Bountiful Lazer Tag Club

The Bountiful Lazer Tag Club is a group of people that get together to play and host free outdoor laser tag games in Bountiful, Utah.

It doesn't cost anything to join and play. We usually have extra lazer tag "taggers" (guns) you can borrow, if you promise to take good care of them. It's a great activity that children, teenagers, and adults can all enjoy together, and there is also a great playground where we play for younger kids.

When

We try to get together about once a month from Spring to Fall.

Our next game is Friday July 30, 2010, from 6:30 - 8:30 PM.

Here is a printable flyer for our next last game, for a reminder for yourself, or to invite a friend: LazerTagFlyer.pdf

Where

We play at North Canyon Park at 3900 S. Bountiful Blvd, in Bountiful,Utah. It's got some great terrain for outdoor laser tag.

Mailing List & Host

If you would like to be notified by email of upcoming games, please email host Troy Adair at troyadair@utah-inter.net.

Equipment

We play with Hasbro/Tiger's Lazer Tag Team Ops (LTTO) taggers, and Nerf/Hasbro LTX taggers.

Phoenix LTX, with a shotblast attachment

LTTO Deluxe:

LTTO IRT-2X (Drone)

LTTO Tag Master Blaster (TMB)

All of the above taggers are pretty evenly matched, but have different advantages and limitations. The LTTO Deluxe, LTTO IRT-2X ("Drone"), and the Phoenix LTX have a range of about 240 feet in daylight. The LTTO Master Blaster has a more focused beam, so it has about twice that range, but must be aimed more accurately. So, it's a good sniper rifle, but has a slight disadvantage at distances less than 240 feet. The Phoenix LTX, in addition to it's normal 240 foot single shot, often has a "shotblast" (shotgun) attachment, that can tag multiple people with 2-3 tags in close range in one wide angle shot. That's nice for close range combat, and especially when a couple of opponents are near each other. The LTTO Deluxe has automatic firing of up to 10 shots per trigger pull, but will then "overheat" and not be able to fire for a few seconds. The LTTO IRT-2X (Drone) will fire up to 3 shots per trigger pull, but is a little harder to "overheat"; while the Phoenix LTX only shoots once per trigger pull, but will not "overheat." The LTTO taggers' sound can be turned off for stealth operations (but use this feature prudently, as you won't get an auditory warning when others are tagging you), whereas the LTX's sound can not be turned off. So, whichever you and your opponent use, learn their advantages and limitations, and play accordingly!

LTX taggers can be purchased at ToysRUs (check store availability online), or Amazon.com.

LTTO taggers are no longer being made or sold in stores, but used ones are readily available on Ebay.

More information on LTTO & LTX taggers can be found at:
http://www.ggaub.com/ltag/equipment.htm l

Here is a list of the different game variations LTTO taggers offer:
http://www.ggaub.com/ltag/ltto-games.html

And here is a detailed video on the LTX tagger, and, starting at 10:45, how it works in a mixed LTTO/LTX game. If you have an LTX tagger that you will be bringing to one of our LTTO/LTX games, I recommend you watch this video before coming:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQM9sKyS5l4

Safety

"Lazer" Tag guns/taggers don't actually use lasers. They use infra red light signals, just like a TV remote--although it is stronger and much more focused so that (a) the signal will travel farther, and that (b) you will need to aim to successfuly tag an opponent. So the taggers themselves are completely safe to players, bystanders, and the environment.

The taggers are also purposely made to look clearly like toy guns, rather than real guns, so that bystanders and law enforcement won't confuse them with real guns. Club members are not allowed to paint their taggers/guns to look more realistic, and they must leave their tagger tips fluorescent orange (to let law enforcement and others know they are harmless toy guns).

Lazer Tag is also a non-contact sport. Physical contact between players is against the rules.

However, players are running around in a park, often through forrested areas. On the upside, this means they are getting some good physical activity/excercise. On the down side, this means accidents and injuries can happen if players are not careful. Players, and parents of minor players, are responsible for their own safety. By playing, or allowing your children to play, you are agreeing to be responsible for your own safety and that of your minor children. Also note that players are not allowed to go in the parking lot or streets while playing.

Rules

Here are our game rules:

1. HAVE FUN!!! This is the whole purpose of lazer tag! The true winners are those who are the best sports, who enjoy the game, and help others enjoy it too.

2. BE A GOOD SPORTSMAN. Please be respectful and kind to all other players, including your opponents, so everyone can have fun. Also remember that good teamwork and strategy with your team mates can be the key to helping your team win. Remember, the purpose of laser tag isn't to win--it's to have fun, get some excercise, and make friends.

3. DON'T COVER UP YOUR RECEIVER DOME! The red domes on the taggers are the receiver domes that register when you are tagged. Covering them up is cheating big time!

4. LAZER TAG IS A NON-CONTACT SPORT. No physical contact is allowed. Please keep at least an arm's length away from other players to prevent injuries and equipment damage.

5. SAFETY FIRST. Watch where you are running; and don't go in streets, parking lots, streams, or dangerous areas.

6. WHILE YOU ARE IN A GAME, KEEP YOUR HEADWRAP ON, to show which team you are on, and that you are still "in."

7. WHEN YOU ARE TAGGED OUT:
(A) Remove your headwrap to show you are "out." (But please be careful to not drop/loose it.)
(B) Return to the debriefing area.
(C) Do not help team mates by telling or showing them where opponents are, etc.
(D) Do not act like you are still in the game.
(E) Leave your tagger on until debriefing, so that all the game data can be collected and compiled at the end of the game by the hosting tagger. (But you may turn off the red dot sights to save batteries.)

8. RESPECT BYSTANDERS AND PLAY AREAS. Don't hide behind bystanders or disturb them. Please be courteous to them, and keep your distance from them. Also, please respect the park, and be careful not to damage any things or plants in them.

Here is a booklet of rules & instructions for the LTTO games & taggers (the Deluxe & IRT-2x Drones) we are currently using in our club: LazerTagInstructionBook.pdf.
We usually go over pages 1-9 before games start, so all players are familiar with (a) the rules, (b) tagger operation, and (c) how to "join," and be "debriefed" in a hosted game. So, if it is your first time playing, please come on time to learn how to use the taggers. Pages 10 and later have more information for people who would like to select & host the games.

Team Strategies

If you are interested in using team strategies, here are some team strategies from Forest Park Laser Tag club:
teamtactics.htm

LTTO Sounds

LTTO taggers communicate a lot of important game info via both (a) their LCD screens, and (b) through sounds. Since during a game, you need to use your eyes to keep track of opponents and team mates, and watch where you are going, it is very helpful to learn the tagger sounds, so you know when you are being tagged, when you've got a confirmed tag on another player, etc. You can either learn the sounds while playing, or learn the sounds in advance at:
http://www.ggaub.com/ltag/index.html.

Two key sounds to learn are the sound of being tagged, and landing a confirmed tag on another player. Note that some people find it difficult to distinguish between the sound of (a) being tagged by others, and (b) landing a confirmed tag on another player. If the sounds sound similar to you, one thing that can help you tell the difference is when you hear them. Obviously, if you are not shooting, and you hear the sound of being tagged, it means you have been tagged. Also note that the sound of being tagged has "priority" over all other sounds, whereas the sound of having a confirmed tag on someone else, has a lower priority, than the sound of firing for example. So if you hold the trigger down to launch 10 tags, and you get 10 confirmed hits on another player, you will not hear the sounds to indicate you tagged others until after the shooting sound is complete. But if you are getting tagged while shooting at others, the sound of being tagged by others will interrupt, and have priority over, the shooting sound. (Note that the taggers can land a tag on players farther away than they can get a tag confirmation signal from. So, not getting the hit confirmed sound doesn't mean you are not successfully tagging an opponent. The taggers have a range of about 240 feet, but can only confirm a tag landed on another player for about half of that range. You and your team will get credit for all the tags you landed at the end of the game.)