The Flying Dutchman May 10th 2008 Scenario Trip.
Shawn and the family headed up early Friday afternoon, to setup the camper (they’re planning on sending the whole week-end camping out).
Sam and I met up after work, packed (and it was PACKED) everything into his car, and hit the road around 5:30. We made a quick stop at the bank for the much needed road cash.
Once we were nearing the Newport exit, it was time to check the driving directions……mmmmmm, can’t find them. Must have fallen out at the bank, oh no! We knew we had to travel rt7 to get there, but that was about all we knew. Multiple calls trying to reach Shawn, finally paid off with some directions.
A quick stop for sandwich fixings/water/and junk food, we were getting closer to the perfect paintball week-end. One last pit stop for MciD’s burgers, and we're on the home stretch.
It was just starting to get dark, when we pulled into Dutchman’s parking lot. After some quick howdys to the owner, we got down to putting the new (never put up before) tent. MMMM the picture looks different, instructions were in English but it really didn’t make a difference. After we threw the directions away, and everyone stopped listening to me, we had a home away from home. A 10’x17’ three room deluxe in Beverly Hills J.
We brought up three cots, so Sam, Boyd, and I where living the good life.
We stayed up and shot the bull for awhile, called it an early day around 9:30.
People starting stirring around 6:00 the next morning, Shawn and Jen made coffee for those of us that needed it. Shawn heated up the sticky buns on the gas grill, mmmm, and fried up some M-McMuffins.
We broke down camp early just in case it rained later (it never did, it was the perfect day), as we had setup the tent under the only covered area, other than the pro shop. As people started to show up we got signed in and pick up some 70.00 per case paint. Our first impression of this paint was that it wouldn’t be good enough for drills let alone a scenario game. It was dimpled lop sided, and didn’t seem to be even full of paint (later we found it did shoot quite well, but the longer shots did not always break).
After chronoing in (more on this later), they divided everyone into teams, we ended up on the Cannibals team – Uga- Buga. Pitting us against both pirate teams, as the keeps of everything treasure.
The field is a 60 acre plot; one third is open space with an urban village, and a castle in another area. These areas were the pirate’s home bases (Islands). The other two thirds are wooded, with a nice mix and thick and open space. The outer back part of this was designated as land the rest was water. The pirates were given clues to where they could find the treasure and maps to it, every so often. They would need to take their boats (a white stick with a rope) from their island and head for dry land looking for the treasure, both pirate teams are looking for the same treasure at the same time, while the cannibals on land are just waiting for a fresh meal.
OK – let’s get down to some paint throwing.
Did I say paint throwing? – The four of us decided to go to the left side of our shore line and create a defense along it as the rest of the team headed to the middle and right side. (I think they knew something we didn’t, as most boat landings happened along those shores). I did get to be involved with one boat landing in the middle area, and we drove them back hard.
After three attack and defend rounds it was time for a lunch break.
As always, people come and people go. So we were asked to join the red pirate team.
And the irony of this was the first place we were to go was the very place we as cannibals had been defending all morning without a single shot fired.
The captain of the pirates had asked if we were an aggressive team, and everyone was “oh ya whatever you need we can do it” answer (At this time I’m thinking oh boy, if we F this up). So ten of us headed out on our boat in search for riches and fame. As soon as we started to get near shore we ran into the other pirate team (Which somehow could walk on water, we called for a ref to rectify this issue (more later). Of course doing all of this the cannibals were massing on the shore line. Taking fire from shore it was time for a new plan!! The plan – RUN AWAY!
We opted to back off, head for land at the far end (away from the treasure we need to get) in hopes to have less resistance to get back on dry land. After getting on land it didn’t take long for those starving cannibals to find us. The team started a push along the tape line. We (team51) decided to hold back and not move in hopes the cannibals would think the whole team had moved out, and we would be able to come up from behind them. It worked, but two cannibals stayed behind in the woods just walking around shooting trees. So much for the sneak attack.
New plan yet again – We took the boat, fell back out of site, and put the boat back into the water very quietly, ssssssshhhhh, BANG someone pulled their trigger – not so sneaky J. Under way, we made it all the way back without any resistance; we had a couple of other pirates from their base look at us once but didn’t react, sweet. We could hear the battle going on in front of us of the other pirate team and cannibals. We decided to let the other pirate team do all the work and then ambush them for the treasure. But were where they coming out? Which of the three trails would they use, if they even used a trail to retreat on? We decided to camp on the middle trail and we weren’t even ready when a scout came down the trail past us, nobody even was breathing, and he ran back to his team. We could hear him report back that it was clear, and someone asking are you sure I thought I heard something. Then they moved right into our kill zone. We grabbed the treasure and beat feet. With four of us on the boat we really couldn’t make great time so three of us opted to let go the rope (and die), Boyd left his marker with us and took the boat, treasure and bee lined it back to the castle island. We found out later Boyd had made a charge across the open space between the woods and the castle, and dove over the wall in some sort of super hero stunt. Where is the camera when you need it?
After that it was time for castle against the urban village. They divided the cannibals up onto the two pirate teams. Shawn and Sam stayed with the Castle, Boyd and I went for the woods. We went deep, and engaged a few of the blue pirates (bye – bye), we then let a few more go by then moved up from behind them. I was spotted by one, and he was ratting me out to the rest, I fell back a little for some moving room. I knew time was limited, so I made a charge towards the guys on the tree line with their backs to me and was able to take out three before the guys that were after me already, shot me out. To the dead box (which over looked the castle), from here I could see the castle was in trouble. I watched as someone from the blue team made it to the castle wall and stuck his marker over the wall and blinded fired the crap out of Shawn (Somehow, and don’t ask me how, Shawn was able to take this guy out as well). We watched as slowly everyone in the tower was taken out…….. But wait a minute….. Where is Boyd???
The refs were just getting ready to call the game..... when from the tree line Boyd charges across the open field, shooting the one guy in front of him outside the castle wall, dives over the wall, takes out more guys and has the ref call the game so he didn’t need to point blank the last kid.
What a way to end a great day of paintball!
I didn’t want to tarnish the great day of play we had with saying what could have been better, so I saved that for this constructive criticism (Please take this as such, in the big picture it is a great field)
The refs could have been better informed of the rules of this scenario, and had maps with a better understand of the bundies.
The chrono was setup on the balcony in front of the pro shop. This setup caused several issues from my point of view. First - as markers were being adjusted, people would forget where the barrels were pointed, and that was almost always at people in the setup area. Secondly - to go to the pro shop you had to squeeze by everyone at the chrono station.
The only other issue was that the refs seemed to not make any calls against players unless you called them on it. Masks up, barrels plugs, people running around in the water without a boat (no boat you drown), the ref would even be with these people at times and not make the call. This may be related to my first issue with the refs not being as informed as well as they could have been?? I hope so.
But really, I would love to go back and play again. We met a lot of great players, and had a blast.
On another note – I met the owner and creator of the Maine Paintball Club web site (www.mainepaintballclub.com). Due to several things he’s thinking of closing down the site. The biggest issue is related to the activity on the site, which is a same – it’s a great site. So maybe if we used it more he may change his mind????
Norman Richardson – Reporting
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