[Master_Chief]

Paintball. On the recreational side it is a weekend activity that ends up with you most likely getting hooked into going again and again as well as dumping money again and again into having fun. Recreational paintball is one of the more expensive ways to have fun. But when you get hooked, there's no real stopping playing the most fun activity you've played.

Now your hooked. You go out once or twice a month, buy your own gear, maybe even an agg HK headband, and have a lot of fun playing but then you wonder if spending all this money is the best way to spend your money. After all you are having fun right? But what else could you have done with that money you have spent so far?

Now you're really hooked, and good too. You are playing D2 PSP and you practice three out of the four weekends a month and when there's a tournament that month you are playing paintball every weekend that month. You go through thousands of dollars in gear, paint, entry, event costs, travel fees, all to play a sport that you have gotten absolutely nothing out of but a good time, having the opportunity to meet awesome people, and all that intangible and unforgettable things that paintball is one of the only sports to offer at any scene.

When you look at paintball, all the money you have gone through to play, all the money on gear, all the time on the forums, all the part time jobs that have been sacrificed to go practice or play in an event, all the missed social events, relationships that have been lost for this near intangible sport, why do you play? Only a select few can say they play for a source of income, companies are the only ones really making money (I cant imagine being a team owner).At my level, and at 95% of the average tournament player's level, and 100% of basically any one else, we don't play for prize money or major sponsorships or for jobs, we play to have fun and to be with friends and to make the most fun with our lives. Sure thats what we aim for but paintball markers are not that accurate; accuracy through volume but an 18% win ratio won't put food on anything.

How would you justify playing D2 paintball, the hardest division to explain why you play to anyone: the middle child of the divisions, or paintball in general? Everything that you can say for the other divisions doesn't make sense; I just play to have fun, or for the upper divisions; I play because I'm good and get free stuff and money. Granted almost all D2 players are amazing at what they do, but they are not the best or the worst of the sport.

D2 seems like the place of paintball in which you are gonna go somewhere with paintball, be it the once a month weekend baller or the guy that actually goes semi pro or pro.

My main point in this, besides asking why you play and what justifies that (as well as do you even need to justify playing paintball to other people), is I believe this is where I am. I'm in a place in which I'm either going to go somewhere or go home.
I also think tournament paintball, as well as paintball in its whole, is in the same place, its either going to keep expanding into something huge or it's going to go to back what it was 5 years ago because it is clear that paintball is practically at its height of technology, popularity, and arguably the venues. Is paintball going to keep going on and is this just the beginning to an awesome popular sport or is this were paintball will level out in terms of popularity and participation?

This post has been edited by Master_Chief: 04 January 2013 - 01:54 AM

[Cookybiscuit]

Because none of the other cool kids I know do it and its pretty swag to walk around yoloing and playing sports no one else plays.

[mustangs]

I like the adrenaline rush. Just moving from cover to cover, snap shooting paintballs to not get shot. while trying to pay attention to what the other team and your team is doing at the same time. Also the bond we have since we are all doing something we love to do and have fun. Walk onto a field not knowing an entire group, but in the end you meet people and use teamwork to help each other.

[karolinen]

Friendship all the peopel in my "team " we been playing sence early 90`s soo just a fun time fore us to get away from family,work, responibilty fore awhile, We go to biggames and leand out ouer equpment to rental ppl alot just to get em to fell like they are wellcome to the sport

[TheGuy]

Paintball is a sport where there are few set ways to doing something, with few rules, which I like. I can mix things up and do crazy and out of the box moves to win. It also gives more of an adrenaline rush than other sports I play.

I also enjoy all the shenanigans that happen on and off the paintball field.

[HU Soldier]

I play for the rush of doing it.Im farily good at it and there are no set equipment rules on the rec level besides a mask. You can vary between pump, pistol, electro,mech.The people i meet and play with at the local fields are all really nice guys and keep the games clean and fun. To me paintball takes more skill and thinking them some other sports, you have to think "how am i going to get to the next position or move up the field to the fort without getting blasted?"Its also not as repetitive as other sports, its a ever chaning field of play, different speedball courses, new obstacles to overcome. You have to be able to adapt.

[cpuwhiz22]

I just play for fun. I play at my local field every weekend with the other walk on players, and a few times a year I play on private property with a bunch of friends. Tournaments personally are something that I have never considered. I may when I get to the point where it is no longer fun to shoot at other people who are also there for fun, but for now I just like to go and shoot a case every weekend for a few hours.

[Carolus Rex]

One of the things that keeps me going is the social aspect of it. Hanging around with friends and meeting new people on the field. Sharing stories about past games and cool shit that happened on the field. Some of the nicest people i know have i met on the field or in the safezone.

The other thing is the exercise. No other sport has managed to move my fat arse. Because it's just so goddamn fun. And it doesn't matter how beaten, bloody ( from crawling on gravel without any protection and shot point blank in the neck) and sore i am when i come home. I still come back for more.

This post has been edited by Carolus Rex: 04 January 2013 - 12:28 PM

[erg993]

I don't know if I can even sum up all the reasons I play. Just the game itself gives me a thrill. I love the social aspect, hanging out with friends, going into a game with a strategy, working together during the game. When I'm at the field I have opportunities to teach and opportunities to learn. I can play each game differently. There are different styles of play with different equipment you can use for any style.

A good friend of mine just called me about 20 minutes ago asking me what I'm doing tomorrow. Tonight I'm going to a thing where I mentor high school kids, and afterwards I'm going to a woman's house (like my second mom) to spend time with some close friends. In the morning I have a board meeting for this program, AND I'm giving people rides tonight and tomorrow. My friend who called wanted to play Paintball tomorrow. I'm super busy, I've made commitments to other people, and I'm sick, but I'm going to find a way to play Paintball tomorrow anyway. I think the time I get to spend with people while playing is definitely the biggest draw for me.

[Master_Chief]

erg993, on 04 January 2013 - 12:59 PM, said:

I don't know if I can even sum up all the reasons I play. Just the game itself gives me a thrill. I love the social aspect, hanging out with friends, going into a game with a strategy, working together during the game. When I'm at the field I have opportunities to teach and opportunities to learn. I can play each game differently. There are different styles of play with different equipment you can use for any style.

A good friend of mine just called me about 20 minutes ago asking me what I'm doing tomorrow. Tonight I'm going to a thing where I mentor high school kids, and afterwards I'm going to a woman's house (like my second mom) to spend time with some close friends. In the morning I have a board meeting for this program, AND I'm giving people rides tonight and tomorrow. My friend who called wanted to play Paintball tomorrow. I'm super busy, I've made commitments to other people, and I'm sick, but I'm going to find a way to play Paintball tomorrow anyway. I think the time I get to spend with people while playing is definitely the biggest draw for me.

That is pretty awesome this is quite possibly the coolest thing I've heard of.

This post has been edited by Master_Chief: 04 January 2013 - 03:34 PM

[madsnipes]

Why does anyone do any hobby, because i enjoy it

This post has been edited by madsnipes: 06 January 2013 - 10:37 AM

[Antonious]

Master_Chief, on 04 January 2013 - 01:39 AM, said:

Now you're really hooked, and good too. You are playing D2 PSP and you practice three out of the four weekends a month and when there's a tournament that month you are playing paintball every weekend that month. You go through thousands of dollars in gear, paint, entry, event costs, travel fees, all to play a sport that you have gotten absolutely nothing out of but a good time, having the opportunity to meet awesome people, and all that intangible and unforgettable things that paintball is one of the only sports to offer at any scene.

I eliminate this paragraph altogether.
I keep paintball a recreational hobby and that allows me to justify the cost and time while still keeping it fun. Tournament play is unnecessary, regardless of your skill level.

[MZinCamo]

Antonious, on 06 January 2013 - 05:22 PM, said:

Master_Chief, on 04 January 2013 - 01:39 AM, said:

Now you're really hooked, and good too. You are playing D2 PSP and you practice three out of the four weekends a month and when there's a tournament that month you are playing paintball every weekend that month. You go through thousands of dollars in gear, paint, entry, event costs, travel fees, all to play a sport that you have gotten absolutely nothing out of but a good time, having the opportunity to meet awesome people, and all that intangible and unforgettable things that paintball is one of the only sports to offer at any scene.

I eliminate this paragraph altogether.
I keep paintball a recreational hobby and that allows me to justify the cost and time while still keeping it fun. Tournament play is unnecessary, regardless of your skill level.

For you perhaps. Please don't say that it's "unnecessary". Pro football is also unnecessary by those standards.

I play Division 4 paintball because I want to play at the national level before I go to college. And when I'm in college I want to play a high division as well as NCPA.

[Antonious]

MZinCamo, on 06 January 2013 - 05:30 PM, said:

Antonious, on 06 January 2013 - 05:22 PM, said:

Master_Chief, on 04 January 2013 - 01:39 AM, said:

Now you're really hooked, and good too. You are playing D2 PSP and you practice three out of the four weekends a month and when there's a tournament that month you are playing paintball every weekend that month. You go through thousands of dollars in gear, paint, entry, event costs, travel fees, all to play a sport that you have gotten absolutely nothing out of but a good time, having the opportunity to meet awesome people, and all that intangible and unforgettable things that paintball is one of the only sports to offer at any scene.

I eliminate this paragraph altogether.
I keep paintball a recreational hobby and that allows me to justify the cost and time while still keeping it fun. Tournament play is unnecessary, regardless of your skill level.

For you perhaps. Please don't say that it's "unnecessary". Pro football is also unnecessary by those standards.
I play Division 4 paintball because I want to play at the national level before I go to college. And when I'm in college I want to play a high division as well as NCPA.

It's not necessary to play in a tournament in order to continue playing paintball, so by it's very definition, it's unnecessary.
Not saying it's bad and that nobody should do it, I'm saying you don't have to step into the tournament scene at all and still be good and have a good time. However, how the OP included it made it sound like a mandatory step-up in order to continue playing paintball, when, in reality, it's simply an option.

This post has been edited by Antonious: 06 January 2013 - 05:51 PM

[MZinCamo]

Ah. Yes I agree. I read that the wrong way.

[Antonious]

Yeah, it was worded a little vaguely.

[Rollieelmo]

Paintball is just a huge money pit. I play because I'm already here, and I play to win.

[Orange Chicken]

I play for attention and the glory of knowing im better, or that ill eventually be better, than anyone I know. Its the competitive side in me. When I play well, people think im all awesome. When I play hard, they think im super aggressive. When I play smart, people know I know what im doing. When I look good and match my outfit, they think im pro. When I have a unique gun, they know I like the sport.

[Klub]

because I'm a hipster

[Morgan-Crp]

I like shooting little kids.