[theshaneler]

I started playing in late 2006, first full year was 2007, and up until, about 2010, MILSIM was something entirely different than what it is today.
When i started, there where 3 types of games, scrims, OPs, and MILSIMS

Scrims: not much need to explain this one, quick pickup games with basic rules and limited objectives. one person usually takes charge on game day.

OPs: More planned out than a scrim; had set (usually multiple) objectives, teams you had to preregister for, team leaders, at least a loose back story. Game is run by an individual or group, and are set organizers, and often act as admins for the game. these games often have a "safe zone" usually a spawn area, to store gear, eat food ect. game lengths would vary, 4-12hrs

MILSIMS: Basically an extremely in depth OP. on top of what OPs had, they often had proper chain of command, radio procedures, teams are better organized into squads and given different taskings. solid back story and evolving mission objectives. these games could go on for multiple days (in MB for a while there used to be a 7 day sniper hunt game run about once a year) there was NO safe zone to eat or sleep, going back to your car was not permitted, if you needed it, it damn well better be on the field.

Right around 2009-2010 (at least in MB) the hardcore MILSIM games dried out, there where still a couple, but usually only a select group would play and games were not posted to the public. what ended up happening is, new people started running "MILSIMS" that where actually OPs, and the term "Milsim" was dumbed down. I know lots of people who considered Claybank a MILSIM, when it was actually an OP (a big OP but still an OP)
I know there are still people running true oldschool style milsims, but i find they very rarely get posted, they are just shared between guys who play them nearly exclusively.


so the tl;dnr....
the term MILSIM no longer means what it did 6-7 years ago, it has been dumbed down to basically be on par with well run OP.