Has the electro seen its peak?

[firebanex]

There aren't any national, or even regional pump or stock class tournament series going, the closest their ever was were the stock class competitions in the Pan Am, and those only existed because CCI was good enough to sponsor them, providing guns, and they were run on finals day of an existing tournament series, where there were already players looking for something to do. They didn't have a strong draw of teams attending just for the stock competition (though there were some.) Personally I'd *love* to see a stock class revival, on a very big scale, I just don't think it's happening.

just to correct you. there is the OSC (old school challenge) series, that has tournemnts in mostly califoria and surounding states. Texas has its own pump tourny league, the south east US has just had a new tourny series begin.

so there are pump tourny series in existance, sponsered by many others besides CCI.

[Meph]

Pump revival...



Ask Mike Cassidy how his Phantom sales are

[Deltree]

those low priced guns just give you the option to turn it into a 1k dollar performing gun, that you built and customized yourself. 870 spent on mine so far. its now the quietest gun ive ever shot. and the zero kick and 1800 shots per fill just add to it.

I wasnt trying to imply they were worse or anything. I'm just saying that electros will continue to grow in popularity with lower and lower prices on guns that perform on par with the 1000 dollar superguns out there.

[ultralight]

[QUOTE=
Now, if I could only find a regular game where everyone was in the woods shooting Splatmasters. [/QUOTE]

count me and old blue in.

to this day, the most fun i have ever had playing paintball was when i played speedball with my splatmaster.

[Chris]

I posted this thread a couple of years back, http://www.automags.org/forums/showthread.php?t=57154 It has been a hell of a lot more fun playing pump or limited paint games.

I don't see any chance of a decline in electro's, but I do see fields recognizing that there are people who would enjoy a game where you are not going through a case of paint in ten minutes. I think there will be more options, limited paint format, mechanical only and such, which we will be able to participate in.

[Rudz]

pump mags

does any 1 kno how easy it is to put a pump kit on a mag?? ust curious as to hard this would be, rogue what are u up to?? u have been asking alot of questions lately....whatcha got cookin???? hmmmmm curious fellow aint cha

[Chris]

does any 1 kno how easy it is to put a pump kit on a mag?? ust curious as to hard this would be, rogue what are u up to?? u have been asking alot of questions lately....whatcha got cookin???? hmmmmm curious fellow aint cha

Simple, with the right parts. You just need the rail milled for the pump rod, and one of the older bodies, also milled to accept the pump rod. The rest of the conversion is easier than installing the Level X kit.

[Cow hunter]

the downfall of electros would be cool....... SP would get whats comin to them......
-playng fields would even out......
-mech/pump play would be cool because no electros means everythings more simple(no batteries/electric parts)
-everything would be more durable
-no more ramping


total relapse to the 90's? as if electros neer happened?

[punkncat]

I dislike paintball now very much... I'd still play if it were all mech. I only go to AO events now.

IMO... electronics + paintball = complete BS. It creates so many problems, does not make the game better (different maybe), etc.

The bastards on the field got WORSE with electros. Before it was one thing if you were a big jerk and could only pull the trigger at 5bps. Now rat bastards have an electronic device that shoots itself to be a super rat bastard. I am sick as hell of being ridiculously overshot by goddamn 13 year old POS cheating bastards who over-celebrate their wins that were won by cheating big time... thinking to ourselves that we shot that mofo 3 times that's rubbing the win in our faces telling us how much we suck... and if we had a clean game they'd get destroyed.

The incentive to move has been lost... the clean game is dead. Too many dirtbags play this game.

I can't get a clean game. WTF is the purpose of spending so much time, money, and effort on something when the game is played so dirty? Why don't I just buy a case of paint for my opponents, ask to be kicked in the nuts, and go home a "loser"?

WOW!!!

I really don't even know what to say to this....

I guess I am lucky. At the local the field owner breaks play up into categories. He runs "slow", "electro", and "open" class on all open play days. The slow includes all mechanical markers as well as electro noobs no ramping.
Electro is any marker not ramping no bunkering.
Open is anything goes with the understanding that all playing that particular game agree. It has gone a long way towards helping newer players gain the confidence they need while playing games suited to their skill or commitment level.
I certainly suggest this system for any field/format.


I play much more with mechanical markers than I do electros. Generally have most of the time I have played paintball. I enjoy the slower pace of mechanicals, and the show of skill vs. the show of budget.

[hardr0ck68]

It can, just give R+D some time...........

To design what exactly? lets say that some of these markers and loaders are really capable of 20bps; so what? What is 30 bps gonna do for you? I know the came was said (i myself was saying it years ago) about 10 to 20 bps. But really now what skill is left to learn that cant be picked up in less than a season? off handed shooting? snap shooting is only used by old timers, walking?

so lets say we keep going on the route we have been traveling, and get to a true 30, or 35bps then what? will that change anything? not really; it will only increase paint sales and cause back pain (think 20 pod harness).

I dont see anywhere else to go.

[AGD]

Paintball has only one mountain to climb

Everyone knew what the mountain peak looked like and it had to do with shooting fast. The faster you shot the faster you climbed that darn mountain, the more respect you got and the more intense the game became. For better or worse the manufacturers (me included) gave you what you wanted. Now the peak is no longer in sight because everyone is standing on it. The 10 year old kid next to you got there because his mom bought him the electro-fantastic-of-the-month and bam he is there right next to you.

Now that the exclusivity is gone, and the climb (otherwise known getting some skills) is gone everyone is debating what to do next. Where we went wrong here is there was never an independent organizing body in paintball that kept it a "competitive sport". Looking at NASCAR they are changing the rules all the time to keep the playing field level. Sure the drivers HATE not having an advantage but you know what? it keeps the fans coming. Most other sports have catagories which you can compete in, stock, pro, modified etc. In our sport if you cheat enough they change the rules to let everyone do it.

I have been saying for a while that paintball has issues and now its apparent with an industry wide 30% drop in sales. Thats not my opinion, several HUGE manufacturers have told me that directly. Guys like Warped1 will look forward to a bright future but from my side I don't see it. Airsoft is taking off behind our backs while we look for new players.

I remember when the definintion of a pro paintball player was that he used technology LOWER than the typical gun on the field (12 gram days). If I was king of this industry I would point it back in that direction and sort the players out by skill instead of technopower.

As far as a pump resurgence, I am sure Mike is busy but you don't see any new manufacturers of pumps coming out and the guy doing the gold cockers went out of business.

Good luck to all of you, I hope the game turns out to be something you can enjoy.

AGD

[grEnAlEins]

As someone who owns both electros and mechs (ans soon my cocker will be a pump), I can say that mechs are truely more fun to use. I do not ramp even when I do use my Shocker (no mommy did not buy it for me, it was 1/5 of my summer job ). I hate ramping simply because it is cheating and eliminates talent from the game, but I am preaching to the chior on this I think. I do not care one way or the other about electros, just ramping. Use your SP or MacDev or D/PM# or Ego, just dont ramp. And yeah with your electro's shorter, lighter, trigger pull you will get a few more bps in semi, at least there is some element of skill. The main advantage to an electro (for a decent, responsible, non-ramping, guy such as myself) is the vision eye, it just means less ball breaks. So an an electro (mine at least) is essentially mech with a better (IMO) trigger pull and an anti chop eye. Whats wrong with that? My only problem with electros is ramping. I hate being outshot be any shmuck that can buy a Virtue [or insert other brand/model] board, it is just not fair. To sum it up, an electro is to paintball as a firearm is to the world, it is often demonized for no good reason at all. An electro cannot make itself ramp, a gun cannot cause violence. It takes a stupid person who sucks at paintball/life to cause a problem.

That is all,

grenaleins

EDIT: I do agree that the pros should use lesser technology and more skill, if this happens (which i bet it will not) you will see a rebirth of fun and enjoyability for paintball.

[Bonx0007]

The same thing could be said for baseball bats. At the pro level, wooden bats are the standard even though the 21st century alloys will allow players to hit further. To play pro, you either learn to play with wood, or you suck.

MLB knew that allowing anything but wooden bats just wasnt good for the sport at the pro level. Their vision for their sport surpassed the desires and needs of the manufacturers.

Embracing technology to compensate for a lack of skill isnt embracing a sport based on skill.

Well put. I have to agree with your argument. It seems that the nppl has no spine and is not interested in preserving the sport. I personally left paintball because I no longer had fun going out there and getting verbally crapped on by 13yr old kids who think that they are good because there gun could lay paint like no other. I can hold my own in verbal contest with a 13yr old but the problem comes in when I have to drive 50 miles to play paintball and then have some no talent prick talk smack. Respect is lost in this sport. I like the sport and that is why I plan on returning to rec ball mainly because it is in rec ball that you find people that play more for the love of the sport and not so much for the glamour of owning an expensive gun or having a computer that fires for them. It is too bad that there is not an unsaid respect for your competition in our sport. Paintball has changed considerably since I began playing 12 years ago. Unfortunatly it is killing itself from the inside because of how haphazardly it is run.

[nate2k191]

words of wisdom mr AGD. i too wish there was still a mountain peak in the distance. the readily available firepower has decreased the fun factor and skill for many. there are still woods courses and rec areas that have the old paintball spirit and still fun to be had.

[latches109]

Paintball has only one mountain to climb

...Good luck to all of you, I hope the game turns out to be something you can enjoy.

AGD

Our world is dynamic; should we expect anything less? I think not, and thus we find our moment of tranquility among our mess. For me it's paintball and soccer in any format, 2v2, jungleball, fifa rules, nppl rules, etc ... just as long as I got my moment.
Lower risk and diversify. If I have low funds, I play soccer.