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"Gotcha" stages


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On March 26, 2013 at 10:56 AM, BillChunn said:

Stages that have multiple solutions are what my club is know for. As a stage designer, you have to offer a challenge to the shooters regardless of magazine capacity. You have to create something that while being entertaining, it also has to test their skills.

Targets visible from two locations... good. Targets visible from 3 or 4 locations... GREAT!!! Poppers that activate swingers on the other side of a vision barrier, doors that have to be opened to activate drop-turners.... it's all good.

BC

BC - couldn't agree more.  Designed a bunch of stages when I was in GA.  Always a balance act between skill levels of yout matches customers.  The more options the better, and my opinion, when a stage is designed that even the topmGM shoot different ways you Sir have hit it out of the park as a stage designer.

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I think that the stages at the GA State match this year nailed a fantastic balance of speed, aiming, agility, thinking/memorizing/planning, etc. Many of the stages had several viable options.

Edited by wgj3
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  • 3 weeks later...

Ever shot a Texas Star with only the bottom visible?  All you could see is one plate as it rotated from behind cover.   I wasted a bunch of time and ammo getting all 5 plates...a quest if you will.  Maybe better to get a few then pop a few rounds to not get a FTE penalty and move on?

 

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On the funny side:  had a stage with a bunch of targets in a line with vertical walls a few yards in front of them...I know the MD's plan was for us to move from one opening to the next getting a few targets at each opening....BUT...he forgot the front fault lines so I ran past the walls and in front of the targets.  This was stage 3 of a match of 20 or so people so these targets had been taped A BUNCH.....as I went by blasting them from 1 foot or so...ALL THAT TAPE flew off!  Most fun I ever had on a stage, complied with the rules and briefing and had a great score....had to replace all the targets...but hey......

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 9/12/2016 at 11:00 PM, Txpastorbob said:

Ever shot a Texas Star with only the bottom visible?  All you could see is one plate as it rotated from behind cover.   I wasted a bunch of time and ammo getting all 5 plates...a quest if you will.  Maybe better to get a few then pop a few rounds to not get a FTE penalty and move on?

 

Not that hard, I've went 5/5 many times, hardly ever more than 6-7 shots . What's bad is when it STOPS with  1 plate at the TOP.

I would have said impossible, but had it happen 3 times at one match with 200 shooters:blink:

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12 hours ago, toothandnail said:

Not that hard, I've went 5/5 many times, hardly ever more than 6-7 shots .

I'd just caution that, "hard", is relative.  That said, I don't believe "hard" targets or arrays equate to "gotcha stages" - that's just MHO.  Some shooters with less sharpened skills may suffer at a higher rate than others on certain targets, but that doesn't mean those targets are "gotcha's".  Instead, beyond just being fun/challenging, I'd suggest they represent a decent way to differentiate Great, Good, Average, and Below Average shooters at a higher rate than a standard target.

I think I'd label the "gotcha" stage as one where the MD or designer has specifically setup a stage to trick or trap the shooter...but this comes in varying degrees.  Some I think are a bit annoying while others are challenging and entertaining to overcome.  I know I spend time trying to game stages, see things the MD did not, etc...and the idea that the MD might be trying to do that back to me is a fun prospect (at least to some degree).

Now onto a slightly different topic...regardless as to your opinion on the fun factor for, the skill level required for, or apparently even the existence of "memory stages" (I'll define this as a stage where the same targets are available from multiple locations AND are designed to appear identical from each location, to the shooter - in other words, the stage is not just designed to give options to the shooter, but is intended to try and trick the shooter into re-engaging certain targets accidentally), I do think these fall into the category of "gotcha stages"...not on the same level as something like very tight 180 shots, but it's the direct intent to trick the shooter that prompts me to classify it this way.  AND these are specifically different from stages that make you think or cause you to have a challenging stage plan...

Just my .02

Edited by GorillaTactical
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I like a well designed "memory stage", but some MD's will take this to a whole new level. I agree with Gorilla that hard stages and gotcha stages are different. I like when the MD gives plenty of options to stage design, and I am always ok with a new challenge. (only one plate visible on a spiner, shooting the star with top plates covered, etc.) but when the MD does this on every stage it really hurts new shooters and gets frustrating for others. Just something for MD's to consider before doing 9-10 F@$%er Stages.

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  • 3 months later...
On Tuesday, March 26, 2013 at 2:37 PM, lugnut said:

I hate memory stages..... not sure if this is a subset of gotcha stages. I want to be challenged on my shooting skills... not memory. I've only shot a handful of what I would call memory stages... all stages require you to remember some things. :)

I agree  

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  • 1 year later...
On ‎3‎/‎26‎/‎2013 at 1:44 PM, BOOST said:

What are they really? if they are ,are they bad? I design a lot of stages that has hidden targets or targets that can be shot in multiple positions. Sometimes shooters will engage the same target twice because of the stage design. Do you hate them?

Stages should have some degree of memorization and challenge. I have shot stages where you are shooting a steel plate or popper from a distance and the no-shoots are set up where if you miss the target you will get a no-shoot. The mike is bad enough, don't double penalize me. Challenges are one thing but a stage set up to double penalize or make you flirt with a 180 violation are unfair. There are a lot of new shooters in this sport so you do not want to discourage anyone.  

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11 hours ago, Antny said:

Stages should have some degree of memorization and challenge. I have shot stages where you are shooting a steel plate or popper from a distance and the no-shoots are set up where if you miss the target you will get a no-shoot. The mike is bad enough, don't double penalize me. Challenges are one thing but a stage set up to double penalize or make you flirt with a 180 violation are unfair. There are a lot of new shooters in this sport so you do not want to discourage anyone.  

 

I don't have a problem with a miss hitting a no shoot. it challenges one to take that extra split second care to shoot the target rather than flinging multiple shots at steel. I don't think new shooters care about the score as much anyway and just about anything will be a challenge for them. On my first match I had a Texas star  (which I had never seen) from a moving platform. After two mags, I left 2 targets and moved on. It did not discourage me from the sport.

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