Competition shooters, thoughts on "stories" to go with the stage?

[theblackknight]

Computer programers need exercise too.

[Wildcat]

What will the story contribute to the COF?

Around here, stories are usually added to explain the props...."bomb must be defused before leaving area B" or landmines (clay pigeons)
A story may also explain starting positions sometimes.

The guy who does this locally usually can be counted on to inject a humorous twist to the description so it isn't too tedious.

[Doc Safari]

Telling the RO which way you are going may be a good idea. However, you shouldn't muzzle others no matter which way you turn. Not sure how advising the RO is going to help. That's on the shooter.

Telling the RO which way you are going to swing the weapon lets the waiting shooters move to the opposite side of the berm so that the are out of the way. We had a couple of stages where the shooter started with his back to the targets so that they could be rearranged differently as a way of making them more of a surprise. Shooters were instructed not to draw until they turned around, but as a safety precaution they were asked which way they planned to turn so that if they drew their weapon a little prematurely then none of the other shooters would be muzzled. It was just one more safety precaution.

[Zell959]

Functionally, the well written stories help give me the context of the stage and makes it a lot easier to shoot it correctly. I'm less likely to forget direction if it all ties into what I've been told about the scenario than if I'm simply told "Don't do X/You have to _____ THEN transition to Z/etc."

[19852]

"You enter to find Osama across the hallway with his AK47 left behind with an unknown number of rounds loaded. Retrieve the AK47 and engage Osama with two to the body, two to the head and then throw his body into the ocean".

My favorite stage description ever....

[ambluemax]

I don't really care...they make me chuckle sometimes. But I often forget them 2 min after they are read.

[60buckscash]

I think they should be used to provide a loose framework to the scenario and add some humor in. I tried to not have anything ridiculous when I was MDing for an IDPA club. Besides it's all about having fun, right?

[CB59]

Roger that on CASS fun! We had some clever authors of Sunday match stages that understood how to combine a physical challenge with firearms handling and transitions of the style, they included whimsical yet brief stories of the scenario. I miss those days, but looking forward to "the race" in the black gun arena I find myself in now.

Want funny? Shoot some Cowboy Action stages. They added depth and humor to the "game" so to speak, but it was far less a serious shooting event as it was funs with guns.

I've also shot with some that do the story bit with modern weapons. It's fun, like someone else mentioned, as the story doesn't require homework and study time to remember because it's so long. Keep it short.