Style over Substance

**shartley** · 12-22-2003, 05:55 AM

Much of what you say is correct. But please keep in mind that style has always been a selling point for products and always will. And there will always be a vast market for those that put higher priority on style as long as the product functions reasonably well.

**Albinonewt** · 12-22-2003, 06:01 AM

Yeah, when was the last time you saw a Ford commercial that said "Hey, we know it's ugly bu it gets great mileage"

**Tyger** · 12-22-2003, 06:38 AM

Originally posted by Albinonewt
Yeah, when was the last time you saw a Ford commercial that said "Hey, we know it's ugly bu it gets great mileage"

What about the VW Bug campaign? They know they hae an ugly car, and yet, they sell 'em

-Tyger (Did I really say I was going to bed?)

**Sir_Brass** · 12-22-2003, 06:59 AM

Substance over style any day, but still, looking good never hurt either

What I don't understand is if it's really style over substance these days, then why aren't there more emags being sold, what with capo toting one

. That's enough to make most of us go out and buy one right off the shelf

.

Ok, all joking (somewhat

) aside, I do think it's becoming style over substance. But when it comes to lasting impressions, it's still substance over style. I was using my sniper this weekend (she was just calling to me. I couldn't resist

), and was using it to as much of it's potential as I could (read as: I was using it as best I knew how, as I'm relatively new to pump play), and managed to unintentionally impress several new players (the ones most suseptibal to hype) with how I used it. Here's what one conversation looked like with two new players after we had played our first round of Bunker assault. The two new players had been on the defending team, and I was on the attacking team.

New Player 1: "Man, you were good out there. Got me right in between the fingers."

Me: "Thanks. It was pure luck. I was doing all I could to just put paint into the firing slots to keep y'alls heads down."

New Player 2: "Hey, that's a nice gun you have there. What is it?"

Me: "WGP Sniper. Sweet little pump gun."

New Player 1 (points to pump handle): "What's that thing?"

Me: "This is a pump handle. The sniper is a pump class gun."

New Player 2 (looks amazed): "You mean you have to pump that thing before every shot?!"

Me: "Yup"

New Player 2: "WOW! Man, you can fire that thing fast!"

Me: *shrugs* "I did what I could. The pump action is smooth, and when I needed to lay down cover fire, I did so."

New Player 1: "Cool!"

Somehow me managing to get them both out by luck shots (on my part), and doing it with a pump gun while avoiding getting hit by their return fire, and having earlier provided cover fire with the sniper impressed the heck out of them. Hopefully they're getting indoctrinated into the "Skill over style, but if you're good with it and it looks good, then why not." school of thought. It's my school of thought, after all. I will take substance over style any day, but given a choice between two relatively equal products, I'll take the one that visually goes with my marker, and I'll be willing to hold out for it for a while as well. Earlier, I didn't care, but now I do care how my marker looks, but still, if it's for looks only, then it's low low low on the priority list. The priorities are the mods and upgrades that will allow me to shoot more varieties of paint (including generic white box paint) straighter and more consistantly, like a good barrel, or a drop/stock (for the sniper) or a good regulator (already have one on both of my guns

).

Substance over style, but if I can get style after putting the most substance into the gun, then I'll go for some style as well. Case in point: I'm thinking about emailing SHartley and talking about some full wrap around wood grips (covering both front and back of the grip frame) for the sniper. THough this has substance in and of itself as well: namely, keeping my hands from freezing. The gripframe nearly froze my hand, what with it being metal and my palm being in contact with it most of the day in sub freezing weather. Full wrap arounds will provide some insulation against the cold. STill, they look great as well, and that's another reason I'd like them

.

**RRfireblade** · 12-22-2003, 07:56 AM

"It is better to look good than feel good,my friend,and you looook mahvealous!!"

Jay.

**Furby** · 12-22-2003, 08:13 AM

Oh c'mon Tyger! You know darn good and well that splash annodizing adds at LEAST 4-5 bps to your ROF, and it makes your gun more accurate, too! Jeez!

I could go on and on about Style, Substance, and reality here, but I won't. However, I will say that one of the best things about paintball as a sport is that a majority of the markers in use are upgradeable to the user's taste. We could go on and on about little TWiBs running around with horrifically ugly Timmies and lament the fact that the simple, lethal good looks of a ULE'd Emag more than likely outperforms the Timmy. There will always be a particular sect of players out there who want to look good, some to the point where they care more about looking good than playing good. And there will always be an opposing sect of players out there who will look down their noses at these players while coddling their bone stock Matrix, Emag or 'cocker that's had the crap beat out of it because those players are out PLAYING rather than preening in the parking lot.

As for myself, I use an Adrenalin Angel with the silly air assist, splash annodizing and match anno'd (of course) barrel. It's a stereotypical "$2000 Penis Replacement" that Tyger has lamented about in the past. To me, it's a dream gun, and I adore it. I also take it out on the field and USE it, since that's what it was meant to do. I'm the most demanding of players out there...it has to look good AND perform. It's all about personal preference...

And before any wiseacres comment on my need for a "$2000 Penis Replacement" gun, let me say that the wife is quite happy with my uh...well..you know. At least she says she is, so it's all good!

**Spaceman613** · 12-22-2003, 08:45 AM

What about the guys like me that want substance AND style? Im ugly as sin, so my markers have to be somewhat good looking. But I wont put on anything JUST for looks.

**tony3** · 12-22-2003, 09:02 AM

Originally posted by Furby
We could go on and on about little TWiBs running around with horrifically ugly Timmies and lament the fact that the simple, lethal good looks of a ULE'd Emag more than likely outperforms the Timmy.

Ummmm, you wish.

Tyger you like agd's style? Oh yeah, making a pretty body and annoing it and selling it for 1350. The exact same thing as an emag(plus ace). Oh yeah, but xmag bodies make the gun shoot straighter, I forgot. Please get over yourself, and stop proclaiming agd as gods.

**tyrion2323** · 12-22-2003, 09:16 AM

Tyger,

You have some good points here, but I think that you're being too critical. First of all, WDP's Angels DO perform as well/or better than they look. They are amazing markers, simply put. I would take a $800 Speed over a $1350 xMag definitely!

I also love AGD's style, and I understand your lamenting over the 'mag not being "cool" anymore. I love the look of mags. What we need is AGD to start pouring their own bodies, instead of getting sluggos milled. If they pour bodies, like Psycho Ballistics, they could easily sell a cool looking body for <$100, which would upgrade the looks of the mag.

As for low/high pressure and open/close bolt, I still don't even know what the hell the difference is between any of them. I know that I love my mag and my omen.

**Spaceman613** · 12-22-2003, 09:49 AM

ok... I have to ask

"What we need is AGD to start pouring their own bodies, instead of getting sluggos milled. If they pour bodies, like Psycho Ballistics, they could easily sell a cool looking body for <$100, which would upgrade the looks of the mag."

What the heck are you talking about.... Pouring bodies? Do you mean cast? You must not know the costs and limitations of casting if this is what you mean.

GT · 12-22-2003, 02:23 PM

Re: Style over Substance

Originally posted by Tyger
there's two basic types of paintball players in the world : The ones who want to impress the other players in the parking lot, and the ones who impress the other players on the field.-Tyger

That will make me a very nice sig young man

**ExtremeODD** · 12-22-2003, 02:59 PM

the hype of low pressure is that theres a chance that if the pressure is uber low, the bolt has a chance to bounce off a ball, instead of chopping.... but weve all heard of the guy and his matrix, getting his finger basically shattered and stuck in, while "finger testing" his low pressure....

GT · 12-22-2003, 03:04 PM

Originally posted by ExtremeODD
the hype of low pressure is that theres a chance that if the pressure is uber low, the bolt has a chance to bounce off a ball, instead of chopping.... but weve all heard of the guy and his matrix, getting his finger basically shattered and stuck in, while "finger testing" his low pressure....

can i get a link?

**Timmee** · 12-22-2003, 03:35 PM

Well, you can get style AND substance with an electro or mechanical 'Mag (with the ULE, X, SFL, Micro, Chord, Karta, Dallara, or any of the other slug based bodeis).

Style over Substance

Style over Substance

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