Am I the only person who has no problem with paintball today?

[glickstue]

There is a fairly high percentage of people here on AO that have been playing paintball for quite some time (10+ years). People who have stuck around that long have a personal investment in paintball for them it's not just a passing fancy. They have seen quite a bit of change in the game, some good some bad. The good things like cheap paint prices are just accepted while the negatives such as the glorification of the "gangster life" and cheating are, in their view destroying something they hold quite dear.

In the end we're all just regular people and it's often easier to complain and find fault in others rather than face our own failures. We all give into the temptation of pissing and moaning now and again, especially when we have a sympathetic audience that will agree when we say "the good old days were so much better" when in reality this is only a partial truth.

[Warwitch]

How old are you/how long have you been playing? I ask because many of the players that have issues with the current state of PB have been playing for 10 or 15 years. Myself being one of them. Plenty enough time for the "sport" to develop and effectively change the face of paintball. I would also go so far as to say there are more Maggers in the woods than on the speedball courses. Many of the negatives associated with speedball are spilling over into woods games. Wiping, overshooting, mode cheats, etc. Its become all about who has the most pimp gear, shoots the most bps and curses the most at the refs. I guess some of us just want to get back to having a good time. I dont have as much beef with the game as some do these days but if you have NO PROBLEMS with where the sport is headed, you arent looking close enough

[Triangle]

How old are you/how long have you been playing? I ask because many of the players that have issues with the current state of PB have been playing for 10 or 15 years. Myself being one of them. Plenty enough time for the "sport" to develop and effectively change the face of paintball. I would also go so far as to say there are more Maggers in the woods than on the speedball courses. Many of the negatives associated with speedball are spilling over into woods games. Wiping, overshooting, mode cheats, etc. Its become all about who has the most pimp gear, shoots the most bps and curses the most at the refs. I guess some of us just want to get back to having a good time. I dont have as much beef with the game as some do these days but if you have NO PROBLEMS with where the sport is headed, you arent looking close enough

I'm 20 years old, I've been playing since I was 9 years old.



I have no problems with where the sport is headed. Why am I not looking close enough?

[warbeak2099]

Subjectivity FTL!

[Warwitch]

Because problems exist. If you cant see them, then you arent looking close enough, dont care, or arent affected by them. Others are.

What he said.

[CKY_Alliance]

. Scratch that.

[neppo1345]

Because problems exist. If you cant see them, then you arent looking close enough, dont care, or arent affected by them. Others are.

I think the point was to show that it doesn't bother the majority, but in fact it's the very small minority who have a problem...

We only ever hear the few people complain who had a bad outing, never the hundreds who go out and play every weekend without a problem.

This thread is a nice departure from the usual people with their panties in a bunch complaining about 'cheating' and where the sport is going.

[Lenny]

Yeah, we tend to simply belittle those idiots... At least thats what I noticed when AO-OH got together. It made for a good time sitting and making fun of the AGG kids that were trying to play with us...

Yeah, they had a really hard time contending with us, and most of us were playing pump!

(Just dawned on me; the majority of us used pumps at an AO day... Is that contradicting?)

We need another one. I say, mid January? Anyone?

There is a fairly high percentage of people here on AO that have been playing paintball for quite some time (10+ years). People who have stuck around that long have a personal investment in paintball for them it's not just a passing fancy. They have seen quite a bit of change in the game, some good some bad. The good things like cheap paint prices are just accepted while the negatives such as the glorification of the "gangster life" and cheating are, in their view destroying something they hold quite dear.

Woohoo! Nine years for me in March! (Been playing since I was ten)
And you're right. I honestly couldn't tell you how important paintball is to me. And I have no way to describe the way I feel when I play, read, or even think about it.


Really, this is a good thread. I'm usually good about keeping my head when it comes to cheaters. It just really bugs me how so many players glorify it and say that it's "part of the game" and such. But even then, I still find a way to have fun.

[Aggravated Assault]

I think a lot of the "discussions" you are refering to in this topic has more to do with the politics surrounding the industry, tournaments, the leauges, rules, etc. How is it any different different than talk radio: Rush bashing the libs and Al Frankin bashing the right....Its kinda like that here on AO. I don't think any "side" loves paintball any less, different people have different ideas on what paintball is, or should be.


I agree its a lot of "subjectivity"

Lest we forget that old black and white clip of a disc jockey smashing records proclaiming rock and roll will never last.

[WenULiVeUdiE]

Because problems exist. If you cant see them, then you arent looking close enough, dont care, or arent affected by them. Others are.

It seems to me that those who have a "problem" are those who are, for lack of better terms, stuck in the past. Typically, they wish the 90's were back when Semi was still new and apparently there was no cheating.

I go to the local field. I do not see anyone have a bad day over what is happening in the PSP or NXL or NPPL. I see people, at times, get into arguments, which happens in every sport. Nothing is wrong with paintball. It is just evolution.

[RogueFactor]

It seems to me that those who have a "problem" are those who are, for lack of better terms, stuck in the past. Typically, they wish the 90's were back when Semi was still new and apparently there was no cheating.

It may seem that to you, but I know plenty of those that didnt start playing until the new millenium, and still have issues. Hard to be stuck in the past when they dont have a "90's" past in paintball and started playing post-2000.

I go to the local field. I do not see anyone have a bad day over what is happening in the PSP or NXL or NPPL. I see people, at times, get into arguments, which happens in every sport. Nothing is wrong with paintball. It is just evolution.

Ironic. Nothing is wrong with paintball, but evolution implies it changed. If there was nothing wrong with it, it wouldnt have needed to 'evolve'.

One thing for certain, it will evolve again. Because there is something wrong. Its good to know you embrace change, because when it happens and you have an issue, we can all say you are just stuck in the '2000's' :rofl:

You must have missed the part where I said...

Its human nature to avoid confrontation, and rather than voice their negative experience many instead will just avoid exposing themselves to it.

This means that people just stop playing.

Ultimately it also means that fields, shops, and mfr's feel the squeeze before any player trying to observe the status of an industry at their local field would. Lack of attendance, walk-thru traffic, and sales is a better indicator than what someone "sees at the field" on any individual day. Numbers dont lie, something is wrong.

When sales are down, when shops close, when fields close, when tournament series are having issues, when fewer teams attend events, when fewer manufacturers attend events, when fewer events are put on, when sponsorships dry up, when manufacturers consolidate or merge, it means we are not in a growth cycle...and these are all better indicators of the status of the industry than what you might see on any given day.

As previously stated, if your pocketbook or livelihood was effected, you might view things differently. Those who have been in the industry since the 90's have 2 things you dont 1) Experience 2) The ability to have survived.

If they have an issue, its likely for a bigger reason that "being stuck in the past".

It seems to me that those who dont have a "problem" are those who are, for lack of a better term, ignorant. They are just blind to whats going on, and ignore the obvious in hopes it will go away.

[zorrotmm]

It may seem that to you, but I know plenty of those that didnt start playing until the new millenium, and still have issues. Hard to be stuck in the past when they dont have a "90's" past in paintball and started playing post-2000.

I didn't get serious about the sport until post-2000, my livelihood is not affected by it, and I still have issues with the sport. It's not as though I don't like paintballing anymore, I can still go and enjoy myself. But that doesn't mean that I don't see when something doesn't work as it could or should. We're not saying that everyone should stop enjoying paintball. But we ARE saying that there are problems, and they need to be addressed, and we need to improve. To ignore it all and say that nothing is wrong, you can't stop cheating, the current formats are sufficient and there is no other way is just apathy. By all means, talk about the positive sides of paintball and how much you enjoy it, but there's no reason people shouldn't talk about what needs to be improved.

[WenULiVeUdiE]

It may seem that to you, but I know plenty of those that didnt start playing until the new millenium, and still have issues. Hard to be stuck in the past when they dont have a "90's" past in paintball and started playing post-2000.

Ok, so all that means is both of our points are moot and mean nothing.

Ironic. Nothing is wrong with paintball, but evolution implies it changed. If there was nothing wrong with it, it wouldnt have needed to 'evolve'.

One thing for certain, it will evolve again. Because there is something wrong. Its good to know you embrace change, because when it happens and you have an issue, we can all say you are just stuck in the '2000's' :rofl:

Evolution in no way implies something is wrong with the sport. Such a statement would imply that pump play was "wrong" or playing with CO2 was "wrong".

Ultimately it also means that fields, shops, and mfr's feel the squeeze before any player trying to observe the status of an industry at their local field would. Lack of attendance, walk-thru traffic, and sales is a better indicator than what someone "sees at the field" on any individual day. Numbers dont lie, something is wrong.

When sales are down, when shops close, when fields close, when tournament series are having issues, when fewer teams attend events, when fewer manufacturers attend events, when fewer events are put on, when sponsorships dry up, when manufacturers consolidate or merge, it means we are not in a growth cycle...and these are all better indicators of the status of the industry than what you might see on any given day.

As previously stated, if your pocketbook or livelihood was effected, you might view things differently. Those who have been in the industry since the 90's have 2 things you dont 1) Experience 2) The ability to have survived.

If they have an issue, its likely for a bigger reason that "being stuck in the past".

It seems to me that those who dont have a "problem" are those who are, for lack of a better term, ignorant. They are just blind to whats going on, and ignore the obvious in hopes it will go away.

Maybe I have missed what this thread is really talking about. I did not mean to imply that the entire industry, relating to lack of sales or what have you, is wrong. I completely agree that sales have dropped and some of your other examples. I was referring more to the tournament scene relating purely to the game. Maybe I am thinking too much about the debate a few weeks back relating to ramping...

I'll make a general statement alittle later, when I can articulate my thought alittle better.

[Triangle]

Fact: Rogue is Never wrong.
Fact: Rogue will always win.

[Lenny]

Fact: Rogue is Never wrong.
Fact: Rogue will always win.

Fact: Facts are facts.
Fact: Triangle knows the facts.