Let me be the first to tell you that I am really not interested in competing mech only games where we limit technology through such limitations.

In my opinion the "issue" that I would like to see resolved in paintball is the amount of air on the field. Don't get me wrong I have no problem with the "all in" speedball games and ramping markers that are allowing players to shoot a case of paint in a game - this just makes the paint cheaper for me. However when I want to play a "different" game the game I want is not really about what marker someone is using but how much paint is in the air.

I have this discussion about pumps all the time. Some producers provide games that are labeled as "pump only". However the limitations are worded as such that players are using force-fed markers, large capacity loaders, and wearing packs with multiple 200 round tubes. They are shooting 5BPS and are effectively playing the exact same game as a "standard" game. Yes I know there is a reduction in paint in the air (pumps are not as fast as electros) but the reduction is to such a level that it is meaningless to me at least. I have no desire to play this game specifically. I might as well play standard games.

Now I like stock class but even with this I have gone as far as using constant air and HPA because of convenience and not wanting to litter 12 grams. The point is that the rules for stock class or vertical stock class often are written to such a level that they exclude many players for lack of equipment. Even some of the most popular "vertical stock class" markers are excluded because they have an auto trigger feature (the Phantom)

What would mech only games do? They would be somewhere between "open pump" and "open". I doubt anyone would notice the difference in game play or format. We would play the exact same game with different equipment. Same tactics, same strategies, just different markers.

What are my thoughts on this matter? Limit paint by... *gasp* limiting paint. Rather than saying you can't use your electro, your mech-semi, your open class pump, your AT phantom or any other piece of equipment limit how much paint can be brought on the field. Say 400 rounds per player or some such. Want to make it really interesting and develop team "positions"? Limit it by team rather than player. Want to enforce standard "places" on the field allow X amount of tubes in certain positions. Rather than wearing pod packs allow each spot on the field to have pods in it to start. That is to say the back stand ups might have 5 tubes in each one (color coded so they cannot be moved) while the fifty might have a single pod. I think if we want to change the game (without wholesale changes to the field) we could do so simply by limiting paint in various formats.