I find the inverse snobbery X-Ball in Europe (actually more specifically in the UK), generates as rather amusing. Those not playing or probably ever seen the format are very quick to dismiss it as being far too expensive and elitist. Sure it is expensive to play, what top level sport isn't. I mean do you think people who compete in either Club Class or "run what you brung" Motor sport stand there and pontificate loudly "oooooohhh, Formula 1 that's **** that is, well expensive, can't afford that". Well don't you think that both Formula 1 drivers and EXL players have actually done something to deserve the levels of financial assistance they get? (that's sponsorship not "incentivised buying" by the way). After all from a European perspective the EXL is "all" the Pro players?
However this thread is about the format itself, so politics and cash money aside I'll attempt to explain why I believe X-Ball should and MUST be the most important format in Paintball. In a nutshell it is the highest evolution of every single skill required to play paintball, and introduces additional ones. Here's my list of critical skills:
1.Aggression, kill kill kill (in a controlled manner of course).
2.Tactics, multiple game plans and tactics are key, completely redefined field walking.
3.Dominance, domination of the opposition to impose your game plan on them.
4.Preparation, pit crews, set-up, training.
5.Equipment, top of the line guns and equipment.
6.Fitness, key to playing back to back games and the fast based nature of the game requires a heightened physical prowess.
7.Intelligence (especially adaptive), ability to recognise patterns in play and adapt to these. Also the ability to overrule certain instincts and concentrate on your own job.
8.Individual Skill sets, snap shooting, running and shooting, staying tight, getting into bunkers, lane shooting, the list is endless
9.Redundancy, making sure you have enough kit and guns. You can't play X Ball with only 1 gun and hopper each
10.Teamwork, trust in each other, helping each other out, filling pots etc etc
11.Coaching, needs to have massive experience and knowledge call the correct plays at the right time. Manage the score board and timer
12'ish. Playing off the wall, this reverts back to intelligence because certain scenarios may require some off the wall or even slightly less than white tactics. I'm not referring to cheating, but there are psychological angles played out in X not quite so in 7 man.
Fall down or be insufficient in any of these areas, and you will get punished. This is a scary thought for many non-X ball teams to grasp. No longer can you turn up, pay your cash and expect to go out on field with minimal preparation and competent skill sets in only certain areas. X-ball requires proficiency across the board, and increased emphasis on some areas.
Generally in 7 man, teams take on or have certain characteristics. Certain UK teams I can think off are very good at individual aspects or tactics of the game. Infact so good they could go on winning tournaments such as the PA purely on their ability to shoot people out of the Bunkers from their back line. In X-Ball this might win you the odd point, but your opposition is simply going to adapt and instigate another game plan. This isn't the case in 7 man where you play different teams, so a single game plan "could" serve you well as there is little or no adoption required. Remove a teams only game plan and the ability for teams to switch tactics instantly makes any format of paintball more interesting.
Once it sinks into peoples nuggets that you can't exist with 1 game plan and one skill set, a whole other set of skills also need to be worked on becomes apparent (you might realise that TRAINING is key). Again a SCARY concept for 95% of UK teams. It is actually Cheaper to train than to play punter or novice tournaments too, and the benefits to your game are evident. The skill sets of X Ball teams training rather than playing local or UK domestic events means abilities are polarising at an alarming rate. A big catalyst of this is the X-Ball format. If players in the UK were ranked in order of ability (which is going to be very difficult), at a guess I'd say pretty much the top 75 out of 100 are ALL either playing or training for X-ball (btw that top 100 includes all the "genuine" Divisional Pros and AM A's and a good proportion of genuine AmB ability players).
You don't have to be the very best player to be a valuable addition to any X-ball team, as Red Merkin says, it is almost a Club Structure, and different people have different skills to bring to the table. Just because they don't bunker doesn't mean they couldn't go out and lock a field down for 3 minutes or even perform the Coach or Caller role. It can be played at a Divisional Level if you can put into place all the applicable skillsets, the player's individual skillset is a vital part of this but not the be all and end all. It could be argued that players are simply automations, but this simply makes all the other elements that much more interesting.
This huge mix of variables, game plans and skill sets simply makes X ball a more cerebral and interesting format to play and watch. Having to optimise in each area places a huge emphasis on training, and that hopefully will improve the level of the UK game. And anyone who thinks X Ball skills are not applicable to 7 man is in for a nasty shock if X does go up the swanny. If those players who've trained for X suddenly turn up on the UK Domestic Scene en masse at the PA or Dartford 7's for instance; that's a whole load of left handed shooting running and gunning crazy Zen shiznit players who are going to blow the ass end out of you.
So to sum up, it's more exciting to watch, it breeds excitement and allows crowd participation, it is cerebral, it's diverse, and hopefully will do more for UK Paintball development than playing tournament after tournament against mediocre opposition. I mean if we're all so serious about Paintball would'nt you want to become the best you could be, rather than take the easist route???
