INTRODUCTION - COUNTER - NEWS - MAGS & EVENTS - DOWNLOADS - PICTURES - DIY PARTS - FAQs - UK CLUBS - LINKS & EMAIL
Lasertag, as played by myself in the UK, is a role-play combat system based around a set of
commercially produced toy guns and sensors that used to be made by a company called
'Worlds of Wonder' in 1986-1988.
The company went bust years ago after making some
4 million pieces of Laser Tag (TM) equipment and we continue to play today with what equipment we can find
or build for ourselves.
Recently, the LaserTag brand name has been used again for a laser gun toy made by 'Tiger Toys'.
Unfortunately it is not backwardly compatible with the original WoW equipment.
The "guns" fire a totally safe beam of infra-red light at an electronic sensor which beeps at you
when it has been hit.
It can record a total of 6 hits before it 'dies' and you are out of the game.
It has none of the electronic sophistication of the arena-based 'laser' tag games such
as Quasar (Qzar), Laser Quest, UltraZone, etc.; but it is easy to use and cheap to play outdoors
and, with modifications, over great distances.
Home-built "guns" with 200 meters range are common here.
I am based in the South of England and many 'taggers' here build their own
"guns" and other role-play props.
I primarily play genre-based science-fiction live role play games (such as Aliens/Predators, Star Wars, Star Trek, Space Above And Beyond, etc.), however I have also played a very enjoyable Wild-West game (with suitably short range pistols) and a 1920's gangster game using the same system.
22nd December 2008. As you may have guessed from the lack of new info on this site, I have not been very active in the hobby for several years now. I usually manage to attend DropZone every year but I no longer make equipment, so much of the info in this site is for historical/documentation purposes. Many of the links still work but I have not checked what is at the end of them for a long time. I will still repair any of my circuit boards - email me with details of your problem.
28th May 2002, price increase of 25mm and 50mm Lens Units - see DIY PARTS section for new prices.
4th January 2001, Issue 8.3 of Firefight now available (on CD only due to size of files).
19th September 1999, Issue 8.2 of Firefight now available for download.
8th February 1999, Issue 8.1 of Firefight now available for download.
18th November 1998, as a dedicated Sci-Fi fan, how could I ignore SETI@HOME - click on the link at the top of this page and join in the search for aliens worthy enough of our attentions. :-)
25th October 1998, SmartGun circuit reduced to UK£40.
1st October 1998, Issue 7.4 of Firefight now available for download.
Ruthlessly cleaned up broken links in the LINKS area. If you know of a link you think I should include, please MAIL me. Thanks.
9th May 1998, Issue 7.3 of Firefight now available for download.
16th April 1998, new SmartGun Lens Unit documentation added to Download Files section.
Firefight
is the UK's premier Independent Science Fiction Live Roleplay Fanzine.
It's always worth a read.
You can email the editor Dai Rees if you have any articles for publishing.
I provide a service to the hobby of an image scanned version (at 150dpi) of current and back issues and normally have the most recent three or four issues available for free download here (In TIF format and zipped).
Now for sale for UK£5 (US$10) inclusive of first class postage (air mail to USA), is a
CD-ROM
version of all back-issues containing image scanned copies of FireFight Fanzine from issue 1.1 to the current 8.3, plus the Complete Tagger and a full set of SmartGun documentation (for those people who hate long downloads).
People who can catch me at a tag game, or collect from my house, can have one for UK£4.
DropZone Info can be found via this link.
DropZone is the UK's premier Sci-Fi Live Action Roleplay Weekend, full of games and socialising.
A Calendar of UK Tag Events can be found via this link.
SmartGun Features Guide
SmartGun Installation Guide
SmartGun User Guide.
SmartGun RS232 Comms Interface
Mk.1 SmartSensor Features and User Guide
Mk.1 SmartSensor Installation Guide.
User's Review of the SmartGun circuit
as published in issue 6.1 of Firefight.
Don't forget the unique
DIY Construction Guide & Frequently Asked Questions
which includes info on the original 'Worlds of Wonder' and 'Laser Challenge' systems.
Click here for a graphically intensive view of
The 50mm lens assembly shown on my pictures page was made from a design in my construction notes.
Due to the shortage of new equipment, as Worlds of Wonder went out of business years ago,
I designed an electronic circuit called 'The SmartGun' with which people
could construct
their own WoW compatible guns.
Over 100 of these were made but have now been superseded by the new Data
Over Tag equipment.
For maximum flexibility, it was supplied as a set of ready built circuit boards which you had to case.
A small amount of soldering was required to attach the battery, sounder and switches, and to make up the head unit.
Click here for SmartSensor Mk.1 features.
Click here if you already own a SmartGun circuit and want SmartGun Software Version Info.
The gun shell which looks like a compacted Aliens pulse rifle at the bottom of my pictures page is made by
Doug Ross who should be emailed direct for further info, or
follow the link to his web site from my LINKS & EMAIL area.
Doug also makes a 'Judge Dredd' style pistol which is cheaper than the rifle.
Two different views of this can be seen at the bottom of my pictures page.
For the last few years I have been receiving frequent emails with very similar questions in them.
Hopefully this section will answer the most common ones in advance.
Jump to a particular question number:-
1. TECHNICAL DIAGRAMS?
2. OLD WoW KIT?
3. NEW SmartGun KIT?
Question 1.
"Do you have the technical schematics to build a lasertag gun, if so could you please e-mail them to me?"
Answer.
All the documentation I have available myself and give away free is downloadable from the
DOWNLOAD ZONE on my web page here.
Schematics are in the 'DIY Construction Guide'.
Question 2.
"Do you know where to get the original lasertag equipment?" or "Do you know where I can get some old WoW kit?".
Answer.
No, not new anyway.
As the WoW equipment ceased manufacture more than 30 years ago it is
virtually impossible to obtain original equipment in good condition.
Your only hope is to :-
Alternatively, if you do not require compatibility with the old WoW gear,
try buying some of the new systems such as Laser Challenge, Laser Command or the Sega Lock-On system.
If you don't like the look of them you can always transplant the electronics into your own gun cases and follow the tips in my 'DIY Construction Guide' to increase range.
Laser Challenge in particular was being sold off very cheap in the USA and UK in supermarkets and toy shops.
Also note that a new system from the original makers of the WoW lasertag equipment is now being sold by Toys-R-Us in the USA and some toy stores in the UK.
It is manufactured by Tiger Toys and is called 'LaserTag'.
Unfortunately it is not backward compatible with the original WoW kit.
Question 3.
"Please tell me how much money I must send you to buy one of the guns you picture on your web site?".
Answer.
Although I personally put together the gun you can see at the top of my web pictures page from it's component parts, I do not make those guns (if you see what I mean).
I only make the tricky bits, the electronics and lens assemblies - check out the DIY PARTS section.
The casings you can see at the bottom of my pictures page are made by
Doug Ross of the Seattle Lasertag Club.
This is a DIY hobby thing for me, and I am based in the UK where we have several clubs spread across the country who organise their own games and often get together for inter-club games on a very much non-commercial basis.
There is an outdoor lasertag 'scene' in the USA, but it is spread fairly thin (please correct me if you think I'm wrong about this) - follow some of the links from the bottom of my web page to see what these clubs get up to.
I think US players tend to be more combat orientated, whereas in the UK we tend more towards live-role-play.
Although I have made up a few guns for friends in the past, due to work and family commitments I no longer have enough spare time to make up complete guns as it takes around 10 hours solid work per gun.
It will cost you approximately 150 UK Pounds to get all the parts together to build one (plus however much to ship the parts to wherever you live from England, UK).
Prices and ordering details for the bits I do sell are on my main lasertag page in the
DIY PARTS section, just before the FAQ's (above).
I am sorry but I cannot provide a complete kit of parts, just those that I make myself, also please note that I do not make or supply gun casings.
If your interest is playing with friends near home, and you do not require compatibility with the old 'Worlds of Wonder' (WoW) standard, you may find some of the retail equipment such as Laser
Challenge or Laser Command to be significantly cheaper.
They can be obtained from good toy stores such as Toys-R-Us.
Many lasertag players group together in clubs. Each club has it's own game rules.
Here are the accepted 1996 UK Inter-Club Rules to give you an idea
of what is required of a player.
A list of UK Sci-Fi Lasertag clubs can be found in the back of the latest issue of
Firefight Fanzine.
Also check out the useful links from the Fiat Lux! web site.
The UKLAZERTAG Yahoo! Groups list :- UkLazertag has now been superseded by the FIREFIGHT.org.uk forum.
FIREFIGHT.org.uk
South London Warlords
Electronic Survivor Shot
Peter Lander (Cairns, Queensland, Australia)
ADEQUATE.com Lazer Tag Reference Guide
Peter Lander (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia)
