At a crossroads in my game(another ramble)

[punkncat]

I am at a point where paintball doesn't feel the same to me as it used to. Its not that I don't enjoy it, I dunno its kind of hard to explain.

There comes a certain level of experiance that you really can't go play open play w/o taking a HUGE handicap. Now this is fun to a point, but it also takes away from certain aspects of the game, playing against people that are not as good as you. People are constantly gunning just for you, cause you are the "best" player. Everyone plays so loose that it makes your game sloppy. On the other side of the coin I can easily get in on team practices. The field always splits experianced players from the noobs, so even the "open" play is very competitive. However the experianced open play is really more often something akin to a team practice.

When you get to be good at paintball, you find that one person can only accomplish so much. You need a team to be really effective. The people all have to work together to make a game happen no matter how good all the collective players are. I am a very experianced player. I am an above average rec baller, even a decent backup guy for a more competitive level...Not tooting my horn. I am not AWESOME or anything, but experianced and savvy enough that with the right group of teammates I have been the part of many a winning side.

I have many friends who long ago decided to get into the tourney scene full time. I have seen most of them do it, burn out, and leave the sport. I am feeling like I am burned out on rec ball, but at the same time really have a hard time justifying the expense of being a part of a real competative team. Every time I go to the field I am expected to play with these experianced and super competitive guys. Its not that I can't handle it, but geez! Whatever happened to a friendly, fun, relaxed game of rec ball?

[Lohman446]

We have a group of about 15 to 20 guys that play regularly together. Some of them are extremely good, some of us I expect are in the same boat you are. Well some of us play regularly together on teams in tournaments, we don't really have any "set" teams - one or two maybe even three guys will always play together, but they will snag whoever from that group to play with.

We play open play, dividing the players apart to keep this group seperated, but never really "teaming" game after game, just playing wherever to make the teams even. When there are tournaments we throw together a few teams and go, whoever wants to. It gives us competition, with open play "freedom" and we can still do ok when we do play a strict competiton level. I think its a wonderful balance.

[Python14]

Holy cow, you basically summed up everything I feel right now. I too am where you are. I won't lie. I'm a damn good player. But at the same time, I'm not a shiner on a team. I love playing competitively, but at the same time can't always justify spending most of my freetime paintballing.

I honestly don't know what to do.

[tony3]

I was at this same point. I was a good player and I never could get a serious team. I loved playing but playing open and killing everyone was boring. After playing like 5 tournies in a row with all different people I found a local team having tryouts. Tryed out and been with them since august of last year. I am having a blast. Try to find a team that loves to play like you do, but doesn't take the fun out of it. I see so many teams getting all worked up at practice. Get on a team that just plays their hardest and has fun at all practices.

[SAW]

I was at this same point. I was a good player and I never could get a serious team. I loved playing but playing open and killing everyone was boring. After playing like 5 tournies in a row with all different people I found a local team having tryouts. Tryed out and been with them since august of last year. I am having a blast. Try to find a team that loves to play like you do, but doesn't take the fun out of it. I see so many teams getting all worked up at practice. Get on a team that just plays their hardest and has fun at all practices.
Story of my last year.

[Athius]

Well something nearly equal to what is happening to you is happening to me by the tournaments from over here. The last 2 tournies that i went over here they all sucked since the ref are not even reffing they are just watching the game and not doin their job.

I thought that with the nationale leage from over AKA "PRPL" things migth change but last sunday i was on a tourny it is no from the leage but most of the people that made the tournament are the owners of the leage and again the reffin sucked.

[mag88888]

paintball is a wreck where i live. me and a few friends have been playing for years. all of sudden myschool is alive with hundreds of ignorant m98 pricks, "im better than you". i hear that every day. gosh, its annoying. there isnt one indoor place to play when half the year its 0 degrees. the nearest field is ok but often older kids slip in and ruin it for the new kids. ahhhhh, i hope it gets better. good luck with the team. when i first sad to my friends, "lets get a team together." the whole was either pissed that i didnt ask them to be on my team or were begging me. good luck.

[WenULiVeUdiE]

This is happening to me as well. I am not getting any better by playing against newer players who are not as good. And the only way for me to play against better players is to go to a team practice. And being with out a team makes it hard to play on those days. But because I do not have a steady income I cannot be part of a team.

[BeaverEater]

Wow i realized the same thing last saturday when i went to play for the first time in months. I was just playing open with a couple of friends. The games were 5v5 and i was shooting atleast 3 people everygame and that got really boring. By the end of the day, everyone would just shoot at me alone and i would still get 2 people before the barage of paintballs got to me. I am currently looking for a "real" team to play on, but im playing a local tourny this weekend with some friends. I just bought a pump so that when i went to open play, i would be on the same level.

[Igotu]

you cold try a scenario game.

[Python14]

For me atleast, it's not the fact that the scene sucks, or the competition sucks, or anything like that. The competition in my area is certainly good, and the scene is great. It's just that now I'm in a position that is sorta teetering. I can stay where I am, playing every now and then, having a little fun, but overall going no where...I can just quit and leave behind something that has been part of my life for almost half of it...or I can make the step up, sacrifice a few things, and go with the big boys.

It's a tough decision to make when you don't know what you want to be doing.


Now that I think about it more, I think I can nail it down better. Alot of the guys I know who play seriously were pushed. It usually wasn't their parents, it was usually their friends. My friends were not and still aren't paintballers. They don't understand. As a result, I never got the motivation, or atleast i was never given it. But now I may have it. Just thinking about what I've wanted, and what I don't have, makes me want to work to get it now.


Maybe I'm not teetering anymore.

[punkncat]

"you cold try a scenario game."

I play in scenarios, and woodsball in cold weather. I really enjoy them both.



"For me atleast, it's not the fact that the scene sucks, or the competition sucks, or anything like that. The competition in my area is certainly good, and the scene is great. It's just that now I'm in a position that is sorta teetering."

Exactly.

[mcdkid]

someone needs to make a blue pill for the people that don't get excited about plaing anymore... anyway, try plaing scenarios or something, it keeps the game exciting everytime.

[RusskiX]

Sounds like you are ready to take it to the next level. Joining a team sounds like the right move, BUT keep your focus on having fun or else it won't be. You definitely have to decide carefully who to team up with, since that will largely determine if winning or having fun is the goal. Don't get so wrapped in practices, politics, and prizes that its not enjoyable, or you WILL burn out quick. Being on a team takes a lot of commitment; make sure you are ready for it.

You could also just try hitting some other fields before you make a commitment. I've found that being unfamiliar with a new field and players can be a real challenge.

Or you could be like me and take 5 months off every winter :sleeping: , get really rusty :tard: , and then have to get back in shape to be competitive :shooting: .

Good luck!

[REDRT]

That is why the guys and I started are team. Rec ball was always fun but the last few years it sucked for all of us. There gets to be a time where you have to move on. As a players skill level goes up so must the game being played. I know I'll never be a pro. I'm too old and it just isn't what I want, but I know kids that have a chance. I like playing against them. Sometimes they really pull some really great moves. Exciting to play agaist equals or better teams.

[Enemy]

i play for a team here and yes it has gotten easy for us when we play at the field but then we always have team practice against the local am team that helps us alot!! i find its fun to just go out shoot a little and tell the newer guys what to do and help them finish the game for you!! its great to see them all happy after you help them take the side! being the most experieced on the field doesnt have to be taxing just lay back play hard but rarely be actually playing kinda thing!

[tyrion2323]

paintball is a wreck where i live. me and a few friends have been playing for years. all of sudden myschool is alive with hundreds of ignorant m98 pricks, "im better than you". i hear that every day. gosh, its annoying. there isnt one indoor place to play when half the year its 0 degrees. the nearest field is ok but often older kids slip in and ruin it for the new kids. ahhhhh, i hope it gets better. good luck with the team. when i first sad to my friends, "lets get a team together." the whole was either pissed that i didnt ask them to be on my team or were begging me. good luck.

Mag - you're in VT, right? Where in VT are you?

[929RR-MAN]

Maybe try getting a team together for scenarios. There are five of us that are pretty hardcore into woods/scenario ball. That is our team and we work well together and when other friends want to come along for the day or if they want to get more into paintball then they can be a part of our team if they choose. There really isn't no size limitations on our team, so everyone is happy and the more that come play on our team, the more damage that can be done. Some days we only have the five of us, somedays we have ten or twelve. Its also a lot of fun showing the new guys how to work together as a team while playing paintball, usually they catch on quick and then it gets real fun. I would hate to see anyone get out of paintball (or get bored of PB) because they have exceeded the playing level of most players around them. At least if you go back to woodsball, you know that no matter how good you are, you can't stop the noobie that has a rental pro carb hiding in the brush waiting for his first ever "mark" on someone or if you want more action, follow the sound of a big firefight.
Or you can do what Beavereater did--buy a pump and really test your skills. I hope everthing turns out for you, but try spending more time in the woods, it may be more fun in the end.
(no, i'm not anti speedball or tourney type play, their just not my cup of tea,,also, look around for woodsball tourneys, 5-10 man types, i've seen them advertised up here in Minnesota before)

[68magOwner]

I feel ya, locally, there is basicially a "generation" or players/teams per say, who, I am a part of that are all gettting more serious and playing bigger and bigger tournaments, with many leaving for nationals. Now, dont get me wrong, i love tournament paintball, but, i cant even remember the last time i played when it wasnt a tournament or a practice, it would be great for one day, all of the normal tourney players to snag a rental, mix up teams and just play without caring who wins or practicing this or that aspect. Just "get back to our roots" for a day. I for one would LOVE a tournament league that was just relaxed, only allowed rentals or pumps, with low entry/paint costs, with just small prizes, just like a break for everyone.

[shartley]

As stated, you may want to try scenario play…. Or change the field you normally play at and the folks you normally play with.

I find that if you go into a game for a different purpose than to shoot everyone or shoot the most paint, you can find what paintball was originally about. Paint was the afterthought, not the purpose of the game. And I enter each game like that.

What is the “goal”? Is it simply to shoot people? For me it isn’t. Shooting people is a means to an end, not the reason for the game.

Can you imagine if football was just about tossing the ball around and running into people? But it isn’t. Those are things that are done in the game, but the GOAL is to move the ball across the goal line.

I think some people just look at the game of paintball differently than I do. Sometimes it IS about just shooting people (as in when you play elimination ball), but often times it is not,

:)

[SAW]

As stated, you may want to try scenario play…. Or change the field you normally play at and the folks you normally play with.

I find that if you go into a game for a different purpose than to shoot everyone or shoot the most paint, you can find what paintball was originally about. Paint was the afterthought, not the purpose of the game. And I enter each game like that.

What is the “goal”? Is it simply to shoot people? For me it isn’t. Shooting people is a means to an end, not the reason for the game.

Can you imagine if football was just about tossing the ball around and running into people? But it isn’t. Those are things that are done in the game, but the GOAL is to move the ball across the goal line.

I think some people just look at the game of paintball differently than I do. Sometimes it IS about just shooting people (as in when you play elimination ball), but often times it is not,

:)
My main goal in any game is simply to better myself. The actual objectives come next. ;)

[mcdkid]

punkncat, i notice your in GA too. i work at Paintball Atlanta and play with the Blackhearts, we are moving paintball atlanta and will have 4 hour scenarios every month. your welcome to come, and its just 10 bucks anyway. its really for people like you, that might wana try it, and also a tryout/practice for our team. it will be only experienced Blackheats reffing so no bad new ref. pm me if you wnan know more.

[mag88888]

tyrion-im in essex junction, i remember you saying you were too.

[alooney11]

treat paintball as an end in and of itself.

[Jeffy-CanCon]

The best and strongest aspect of paintball is that it can be played in so many different ways.
I've found that the key is to find people who want to play the same way as you do. Same style, same frequency, same intensity. If you find those guys, you are golden. :)

If you are not really into tourneys, you should look at joining or forming a scenario team (as 929RR-MAN described). Experienced guys who play for fun rather than for prizes - sound good?

punkncat, you mentioned handicapping yourself to play with the less-experienced. I presume that means you've already tried hopperball, pumpguns or stockguns? On the rare occasion that I play with rental players, I use a stockgun.

[punkncat]

punkncat, you mentioned handicapping yourself to play with the less-experienced. I presume that means you've already tried hopperball, pumpguns or stockguns? On the rare occasion that I play with rental players, I use a stockgun.

I almost always play hopperball anyway. I figure if you can't get a few other players with 200 shots, you need not be on the field. Also play variations....less dominant hand, no walking the trigger, and I always play with a Revi....

[can'tthink of1]

Try pump, I've heard that livens up playing.

[kurama]

Most of the teams I've been on were too worked up about winning every time, no matter what. While I am a good player, especially considering I haven't played much more than a year, I am out to be honest and have a good time. I really don't care if I win, and I wouldn't go so low as to wipe like teammates would. A friend and I ditched the teams we were on and went back to the basics- Pumps. After a month of 100% pump (we went 2x a week, then 4x during xmas break since it was so cheap) we had a blast. We decided to get back into the speedball scene, so we freshened up our skills by playing against a few Am/Nov players we knew and "learnt the game the hard way". We got new markers to further the "new beginning" feeling we had, even though we went to markers the same value. We agreed to get Emags, but I found an unbeatable deal on a Freak Factory impulse and while I hate SP, it shoots great. His Emag should be coming by next week, and he's been shooting his ecocker until now. We decided to "scout" for players without necessaily holding a tryout. It turned out that two of our friends were unexpectedly amazing players. One shoots an A5 and is an amazingly insane frontman, and the other shoots a pirahhna, and makes a great front/mid player, and they're quite deadly combined. My friend and I figured we wouldn't pressure them to join us, or to get an expensive marker, so we politely asked and they were unsure. We played some 5v5's against a team who was there, and picked up a walk-on guy, who was awesome too, but he's now in Iraq. Once we got used to eachother's playing methods and established everything, we were pretty much unstoppable. Similar patterns have shown, but we still suck at 3v3's, and there's almost no local 5v5 tourneys for young-guns. Now, the guy with the pirahhna has a new marker that I don't know of (he wants it to be a surprise next time we go, but I'm guessing it's a B2k4/PDS. The guy with the A5 is still deciding on what he wants, but he's the kind of person who becomes serious with something and must get the absolute best. We'll see how good we truely are since how we've been playing is hard to tell if we are good or not. While we're playing against some amazing players, playing an entire day against the same team allows for one to memorize their weaknesses. We have fun, and that's all that counts to me. We're playing in some of the local summertime tourneys, but we'll probably suck since the friend who started this team with me will be in Wisconsin most of the summer. He's making 500$ for it though... We're trying some new players out, and finding amazing players. The problem is that they're all frontmen! One backman can't handle the stress, randomness, and the cost of paint for an entire summer's worth of tourneys! So, I guess I was in a crossroad, and I've begun walking the path I've chosen. Paintball's a game, it won't kill you to loose a match or two, so long as you have fun doing so.