As a player both types of paintball are fun to play. However,woodland paintball has a more random element. No sites were the same, indeed no two fields were the same on any site. You had to walk each field and work out which was the best end to get and what you were going to do if you got the 'wrong' end.
Then again of course you had more time to think once the game started with game times longer and the fields bigger. Your right flank was going great but the the left was getting mullered and you wouldn't nessesarilly know about it until it was too late, unless you had a
player
who always kept one eye on your flag and could keep most at bay till the right hand flank came back with the oppos flag.
The shout of "tally Ho" would go out if you had grabbed the flag and were on your way back to base. just to let your team mates know,not to light you up as you went to hang it was reason enough but it also made the remaining oppos take chances they may not have done in order to reverse the situation. Oh happy days....
From a spectators point of view,woodland paintball is dull to watch. In fact very often there was nothing to watch. Taking the game from the woods to the fields and then to arenas (indoors and out) seems like a natural progression from a promoters point of view. There's more for spectators to see. More chances for sponsors to get their wares marketed and then of course TV would beat a path to paintball's door and beg to be involved.
Todays game is just as boring to watch (imo). Games are over in minites. Vast amounts of paint raindown on each team until x amount of players are eliminated and then there's some movement. Blink and you'll miss it.
Guns fire quicker,loaders feed faster,fields are regulated sizes,uniforms are brighter but marshals are still as slow to react.
The game is always about playing it not watching it.
Perhaps the UK should take another look at woodland tourny's and marry the the logistcal advance's made in getting large events to run properly and the random element that the woods offer.