Paintball

I had taken up the sport around 1987 and, until a few years ago, would play several times a year. Friends and I used to drive 1.5 hours to the closest field that we knew about. The game and the equipment was much different back then. The equipment: pump guns using CO2 cartridges with 10-15 round stick feeds with 10 round tubes to reload from. Slightly thereafter, the stick feeds increased to 20-40 round ammo boxes. The apparel: camoflage. The game: capture the flag with 30-45 minute time limit. The field: wooded and rural areas with forts at each flag station.

Over the years, the game and equipment have evolved. The guns have evloved to shoot faster and the game has grown to reflect a faster-paced, high-energy game that has made several appearances on TV. Now, the equipment:electronic semi/full auto guns using compressed air in mini scuba tanks. The ammo boxes hold up to 200 rounds with motors and electronics to make them feed reliably. The apparel: bright flashy jerseys and kevlar padded purpose-built pants. The game: for the most part still capture the flag but the goal is more elimination than getting the flag with 15-20 minute time limit. The field: much shorter and smaller with obstacles or inflated bunkers or even indoor locations as well.

Over the years, I have had to upgrade my equipment to keep up with the arms race. I even gave into paintball fashion. Through the years of playing, I probably have owned a little over 10 but less than 20 guns, 4 of which I still own. Some people have owned that many at any given time. I tended to purchase guns that were mid to low end and my skills were mid to low end. Nothing over $400-$500 ever made it into my inventory. There have been guns that cost in excess of $1500.

In the last few years, there has been a resurgence, you might say, for the old school style of play. To this, I mean the growth of the military simulation, milsim, or scenario-based games. These involved elaborate storylines with mulitple goals to accomplish played on a large scale with possibly hundreds of participants. These games have been set up on military bases or training grounds as well as large intricately set up fields. The guns do not have to be blazing at 33 rounds per second. More often than not, these players opt for weapons that tend to look more realistic. An added benefit of these games involves you being able to come back in after you have been shot out. Not so with regular paintball. Once you are out, you wait until the next game starts up. another twist is the ability to play 24 hours straight through the night.

I may not have been very good at it but I enjoyed playing it and thats all that really matters. I question why I keep most of my paintball stuff around. If I sell it off, it signals the end of an era. There are so many places to play nowadays, maybe you should get out there and give it a shot.