Gameplay

Paintball is played with a potentially limitless variety of rules and variations, which are specified before the game begins. The most basic game rule is that players must attempt to accomplish a goal without being shot and marked with a paintball. A variety of different rules govern the legality of a hit, ranging from "anything counts" (hits cause elimination whether the paintball broke and left a mark or not) to the most common variation: the paintball must break and leave a mark the size of a US quarter or larger. Eliminated players are expected to leave the field of play; eliminations may also earn the opposing team points. Depending on the agreed upon game rules, the player may return to the field and continue playing, or is eliminated from the game completely.

The particular goal of the game is determined before play begins; examples include capture the flag or Elimination. Paintball has spawned popular variants, including woodsball, which is played in the natural environment and spans across a large area. Conversely, the variant of speedball is played on a smaller field and has a very fast pace with games as brief as two minutes fifteen seconds in the (NSL) or lasting up to twenty minutes in the PSP (Paintball Sports Promotions). Another variant is scenario paintball, in which players attempt to recreate historical, or fictional settings; the largest being Oklahoma D-Day's World War II re-enactment.

Woodsball

Woodsball or "Bushball", is a term developed late in the history of the game to refer to what was the original form of the game: teams competing in a wooded or natural environment, in which varying amounts of stealth and concealment tactics can offer an advantage. The term is commonly used as a synonym for specialized scenario-based play, but it technically refers to virtually any form of paintball played in fields primarily composed of natural terrain and cover such as trees and berms, instead of manmade obstacles.

Scenario

Woodsball may feature large or small teams, in competition to obtain various goals and objectives. Large-scale Woodsball games are commonly referred to as "Big Games" or "Scenario Games". Popular examples of the scenario format are Cousin's Big Game in Coram, New York (on Long Island), Hell Survivor's Monster Game (just outside Pinckney, Michigan), Invasion of Normandy at Skirmish U.S.A in Pennsylvania, and Oklahoma D-Day 9in Wyandotte, Oklahoma), events which draws in 2,000 to 4,500 players and last for two days, up to a week. Another variant of the Big Game is the "Attack and Defend" format where large numbers of attackers try to overrun a fixed, but a well-defended objective, such as a compound or large building.

MilSim

MilSim ("Military Simulation") is a mode of play designed to create an experience closer to military reality, where the attainment of specific objectives is the most important aspect of the game.

MilSim addresses the logistics of combat, mission planning and execution, and dealing with limited resources and ammunition. Players are typically eliminated from the game when struck by paint. For aesthetic reasons, MilSim often uses airsoft guns rather than paintball guns, as their prominent hoppers appear unrealistic, however Airsoft pellets, being smaller caliber and fired at higher velocity, have an increased risk of player injury if the scenario involves high rates of fire or close range.

With the advent of shaped projectiles, such as the First Strike, and the resulting development of magazine fed markers, a considerable increase in range, accuracy and MILSIM realism was gained. Functionally speaking, magazine-fed markers are no different than any other paintball marker, with one exception. Instead of paintballs being gravity fed from a bulky hopper, which sits above the marker, shaped projectiles (or paintballs) are fed from a spring-loaded magazine from the bottom of the marker. The caliber of both the gravity fed and magazine fed markers are the same (.68 caliber) and the velocities are also generally the same. The increased range and accuracy of the shaped projectile comes from the higher ballistic coefficient that the shaped projectile has, and the gyroscopic spin imparted onto the projectile from a rifled barrel and fins on the projectile itself. Magazine fed markers and shaped projectiles have allowed marker designs to more closely approximate the styling and functionality of actual (real steel) firearms, which intern has given paintball a better avenue to compete with Airsoft in the MilSiM environment.

Speedball

Speedball is played in an open field that could be compared to a soccer field, it is flat with a minimum of natural obstacles, and sometimes artificial turf is used, especially in indoor fields. The first speedball fields were constructed with flat wooden obstacles staked into the ground to provide cover; this concept was further developed into a number of urban-scenario field styles with larger building-like obstacles for casual play, but speedball itself progressed to using smaller obstacles made from plastic drainage pipe, which offered a more variable field layout and some "give" to the obstacles for increased safety. Eventually, inflatable fabric "bunkers" were developed based on common obstacle shapes from previous fields, such as "snake" and "can" bunkers. The use of inflatable obstacles both increases player safety by reducing potential injury from collisions with obstacles, and allows them to be easily moved to reconfigure the field or to set up temporary fields. Tournaments such as the PSP hold different events throughout the summer months all over the United States. Speedball games were originally started as a way to make the game safer for players who might trip on uneven woodland terrain. Speedball is generally a fast-paced game where many more balls are used than in woodsball style games. The Markers used are usually more "High Tech" in a sense that they are controlled by an electronic board and have very high rates of fire(upwards to 20 ball per second).

Concept

Concept Fields With many objects set up to allow players to remain hidden from their opponents a concept field is a perfect man-made creation for paintball games. A concept field is usually outdoors and almost always has a theme. Urban concept fields are often seen filled with cars, buildings, and other elements that are found in the city. Some concept field creators go all out and put together themes that may seem a bit over the top to people who aren't familiar with the sport.

 

• Outline
  

  SPORTS WORLD

  Paintball

  Paintball is a game developed in the 1980s in which players eliminate opponents from play by hitting them with dye-filled, breakable, oil and gelatin paintballs, or pellets, usually shot from a carbon dioxide or compressed air (Nitrogen) powered “paintball marker”. The game is regularly played at a sporting level with organized competition involving major tournaments, professional teams, and players.

  Equipment: The paintball equipment used may depend on the game type, for example: woodsball, speedball, or scenario; on how much money one is willing to spend on equipment; and personal preference.

  Gameplay: The most basic game rule is that players must attempt to accomplish a goal without being shot and marked with a paintball.

  Enforcement: Regulated games are overseen by referees or marshals, who patrol the course to ensure enforcement of the rules and the safety of the players.

  Strategy: Player and team strategy varies depending on the size and layout of the field and the total number and experience level of players.

  Playing Venues: Paintball is played at both commercial venues, which require paid admission, and private land; both of which may include multiple fields of varying size and layout.

  Positions: The idea of player positions in paintball refers to the general mindsets and roles of play assumed by players of the sport.

SPORTS

 

RESOURCES
This article uses material from the Wikipedia articles "Paintball" and "Player positions (paintball)", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.