No camo for punters

[mikeyR]

Okay, I'm getting the point about punters making it cheaper for the rest of us and the tactical issues, but would some of you admit that it might be a good idea?

.....just a little bit.....maybe......I'll ask nicely.....please??

 

[RoryM]

Honestly....

Sorry, no,,,,

now, let it lie!

 

[Jones the Paint Magnet]

That's where us nice experienced (I use the term with irony considering my last outing) rec ballers tell all the interested punters that it isn't all about running around in woods.

I personally prefer woodsball - mainly cos' it suits my wallet and time commitments. I think you'll find that a majority of punters want to cut their teeth on the standard game before throwing themselves into sup air and tourney (although I know of exceptions). I think you'd get less interest from the masses if you hit them with the cost of getting their own kit early on, but then I'm a penny-pincher.

Provided people are there to educate then about other options of paintball, then yeah, you'll always find some who decide to come back for more and assemble their own kit. It helps if they see some of the stuff on show and what it can do - say a copy of PGI or a vid playing. I used to play rec ball with a mixture of own gunners and punter rentals and after being on the receiving end of an automag more than once, thought "gotta get me one of those". Perhaps these days most rec days with standard kit and no "punterhunters" miss out on the "ooh what's that?" factor, which is another great hook for getting drawn into the sport.

Yeah I know it's disconcerting to get lit up as a noob, but if getting hit by paintballs isn't their idea of fun, then I seriously doubt you have a tourney candidate there.

 

[Dark Warrior]

When I first decided to get my own camo for rec balling, I asked my local army surplus trader and they said they could get bulk orders of camo gear cheaper than those flimsy boiler suits.
As a punter playing rec ball the camo suit offers a lot more protection. As a site 200+ suits means a good saving

 

[smartecosse]

i think paintballers calling their markers "guns" does far more to solidify the "playing at soldiers" image than wearing camo in a wood does.

 

[Dark Warrior]

MMMmmm
as in your sig.

race gun grip

 

[Tyger]

Umm.....

What you're missing is that the "Warrior" image is part of the game for the 'occasional' player. It's a fantasy, in the same way that batting cages are a fantasy to playing baseball. (I don't know if there's an equivelent in the UK, sorry...)

It's part of the draw. You get people to come out, they dress in camos, and they play out in the woods and shoot their friends up. It's a harmless fantasy. To tell tehse guys they need to wear bright, colorful uniforms would turn a lot of them off. Not just because they can't use it to hide in the woods. But also becasue it doesn't fall into the fantasy.

You forget that MOST rental sites are still in the woods. Oh sure, they've got an airball field or two, but it's still in the WOODS. And partof woods ball is CAMO. There's also the point that teams change from game to game in the rental world, so you'd make these gus stock twice the jerseys so that a guy could change teams mid-day? Not likely.

And, until paintball is a "real" sport, you can't convince the renter crowd that bright jerseys are the way to go. Besides, why should a field owner make them buy into the sport fantasy when they're happy with the one they've got?

-Tyger

 

[Gyroscope]

Tyger is correct about the fantasy drawing people in. For most players, the fantasy remains pretty much unchanged, too. For a small portion of players, playing tournaments in brightly colored clothes with flashy markers takes over as a more appealing fantasy. Seeing players with the top of the line kit who are winnig a lot leads some to try to emulate them, so long as they aren't twats.

The intent is good, I think, but I think it works better to provide what is sought for the majority. The ones who go on to tournie style play will find their own way there, usually through the influence of a friend or magazine.

I see why you'd think that this is good for the sport, but postpone it until after there are televised matches, fans who don't play, and a format that is agreed upon as the competition format. Then the fantsy that people come in with may be informed differently.

 

[mikeyR]

Originally posted by gyroscope

The intent is good, I think, but I think it works better to provide what is sought for the majority. The ones who go on to tournie style play will find their own way there, usually through the influence of a friend or magazine.

I see why you'd think that this is good for the sport, but postpone it until after there are televised matches, fans who don't play, and a format that is agreed upon as the competition format. Then the fantsy that people come in with may be informed differently.

Thanks for the above. At least you could see where I'm coming from.


Now I'm going to make like an Iraqi...........and surrender!!

 

[Baca Loco]

Originally posted by mikeyR
Thanks for the above. At least you could see where I'm coming from.

If you're interested in reading more views (raging arguments ) on this general subject do a search and you will discover plenty of other threads on same subject.