verification . please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . unsourced material may be challenged and removed . may 2012 learn how and when to remove this template message laser quest type private industry lasertag founded manchester england 1989 headquarters mississauga ontario canada website www.laserquest.com laser quest is the name of a canadian english indoor lasertag game using infrared ir hand held units and vests owned by albert paz . it is also the name of the company which operates each game centre . there are over 140 laser quest centres worldwide including ones in canada the united states the uk france portugal singapore costa rica thailand south africa and the netherlands . laser quest s oldest centre is located in stourbridge west midlands england . 1 contents 1 overview of the game of laser quest 2 equipment 3 scoring 4 game variants 5 cheating 6 north america challenge 6.1 nac champions and runners up 7 elc european laserquest championship 8 references 9 external links overview of the game of laser quest edit the player s goal in laser quest is to tag their opponents as many times as possible while the player avoids being tagged . the players are equipped with an infrared laser hand held unit and a pack with infrared sensors . players start the game in a large multi level maze like arena filled with ramps catwalks and windows . in laser quest centres the playing arenas are filled with theatrical fog and black light strobes and uv reactive painted surfaces . while play can seem chaotic there are rules that are enforced . players recite a player s code in the briefing room where they go to learn how to play the game . the player s code includes a vow not to run climb jump sit kneel lie down cover any sensors make physical contact with other players use offensive language and to play fair play smart and give it my all . at least one employee or marshal is present in the arena at all times to ensure fair and safe game play and to make sure people enjoy their time . equipment edit this section does not cite any sources . please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources . unsourced material may be challenged and removed . february 2013 learn how and when to remove this template message every lq centre is equipped with approximately 30 packs also called vests or ponchos . this number varies with busier arenas having more packs to accommodate larger crowds . the pack is made of a thick canvas type material that hangs over the shoulders . when laid out flat on a table the vest forms a diamond shape . sensors placed on various parts of the vest covering the chest the back and each shoulder . there are additional sensors housed within the hand held laser unit located at the front and both sides of the laser . the infrared sensors are attached to printed circuit boards which include red and green leds that light up when the pack is active . each pcb is housed in a hard plastic cover . part of each cover is made from clear plastic to allow the ir beams to reach the sensors . inside the laser shell is the pcb with sensors and lights a speaker to indicate the status of the pack a trigger and an lcd to display the status of the pack to the player . the ir unit is what emits the visible laser the eye sees and the invisible ir beam which tags the opponent s packs . the laser has a display in the rear . when a player is tagged it displays the codename of the tagger and the location of the tag . it also occasionally displays the player s current ranking as the game progresses . scoring edit laser quest players gain points by tagging other players or by tagging the opposing team s base . they lose points when they are tagged by other people or when they are caught in a trap . the number of points lost depends on where the player hit and game settings . the scale for a typical game is as follows laser 3 points shoulders 3 points back 4 points front 5 points players always gain more points for making a tag than they lose for being tagged . in a standardized game a player gains ten points when tagging another and loses points corresponding to the above scale when they are tagged themselves . players may also be awarded bonus points based on their accuracy usually 10 points for every 1 % hit rate . in other words if a player achieved a hit rate of 10 % he or she would be awarded 100 bonus points . in a standard solo game this bonus is limited to a maximum of 100 points far less than the theoretical maximum of 1000 points awarded to a 100 % accuracy . this prevents players tagging one person with their first tag and then hiding for the rest of the game . as it is possible to tag multiple players with one tag it is possible for a player s accuracy ratio to exceed 100 % . in team games the team score is the sum of all similarly colored players individual scores . game variants edit the hardware and software used limit what types of games a laser quest center can hold . up to four different groups of settings can be created ; it is normal for everyone on a team to have the same settings though this is not required . when giving packs within a team different settings the packs will not be visibly different in game with the exception of sentinel packs that have the ability to give lives and ammunition to teammates . these packs are identified by an alternate light pattern on the front and back sensor . the settings which can be altered are available settings options standard game settings game type all on all 2 team 3 team all on all game time minutes 1 to 99 15 number of lives 1 to 99 or unlimited unlimited number of shots 1 to 9999 or unlimited unlimited downtime seconds 1 to 99 2 5 shoulder sensors on off on laser sensors on off on base on off off replenishers on off off replenisher values for lives and shots off sentinel effect on off off sentinel values for lives and shots off the number of shots used can be quite large ; in certain game types players routinely fire 3000 shots . this will give an accuracy rate of perhaps 5 % . this seemingly low amount is a result of constant firing and dodging as players are not directly penalized for missed shots . the average is 6 % ratio of accuracy . downtime is defined as the period of time after a player is tagged that they remain deactivated . after the downtime has expired the de activated player s pack will re energise and they are able to play as before . cheating edit although all players are required to recite a code of conduct before play some may still cheat . one of the main ways in which players cheat is by taking duct tape into the arena and placing it over the sensors . although duct tape does not completely stop the sensor from getting tagged it does make the play difficult . most cheating is stopped by the marshal instantly and will have the player ejected from the game for that type of behaviour . laser pointers do not work as the hit is determined by the ir beam and not the laser beam . another way is what players call spocking when a player makes a v shape with their hand and blocks the sensor on the end of the laser . another way is covering the front sensor with their laser and hiding in a corner . also while not actually cheating in the traditional sense players sometimes run or kneel and may occasionally bowl over another player while trying to escape . north america challenge edit this section relies too much on references to primary sources . please improve this section by adding secondary or tertiary sources . june 2008 learn how and when to remove this template message laser quest holds a corporate tournament called the north america challenge or nac . to qualify for nac members from a particular centre hold a series of try outs . the top nine players plus one potential alternate then go to one of three regional tournaments held in june of each year . the top teams from each of these regional tournaments will then proceed to the continental tournament typically held in september . the top teams from each regional tournaments compete in the national event to determine the best team in laser quest . beginning in 1999 and continuing until 2007 the top five teams from each of the four north american regions advanced . following a series of centre closures and new centres opening regional lines were redrawn and three regions formed . 2 changed again in 2010 each centre did not have a tryout and teams were able to form their own homegrown teams with 8 starters and 1 extra for an alternate . nac champions and runners up edit year winner first runner up third place consolation winner 4th finals location 2012 details tsa toronto on nrh north richland hills tx mesa mesa az denver denver co las vegas nv 2011 details nrh north richland hills tx tsa toronto on mesa mesa az federal way seattle wa las vegas nv 2010 details tsa toronto on nrh north richland hills tx mesa mesa az federal way seattle wa hoffman estates il 2009 details nrh north richland hills tx tsa toronto on federal way seattle wa team off hoffman estates il las vegas nv 2008 details nrh north richland hills tx shadowz lincoln ne tsa scarborough on team off hoffman estates il hoffman estates il 2007 details 9 deadly venoms houston tx brampton brew crew brampton on team off hoffman estates il nrh north richland hills tx gwinnett ga 2006 details shadowz lincoln ne westland wolfpack westland mi 42 appleton wi brampton brew crew brampton on las vegas nv 2005 details nrh north richland hills tx 9 deadly venoms houston tx westland wolfpack westland mi brampton brew crew brampton on mesquite tx 2004 details brampton brew crew brampton on nrh north richland hills tx 9 deadly venoms houston tx phoenix pyros phoenix az rochester ny 2003 details paragon denver co westland wolfpack westland mi shadowz lincoln ne brampton brew crew brampton on north richland hills tx 2002 details paragon denver co phoenix pyros phoenix az 9 deadly venoms houston tx shadowz lincoln ne norridge il 2001 details paragon denver co westland wolfpack westland mi san antonio san antonio tx austin austin tx colorado springs co 2000 details phoenix pyros phoenix az paragon denver co tulsa whoopdonkeys tulsa ok westland wolfpack westland mi scarborough on 1999 details phoenix pyros phoenix az paragon denver co austin austin tx nrh north richland hills tx north richland hills tx 1998 details 9 deadly venoms houston tx phoenix pyros phoenix az armageddon lincoln ne mesa mesa az knoxville tn 1997 details team mad madison heights mi paragon denver co oshawa oshawa on phoenix pyros phoenix az downers grove il 1996 details oshawa oshawa on london london on brampton brew crew brampton on charlotte charlotte nc london on 1995 details oshawa oshawa on brampton generals brampton on brampton wildfire brampton on london on elc european laserquest championship edit this 9 man constructed team tournament consists of players from uk france and holland starting 2010 usa and canada will join as well .