Thoughts Please ...

[Dark Warrior]

I don't think we have a big issue with the new players playing as a lot of sites are very busy. It's giving the 'New' players a platform to get into the tourney scene that won't scare them off !

I have always had an issue with little joey coming to play his first game and some Ollie Lang wannabe sandbagging in a lower div ramping 15 (now 12) bps into him. You can just imagine the look on mum and dads face. They no doubt have seen the bruises he has come home with after woodsballing

 

[Buddha 3]

I don't think we have a big issue with the new players playing as a lot of sites are very busy. It's giving the 'New' players a platform to get into the tourney scene that won't scare them off !

That's exactly what I mean. (although I have also seen it happen to people that just want to play woodsball, albeit in a lesser scale than in tournaments). As soon as the fun factor is gone, bye bye player.

 

[Robbo]

And maybe this is where Wendy and Steve (Bull) can come in, and for want of a better description, I will call them 'parachute events' whereby they provide a soft landing from woodsball to tourney, and players who make the leap from rec ain't jumping straight into the heat of an XBall, full on, in yer face event ..and with all the problems that brings for the first time player.
To coin a rather corny but a somewhat appropriate saying, 'you don't get a second chance to make a first impression'.

Wendy's idea at least parachutes any prospective tourney guys safely into place and in that way, we can increase the chances of those guys remaining in our sport.

Sounds like a plan to me ...

 

[SimonGiles]

I don't think kit startup costs are a problem, when you can buy an Ion for £140.

Total costs are the same now for a supair tourny as they were for a woodland tourny back in the day; so I cannot see cost being a substantial factor.

I think the problem for newbies wanting to start playing tournaments is the amount of time spent on the field - for some poor fella at his 1st event, getting blasted in 5 games before he makes his first bunker, then getting mugged within 40 seconds in another couple - he is gonna have to be some kinda rich masochist to keep that up more than a few times. This makes for low retention.

I cannot see how this can be addressed within the current supair tournament game (which admittedly can be great fun, and a true sporting endeavour).

Maybe some alternative tourny scene, speedball based, with bigger fields / more bunkers, probably not inflatable bunkers (make life easier for site owners), and maybe with kit restrictions (blowback only, or max retail of £200 ?) - create a really fun, easy to play format that punters can see and what to try out, and have some success at straight away (at least spend more than 120 seconds total on the field at their first event !). A lot of old timers (holy * that's almost me !!!) and other ballers will happily stick at this level, whilst it gives a great springboard for those that then want to move onto the hardcore supair scene. Stop trying to get everyone to play Supair tournaments ! Give them an easier (and better value for money) alternative.

Apologies if I am repeating all of the above and starting to sound like a broken record !

 

[Buddha 3]

Simon, I fully agree with your description of what happens to a new guy at a serious tournament, that is one of the reasons why the fun factor is low for new guys, but it's also a technological one.

Yes, an Ion may only cost 140, but don't forget that for many new guys the gun is not the only expense. There are the goggles, possibly clothing, battle pack, and a heap of other stuff. And a good retailer will advice a first time buyer to not save on his goggles, so if somebody is on a budget, 140 for a gun may still be a lot...

Either way, the threshold is low, it's easy to get into paintball. It's hard to stay in and I think that these parachute events will help. But like pretty much anything "build it and they will come" will not work. It will require promotion, either on a local level if it's to be small scale (quite likely), or nationwide if going for big. Sure, there is this website and a few others that can help, but these new guys will also have to be pointed to this website, which will also require promotion. And for that we may need the help of some potentially unwilling site owners...

 

[SimonGiles]

But like pretty much anything "build it and they will come" will not work.

Yeah. I was thinking about having a word with my local site, Action Paintball in Kent, and see what they thought about running a recball tourny soon. Then I thought about trying to talk some people into coming and playing it... I will mention it when I talk to him next though.

I wonder if the existing paintball marketting machines (Delta Force and Ministry) could be brought / bought in and utilized ... ? One for Robbo and his basebat bat maybe

 

[Robbo]

I wonder if the existing paintball marketting machines (Delta Force and Ministry) could be brought / bought in and utilized ... ? One for Robbo and his basebat bat maybe

Bloody cheek, I might remind you, the pen is mightier than the sword (baseball bat) - I have relinquished any personal reliance on violence and have seen the errors of my ways and realised it was such a disgusting and totally unnecessary way to go about things . ...... I just get some friends of mine to go do it all now

 

[newboy]

I haven't posted in this thread before as I don't really feel "qualified" to do so. I have an idea but Iam not sure of how practical it would be.One of the problems with Uk Paintball as I see it, is the age of the players involved.What if we could get players involved at a younger age?Like a "junior paintball league"(i.e age 8-12).The "markers" would be a low powered affair,shooting a soft "ball".I got the idea from Missy Qs post about "nerfball".For example,we could have these events alongside other "real" paintball events.If the idea did work,how would this help the future of paintball?Well,it would maybe get players "hooked" at a younger age with the prospect of progressing onto the full game when they are old enough.Whilst the equipment used would differ from the real game,the rules and general understanding of the game would,in theory remain the same.

 

[Dark Warrior]

I haven't posted in this thread before as I don't really feel "qualified" to do so. I have an idea but Iam not sure of how practical it would be.One of the problems with Uk Paintball as I see it, is the age of the players involved.What if we could get players involved at a younger age?Like a "junior paintball league"(i.e age 8-12).The "markers" would be a low powered affair,shooting a soft "ball".I got the idea from Missy Qs post about "nerfball".For example,we could have these events alongside other "real" paintball events.If the idea did work,how would this help the future of paintball?Well,it would maybe get players "hooked" at a younger age with the prospect of progressing onto the full game when they are old enough.Whilst the equipment used would differ from the real game,the rules and general understanding of the game would,in theory remain the same.

Remember that there is a min age permitted for insurance purposes.

Here's a thought for you

Is it coincidence or not - but since the introduction of ramping and x-ball (in its various forms) to the UK - The number of ballers has fallen off dramatically.
Have organisers been lead astray by those few wannabies who think they can take on the yanks and not looked after their bread and butter customers leading to low turn outs at events and disillusioned players who just wanted to play for the fun of playing.
Even without support from companies it is cheaper for me to buy a new marker now than it was when I first started playing SupAir and that goes for the ancillary products as well. The cost of playing 5 man tournies has hardly increased in that time either.

Discuss at will

 

[Ledz]

There isn't if it's not paintball !!!!