A ghost of its former self....

[punkncat]

How many of you other long time players look at paintball and see ghosts?
The way it used to be, the people and (many) products you used to play with long gone from the sport. Even the people you have played with along the way have all switched several times. The fifth and sixth generation of "regulars" at the local field.....
Even the kids of the people I started with are grown up and away from the sport.

I am still around.

[warbeak2099]

Yea I'm one of the only hardcore ballers left in my group of friends. There are always others that you can meet though. My RA last year for example is pretty into paintball. I'm going to be with his team when I get back to school probably.

[TnDeathInc]

i am the ghost, unfortunately

noone around from when i started playing back in 1991. but i sitll rock mags, which are ghosts in themselves most days.

[Warwitch]

I had four buddies that started with me in '88. They lasted about 3 years

[thegrayghost]

i played in 88/89 for the first time with my son/nephew...played with the 10 shot/25 shot cylinder then...came back 10 years later with a pump gun and went out the first time, boy did i have a surprise, semi-automatics now...been playing almost seven years now and the turn-over of people is astounding...the markers have gotten super-fast, the people just seem to play a year or two, then find something else...even my 3 sons do not play as they did when i first started...the game evolves, the people evolve, and there seems to be a never ending new faces to meet...

like others i seem to remain at this great sport, and watch, teach the youngsters who keep coming up, along with safety...i may be a grandfather to a great many on this Forum, but enjoy this sport to the hilt (will be 64 this fall)...see you at the Michigan Monster Game...


thegrayghost

[Jaan]

Yeah, I miss it too. It's like that with anything new that comes out...the original period of growth and development is often the most fun period.

Nothing turns me on anymore in the sport. I've gone back to stock class play for the past 3 years...all the new guns are boring. All the electros seem the same. At least in the old days there was always a couple of guns that made you go "wow" and were what you saved up your money for. I miss the days of 'Mags and 'Cockers.

I still remember that faithful day my best friend woke me up in the morning and told me him and a bunch of guys from his work were going to buy their own paintball guns and play on a regular basis, and asked if I wanted to join them. "Yeah sure" I said "I played before and had a great time, I'll do it"...and that's all she wrote.

[kevdupuis]

Yeah, I've only been playing since 98 and have had a lot of the game sour on me. Still I play with a couple great groups of people "CanCon & the SCP crew" along with three annual trips to EMR for both Castles and Pump Pandemonium.

[GT]

Interesting thread,
I am in the transition phase as we speak. Currently I have the patina of time on the memories I held from playing. The problem is as soon as I head out to the field and have the luster of the past sandblasted off with unsportsmanlike like conduct; I'll recede to the shadows and not play for a few years.

I imagine what is going to happen to me is something that has happened to a number of SCP guys, keep one semi and play 3-6 times a year via pump. I've been looking at pumps for 6-8 months now and I need to just buy something, but I don't want to be a gun whore. Maybe ill jujst buy a nice phantom or carter from the start.

[Jaan]

GT,

Although I've been playing pump mostly for the past 3 years, I won a Phantom pistol a couple of months ago at a Paintball Marshals game and I love it. I've only been playing with that gun since.

I'd definitely recommend a Phantom for stock class play...it doesn't look like much but it's a really nice gun. Or for open class play you can do what a lot of us did too...convert your Autococker into a Sniper with a simple pump kit.

The ghosts are still out there...

[breg]

I'm one of the aforementioned ghosts. I used to really enjoy playing while I was int he military, but now that I am out; between work and school I barely have time for my girl friend let alone any hobby that takes up a whole day.
I miss it though. It was always fun.
Mike

[bryceeden]

Out of the people that got me into paintball, only one of them still plays, and he is occassional at best and just got back into the game afew months ago after a several year break. Old products are gone to the point you never see them(execpt the Tippmann 98). Yes, things are way different then they were several years ago. I still have afew of the people who I met early on and played with alot on my team(the team has been around for 6 or 7 years now and has two of the origonal members and a few of the early members, not bad considering), but most of the old group is gone. I really enjoy the game still and I love the new equipment(as long as used responsibly) but I do miss the old people.

[GT]

I'd definitely recommend a Phantom for stock class play...it doesn't look like much but it's a really nice gun....

Im on the fence right now. Ive got a few pms running around 3 different forums for a Carter. Word on the street is they are very nice pumps but can sometimes act up. Right now I am looking at a new phantom, resale on these things is insane, VSC or purchasing a KP and have it modified for SC.

The last 6 months I have sold a ton of mag stuff. I will still keep at least one mag. I planned for my only mag to be a sick custom annoed chord or Karta but neither are milled anymore. O'well

[50 cal]

Been playing since '86. Still see players and guns long since forgotten.
Original Grey Ghosts. KP2 rifles, PMI 1's, PGP's. A friend of mine still has a Bushmaster pump w/lever 12g changer. I've been trying to talk it out of him for some time.

Aother guy has an ooooold Automag. Classic. Proably never been upgraded.