[AviatorMan]

I'm returning to paintball after a 15 year break and have started to notice something that's got me troubled. I've bought a new gun (Etek 4) to get current with the times / tech, and I would say I'm fairly experienced, though by no means pro. That being the situation, I've been out twice now (once with the new gear and once with my old 68-carbine that is now dead) and both times, all of the new players who were using rental guns asked the refs to keep me, and anyone else using higher end equipment and more advanced tactics, from playing with their groups, leading to a situation where a small group of more experienced players often had to wait 20-30 minutes to get a 3-5 minute game in just because they thought we were too uber (trying to explain that we really weren't didn't work at all). In the end, I got to play all of 8 short rounds in 3.5 hours because of this and I really don't consider that a day of paintballing worth my money. Does anyone have any advice on how to get around this issue so that I don't spend all day sitting around when I really want to be in games?

This post has been edited by AviatorMan: 09 December 2012 - 06:46 PM

[andrewthewookie]

I'd talk to the field owner about this. At my field, everyone plays together unless they're a private reservation. We'll split up the noobs and good guys into matched teams, so it's not like the renters would get overpowered.

[GeezusPB]

andrewthewookie, on 09 December 2012 - 06:49 PM, said:

I'd talk to the field owner about this. At my field, everyone plays together unless they're a private reservation. We'll split up the noobs and good guys into matched teams, so it's not like the renters would get overpowered.

This is what wr do at my field too. You really should adress the owner of the field. Or at least talk to the refs.

[Cookybiscuit]

AviatorMan, on 09 December 2012 - 06:45 PM, said:

my old 68-carbine that is now dead

Sorry for you'r loss.

[AviatorMan]

andrewthewookie, on 09 December 2012 - 06:49 PM, said:

I'd talk to the field owner about this. At my field, everyone plays together unless they're a private reservation. We'll split up the noobs and good guys into matched teams, so it's not like the renters would get overpowered.

We did repeatedly offer to split up and play both sides and also to stay to the back, but that didn't work either.

To be fair, they were group reservations, but nothing private according to the people running the place. That being said, even if they are group reservations and those groups want to play alone a few games, I still think making players sit out for 20-30 mins straight because they are walk-ons is no good. As it stands, I almost asked for a refund of field fees, and were it not for the fact that they are the only indoor place in the area, I'd probably not go back without assurances that I would not be asked to sit out so much.

This post has been edited by AviatorMan: 09 December 2012 - 07:05 PM

[LUXOR54]

if they don't want to be playing with people of different skill levels they should make a private reservation and invite people of their own skill levels. if they go to walk-ons they should be expected to play with anyone else who shows up, that includes people of a higher skill level. just because they are less experienced doesn't mean that all the other players have to be treated differently because of it. i would be pissed if someone said to me "if you want to play with us you can't use your etek because it is unfair" ( i know that's not what happened, just an example)
i can see if an actual team showed up that they split them up and put other "owners" in with them. but if i go to a field i don't expect to not be able to play just because there are kids running around with a 98. Hell, one time a ref wouldn't let me go on and play with the renters when i was using my pump!

[AviatorMan]

LUXOR54, on 09 December 2012 - 07:05 PM, said:

if they don't want to be playing with people of different skill levels they should make a private reservation and invite people of their own skill levels. if they go to walk-ons they should be expected to play with anyone else who shows up, that includes people of a higher skill level. just because they are less experienced doesn't mean that all the other players have to be treated differently because of it. i would be pissed if someone said to me "if you want to play with us you can't use your etek because it is unfair" ( i know that's not what happened, just an example)
i can see if an actual team showed up that they split them up and put other "owners" in with them. but if i go to a field i don't expect to not be able to play just because there are kids running around with a 98. Hell, one time a ref wouldn't let me go on and play with the renters when i was using my pump!

I agree with the private reservation thing... The simple fact is that we're out there to shoot and be shot at, and we all payed good money to do it, so if you try and curtail someone else's play because you don't want them to shoot at you, why are you even there in the first place. I guess the general consensus in this case is to voice my complaint with the field staff and ask them to correct the issue next time and then, if it doesn't improve, to find another field (at least for the warmer days since I live in Colorado) that will force newer players to accept more experienced players into all of their games. Still blows me away that the refs would go along with the exclusion because, in the end, its guys like me who are going to play more often, shoot more paint, and bring more friends than those people who are just out for a birthday party or office get-together.

[ContractKiller11]

andrewthewookie, on 09 December 2012 - 06:49 PM, said:

I'd talk to the field owner about this. At my field, everyone plays together unless they're a private reservation. We'll split up the noobs and good guys into matched teams, so it's not like the renters would get overpowered.

Yep, same at the one field I play at. It makes a lot of sense and doesn't waste anyones money/time.. Because at the end of the day everyone's paying to have a good time, not to sit around. Besides most of the time noobs sit in the back regardless so either way their playing style won't change.

[PREDATOR 47]

I had the same thing at a field I went to. 100 people renting and the 6 of us by ourselves doing 3v3, all because a couple of shitface kids with walmart guns told the owner they didn't wanna be shot by "full auto guns"(DISCLAIMER: they actually were shitfaces). I went to the owner and explained that we are here weekend after weekend paying money and it's not completely fair that people who are most likely one-timers get to dictate how the day-in-day-out players get to do things. The 6 of us agreed to play hopper ball if they could fold us into the larger group and it happened. Kinda lame for a couple hours but the rest f the day was pretty fun.

In short, try to explain that the guys who are here every week are getting the short end of the stick when we are spending money every weekend here. Maybe make a concession or two (hopperball, semi, what have you). In my experience, a polite conversation with the owner can go a LONG way.

[ContractKiller11]

PREDATOR 47, on 09 December 2012 - 08:20 PM, said:

I had the same thing at a field I went to. 100 people renting and the 6 of us by ourselves doing 3v3, all because a couple of shitface kids with walmart guns told the owner they didn't wanna be shot by "full auto guns"(DISCLAIMER: they actually were shitfaces). I went to the owner and explained that we are here weekend after weekend paying money and it's not completely fair that people who are most likely one-timers get to dictate how the day-in-day-out players get to do things. The 6 of us agreed to play hopper ball if they could fold us into the larger group and it happened. Kinda lame for a couple hours but the rest f the day was pretty fun.

In short, try to explain that the guys who are here every week are getting the short end of the stick when we are spending money every weekend here. Maybe make a concession or two (hopperball, semi, what have you). In my experience, a polite conversation with the owner can go a LONG way.

I think it should be mandatory anyway to use Semi in Recball.Most fields I go to anyway have Semi only rules.

[PREDATOR 47]

I always try to use semi, but to each his own. But it was a lot easier to convince them to play with me when I showed them that I was unable to reload.

[drexler]

I play semi when I'm out playing rec ball. If a bunch of walk ons complain because they're scared of better players then they can fuck off. I work on weekends so I already don't have a lot of time to play. If they want to run games with their noobie group and make me sit out for 30min because their scared then they can rent out the field for a private group. While I haven't had a problem with my local field owner about this, if he decides to back a group of rentals, my group of 10 regulars and myself will drive the extra 20 minutes to go to another field. I had this happen once to me at a field I used to play at, my group left and the field went under a few months later.


tldr: if a field wants to fuckover its regulars who don't abuse newer players the owner can fuck off and we will go somewhere else.

[PREDATOR 47]

drexler, on 09 December 2012 - 08:56 PM, said:

I play semi when I'm out playing rec ball. If a bunch of walk ons complain because they're scared of better players then they can fuck off. I work on weekends so I already don't have a lot of time to play. If they want to run games with their noobie group and make me sit out for 30min because their scared then they can rent out the field for a private group. While I haven't had a problem with my local field owner about this, if he decides to back a group of rentals, my group of 10 regulars and myself will drive the extra 20 minutes to go to another field. I had this happen once to me at a field I used to play at, my group left and the field went under a few months later.


tldr: if a field wants to fuckover its regulars who don't abuse newer players the owner can fuck off and we will go somewhere else.

I was angry too, but I'm not sure telling possible new players to "fuck off" and putting a field under is quite the right idea here.

[TechPB-Mike]

it's the only way you'll get better

[bigx]

I run into situations like that a lot. But my field sets up a system where they run rental games and private parties in a cycle.

Rental
OPEN
PartyA
OPEN
PartyB
OPEN
Rental

They run open games more frequently because they are quicker.

Just curious what field are you talking about?

[madsnipes]

sometimes just telling them that you will go easy on them can work.

[paintballguy2255]

ContractKiller11, on 09 December 2012 - 07:51 PM, said:

andrewthewookie, on 09 December 2012 - 06:49 PM, said:

I'd talk to the field owner about this. At my field, everyone plays together unless they're a private reservation. We'll split up the noobs and good guys into matched teams, so it's not like the renters would get overpowered.

Yep, same at the one field I play at. It makes a lot of sense and doesn't waste anyones money/time.. Because at the end of the day everyone's paying to have a good time, not to sit around. Besides most of the time noobs sit in the back regardless so either way their playing style won't change.

But you also have to consider the fact that the renters may be there with 5 or 6 friends,and they may want to be on the same team.
And usually,the renters want to be on the team with the guy who has the shotgun.
As for advice,I say just politely shit in the renters fogged up mask while they aren't looking.

[get.lit.up!]

At mine and LUXOR's field they usually let us play with renters if we use pumps. But our indoor field isnt too saturated with rental games as they try to field 10+ people at the time usually around 16.

Field time management is also key, like have a group on deck for quick turnarounds

[NBTIppy]

My field has Walk-ons for Sunday, which is just everyone who wants to play (no bookings this day)
Saturday is booking day, any bookings for the weekend are done this day so for the most part we just don't go this day. Usually if we are there on a Saturday its just to hang out. Although sometimes the groups will ask us to join in, a lot of the time its either a bachelor party wanting us hunting the bachelor or a kids sports team wanting us to play a kids vs parents game. (This is always my favorite, helping the young kids hunt down their coaches and parents.)

[misterkyle]

get all the advanced players to give the ref and field owner a stern talking to. Maybe you guys could write them a strongly worded letter.