Tournament paintball is rubbish

[essx]

Thanks for the honest replies, think these have actually been some of the most revealing since i have been on baller!

I think the point regarding self classification as a pro team is a very interesting point!
We still see this to an extent with reards to teams buying spots in certain divisions, but i think there are many teams that do not want to take that step from fear now of being told they shouldnt be there?!
Surely this is a point where teams should have to earn the status of a pro team, through results, and respect from other teams and players?

even back in the day, i can imagine there were teams that were frowned upon with the title of "pro" next to them? and others who were regarded as genuine top teams?

I think the financial side of playing "pro" now is a massive one i agree, as with the levels of support/sponsorship reduced each year due to economic issues, but it is still suprising the amount of people who manage to find the cash to play!

 

[John C]

The format played back then had qualifying rounds that pitched pros against everybody else [amateurs and novices] and the pros only ended up playing against themselves after that primary qualifying round.
Seeded groups were the preferred playing format back then and although it wasn't perfect, it did have a lot of redeeming points that made it more enjoyable and greater value for money.

I probably sound like a stuck record but this is one of the biggest things missing from the modern game.

Back then, tournaments truly had Value for amateur teams and it didnt cost the promoters anything.

 

[Robbo]

Thanks for the honest replies, think these have actually been some of the most revealing since i have been on baller!

I think the point regarding self classification as a pro team is a very interesting point!
We still see this to an extent with reards to teams buying spots in certain divisions, but i think there are many teams that do not want to take that step from fear now of being told they shouldnt be there?!
Surely this is a point where teams should have to earn the status of a pro team, through results, and respect from other teams and players?

even back in the day, i can imagine there were teams that were frowned upon with the title of "pro" next to them? and others who were regarded as genuine top teams?

I think the financial side of playing "pro" now is a massive one i agree, as with the levels of support/sponsorship reduced each year due to economic issues, but it is still suprising the amount of people who manage to find the cash to play!

I think anybody who doesn't acknowledge the fact tourney ball has to change has his head up his ass.
The two most important factors when considering our situation is :-

a) Xball [or any similar derivative] was created for TV and also for teams who were heavily sponsored, which of course any team appearing on TV would be.

b) The recession hit paintball on two fronts :
1) The sport itself plateaued around 2005 and then went into a gradual, linear decline, and this was due to several reasons but let's not go too deep at this point coz there's no point; it's just important to acknowledge paintball's own decline quite distinct from the more general economy.

2) The general economy went into recession and compounded our sports decline transforming the gradual linear into a more serious death spiral.

And so, we have a completely inappropriate format that is far too expensive to play even if you did have the money, which you ain't [generally speaking], hardly the sort of conditions to inspire recovery, or even stability.

 

[SimonGiles]

The club I play with have been offering the following format for over 12 months now :-

Semi-only, limited paint (2 pots and a hopper, per point), multi-point games (i.e. best of 4).

As an example, at the next event we are organising, if we have just 4 teams, that is 12 games of paintball / about a box of paint per person / £15 entrance fee...

= 12 x 5man style games, for £35.

This not a drastic format change - just something of a hybrid. And I think this offers fair value for money.

So far we have not dropped any club members or teams, only grown (slowly).

 

[Gassy]

I would love to see a mechmarker only division at some events.

It may help to introduce new players to tournies and encourage those on a tighter budget who don't want to shoot boxes and boxes of paint or buy a electronic marker to play more.

Just a thought

 

[Tony Harrison]

WDP addressed the VFM factor years ago with their limited paint formats.

So why don't we just have the X-Ball format with limited paint?

A hopper and a pot per player will encourage movement, at least.

 

[Robbo]

The club I play with have been offering the following format for over 12 months now :-

Semi-only, limited paint (2 pots and a hopper, per point), multi-point games (i.e. best of 4).

As an example, at the next event we are organising, if we have just 4 teams, that is 12 games of paintball / about a box of paint per person / £15 entrance fee...

= 12 x 5man style games, for £35.

This not a drastic format change - just something of a hybrid. And I think this offers fair value for money.

So far we have not dropped any club members or teams, only grown (slowly).

Hmmmm, and so, this option has all the elements I am suggesting are missing and the format is growing... it's not rocket science is it guys?

'Growing' ......now there's a novel word ......

 

[Thib]

But why semi-auto only ?

Capped ramping mode allow a much more fast game, without having stupid consumption at 10bps.
I used to shot a lot more when we were still playing in semi-auto ....

 

[Gassy]

But why semi-auto only ?

Capped ramping mode allow a much more fast game, without having stupid consumption at 10bps.
I used to shot a lot more when we were still playing in semi-auto ....

I agree Thib,that's why I mentioned the mech markers to keep fire rates down.Or even gravity hoppers.

 

[Oily]

Just read Gadget's blog on the F5 and the game plan sounds good,I'd have a go anyday.
Only thing I would change and others have mentioned this is the amount of paint used,limit teams to a certain amount,i.e 5 boxes per team per match or a hopper full and 4 pots per man per 15min match as an example just to keep costs down for players.