AO'ers help revive AGD

[stevewar]

You have to remember, the turn around time for new players is about a year these days. Cheap markers that will last a year is all your new player needs. It will outlast his interest in the sport in most cases.

Could it be possible that the turn around time is 1 year becuase people are playing with crappy equipment that looks cool but doesn't work for isht and thus they don't have any fun?

I know my first gun was a Tipman 68 special. Heavy as hell, made of aircraft aluminum and durable. That thing never gave me any problems. Meanwhile the guys with the first bactch of Cockers spent more time fixing that damn thing than they did playing.

I would bet, it's not far from that now. You just can't go buy a $200 electro and think it's going to hold up.

[BigEvil]

Could it be possible that the turn around time is 1 year becuase people are playing with crappy equipment that looks cool but doesn't work for isht and thus they don't have any fun?

I know my first gun was a Tipman 68 special. Heavy as hell, made of aircraft aluminum and durable. That thing never gave me any problems. Meanwhile the guys with the first bactch of Cockers spent more time fixing that damn thing than they did playing.

I would bet, it's not far from that now. You just can't go buy a $200 electro and think it's going to hold up.

Ehhh I dont think its the equipment that is the problem. The game is prohibitively expensive in its current format for many. Also, when you think about it.. how many fields really cater to their noobies? How many just throw them in open class games where they get the holy-gebus shot out of them?

If you started out with a 68 special.. you have probably been around for a while. I would bet
your noobie experiences are much different from modern day beginners.

[stevewar]

Ehhh I dont think its the equipment that is the problem. The game is prohibitively expensive in its current format for many. Also, when you think about it.. how many fields really cater to their noobies? How many just throw them in open class games where they get the holy-gebus shot out of them?

If you started out with a 68 special.. you have probably been around for a while. I would bet
your noobie experiences are much different from modern day beginners.

well to tell the truth, I first started playing with rental carter pumps back in the day, but that's another topic.

I agree with your comment about walk-on games. I started playing at SC Villiage in California and everyone wsa pretyt mucha noob. Once the team guys started showing up and playing against walk-ons it made it difficult to have much fun. However, there came a point where the guys I played with and I were able to teach the noobs a thing or two and combined with our knowledge of the fields, we were able to mop the floor with team players. That's the nice thing about woods ball. I hate the stuff they put on TV and call paintball. Inflatable barries and fields you can shoot and see all of the way across is an extreme sport and the team with the fastest and most agile players win 99% of the time. Sure there are some tactics, but they are very simple, and don't require great coordination of a large team. Besides, it's good for noobs (who are at least 15 or 16 yrs old) to get the k-rap shot out of them. It brings them back down to earth!

That said I don't think the costs of playing the game are that out of reach. If you can adjust your budget and afford the gun, you can prioritize and and afford to play. And this says nothing of just going out into the woods and playing some paintball which is very common here in the Pacific Northwest. The only cost in that situation is paint and air. I think your point of the experience needing to be enjoyable is the topic to focus on, and there is no doubt in my mind that having equipment that works by far the number 1 most important aspect. It doesn't matter how cool the field is, and how friendly the other players are if your gun is constantly having mechanical issues or chops balls and doesn't allow you to actually take anybody out. I've been playing a long time, and seeing that ball break on an opponent is still exciting!

[Anjin3515]

I think cost does prohibit some play...well at least around me.
$15 to $18 to get in the door....and paint that costs $65 to $90 a case.
Its like playing golf...but more fun :)
Its just an expensive hobby....and a lot of people just don't have the cash to go very often. I know 3 or 4 guys who were interested in getting their own markers...but after looking at the cost of play they realized they could only do it MAYBE once a month...and didnt think that would justify getting their own equipment.

[Sumthinwicked]

what would help agd is a paypal donations button or a fee for the members of this site like 5 a month id pay . L:OL either way if agd wanted to change to making differant things for the WOODSBALL crowd: turning the longbow into a semi gun with a regular air valve and a single trigger frame would help them lower the cost and sell more guns and still making a nice profit. Basically put an air valve in and a cf frame and sell for like 600 it would help sales alot in my eyes i have only sold 3 this way though ;P. Changing a few things around would be easy to do if there was enough profit. The fact that they are still around pleases me..... I'll have my longbows (2 of them)for many many years and the only thing ill need is orings thats never a bad thing!~ Make more newer items hell yea id love to see it.. Rerelease the pumpkits would help to in my eyes sell em for 100 i know they would sell i have sold 4 pumpmags at a healthy profit . Make a mountable mag with a superwarp for the tanks of the game prebuilt mounted weapons on a tripod i know id buy it for my tank.. A warp that can feed 7 feet at a high rate of fire would be nice for those tanks with like a custom bucket hopper for a case things like this would sell but would they sell enough to bother designing them? Prob not hense why they arent made.....

[ProblemKinder]

well to tell the truth, I first started playing with rental carter pumps back in the day, but that's another topic.

I agree with your comment about walk-on games. I started playing at SC Villiage in California and everyone wsa pretyt mucha noob. Once the team guys started showing up and playing against walk-ons it made it difficult to have much fun. However, there came a point where the guys I played with and I were able to teach the noobs a thing or two and combined with our knowledge of the fields, we were able to mop the floor with team players. That's the nice thing about woods ball. I hate the stuff they put on TV and call paintball. Inflatable barries and fields you can shoot and see all of the way across is an extreme sport and the team with the fastest and most agile players win 99% of the time. Sure there are some tactics, but they are very simple, and don't require great coordination of a large team. Besides, it's good for noobs (who are at least 15 or 16 yrs old) to get the k-rap shot out of them. It brings them back down to earth!

still exciting!

[stevewar]

What I was trying to convey is that for the noob, playing on a "speedball" field is inappropriate. Also, winning on the type of field depends more on manual dexterity than playing in the woods which requires sounds tactics and a coordinated effort.

[questionful]

summary

I think it all boils down to "AGD and/or AO'ers need(s) to put on its/their dang marketing hat(s)!"

[sdlm_]

You want marketing? All that needs to happen is production pneumags from the factory, not a kit, not a do-it-yourself project, prebuilt and ready to run pneumags, they are fast, light durable, and reliable.

It is a hard sell to get people to buy a mag at least in my neck of the woods, I bring my mag out there, beat a few people on the hyperball field and they ask me what type of board I have. When I explain to them what an Automag is, they are still excited, and then when I let them goto shoot it, they think it is broken or something. They ask questions like "What did you do to make it shoot so fast?" I answer "pull the trigger" but, I suppose people are not sold on potential they are sold on instant gratification, I have after all had years to get used to an Automag.... (I still have my .68 Special and it is always a fun marker to bring out to the field!)

What we also need, is to reverse the demographics and start to get more older people playing....

[maniacmechanic]

I started shootin Mags just over a year ago & started with the 68's & now have 2 E-Mags , I've converted at least 5 others into Mag ownership , all are woodsballers
just about all it takes is give 'em a loaner & some good paint & let'em shoot ball on top of ball at 70 to 80 feet

[stevewar]

I started shootin Mags just over a year ago & started with the 68's & now have 2 E-Mags , I've converted at least 5 others into Mag ownership , all are woodsballers
just about all it takes is give 'em a loaner & some good paint & let'em shoot ball on top of ball at 70 to 80 feet

Can I get an Amen?

I think I might just order a couple of Tac-1's for this exact purpose.

[warbeak2099]

What I was trying to convey is that for the noob, playing on a "speedball" field is inappropriate. Also, winning on the type of field depends more on manual dexterity than playing in the woods which requires sounds tactics and a coordinated effort.

Please tell me you're joking. Seriously that's pretty ignorant. Tourny ball requires just as much tactics and coordination as woodsball. If not more...

[rkjunior303]

I started shootin Mags just over a year ago & started with the 68's & now have 2 E-Mags , I've converted at least 5 others into Mag ownership , all are woodsballers
just about all it takes is give 'em a loaner & some good paint & let'em shoot ball on top of ball at 70 to 80 feet

what's so magical about a mag that allows it to shoot ball on ball, unlike any other marker out there with proper paint/barrel match and some decent paint?

[AGD-OfficeGal]

Its my understanding that they have came to a hault or making things at a VERY slow rate. I am not sure if you have looked at the prices in airgun.com The (old prices) on a pro classic was 230.00 the prices of a mini mag was 240.00 the warp feed was 60-70 bucks depending on color. The emag is no longer in production. Now the proclassic mag and mini mag is 259.00 the warp feed is 99~106.00 I have been told buy many that the company is selling off OLD stock then closing the doors. Since the stock is low they are making as much $$ as possible before the end.

Yes - OLD OLD prices. Set how many years ago? Many before I started working there, and I've been here 7 years now.

We didn't raise prices for a long time - but all our suppliers DID. And *when* we replenish inventory (we do), we have to pay the higher prices. Figure the math.

Marcia
AGD-USA

[Warwitch]

Please tell me you're joking. Seriously that's pretty ignorant. Tourny ball requires just as much tactics and coordination as woodsball. If not more...

QFT, dont get me wrong, I love woodsball. But speedball is not unlike most CQB settings. Shooting lanes, shifting positions, stacking, etc.... I wouldnt say it takes more skill/tactics just different.