No paint, no pain on the battle grounds of Tag of War

Paintball. Great fun. Very painful. Anyone who's been on the receiving end of a paintball cluster shoot-out can attest to the massive bruises that result. How about LaserQuest or LaserTag? Popular, but limited in scope and location, since the guns could only work in dark places.

Now, there's a new game in town which combines both -- Tag of War.

In a nutshell, it's paintball warfare using the LaserQuest technology. No messy paintball stains or bruises but still with the same combat experience. And since there's no actual ammo or shooting injuries, there's no age or size restrictions, and can be played anywhere. The organizers can even bring the game to your office or home, if you're so inclined.

Military and survivor nuts would have a field day.

How's that for realism?

The realistic laser guns come with sound effects like live firing, being-shot reactions and bullet reloading (just to name a few) to simulate actual combat, and can be fired in close proximity, unlike paintball where there's a minimum safety distance to fire (in the more sympathetic clubs). There's also no ammo limit, so you can blast away as much as you wish.

The technology works on the same principle as LaserQuest, where you wear a vest with sensors and shoot at your enemy with the attached laser gun. The sensors pick up shots to indicate who's been hit and a tally is maintained on the master control, so the combat situation is totally realistic and incorporates a more wider shooting range of up to 300 meters (for those who like to hunker down and snipe at opponents).

According to Happy Planners, the people who introduced Tag of War to Singapore, the game can be planned as a team-building event or just as a recreational activity (like LasetQuest or paintball). Prices start at S$33 per person for standard gameplay, with two missions at selection locations (both indoor and outdoor) lasting 15-20 minutes each, while customized gameplay for corporate events start from S$60 per person and is tailored to different learning objectives (for example, leadership, communication, planning, delegating, motivation, etc.). For more details, check out www.tagofwar.com.sg.