Where do Paintballers go when they Die?

[p8ntball72]

As stated before I have been involved in paintball for a very long time. I have lost the burning flame and desire to play as I used too, but there still is a smoulder.

I still love the commrodery of the friends I have made over the years and still am able to connect with strangers at the field that have similar experiences and interests.

Although,

It has become easy to "blow off" paintball games and events with friends.
I tell myself "it will be fun".. but i'm not easily convinced, and more times than not I am disappointed with game play.

I have also noticed a decline of players in my demographic. which makes it harder to have connections on the field. There was a time when I could count on another "old school" guy having my back at pick up games, and these guys just are not there anymore. I may be funny but I just cant trust a group of rentals all huddled behind the same spool or bunker.

Ive had people tell me to "teach" the young players and take them under my wing.. the times I have done this they didn't listen and i felt they didn't respect my 18 years of experience.. unless it was to fix their crap guns.
So I no longer Teach or help anyone... I just don't care anymore.

Does it ever come back? I mean.. do you ever get the love and passion for the game back after all this time?.. one or two games of fun wont cut it.. all the things I used to love are gone...

Was it all a waste, should I have invested 18 years and 10's of thousands of dollars in a different hobby?... what do I do now?

[SithSteve]

I have to say, that's pretty damn bleak... just try to focus on the good times that you had on and off the field with your friends.

It doesn't matter what hobby you had/have, there are always gonna be days where you question yourself.

[CKY_Alliance]

When my team broke up I didn't want to play anymore. We all took a month or so off and did other things. Two of us eventually made out way back to the field and it was just as fun as before.

[JAM]

don't sweat it... lots of things are cyclical. I've been playing off and on for just under 20 years now and I've taken a couple breaks. the latest one was for 4 years. You'll eventually have the drive to play again and come back - most likely. Then again, you might never feel like playing again- but if that happens, so what? people change, interests change. You play paintball when it is fun to you and if it's not fun anymore, you go and find something else. Don't regret your time spent playing though.

[Desega]

The bottom line is that the industry changes, and so does it's people. The sport naturally changes with that. If the change doesn't fit your style of play, find people who do, or take a break. I hope I'm not seeming rude to you, I'm just saying the natural order of the sport changes with time, just like everything else.

[bryceeden]

The bottom line is that the industry changes, and so does it's people. The sport naturally changes with that. If the change doesn't fit your style of play, find people who do, or take a break. I hope I'm not seeming rude to you, I'm just saying the natural order of the sport changes with time, just like everything else.

Pretty much sums it up. Give it afew years and it'll have changed again. I took two years off, and it did alot for me to enjoy the sport again.

[Desega]

It's kinda like music, it changes all the time, but if you look you'll find people who enjoy the classics still, and sometimes the new stuff gets your attention.

[georgeyew]

We have a local regional forum set up to connect all the players. Currently we have about 75-100 active members. We should have 50+ players at a private game that we are setting up for Sunday. We talk a lot of trash on the boards, but we also have fun on the field. I find that when you have a group of people that know each other and play together regularly, the games are more fun and people are more open to instruction. Maybe you can set up a regional forum for your area and see if that will change things up a bit. Our site is http://www.yespaintball.com.

[Ir0nExpress]

I'm a currently zombified player, I have my equipment, which looks more like $$$ then my passion at the moment.

I'm going to give one more go and see maybe if it's the people I play with. I've had nothing but dissappointing games for the past few months combined (I'm use to playing with really casual players and old school pump players, I was pretty much in Agglet territory when I was at college) with lack of direction career wise, I aint feeling much.

Usually, I find that people take up different hobbies. For now, I have no interest, but I still like to keep up to date on what's going on.

Try new things, I'm taking up cooking. I mean, it's survival, something to learn, costs much less then paintball, you can EAT what you make and it's sure to impress people/women =D

[Z-man]

I now have time to reply to this! I have to have said this before but I like talking about it so Ill say it again.

You only get to be excited to play your first game of paintball x1. After enough time the thrill of going to play with random people is not enough to justify the LARGE quantity of money, time and effort you spend to play. $100-200 spent and you dealt with wiping, °°°°-talking kids who play on with ramping markers and have no interest in anything other than winning that game.

The gear is not a draw either. Look at my collection... a 1998 Classic RT, a 2003 Matrix and a 2004 Excalibur... Nothing new, nothing current or any of that. I am done with that, I'm not sold on the next year's model, it's not a drive for me.

These things are not enough to make me want to pay that kind of money for a day of play...

However, just like everyone, you and I have a choice. As I see it you can:

1- Just accept it and make the most you can out of it and play with the general walk-on crew.

2-Give up. Decide that the expense and time could be spent in another hobby (or NOT spent and saved up).

3-Change your play. Be it going to scenarios, finding a particular place or finding a group that you play with, you can raise the bar of the people you play choose with.

I want to be part of option 3. I want to play with people like you. People who have played several years, have a knowledge of the sport and gear. Understand general field etiquette (meaning that you DON'T light up people and if you happen to get shot 3-4x you can deal with it for example). People who want to play honestly because they see, when it comes down to it, that honest play is far more relaxing, enjoyable and never leaves a bad taste in your mouth win or lose.

I cannot tell you how much I am looking forward to this game on the 14th. Extreme is not an amazing field (personally I thought CPP was a better facility from that LA trip). Sure, I am going to spurge and buy some top quality paint and I have 3 different markers all tuned and ready to go that I want to shoot. But so what? I would NEVER drop $160 on paint and spend 7 hours driving round-trip for a rec day. NEVER.

But I would for a group of people like you. I would in a HEARTBEAT if I knew I was going to be meeting people who really didn't need to prove anything, knew the sport, knew the game and really wanted to go out and play around. The kind of people who can play among themselves OR vs a group of rec players and NOT need to be reffed.

I tell you THAT single aspect is what keeps my playing and brought me back after 3 years of NOT playing. I don't care how good the equipment has become, if the people I played with made it not fun, I would have sold it all and focused on dirt bikes or Macintosh.

[Desega]

That's what I love about our semi-small town. Not many Agglets out here. Most of the people who play play for fun and at the end of the day we can still stand eachother. The best part of that is that after an almost free day of play ($20 for two bags of good paint and I'm set) with no refs and no problems, we can all go hang out and do other stuff we enjoy. Me and my friend Danny are both avid paintballers and skilled cooks, so we usually BBQ or something afterwords. Friends in the sport are what have kept me in this long.

[p8ntball72]

Thanks guys, It's good to know There are a few others out here with the same attitude.

Z-man, Anyone that's a friend with Martin {cabledog}, I know I will have serious paintball fun with.

I kick myself for missing the A-tac game.. so-cal game.. norcal game... I know, I suck.

I have a plan though,

I'm looking for a paintball scooter so I can make future games... Fuel prices are killing me!

I cant make the game in June... But I'm all over the next one.

[Ninjeff]

Go to a large scenario game. Seriously. There is SO many different kinds of people and play styles at the big ones that you are garaunteed to find someone you can enjoy the company of. These big scenarios are getting huge for a reason.

[p8ntball72]

Go to a large scenario game. Seriously. There is SO many different kinds of people and play styles at the big ones that you are garaunteed to find someone you can enjoy the company of. These big scenarios are getting huge for a reason.

I was on the "largest and most influential Scenario team in Arizona" for the last 5 years. With 17 major events in 4 different states.
MPP, MXS, Blackcat, TAW.. Jungle Island, SC village, Oroville, New Mexico.. all point in between. I'm like Johnny Cash.. "Ive been Everywhere"

Scenario is now seeing the "change" that plagues tournament ball.
playing on, ramping/full auto, and aggressive attitude are being seen more and more at "large events". Honest and fair at a reasonable cost...in my personal experience is now hard to find on a large scale.

I think Zmans example of games with a "hand picked" groups will be my only draw and best bet at fun in the future. :cheers:

[RogueFactor]

Good question....where do they go? I think they just move onto other hobbies.

[Old School 626]

Hello all,

I can speak as one who took a detour. At one point I was playing 6 times a month or more, competitively and socially. For purposes I won't get into I stopped playing. Soon after I found the SCA and armored combat as a fix for my adrenaline habit. Then there was the wedding, the house and the child.

Now, some dozen years later I've found my way back to paintball, into golf too and really want to start fighting again as well and the wife wants a second child soon. I just need a 5 day weekend to get it all in.

[CKY_Alliance]

when it comes down to it, what makes paintball so much fun is the people you play with. The game itself is fun, but it's not near as good as playing it with some friends.

I moved to FL 6 or so months ago and I've played once since I've been down here (mainly do to lack of time/money) but the one time I played I liked the fact that I was playing on a good field and there was a good turn out. (big step up from ball back home) Playing was fun, but there was something missing.

And that of course was, I wasn't playing with people I was friends with and that I could trust. I would constantly get hung out to dry by my own teamates, because their main concern was staying in the game and looking like an all star. It took a lot of the fun away.

That's why this weekend when I'm home I am going to play somewhere with friends. Even though I could go without spending the money.

[p8ntball72]

Well I haven't played since October.

1. Because There are no commercial fields within 100 miles
2. Because Finances hinder my travel
3. Because "friends" don't play very often either.

so what constitutes "taking a break"..??

I'm still in contact with my industry friends, I still read the boards, I still have all my gear, and I still get upset with what paintball has become.

If I maintain these relationships, I don't feel like it's much of a break.
Paintball is part of my life, and in some ways its what has given me an identity... 18 years is a long time. every lasting friendship besides my wife has been a paintballer. yet It's a love hate relationship... I think I need counseling.

[Danny Havoc]

I'll play until I can't physically do it anymore(hopefully a long way off)but when that day comes I'll ref or coach young guns. Personally, I say there's no way paintball can get old because of the variety of games and types of play, but everyone has reasons of their own towards one way or the other.