Well folks its all over for another year.
We would just like to say firstly a HUGE thank you to all the staff who worked their asses off to put this game on – everything you saw at the weekend was built or arranged or moved from the original site within 18 days!!
Basically we were left at very short notice with very few choices. If you look at our options they were as follows:
1. Cancel completely and disappoint hundreds of folks who had already arranged their bank holiday weekend away?
2. Postpone at the original game site until after August when the Buzzard chicks fly the nest?
3. Move to the Penkridge site – build the game, arrange off-site camping and parking, and keep our fingers crossed for good weather.
In the end option 3 seemed the most painful for us (in terms of workload, cost, stress etc) but the best option for the players – we believed we could still provide an excellent days play and could cope with the logistical problems which would undoubtedly arise.
We would like to thank YOU the players for coming in your droves and making the best of a less than perfect situation. In the end from the feedback we have received we think around 70% of the players had a totally cracking weekend – many saying it was the best weekends balling ever!, about 20% liked the game but not the organisation and external arrangements, and about 10% absolutely hated it all (and have been very quick and vocal in their condemnation of the whole event)
I would like to comment on a couple of the specific criticisms and apologise accordingly…
Firstly the mud – You must understand that over 50% of the area which ended up inside the players tent was mature planted trees only 2 weeks ago, we knew that removing them would leave it very muddy if the weather was unkind, but time and lack of another large enough area meant we had to take the chance and at least make sure that everyone had somewhere out of the rain if the heavens opened – Likewise the trade vendors was also wooded and again the rain on Friday all day, then on sat night overnight, left it like a quagmire.
Food – apologies for sure required on this score, we had a company lined up to provide a Pig Roast and hot pork sandwiches etc on Sunday and they failed to turn up (still no definitive answer why, we have had some mumblings about a cock-up they had at a wedding on Saturday) – They had booked the slot and paid a fee to be there so we had absolutely no reason to assume they would not show!
The other vendor did they best they could in the circumstances and Lisa was kicking herself that she made the decision to bring one catering van when she was told she was more than welcome to bring a 2nd if she liked – a commercial decision on her part again made on the basis that there was to be another vendor anyway. All that said, I hardly got a drink or a bite all day myself due to the crazy queue so I understand how you all feel there.
With regards the game itself I feel that any big game operator is always gonna get some stick whatever the size and layout of the game..YES it was smaller than we had at the other site but the vast majority really enjoyed playing it. It seems that if the spawn points are too close it’s a problem because players get shot on respawn, on the other hand if the spawn points are away from the action its too far to walk!
We addressed this by having moving game entry points so that you could always respawn without getting lit up as soon as you stepped on the game, regardless of how the game moved back and forth.
The atmosphere on the campsite on Sat night was great and to let you understand the whole situation with regards the Forestry Commission - they were fine with the partying, music, booze and even FIRES were not a problem as long as we were sensible. They went ape-**** about 2 things, the fireworks and firing of paintball markers on the campsite – well I personally witnessed flares flying over my head from one end of the campsite to the other, seen commercial or military grade Smoke canisters discharging AND heard and saw dry firing of markers several times DESPITE everyone being given explicit instructions to the contrary at registration – not exactly a great advert for paintballers especially with families etc around but I guess there are always one or two !. Even with all this they still stayed calm.. I got a call to meet them at the main gate, when I got there I found 6 rangers in 3 jeeps who basically said they were there to clear the site but would not even come on-site if we could assure them that there would be no more fireworks or dry-firing .. after a brief discussion they agreed to leave the remainder of the nights policing to us. Anyway we have had a debrief meeting with them this morning and they are 95% happy with the whole event so everything is cool with them.
Parking – of course you want your car as close to the playing area as possible, I hate long trecks with my kit myself, but again circumstances meant it couldn’t be done on site and it seems that the bus shuttle service was fast and efficient and all in all worked quite well.
From all the staff at Warped we would like to thank you for supporting us through a very difficult couple of weeks, sincerest apologies for whatever you didn’t like and massive big-ups to everyone who helped us make it happen!
Great hard fought battles all day and a very intense game is what we hope the game will be remembered for rather than the problems we had to overcome.
Next year? Who know, right now we are all a bit shell shocked and still cleaning up the aftermath. One things for sure, there will be NO 2k6 game unless the PERFECT venue (with plenty of space alongside to cater for parking, camping, trade area, and players marquee) should come to our attention in the next couple of months.. its fantastic to see the smiling faces at the end of the day but we have neither the resources, the inclination, or thick enough skins to try to make do with anything less than perfect conditions in the future.
Pics, scores and event report will be posted on the website (www.warpedpaintball.co.uk) as soon as we get the clean-up finished.
We would just like to say firstly a HUGE thank you to all the staff who worked their asses off to put this game on – everything you saw at the weekend was built or arranged or moved from the original site within 18 days!!
Basically we were left at very short notice with very few choices. If you look at our options they were as follows:
1. Cancel completely and disappoint hundreds of folks who had already arranged their bank holiday weekend away?
2. Postpone at the original game site until after August when the Buzzard chicks fly the nest?
3. Move to the Penkridge site – build the game, arrange off-site camping and parking, and keep our fingers crossed for good weather.
In the end option 3 seemed the most painful for us (in terms of workload, cost, stress etc) but the best option for the players – we believed we could still provide an excellent days play and could cope with the logistical problems which would undoubtedly arise.
We would like to thank YOU the players for coming in your droves and making the best of a less than perfect situation. In the end from the feedback we have received we think around 70% of the players had a totally cracking weekend – many saying it was the best weekends balling ever!, about 20% liked the game but not the organisation and external arrangements, and about 10% absolutely hated it all (and have been very quick and vocal in their condemnation of the whole event)
I would like to comment on a couple of the specific criticisms and apologise accordingly…
Firstly the mud – You must understand that over 50% of the area which ended up inside the players tent was mature planted trees only 2 weeks ago, we knew that removing them would leave it very muddy if the weather was unkind, but time and lack of another large enough area meant we had to take the chance and at least make sure that everyone had somewhere out of the rain if the heavens opened – Likewise the trade vendors was also wooded and again the rain on Friday all day, then on sat night overnight, left it like a quagmire.
Food – apologies for sure required on this score, we had a company lined up to provide a Pig Roast and hot pork sandwiches etc on Sunday and they failed to turn up (still no definitive answer why, we have had some mumblings about a cock-up they had at a wedding on Saturday) – They had booked the slot and paid a fee to be there so we had absolutely no reason to assume they would not show!
The other vendor did they best they could in the circumstances and Lisa was kicking herself that she made the decision to bring one catering van when she was told she was more than welcome to bring a 2nd if she liked – a commercial decision on her part again made on the basis that there was to be another vendor anyway. All that said, I hardly got a drink or a bite all day myself due to the crazy queue so I understand how you all feel there.
With regards the game itself I feel that any big game operator is always gonna get some stick whatever the size and layout of the game..YES it was smaller than we had at the other site but the vast majority really enjoyed playing it. It seems that if the spawn points are too close it’s a problem because players get shot on respawn, on the other hand if the spawn points are away from the action its too far to walk!
We addressed this by having moving game entry points so that you could always respawn without getting lit up as soon as you stepped on the game, regardless of how the game moved back and forth.
The atmosphere on the campsite on Sat night was great and to let you understand the whole situation with regards the Forestry Commission - they were fine with the partying, music, booze and even FIRES were not a problem as long as we were sensible. They went ape-**** about 2 things, the fireworks and firing of paintball markers on the campsite – well I personally witnessed flares flying over my head from one end of the campsite to the other, seen commercial or military grade Smoke canisters discharging AND heard and saw dry firing of markers several times DESPITE everyone being given explicit instructions to the contrary at registration – not exactly a great advert for paintballers especially with families etc around but I guess there are always one or two !. Even with all this they still stayed calm.. I got a call to meet them at the main gate, when I got there I found 6 rangers in 3 jeeps who basically said they were there to clear the site but would not even come on-site if we could assure them that there would be no more fireworks or dry-firing .. after a brief discussion they agreed to leave the remainder of the nights policing to us. Anyway we have had a debrief meeting with them this morning and they are 95% happy with the whole event so everything is cool with them.
Parking – of course you want your car as close to the playing area as possible, I hate long trecks with my kit myself, but again circumstances meant it couldn’t be done on site and it seems that the bus shuttle service was fast and efficient and all in all worked quite well.
From all the staff at Warped we would like to thank you for supporting us through a very difficult couple of weeks, sincerest apologies for whatever you didn’t like and massive big-ups to everyone who helped us make it happen!
Great hard fought battles all day and a very intense game is what we hope the game will be remembered for rather than the problems we had to overcome.
Next year? Who know, right now we are all a bit shell shocked and still cleaning up the aftermath. One things for sure, there will be NO 2k6 game unless the PERFECT venue (with plenty of space alongside to cater for parking, camping, trade area, and players marquee) should come to our attention in the next couple of months.. its fantastic to see the smiling faces at the end of the day but we have neither the resources, the inclination, or thick enough skins to try to make do with anything less than perfect conditions in the future.
Pics, scores and event report will be posted on the website (www.warpedpaintball.co.uk) as soon as we get the clean-up finished.
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