Screw the "good old days"

[Paintchucker]

Back in the day, the rich kids parents bought them mags, and we were jealous that 12 year olds had the same guns that we saved up to play tournament with. And they ran their mouths and wiped and cheated, and the field owners let them because 4 of those kids shot more paint than 10 of the other kids there... Some things never change...

Neither does the adreniline rush, when the ref yells "Go Go GO" at the start of the game, nor the sensation burying your head deep in the bunker when those paintballs hit a little too close for comfort, nor the thrill of popping that guy out across the field or making a good tape run to the back line...

The love for the game for those that have it never dies...

My obsession with the game goes back to the early 90's and I spent $400+ on a pump in a tourney setup (got that big 9oz bottle instead of quickchange). Today it is about as cheap to get a similar setup with an ION and HPA. Gotta love technology!

[CoolHand]

I dunno, things haven't really changed that much around here.

Back in the day, you had to drive 150 miles to play. Now, you have to drive 150 miles to play.

Back in the day, we played on our own land with out own people 95% of the time. Now, we play on our own land with our own people 95% of the time.

Paint and air/CO2 is cheaper than it was, that is a good thing.

95% of the time, jackassery is not a problem because we screen the folks we let play. The other 5% is a crapshoot at best. Drive that 150 miles, and you might have a hell of a day, OR you might run into 40 douchebags who think they are all gods gift to PB. You just never know.

Really, the only things that have changed are the facts that paint and air is cheaper, and my bull**** tolerance is WAY lower than it used to be.

Other than that, it's the same great game I remember, at least around here.

[dahoeb]

I dunno, things haven't really changed that much around here.

Back in the day, you had to drive 150 miles to play. Now, you have to drive 150 miles to play.

Back in the day, we played on our own land with out own people 95% of the time. Now, we play on our own land with our own people 95% of the time.

Paint and air/CO2 is cheaper than it was, that is a good thing.

95% of the time, jackassery is not a problem because we screen the folks we let play. The other 5% is a crapshoot at best. Drive that 150 miles, and you might have a hell of a day, OR you might run into 40 douchebags who think they are all gods gift to PB. You just never know.

Really, the only things that have changed are the facts that paint and air is cheaper, and my bull**** tolerance is WAY lower than it used to be.

Other than that, it's the same great game I remember, at least around here.

i do envy you

[Ken Majors]

The good old days for me was about 20 of us shooting each other.

Now there are alot more people to shoot and we don't know half of them.

We still drive all over hells half acre to get to an organized (??) event.
Problem now is there is always one punk 14 year old ready to get in your face for something stupid. One even said..."I can say anything I want to your old ***, you even try and scare me and my dad will sue your ***" How do you argue with that logic?

Alot of guys that play the game I used to play, now play Airsoft. It's about Honor.
None of which exists today. At least that is my view, in my little corner of the world.

I will never sell the Mag. I even keep a couple of old tippmanns. The woodsball part of this sport is where it should be. The speedball? Not so much.

I love paintball, or I would not still be playing after all these years. My son is one hell of a tournament baller. Might even go somewhere with it...who knows. This sport is very fluid. One minute it seems very straightforward, and the next it is like it trying to self destruct. Only time will tell...

[Indi86]

The good old days for me was about 20 of us shooting each other.

Now there are alot more people to shoot and we don't know half of them.

We still drive all over hells half acre to get to an organized (??) event.
Problem now is there is always one punk 14 year old ready to get in your face for something stupid. One even said..."I can say anything I want to your old ***, you even try and scare me and my dad will sue your ***" How do you argue with that logic?

Alot of guys that play the game I used to play, now play Airsoft. It's about Honor.
None of which exists today. At least that is my view, in my little corner of the world.

I will never sell the Mag. I even keep a couple of old tippmanns. The woodsball part of this sport is where it should be. The speedball? Not so much.

I love paintball, or I would not still be playing after all these years. My son is one hell of a tournament baller. Might even go somewhere with it...who knows. This sport is very fluid. One minute it seems very straightforward, and the next it is like it trying to self destruct. Only time will tell...

Man, I don't usually play with kids like that anymore (thankfully), but the time tested method of these kids- and this is the only time I will say this- is bonus balling. Just keep shooting as long as the refs allow it. Ear shots tend to shut these kids up too. The threats, bad behavior, open cheating have all existed for as long as I can remember, they just seem to be more openly embraced now. It's quite sad, actually.

[slasherdan]

Man, I don't usually play with kids like that anymore (thankfully), but the time tested method of these kids- and this is the only time I will say this- is bonus balling. Just keep shooting as long as the refs allow it. Ear shots tend to shut these kids up too. The threats, bad behavior, open cheating have all existed for as long as I can remember, they just seem to be more openly embraced now. It's quite sad, actually.

Yeah the last time I dealt with one of those kids I ended up getting a really good laugh.

We were at Challenge Park for a Bachelor Party and we were asked if we wanted to join in their "Cross Town battle" ... Well it was the last game of the day and we said sure ...

I ended up on the second floor of one of the buildings with my Hurricane and I asked this one kid to cover the door that was below me cause the other team would set up charges to try to get in all the time.

I picked them off and he hosed them down .... They couldn't take us ....

Then this LITTLE ...SNOT NOSED ... KNOW IT ALL PUNK kid with what appeared to be the latest angel showed up and started yelling at us to shoot this and shoot that .... SCREAMING at the top of his lungs at my cover buddy to stick his gun out and start firing .... literally at nothing ...

Well lets just say I could only take 2 seconds of this crap so I told him to shut it. That the guy downstairs was covering my back and by default his as well cause if we can't stop a charge we're dead. How I didn't want him shot out because then we would be next ... Then I pointed out that I'd been playing the game longer then he was alive so he can take his "professional Level of play" and stick it.

Well he thought he'd show me up and demonstrate his "mad skills" and ripped off 40 some odd rounds and got some guy .... As soon as his latest elimination left a bunker another guy jumped in .... So I said "Oh you mean something like this??" And I popped that guy in one shot ... Then I popped two guys on the opposite side of the field with 4 shots, then we got charged and I popped 4 guys on their charged and two more as they reached the door.

I looked at the kid and told him to either lighten up or shut up. Three minutes later he walked off cause he was out of paint. Told him he'd still be playing if he learned some control as I popped two more guys.

The ref's were standing there laughing the entire time, they had to come up and check me all the time because the other team was complaining to other ref's that I should have been out with all the paint the threw at me. They were surprised that something as "ancient" as my hurricane was holding up the entire opposite team.

Told them if I didn't switch for the game and kept my Phantom I'd do just as good .... I had the superior position and superior backup and couldn't be beat. Towards the end of the game my backup ran out of paint and I dropped him a pod ... Told him short controlled burst and to make sure they count. He was with me the entire game to the end and it was his first time with his E-PMI. Said he learned more in that one game with me than he did all day with the refs and his friends.

So now I really hate punk kids and either go out of my way to take them out or show them up.

[REDRT]

I just haven't had problems with kids too much. Sometimes er alot of times there cocky, but that is what young people are all about. Defiant, cocky, rebelious ect. That doesn't bother me. I find the guys with a few seasons under there belt maybe late teens early 20s get sometimes out of line thinking there all that. In that case they're young adults and not kids. They eventually do learn in time and become ambassadors of the sport. The bad seed seldom grow with the sport.

[Jackel411]

Id still rather have the " Good old days " that what we have now even if that means sacraficing more money and less shops..

For instance......

- I still pay 100 bucks a case for field paint at out door fields , I just have to buy more of it now to make damn sure I put the snot nosed kid down after he wipes my first 4 hits.

- High ROF markers are self perpetuating sillyness.. yeah I can shoot faster but even with $40 case of paint , Im still going to spend the same money in a day to keep up with every one else.

- BITD , the game was played with honor , now... Im lucky if I play a game wear cheating and arguments dont happen

- Kids.... NUFF SAID!!! Although I started playing at 9 , I was brought up in the game , my father has been activly playing since I was 2. But..... now adays , 90% of ANY problem I have at work are directly corrolated to the kids , weather it be stealing guns , stealing paint , or throwing toilet paper all over the bathrooms.... Short part... if your under 16 I dont think you have any reason to play paintball

- Equipment.... todays stuff is well made?? HA!!! Why is it I have a pile of busted profilers that are barely 2 years old , mean while I have a JT Spectra 260 that is still in great shape from when I bought it back in *GASP* 1996. Guns... My shocker needs more attention than a sick 2 year old every time I use it.. but I have a early tippmann pro- am that I have never lubed , never cleaned , never even replaced a part on and it still works.



Yeah this was a bit of a rant.. but those that havent been around for the golden years of paintball 95 - 2000 you do not know what your are talking about , what we have here is just an over commercialized mire of cr... err... junk

[Pyrate Jim]

EDIT: Maybe I should include a picture of Pyrate Jim and his deuce to illustrate exactly how anti-AGG he is lol:

I was noticed!
I thought 2 revvy's on a pump WAS agg...Oh, well.

But on topic, these are the good old days happening right now.

Yes, back when we used dinosaurs for bunkers was great time. Players were generally older, there were far fewer places to play, and the games were more spread out and took longer. We were more laid-back and didn't have to contend with high ROF or fashion shows in the staging area. People had to go out of their way to play, making plans and finding gear. It wasn't an impulse thing and you played mostly with a few friends.

Now, the game is recognised everywhere. Paint has never been cheaper and it's a whole lot easier to clean up. (you couldn't wipe off oil-based paint easily) The choices of guns and gear are almost endless, and available in chain stores. The games you can play are limited only by a field owners imagination and pocketbook. Speedball and Tournament, Woods and Rec-ball, Scenario and Big Games...I can travel to any state in the Country and find a pick-up game within an hours drive.

It's never been better.

(BTW; Fox 4 put up their pics from that pump day, if you look closely at the right ones, you might spot the AGD Sydarm Pump..The Sydarm is #00087 )
http://www.fox4paintball.com/newsite...?date=20060506

[Grey Goose]

Yeah, if I had a dollar for every time I've heard "I'm a tourney player..."

I've finally just started saying, "But I doubt you're a tourney finalist..."

[nate2k191]

jaan: i totally agree.

quasimorte: yea. the last field i went to wasn't that great, the refs were young ion owners and they didnt even ref half the games, when they did, they barely cared (hardly any paint checks or attension payed). my friend went out and ref'd for the players, too bad he didnt get payed . The owner wasn't too bad, he gave us a decent deal on paint, but they were late opening up and when the n2 ran out they didn't hook up another tank.

I have to say the field owners i've seen recently are have been crappy... i need to go to better fields.

[hitech]

[phantomhitman]

I didn't come to paintball for the technology. In a heartbeat I would take the above conditions if it meant I would be playing with honest mature people. Even if the equipment evolved to where markers were accurate out 100 yards within 1 inch and a 68/45 tank allowed for 4000 rounds between fills, what does it matter when dealing with cheating? I play paintball for the people I play with. If the best there is is pumps, ok. Having my old SFL in hybrid mode bouncing out low 20bps on cheating swine is no fun because..... THEY CHEAT! My good old days are the days I played with the NorCal crew no matter what markers and equipment I used.

so the nor cal crew changed up and didnt invite you to play? did you friends stop being yoru friends? or did everyone you know that plays start cheating? i still do not get this arguement. It is more about the "good ole people" rather than the "good ole days". If you still play witht eh same group of friends or even met new people that you enjoyed palying with than there is no problem.

[hitech]

so the nor cal crew changed up and didnt invite you to play? did you friends stop being yoru friends? or did everyone you know that plays start cheating? i still do not get this arguement.

Zak moved out of the area...

[phantomhitman]

so now he cannot find people he likes to play with right?