Paintball

[idkfa]

Can you ever see something like laser tag as a professional and competitive sport? Because it seems like laser tag would minimize or eliminate the cheating that we see in paintball. If not, then paintball has no chance.

[Horizon]

Originally Posted by Gigueand

I know many people who left paintball in the bad (old?) days of the speed/ROF arms race and switched over to airsoft looking for a slower paced game with more of a focus on playing army in the woods.

So they left paintball because of the speed/ROF arms race for a game where players are shooting faster and at a higher ROF?

The difference of course is that airsoft BB's don't inflict as much pain. With very little pain/discomfort involved, the ROF is pretty much irrelevant. Paintballs on the other hand hurt and therefore the discomfort associated with the ROF, has and is keeping people away (and switching to airsoft).

It is for this reason that at our field we will soon be offering 50 caliber paintball for newer/timid players. It's a similar game to what we now play (68 cal) but with less "ouch". It will be kind of a gateway to "real" paintball (which at our field still isn't played at the ROF it is at most commercial fields in North America). Gotta give the people what they want. Supply and Demand.

[Nightstar]

Originally Posted by Brother Jerry

Glad to see that sportification ruined football, football, racing, hockey, swimming, horseback riding, or any other sport out there. Seems to me like people...those people being non professionals who don't get paid to play....still get together and play pick up games and things like that for fun. So I am really not certain how sportification can be said to ruin anything.

I don't really think that's a fair comparison. Those games have all been sportified prior to my birth. I can't really make a comparison since I only have a single perspective.

I know I don't participate in sport now though I did as a youngster. I do enjoy many different games. Perhaps there's a meaningful correlation. Sport ruined off-road cycling for me in the late eighties until I realized I could quit racing and just ride every Sunday. In a way it's ruined permanently by the resultant popularity leading to trail closure and component compatibility issues.

I think paintball suffers worse than other games because a casual player is more likely to run into a pack of pro wannabes every weekend or worse yet the real thing. That doesn't happen very often when you play a game of touch football, baseball, shinny etc. That can be discouraging to a lot of players. Over the years I've brought many friends out to play(at commercial fields) for their first time, only two have ever returned. They didn't like being overshot and yelled at, go figure.

[Brother Jerry]

That is understood. We encounter the poor attitudes of what we call our professionals now. Heck there are even non-tournament jerks out there that don't know when to reel it in. That is as much the field operators fault as it is the jerks acting like idiots. Even the rest of the players should call out that sort of play.

But not certain if there wouild be enough of this sort of mentality being propagated to justify not pursuing the original premise however.

[Nightstar]

That's just it though, it happens every weekend at most every commercial field. Each field has sponsored teams who pay lower prices playing in the same game with walk on renters and other casual players. It'd be like showing up for shinny and Bob Probert puts you through the glass.

[Horizon]

Originally Posted by Nightstar

That's just it though, it happens every weekend at most every commercial field. Each field has sponsored teams who pay lower prices playing in the same game with walk on renters and other casual players. It'd be like showing up for shinny and Bob Probert puts you through the glass.

Giving some people discounts on paint and then letting them play with other players not getting discounts can be a problem. Our refs for instance, when they play on their days off, get paint at a discount. So we made a rule that off duty refs are only allowed to play hopperball (no pods allowed on the field for them).

[henchman]

You want to know what I see as a reason new players only play once or twice then stop?
They get tired of tournament teams showing up at walk on rec fields, and think all the rec players are there to be used as target practice.
And when the refs try to split the team in half, they whine like little girls.

The most fun I've had in a long time playing paintball, was at the recent "Conserve and Conquer" game at SC Village. 50 rounds per game max. 70 people showed up, and it was awesome.

[Thegtwyo86]

Originally Posted by henchman

You want to know what I see as a reason new players only play once or twice then stop?
They get tired of tournament teams showing up at walk on rec fields, and think all the rec players are there to be used as target practice.
And when the refs try to split the team in half, they whine like little girls.

The most fun I've had in a long time playing paintball, was at the recent "Conserve and Conquer" game at SC Village. 50 rounds per game max. 70 people showed up, and it was awesome.

I think this is one of the biggest issues with this sport.I play at least 2 times a month and only play pump. At the field I play at.I started playing with my hammer 7 with the mag only no hopper and these supposed "pro" players will come around and see me reloading the mag itself and over ball the s*** out of. I don't usually complain about people over shooting me but when these people are suppose to be at a "pro" level they shouldn't be shooting someone 15 to 20 times. I here the rental people complaining that they might as well quit because of the people slinging paint at them and giving them no chance to enjoy playing.

[thumper]

Originally Posted by henchman

50 rounds per game max. 70 people showed up, and it was awesome.

yep. limited paint games are a great way to filter out the dbags. over-simplified maybe but it works.

[whiteout]

Originally Posted by henchman

You want to know what I see as a reason new players only play once or twice then stop?
They get tired of tournament teams showing up at walk on rec fields, and think all the rec players are there to be used as target practice.
And when the refs try to split the team in half, they whine like little girls.

The most fun I've had in a long time playing paintball, was at the recent "Conserve and Conquer" game at SC Village. 50 rounds per game max. 70 people showed up, and it was awesome.

Yep. This is why I play stock class pistol when I'm playing with renters, and am always the guy looking for uneven groups to be +1 for. That way they outgun me, and I can turn down the aggression level needed to deal with the the jackasses and play for good shots.

It's fun.

Really, I have to state again, the best thing any of us can do for this game is to get out there, be friendly and approachable, and play with the utmost sportsmanship. Getting shot out literally doesn't matter, rather than being pissed, congratulate your opponent if it was a nice shot. It keeps your stress level down, and you can spend the time between games figuring out how to do it to him next time instead.