At a crossroads in my game(another ramble)

[punkncat]

I am at a point where paintball doesn't feel the same to me as it used to. Its not that I don't enjoy it, I dunno its kind of hard to explain.

There comes a certain level of experiance that you really can't go play open play w/o taking a HUGE handicap. Now this is fun to a point, but it also takes away from certain aspects of the game, playing against people that are not as good as you. People are constantly gunning just for you, cause you are the "best" player. Everyone plays so loose that it makes your game sloppy. On the other side of the coin I can easily get in on team practices. The field always splits experianced players from the noobs, so even the "open" play is very competitive. However the experianced open play is really more often something akin to a team practice.

When you get to be good at paintball, you find that one person can only accomplish so much. You need a team to be really effective. The people all have to work together to make a game happen no matter how good all the collective players are. I am a very experianced player. I am an above average rec baller, even a decent backup guy for a more competitive level...Not tooting my horn. I am not AWESOME or anything, but experianced and savvy enough that with the right group of teammates I have been the part of many a winning side.

I have many friends who long ago decided to get into the tourney scene full time. I have seen most of them do it, burn out, and leave the sport. I am feeling like I am burned out on rec ball, but at the same time really have a hard time justifying the expense of being a part of a real competative team. Every time I go to the field I am expected to play with these experianced and super competitive guys. Its not that I can't handle it, but geez! Whatever happened to a friendly, fun, relaxed game of rec ball?

[Lohman446]

We have a group of about 15 to 20 guys that play regularly together. Some of them are extremely good, some of us I expect are in the same boat you are. Well some of us play regularly together on teams in tournaments, we don't really have any "set" teams - one or two maybe even three guys will always play together, but they will snag whoever from that group to play with.

We play open play, dividing the players apart to keep this group seperated, but never really "teaming" game after game, just playing wherever to make the teams even. When there are tournaments we throw together a few teams and go, whoever wants to. It gives us competition, with open play "freedom" and we can still do ok when we do play a strict competiton level. I think its a wonderful balance.

[Python14]

Holy cow, you basically summed up everything I feel right now. I too am where you are. I won't lie. I'm a damn good player. But at the same time, I'm not a shiner on a team. I love playing competitively, but at the same time can't always justify spending most of my freetime paintballing.

I honestly don't know what to do.

[tony3]

I was at this same point. I was a good player and I never could get a serious team. I loved playing but playing open and killing everyone was boring. After playing like 5 tournies in a row with all different people I found a local team having tryouts. Tryed out and been with them since august of last year. I am having a blast. Try to find a team that loves to play like you do, but doesn't take the fun out of it. I see so many teams getting all worked up at practice. Get on a team that just plays their hardest and has fun at all practices.

[SAW]

I was at this same point. I was a good player and I never could get a serious team. I loved playing but playing open and killing everyone was boring. After playing like 5 tournies in a row with all different people I found a local team having tryouts. Tryed out and been with them since august of last year. I am having a blast. Try to find a team that loves to play like you do, but doesn't take the fun out of it. I see so many teams getting all worked up at practice. Get on a team that just plays their hardest and has fun at all practices.

Story of my last year.

[Athius]

Well something nearly equal to what is happening to you is happening to me by the tournaments from over here. The last 2 tournies that i went over here they all sucked since the ref are not even reffing they are just watching the game and not doin their job.

I thought that with the nationale leage from over AKA "PRPL" things migth change but last sunday i was on a tourny it is no from the leage but most of the people that made the tournament are the owners of the leage and again the reffin sucked.

[mag88888]

paintball is a wreck where i live. me and a few friends have been playing for years. all of sudden myschool is alive with hundreds of ignorant m98 pricks, "im better than you". i hear that every day. gosh, its annoying. there isnt one indoor place to play when half the year its 0 degrees. the nearest field is ok but often older kids slip in and ruin it for the new kids. ahhhhh, i hope it gets better. good luck with the team. when i first sad to my friends, "lets get a team together." the whole was either pissed that i didnt ask them to be on my team or were begging me. good luck.

[WenULiVeUdiE]

This is happening to me as well. I am not getting any better by playing against newer players who are not as good. And the only way for me to play against better players is to go to a team practice. And being with out a team makes it hard to play on those days. But because I do not have a steady income I cannot be part of a team.

[BeaverEater]

Wow i realized the same thing last saturday when i went to play for the first time in months. I was just playing open with a couple of friends. The games were 5v5 and i was shooting atleast 3 people everygame and that got really boring. By the end of the day, everyone would just shoot at me alone and i would still get 2 people before the barage of paintballs got to me. I am currently looking for a "real" team to play on, but im playing a local tourny this weekend with some friends. I just bought a pump so that when i went to open play, i would be on the same level.

[Igotu]

you cold try a scenario game.

[Python14]

For me atleast, it's not the fact that the scene sucks, or the competition sucks, or anything like that. The competition in my area is certainly good, and the scene is great. It's just that now I'm in a position that is sorta teetering. I can stay where I am, playing every now and then, having a little fun, but overall going no where...I can just quit and leave behind something that has been part of my life for almost half of it...or I can make the step up, sacrifice a few things, and go with the big boys.

It's a tough decision to make when you don't know what you want to be doing.


Now that I think about it more, I think I can nail it down better. Alot of the guys I know who play seriously were pushed. It usually wasn't their parents, it was usually their friends. My friends were not and still aren't paintballers. They don't understand. As a result, I never got the motivation, or atleast i was never given it. But now I may have it. Just thinking about what I've wanted, and what I don't have, makes me want to work to get it now.


Maybe I'm not teetering anymore.

[punkncat]

"you cold try a scenario game."

I play in scenarios, and woodsball in cold weather. I really enjoy them both.



"For me atleast, it's not the fact that the scene sucks, or the competition sucks, or anything like that. The competition in my area is certainly good, and the scene is great. It's just that now I'm in a position that is sorta teetering."

Exactly.

[mcdkid]

someone needs to make a blue pill for the people that don't get excited about plaing anymore... anyway, try plaing scenarios or something, it keeps the game exciting everytime.

[RusskiX]

Sounds like you are ready to take it to the next level. Joining a team sounds like the right move, BUT keep your focus on having fun or else it won't be. You definitely have to decide carefully who to team up with, since that will largely determine if winning or having fun is the goal. Don't get so wrapped in practices, politics, and prizes that its not enjoyable, or you WILL burn out quick. Being on a team takes a lot of commitment; make sure you are ready for it.

You could also just try hitting some other fields before you make a commitment. I've found that being unfamiliar with a new field and players can be a real challenge.

Or you could be like me and take 5 months off every winter , get really rusty , and then have to get back in shape to be competitive .

Good luck!

[REDRT]

That is why the guys and I started are team. Rec ball was always fun but the last few years it sucked for all of us. There gets to be a time where you have to move on. As a players skill level goes up so must the game being played. I know I'll never be a pro. I'm too old and it just isn't what I want, but I know kids that have a chance. I like playing against them. Sometimes they really pull some really great moves. Exciting to play agaist equals or better teams.