Now before I fly over to the states and see what all the fuss is about regarding X-Ball and before the next load of posts saying how great it was etc, I figured I would do a little bit of out loud thinking...feel free to dissagree
X-Ball as I understand it, is a normal paintball game with the added incentive of trying to score extra points within a preditermined time frame some differing parts with the sin bin but other than that basically the same ...objectives to be attained and points awarded upon completion (sounds at the moment like a senario game !!???)
Now it has been posted that the ultimate goal for the furthering of the X-Ball format is the formation of a league with a structure that encompasses certain citys within the US and then it will "become" the height to which all paintballers will want to reach? the competion for places on the teams will become the equivelent of the "draft" (as found in other american sports, though I doubt it will follow the same lines as the lowest placed team in the league gets to choose the number 1 player in the draft as in the system currently applied in the other american sports)
Now it has been stated that this new format will attract outside sponsorship ie TV and so on, right can see that...but thats not the issue.
Other things that have been posted in speculation as to the formation rules for the teams to become this new breed of paintballers. It has said that they (the players) will be contractually obliged to play in the X-Ball format to the exclusion of any other format...that can't be good, surely that will move X-Ball to becoming a side show...however well featured on TV and magazines (not PB mags 'cos we know they will feature it).
Now it has occurred to me that should this league format appear in the new year (2003) then what will happen, will it go the same way as the NHL that realised that they needed outside teams to make it competitive (outside in this case was canadian teams) and does this also mean that this format (X-Ball) will suddenly declare themselves as having a "World Series" despite the whole event/format is only available to americans based within designated american regions. At least the NPPL/PSP event schedule does allow outside teams to compete in the World Cup...not lots of them go over and even their inclusion annoys a lot of people due to the possibilty of the teams that have played in all the events that year not gaining enough series points, but I degress, the current title of World Cup although stretching a point does become valid due to the inclusion of those foreign teams.
Now the next step could be the formation of foreign teams playing in the X-Ball format, but then who and when would they play, can't do it in america as that isn't allowed under the releases of the formation rules,perhaps it will have to be a once a year Nations Cup as was run at the IAO. If formed within mainland Europe for example then as I understand it the sites wishing to run with this idea (X-Ball) will have to pay for the idea to allow them to set up a field to do it ...now the promotor is going to increase his "green fee" to the competing teams to cover this outlay making paintball even more expensive than it already is, plus where can teams practice drills within an X-Ball format, same situation (money to be paid out).
Don't misunderstand this post I am not against a format that I have yet to witness (soon to change) but in all the posts about X-Ball not once have I seen a list of the objectives and rules so my "idea" of the game has been gleaned from postings and info from the magazine coverage. But, and that word keeps coming up, if all of the intended things happen then what the hell is going to happen and what good is it to the teams competing, will it become "sports entertainment like WWF which is a quatum leap away from the real sport of wrestling. It just doesn't look as good as it seems to be have painted.
Once again feel free to comment as I said at the beginning of this post this is all "thoughts".
ta for reading this long post
X-Ball as I understand it, is a normal paintball game with the added incentive of trying to score extra points within a preditermined time frame some differing parts with the sin bin but other than that basically the same ...objectives to be attained and points awarded upon completion (sounds at the moment like a senario game !!???)
Now it has been posted that the ultimate goal for the furthering of the X-Ball format is the formation of a league with a structure that encompasses certain citys within the US and then it will "become" the height to which all paintballers will want to reach? the competion for places on the teams will become the equivelent of the "draft" (as found in other american sports, though I doubt it will follow the same lines as the lowest placed team in the league gets to choose the number 1 player in the draft as in the system currently applied in the other american sports)
Now it has been stated that this new format will attract outside sponsorship ie TV and so on, right can see that...but thats not the issue.
Other things that have been posted in speculation as to the formation rules for the teams to become this new breed of paintballers. It has said that they (the players) will be contractually obliged to play in the X-Ball format to the exclusion of any other format...that can't be good, surely that will move X-Ball to becoming a side show...however well featured on TV and magazines (not PB mags 'cos we know they will feature it).
Now it has occurred to me that should this league format appear in the new year (2003) then what will happen, will it go the same way as the NHL that realised that they needed outside teams to make it competitive (outside in this case was canadian teams) and does this also mean that this format (X-Ball) will suddenly declare themselves as having a "World Series" despite the whole event/format is only available to americans based within designated american regions. At least the NPPL/PSP event schedule does allow outside teams to compete in the World Cup...not lots of them go over and even their inclusion annoys a lot of people due to the possibilty of the teams that have played in all the events that year not gaining enough series points, but I degress, the current title of World Cup although stretching a point does become valid due to the inclusion of those foreign teams.
Now the next step could be the formation of foreign teams playing in the X-Ball format, but then who and when would they play, can't do it in america as that isn't allowed under the releases of the formation rules,perhaps it will have to be a once a year Nations Cup as was run at the IAO. If formed within mainland Europe for example then as I understand it the sites wishing to run with this idea (X-Ball) will have to pay for the idea to allow them to set up a field to do it ...now the promotor is going to increase his "green fee" to the competing teams to cover this outlay making paintball even more expensive than it already is, plus where can teams practice drills within an X-Ball format, same situation (money to be paid out).
Don't misunderstand this post I am not against a format that I have yet to witness (soon to change) but in all the posts about X-Ball not once have I seen a list of the objectives and rules so my "idea" of the game has been gleaned from postings and info from the magazine coverage. But, and that word keeps coming up, if all of the intended things happen then what the hell is going to happen and what good is it to the teams competing, will it become "sports entertainment like WWF which is a quatum leap away from the real sport of wrestling. It just doesn't look as good as it seems to be have painted.
Once again feel free to comment as I said at the beginning of this post this is all "thoughts".
ta for reading this long post
