7 minute read
TECH: ARES ALPHA
INTEGRATED AIRSOFT
MIGUEL IS BACK AGAIN THIS MONTH TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING QUITE UNIQUE, TECH THAT LETS GAME ORGANISERS REALLY GET A HANDLE ON ACHIEVING GAME ORGANISATION THAT IS TRULY “NEXT LEVEL”. HE’S MENTIONED ARES ALPHA BEFORE IN HIS GAME REPORTS, BUT NOW OPENS THE LID ON SOME LOGISTICS TECH THAT IS SIMPLY STUNNING!
Sometimes a great tool comes along to help those who organise or command factions in events. I’ve been in both situations and I know that any help is welcome, so when Ares Alpha started appearing in games that I attend I noticed how useful it was, and so far I’ve seen it being used in many games that the GHOST’s attend, from smaller skirmishes to larger, full-on MilSim games.
Having seen this excellent logistics tech in action I spoke to the people behind Ares Alpha to learn a bit more about the App and maybe even get a peek into its future; I ended up speaking with Gabriel and Alex and they were both enthusiastic to talk about and very helpful indeed. This is what they had to tell me so that I could share with you!
AA: For those who don’t know, what is Ares Alpha?
“Ares Alpha it’s an integrated airsoft platform which covers both players and event organiser needs. We have an Android/iOS application, a website and several electronic props. It brings real-time position of the players, a hierarchical chain of command, mission updates from the game organiser, as well as transmission of information to the team leaders on the battlefield. The props are fully integrated in Ares Alpha platform and also can be tracked in real time by game players.”
AA: What is the main goal of the App?
“Our main goal it’s to bring airsoft games to the next level of interactivity for the players. As for the
event organisers, we believe Ares Alpha gives the opportunity to organise events with tons of new features. Also, large scale events require a very good management of players and game itself, so Ares Alpha also covers this part.”
AA: How did Ares Alpha came to be?
“The Ares Alpha story begins in 2019. As airsoft players and organisers, we tried to bring something real new to airsoft games. Since we didn’t find any app or airsoft props to cover our needs, we decided to give it a try. It started as a small app for our club, and since the feedback was excellent, we started to focus on the development. It took us almost a year to publish it on Android and Apple platforms, but by the end of 2019 we had an up-and-running airsoft platform. In 2020 we will also start building electronic props, fully integrated with the app. Players all over the world helped us with feedback to improve Ares Alpha with every upgrade.”
AA: The next question is a 3-staged one. What can we expect and benefit from Ares Alpha, first as a player, second as a faction commander, and lastly as an organization?
“As a player you can use the Ares Alpha application to track your teammates in real time, objectives and game score. Also, you can see all battlefield POIs marked by faction commanders or game masters, call for medics, check team points in real time, or use in-game perks. We are aware that nobody wants to check his phone every minute on the battlefield, so Ares Alpha uses real time notifications, even for connected smart bands.
“Team management is a decisive factor for winning an airsoft game, especially in large airsoft events. For faction commanders, the real time position of the players is invaluable information. Ares Alpha gives the possibility to organise the teams on hierarchical levels from General (faction commander), Company leader, Platoon leader, Squad leader to simple Soldier. On events with hundreds of players, generals can filter the Ares Alpha map by ranks, or search for specific players. Generals can add POI’s directly on the map to mark zones for attack or defence; all players from his team will receive real time notifications with the new orders. Combining this feature with radio communication gives the general the upper hand on the battlefield.
“The Event/Game organiser will use the Ares Alpha platform to create his event in advance. He can create a custom map for his event, build the teams, add useful PDF documents for the players or add in-game perks.
“Perks are very powerful features, and it deserves a separate article! You can use UAVs, EMPs, points, cyber thefts, etc. For example, you can add UAVs in the game to give the possibility for one team to track enemy positions in real time, or use in-game points to create a ranking system for the teams and players. The
organiser can also add or hide new objectives on the map in real time, to keep the dynamic of the game on a high level.
“Ares Alpha platform has a module for club management and players profiles. Clubs can manage their members, expenses and revenues, or send invitations to other players. All Ares Alpha users have their own profile page, where they can add their replicas, equipment, and general information.
“We are aware that all these features can be overwhelming in the beginning! This is why we are working closely with new event organisers on the first big events. Ares Alpha was used on well-known events as Bellum or Berget, and the feedback was really great. We hope that in 2023 we will see Ares Alpha at as many events as possible!”
AA: How do you plan to develop the system in other countries?
“Ares Alpha it’s available in all countries for download, but the available language is only English. We had a lot of requests to localise it for other languages and for the future we are taking this into consideration.”
AA: We have seen some gadgets that work together with Ares Alpha, tell us about them.
“We have two main electronic props, each with some variations: ATB (Ares Tactical Box) and ATS (Ares Target System)
“ATB is a tactical box which can be used as a stand-alone device, or be fully integrated on the Ares Alpha app. It comes in two versions, Mini and Pro, the last one can be used by four teams simultaneously. It has different game modes: domination mode, bomb mode or mobile respawn mode. All these game modes are integrated with Ares Alpha, so players can check on real time when the bomb was armed, or a region on the map it’s dominated by a team or another. Also, each ATB brings points for the teams, so can be used as a rank system device.
“ATS is an advanced electronic target, which records all BB’s hits. Like ATB, it has several game modes, shield mode for a vehicle, domination mode for a fixed POI, flip mode for fast games, etc. All these features are reflected on the Ares Alpha app to add more game interactivity for players. It has magnetic feet that allow it to be attached to vehicles or other metallic surfaces.
“All our electronic props come with unique and helpful features, GPS for tracking on the map, 4G modem to connect it in real time to the Ares Alpha platform, and firmware update to add new game modes, or fix any software bugs. Management of the props is made directly from the phone.”
AA: What can we expect from you in the near future?
“On the Ares Alpha application we have a long backlog for requested features such as waypoints, maps, chat/text commands from Generals, MGRS maps, language packs, new perks, and a lot more. As the 2022 season closes, we will try this winter to implement as many features as possible.
“As for the electronic props, our lips are sealed, all we can say it’s that we have been working on something new for the past few months! Stay tuned, we promise you will be surprised!”
AA: Thanks so much for talking to us and we look forward to reporting on developments as they happen in a future report!
For anyone interested in ARES ALPHA, check out www.ares-alpha.com! AA
