Paintball : violent image or violent sport

[andreb]

If a kid wanted to get into paintball in the early 90's he would probably be confronted by his parents due to the fact that the appearance of paintball players and the game format wasn't "adequate". A couple of years later people (who ever they are) decided to change the game to make it more viewer friendly and socialy acceptable. Have they suceeded?

So, here is this kid in 1992 who has just started playing paintball. He bought all the necessary gear like gun, cammo, tubes, mask, etc... He puts a team together and they decide to participate in a local tournament. At the end of the tournament...

The kid is thinking: Wow, this was a cool event. I had fun, people were nice, my new (inexpensive) gun did what it was supposed to do, and even though we got our butts kicked and lost every game I managed to kill 2 people during the tournament.

The parent is thinking: Jesus!!! My son went nuts!!! He's dressed like a soldier, crawling in the woods like some guerilla fighter, he has red paint on his clothes and it looks like blood, he's talking about how many people he KILLED with his GUN. I need to get him out of this war GAME.

Now, if a kid wants to get into paintball now days, after the changes have been made things are way different.

2003, a kid goes out to get his paintball gear, the guy behind the counter tells him that he has to get a US$1.000 gun because he needs the ROF of 30bps to go against other players besides some cool sponsored team shoots the same gun. The kid comes home with his new gear and decides to play his first tournament at a local field. At the end of the tournament...

The kid is thinking: Dam, that sucked. My super gun did nothing special and I just learned that no human can pull a trigger 30 times in a second. I got bunkered in all games we played and overshot in 7 of those 8 times. Not only that, people shot me from such short distance that I have 56 welts through out my body and it hurts like crazy. Yes, I did manage to eliminate 2 players with my new marker during the tournament but both of them not only wiped but bunkered me moments after.

The parent is thinking: God I'm happy for my son!!! He finally got into SPORTS. He looks so cute in his new pink jersey holding that nice purple MARKER. He seems to be getting good at it, he even ELIMINATED two player with his new MARKER.

So, how did the changes affect the game? Has paintball actually become a more "violent" sport while trying to look less? Is everything nowdays about looks and the perception of other people? Am I talking crazy and nothing that I wrote makes sense at all?

Andre

[Jeffy-CanCon]

What you say makes sense. The bright colours of air-ball are much less threatening to outsiders than the old camo. Plus, the fact that games now have (some) spectators makes it more 'normal' in most people's eyes. Remember though that the vast majority of paintball is still played in the woods, by people wearing camouflage. The tournies are just our public face.

I played low-level tournies throughout the nineties, going through stock-guns & pumps to semis & electros. The welts have multiplied. The bunkering is the same. The cheating is maybe a little more as the prizes get better. But it must look better to the public, as the game keeps growing, and the new players get younger every year.

[shartley]

Some of the misconceptions/conceptions of the sport from years ago have changed. At least this is what I have seen in my area.

And it has nothing to do with the color of uniforms and equipment now days for the most part (in MY area). I say this because when I see paintball players at their local fields, I see a wide range of attire/equipment. And believe it or not, camo is not a shunned thing, but sought after for the Rec player up here.

But I tend to agree that overall the sport has become more violent while at the same time losing its “paramilitary”, “wannabe Rambo”, “hick”, etc. public image.

This does not mean it is a “bad” thing though just because it has become more violent. Basketball also has become more “violent” over the years. Football is a “violent” sport as well. And there are many other examples that can be used as well. (Anyone watch that basketball type game where they use trampolines built into the court? LOL I watch that now and again… what a trip.)

Overall I am pleased that the general public perception of the sport has changed, and it is almost as common in some places to discuss paintball with parents as it is to talk about skateboarding and biking. The sport has now firmly anchored its place as an American Pastime and sporting activity. And in my opinion this is good.

[epterry]

I think that if the cheating were to be removed from the game it would be much better. The public view has gotten better but now the set back for the non-paintballer is "it hurts". Now if people weren’t so rough on newbs I think it would have an even better public view. :cool:

[SuiciDal Sn Y p ER]

if players weren't rough on newbs the newbs wouldnt gain much skill. they need to know what the other player can do and learn from their mistakes...

for example: my friend got shot in the nuts by a frozen paintball. the next time i went i taped a dog to my nuts and the dog got hit 4 or 5 times. if you don't believe me check out the pictures for yourself!

http://www.automags.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=878686#post878686

[sbpyro]

In a way paintball has started to develop a bad crowd, I've played rec since the early 90's and it seemed more of a friendly game. When I played rec last month it was more cut throat. Wiping, cheating, blind firing, shooting the dead, empting hoppers on pple during bunkering manuvers and the whining.

I believe the sport has a less violent image but the ppl approaching in the sport have a different attitude. I'm not saying that all the players are like that but when the games get so heated that the refs decide that fast action (everyone in a space equivelant to a speedball field ) would be a bad idea, then there is something wrong.

I'm a firm believer that all those who play (rec) should understand that it is just for fun and cheating will gain you nothing. 1 hit the person is out and if they are still shooting at you get the ref let the refs deal with the problems. And yes you will get multiple hits on you just a part of the game, but if you are bunkering someone please remember there are other ppl that your paint could be used on.

I still have problems justify buying new equipment (hmmmm new gun or food mind you food does not always win) but to see newbies with guns that cost more than all my equipment together makes me wonder are they learning the basics on paintball or just accuracy by volume.

The entire time I've played paintball the only time I have ever used more than a case of paint in a day was for a scenario game.

[Jeffy-CanCon]

There is cheating in every single sport. Nobody makes as big a deal about it as paintballers do. They just accept it. It doesn't really hurt our image, I think.

I agree that new players learn faster if you don't baby them. That doesn't mean it's OK to light them up. Lighting up anyone with unneccesary paint is the work of an a**hole. I think newbies learn more, though, from taking them aside and explaining what you should and should not do.

[shartley]

Originally posted by Jeffy-CanCon
There is cheating in every single sport. Nobody makes as big a deal about it as paintballers do. They just accept it.
I disagree with that statement. I think cheating in ANY sport is a big deal and folks DO make a big deal out of it… on every level from scholastic sports up to the pros. And I don’t think anyone accepts it at all.

The difference is that other sports tend to follow the exact same rules (across the board with minor distinctions between levels in the sport) and have well defined penalties and procedures for the enforcement of the rules. Paintball, although gaining popularity, is still pretty new in the grand scheme of sporting.

But I don’t see other sports just accepting cheating at all.

[phatpat47]

I think you oulder guys should just accept that the game has moved on a little, and it has become less of a hobby and such, and more of a competitive sport.
Young people can still go to a tournament and play in rookie and have a good time.

[shartley]

Originally posted by phatpat47
I think you oulder guys should just accept that the game has moved on a little, and it has become less of a hobby and such, and more of a competitive sport.
Young people can still go to a tournament and play in rookie and have a good time.
LOL Actually I don’t see anyone not accepting anything.

I actually had a similar conversation with a field owner not long ago, and we were discussing the changes in the sport. We lamented about the “good ole’ days” (although I was not really much of an active player back then.. but did play), but just chalked everything up to things changing and progressing. We didn’t say it was better or worse, just different.

And tournament play is still the smallest part of the sport… contrary to what some would like to think. RECBALL is still the backbone of the industry and sport… it just does not get the spotlights in most of the magazines or the pretty pictures. ;) Folks need to not confuse what they read in a paintball magazine or even on online forums, as what Paintball is all about, or even represents the majority of paintball players. It is only a slice of the sport/industry.

Nope, there is nothing to accept. Things are as they are. We grow, adapt, and play on. :D

[andreb]

Originally posted by phatpat47
I think you oulder guys...

Dam! Now I'm depressed :(

I'm not old!!! ;)

[epterry]

I didn’t say don’t shoot the newbs but that if you have a choice you might as well flank there bunker at a distance 10+ feet instead of bunkering them. :cool:
By the way cheating is punished in all sports arena football- 5 yard penalty soccer-yellow card/red card baseball-shall I say cork. Btw I’m not old I’m 15

[phatpat47]

Shartley, I was refering to the topic of course, and it did portray the changes as a negative thing. So accepting them would mean that you dont think of the changes as negative. thats all I was saying. maybe accept wasnt the right word but still.

[andreb]

Maybe I didn't word my thread correctly. I don't think chages are bad although it might have sounded that way in the original post. Anyway, the esence of the post is the "violence" or "agressive" style of play brough by the changes and not the changes themselves.

Regards,

Andre

[hitech]

Originally posted by andreb
Am I talking crazy and nothing that I wrote makes sense at all?


Nope, your not crazy. However, as others have stated, tournaments are a very small part of paintball. Tournament paintball has changed a lot. Recball, not so much so. Over shooting is one of the BIG problems in recball. It use to be that getting shot 10 times was wrong. Now it's just paintball. :rolleyes:

[shartley]

Originally posted by phatpat47
Shartley, I was refering to the topic of course, and it did portray the changes as a negative thing. So accepting them would mean that you dont think of the changes as negative. thats all I was saying. maybe accept wasnt the right word but still.
Fair enough. :)

[andreb]

Just shows the exact two different points of view that I talked about in the origibal post.


AngelDye576

Scenario Paintball...just plain sucks?
If there is one bad image to paintball I think(including Clockstoppers), it has to be Scenario paintball. People trying to make "Sniper" markers or M16/M4 looking guns is ridiculous. I dunno, but just looking at people dressed in a ghuile suit with markers made to look like real fire arms is stupid. Go play airsoft and dress up like a Tac-Ops-person-thingy. Your two cents?

usaref

right, cuz seeing the pro's come up on a bunker and from a foot away shooting 5 rounds onto someones back (or head or neck) and then having the other guy start screaming at the referee because "he was hit first"........



Just though it was funny I ran into this today...

[rx2]

I have been playing since 93, and I really haven't noticed a change to more agressive playing. Of course, most of the people I played with were on competitive teams (yes, there were teams before speedball, and such). However, we were all pretty much of the same mentality when it came to the game.

When I began, there were times one would get overshot. There were also times when games were played in which hits didn't count, so one could get hit fifty times in one game (usually this was to get rid of paint at the end of the day). Now, MOST people at the fields were pretty friendly, and willing to help, even those on teams. But, there were still arrogant fools that would trash talk, attempt to intimidate, and would overshoot with their brand new Cockers or Mags.

Now, when I do make the rare trip to the field, I don't find that things are much different. There is still the competitive crowd, and the rec crowd. There are still trash-talkers, and friendly sorts. Overshooting is more common, but not much worse than when I started.

So, in my area, the sport isn't much more agressive, or any more violent. Actually, the overall atmosphere is a little bit more relaxed now. But there are exceptions.

I think the main problems I do see come from arrogant, under-appreciative members of resident teams, and naieve whiners/hotheads who saw paintball on a show, and come to the field with no idea what the game is really like.

On one hand, certain team players have an air about them that they are superior, and so is their gear. You are infringing on their time and space by playing on their practice field. They think anyone not sponsored is a joke, and they seek to make their day as miserable as possible, so that they can watch it on tape later in the back of their Escalade and laugh at the newbs. Usually they are the team members who have never had to settle for beginners gear who get the biggest kick; they are the type who went out and bought, or had purchsed for them, the most expensive gear, and almost immediately began playing with a team of some sort.

On the flipside, you have the kids and such who have only heard about paintball, and they want to be cool, so they go walk on to a field without knowing it can hurt to be hit, and that sometimes people do overshoot. So, they are caught off gaurd and start whining and/or ranting.
Back in when I started, in my area, most people have never heard of paintball. The only people who got into it were those who really wanted to, and while a few were naive, it wasn't to the extend that one sees today.

So, while there are a few types of negative people that are more prevalent today, in my experience, the overall level of agression and intensity hasn't changed much. Perhaps the negatives just stand out more, as there is a greater contrast amongst players.

[sbpyro]

Old yup

the climate of paintball is different.

I tend to play rec ball since I enjoy it.

I am going to clarify on what I don't agree with is that you have ppl who play competive paintball on a team and playing a rec game and treating it like a tourney.

I remember when you were likely to get extra shots on you because the paint bounced so much that it could hit rocks and trees and not break. So I agree that a couple (3 or 4) shots during bunkering is not over excessive but if you are standing in one spot and nailing some one for more than 3 seconds then that can be excessive even at 3 bps nevermind what some of these "players" can do.

[Farlow]

Once I again I will have to say it. Do not pick on the guy who dresses in the ghillie suit and wants to snipe people. I refuse to run and I refuse to capture a flag. Some of us enjoy sitting for 15 min plus and fire that one shot that hits the person in the back. Hence the reason why I play in my backyard. Just an opinion from the other side of the coin.

[coolcatpete]

I still have fun at the tournies even if I get rocked it is awsome and all my friends think the same.