Before I say anything else, I'd like to point out my backround. My very first game ever was in an overgrown lot behind a store, with a half dozen friends using BE semis. It's entirely possible that I've never had as much fun since then as I did on that day. My local field and home base, Hi-Tech, seems to be an interesting combination of the opposing outlooks here. There is a complete supair field in the back of the property, and a new hyperball field being constructed, but the single most popular field is a low-tech speedball court. The bunkers are just plywood boards stuck together in + shapes, with a dozen or so oak trees around the field providing cover and shade. The ground is not 100% flat, nor is there any vine growth. Some of the other fields nearby use a more wooded approach, with a dozen or two bunkers, berms, palmetto bushes, creeks, and log piles for cover. Honestly, I don't really care what field I'm on so long as it isn't uncomfortable to play. The debate doesn't make much sense to me. But I'll try to field some guesses. Anyways:
At risk of generalizing and stereotyping, there is a major difference to be noted between woodsball and speedball and their origins. Woodsball was, is, and will continue to be respectful and aware of it's militaristic roots. Scenario games frequently recreate famous battles, and a fair number of players are veterans. To such a group, one's coolness is not considered as a factor for acceptance. Skill and maturity earn respect more than gear does. How many times have you seen someone with a low-end pump inspire fear and respect not from the flashiness of their gear, but from their skill and experience playing? I recall one player at my local field who went out using a rental gun, the same rental that most of us referred to as a melee weapon, and a ghillie suit. After a single game he gained respect from everyone because of his ability to sit and snipe player after player without ever being spotted. The military types who are commonly found at scenario games do not care what the latest air tank is, or who won the World Cup. It may be an overgeneralization, but I've seen a distinct difference in what it takes to be accepted at woodsball, and it is generally a set of values about how one should play the game, and how one should act.
On the other hand, speedball does not seem to possess the same "respect for one's elders" that I see in woodsball. There is respect for the "big dog", but not for the veterans-because from everything I've seen, speedball does not seem to attract the older players as much. Speedball seems to be a teenager's game, with teenage values. This is not for all speedballers, but for a significant percentage that seperates it from woodsball. Compared statistically, and in terms of media (both in-sport and out) attention, it seems to me that speedballers would likely be found to be more likely to be in the 15-30 range. To be fair, some older players may like speedball, may play or coach it, but it's a younger person's game. And while it may not yet be an official Olympic sport, it's trying hard to possess the same elements of coolness of other things, that attract teenagers. How many guns are made and sold solely on the basis that it's got a new name and a new anno job, thus it must be the best marker/it's vital to own one if you wish to be cool? Put another way, in the woods the purpose of most gear is to avoid being seen. In speedball, the opposite is true.
I honestly don't think paintball has much to worry about from activist groups as some fear. The industry is already becoming entrenched, as manufacturers carve niches for themselves and accumulate financial power. With a dozen periodicals, probably close to ten million players, and global participation in the sport, getting rid of paintball would be an incredibly difficult task for anyone. While my previous posts may have given a different impression, I don't feel we need to worry about the sort of restrictions Australia and the United Kingdom are subject to, because this is the United States. Our rights are strongest here than anywhere else, and it would take monumental public hatred of paintball to force the creation of laws restricting the game. Image be damned, I've yet to see a well-organized, well-educated anti-paintball group yet. Let us consider Airsoft to be our canary: we should consider its reception by the public to its realistic weaponry. As for now, the sport is going strong and continues to grow. Woodsball or speedball, both are good so long as they remain within the boundaries of sportmanship and safety.
At risk of generalizing and stereotyping, there is a major difference to be noted between woodsball and speedball and their origins. Woodsball was, is, and will continue to be respectful and aware of it's militaristic roots. Scenario games frequently recreate famous battles, and a fair number of players are veterans. To such a group, one's coolness is not considered as a factor for acceptance. Skill and maturity earn respect more than gear does. How many times have you seen someone with a low-end pump inspire fear and respect not from the flashiness of their gear, but from their skill and experience playing? I recall one player at my local field who went out using a rental gun, the same rental that most of us referred to as a melee weapon, and a ghillie suit. After a single game he gained respect from everyone because of his ability to sit and snipe player after player without ever being spotted. The military types who are commonly found at scenario games do not care what the latest air tank is, or who won the World Cup. It may be an overgeneralization, but I've seen a distinct difference in what it takes to be accepted at woodsball, and it is generally a set of values about how one should play the game, and how one should act.
On the other hand, speedball does not seem to possess the same "respect for one's elders" that I see in woodsball. There is respect for the "big dog", but not for the veterans-because from everything I've seen, speedball does not seem to attract the older players as much. Speedball seems to be a teenager's game, with teenage values. This is not for all speedballers, but for a significant percentage that seperates it from woodsball. Compared statistically, and in terms of media (both in-sport and out) attention, it seems to me that speedballers would likely be found to be more likely to be in the 15-30 range. To be fair, some older players may like speedball, may play or coach it, but it's a younger person's game. And while it may not yet be an official Olympic sport, it's trying hard to possess the same elements of coolness of other things, that attract teenagers. How many guns are made and sold solely on the basis that it's got a new name and a new anno job, thus it must be the best marker/it's vital to own one if you wish to be cool? Put another way, in the woods the purpose of most gear is to avoid being seen. In speedball, the opposite is true.
I honestly don't think paintball has much to worry about from activist groups as some fear. The industry is already becoming entrenched, as manufacturers carve niches for themselves and accumulate financial power. With a dozen periodicals, probably close to ten million players, and global participation in the sport, getting rid of paintball would be an incredibly difficult task for anyone. While my previous posts may have given a different impression, I don't feel we need to worry about the sort of restrictions Australia and the United Kingdom are subject to, because this is the United States. Our rights are strongest here than anywhere else, and it would take monumental public hatred of paintball to force the creation of laws restricting the game. Image be damned, I've yet to see a well-organized, well-educated anti-paintball group yet. Let us consider Airsoft to be our canary: we should consider its reception by the public to its realistic weaponry. As for now, the sport is going strong and continues to grow. Woodsball or speedball, both are good so long as they remain within the boundaries of sportmanship and safety.
I will say that pro paintball is disgusting to me and does not reflect ANYTHING I ever want to be associated with - which is sad.
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