AO Army, Let Your Voice be Heard!

[AGD]

Troops!

I had a long discussion with a major tournament promoter friend of mine. I tried to tell him that the internet is an untapped source of potential information and feedback on a tournaments performance.

After much discussion the promoters opinion was that it wasn't worth their time to go talk to the people on the net. The promoter felt strongly that all the players want is a cheaper tourney and nothing else.

This struck me as a MAJOR chance to use the power of the AO Army to influence the paintball world. The answer to the simple question "What WOULD you be willing to pay more for in a tournament?" could have immedeate and lasting changes in our sport.

So my men! I ask you!! For the good of the whole, to slay the naysayers, to boldly go where no tournament has gone before!

What would you pay MORE for at a tournament?????


General AGD

[Mook564]

Well, the biggest complaint that I have heard is that there are never enough REFS at the big tournements. More REFS helps to stop the cheaters. As I see it that is well worth some extra money. Good help costs money, and good REFS makes for fair play.

[paintball8869]

To be honest with you, I wouldn't pay a dime more than what I pay for a tournament. It's completely ridiculous what people up here pay for tournaments in Massachusetts.

The only real tourney series is the NEPL up here, run by Boston Paintball. They charge $85 a case for crap paint, whatever has been sitting in their storeroom for the longest. Their reffing has gotten better though, which is a big plus. Entrance fee is $250 for novice (5 man). We went through 10 cases last tourney. That's $850+250= 1100 for our team.

There were roughly 80 teams there, and if each team bought 5 cases, that's 400 cases sold. Now they charge $85 per case and roughly buy it for $30-35. So that's $50 per case that they make. 50*400= $20,000 PROFIT.

Entrance pays for all the reffing fees, field fees (renting each individual field), and staff. They don't pay for advertising, as they don't have to. They're the only real tourney series out here.


Now I know there's the PNL as well, but it's not as big and the prices are roughly the same (give or take a few dollars).

So what would I pay more for? I'll pay $10 more for entrance if they drop paint prices $10 per case. Maybe we're the only ones gettin screwed over becuase noone can afford the land up here or the supplies to start a good field right now and start a tournament series. Hopefully someone will in the next year or two and give BPS a good run for their money.

I'm all for cheaper tourneys. Paying more in my opinion is ridiculous.

[Jerhew]

fairness...
a good, fair reffing staff
unbiased...and enough of them to do the job

and good fresh paint...
nothing worse than getting handed a year old case of brand X
(level 10 or not!) NO DIMPLES PLEASE!

really can't think of anything else...

bottom line:
cheap is better(especially to those of us who are poor)
EXCEPT
when it compromises the important aspects of the game

[Jerhew]

pb8869:

you definitely pay more for space in Mass.

heh you can rent a 3 bedroom upper for $350 a month in Buffalo...
don't think you can do that in Boston...

the next couple local tournies I'm looking into...registration is the same but paint is only $65 a case...

[magman007]

you know, Cheeper would be nice, but Look at huntington beach, that freekin ruled.... I would Pay to go to more tournies like that, that is for sure...




Il write more later, its 3:30 hee in chile, im hittin the sack

[Kaiser Bob]

Originally posted by Jerhew
pb8869:

you definitely pay more for space in Mass.

heh you can rent a 3 bedroom upper for $350 a month in Buffalo...
don't think you can do that in Boston...

Hehe, how bout 1250 for a slightly rundown 1 bedroom in Back Bay

[TheBigRaguPB4L]

I think people complain about reffing a tad bit to much. People are going to consider bad calls no matter what when they're against them. They is nothing more to do to really improve the reffing. Paintball is to fast a game to have to much better reffing. They have to make a decision in a split second on to what happened. By that time, something else may have happened and the ref might not have even seen it and just base it on what he can. While be it unfair, there's not more that you can do. Only thing is to have camera's on the field or perhaps a booth of some sort above the center 50 where 2 refs could over view the whole field.

Anywho, I would have to say maybe booths or special sections where you can set your gear up instead of just laying around most of the teams' cars. I have a pickup truck that everyone just throws everything in the bed, but most of the time everything is just sprawled out all over the place and disorganized. Maybe a parking seciton with a couple of tables in front of where your cars would go for everyone's gear.

[dansim]

we pay these ridiculus prices in mass cause , well they can charge it because there is no compition...i need a few partners well make our own 7 man leaue...

[j.t.]

You guys in Mass should make a drive up to Maine to play if you have to pay that much to play.

Most tournaments up here cost around $100 for entrance fee, and the paint usually runs between $45-$70 a case.

You can be assured that the reffing will always be good since all refs in MRPL tournaments are required to have taken training courses and be certified by the MRPL.

With prices like these I can afford to play in tournaments quite frequently, and there are alot of them to play in too. (although the competition is not as good as in Mass)

[QUINCYMASSGUY]

Mass

Tournaments in the Boston area are ridiculously overpriced, and the two stores who run them are the same places that charge around $80 a case for paint on non-tournament days. It has nothing to do with "meeting their expenses," it is all about greed on their part. I like the Boston Paintball field and hate PNL's field, but in both cases I don't trust the owners to ever do something for the game and price fairly. I couldn't believe the prices of the PNL series and the NEPL series but frankly it's all we got up here. These places would never charge less because they love getting their money, in fact I wouldn't be surprised if they raised fees and paint prices and put that money straight into their pockets instead of into the tourneys. Now don't flame me saying "it's a business" because they make money off the field fees, air fees, all the products they sell, etc, etc, they have no reason to rip us off on paint and such. They have never been about helping the paintball scene grow or helping players not sponsored by them get some tournament experience, they are all about greed and only like the customers with thick wallets. It's not the fees that need to be changed in tournaments, it's the people behind the tournament.
Huntington Beach is a great example of someone who thought big but did it for the fans and the players, and look how successful it was. Chuck Hendsch didn't go in there thinking "how can I make the most money from this" or "how can I fix it so my team Dynasty can win" (even though they did, they're good that's why). He did it to get alot of people playing and get alot of fans into it. This is the attitude some of these con-men in the Boston area need to get, but it's not happening. We need a new tourney-focused store to open that prices fairly and runs the kinds of tournamants that non-sponsored people who don't have mommy and daddy funding their paintball habit can afford.

I know I'm rambling, but Mr. Kaye you asked for us to voice our opinions on how to make things bigger, and I assure you although every Boston paintballer reading this agrees with me, there are plenty of towns across US in this same situation, having a few self-centered, greedy store owners run all the tourneys in their town and only looking out for their own sponsored players. The game can be easily made affordable and still run a good tourney, the storeowners just wouldn't be able to rip us off then. And they're not going to stop trying to do that.

[rehme]

i would pay for bette refs and paint not that stuff that has been seating around all season

[JEDI]

Sorry Tom, Paintball is already too expensive

Sorry Tom. I dont think I'd want to pay more for anything. $70+ for a case of paint, and $750 team entry (and thats the local scene). Most days to do well, you need more than a case of paint each. My team pools it's paint at all tourneys, and last week we spent $490 on $70 cases of paint.

The two or 3 majors we plan on doing (IAO, World Cup etc.) are going to cost an arm and a leg. Our only saving grace is doing well locally, and selling the prizes to make money for entry fees.

[tremis]

It seems like a good number of high quality refs is the way to go. Some places have good refs, but need more refs. Also heres a thing about paint, make it BYOP. I myself would pay more for a byop event. Then I'm the one who gets to decide the quality of my paint. It seems like most fields need nicer staging areas too.

Tremis

[Jonesie]

Where to begin?

As far as tournament improvements go, I think refs are the ONLY thing I would be willing to pay more for. Fair, unbiased, trained refs.

I would not like to pay more for paint, air, and entry. I know it doesn't cost more than a penny/ball to make paint. So once you get RPS, Draxxus, or whoever charging their 1-2 cent mark-up, then the promoter charging theirs, it get ridiculous! CHEAP PAINT!

And what's with charging for air. That should be part of the entry fee. As a business major, I've seen that it is possible to sqeeze here and there and still make a tidy profit...

Just my pair of pennies.

Dave