EXL - Dead or just playing Dead?

[Wadidiz]

EXL is dead. Long live EXL!

PSP are experiencing growth in their divisional X Ball as every event this year has had around 50 teams participating. Preliminary indications show that the World Cup will have a very serious increase in the number of X Ball teams. And that is without reducing the game time or otherwise cutting the costs.

NPPL have done a bang-up job with the 7-player/dual-flag format. They have delivered quality and dynamism to the players, sponsors and viewing public. But the format is antiquated and slow compared to X Ball and everyone who has played both 7-player and X Ball will tell you that 7-player now seems real s-l-o-w. And which format most accelerates the development of key individual skills?

So what’s a Eurobody to think? Should we support a kick-ass organization that has proven their mettle in producing top-quality tourneys and has an obvious knack for successful media promotion, despite a format that is showing its age? Or choose the more exciting, more media-enticing format and hope for its success in making it to big-time TV?

Could we see two or three NPPL tournaments in Europe run totally by Pure Promotions? And perhaps a competitive series that runs 4 divisions of X Ball piggy-backed on a more traditional format (5-man/center-flag might be the key because more, lower division teams might be able to participate and because it is a more natural stepping stone to X Ball). The divisions could have progressively increasing game times: Division 3, 10-minute halves; Division 2, 15-minute halves; Division 1, 20-minute halves (like today); and Pro, 25-minute halves (like today). Shorter game times for the lower divisions might make it more affordable. (There would have to be some other adjustments to guarantee minimum game-time for the lower divisions; perhaps cut the running-clock time at the end of each half to one or two minutes.)

I’m sure even Mama Lambini’s crystal ball is cloudy on these points.

I’m sure it’s incredibly frustrating for the teams involved in EXL. There are two trains leaving the station at about the same time. The tickets for both are equally expensive, you only have enough money for one and both promise to take you to some marvelous destination at the end of the rainbow. And both promise a fantastic journey. One of the train services is a relative new-comer to the business but has already established great credibility. The other has disappointed us in the past but just might be on the right track to the pot of gold. The necessary confidentiality around such prospects only increases the level of frustration.

I’m sure the fact that teams, like Nexus, just started coming into their X Ball stride at the recent EXL means that some decisions have to be made with leanness of heart.

Why did the stars have to align themselves this way at this time?

What’s a Eurobody to think? C’est tres tres compliqué.

Steve

 

[Robbo]

Originally posted by Duncster
Quick question...

What are the Russian Legion doing through all this? Do they know something we do not? I mean, the NXL appears to be about to implode, a large percentage of EXL teams are trying to get into the NPPL top 18 (which in itself will probably kill the EXL, as these teams are probably the only guys who could actually afford it). Are they pinning all their hopes on the NXL surving?? Cus if it does, it's the only format they'll be able to play (and that's only if they can buy into the franchise - are there going to be any slots available?)

It just doesn't seem to make sense that they aren't at least giving the NPPL a go, seeing as they have invested sooo much in the XBall format. Just seems to me as though they're leaving all their eggs in one basket...

Whatever happens, media acceptance aint gonna happen without the "Big Game" format, which XBall allows... (take for example the scheduled RL/Philly game - Me, Bolter and a few non-paintball people intend to make the trip down to London just to watch this game, and I'm sure we aint the only ones). In a nutshell, Xball, or an Xball type format, NEEDS to survive and become accesible to all paintballers.
Dunc.

Dunc, I keep Sergey briefed in everything that goes on in the NXL, EXL and NPPL, we have the same information but his interpretation of events and facts is where we differ.
He has a 100% belief in the XBall format and that belief has led him to the decision to where he has selected one direction for his team, this decision has been made not least for the reason that he believes (and rightly so) that to train and play two formats would be detrimental to performances in both.
This consideration is the main determinant in him not playing the NPPL.
The Russkies have also got an NXL option which no other Euro team enjoys and he may play this card if things begin to look good Stateside.
If the NXL doesn't produce what Sergey wants and the NPPL tweaks its format to mimic XBall (or adopts XBall outright) then Sergey will I believe consider playing NPPL by whatever route he can.
This route may well be buying a NPPL franchise if that option is available or going thru the qualification process.
Sergey is a bight man, an extremely bright man and has resources that few of us can even dream of, and perhaps his strategy is right for a person in his position but remember, a lot of us ain't in his position and we have to make our decisions based upon our resources.

As for XBall or a similar format being accessible to all paintballers is the problem a few of us are addressing now but I do think the people who matter in this sport are fully aware of the impact XBall has made upon player and spectator alike, we'd be fools to ignore such reactions.

 

[Duncster]

The US have a far higher population, the US have a far higher population of rich people, the US have the majority of major paintball companies who provide sponsorship to a larger quantity of US teams than Euro teams. Basically - more US teams can afford to play the Xball format as it stands. I think the Millenium Open Xball says it all...

I'm liking the suggestion of shorter game times for the lower divs, but how about maybe introducing a team paint limit per match (accross all divisions). This would perhaps make the format cheaper for the lower divs (and the EXL teams). It would also provide an interesting "paint strategy" aspect to the game (ie, how will the coach decide on how to split the paint allowance throughout the match?)

The EXL and Xball in general would survive if it was accesible by all current 7man teams...

Dunc.

 

[Wadidiz]

Originally posted by Duncster
but how about maybe introducing a team paint limit per match (accross all divisions). This would perhaps make the format cheaper for the lower divs (and the EXL teams). It would also provide an interesting "paint strategy" aspect to the game (ie, how will the coach decide on how to split the paint allowance throughout the match?)

The EXL and Xball in general would survive if it was accesible by all current 7man teams...

This is my personal opinion but I think the limited-paint thing is a great idea but might be business-political impossible. I think limited paint and beaucoup teams would be much better than status quo and 6 teams. Or some other way to create an affordable and realistic threshold into pro X Ball.

To toy with the idea:

Should we make it simple and say the number of paintballs per team and we count the number they bring into the pit area?

What is a realistic number of cases per game in relation to game time? Anyone have any idea what the average consumption has been so far this year for Division/Open X Ball (20-minute halves) and NXL/EXL (25-minute halves)?

What happens when a team runs out of paint? Game over?

Steve

 

[Duncster]

When a team runs out of paint - sign of bad management.... tough shiznick. I suppose if the team wanted to concede the game, they could...

As for ball limits, I am unsure - couldn't even hazard a guess, but the limit would need to be considerably LESS than what is in use at the moment, in order to attract teams to the format. Perhaps the average paint consumption of a top 7-player team? This way the paint inustry doesn't lose out and everyone is happy...

D.

 

[Buddha 3]

There is always a third possibility....
If the NPPL were to do a format change, that would include the best points of the mighty X. If that happens, I think the NPPL will deliver a knockout punch to the PSP, unless the PSP somehow manages to up the ante by improving on it's productions.

Duncster has a good point. Though the US may see growth in the number of teams playing Xball, in Europe open X has only seen lackluster attendance after teams started finding out how much one event will set them back, let alone a whole season.
The fact that WC will have an incredible amount of teams playing X doesn't really mean anything though. It's only one event, and it's the WC. They always have a stupendous amount of teams. If all of these teams play X at the PSP events of next year, then I'll be impressed.

Oh well, interesting times ahead indeed.

Steve, pourqoui parlez vous Francais all of a sudden?

 

[Duncster]

The only exciting time during the NPPL/Millenium 7man, as a spectator, is the finals... but this is mainly (for me at least) due to the best-of-3 thing... perhaps the merge between formats needs to work along these lines - best of 5, or best of 7 with quick game turnarounds, or something, rather than just a quick 2 or 3 minute game...

Not sure about the logistics of how you would schedule such a tourney, but I imagine there would need to be a league system in place, with fewer individual matches rather than round robin divs llike there are now. Only problem with that is how do you get an overall event winner?

D.

 

[gaff]

Originally posted by Duncster
how about maybe introducing a team paint limit per match (accross all divisions).

hi Dunc,hope you are well!

this would mean basically playing hopper ball! cos most players only take two pots and a hopper on the field, with some taking three!

i dont think the cost of playing the tournament is any higher than 7man (paint bill is split by more people- if you pay for your paint ) the additional cost this season has been the higher level to which we are aspiring by training every weekend and midweek for some of us! we shoot more paint training than we do playing! but training that much is optional of course! so that added expense could be reduced - although i wouldnt reccomend it!

god i am glad we are well looked after by our sponsors!

 

[Duncster]

Hi Gaff, long time no speak mate... glad to see things are going well with the Jags!

If this is the case, then perhaps other teams just need to be edumacated! Or perhaps a paint limit still needs to be set, as I seem to remember reports/rumours of a certain EXL team shooting over 90 boxes in Paris... that's something like a 3k paint bill... even split 10 ways, that's 300 quid a piece... and if non-sponsored teams are expected to compete against people who actually get their paint provided, it'll soon cripple teams financially, either that, or prevent people from playing at the top level.

Perhaps being limited to a hopper and a pot per game wouldn't be so bad... The old 5 man limited paint events in the MM always made for extremely quick, exciting games... scale that up to Xball... I don't think it would detract too much from the format, if at all... and it may be just what the sport needs in order to make it accesible to existing teams, and potential newcomers to the sport...

D.

 

[Robbo]

Limiting paint as a viable option for making XBall more manageable, whilst seeming to be a viable option will never be considered, so we have to make the changes elsewehre I'm afraid.....