages. I'll wait for the next game to be called. When I hear the announcement (which will identify which color wristbands are to go in or the time if you opted for a single game) then I will go into a separate room with all the other players for the briefing session.

A briefing room typically has risers for the players to take a seat...although I've been in several where you just stand as you listen...and the game master (i.e. employee who goes in to make sure everything goes smoothly during the game) will explain the rules and the equipment. In some centers this may be accomplished with a video instead. And believe me, those who have played before and are chomping at the bit to get back into the arena have a tendency to make it challenging for the game master to get through it all...be nice, they have to go through the rules whether it's your first or 101st time there. If the game includes newbie players who have never been there before they may take additional time to explain how the equipment works, how to hold the phaser (the gun) and the procedure for scoring on other opponents and bases. At minimum they will go over the basic rules, which are pretty similar everywhere, but will likely include no running, jumping, climbing, sitting, kneeling or lying down, no physical contact and no offensive language.

When I'm in this room I will casually look around and size up the other competitors. I imagine they do the same and I know at first glance people don't often look at me as heavy competition...I like to be underestimated...and I realize I can easily make a snap judgment based on appearance too. Many a great player may sneak past your radar on the first pass, but if you frequent the same center you will soon identify who the powerhouse players are. Then, if given the opportunity to select the team you wish to play on, you can make strategic decisions about who you want on your side. Sometimes the decision will be made for you and you might be assigned to a particular team by the game master, but more often I've experienced the freedom to chose your color and join up with the players you wish to. When contemplating which team I want to play for I usually don't care what color our packs are. I prefer to play alongside the best players (since I'm going for scores it behooves us to team up rather than waste valuable time taking each other out) and ideally play opposite the greener participants who are easier marks. However, some of my favorite games have been those where I really couldn't predict the abilities of the other players in advance and found some cool unexpected surprises...like that night where one small, unassuming team of underestimated powerhouses dominated time after time over the jock team who anyone would have perceived at "Goliath"...that was fun :)

OK, so we've learned the rules and scoped out the competition in the briefing room. Now it's time to move into the vesting room. This is where you'll find rows of brightly lit up packs. They usually flash a team color unless you are playing free for all or a specialty game. I'm pretty much cool with playing any color...although I hate to switch colors in between games as it's easy to forget which one you picked in the heat of the moment! Here you will pick your vest with your team color. If I'm in an arena where I have membership I will swipe my card or attach my tag to the vest. If not, I hope to be in an arena where they allow you to select your player code name. And if I'm in a familiar arena where neither scenario applies I look for my favorite packs based on the code name on the back (or on the phaser). A tip about the vests...take a moment to make sure yours fits well. It should have adjustable straps on the side that you can pull for a snug fit. You do not want your vest loose an moving during the game. First, it may make your sensors more vulnerable. Second, it can be more noisy. You don't want your equipment banging into walls when you're trying to be stealth. Third, it's just plain uncomfortable to play with a poorly fitting vest. There are options...make sure you get one that works for you.

Now we move into the game itself. The object is to aim your phaser at the lit up sensors on the vests of any and all opposing team members. Generally there will be sensors on the front, back and shoulders of the vest and usually on the phaser too. These are the points where you should aim. If this sounds like a "shoot 'em up" game, it's really not. There's no violence intended with the shooting...you are simply tagging an opponent out for a few seconds and they will come right back. You want to rack up as many points as you can and sometimes there will be different values for different sensors. For example, in one arena I frequent you will acquire more points by tagging an opponent in the back than you will in the front, so it behooves you to know this information going into the game. There will often be bases located throughout the arena which will be worth lots of additional points, so it's good to know the values for the bases and also whether a base can be tagged more than once...this varies by system and facility.

When the game begins the players are let into the arena, which is a giant maze of obstacles and barriers. There are plenty of places to hide and a rush of excitement as you enter this new atmosphere. I love artistic arenas that have cool themes...space age themes are among my favorites. However, don't expect too many clues to which part of the arena you are in :) The soundtrack will often have cool music to enhance the game and may give you periodic time warnings about how far into the game you are. Some arenas may use fog or interesting lighting. All in all, atmosphere is cool to note on your first pass, but once you are in there you should be focused on the game and not the aesthetics. I find this is an adrenaline pumping time where you are on high alert. Even though you are not "running" per se, you are moving quickly in a "battle-like" situation and it is frenetic and focused. I come out of a fifteen minute round feeling like I've had a great workout. If your team is really playing as a team you should have some support and strategy for protecting each other against opponents and capturing as many bases as possible to boost the team's overall score. This comes with continued experience and familiarity with the space and players.

When the round is over all the players will be directed to exit back to the vesting room to remove their packs. If you are not using your own code name remember to take note of the name or number on your pack so you can identify your score at the end. Once the vests are off everyone will filter over to the display monitor where stats and rankings from the game are posted. You will be able to identify your score and see who got the top scores of the game. There may be additional details about player accuracy and the total points earned by each team. In some arenas you may be handed an individual scorecard...I like that and spend way too much time analyzing the results when I'm handed the details on paper. If I'm in an arena where this is not the case I usually photograph the monitor so I can reference back on what happened in the game. Then I hydrate (water fountains or vending machines), take a short break and prepare to go back in and do the whole thing all over again.

I hope that if you have never before played laser tag that reading this may inspire you to do so. If you're looking for a place to begin you might want to check out www.wheretoplaylasertag.com for information about where to find a nearby arena. Enjoy!

If you have comments or questions please feel free to visit my website at www.tiviachickloveslasertag.com or email me at tivia@tiviachickloveslasertag.com.

Attitude is Everything

I would like to strive to be able to say I go into everything, laser tag included, with a good attitude...but I am an imperfect human being and sometimes this just isn't the case. However, with every day and every situation faced there is a new opportunity to learn and to try to do better. By the end of last night's laser tag marathon I had realized once again that attitude really is everything. This is the story of a bad attitude turned right, but I have to acknowledge where I started and how it went wrong first.

In hindsight I really shouldn't have been there at all last night. I had been under the weather this whole week, but I genuinely thought I was over the round of sickness that had me down since Monday night. After the first game I immediately realized that running around the arena was not a great idea as I felt a cold sweat breaking out that was quite different from the healthy feel I normally experience after getting a good workout. I knew then that I may have started out feeling a little better, but I was not yet feeling one hundred percent. However, I was already there and figured I'd play through it anyway. Plus, I refused to violate my number one rule of laser tag: make no excuses.

Now, going into the first game I felt fine. Ready for a comeback. A couple of the guys who are regulars there too played on my team and in that first round I felt like everything was on. We came out of the round and checked the monitor. My name was at the top. The guy I am now referring to as "Bhodi" (who edged me out every game last week and is now the one I consider my greatest competition in the arena) was on my team and was listed second. However, here's something interesting...we actually tied. Let's take a moment to examine what happens here in the case of a tie...

(crickets chirping)

...I genuinely don't know! And neither did the game master. I will speculate on what might have happened based on two previous games I was in where a tie occurred. Let's look at what happened in three games that all ended in ties.

Last night:

Previous tied game 1:

Previous tied game 2:

Of course someone has to be listed first on the board, even in a tie...the question is whether or not that positioning is random or not. "Bhodi" noticed that he was listed second even though his accuracy was better than mine (no surprise there...I shoot at everything and nothing), and it was interesting to observe that accuracy was not the tie breaker. To be sure I examined the other two example games and the accuracy was not a factor there either. So let's write that off as a consideration (accuracy is nice, but clearly only results matter). Then I figured that perhaps it had to do with alphabetical order. I played as Legend and he played as Rocket. Did that make a difference? Well, I'm not sure. (Side note - my thanks to the other player who always helps me make sure I find my favorite pack. Since I can't play as "Tivia" here like I do in other arenas I do like to play as Legend whenever possible.) In previous game 1 where I played as Hyper I came in ahead of the guy I tied with named Ace, so in that other instance alphabetical order did not factor. And in previous game 2 I was also playing as Legend and was listed ahead of Predator, but if alphabetical order doesn't hold as the constant then that could have just been a coincidence. Then I thought perhaps team placement was the determining factor. In previous games 1 and 2 my team scored higher in total than the team of the player I tied with. In the case of last night's game, we were both playing on the red team and our team (by virtue of less players, not lack of ability) collectively came in second to one with an abundance of players (one reason I generally put no stock in team placement). So...a tie on the same team means back to alphabetical? I simply don't know. Maybe. Or maybe it's completely random. Or maybe the system is inherently chivalrous to the lady - just kidding :) I'll just say that for the first game we shared the win and that I've probably put way more thought into the mechanics of the scoring process than anyone else in that arena.

So, the first game was successful...but, man, did it drain me! By the time the second game came around I was starting to feel my attitude turning south. I simply didn't feel like being there any longer, but I had driven over an hour and paid for the full night, so I carried on. That game..."Bhodi" beat me. Game after that..."Bhodi" beat me. Just like last week! And again, I'm coming in second each time, so it's not like I'm missing it by much, but with every game played I felt my attitude growing worse and worse. Yes, I did offer my congratulations each time (sportsmanship is always important), but I felt lousy physically and I was starting to feel lousy mentally. By the middle of the night I just wanted to go home (and I even verbalized this to another player during one of the games), but damn pride kept me going as in my head I said to myself "I cannot go through another blowout like last week, I'm NOT leaving here until I have won again" (apparently the tie at the beginning didn't satiate my competitive nature). As I type this in the clear light of morning I of course recognize how stupid that was. And with each game where I came close, but missed the mark I found myself growing more and more irritated...not truly at the result, but rather because I was too stubborn and couldn't let myself off the hook to just call it a night early.

Interestingly enough, the wrong attitude can diminish a win just as quickly as it can exacerbate a loss. I'm not calling anyone out, but I will say there were moments of a mildly hostile vibe going on in the arena at times (just heavily competitive? Maybe...but no). And the attitude needs to be right or it can sap the joy out of the fun and momentum of the moment for the individual and the team in any instance. That's my "the more you know" observation from the other side of the coin. At this point I think it's worth sharing the tenets I've learned through my study of the martial arts...self confidence, respect, integrity, perseverance, self-control, courage, humility and discipline...sir!

By the sixth game of the night I was so ready to just be done that I exerted every bit of energy I had. Thankfully, that one paid off. I took the top score at last (and in a round where the game master even jumped in to play too...bonus) and at that point I would have, could have and should have just said "thank you and good night"...but I didn't. And the only reason I didn't was that I was within just a few points from earning another one of those silly South Park figures in the arcade and decided to stick it out long enough to get the points to put me over the top (and even as I write that last sentence I have to wonder where the marketing executive-business woman that I am all week long goes to when I take these little excursions from reality on the weekend). So, I hung out a little longer until the next game was called and as that happened the thought flying through my head was "damn, I have to go try and do that again"...get the picture about how lousy my attitude was? Even coming off a win didn't help turn my mind around.

I lost that game. I try not to think of missing the mark as a "loss", but in truth I had already lost it in my head and only played with half my heart. Honestly, I walked half of it. That's not an excuse, it's just the truth of how little I had in me that round. What was even the point in staying to do that? I think I came in third...I might have even been fourth. I don't know and I genuinely didn't care. Then I gave myself a little talking to about how attitude matters. Thankfully, I got my head right, just in time.

The last game of the night was different. Not just for me...I could tell that there was a collective change in attitude by then. At least I feel like it was collective, however once you change your own head space maybe the world just looks brighter regardless of whether anything else is different at all. After deciding to play it out to the very end I reminded myself that this hobby is for fun and if I'm going to be there at all I really just need to bring my best self regardless of how I feel or where I place. A moment to make the decision to be positive was something I could have benefitted from earlier, but better late than never. That holds true in all aspects of life.

To me, this final game was really the first game of the night where I felt like I was playing on a team that actually acted like a team and I wanted to be part of that. "Bhodi" took the lead on calling out a quick strategy plan. Those of us who were versed in it followed the maneuver and by mid-game I felt the way I wish I had all night. I was playing hard (last round, nothing to hold back) and I was watching my teammates' backs, calling out warnings and heads up on opponents trying to approach, while generally feeling like I too had allies again. Now, it may just be a matter of my own perception at that point, but that's the way we should all strive to play every game. Teamwork is great. Supporting one another in achieving a common goal is how this game works best. You don't always get that, but when you do the experience can be wonderful. That's what I felt coming out of that final round. Then we looked at the monitor. The team had collectively won, but as far as scores I was once again second to "Bhodi"...and for the first time that night I was totally fine with that. My attitude by the end was good, I left on a positive note...and, trite as it was, I had enough points to take home a little reminder of how much a good attitude matters...

On South Park they always say "they killed Kenny"...but Kenny will be my reminder that "they" can't kill you...only if you bring the wrong attitude in to begin with can you be sunk. Remember to make that space between your ears a positive place and you will feel like a winner no matter what because the final outcome is only a small part of it, while the attitude you bring really is everything.

If you have comments or questions please visit my website at www.tiviachickloveslasertag.com or email me at tivia@tiviachickloveslasertag.com.

Tivia and Tivia Have a Chat - An Interview with Loretta Heywood

Somewhere in London a talented musician was on the verge of releasing her new album and beginning a series of live shows. She was not thinking the least little bit about laser tag or Photon...until responding to an email from me from completely out of the blue. Amazingly, that was nearly seven months ago and since then it has been such a pleasure for me to get to know singer/songwriter Loretta Heywood, known in the music industry for her work with Bomb The Bass in the early '90s and for co-writing the song "Winter In July" and adding her vocals to many other songs, but perhaps best known to any fan of Photon as the actress who played the role of Tivia on the Photon television series in 1986. For me, communicating with Loretta over the last few months has been a bit surreal because in 1986 I was seven years old and watching her on the television screen having intergalactic adventures with the rest of the cast of Photon. For anyone wondering "what does this have to do with laser tag?" let me fill in some of the gaps.

Photon was the original laser tag, invented by George Carter III and launched commercially in Texas with the opening of the first Photon center in March of 1984. To do the math again...I was five in 1984...I was NOT playing first generation Photon, though I certainly wish that it could have been an option. As the Photon laser sport game grew in popularity with players who were primarily in their teens and early twenties at that time (give or take) the idea must have occurred to someone to expand the marketing of Photon to younger kids. This was accomplished by way of a Photon home laser tag set (which showed up in toy stores in roughly the same time period as its competitor "Lazer Tag") and a live action television show aimed at a young audience, which apparently also aired in roughly the same era as the animated show "Lazer Tag Academy". All of this was happening well before the wide variety of laser tag systems, equipment and arenas started popping up and becoming a mainstay of family entertainment. It was a good time to be a kid first learning about laser tag in the eighties and many people have called the Photon television series a genre predecessor to things like Power Rangers. Now, this was almost thirty years ago. This was my earliest exposure to laser tag, even though it would be many years before I would play the game in an arena or take it seriously as a kind of sport.

The Photon television series only lasted for a season, but one season was all that it took to turn it into a cult classic...well, ok, cult classics aren't made overnight. But fast forward about 15-20 years, those kids grew up and with the boom of the internet came a crop of fan sites, message boards and communities of people who were now grown adults remembering memories of the first laser tag game along with those remembering this sweet, campy nostalgia from this show from their youth. Fast forward even beyond that to July of last year and there was even a 30th anniversary celebration of Photon held in Laurel, Maryland (which I have mentioned in this blog before and will likely reminisce about in more detail in the future). Although I had played laser tag many years before this event, it certainly was the catalyst to getting me back into the hobby in the last year. This was also where I first met actor David Stay who played Mandarr and Tamara Johnson who played Barbara Jarvis on the show as well as the creator of Photon, George Carter III. All this while playing A LOT of Photon and laser tag with people who grew up on the original sport. What a weekend that was! Upon returning from the event I reached out to Loretta and after several months of communicating about Photon, video projects and sign language we had the opportunity this past weekend to put together an interview about her experiences on the show all those years ago as well as her musical career and life since then.

Click here to watch the interview

Most everyone knows that my laser tag code name of "Tivia" originated as an homage to Loretta's character on the show...the laser tag playing ninja princess. So when you see me playing laser tag in any arena where I have a membership or can utilize my player name this is my I.D. (and the nickname used among a group of my closest friends). So the notion that this Tivia has the chance to chat with the other Tivia is just one of those crazy things that I wish I could go back in time and share with my seven year old self...it would blow her mind :)

Loretta was just getting ready to release her new acoustic album "The Boy Across The Road" when we started communicating from across different continents. I must say, it's remarkable how one thing led to another in these conversations which resulted in my performing one of the tracks from her new album in sign language at a show I was directing here in New York. Then subsequently that resulted in the production of this video for the latest version of her hit song "Winter In July" re-recorded for the new album. I am so pleased to share it here...enjoy!

Click here to watch the music video

So that is the story of how Tivia and Tivia had a chat. Big thanks to Loretta Heywood for being such a sweet person and taking the time for this interview in between her busy schedule as she is continuing her live shows.

To follow what is happening with Loretta Heywood you can visit her website at:

www.lorettaheywood.com/music

And please like her Facebook page at:

www.facebook.com/LorettaHeywoodMusic

If you have comments or questions please visit my website at www.tiviachickloveslasertag.com or email me at tivia@tiviachickloveslasertag.com.

The Zeta Answer

When I wrote about my recent laser tag experiences in Canada I invited anyone reading to clarify for me the differences between Hyper Blast and Zeta Blast. Well, I am appreciative of this reply that I received in my email this morning...

Dear Tivia,

I was the game master when you came to play at Area 51 Laser Tag. You asked what made zetablast better and I was not sure. Since then I discussed it with my boss and he told me the software allows us to customize our games. Because of zetablast we are able to do custom games such as Eliminate VIP, Search and Destroy, Capture the Flag, and the stealth match. It allows us to have complete control over how the game plays and allows us to create our own custom games very easily.

Thanks again for visiting our arena. We all loved the article you wrote about us.

Daniel, thanks for getting back to me with an answer. We had a great time and I certainly hope to visit Area 51 Laser Tag again!

It was a VERY interesting night...

It took me over an hour and a half to get to the laser tag arena last night because the snow was coming down hard and the slippery roads did not make for easy driving. So upon arrival I really hoped that I would not be the only one who had braved the weather. Fortunately, there was a packed house and an interesting mix of players and situations that took place in the arena throughout the evening.

I had decided before I got there that if the first game didn't feel like one where I had "something to prove" that I would take it as an opportunity to experiment and try out something that I read about on the internet. Most people hold their phaser from the bottom (I'm right handed, so right hand on the trigger, left hand on the bottom touching the heat sensor). Pros often play with a thumb on the heat sensor and the rest of the fingers wrapped around the top for more protection of the phaser as a target. But what I was interested in trying was a little different...I had read about playing with the phaser upside down and I had never done that, so I thought, why not try it out in a game that doesn't matter and just see how it goes? So I played the entire first game of the night holding my phaser like this...

...and occasionally repositioning my hand to play like this...

To be honest, I found this to be a bit burdensome. I'm not sure how accepted a practice it is to play this way, but it's not a position I felt had tremendous value for me anyway. I did notice that, at least when playing Darklight, that this practice is not permitted, though so far I have not been able to find anything definitively addressing it as endorsed or not for other laser tag systems.

Side note...I found this very interesting breakdown of laser tag rules by system that is worth reading:

http://www.a20xx.com/forums/viewtopic.php?nomobile=1&f=59&t=4520

I have played most of these systems including Zone, Laserforce, Darklight, Laser Quest, Lazer Runner and Laser Blast (and of course Photon, which for obvious reasons is not on this list), but honestly I learned a few things by reviewing these rules and want to thank whomever put this page together for doing a great job!

I didn't find a whole lot of value in flipping the phaser anyhow, but I did relish the fact that I seemed to be a trendsetter this game. Several players made comments about "check out how she's holding the gun" or the like and I had a very quick moment of eye contact with one player who checked me out, paused for a split second, flipped his phaser over like mine and continued on his way in the game. Kinda made me feel like one of the cool kids leading the pack with a trend...but that was purely my experiment for one game just to see how it would work.

My score that first game was not great...I believe I ended in fifth place...but I cannot attribute that to playing with a flipped phaser. No, I have a REALLY good excuse for why my focus was off that game and it had nothing to do with the equipment. It had to do with something sharp that I ran into in the arena.

In the middle of that first game I brushed up against a wall of the arena and I got caught on a sharp edge and it ripped a really big hole in the side of my jeans at my upper thigh. It was all I could do not to curse out loud when that happened. I took a split second to assess the damage. I couldn't keep playing with this rip in my jeans all night, but I was in the middle of the game and didn't want to forfeit and walk out, so I un-tucked my t-shirt to cover the hole and kept playing. You know I am not one to make excuses, but in this case I think I have a pretty legit reason for why I couldn't get my head back into this game!

When I left that game I was appreciative that the arena was located in a  mall. I heard a voice call my name as I was walking away and I turned around and said "I'll be back for the next game" then I high-tailed it to JCPenney's to do the fastest clothes shopping I've ever done, returning in a new pair of jeans and completely out of breath just in time to get into the next game of the night.

From here on in my night was not quite right. I can't recall a single night previously where I haven't taken the top score at least once...but this was the night. I was actually playing pretty well and the arena was packed, but I kept getting second place (and occasionally even third place) for the entire course of the evening. I know full well which player was beating me too. And I congratulate him for doing a good job (one of his buddies told me "he really wanted to beat you")...well, successfully done as he managed to do so several times. To that guy, if you are reading this now, my highest kudos to you is that I will give you the nickname of Bhodi Li and that's how I will refer to you in this blog from now on...I will also pause to feel old as I recognize that you were not even born when that reference had mild relevance, so moving on with my story...

Sometimes I feel like I am a trophy to be hunted when we go in to the arena. Whether or not this was the case with this one player is irrelevant, but I know it occasionally happens each time a player reacts with a little extra excitement if they tag me. A few of the younger players saw me getting second place several times in a row and they were impressed by that. This is a bit of an ego boost that helps me to not grouse in my own mind about not getting the number one spot, because they think number two is equally cool. Some of them asked me if I play Call of Duty. When I said no they asked "oh, then what do you play to get so good?" and I have a simple answer... "I play laser tag."

Someone else was really good last night too...and apparently it was inadvertent! Midway through the night there was a really intense game going on with the arena at nearly a full capacity. I played hard on the green team that game and I came out of it quite certain that I was going to be the top score. In fact, my score was over 11,000, so I was shocked to see that I actually came in third...WHAT? My player name that round was Kestrel. Since "Bhodi" was playing on the red team I figured he had to be playing as Cyclone. But someone on my team hit 16,000 points that game...and I had no idea who!

I don't mean this arrogantly, but I thought I knew who all the really good players on our team were and I hadn't the foggiest idea who was playing as Shadow. Even though I don't like to lose, I have to give respect to a player who can do that. Now, I don't have empirical numbers of how high the scores typically go for Zone players. I have stumbled upon videos and entry information for the Zone Laser Tag Nationals and World events (unbelievably it appears that in 2011 the Zone World Championships were held in the local area where I play often, so I wonder if it happened to be held in our home arena? I'm really going to have to do some more research on this!) and I don't have enough stats to say what is common in other places using this system, but I will say that in all the time I have been playing Zone with Rift Blaster in this particular arena I have never seen someone get a score that high, so I was impressed. So I had to find this player and congratulate him.

I asked around to see if anyone knew who played as Shadow and someone said "I think that was my buddy over there in the white shirt". So I went over to the guy and complemented him on his achievement. I told him I write a laser tag blog and asked if I could include him on it and was very surprised by his answer. He quite modestly declined because he didn't feel like he really did anything. He said "I just stayed in one spot the entire game and shot at people when they came by". Whew...now that goes against all my traditional laser tag logic. The basic thing that was drilled into my head from the very first time I ever played laser tag was that to get high scores you must keep moving...but, how can I argue with a result like that? Now, Paul thinks that he plays better when he does this same thing. Sometimes it can work (obviously). However, I am a more aggressive player and I don't like the idea of waiting for players to happen by. I prefer to believe that you make your own fate, both in laser tag and in life, and the only way to do this is to go after what you want (i.e. points by finding other players to tag) instead of waiting for them to come to you. However, I will not diminish the fact that this player managed a score that I have not achieved in this particular arena (those words are key, because a number is only impressive in context and in another arena there may be an entirely different scale to measure by), so I offer my sincere congratulations on that.

Fast forward to the final game of the night. Also in all the time I've played in this arena I have never been offered the chance to play anything other than standard team games. Of course I know that the system is capable of other types of games, but the game masters here have never (in my experience) given players the choice of any other format. So I was a bit surprised when the game master offered the choice of playing free for all for the last game. However, I'm sure I was less surprised than most of the other players who had no idea what free for all is. Mind you, I just returned from playing several arenas in Canada where all I experienced up there was free for all (and when I've played Laserforce I've experienced other game formats as well), and even though I'm not generally a fan of this format, I did think it could be fun to play this way against others who had never experienced it before. It was a good final round (interesting how people seem to forget the basics...like positioning on the bridge...when they don't have the security of a team to back them up) and I enjoyed it. However, since we were playing as individuals, top player names were announced over the loudspeaker as we left rather than announcing the team positions. When my name was announced third place that game I resigned myself to the fact that this was simply not my night. But you know what? Like Arnold Schwarzenegger...I'll be back :)

If you have comments or questions please visit my website at www.tiviachickloveslasertag.com or email me at tivia@tiviachickloveslasertag.com.

Why I'm Just Not Wild About This

Every now and again I think that I want to eat lobster. I have a tendency to forget that I am actually allergic to lobster and that it will make me ill. But I know that other people think lobster is the greatest food on earth, so I occasionally try to convince myself that I can enjoy lobster too...and every time I am wrong. In a way, that is my weird analogy for playing Quest in Canada, at least so far.


(author's edit - I've since come to really enjoy playing Laser Quest)

My friends and I decided to play a little more laser tag and called ahead to a local Quest center to make reservations (I had never before experienced a time when a laser tag reservation was necessary - let alone on a Sunday night - and I have played arenas at full capacity, but I appreciate that they gave us the heads up that they were busy). So we ventured out and bought a three game package for the evening. As soon as we arrived I remembered we had played at this center once before with mixed feelings about it. This was about a year ago I believe. I remember I left that first Quest experience feeling like I hadn't played laser tag the way I like to, but thought it was possible that this was a result of not placing as high as I normally do and maybe that was the reason I didn't like it as much. Time to give it another go.

I should start with some positives, as this center really did have a number of good things going on as well. I was impressed with the aesthetic of the briefing room. I really like to play in arenas that make an effort towards a cool atmosphere and this briefing room did have beautiful space-age art on the walls and attractive black lighting. I don't understand places that don't offer seating for briefing, but it was short and a young female game master (or "marshall" as she preferred) gave us the quick run-down on two out of three games. On the third game she got a little creative with her speech and asked everyone to raise their key tag with their left hand and put their right hand over their heart while pledging in unison to follow the rules...a little over the top as almost everyone playing was an older teen or an adult that game.

Another thing I noticed and appreciated was that this center was making an effort to involve their players in special events. There were posters all over the place for special days and hours including a family day and, get this...50 Shades of Lasers where you could "show your skills in a variety of games" at an upcoming late-nighter...that is clever ingenuity and I give them props for that.

Finally, I like that the staff here is clued in to other forms of laser tag. I always find that impressive when someone knows what they are talking about in terms of other systems and equipment and are not just there to recite the company line. I have experienced this twice at this center. When I was there a year ago it was the first time anyone had talked to me about the Armageddon (the multi-system, multi-team annual tournament) and that impressed me. This time the guy behind the counter noticed me wearing my Photon hat and commented on it. I love when people recognize Photon (as it's a sign they've been into laser tag for awhile) and he mentioned a few people with whom we were mutually acquainted. So in my book they score points for knowing what's going on in other laser tag realms also.

So, yes, this place did have some good stuff going on and, yes, it was laser tag so that's a positive right there. However, there are a few things about my experience that I just generally was not wild about. First is the equipment. It's a matter of preference...everyone has their favorites and I think my heart belongs to Zone...I still think the Quest phasers are a little big and bulky. They feel like a bazooka or a cannon! The barrel of the phaser is quite long in my opinion and it is heavier than I like and does not feel natural to carry. It also is tiresome to shoot. I found myself alternating between pulling the trigger with my forefinger and middle finger because the repetitive motion of firing the phaser started to ache a bit...and I'm a trigger-happy kind of player.

I will say the arena was cool with lots of mirrors (always interesting to aim at the colorful lights and find you're shooting at yourself) and multiple levels of play (and any experienced player quickly found their way to the top for the best vantage point). However, in spite of the impressive playing space, the experience was marred for me by some of the unruly players...and I literally mean "un-rule-y". I mentioned there were plenty of older teens and adults playing there. Every game was a free for all (with nearly a packed house I didn't understand why...I prefer team play and there were more than enough people there for that to make sense, but I was told this is their standard format at this center unless doing a special event). Now, I know how it feels to walk into your home center and feel like you are about to rule the roost...which is exactly what must have been the case with a few of these players...however, that only means something if you play and win fairly. I was annoyed by one older player in particular who on two separate occasions grabbed my phaser by the barrel and physically pushed it down because he was irritated I had gotten a shot on him and was continuing to keep him in my sights. To this I have two things to say...first, if you don't want me to shoot at you then just WALK AWAY FROM ME! I can only shoot what's in front of me. Don't just stand there in my face and complain about it...take cover and play the game like we came here for. Second...ahem...did you forget the pledge you recited? One of the basic rules in every laser tag arena is NO PHYSICAL CONTACT. Grow up and play right. He and his friends seemed to both simultaneously gang up on me and fear (or respect?) my playing as they tended to travel throughout the arena in a pack and periodically made comments that I regarded as a badge of honor on my ability. I'm fine with that. However, in a similarly irritating incident, one of my friends later commented that someone in the arena had taken their vest off to play citing that "the rules say not to cover your sensors, but don't say anything about taking them off"...really? I don't know if it was the same guy I had an issue with or one of his cronies, but I hate hearing about stuff like this. It's unnecessary and unsportsmanlike.

All that said, I was determined from the first game that I wanted to play really well just to put these guys in their place for the nonsense we experienced playing with them. I scored decently the first couple of rounds, but not to the level I was trying for (I know 5th out of 36 is good, but not good enough if these guys were the four people ranking ahead of me). However, I didn't know my placement coming out of that first game and that REALLY irritated me. Instead of pausing long enough to put the scores from that round up on the display monitor so we could see who had done what, they didn't acknowledge the scores from that round AT ALL! They said we'd get our scores from that game handed to us on a score card after the next game, but we would not see them on the screen because we were sent back into the arena immediately. WHAT?!!! Now, as it turns out I placed 5th in both the first and second rounds, but that is entirely beside the point. If I had been number one I would have wanted to relish knowing that I had prevailed over these guys who were breaking the rules. And if they were in fact placing higher I would have wanted to identify who was in those positions so as to adopt a better strategy next time to counterbalance their antics. Instead I felt totally cheated out of the results of that first game. I'm sorry, I am a results driven person and I need to see my name on the monitor. It's just part of why I like the game. I think this was my biggest beef with playing at this facility.

So at the end of the second round we got the satisfaction of at least seeing the scores. It barely felt like a pause in between before we were whisked back in for the third game (I like to play lots of successive rounds, but the pacing to get us herded in and out seemed a little bit too quick). By this point I felt like I had a handle on the arena and I definitely had more than enough fueling me to want to do well. So I pulled out my inner warrior (my tae kwon do instructor says the "kyap" - or the hi-ya scream - is really the warrior within...my warrior's name is Tivia and laser tag is where she gets unleashed) and I gave it everything I had left after burning up for the first two games. I will say, I apologize for some collateral damage as I inadvertently ended up shooting at my friends more than I intended...yes, "Milky" and "Waltz" took multiple hits while they were tucked into a hidey-hole, but I swear I didn't realize it was them when I first began shooting...sorry guys :)  And Garth was still doing well moving around the arena, so we did cross paths a few times as well. But my main focus was on targeting "those pesky kids" and getting to the top of the scoreboard. This would have been easier if Paul didn't keep getting in my way. He plays quite well, but was literally in my way all night and hindering me...yet another reason I prefer teams is that you can have a few allies rather than treating everyone in the arena as an obstacle...he should be an ally, right? But in this case we were still playing free for all, so everyone was up against everyone and I had to work around this. I know I played well that game. I can just feel it when I'm on. So when we exited the arena this last time I felt pretty positive about the outcome. We looked at the screen and...

Paul and I had the top two spots...although he had edged me out of the top score by a margin of just 27 points! Sheesh...and congratulations. Mostly the latter. I'm glad he had a good game also and I'm glad we did what we were trying to do and that we outscored the rule breaking kids. That felt like a victory. And our other friends were doing a great job that round too, so we left on a high note. We even bought some goofy souvenir swag bags and took a moment to just have fun hanging out in the lobby. 

So the experience ended well...and in hindsight it's really more about particular interactions that I wasn't wild about more than the game itself. But I will definitely be back for more Laser Quest!

If you have comments or questions please visit my website at www.tiviachickloveslasertag.com or email me at tivia@tiviachickloveslasertag.com.