This was so much fun I’m seriously contemplating going pump all the way.  I’ll never give up my baby TM-7 and will always bring her into big game battles where nebs must be prawned. But when I’m playing with my friends, I’d rather not send 5-7 rounds at their head. I think it also allows many people more flexibility in how they play the game.  Gone is the worry of being pelted by 4 people with automatics. Not all of us are crazy asses. I feel so hypocritical writing this because I’m usually that dick head spraying your position.  It’s very effective but fun for the other party? Perhaps not. I always sort of rolled my eyes  hearing about how high ROF is “killin dis here sport!” or that it totally sucks compared to pump play.  But I can see peoples point now, perhaps its just a change of pace but I think  woodsball pump play is something to be explored more by not just this community but every OG balla. Besides, that’s where all this bowshit started sucka.

BOB LONG VICTORY: The gun of Marloc. Slayer of yellow team SG37, vanquisher of MVT event awards and King of OKC. His might and wisdom belong to every throng of paint his Excalibur thwacks through its barrel. The Bob Long Victory might look like just another space gun to the untrained woody, but don’t let its sensual curves and it’s elongated trigger guard fool you.  This marker is a beast. It literally mows down anything in its path. The souls of a thousands newbs are encased within it’s light and highly ergonimic design.

BT SA-17 Pistola: OK, I’m wading into dangerous territory with this one.  I recently sold my TPX pistol because I thought it was too big. Just like my Tiberius before that.  So why on earth would I consider purchasing a larger pistol? A pistol that doesn’t even have a clip either.  I’ll tell you why: versatility.  This bad boy is like a mini pump. Throw on a longer barrel, roll with a hopper, roll with a tube, hook it up to a remote, use cartridges, stick it in Santa Clause face when you rob him. If Billy Mays were alive he would say, “IT DOES EVERYTHING!”  I love it.

TIB T-4:Old news right? Yeah, and the clip is too big, I know. But still, this thing looks like it could shred a peepee at 500 yrds. If Shawna divorces me the first thing I’m going to do is go out and buy this thing. It’s the first paintball gun where a sight actually does something, imagine that. It’s also the first woodsball gun to validate all the unnecessary bullshit, even better!

SP1: Standard issue for many OKCer’s you can’t talk about hawt p8nt shit and forget to mention it. In fact, the SP-1 is thinking about bitch slapping the rest of the guns on this page. That and taking their mothers out for fine dining like the southern gentleman it truly is on the inside. I’ve never rolled with one but I’ve had my peepee shot several times by it, and let me tell ya: I tinkled. Wondering which gun you’d like to replace your 50lb. A-5 with? Here’s your answer.

MacDev Drone: I don’t know a thing about this gun but I love it.

Why? I have no idea, but it deserves to go on this page because it’s hawt.

TM-7 LE: Like begging your girlfriend to wear a paintball mask in bed and succeeding, BT went the extra mile to introduce the limited edition TM-7. Conveniently repriced to the original debut  price tag! And don’t think you’re getting the updated selenoid either, that’s still another $75.   Yeah I already have one but I don’t want to paint it.  Like a classic car sitting in the garage I’ve been inches away from buying one of these and watching it collect dust in my closet.  Everyone has their paintball fetish, don’t judge.

]]> http://okcompanypaintball.com/hot-gear/feed/ 0 http://okcompanypaintball.com/on-field-temper-tantrums/ http://okcompanypaintball.com/on-field-temper-tantrums/#comments Mon, 22 Mar 2010 01:16:42 +0000 Vart http://okcompanypaintball.com/?p=322 This is a short, simple and petty rant about one of my biggest paintball pet peeves.  Getting pissed and having an intelligent discussion about it is one thing. Foot stomping tantrums are totally different, and something that happens all too often, much to my chagrin.

It’s almost always about them getting overshot, how the other team has the advantage, some dude cheating, there’s sand in my diaper etc.  All these reasons besides one: they’re new to the field and getting prawned.  When anyone shows up to a new field they should set expectations appropriately.  Your opponents know every nook and cranny of the place. It’s inevitable you’re going to make the same mistakes they did their first time on the field. It only makes sense for them to watch for this and capitalize on it.  It’s a simple reality.  I can think of several log jams people find themselves in on the Mountain. Sometimes I wait for it to happen.

I just don’t get how people are surprised that they’re getting their asses kicked on someones home turf.  You’re not Steven Seagal.

HDS was kind enough to invite us down to their field.  They had some pretty kick ass teams on their team, including the Moongobbies one of OKC’s favorite local scenario teams. In my humble opinion, and some may disagree, we were getting smoked for the first 3rd of the game.  Was it frustrating not being able to break their defenses? Of course.  I’m not saying getting owned isn’t frustrating. But it’s how you use that frustration is what matters. It provides an illustration of how a person is on and off the field. Pissing and crying the way back to the spawn only ruins the game experience for everyone else. How is that going to inspire anyone to take ground and change the situation?  It’s an ego thing: the reason why I’m getting my ass kicked is because of this uncontrollable negative advantage the other team is exploiting.  It could never be that the other team is as tough as nails on their home turf. No, no, no, heavens to betsy no.

Paintball is a sport where you don’t have to be an athlete. All it takes is a casual observation of players at big games to realize that. The fast and agile have their place right along with the slower, more methodical players that may be limited by too many donuts or beer bellyitus. Just because I may be able to sprint faster than you doesn’t mean you can’t be waiting behind that tree to prawn my ass. Besides, what sport have you done where you can smoke a cig between battles. OK, maybe you don’t smoke, or perhaps your a golfer? Regardless, paintball is a game where nubz can prawn the l33t. It’s whats in your mind and gut that makes the difference, foo.

Now I’ll be honest, paintball isn’t my favorite sport. Snowboarding is actually. *ducks a tomato* Paintball however is my favorite team sport though. There’s a big difference. I used to be a long distance runner and swimmer. And I stress used to be. So I bring a unique perspective to that paradigm. Well at least I think I so. But I digress. What I find the most appealing about paintball happens to be the people I play with. Whose got your front and whose got your back is key to the game. You learn things about your friends, you trust them, know their limitations, and on some occasions, willing to get overshot to hook a brother up. It’s the after game guffaws and giggles about goggling some nebz or getting shot in the peepee that I find unique to the sport of paintball. Everyone has a story and you’re going to hear about.

Serious time: Humans are drawn to a struggle, a conflict if you will. I dare anyone to take a hard look at football and then say the game does not mimic warfare. And like in war, there are antagonists and defenders, followers and leaders, winners and losers. All of combats appeal wrapped up in a relatively safe game is what you’ll get with paintball. We’ve all been romanticized with the valor of soldiers. In movies, with legos, in our back yard with sticks and imaginary friends. On one hand, its something we dream about experiencing, and on the other, thankful we’ll never have to.  It’s comradery, it’s bravery, and it’s one hell of a time.

From a vast quarry of anecdotal data we can all  reasonably deduce that overshooting is simply part of the game. It happens all the time. Understanding this may motivate you to reconsider that on field tantrum. You’re simply not going to be able to play every close quarter battle perfectly.  Eventually you’re going to get stitched in the back. You know this, we know this, stop crying about it. Or just don’t play – save us the bowshit.

Ask yourself:

• When you got overshot, did you just sit there and get pummeled? Meaning, did you get shot once and stay in one location hesitating to move again?  Because if you did, this is how you get overshot in the first place (pssst, they don’t know you’re dead!).  The moment you get hit you should be raising your arms, yelling, and walk/running out of there.  You still might get overshot, but at least your reducing your chances greatly.

• Why so fussy? Everyone gets overshot from time to time.  If you played for awhile you’ve almost certainly overshot someone before.  Try to consider how awkward your going to feel hanging out with the people you were just bitching at. You might not get invited back – unless you go to a pay field.

• If you were unlucky or stupid enough to run into an entire squad of guys than that’s your problem. You can’t expect every player to know who’s shooting and who’s hitting target. Even if humans could think that rapidly they’re still not psychics.

• Are you getting shot and not calling yourself out? Because if I see that, I’m going to run you down with a hopper of paint. I’ve noticed this weird phenomenon with these morons who take a couple hits and fire back in anger. There effort is typically futile, exposing themselves even more and leading to additional paint being slung their way.  After 5-6 more hits you hear this outraged voice permeate the woods with something close to, “I’M OUT ALREADY!!!” Well, about time betch.

Seriously, I think most people are over the cry baby bowshit.

Wise words from McBride:

“If I am shot I usually don’t say anything. I just put my gun in the air with one hand (gun on shoulder with my finger off the trigger) and cover my balls with the other hand. I stand straight up and start walking off the field. In the “heat of battle” no one can really hear you say “I’m hit” or “I’m out.” Using body language that is non-threatening and clearly shows everyone you are out, prevents you from getting overshot. Try it. It works.

Also, on rare occasion, if a player that I have just shot accuses me (or my squad) of overshooting them, I put my gun on my shoulder, walk over to the player, shake their hand and apologize. This simply diffuses the situation. I take myself out of the game and I go tag back in. Even if I know I did not overshoot them. It is just a game and if you are in it for the long haul you want to make more friends than enemies.“

For most teams, all a sponsor does for a player or team is to give them a discount on their product. In turn you are expected to play with their items and showcase them to other players. Some companies do more, giving banners or helping with fees, but few that I’m aware of. Then there are those that force you to buy the entire line of products for that year to remain on the sponsored list, even if you don’t need it.

To me, that’s not a sponsor, that’s a discounter. Sure, getting gear you might want to play with at a reasonable rate is cool and all, but the strings attached to it have made me want to distance myself from the whole sponsorship thing. Here is what I have come to consider some dark strings when it comes to sponsors.

1. The Defender – I’ve seen this a lot on forums such as PBNation. When a team gets sponsored, they often feel the need to defend that sponsor in whatever they do to anyone they come across. Some groups take this to the extreme and come off like whipping boys.

2. The Next Level – Without sponsors, many people feel they won’t be able to compete with other teams and need that sponsor to be considered a legitimate team. I think this is BS. Play hard, with honesty, and with a great attitude will win over people much more than having a list of sponsors. Winning also helps, but you don’t need sponsors to do that.

3. Part Time Job – I know a lot of people who have started a team, gotten sponsors and ended up quitting, some paintball altogether, because of the added stress and work of maintaining sponsors and teams. I don’t know of many people who can keep up that level of performance for very long without getting burned out.

4. The Proud – This is probably the worst I see with teams and players. Being sponsored makes them better than you. The egos I see in some players make me sick. I think this kind of thing is only bad for paintball as it turns off many players from continuing the sport.

Of course not everyone with sponsors is like this, sponsors can really help a team afford markers they might not be able to, make things like field costs and paint cheaper, and can help get them in the limelight. For me though, that is not what paintball is about. It is about playing with great people and having hard fought battles that we can joke about afterwards. We try to win, but when we lose we congratulate the other team and try harder next time. The moment that paintball becomes something that adds more stress to my life is the time to pull back and rethink my game plan. Many players and teams don’t and end up quitting paintball for good, which is a sad thing.