The Skill Gap (ohh yes its long)

[logamus]

every few months some of the guys i work with get a rec game going. i like to join up with them and play, it seems to remind me that the game is all about having fun. they dont get beaten down if they get shot off the break, they think having a "motorized hopper" is heaven sent, and at the end of the day we all get a bite to eat and a beer.

my point is, maybe you could look into gettting some folks from work to go out and have a day at the field. kinda like what mango did a month or so ago. its fun to do that because you are there with people you know, but its not a real ultra-competitive setting.

[Lohman446]

Aside from big events we seldom put together a tournament team that is the best we could. Local tournaments are a chance to go play, and the food and drinks afterwards are... well as much a part of the day as the tournament itself.

[Recon by Fire]

...recon we are going out on the 13th?...not this sunday but the next so you can shoot me a few more times...

I will put it on the calender :)

I think a Houston area e-list would great, we could schedule some mini-meets. Yahoo groups?

[GT]

Awsome, awsome thread,


I have begun to see that my paintball invovlement should span 10 maybe 15 years if I follow some of the advice in this thread.

I will put it on the calender :)

I think a Houston area e-list would great, we could schedule some mini-meets. Yahoo groups?

e-List is here:

http://www.automags.org/forums/showthread.php?t=139467

First play day is the 13th of June. I will send out our first email this saturday, not sure if its big enough for an e-group

[Jeffy-CanCon]

Awsome, awsome thread,


I have begun to see that my paintball invovlement should span 10 maybe 15 years if I follow some of the advice in this thread.

Or longer!

I know several guys with 20 or more years of paintball experience! Most played tourneys at one point or another, but they all still play rec. Damn good players, too.

[Z-man]

I hate jumping into these things late but I got a few things to say as well.

I have been playing since 1997. My style of play over that period was basically as follows:

First 3 years- Woodsball 1vs 1 to 6 vs 6.
Equipment- Original Spyder then a MiniMag.
Paint Usage- Minimal. At MOST a 1/2 case a day

Impressions- I remember liking woods ball but not liking only having a small group to play with. Playing with friends who brought friends sometimes ended up with some hot tempers flaring and ruining the game for us. After a few months of that I tried out a local field and was much more satisfied. More people, refs to take charge and keep people in line and a set boundary to play. Generally the caliber of people you meet at a field is higher than at a bandit ball field and I liked that. This is I am sure how many of us started and it was a great time to just be dazzled and enjoy each time you played.

Next 2 years- Transition period Woodsball ---> Speedball/recball
Equipment- Classic RT (added a Warp later)
Paint Usage- climbed steadily and soon broke 2 cases a day

Impressions- Like many of us, I did not like speedball at first. Typical reasons, Too fast, no place to move, all you do is get slapped down by the fast fingered elecros who were familiar with the field. It took me about a year or so to decide that Speedball was a fun thing and then another year to find my niche of where I liked to play. Perhaps I am an anomaly as I see many people jumping into the tourney lvl stuff in a matter of months, but I liked playing paintball exclusively when I got the urge. No hurry, no "same time next week", just, I'll play when I start twitching a bit, then I know it's time.

For better or worse I decided I liked shooting more than moving and even shooting for the sake of it. I think it comes down to watching action movies were the cool guys have the big gun and can mow down the helpless fool advancing on them (I keep waiting for that day...). So I started working on what I could do to get the BPS up and that is where the warped RT came in. On a side note, I should mention that my elimination count did not really go up as a result of the extra rounds... sigh.

Current 2 year so far- Speedball and Tournament play (6 months of that so far)
Equipment- Everyone knows that already as I post it every week
[b]Paint Usage- Sad (4+ cases without breaking a sweat)

Impressions (to now)- Things did not really change much other than my paint usage increased steadily to about 4-5 cases a day. I think I have leveled off but if I heard some wise guy start belittling me I might have to add some more to the list.

I was offered a spot on a local team comprised of people I knew and respected. With 6 months of experience of the tournament world behind me I think I can say a little bit about it. First off it is a speedball players dream. It's fast, it makes you play better as an individual and as a team (duh). But with that said (and has been mentioned before) it's not for everyone. I think I might be part of that group. I enjoy the people I am playing with and whatever dishonesty occurs in tournaments (thus far) has not made me disheartened one bit.

What I find I don't like is the need to practice and come together regularly (i.e every week). It goes back to playing when I want and I tend to be happy playing a good full day of paintball every month or so at most. I want to plan it out and make it a get up at 6am and be done at 8pm day.

I don't know how unique our NorCal group is with regard to the rest of the US but I will say this. I find that I look forward to our NorCal AO Days more than any tourney I play hands down. The atmosphere is laid back, but we can play as hard as possible for a game or 2. And if I feel like taking it down a notch, I can. It's the freedom to play at anywhere within my level and not 110% all the time each game till its over. For me, I think I really like having the atmosphere and the knowledge that I am playing with a group of friends who won't throw down their markers and cuss me out and perhaps be foolish enough to take a swing at me. I am not there to worry about that, I am there to enjoy a day of paintball with my friends win or lose.

Perhaps this was more info than was needed to say what I said but, I like it so up it goes.

[punkncat]

I don't know how unique our NorCal group is with regard to the rest of the US but I will say this. I find that I look forward to our NorCal AO Days more than any tourney I play hands down. The atmosphere is laid back, but we can play as hard as possible for a game or 2. And if I feel like taking it down a notch, I can. It's the freedom to play at anywhere within my level and not 110% all the time each game till its over. For me, I think I really like having the atmosphere and the knowledge that I am playing with a group of friends who won't throw down their markers and cuss me out and perhaps be foolish enough to take a swing at me. I am not there to worry about that, I am there to enjoy a day of paintball with my friends win or lose.

Perhaps this was more info than was needed to say what I said but, I like it so up it goes.

That is exactly why I don't get into the tourney scene. One I can't afford it , nor am I willing to schedule for it.

The biggest thing is what you just touched on. So many tourney players take themselves and the game WAY too seriously. Working so hard to pursue this glory they have created for themselves over a game. Putting friendship and common courtesy to the wayside to win at any cost. I mean after all , its supposed to be for fun. Honestly,its not too many players that are recognized down the road even by paintball players. Much less the rest of the world.

I really see many professional sports this way.Not that I belittle pro players or tourney players for the work they put forth and the art in their game. Its quite amazing watching really good players getting a game on , pulling off superman dives into the 50 , etc. Pretty impressive stuff. Putting in all thie time and work to put window dressing on what in many sports we all played in a local sandlot as kids.