When I played paintball really hardcore back in the 80's, five man teams were common. I played with the Hosers, and we were disciplined to playing the game. Nobody cheated, ever. We were all friends and it was a matter of pride with us.
There were larger teams then, but they all more-or-less fell apart because too many people couldn't all schedule their time around everyday issues in life to practice or go to team meetings, or make all the games... Too many opinons on this n' that.. -Too many Chiefs and not enough Injun's.
In every paintball game I played with "locals", we could always work up an impromptu "team," and we knew each other's strengths well enough to fight together pretty good. The Hosers were formeed to play tournaments and just because we liked to hang out together, too.
Chip
Hardcore and Paintball are two words that should never be in the same sentance, unless it's something along the lines of; "Paintball is for kids, but airsoft is for hardcore milsim'ers"
I wish you acted this way in person so I could slap you! :roll:
First of all, you weren't even born yet when paintball was played the way he describes it. When I played several years ago, I caught the tail end of this transformation, and me a my buddies were some of the last guys to show up at the field wearing BDUs and LC2 gear. Yeah, we got made fun of by the sellouts that started wearing BMX-style jerseys and buying colorful guns (I never called it a "marker", that came later), but we despised them as well for allowing our favorite past-time to be transformed into a haven for weenies.
Today, I don't even recognize paintball as something I used to partake in. Is it for me? No. Will I probably ever play again? No. Do I respect paintballers? Yes.
Sure, we make fun of it because they wear silly outfits and have silly-looking guns. It's not mil-sim, then again it doesn't try to be! I think the guys that wear BDUs now and have A4s decked out to look like an MP5 are dorkier than the guys wearing the jerseys. If you want milsim, play airsoft. If you want a fast-paced action game with winners and losers, play paintball. No matter your choice, I say "Game On"!
Now, back to what was so well-said by Mooncruiser. All of what he said applies to airsoft. Don't walk away after reading that thinking it was just about paintball. It's about people. People become friends, work well together, and hang out in paintball just like they do in airsoft. It's a different hobby, but the sociology is the same!
