Idea !!!

[weedave]

7 man was fun to play but not spectator friendly. Looking back on it now - its just boring to watch. I'd much rather see the likes of Moscow being 4-0 down and coming back and winning 5-4 in a final than Dynasty beating the Russians in two games (usually the way it went back in 7man).

Some of the old fields were cool with the big centre pieces and stuff but the witches hats and rockets that went along with them were rubbish.

 

[Parksy]

7 man was fun to play but not spectator friendly. Looking back on it now - its just boring to watch.

Is it not the point though that pretty much all paintball is poor to watch, other than odd games like you mentioned. So why are we so worried about how fun it is to watch (if it was made 'better' / 'easier' to watch for a TV deal which isn't going to happen) when we all actually play and on the very odd occasion watch it?

 

[weedave]

Because there are still spectators at events who want to watch decent games. Back in 2000 you would check your schedule for a decent pro game, walk to the field it was being played and watch sometimes a 60sec-2min game then have to walk to a different field to try and catch another one and so on. Now your sat in a packed CPL stand getting involved in the game with chants from the crowd etc

Xball also promotes paintball as a sport in the sense that you actually need to be fit to do it instead of old 7man days were fitness wasn't an issue.

 

[NSKlad]

Sounds like it would be nice, but does this not totally nullify the effort I was under the impression that people were making to unify the sport and have a common, global format?

Or is it being suggested to make 7man this format?

 

[Gadget]

Given that we're the ones paying the money, it makes a lot more sense to build the format around what works best for players rather than spectators - unless of course the spectators fancy paying for our entry and paint, in which case we'll play in thongs and flipflops if it makes them happy.

If we assume that the shift to 5 man was seen as a necessity to allow UK teams to practise the same format as US teams, has it been a success? No.

We have half a dozen really good teams and even those aren't really at the same standard as the cream of the US squads.

Out of all of the UK tournament players, how many get to play against the top foreign teams on even a semi-regular basis? 20......50? Should we really be basing our format decisions on what might benefit them, rather than the majority?

Run UK tournaments with the format which is the most fun, allows the most people to participate (that includes the older, fatter and less fit amongst us) and that offers the best value for money.

Bigger fields, bigger bunkers, longer games, more players and sod what the rest of the world is doing.

 

[Bolter]

I liked 7 man, but I only really liked finals day of 7 man as you got to play each team in a best of 3 games format. This for me would be brilliant, but I can only see a whole tournie of it working if it was in a league system, but that I dont like so much. I did like locked leagues at first, but grew to detest it after a couple of seasons. Much preferred self seeding, and getting a few games against some big teams

 

[b.johnson]

I'd much rather see the likes of Moscow being 4-0 down and coming back and winning 5-4 in a final than Dynasty beating the Russians in two games.

I agree. Some of the games over the weekend were fantastic watching the fightbacks and the 5 minute snap shoot battle to win the final was awesome. It's not the end of the world if you lose points in x-ball and it encourages a more aggressive, tactical game which is better to play and watch. I've never played 7 man so I can't make a comparison between the two but I have played 5 man and I find it quite boring.

 

[head_-_shot]

I've just watched a few of these games, and in my opinion they are as good to watch and in some cases better, because of having more players on the field there are a lot more big and entertainingly crazy moves being made!

if its cheaper for players - more players and less money per person which means more people want to play, and the squad size would mean more can get involved such as new players who want maybe one or two games to start of tourneys

And by the looks of things its just as entertaining to watch maybe there could be tweaking of game went, game time , ramping limit, and general format rules that could easily make it more entertaining.

....also the Unknown soldiers played 7 man, and if that isn't entertaining paintball then I don't know what is

 

[Tony Harrison]

About 19 months ago, I floated the idea of a 7-Man uncapped semi event in Blackpool.

Not in some remote field, but actually right in the town centre.

It appears we have come full circle.

Would you like me to organise something for next summer?

 

[Scotty J M]

Im not sure if this has been mentioned. But what about combining 7man and X-Ball.

i have to admit i didnt join the paintball world when 7man was about, however playing an X-Ball event was just absolutely amazing. i like the idea of crowd shouting and everything, reminds me of having the crowed at a football game just makes you want to play better for the crowd which in turn makes your day better