Link: http://www.b17queenofthesky.com/paintball/images/03_21_09BDII/

So the economy is hard on all of us and for me it's no different. Dwindling income coupled with increased responsibilities mean that everyone has to pick and choose their entertainment options with caution. As such I was not going to be able to participate in the next scenario game that was coming up in my area, Blood Diamond 2 at Giant Alpine with special guest, paintball legend Greg Hastings.

However, my team was making an appearance and since I really wanted to go anyway I decided to tag along as a ref/photographer/PUG monkey...more on the PUG monkey later if you don't know what that is...

The day started out with me getting out on the field at game on and taking pictures. I had a team radio with me but made sure not to give any critical game information to my team. Some of my folks forgot that I wasn't playing and would ask me questions about what was going on in certain field areas and I could only tell them that...well...I couldn't tell them. I know, what help was I?

Wearing the orange "don't shoot me I mean you no harm" vest I wandered the field getting shots of the action. Having this be the first experience I had as a "Combat" photographer it provided a very different view of the game. For instance, there is this large hill that is on the field and I had never ventured up it until this game. I had no idea just how tall it was and just how much it dominated the field. There was NOWHERE this place didn't look down on. The top was covered in large rocks so cover was abundant but left you feeling vulnerable and very much "out in the open".

I also noticed a lot of areas where there were places an entire unit could move through enemy lines without being spotted if done so correctly. I suddenly realized just where those players were coming from the last time I played this field.

The game seemed well balanced with both teams stabilizing the fight towards the middle of the field. With the hill, varying terrain, and abundant overgrowth it was hard for either team to really push the other too far.

That was up until right around lunch time...then the side we were playing for got pressed all the way back to our base with attackers hitting us in waves from three different sides. That sucked. One of the tasks I was taking on this weekend other than photography duties was PUG Monkey.

For those that don't know a PUG is a foot powered tank with a crew of one. The rules state that each PUG needs to have a ref with it to prevent overshooting and call any LAW/Grenade/Satchel hits on the PUG. This is what I lovingly refer to as a PUG Monkey. In addition we play PUG Engineer too and I was equipped with knife, duct tape, zip ties, spare air tank, and rag to make any emergency repairs necessary while on the field. An emergency repair is basically the PUG being on the verge of completely falling apart...other than that it's not an emergency.

So I had put my camera away and awaited my PUG pilot to get off the field, reload and reair, then come back out on the field to mount the PUG and head off into the enemy guns-a-blazin'. As I stood around the CP with the PUG waiting I decided to put in a little ref' time. I called hits and generally made sure to stay out of the way. The waves kept coming and I began to wonder if they would hold out long enough for our PUG to play the role of cavalry.

Our pilot got there and we started to get him suited up in the midst of the battle. I no longer paid attention to what was going on around us and just focused on getting him ready. We hadn’t had the time to make all the necessary repairs to the netting and a couple late minute cracks in the PVC frame but none of these problems would keep the PUG out of action so we just moved out the way it was.

But something strange had happened while we were getting the PUG ready. The respawn window had opened up and we had a large number of players able to push up with us. In addition, the enemy seemed to have evaporated. What once was a three sided press had completely vanished. We moved through the plains around our base, through the low hills that lead into the city, through the city, up through the black forest, up through ghost town, up along the main street village, all the way up to the doorstep of the enemy’s cp before we got into the action. We had no clue how but sometime during us getting the PUG ready to go our side had made a major push while their side must have ran low on paint and air.

So we pushed up past the last of the main street buildings and marched on the enemy’s CP. Problem was, no one was coming with us. As such we received the brunt of the enemy’s fire. We eliminated a couple of players that somehow had missed the big, black walking box of furry coming up the road and were surprised with fire from almost point blank. I’ll state here that my PUG jock was good at only firing one round at a time and seeing where it fell as not to light up these poor unsuspecting players. We got to within twenty feet of the front door of their CP and stopped. We could have pressed on but the netting on the PUG was failing and allowing a lot of rounds to get inside and impact the PUG pilot. No matter which way he turned there were significant holes in the netting that were allowing paint to come through. He was taking a beating. Even so, he kept firing when he could and kept the opposing players from trying to rush forward. Finally someone came out with a hand grenade and threw it at the PUG but missed. They though they got a little paint on us and that it had been a hit. Rules state though you have to actually HIT the PUG with the grenade…close does not count.

Next a player tried to rush with a “Satchel Charge”…at least I think it was a supposed to be a satchel charge because in reality it was a full sized Nerf football. The JMinT (that’s Joe Montana in Training) missed but also thought that the satchel charge was an area affect weapon and briefly declared victory.

While we continued to keep the opposing team at bay, our guys remained in cover down the hill. I eventually tried to motion them forward but to no avail. Finally, our time ran out and my well-welted pilot was glad to head back to base. We decided to park the PUG for the day as time was running out and there really wasn’t much we were doing just sitting at the door of their base with no support.

We were later told that the opposing team broke off their siege of our CP when they saw the PUG become active. Apparently they had no LAW rockets with them and thus no way of stopping the PUG. Rather than try to slow our advance, they broke and ran. Sad really as it would have been more fun to actually fight for the ground but I understand their thinking somewhat. That night we would fix the problems with the PUG and get her back on track for Sunday but after that I went home as my one-day gig was over. My understanding is the repairs we made were a big help and the PUG ran amok on Sunday. Apparently it worked so well my team, the SoCal Ghosts, walked away with the Most Valuable Team award for the weekend…way to go guys and girls!

For the few pictures I too, check out the link associated with this post.

Until next time…

I don't have a real links page on this site just...well...because I don't feel like having one. So I figured that since I have a blog now why not put down a few links here so that if someone had an overwhelming desire to figure out some sites I think are important they can. Why someone would ever need to do that I have no idea but what the heck, I need to put something up here now and again, right?

A5 Owners Group - Great site for those of you with a Tippmann A5. Even if you don't own one this is a great resource for Woodsball players and scenario people as that is the principle focus of the forum.

MilSim Empire - If you are into MilSim style play this is THE place for you. Tanks, LAWs, SAWs, and just about anything else you can think of can be found here. Want to see some INCREADIBLE modifications? Check out the Marker of the Month!

Tippmann - Great forum and what can you say...everyone has owned a Tippmann at one point in time or another.

Paintball Nation - The Nation. If it is happening in paintball they are talking about it on the Nation. Mainly speedball oriented and the crowd is a bit young but the information that can be found over there is just second to none. Just be forwarned that the forum they have runs on Drama 2.0.

Paintball Photography - Gary Baum has had his work featured on every major paintball magazine in the country. He covers events all over the world but, lucky me, he is based in Southern California and is always on hand for the local events. Planning on attending a paintball event and would love to have an awsome shot of you playing taken by Gary? Well, just sign up on his forum and put in a request. You may be on the next cover of your favorite paintball mag!

PBLive! - Oh, if you haven't sat in on a live broadcast with Ryan "the Mighty" then you don't know what you're missing. Top scenario producers, manufacturers, and anyone who is anyone in the paintball community have been featured and interviewed on Ryan's show. The "live" show is on Wednesday nights at 7 pm PST (that's West Coast time, fyi...) and podcasts of past shows are available as well.

SoCal Ghosts - Hey, what's the use of having your own website and blog if you can't pimp your hommies? SoCal Ghosts are a Southern California (shocker, I know...) Scenario paintball team that yours truely has had the pleasure of joining recently. If you are the type that plays with honor, is all about having fun no matter how absured it may be, and are into helping your local community then the Ghosts are your kind of paintball players.

Ariakon - Ariakon seems to be DOA as of late but this is the forum where this site and these guides got their start so I have to say something about them. A milsim company that manufactures M4, MP5 and pistol style paintball markers Ariakon use to be a fairly major player in the MilSim business.

Warsensor - This forum is even more dead than the Ariakon forums but they still produce a good product. I have two markers from them (the WS-66 and then when the name changed, the MilTec MT-66) and can't say enough about their quality. Now they focus more on MilSim/Scenario supplies such as tactical vests and equipment bags but their products are still top notch and worth checking out if your in the market for new tactical gear.

Well, these are just a few for now and they are in no particular order. I may add to this...or I may just leave you to your own devices because if you can't find a reference to it from one of these sites it may not exist.

Link: http://www.pbnation.com/showthread.php?t=2996652

Seriously...do not get use to this every day stuff. It's just a fluke that I happen to have found something to gab about three days straight...no really!

Anyway, just the other day Sean from Smart Parts posted this over on PBNation regarding their new marker...well technically just a new firing mode...targeted towards the rental market:

Smart Parts announces Billy-Ball for the Rental Vibe

Smart Parts introduces a new firing mode for the rental version of the Vibe electropneumatic paintball marker aimed at reducing rate of fire.

Loyalhanna, PA – February 8, 2009 – The new Billy-Ball firing mode available in Vibe rental markers from Smart Parts, Inc., restricts a players' rate of fire, opening up more opportunities for paintball field operators.

“It's pretty ironic,” says Smart Parts President Bill Gardner Jr., for whom the mode is named, “we've pushed the limits of marker rate of fire to meet player demand, but at the beginning levels of the sport that's scaring off newer players.”

Gardner's own sons were anxious about jumping in to walk-on games at Smart Parts' home field, the All-American Paintball Park in Greensburg, PA.

“Most of us around the factory started out in the days of pump paintball, so we never faced that kind of intimidation, it was a different game with those lower rates of fire. We've had a lot of field owners tell us they needed a way to address it, and they couldn't afford to keep a second set of pump markers on hand, while their more experienced customers want higher performance. The solution was easy, and it all boiled down to software.”

The microprocessor “brain” of the Vibe can be configured with custom firing modes tailored to a particular paintball field's needs. The Billy-Ball firing mode allows the Vibe to fire at a rate of 0.5 bps, or one ball every two seconds, simulating the rate of fire typical in pump-action paintball games. The new mode was first tested at the All-American Paintball Park and met with an immediately positive response from the Smart Parts staff members playing, as well as visiting field owners who had an opportunity to try it out after technical training classes. More importantly, the mode was quickly embraced by groups playing paintball for the first time.

In its first month of use, Billy-Ball's advantages in a rental marker became quickly apparent:
- Group sales, especially with younger players, are increasing as less paint in the air means less welts and less intimidation.
- Package pricing for Billy-Ball moves away from being paint-centered, to being facilities and time centered.
- The reduced cost of consumables allows for higher per-group profits.
- Increased rate of returning, occasional play customers.
- Fewer referees are needed to monitor a game with less firepower.
- Cleanup – especially for indoor fields - is easier with less paint on the field.

“Because of the lower paint consumption, we're able to put together birthday party package prices that are more affordable,” says All-American Field Manager Tim Montressor. “When paint was a variable, parents were concerned about going over budget before the day is out. Billy-Ball has taken care of that sales obstacle. We can offer a per-child price for their party that is all-inclusive – it's already making a difference in sales.”

Surprisingly, some of the more experienced regular walk-on customers have been spending time playing Billy-Ball games as well, using it as a tool to improve their communication, movement and snap-shooting skills without relying on high rates of fire to hold their game together. Even though they are renting a marker, these players are still saving money on a day's play because Billy-Ball requires so much less paint. Not only does the customer save money, but the income the field generates is a return on its investment in rental markers, instead of money it must spend on buying more paint.

SP-1 markers purchased in field-rental quantities are also available with similar features and Billy-Ball programming. Smart Parts plans to make Billy-Ball available in future updates to most of its product line.

So. .5 balls per second. I can almost fire a blow gun that fast if I really had to. Why bother?

I'll tell you why...this sport, if it is going to survive this apocalyptic economic disaster, needs to bring in new players and find new ways to enjoy the sport while at the same time cutting back on the cost.

You see, I cut my paintball shell on playing stock class pump at a little place called Sat Cong Village (now known just as SC Village) when you could rent a PGP pistol and have a rental walk on game of 40 on 40 using fields that today could house 5 or 6 speedball fields and still have room for spectators. Movement was the name of the game, not ROF. You could have three guys play all day on a case of paint and have a lot of paint left over by the end of the day. You learned to shoot, flank, and be aggressive very quickly because otherwise you got board fast. We saw some of the first semi-auto markers in the sport and watched their games a bit hesitantly when we saw guys walking off the field with six, seven, or more bright hits on them.

With the slow ROF stock class provided, we got to learn other aspects of the sport outside how fast we could pull a trigger. We didn't spend a ton of money. Yet, we still had a blast and all of us still play to this day.

If you read the posts on that board you see a lot of guys there dismissing this innovation as being useless. Well, this innovation isn't meant for them directly and I think that's the point they are missing. I mentioned on one of the threads that you don't learn to swim by jumping in the deep end of the pool...you do it in the shallow end where you can get accustomed to being in the water and learning in an environment that isn't intimidating.

The Billy-Ball game is our sport's "shallow end". It's there to bring in new players. It is there to give fields a budget controllable package to market to private parties and birthday events. I think it's a great idea that you can have a group of people get together with guns in Billy-ball mode who can play not having to worry about getting overshot or lit up by someone with a high ROF marker.

Case in point. A few months ago my team, the SoCal Ghosts (shameless plug...) put on a Big Game. Unfortunately for us the field we put it on at didn't get the memo or help promote the game so turnout was really low. There were a couple private party groups that were scheduled to be there that day and we asked if they wanted to try our big game format. They all had rental markers and went onto the field with hoppers only...no pods. Well, at first things went okay until the first "regular" player started firing at tournament level rates of fire and carrying a bunch of pods of paint onto the field. The private party players started feeling uncomfortable because they felt "outgunned" (and in a way they were) until finally they said they were done and were just going to go out on their own.

Even then some of that group struggled with trigger control and there were kids sitting out games for fear of running out of paint. Even among themselves they were concerned that if they moved they were going to get lit up by their friends firing at rates well over .5 bps. For a group like this...and mind you this was a pee wee football team with their coaches...the Billy-Ball mode would be perfect.

Even seasoned players who are trying it are loving the change of pace. They say the way you play is very different from what they've been use to and that it is so much fun to change it up by playing Billy-Ball.

Of course some have said that if you want to play like a pump why not just use a pump? Well, fields normally don't want to buy a bunch of pump markers because they don't rent them out that often (if at all) and that would make them too costly to have on hand. By being able to change modes, the SP Billy-Ball mode equipped guns can be used just like any other rental marker then put into Billy-Ball mode for those Billy-Ball games. One marker with multiple uses means fields can have a large number of markers on hand, reduce maintenance costs by only stocking repair parts for one make of marker, and can be flexible to accommodating both types of groups without having to turn anyone away from either group for lack of having the right rental marker.

The beauty of this idea is that fields won't have to sacrifice accommodating any of the games or players they have at their fields now while still being able to expand their marketability to those folks and groups who want to come out and enjoy a recreational day of paintball while staying within a fixed budget.

And in this day of economic woe that last part is HUGE. Think about this for a second...what is the number one reason your friends who have never played paintball have given you for not trying the sport? I bet the top two answers will be pain and cost. This address both issues (can't really overshoot much at .5 bps) but the cost factor is a huge deal. Right now, you can't tell your friend exactly how much he/she will spend when they play. Sure the field fee, rental fee, and air fees are all fixed but the big one, paint, is always "up to them depending on how much they'll shoot". Then they ask what to expect and I bet most of you answer "Well, about a case per day or so." and then when you tell them a case is $40-$50 they start to balk at the idea. But if you could tell them a fixed and reasonable price for paint now because they are going to be playing Billy-Ball and won't shoot as much paint now they are not going to be so hesitant.

Not only that, but it will keep them coming back more often. If you have $90 to spend on recreation a month and you can either play paintball once or play it three times for the same price which would you rather do? Maybe you won’t play paintball at all because you can think of a lot of other things you’d like to do that will make your money go further but now if you can play paintball for $30 maybe you’ll try it because when all is said and done you still have $60 to go out and do other things. This is how you’ll get more people to play the sport and stay with the sport. Eventually they may even move up to the faster forms of paintball because they find they love it so much but had it not been for that cheap introductory experience they may have never tried it.

So yes, I think this sport DOES need a marker that shoots .5 bps. I think it is a good thing for the sport and is coming at a time when the sport needs it the most.