General

[Riddler]

I'm not likely to play NPPL, so take this with a grain of salt, but here are my concerns:

-as noted above, teams will need to buy additional units for backup markers and alternate players.
-what if you want to use an older marker that won't accept one of these chips?
-it still doesn't check/prevent trigger bounce or cheater modes that increase velocity.

[Mr. Hick]

with all this electro madness why doesn't someone just start a mechanical semi only league?

Rhetorical questions are the cat's meow. I don't play turny, nor will I. However the issue I have is that it seems every punk kid that likes "mowing down noobs" or whatever have you is using the same tech the turny guys do. It's bad enough out there that I don't like playing walk on games unless it's all mechanical (or a MCB pump game)

So I see this as a possible plus.

[Eskimo]

Wait?

SO instead of just having the board manufacturer's simply stop putting cheater modes and break out modes, or massive trigger bounce settings. and then allowing EVERY marker to be updated with the current modes supplied by simply having a laptop and a connection cable. with virtue and the others boards software on it. which would cost very little.

We have 7 chips for a 10 man team.

Genius guys.
Great thinking.

[russc]

Originally Posted by Riddler

-what if you want to use an older marker that won't accept one of these chips?

My Angel LCD and E-Cocker both have the same solenoid plugs, and both can be used with the Prophecy RF chip. I can't really think of anything weirder than those that would be used. I think AKA guns use standard connectors as well.

[Riddler]

Originally Posted by russc

My Angel LCD and E-Cocker both have the same solenoid plugs, and both can be used with the Prophecy RF chip. I can't really think of anything weirder than those that would be used. I think AKA guns use standard connectors as well.

sho 'nuff. i guess i could have mentioned mechs as well, but it was covered previously, and i suppose no self-respecting tourney baller really wants to use a mech (though i totally would)...

[LT.]

Orr better yet have a board where you cant adjust Any thing. have the board given 22 min prior to the game starting. O wll I could care less i dont play air ball but I also ddon't see this salving a thing.

[HP_Lovecraft]

Originally Posted by Mr. Hick

with all this electro madness why doesn't someone just start a mechanical semi only league?

There are a few, at least on the local level. Just as you have stock and pump tournaments. But my favorite is paint-limited tournaments.

Paint-limited tournaments have existed in various forms since the mid 80s. Its an awesome way to play since it adds a new element- You can use high BPS, but you will run out of paint, so its risky.

However, promoters do not like it. Paint sales is primary income. Also, how much can you limit to where it has an effect? 500/player? or per team? etc
Plus, it doesnt address the safety issue- Since you could still fire high BPS, you could technically still injur someone.

Likewise, promoters and sponsors do not like tech-limited tournaments since they exist to sell overpriced technology... not 20 year old guns.

One this about the NPPL system- People could still use daughter boards to cheat.... and I'm sure some teams will try this. The tournament scene has gained a very negative image in the last 5-10 years. This might be far too little, and too late.

[P0E]

These chips do not save data for later download, they merely ship it out for post processing.

There's nothing stopping me from cheating while jamming everyone's Rof-fi chip after my game turns sour.... or just for the fun of it. I wonder how they are going to handle that inevitable situation.

Even if the data was logged, what will prevent me from hacking my unit for next season? They are using an open class protocol easily sniffed by a $40 wireless buss pirate.

It's a neat business model though. Require teams to purchase a product (hidden in entry fees) to compete instead of temporarily supplying it for the event. I'll bet they release a completely incompatible UPDATED model next season.

[mrmag11]

Originally Posted by russc

I can't imagine that ROF cheating has nearly as much impact on games as wiping/playing on.

From my experience as an NPPL ref, you are correct. I reffed PSP World Cup in 2007 and 2008 and it wasn't near as easy to tell gun issues when a player is using a gun in a ramping mode. Spotting a guy using a bouncing/ramping/illegal gun in the NPPL was easier, IMO. I saw equal amounts of playing on in both leagues, and the wiping or attempts to wipe seemed the same in both leagues.

The ROF chips were in the pro guns last year, and from my recollection, penalties were enforced twice. They actually radioed down to us in real time to go pull a guy for an illegal marker. That was better than having to wait until after the game to check a marker that we noticed did something illegal. By that time, there was no way to prove it unless the idiot had it in some mode that lasted until he turned off his marker.

[weerez935]

why not go back to revis? or gravity fed. The tourney cap is like 13.3 which is in revi range and if they tried to cheat with a board they would probably chop, and or get flagged by the new board.

I think a mech league would bring the sport back in the lime light.
A hyperball mech league would be my end all end alls