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Talking Bollox .... Myths demistified !!

Tony Harrison

What is your beef with the Mac?
Mar 13, 2007
6,518
1,874
238
Edmonton Impact are the most successful team in the World currently.

How about reaching out to them and asking what makes them successful?

Then we have it from the horses' mouth, so to speak.
 

Nev

www.never-land.co.uk
Mar 31, 2004
244
17
38
39
under a rock.
www.never-land.co.uk
I'd like to compliment OldPaint for pointing out that this is a multi dimensional game and so the various variables a player is faced with will determine what is necessary in the moment to be a great player. I also felt bad that my last comment pretty much killed the conversation so lets give Robbo some support and see if my top 10 list will bring about any debate or approvals amongst the community.

Lets imagine that paintball was Free to play and everyone had the available time to train relentlessly and play events. Lets assume that everyone had the same marker setup and gear, and all was in great condition with an endless supply of batteries that magically replaced themselves. Lets also assume that everyone had epic footwear that ensured stability in all conditions and surfaces. Lets assume that everyone had working eyes, legs, fingers and were not restricted by any brain or body malfunctions. Lets assume that all players felt every shot (and exited the game accordingly) and marshals were robots that don't miss anything, never make mistakes, and always get players out before any confusions can occur, thus eliminating penalties. Finally, lets assume that everyone had a team of players (clones of themselves) that they trusted with their lives, and transport and accommodation to events was all organised and ensured each player arrived to training or events in a state of maximum comfort so that each could give it 100% on the field.

Even with all this checked off the list we still have variables that occur on the day and come as standard to the game; Like for instance the weather and the way the game plays out.

Let me see if i can pull together a top 10 list with only these 2 variables.

The weather can change the properties of the paintball, either making them catch rain or absorb moisture thus redirecting their destination, hardening and softening under temperature fluctuations making them bouncier or more brittle.
This said, accuracy must be dropped from the final list under certain conditions, as the trajectory of your shot cannot be confirmed. It can however, be overcome by effective and efficient barrel cleaning or simply by closing your range to ensure that your opponent is within acceptable range of the spread of your shot. For this to work the player needs to be calm and collected under stressful situations in order to be efficient at cleaning and to be willing to get closer to their target, safely. Also let it be known that being erratic or un-calm, is a ticket to your own demise. It opens up lots of risk and puts your game in the hands of fate. Some you'll win, some you'll lose. By being calm you can control your movements and proceed safely whilst still having the image of a badass that you might receive by getting lucky as an erratic player.

So the only points mentioned so far (and in order) would be:
To remain calm under stressful situations.
To know how to advance the field safely.
To be accurate in shooting.

Next lets look at breakouts. Is it that important to ensure someone is taken out on the break? I'd say no. I'd call it a bonus (in most cases lucky) and say that the breakouts main use is to close down potential routes so that your opponents don't get into locations that are devastating for your team. Is it important to be fit and fast? I'd again say no. Of course the lack of speed will restrict the locations that you can safely get to, but at the same time, without running and being slightly on the heavy side you can still lay devastating lanes down in the right places whilst taking a few slow steps towards your closest suitable bunker. Do you need to be accurate to block a lane and restrict the path of your opponent. I'd say no. So lets assume that breakout just means knowing where to shoot in order or restrict the movement of your opponent whilst getting to your primary (and has nothing to do with ground covered or number of kills) and drop these new items into the list:

To remain calm under stressful situations.
To know how to advance the field safely.
To be effective at breakouts.
To be accurate in shooting.
To be physically fit.

Next, lets look at staying tight. I'm pretty sure that this also means different things to different people. To me it doesn't mean curling up into a tight little ball or necessarily making yourself a smaller target by use of flexibility or squeezing up close to a bunker, It just means staying hidden (so i'll use that description instead). This means not exposing yourself or parts of your body to your opponent. You can do that right out in the middle of the field by using blindspots which appear or disappear as the game evolves. If you was a master of staying hidden, then theres no reason why you can't go and hit a buzzer or capture a flag without the use of your voice or even a marker. So I place that just behind breakouts (because if you cant get to your primary.. you're not in the game).

Next up is communication. I'm actually going to divide this into 2 areas. Listening and understanding, and speaking and delivering. Listening and understanding can be done in both team and 1on1 situations. It involves listing to your team, listening to opponents and gunshots, seeing opponents and team members moving, looking for shadows, smoke from barrel tips, lanes and direction of shots fired. Looking for shadows and the movement of boundary nets and shots splashing on nets, bunkers and the ground. Also watching the movement of the robot marshals and the crowd if there is one. Basically being aware and receptive to your environment. With this you can build a mental map of the field and determine the best path for your assault or defence. You can do this without saying a word and comes in very handy when you're in snake 4 or the centre bunker preparing an attack, or when you're the last player in back right defending a 3 on 1 attack.
Speaking and delivering in the process of taking this map that you have in your mind, and delivering it to any teammates you may have left, in order to maximise your chances of survival and success. For this you need to be able to describe bunkers in a way that your team understands and use non confusing sounds, actions or words that get to the point quickly. There is no doubt that a team that has effective deliverance will dominate a team that doesn't. The reason is: A team with no deliverance (in a 5on5 scenario) is effectively playing 1 vs 5.. 5 times, whereas the team with deliverance is playing 5 vs 5, once. To use odds i'd say its best to be on the 1:1 side than the 1:5 side. However due to this only being effective when other teammates are available, i wouldn't put it as high on the list. It would go above breakout though because seeing your opponents on the start gate may change your plan, so communication is key. So here's my updated list:

To remain calm under stressful situations.
To be able to listen and understand.
To know how to advance the field safely.
To be able to speak and deliver.
To be effective at breakouts.
To be able to stay hidden.
To be accurate in shooting.
To be physically fit.

I would say that the next important points would be Adapting to conditions and Tricks. The game changes all the time. As players drop or the field is opened or closed at any side, the way to play the game changes. If you can adapt to these changes, fixing your style of play, communication techniques, direction of attention and of course acknowledging those new blind spots, then you are safe to continue. I'd say that this was one of the most important factors, but at the same time, impossible if you don't have other areas in our list under control.
Tricks are a fantastic bonus that help you advance or understand your surroundings more effectively. They are found in all the items in the current list. Tricks like wrapping allow you to clarify your perspective and potentially take out players. Crawling safely gets you up the field in harder spots. Running and gunning, diving and shooting, snap shooting, long balling, rapid hand swaps and using both hands for shooting are a few worth mentioning. The biggest trick i would say would be controlling your instincts and logic mid game, thus avoiding getting yourself into dangerous and possibly unnecessarily overcomplicated situations.

And so that would conclude my (in an almost perfect environment) list of 10 most important things to learn to become a great player or team:

1: To remain calm under stressful situations.
2: To be able to listen and understand.
3: To know how to advance the field safely.
4: To be able to Adapt to conditions.
5: To be able to speak and deliver.
6: To have a nice array of tricks under your belt.
7: To be effective at breakouts.
8: To be able to stay hidden.
9: To be accurate in shooting.
10: To be physically fit.

I hope i explained everything clearly and in a way that can be understood across all forms of play. Let me know if you feel any different :)

Peace.
 
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Robbo

Owner of this website
Jul 5, 2001
13,114
2,157
448
London
www.p8ntballer.com
I'd like to compliment OldPaint for pointing out that this is a multi dimensional game and so the various variables a player is faced with will determine what is necessary in the moment to be a great player. I also felt bad that my last comment pretty much killed the conversation so lets give Robbo some support and see if my top 10 list will bring about any debate or approvals amongst the community.

Lets imagine that paintball was Free to play and everyone had the available time to train relentlessly and play events. Lets assume that everyone had the same marker setup and gear, and all was in great condition with an endless supply of batteries that magically replaced themselves. Lets also assume that everyone had epic footwear that ensured stability in all conditions and surfaces. Lets assume that everyone had working eyes, legs, fingers and were not restricted by any brain or body malfunctions. Lets assume that all players felt every shot (and exited the game accordingly) and marshals were robots that don't miss anything, never make mistakes, and always get players out before any confusions can occur, thus eliminating penalties. Finally, lets assume that everyone had a team of players (clones of themselves) that they trusted with their lives, and transport and accommodation to events was all organised and ensured each player arrived to training or events in a state of maximum comfort so that each could give it 100% on the field.

Even with all this checked off the list we still have variables that occur on the day and come as standard to the game; Like for instance the weather and the way the game plays out.

Let me see if i can pull together a top 10 list with only these 2 variables.

The weather can change the properties of the paintball, either making them catch rain or absorb moisture thus redirecting their destination, hardening and softening under temperature fluctuations making them bouncier or more brittle.
This said, accuracy must be dropped from the final list under certain conditions, as the trajectory of your shot cannot be confirmed. It can however, be overcome by effective and efficient barrel cleaning or simply by closing your range to ensure that your opponent is within acceptable range of the spread of your shot. For this to work the player needs to be calm and collected under stressful situations in order to be efficient at cleaning and to be willing to get closer to their target, safely. Also let it be known that being erratic or un-calm, is a ticket to your own demise. It opens up lots of risk and puts your game in the hands of fate. Some you'll win, some you'll lose. By being calm you can control your movements and proceed safely whilst still having the image of a badass that you might receive by getting lucky as an erratic player.

So the only points mentioned so far (and in order) would be:
To remain calm under stressful situations.
To know how to advance the field safely.
To be accurate in shooting.

Next lets look at breakouts. Is it that important to ensure someone is taken out on the break? I'd say no. I'd call it a bonus (in most cases lucky) and say that the breakouts main use is to close down potential routes so that your opponents don't get into locations that are devastating for your team. Is it important to be fit and fast? I'd again say no. Of course the lack of speed will restrict the locations that you can safely get to, but at the same time, without running and being slightly on the heavy side you can still lay devastating lanes down in the right places whilst taking a few slow steps towards your closest suitable bunker. Do you need to be accurate to block a lane and restrict the path of your opponent. I'd say no. So lets assume that breakout just means knowing where to shoot in order or restrict the movement of your opponent whilst getting to your primary (and has nothing to do with ground covered or number of kills) and drop these new items into the list:

To remain calm under stressful situations.
To know how to advance the field safely.
To be effective at breakouts.
To be accurate in shooting.
To be physically fit.

Next, lets look at staying tight. I'm pretty sure that this also means different things to different people. To me it doesn't mean curling up into a tight little ball or necessarily making yourself a smaller target by use of flexibility or squeezing up close to a bunker, It just means staying hidden (so i'll use that description instead). This means not exposing yourself or parts of your body to your opponent. You can do that right out in the middle of the field by using blindspots which appear or disappear as the game evolves. If you was a master of staying hidden, then theres no reason why you can't go and hit a buzzer or capture a flag without the use of your voice or even a marker. So I place that just behind breakouts (because if you cant get to your primary.. you're not in the game).

Next up is communication. I'm actually going to divide this into 2 areas. Listening and understanding, and speaking and delivering. Listening and understanding can be done in both team and 1on1 situations. It involves listing to your team, listening to opponents and gunshots, seeing opponents and team members moving, looking for shadows, smoke from barrel tips, lanes and direction of shots fired. Looking for shadows and the movement of boundary nets and shots splashing on nets, bunkers and the ground. Also watching the movement of the robot marshals and the crowd if there is one. Basically being aware and receptive to your environment. With this you can build a mental map of the field and determine the best path for your assault or defence. You can do this without saying a word and comes in very handy when you're in snake 4 or the centre bunker preparing an attack, or when you're the last player in back right defending a 3 on 1 attack.
Speaking and delivering in the process of taking this map that you have in your mind, and delivering it to any teammates you may have left, in order to maximise your chances of survival and success. For this you need to be able to describe bunkers in a way that your team understands and use non confusing sounds, actions or words that get to the point quickly. There is no doubt that a team that has effective deliverance will dominate a team that doesn't. The reason is: A team with no deliverance (in a 5on5 scenario) is effectively playing 1 vs 5.. 5 times, whereas the team with deliverance is playing 5 vs 5, once. To use odds i'd say its best to be on the 1:1 side than the 1:5 side. However due to this only being effective when other teammates are available, i wouldn't put it as high on the list. It would go above breakout though because seeing your opponents on the start gate may change your plan, so communication is key. So here's my updated list:

To remain calm under stressful situations.
To be able to listen and understand.
To know how to advance the field safely.
To be able to speak and deliver.
To be effective at breakouts.
To be able to stay hidden.
To be accurate in shooting.
To be physically fit.

I would say that the next important points would be Adapting to conditions and Tricks. The game changes all the time. As players drop or the field is opened or closed at any side, the way to play the game changes. If you can adapt to these changes, fixing your style of play, communication techniques, direction of attention and of course acknowledging those new blind spots, then you are safe to continue. I'd say that this was one of the most important factors, but at the same time, impossible if you don't have other areas in our list under control.
Tricks are a fantastic bonus that help you advance or understand your surroundings more effectively. They are found in all the items in the current list. Tricks like wrapping allow you to clarify your perspective and potentially take out players. Crawling safely gets you up the field in harder spots. Running and gunning, diving and shooting, snap shooting, long balling, rapid hand swaps and using both hands for shooting are a few worth mentioning. The biggest trick i would say would be controlling your instincts and logic mid game, thus avoiding getting yourself into dangerous and possibly unnecessarily overcomplicated situations.

And so that would conclude my (in an almost perfect environment) list of 10 most important things to learn to become a great player or team:

1: To remain calm under stressful situations.
2: To be able to listen and understand.
3: To know how to advance the field safely.
4: To be able to Adapt to conditions.
5: To be able to speak and deliver.
6: To have a nice array of tricks under your belt.
7: To be effective at breakouts.
8: To be able to stay hidden.
9: To be accurate in shooting.
10: To be physically fit.

I hope i explained everything clearly and in a way that can be understood across all forms of play. Let me know if you feel any different :)

Peace.

Apologies for my absence guys - once again, I've been distracted by some of life's ups and downs and merry-go-rounds ....
Mind you, I think Nev has caught me up in terms of writing loooooong posts but I think that's a good thing because at least it means people are taking a time-out and thinking about the subject matter in hand.

Note For Nev - I'll answer your message later mate !!
 

Robbo

Owner of this website
Jul 5, 2001
13,114
2,157
448
London
www.p8ntballer.com
Nev, saying that our sport is multidimensional in agreement with oldpaint is a bit like agreeing that -

'Soccer uses a round ball' - who in their right mind would suggest otherwise inasmuch as who would suggest that paintball is one-dimensional??
Nobody would least of all myself.

Nev, you'll notice that oldpaint is a first time poster - he opened his account on Feb 1st, posted once, and hasn't posted since - this should tell you something mate ....
We've witnessed this type behaviour many, many times over the years and if people wish to contribute to threads of this type then all they have to do is post without the protection of anonymity, and it gets left alone - as long as it stays within the remit of a positive contribution, and free from malicious attacks on people.
I made sure this was the case and as far as I can make out, the email address he uses when he signed on is false.
As to why people use this device of a first-time poster?
They tend to be gutless nobodies who believe they have something to say but won't do it under their own identity - and as such, I've deleted it ... end of !!
Genuine first time posters are obviously exempt from the chop ...

Back to your post:- I was going to answer it without quoting paragraphs but unfortunately, if I wish to clarify points, explain reasons why I think you've gone awry then it's gonna mean I need to quote paragraph by paragraph.
Is this is a problem?
Only insomuch as it will create the world's longest paintball post but if it takes that then I'll run the risk of boring people to death or giving up half way through, come to think of it, giving up a quarter of the way through ...
For what it counts, I'll be back ...
 

Nev

www.never-land.co.uk
Mar 31, 2004
244
17
38
39
under a rock.
www.never-land.co.uk
Nev, you'll notice that oldpaint is a first time poster - he opened his account on Feb 1st, posted once, and hasn't posted since - this should tell you something mate ....
We've witnessed this type behaviour many, many times over the years and if people wish to contribute to threads of this type then all they have to do is post without the protection of anonymity, and it gets left alone - as long as it stays within the remit of a positive contribution, and free from malicious attacks on people.
I made sure this was the case and as far as I can make out, the email address he uses when he signed on is false.
As to why people use this device of a first-time poster?
They tend to be gutless nobodies who believe they have something to say but won't do it under their own identity - and as such, I've deleted it ... end of !!
Genuine first time posters are obviously exempt from the chop ...
Fair one :p :)
 

olliewidd

Well-Known Member
Jul 5, 2012
1,557
250
118
36
Ill be honest here Pete. As a relatively newer player ( since 2008) I've been brought up to believe and practise the "1 case 1 kill, accuracy by volume" theory of tournament paintball and the emphasis was always on communication, game plans and slick teamwork and the idea of staying tight was merely implied but very rarely practised. People just expected you to know how to play tight and actually I think its a hard skill to master because its all too easy to over expose yourself when coming out of your bunker when actually It takes a great deal of repetition to get the muscle memory to know what's too much or too little and what's just right (in terms of body exposure). Likewise the idea of snap shooting has always been a "fun" drill if you like, something to do to fill a few minutes of practise before you go back to scrimmaging or comms drills or whatever it was that was deemed more important. I've been to very few practises where the aim of the day was to hit tiny targets consistently. I'm not going to say that that thing doesn't exist anymore because I'm sure it must do but I've never seen it myself. As a team player and a team captain I'd always looked to have the better game plan rather than the better players because that's how you win a game right? They cant possibly shoot you off the field if your game plan is better right? Well its only been relatively recently that I've been convinced out of that mind-set and the first was actually The Shoreline Rangers when they came to play in the same division as me at the CPPS. Now I knew the Rangers when they were a woodsball team called the Warren Wood Rangers and my first thought when I saw them on the field was "those lads are f**ked, how are woodsballers ever going to compete on a tourney field. Pah!" and then they went and shot us all f**kless and won nearly all their games. Since then they've gone nowhere but up from div 5 to div 3 to div 2 and now finally to div 1 and I have every expectation for them to be playing in the Elite by the end of the year. Now when they first started playing their playing style was truly horrible with all the old woodsball fads: holding the gun with one hand whilst pulling the trigger with the other hand, trigger fanning, all kinds of stuff but I tell you what, those boys knew how to shoot people off the field because bodies were dropping like it was going out of fashion. The worst part of losing to them was knowing you'd just been shot out by someone who was trigger fanning, it was a real kicker but actually the problem wasn't with the way they shot at all, it was the fact that I wasn't good enough to compete with them. Their "non-verbal" communication was their other winning asset and they just seemed to know what everyone was doing without it being said which made our lives difficult because you didn't ever get to hear their calls as they really didn't say much, they didn't need to. It made all our complex bunker IDs and G count calls a bit superfluous really. They showed that with good gun skills and slick teamwork/good communication that they were a real powerhouse team and since then they've just gone up and up and up, pretty much winning every division they've competed in. The other learning experience for me was watching Nick Sanders put a ball through the lid of a jerry can that was swinging from a tree at about 30ft away with an autococker. I tried with 5 shots and didn't hit bugger all and I thought myself a pretty good shot. Nick's response was "the problem is that people just don't practise the art anymore" and it gave me a whole new respect for what you old school guys were capable of. The game and the players have both evolved in a huge way since then but it seems the basic skill sets required to play the game have been forgotten about along the way and I think if the new guys coming in could be educated in the mind-set and practises of old as well as the skills required for todays game then we'd have some real players getting pumped out.
 

Dup

Well-Known Member
Aug 17, 2012
303
43
48
33
Paintball is indifferent to any other sport, to be good, you have to practice... everything. Having a top 10 list is like telling a striker playing football to only practice scoring goals... yes that's his main aim, but what happens when he's not on the attack, he has to play defensive... do we expect him to stand there and look lost (granted most footballers are, but the analogy works).

What to practice, again is a mute point. Everything... from shooting a mint from 30ft away, to learning how to slide to minimise your profile. As a team member you should be able to play every position to an exceptional standard, not just what you like to do.

But part n parcel with all that comes your generic sporting "obviousness"... yes communication, teamwork, independence are all part of it, on and off the field. I want to know that we can play as a team, read each other whether that's by me shouting "he's in the ****ing snake" and half my team gunning the snake, to them saying, well you're in the snake so bloody well shoot him back.

Paintball has evolved from the uncapped semi to ramping which I believe has made it a much more tactical game (although it did take the art out of sitting on the sofa with a leggy band pretending to work those finger muscles). Everyone is on a relatively level playing field in that sense. Especially with things like m500 coming about. But back to the reason this thread exists. Everyone should "know the basics" but what people determine are basics are different. From a paintball sense, you want to know your team can shoot straight, keep tight in bunkers, learn to lane. It's about perpetration and practice. That's why coaches exist.

I think it's impossible to list a top 10 because that list wouldn't cover paintball fundamentals, let alone things such as good home life and spirit, fitness etc.

You want a teammate that is as good as you. If you aren't fit, or able to shoot a pebble 30ft away, don't expect your team to be able to either. But if you practice, then it all comes together. If you're better, your team can rely on you for good shooting, good comms, good pit time and preperation. But there shouldn't be and it's probably why there isn't a "how to be good at paintball" guide. Similar to how there isn't a book to be good at any other sport. Practice and common sense is all you really need.... and a good coach when you've mastered the above.
 

OldPaint

New Member
Feb 1, 2017
1
0
1
107
Hi Pete and all,
Sorry, if I badly offended anyone Pete, it wasn't intended at all.
I was actually as genuine an original poster than the email adress I'm using right now (the very same one I'm also using for my business). You might have tried it for a check and see if someone would have answered your concern. I guess I would have answered any question you could have about me.

Actually, it took me at least 30 minutes to read, think and write about your original post as my English sucks and maybe it actually didn't sound as I wanted it to (only a tiny bit of irony).

The only reason I have never posted before is that I have disapeared from the paintball scene since 1998 and never looked back until then. It's possible that the last time I've played in tournament (in Pittsburgh) was my worst game ever... while using your frigging automag ! I landed here randomly as your site came up while googling some keywords triggering your history of paintball to pop up. Hence I have posted only once, but only after reading it from the begining to the end.

You are right, soccer use a round ball and Rugby a different one. What I meant is that Rugby doesn't require the same skills when playing at 15 or 7 while using the very same ball and basic rule set. When playing a larger format than 1 vs 1 in Paintball, it seems that collective skills are growingly important over individual ones for a team to become a successful one, including managerial issues and out of the field concerns (like money and sponsoring). Which is why some posters made good points when speaking about other factors than what you had listed for your ranking.

Sorry for the trouble Pete, and back to work,
S~
Olivier

Nev, saying that our sport is multidimensional in agreement with oldpaint is a bit like agreeing that -

'Soccer uses a round ball' - who in their right mind would suggest otherwise inasmuch as who would suggest that paintball is one-dimensional??
Nobody would least of all myself.

Nev, you'll notice that oldpaint is a first time poster - he opened his account on Feb 1st, posted once, and hasn't posted since - this should tell you something mate ....
We've witnessed this type behaviour many, many times over the years and if people wish to contribute to threads of this type then all they have to do is post without the protection of anonymity, and it gets left alone - as long as it stays within the remit of a positive contribution, and free from malicious attacks on people.
I made sure this was the case and as far as I can make out, the email address he uses when he signed on is false.
As to why people use this device of a first-time poster?
They tend to be gutless nobodies who believe they have something to say but won't do it under their own identity - and as such, I've deleted it ... end of !!
Genuine first time posters are obviously exempt from the chop ...

Back to your post:- I was going to answer it without quoting paragraphs but unfortunately, if I wish to clarify points, explain reasons why I think you've gone awry then it's gonna mean I need to quote paragraph by paragraph.
Is this is a problem?
Only insomuch as it will create the world's longest paintball post but if it takes that then I'll run the risk of boring people to death or giving up half way through, come to think of it, giving up a quarter of the way through ...
For what it counts, I'll be back ...
 

Robbo

Owner of this website
Jul 5, 2001
13,114
2,157
448
London
www.p8ntballer.com
I'm just getting the take-aways sorted for tonight's fight and most of the guys from my boxing club are coming around to watch someone get blattered but I've got my doubts re Joshua - he hasn't fought anyone of note and if anyone can expose Joshua's weaknesses then it's gonna be Klitchko and so on that note, I'll respond tomorrow.
By the way, nobody has offended me or anyone else from what I can see and so if this thread gets re-kindled then it'll be of interest for some people, hopefully.

Laters peeps !!