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]

[epterry]

[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.

[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.

[andreb]

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

Dam! Now I'm depressed

I'm not old!!!

[epterry]

[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]

Re: Paintball : violent image or violent sport

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.