Why do we care about BPS so much

[thejere]

*Maybe not a truely deep topic, but I am hoping for more useful feedback by posting here

As I begin assembling a pnuemag for myself, I wonder why I care about getting a high ROF (I'm also doing it because its a damn fun project). Does it really give an advantage on the field?

Simple math first:
Let us consider someone shooting at 10 bps, a modest rate of sustained fire.
At this speed, a paintball travels through a particular space of air every 0.1 second (1s/10 balls), meaning a player has to move his entire boby through that space in less than one tenth of a second to avoid being hit, right?

Now for the handwaving/guessing:
If you're an olympic athelete, you can run 100 yards in about 10 seconds, or, conveniently enough, 1 yard every 0.1 seconds.

So if you run perpendicular to the stream of paint in front of you, you need to present a target to the paint that is less than a yard wide; with all your arm swinging and leg pumping it takes to move at that speed. Even if you manage to be only 18" wide, you have a 50/50 chance of making it through that stream (if the person shooting doesn't notice you running in front of him).

More practically, most of us can't get that turn of speed and won't as we first jump up out of a bunker. We are never going to dive through a stream of paint from a stand still with out a bit of luck. Also, we are never going to run laterally across the field like a carnaval game, we are going to be advancing towards the paint, making ourselves a bigger target.

Why then, are we so concerned about high ROF?
Personal, I think its a good trick to sell me 1500$ marker when a mag will do the job just as well.

Any thoughts? criticisms?

[rawbutter]

Keep in mind that a paintball gun is not perfectly accurate. If someone is making a mad dash and you're trying to peg them, you might have to fire many shots in order to "cover" a certain area. Higher bps helps you do that. I've longballed plenty of people, but rarely with a single shot. Usually, I fire five or six shots, and I manage to hit them with one while the other shots just splatter the area around them.

However, I think for paintball, most of the bps is really about bragging rights. It's like the kids who brag about who's car can go faster when, in reality, they'll probably never have the opportunity nor the need to actually push the true limits of the car. It's just something to brag about.

[Bolter]

Why then, are we so concerned about high ROF?
Personal, I think its a good trick to sell me 1500$ marker when a mag will do the job just as well.

Any thoughts? criticisms?

I like high ROF's and I find it good fun trying to max something out, and I enjoy the technology that goes with it. If you dont, then thats up to you surely. I would choose accuracy over speed (in game) any day of the week. Speed is for fun, accuracy is for game time.

You must consider diving, sliding etc, all designed to increase your chance of surviving.

And to be very honest with you, my Xmag was and still is the fastest gun I have ever owned. Wish I still had it.

Edited after a rethink.

[ThePixelGuru]

The simple answer is because if you were shooting 20bps, that guy running through your stream of paint would have his 50% chance of getting through reduced to 0%. Of course, all that BPS crap matters a whole lot less now that ramping is capped at 13.3bps. BPS used to be a race to the top, now it's all marketing and pissing contests. It's funny, though, that every year someone comes out with the "fastest marker in the world," and every Automaggot just chuckles and thinks about Zak Vetter shooting 34bps.

In other news, you better play some paintball with us this summer. I've got five acres, eight markers, and not enough to do with either... Give me a call sometime. Peace.

[pmstc]

A high rate of fire is VERY helpful when snap shooting and laning. I used to have the same mentality, until I really started getting in to tourney ball. I don't shoot that much paint, but it is very nice to have a fast gun. I know the gun doesn't make the player, but it sure can break the player.
+ like rawbutter said, paintballs aren't very accurate (even when aimed properly) so more paint in the air = more chances to hit someone.

[Sumthinwicked]

A high rate of fire is VERY helpful when snap shooting and laning. I used to have the same mentality, until I really started getting in to tourney ball. I don't shoot that much paint, but it is very nice to have a fast gun. I know the gun doesn't make the player, but it sure can break the player.
+ like rawbutter said, paintballs aren't very accurate (even when aimed properly) so more paint in the air = more chances to hit someone.

que in speedballers L:OL i used a shocker as a frontman and i still only 3 ball shot on a snap yea 3 bps and i dont miss so it was 3 hits or keeping them in there bunker most the time id just use my pumpmag verse egos all day and 1 ball them out spray and prey is for kids us oldschoolers know the way of the mag

[pmstc]

que in speedballers L:OL i used a shocker as a frontman and i still only 3 ball shot on a snap yea 3 bps and i dont miss so it was 3 hits or keeping them in there bunker most the time id just use my pumpmag verse egos all day and 1 ball them out spray and prey is for kids us oldschoolers know the way of the mag

Right. I've been shooting a mag since 2001. I'm a kid with no experience.

[mr doo doo]

^^ you forgot the dodgy

[RangerX]

I was playing speedball at the local field this past Sunday with my z-gripped pneumag. I was in the deadbox waiting for the next game to start when I couldnt help but over hear a young kid (13yrs old max id say), talking to what I perceived as his friend.

He was talking about a gun he used to have and if he still had it could shoot 50bps. I restrained myself from informing him that no he could actually not shoot "50bps" and giggled to myself instead.

Bragging rights I guess for having the fastest gun. But thats already been proven

[going_home]

Why then, are we so concerned about high ROF?
Personal, I think its a good trick to sell me 1500$ marker when a mag will do the job just as well. Any thoughts? criticisms?

Even though some pump players spend $500.00 or more on a high end pump, ROF has very little to do with their paintball game. I say very little because some of the pump teams regularly spit paint fairly fast with autotrigger setups in speedball play.
But the norm for pump players is accuracy accuracy accuracy .
Its not about how many balls you shoot, its about where you put them .

[Sumthinwicked]

Right. I've been shooting a mag since 2001. I'm a kid with no experience.

i wasnt calling you a kid but a speedballer so reread it that way and going _home said it nicely (reread above post) i have 15 years exp....... kids bah!

[pmstc]

I'm sorry, I literally can't understand what you just wrote..

[Sumthinwicked]

better???? or put in2 tek skol speech 4 u

[PumpPlayer]

"We" (meaning paintball players in general) care about BPS for the same reason that car enthusiasts care about max speed or even quarter mile times. Simply put, it's an easy benchmark to compare yourself to other people by.

No real race is held on a straight track. In a real race, the skill of the driver is ultimately important and things other than engine power come into play such as braking ability and *gasp* the all-important reliability.

In a real paintball game, you need your gun to work flawlessly from start to finish. You need to not only be able to shoot fast but to aim quickly and put paint on target with the first shot. "Walking it in" is quite simply not a legitimate method of aiming.


But BPS is an easily accessible benchmark to compare. That's all.

Heck, think about it. No matter how fast you shoot, if you put paint on target with the first ball... does that speed really matter?

[Sumthinwicked]

well said@