Paintball

[10-shot kid]

After watching king of kong: A fistfull of quarters I wanted to make a thread based on what I saw mirrored between the subject matter of that movie and paintball, I think I figured one out. I've noticed multiple threads on multiple diffrent forums about one thing lately under a plethora of diffrent approaches. Whenever someone gets a higher standard of recognition than the norm, regardless of how obviously "fake" it is from an objective standpoint, people (more hilariously grown up's) go friggen nuts. Offensively, in the most crazy way, nuts.

A comic I read forever ago would have perfectly summed up my introduction. I tried for like five minutes to find a dilbert cartoon where dogbert calls a bunch of celebrities and through hype makes them believe a gold stick award ceremony is worth showing up to. Unfortunatly I couldn't find it

One of the most widely used approaches to this lately concerns the recently media sucessfull blues crew, which I'm obviously biased about sorry. They get their own PBN forum, their own cover shot on facefull, and ridiculously positive coverage even when their side lost horridly from a bunch of mags. This caused an outpouring of anger/resentment/backlash/whatever from pre existing scenario teams that, in their own words, "are true scenario teams not just run and gunners!"

Easily forgetable the minute someone gets their "paintball respects(TM*)" is that scenario/big game is different because each side has to work with hundreds of people who are just "mission, run and gun, newbs, experienced, don't play night, drink, wear cammo, are utterly clueless, etc." If you havn't realized this yet, or think that because someone plays the game 180 degrees diffrent than you they don't belong, you havn't been playing scenario. You may have been playing your own self concieved game that works for you pretty well, or worked for a while, but your simply not really playing the game. Sorry.

Anyone worth there salt knows why they get the ridiculous amount of coverage and whatever. It's for the same exact bloody reason pro players get to be generals of a game format they've never played before. It's the same reason that 80% plus of the scenario/big game teams get in magazines. Money.

If I have a sponser, and that sponser has a huge peice of a magazines add slots, guess who gets in! Not you! Even better if I'm above decent and have some good friends who decide such things I get a bigger gold stick.

But that's not the point of this thread, that would be sorta like spending 400+ million dollars telling people facts about tobacco that's right on the bloody packaging. It also would make for one hell of a dull thread. But please, because I already know you will, toss out a gripe about that subject just keep it a little short.

No the point of this thread is the same hilariousness I saw in that independent film. It's a given that the "power structure" (magazines, internet, awards, etc) of scenario/big game paintball is corrupt as hell. You can see it on a micro level at your local big game/scenario when the MVT/MVP is based moreso off politics than level of skill/impact. At the same time it's obvious, and often griped about, how compeditive people are on the field.

Now the truly intresting thing to watch is not how either of these givens are true, that's rather boring in my view, but the ridiculous lengths people go in our game due to this mixture. I don't fault anyone or look down on them over it, the whole compeditive nature is purely American in nature.

The kicker is looking at how the general community reacts to such things in the context of what it's over. A gold stick. Something so utterly meaningless except in perception. Everyone wants recognition, that little proverbial pat on the back. It's why some care so very very much about getting to wear a swastika at a paintball game. It has entirely everything to do with getting recognized and utterly nothing to do with any excuse under the sun.

I wanted to end this with some sort of question to generate conversation. Like "how many people still play for the love of the game" or "when did this sort of thing over ride simply winning and being the best at what you do" but honestly I hit a bit of a block. Whatever. It's still friggen hilarious.

rock rock on!




*I think specops trade marketed this one already but I could be wrong :P

[Chemical-X]

I just play for fun.

Ive never run any missions even when attending a scenario, I just go for camaraderie with friends.

I have never been on any teams or in any tournaments. Well aside from being a member of the rabid squirrels that is. I have always felt that playing just for success takes the fun away from the game.

[Drum]

10-shot... you just keep thinkin' and typin' (sorta like runnin' and gunnin')...

That's what you're good at.

The fact that very few people ever know what you are talking about should come as no deterrent.

[Grendel]

Originally Posted by Drum

10-shot... The fact that very few people ever know what you are talking about should come as no deterrent.

Funny I read the diatribe and was having a hard time nailing down what you [10-Shot] are trying to say. You [10-Shot] are so impressed with your own rhetoric you forget that in communication being clear is what is important not the prose.

If you want to post all these "philosophical" threads concerning the sport then please review your English Comp 101 texts/notes. Essentially anymore when I see you've posted a thread I tend to ignore it [the thread] because it gives me a headache to read your diatribes. The only reason I read this one was I was completely bored while waiting for a firmware update on a chip I'm working on.

By the way my team [SC Roadkill] and I play for the shear fun of playing and hanging out with friends on both sides of the events we attend. We care not for recognition and even gave up a profile interview this year for a major magazine because we do not crave media recognition. On top of that per our team's bylaws we will accept no sponsorship from anyone. There are those of us out here who are not swayed by the political powers in the sport. We play when we want, where we want and with whom we want for the shear joy of playing.

[Drum]

Aren't you guys veering fairly close to the dreaded rule against insulting other members. Obviously, I poked some fun along the same lines, but I have met 10-shot and we know each other's senses of humor or so I hope.

Maybe you guys know him too, but those comments seem similar to others that have resulted in infraction points in the recent past.

Food for thought?

D

[Schmitti]

Fixed my problem... no more running off at the mouth.

E

[ScrapIron]

10-shot, I think you're painting the scenario community with a pretty wide brush.
I can see where Schmitti and Grendel are coming from. It would be easier to understand you if you'd just cowboy up and specifically call out the people that you want to call out. Otherwise if you expect us to believe that one or two teams and producers have ruined scenario for the rest of everyone, well, you're free to believe that but I don't think anyone else is buying.

[Rayodder]

Originally Posted by Schmitti

Fixed my problem... no more running off at the mouth.

E

so that is why you got married

[russc]

King of Kong is a terrific movie!

[brycelarson]

Suggestion - remember back in elementary school?

1. Topic Sentence
2. Supporting sentences
3. Conclusion

I'm sure you have a good point, often you do. I'm just not sure what that point is. I'm uncertain if you're for or against people playing scenario games "just for fun". And does that have anything to do with Blue's Crew?