I personally feel anything over 6-8 bps is too much for mixed recreational play. Sure, if the tourney guys want to mix it up, let 'em.
Cheap electros and insane rates of fire have often led to boring games in my area. The field I play at most has reduced it's field sizes and coupled with the higher rates of fire, movement has become noticeably reduced. Many games for me have lost the thrill of the hunt they used to carry. Now everyone sees everyone and younger guys probably don't even know what flanking means.
Call me an old timer, but I really missed the days before Ions and the like. You will never catch me carrying around an electro - just not my bag. Nothing could have clinched this more than what I witnessed on my last trip to the local field. It rained hard mid-way through the day and we were contemplating playing some speedball in the rain. I chuckled as I watched some of the electro guys wrapping up their guns in plastic bags!
Kind of sad, really...
JKR