It's always been an issue at every airsoft game, no matter how big or small, when players believe they have hit someone and the person doesn't call it. I've been playing and admining for some time now and I've discovered a few things about hacking in airsoft that I've kept to myself. I was bored tonight and thought I'd share them.
1. The average player can't actually tell if they've hit someone unless the hit is called.
I've seen this in both indoor and outdoor play. A player, hopped up on adrenaline and put into a stress-inducing environment can grow very easily frustrated when things aren't going their way. Couple this with fogging lenses, vision-obscuring mesh, camouflage, and lighting conditions and there is very little way to prove in any concrete manner that the average douchebag hiding behind the tree or doorway opposite to yours isn't calling his hits. Sometimes you're close enough to know for sure, but, most of the time, your eyes will play in your favor.
2. Use your ears.
The sound of BBs is easy to keep track of, even in firefights or with an angry sewing machine close to your ears. Learn to identify the sound of BBs hitting foliage, trees, dirt, gear, and guns. It isn't hard to hear, even from distance, when someone's plate gets peppered with BBs. Your ears will rarely lie to you like your eyes.
3. Real hackers hack consistently.
This is my pet peeve when admining. You recieve a dozen complaints about a dozen different people not calling their hits and you can't verify any of it. Real hackers, not just people who didn't feel or hear the hit, get multiple complaints from several people. This makes it easy for admins to track that player down, honor check them (admins should always have a sidearm and a clear rule stating that their kills are just as valid as any player's, IMO), and single them out from the game population. If I think someone specific is hacking, I hold onto that suspicion and wait to hear if other players are griping about the same person before I go raising hell and getting angry.
4. Chill out.
It's a game. People have cheated at games since we invented them and this isn't any different. No amount of yelling, whining, or self-righteousness can make someone call a hit or put a stop to cheating. I've seen here on AP that real cheaters really don't prosper because, once they're identified, admins can keep an eye on them while the community basically ostracizes them. If you're working properly with a team or random group during the day, one hacker shouldn't be able to roll you all up and win for his team. If you shoot a guy, he shoots you, and you honor it (I like to honor my hits very loudly), the next several people you're with ought to have the wherewithal to turn and light the bastard up. Very few people will roll a whole line up in the middle of getting pelted by several people at once.