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I actually think overall an increase in the use of more precise, longer-range rounds is bad for the sport. The last thing paintball needs is more hiding and sniping. One of the defining features of paintball is the relatively short engagement range due to the ballistics of the projectile.
One of the most discouraging things that can possibly happen to a new player is to get shot out and have no idea where the shot came from. If you get a significant increase in longball kills, this will happen more and more frequently, and players cannot even find out afterward where the attacker was.
The reason this is discouraging is make it difficult, if not impossible, for the player to figure out how to improve based on the result. Having no idea what is happening in a game then getting shot out without engaging the opponent, as far as I have seen, is terribly demoralizing for new players and can lead to apathy about the game.
I also think that a projectile that slows significantly at range leads to more possibility of dodging incoming rounds or getting bounces at range ... which are actually good experiences for new players. It keeps them feeling engaged and can lead to a longer-term relationship with the game that simply getting sniped out won't.
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