Need Your Advice..

[LATS]

okay, heres the story..i have been out of the paintball circuit for 7 years. i left after the 95 world cup.. i decided to pursue business ventures and get married..but, about two weeks ago i was in a book store and picked up a copy of pgi.. i always loved the hardcore tourney coverage that pgi provided and was a loyal subscriber here in the usa for a few years..after picking up my first paintball magazine in years i was bitten by the bug to get back into tourney play.. i contacted my old team mates that also stopped playing and they were having the same ideas as me..
our team was a 5 man predominately but, also played ten when we could..we even played with my friend rafe farmer in the chicago nppl in '95.. i have since lost touch with rafe... so here is my questions..
the sport has changed in so many ways since then.. back then the top teams were the all american (now the philadelphia americans from what i gather), image, ironmen, predators, farside, aftershock, avalanche, ect which many of these teams are still in tact in some way or another but, i notice many teams that have reached the top that i have no clue who they are..also, we played in the woods in tourney play and i notice that has been phased out..
so her is my questions..after watching the world cup 2002 last night on tv, i noticed that the automag is no where to be seen..when i played i used a mag and the evolution autococker.. i loved my e cocker. i decided to make a few phone calls to various shops that i used to use.. when i inquired about the cockers, more than one told me that they see more teams phasing out the cockers in favor of a gun called the matrix and the angels...since i have been out of the sport for awhile , i was curious as to what peoples opinions are regarding the top markers??.. also, i notice many different kinds of paint now available. what are your opinions regarding the best paint?? basically, i am just trrying to catch up on things before i purchase equipment.. we have no illusions of being on top, we just want to play hardcore tourney ball and have a good time doing it.. i miss the good times in orlando and chicago ect..****, robbo is now coaching!! i remember when he was the scariest s.o.b. to have on the other side of that field.. he was deadly..always had to watch out for the deadmans walk..he got me once with that... i look forward to hearing everyones opions and appreciate the help..thanks

 

[Liz]

Welcome back to the fold LATS - as one returner to aniother you won't regret it!
Probably the biggest 2 changes in paintball over the last few years has been a) moving out of the woods into arenas and b) the birth of the electronic marker. I came back into playing 2 years ago after being out for 5 years facing the same changes and found I had very few problems adjusting.
Regarding sup'air, there are a few minor technical adjustments you'll probably need to make; the game is MUCH faster and the barricades need to be played slightly differently, but watching just a very few tourneys and a couple of training sessions on air will easilysort those out.
With the advent of electronic markers vast amounts of paint are now in the air every second of the game. ISTR anyone who could fire an old Mag faster than around 7bps was doing very well indeed, now anything under 12-14bps with an electro is rather slow with the best getting up to 20bps. The advances in hopper design have helped this as well. You can still get Mags and Cockers - just that they are electro versions now. You also get Impulses, Shockers, Intimidators (Timmys), Matrixes and Angels which are all top quality tournament markers. Sorry if I've missed any really good ones - been a long day so far! Any of these should make you competitive regarding equipment at the top level, so the best bet is to try them all out if you can to decide which one suits you the best - not so sure about the USA but in the UK most ballers are happy to show off their "baby" to anyone who asks nicely
Another big advance in marker technology is the barrel systems. No more carrying 6 barrels to a tournament so you can size it to your paint or change the length. Barrel systems come in 2 or 3 parts so you can just unscrew the front to change lengths and change the bore of the back or change an insert to fit the bore to the paint. Look around at what other people are using - they all have their favorites (mine's the Freak from Smart Parts) and all have their own advantages and disadvantages.
Another slight change to the equipment is that air now comes at higher pressures than it used to - 4500 - 5000psi is now the norm.
Paint really hasn't changed as much as the other 2 factors - it's still round (hopefully!), 0.68 diameter, biodegradable with a hard gelatine shell. Can't really say much about that to help you I'm afraid, as I don't know what is/isn't available in the USA, sorry.

 

[knobbs]

Hey LATS,

I see you are from Midwest USA. Whereabouts from? If you are in the central Iowa area and you'd like to see some of each type of marker to test out, I'm sure none of my team would have a problem, and we shoot most of the different types of top markers (angels, e-bladed autocockers, intimidators, an impulse, and soon a matrix). Once you hit the top end, each marker is really just a preference thing. They all shoot very well.

 

[LATS]

thanks liz and knobbs for your replys.. knobbs, i am in quincy il..where abouts in iowa are you?? the game is diffinitely faster.. i took time off to start my business' which are gym/health clubs...i competed in bodybuilding for many years and it looks like my 260 pound ass is playing the backfield ha ha .. but, the bug has bit me again.. when i left the game to concentrate on competing and family/ biz rafe told me "you can leave..but, you'll be back".. well, i hope to get things rolling quickly..i will probably try to go to some nppl tourneys next season to watch and take things in..i miss being around the atmosphere and watching the pros get into the game..i really want to see what markers are the best..i always liked my toys ha ha ...once again, thanks for the replys and lok forward to seeing what people have to say..

 

[Robbo]

Lats, wot team did ya play for ?

 

[LATS]

hey robbo, great to see ya still in the game.. i played on a 5 man called TERMINAL VELOCITY. the ten man was the same when we plyed in orlando.. i also played with tim schloss and some other manufacture team throw togethers.. when ever they wanted to get a team together, and i was not entered with my team, i would play with them..fred schultz was a regular back then also..we played you a few time when you played with all americans..you back doored me in one game..i still feel that shame ha ha... you may not remember but, you came into our pit at chicago in '95 and we sat and talked for awhile about weight training.. tim scloss (who sponsored us with uniforms) asked you to come over and you talked with him first then we sat and talked with rafe.. rafe played with us on ocassion..

 

[jahlad]

i have a vague (bad spelling probably) recolection of a team called terminal velocity....well back to balling lats.......c you on the 50

 

[knobbs]

Lats:

Our feild is Velocity Paintball in West Liberty, IA (the store is in Coralville, IA) and I play on the store/field team Infected (www.velocitypaintball.com and www.teaminfected.com, respectively). If you are ever up for a trip into central Iowa let me know. We'd love to have you at the field. I like to get out and play wherever I can, maybe sometime we'll have to book a trip down to Quincy. What field(s) do you play at down there?

 

[booga]

If you're interested in getting back in contact with Rafe, he runs a site not far from me (used to marshall there when he got caught short of staff). I'll nose around and get some details for you.
Oh, and welcome back to the great game

 

[Robbo]

Originally posted by LATS
hey robbo, great to see ya still in the game.. i played on a 5 man called TERMINAL VELOCITY. the ten man was the same when we plyed in orlando.. i also played with tim schloss and some other manufacture team throw togethers.. when ever they wanted to get a team together, and i was not entered with my team, i would play with them..fred schultz was a regular back then also..we played you a few time when you played with all americans..you back doored me in one game..i still feel that shame ha ha... you may not remember but, you came into our pit at chicago in '95 and we sat and talked for awhile about weight training.. tim scloss (who sponsored us with uniforms) asked you to come over and you talked with him first then we sat and talked with rafe.. rafe played with us on ocassion..

Hey Lats, welcome back anyway, I seem to remember the name of your old team but I can't honestly remember doin the dead man's against ya.
I of course know Tim and Rafe but haven't really seen either for some time now.
Fred Schultz of course was a legend in his own lunchtime and he too has been on my missing list for years now.
Them were the good ole days when I played for the All Americans, sooo much fun and soo many trees
Bring' em back ???
Never !!!
The new game rocks
Might cya in Miami if ya get yer ass down there !
Pete