Mini WBL, a New Class of Water Guns?
Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2011 1:28 am
I didn't know where else to put this, it's kind of a concept I guess.
Anyway, since I saw the Xploderz series, I got excited about that idea (I know that it's a poorly constructed series, but the idea is there). It got me thinking, this idea, at its best, is essentially a painball gun that shoots water. That could actually be a very effective water gun, the kind of thing that snipers would use.
Now, it's almost identical in concept to a water balloon launcher, just on a smaller scale. Much like a regular soaker is the small scale version of water cannons like the Supercannon and what I think DX called the n00b killer. This would be the XP sized WBL that you can actually use in prolonged skirmishes. I'll call it the Water Pellet Blaster (WPB) for the rest of this post.
Comparing a WPB to a regular soaker (much like comparing a WBL to a water-cannon), you're sacrificing output for range. Small 'pellets' of water are far more aerodynamic than streams (not to mention are lighter in many cases), so will go much further. Depending on the mechanism used, if it's just like a paintball gun then it needs no pumping (except the occasional fill of the pressure chamber). Aiming should also be easier than a standard soaker.
However, this idea has so many downsides that need to be worked out before it's anywhere near ready for mass production.
1) I can't think of a reasonable ammo system. Martianshark says the Xploderz "Wetballz" are too much of a gel to soak anything, not to mention that they take 4 hours to prepare. Another option is to use mini-water balloons, but there's a littering issue with that. A bit of chemistry knowledge will solve this one.
2) Safety is a big concern. If it's going to go far, that means it has to leave the barrel at a high speed, ie ouch at close range. That's just stock. The great thing about water guns is that it's hard to make them dangerous (at least as long as you can still call it a water gun). Off the top of my head, I can think of 3 easy steps to make a WPB potentially lethal (in the form I'm picturing anyway, which is literally a paintball gun that shoots Wetballz). MAJOR safety precautions need to be taken when designing these. As a modder, half the fun of owning a water dispensing device is the potential for power-mods, and I'm perfectly safe in the knowledge that the worst that can happen is breaking my soaker (unless of course I'm really stupid with the modification). The fact that I don't think power-modding WPBs would be safe is very bad news given how power-hungry we as a group tend to be, it only takes one accident to make a tragedy.
3) I can imagine cost being higher than it should be.
Safety is the most important point, and it's a broad topic that needs a lot of analysis. The last thing we want is a readily available firearm.
Anyway, while I don't know how to eliminate all the safety concerns, I don't think it should be hard to do it, so I'll keep going with my design ideas.
Just like Nerf, it could be air or spring-powered. I'm not the most well-versed in Nerfing, but I imagine air would be more convenient. Both are easy enough to make.
For ammo, I think Wetballz are on the right track, allow me to explain why. 1) Personal safety: For a number of reasons, I see much less of a threat with a correctly chosen "water-like substance" than with a mini-waterballoon. 2) Environmental safety: Even biodegradable water balloons are a bit of an environmental hazard until they're degraded. 3) Convenience: Although it is inconvenient to wait 4 hours for my gel to form, it's a lot better than filling up enough balloons to last a good battle. All they need is the right chemical mix and I think Wetballz could inspire something good.
Just thought I'd share this idea that's been on my mind for a while.
Anyway, since I saw the Xploderz series, I got excited about that idea (I know that it's a poorly constructed series, but the idea is there). It got me thinking, this idea, at its best, is essentially a painball gun that shoots water. That could actually be a very effective water gun, the kind of thing that snipers would use.
Now, it's almost identical in concept to a water balloon launcher, just on a smaller scale. Much like a regular soaker is the small scale version of water cannons like the Supercannon and what I think DX called the n00b killer. This would be the XP sized WBL that you can actually use in prolonged skirmishes. I'll call it the Water Pellet Blaster (WPB) for the rest of this post.
Comparing a WPB to a regular soaker (much like comparing a WBL to a water-cannon), you're sacrificing output for range. Small 'pellets' of water are far more aerodynamic than streams (not to mention are lighter in many cases), so will go much further. Depending on the mechanism used, if it's just like a paintball gun then it needs no pumping (except the occasional fill of the pressure chamber). Aiming should also be easier than a standard soaker.
However, this idea has so many downsides that need to be worked out before it's anywhere near ready for mass production.
1) I can't think of a reasonable ammo system. Martianshark says the Xploderz "Wetballz" are too much of a gel to soak anything, not to mention that they take 4 hours to prepare. Another option is to use mini-water balloons, but there's a littering issue with that. A bit of chemistry knowledge will solve this one.
2) Safety is a big concern. If it's going to go far, that means it has to leave the barrel at a high speed, ie ouch at close range. That's just stock. The great thing about water guns is that it's hard to make them dangerous (at least as long as you can still call it a water gun). Off the top of my head, I can think of 3 easy steps to make a WPB potentially lethal (in the form I'm picturing anyway, which is literally a paintball gun that shoots Wetballz). MAJOR safety precautions need to be taken when designing these. As a modder, half the fun of owning a water dispensing device is the potential for power-mods, and I'm perfectly safe in the knowledge that the worst that can happen is breaking my soaker (unless of course I'm really stupid with the modification). The fact that I don't think power-modding WPBs would be safe is very bad news given how power-hungry we as a group tend to be, it only takes one accident to make a tragedy.
3) I can imagine cost being higher than it should be.
Safety is the most important point, and it's a broad topic that needs a lot of analysis. The last thing we want is a readily available firearm.
Anyway, while I don't know how to eliminate all the safety concerns, I don't think it should be hard to do it, so I'll keep going with my design ideas.
Just like Nerf, it could be air or spring-powered. I'm not the most well-versed in Nerfing, but I imagine air would be more convenient. Both are easy enough to make.
For ammo, I think Wetballz are on the right track, allow me to explain why. 1) Personal safety: For a number of reasons, I see much less of a threat with a correctly chosen "water-like substance" than with a mini-waterballoon. 2) Environmental safety: Even biodegradable water balloons are a bit of an environmental hazard until they're degraded. 3) Convenience: Although it is inconvenient to wait 4 hours for my gel to form, it's a lot better than filling up enough balloons to last a good battle. All they need is the right chemical mix and I think Wetballz could inspire something good.
Just thought I'd share this idea that's been on my mind for a while.