Paintball
Ah, paintball. Call it a sport or call it a game, it's fun either way. Extremely so, if you find yourself drawn to the thrill of running around trying to
shoot your friends (or even
complete strangers) with
projectile weapons. One of the greatest
misconceptions about the sport is that it is a paramilitary activity. This is usually not true. While there are people who don the
camouflage and try to seem like soldiers, there is a far greater population of players that are becoming
demilitarized, if you will. The guns (or
markers) are less and less like real guns as you progress in the game towards the
tournament level, and the camo look quickly drains away when you find yourself playing on a
SupAir inflatable field, where the
bunkers are big, colorful blowups instead of trees and brush. Frankly, even those who want to be military-esque about paintball find it hard to do so because of the nature of the game itself. For one, there is no
fear of death in paintball as there is in
war, and this gives people the chance to be
daring and
brazen. The inherent safety allows people to be afraid of only getting hit, which while surprising at times (and not to mention a little
painful), is very tolerable. Therefore, the truly good players throw fear to the wind and learn to play
aggressively and
intensely, while still retaining
tactical logic.
Tactics themselves in this game are quite a bit different than in war, because oftentimes you find yourself only ten or less feet away from your
opponent and have no choice but to force a confrontation. This is known as
bunkering. In any case, the idea that paintball should prepare one for the military service is
nonsense.
The Terrible Truth
Truth #1: Paintball is fun.
Truth #2: Paintball is expensive.
Like any specialized business, prices can be high. If you play in your backyard with your friends, it can be affordable once or twice a month. The notable disadvantage of this is that you lack the closeness of supplies and repair expertise that a field affords you. Additionally, while playing at a field can range from moderately more expensive to a whole friggin' lot more expensive than backyard play, the advantages of referees and safety far overshadows the expense. Safety is probably the most important thing in paintball besides having fun. In most circumstances, paintball is not harmful. However, if you manage to get shot in the eye during a game, or worse, while out in the safe area, there is no doubt you will lose your eye. However, such accidents are rare, because on the field you are required to wear a mask, and off the field you are required to put a barrel plug on your gun so that a mistaken shot will break in the barrel. Unless you have some very careful backyard players, this safety is often hard to enforce without the help of referees, and that, above all else, is why playing at a field is better than anywhere else. Be smart, be safe, and nothing bad will happen to you.
Guns
The range of guns (
markers) available spans from $30 Wal-Mart guns all the way to limited edition supercocker (a very special
autococker) for $2000+. Your choice of weapon is largely tied to how much interest you have in the sport. And contrary to popular belief, a better gun does not necessarily make you a better player. The best
analogy for this is a skilled artist: with simple tools, he still produces good work, but with the best tools, he can produce much better work. Similarly, an unskilled artist cannot make the best tools work for him in a useful way, and therefore gains little benefit. The same is true in paintball. So, don't go to a field and soil your pants when you see the guy with the expensive gun; soil your pants when he comes and bunkers you out of nowhere.
Paintball is for some people, and it isn't for others. But the only way to find out is to get out there and try it. Find your local field and rent for a day. It might cost you $50 for everything you'll need that day, but you'll get to play all day, and if you like it, it will be worth it.