Durty_Tips1



	ABOUT PAINTBALL Although I am old enough to play without parental permission (am I ever) this came in handy when I explained my bizarre fascination with the sport to her. WHAT IS PAINTBALL? Paintball is simple game in explanation, but difficult in mastering. Basically two teams start in flag stations, their objective is to capture the other team's flag and return it to their starting flag station to win. During the game, players attempt to eliminate opposing team members by marking them with a paint-filled projectile which (usually) breaks on impact. This projectile, or paintball (where the game gets its name) is fired from a CO2 powered airgun, which is set at a safe velocity, so as not to injure players IS IT SAFE? Paintball is the safest sport in the world, now. According to insurance and medical statistics <stats.html>, paintball is safer than bowling. The reason for this is that players MUST wear the proper protection and MUST adjust their paintmarkers so that the paintball will not cause severe pain, upon impact. DOESN'T IT HURT WHEN YOU GET SHOT? Just slightly less then a branding iron. Just kidding. It feels like someone snapping you with a wet towel. It stings, and may leave a small bruise, but will not permanently injure you, as long as you are wearing the proper eye protection. Usually you don't feel any pain until long after the hit, due to the adrenaline rush you get while playing. HOW ARE PAINTBALLS MADE? Paintballs are made by dye encapsulating machines. These machines, worth millions of dollars, also are used to make encapsulated drugs, such as gel-caps, "Contact C"-type drugs and even bath beads. It is not surprising, then, that most (if not all) paintball manufacturers are pharmaceutical companies. The actual process is rather involved and technical, but in a nutshell here it is. Two wide ribbons of softened gelatin are fed into the machine. These two strips are joined by two counter rotating drums that have dozens of concave "pockets" which form the paintball. At the same time the drums also inject fill in between the gelatin strips and seal the seams, making the paintball. The paintballs are still very soft, because the gelatin of the shell is still warm, and are placed in a tumblers (to ensure roundness) until they are cooled and hardened enough for the next stage. They are then set on trays and left out to continue hardening. A special machine packages the paintballs by weight, although a case of paint is sold by quantity. In a case of 2500 you will get, on average, from 2490 to 2510 paintballs. You can also go to the R.P. Scherer <http://www.rps-paintball.com/> site, they have a really cool animated graphic that illustrates just how paintballs are made. They should know they were the first company to make paintballs. (You'll have to wait until their index page graphic finishes it's animation and then click on "How Do We Make Them?") CAN I GET THE PAINT OUT OF MY CLOTHES? Yes, it's water soluble. Basically it is mineral oils, food colouring, calcium, ethylene glycol, iodine and other harmless chemicals. If left in clothing for a period of months, it will stain. DO I HAVE TO BE ON A TEAM? Not for your first time. You can try to organize a group of family, friends and co-workers for your first outing. WHAT SHOULD I LOOK FOR IN A FIELD? Choosing a filed is not as simple as calling and booking a date. The best price in town may not be the best field in town. See How to Check Out a Field <2fldch.html>. HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO PLAY? Contact your local field. They can be found under Paint games, or Adventure in your yellow pages. Also paintball publications will have field listing in the back of their magazines. The average field in North America will cost approximately $15- 30. This will usually include: rental of goggles, rental of paintmarker and some paint, usually between 30 and 50, paintballs. extra paintballs are available at the field. (Plan on using 300-400 paintballs. Paint averages between five and ten cents per ball.) better markers and facemasks are usually available at an additional cost. A day of play is usually 9:00 am to 3:30 pm. Should you want to purchase your own equipment, once you've played for a while, look at How to Buy Paintball Equipment <2buy.html>. WHAT DO I NEED TO BRING? Clothes that you don't mind getting sweaty, and that are suitable for the weather conditions on play day. You should bring some snacks, and plenty of water. Further information on this can be found in Part 2 <part2.html>. HOW CAN I PLAY SAFE? Check out the safety articles in Safety <safety.html>. Also, notify the field owner or manager of any medical conditions, allergies etc. The field should provide everything you need, in the way of safety equipment. However it's a good idea to think about throat protection (a t-shirt around your neck will suffice) and protection appropriate to your gender, if you know what I mean. DO I NEED TO BE PHYSICALLY FIT TO PLAY? Not especially. I have a pair of bad knees and I simply play within my limitations. As for any strenuous exercise, I strongly recommend consulting a doctor. DO WOMEN PLAY PAINTBALL? Yes, in fact there are a few all-women teams in the professional paintball circuit. The two that come to mind are the Lady Treedancers and the Puffs. The Puffs have an interesting trade mark; their paint sponsor, RP Scherer, adds Chanel No 5, to their bright pink paintballs. There's no denying "who-marked-who" with those paintballs. HOW CAN I FIND OUT MORE ABOUT PAINTBALL? Pick up a paintball magazine or two. If you have access to the internet check out the newsgroups rec.sport.paintball and alt.sport.paintball. You can also to a search with your browser with the word "paintball". Better still, check out my Links Page. Reading the rest of this site won't hurt, either. HOW CAN I CONVINCE MY PARENTS/SIGNIFICANT OTHER THAT PAINTBALL IS HARMLESS? WHAT PAINTBALL ISN'T INTRODUCTION Paintball, like everything else, has its detractors. There are those who see paintball as a violent and politically incorrect past time. They couldn't be farther from the truth. Many writers will tell you about what paintball is. I'm going to tell you what paintball ISN'T. PAINTBALL ISN'T VIOLENT To the casual observer: we carry "guns" and "shoot" people, but are those two things really violent? Violence in today's society destroys lives. The very foundational rules of paintball seeks to limit personal injury: 1.Paintball markers are restricted to low velocities. 2.Players must wear protective eye wear. The use of eye wear SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR PAINTBALL, is strictly enforced. 3.Close range shooting of an opponent is discouraged and players find this type of behaviour "bad form". 4.No physical contact between player is allowed. (Other than celebratory "high fives" after the successful completion of a game.) These four things show that paintballers are not out to hurt each other. PAINTBALL ISN'T MOCK WAR, NOR IS IT A METAPHOR FOR WAR At first glance it may not seem this way because scenario games, revolving around historic battles and campaigns, are popular. This is not the industry's or players' way of glorifying war. It is simply playing "make believe". Many of the organizers of these events use the scenario to proclaim the gallantry shown by our fighting men and women. No one who plays paintball would relish going to war. Other than the combat veteran, the paintballer knows how quickly your luck will run out when projectiles start flying. If anything, paintball gives you a sense of your own venerability and mortality. Durty Dan Sez: Having witnessed the sheer, abject destruction on the modern battlefield, I know that paintball is as close to war as board gaming is. PAINTBALL IS NOT BAD FOR KIDS Providing the safety equipment fit them properly, I have nothing against people under the "legal age of consent" playing paintball. (With parental permission, that is.) In fact, paintball just may teach kids some important life skills. Winning doesn't matter, race/creed/age/religion doesn't matter, respect for authority, safety, and determined effort brings reward. Best of all, it teaches them to see a loss, not as failure, but as a learning experience. PAINTBALL IS NOT DANGEROUS The safety equipment is designed to withstand multiple impacts from paintballs that are travelling far above the industry safe standard. (In other words they hold up over and about the "worst case scenario" like all safety equipment should.) Few people have been injured playing paintball. Accident statistics <stats.html> show that paintball has less injuries than bowling! PAINTBALL ISN'T TRAINING PEOPLE FOR THE OVERTHROW OF THE GOVERNMENT We're not a bunch of paramilitary commandos. We are not using paintball to train ourselves in military tactics. In fact, military tactics don't seem to work in paintball. The reason is that military tactics require a highly disciplined group of people, that's not paintballers. We are a large collection of fierce individualists, and we don't take orders very well. Durty Dan Sez: Some would point out that paintball is used to train military and special police units, to counter this statement. Well, it doesn't counter what I just said. Paintball is used as an augmentation to existing training. Paintball in itself cannot train you to be a soldier, but it can be used to further expand a TRAINED soldier's education. PAINTBALL ISN'T TRAINING PEOPLE TO KILL, NOR DOES IT MAKE PEOPLE "GET USED TO" SHOOTING SOMEONE It's only a game. Shooting someone is more representative of a tag. Besides paintball is the ONLY team sport where you can LEGALLY eliminate your opponent from play. Best of all no one gets hurt. Durty Dan Sez: However, I'm not going to sugar coat it for you, some players do refer to eliminations as "kills". It's just an EXPRESSION. Comedians "kill" you, that can hardly be a metaphor for murder. The basic thing is that paintballers are NOT thinking, "I'm killing this guy," when they shoot somebody. PAINTBALL DOES NOT PROMOTE VIOLENT TENDENCIES IN PEOPLE In fact, psychologists have seen it to be a catharsis. It is a safe and healthy way to blow off some of the everyday tensions in life. Violent tendencies? I have absolutely NO tendencies towards anything after a day of paintball. Well, no that's wrong. I actually have tendencies towards a hot bath and a warm bed! PAINTBALL ISN'T TEACHING PEOPLE HOW TO USE FIREARMS Paintball markers share the same basic features with firearms. Both markers and firearms have triggers, grips, barrels, sears, bolts, hammers and sights. However, you cannot learn how to use real firearms by using paintmarkers. Think of it this way, how much can you learn about a computer by using a pocket calculator? There are paintmarkers which emulate the weight, design and operation of firearms, but they are specifically designed for police and military training. They are not available to the general paintball playing public. The ones that are available have been modified to better suit paintball. The design parameters between paintball and training are totally different. What would be good for a tactical training emulator isn't necessarily good, or even desired, in a paintmarker. CONCLUSION I hope, after reading this, that you can see that paintball is a harmless and fun game. Over one million people in North America play paintball. Not one of them is a violent, warmongering, psychotic mass murderer. Paintball has been around since 1981 and no one has been able to link violent crime DIRECTLY AS A RESULT OF PLAYING PAINTBALL. Why? Because there is no direct relation. WHY PAINTBALL ISN'T ANYTHING LIKE WAR An Analytical Comparison INTRODUCTION I was in the Canadian Military from 1979 - 1999. I served in the infantry and then served my country in the intelligence community. As an infantry soldier, I've trained for war. Officially the infantry's primary job was to "close with, and destroy, the enemy". As a peacekeeper, I have seen the results of war. As an intelligence analyst I have seen the destruction of Operation Desert Storm. I also have a very good friend who managed to survive Vietnam, and he knows what he is talking about. Paintball, on the outside, my look like the personification of war. I can see why people would call paintball "war games". We wear camouflage, we carry "guns" and we "shoot" each other. Pretty warlike, isn't it? Not really. NO ONE GETS HURT When you play paintball, you go home at the end of the day. A little tired and bruised, but none the worse for wear. This is not so in war. People die in war. They get shot, and they don't get back up again, ever. How many cemeteries are dedicated to paintball casualties in your country? How many are dedicated to those who died in the service of your country? THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS "TOTAL PAINTBALL" We don't bomb cities. We don't try to destroy the factories that make our opponent's equipment. We do not devastate the opponent's home nor do we hurt their family. The concept of total war does just that. Few wars, since the American Civil War, have not affected the lives of innocent civilians -- whose only crime was to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. PAINTBALL IS NOT ABOUT GREED, OR POWER, OR PRINCIPLE Wars start because someone has a grudge to settle, or they want what another country has, or they want THEIR views to be held by the rest of the world. No one started to play paintball to subjugate or destroy another person. PAINTBALL DOES NOT BRING OUT THE WORST IN PEOPLE Need I list all the atrocities in the wars in the last 100 years? Warfare seems to bring out the worst in individuals, units and leaders. People do things in war that they would not even contemplate in peace time. Yes, some players cheat. The greater majority of players behave themselves, act in a dignified matter and treat each other with respect. PAINTBALL DOES NOT DESTROY ANYTHING When was the last time you heard of a paintball game destroying a bridge, a building or a city? War is wasteful, it is destruction on the most horrifying scale. Paintball is fun. PAINTBALL DOES NOT EMOTIONALLY SCAR PEOPLE FOR LIFE Every man and woman who has experienced the horror and chaos of modern combat still carries emotional and psychological scars for the rest of their lives. Second World War veterans STILL cry when they think about the friends they have lost and the destruction they saw. The war ended over fifty years ago and these people have got on with their lives. However, you never, EVER, get over it. CONCLUSION I'm not saying that war is right or wrong, what I am saying is that it is mayhem, death and destruction on the highest level imaginable. It is unadulterated carnage, pure and simple. Young men and women lay down their lives and leave grieving families behind to try and cope with the loss. Paintball is nothing like that. If anyone tells you otherwise, they are fools. Just remember, the trappings of war ("guns", cammies and "shooting") do not make paintball a manifestation of war. As Napoleon has said, "C'est magnifique, mais c'est ne pas la guerre." (It's magnificent, but it's not war.) WHAT KIND OF PERSON PLAYS PAINTBALL? The Psychological Profile of a Paintballer INTRODUCTION Now, I am not a psychoanalyst. I have no formal training in how the human mind works. (Except for a Criminal Psychology course I took a few years ago.) What I am is a person who has always been innately curious about why people do the things they do. It has been a lifetime hobby of mine. In my Criminal Psych Course they taught us how the FBI complete psychological profiles on criminals they haven't even met. In all the cases, they have been ninety percent correct. They developed the system of profiling by interviewing convicted serial killers in order to establish the personality type that commits these types of crimes. I've done the same thing. Although I didn't know it at the time. (Not with serial killers, silly -- with paintballers.) I feel I can now accurately profile a paintballer as I have literally talked to hundreds of them. So now I feel reasonably sure that my Paintballer Profile is accurate. (Besides, I know just enough of about psychology to be dangerous.) Let me begin by describing what type of person DOES NOT play paintball. These people include, sociopaths, psychopaths and other pathologically effected individuals. Paintball is not 'real' enough for those who have severe behavioral defects. They go out and enact their fantasies in REAL LIFE, as frightening as that is. Paintball holds no thrill for them. (You have to realize that the rules in paintball are designed specifically so players DO NOT get hurt. This defeats the purpose for those with severe behavioral problems.) Therefore: the Game does not attract that segment of society. Neither does it cause, nor promote, that type of abhorrent behaviour in the rest of normally functioning members of society. So what is the Paintball Profile? Well, we all realize that paintball is not for everybody. Some people have tried it, had fun, but simply stated, "It's not for me". This is because those particular people did not have the personality type, or the profile, that lent itself well to the Game. Now, these are generalities and will not fit every individual player. For the most part, I feel that the following points apply to the vast majority. GENERAL Above all else, this profile is emotionally and mentally stable. They may not have the perfect life, but can handle adversity quite well. They are not devoid of the capacity to be effected by adversity, they are simply the type that will not allow this capacity to cripple them into inaction. ADAPTABILITY They are adaptable people who can react to any given situation. They may not chose the right way, but they are capable of making a decision. As I have learned in the military, being able to make a decision (even the wrong one) is better than not be able to make one at all. AGGRESSION This personality type is made up of aggressive people. Not in the negative manner, but in the positive application of aggression. (It does exist.) They will assert themselves in a manner that will achieve their goal, but not to the point where someone will get hurt. These are the people who are known for 'getting the job done'. PERFORMANCE UNDER STRESS This profile will perform well under stressful situations. The proof of this is simple. Deep within your brain is the most primitive and ancient part of the human body. It controls what we know as the 'fight or flight' response. The really neat thing about this reaction is that it is automatic, and you have no control over it. It is a basic survival mechanism we required before our species developed the capability for abstract reasoning. This primitive core does not understand the difference between fantasy and reality. It access the 'threat' and reacts to it. You will either stand and fight, or curl up into a little ball. You can condition your responses to situations that the brain perceives as a threat. (However, those who do not have the natural tendency to fight will have to work harder at dealing with the stressor. They can master it, but it will take time and work.) THE CONTRADICTION This profile also holds a great contradiction. They are fierce individualists who can easily group together and play as a cohesive unit. The miliary accomplishes this, but it takes a vast amount of training to accomplish it (I know, I've been there). This profile does everything they can to make themselves look unique. There is always at least one intentionally styled aspect of their overall appearance that sets them apart from the crowd. This same profile, however, readily becomes an intrinsic part of the team, willing to sacrifice some individual action and thought for the greater good of the group. Paintball players don't seem so bad now, do they? PARENTS AND PAINTBALL INTRODUCTION Parents may be worried about paintball's image. Their children may have expressed an interest in the game, but there are two things that work against the sport: 1. We carry "guns"; and 2. We "shoot" each other. On the surface, without further investigation, anyone would NATURALLY see paintball as teaching the wrong values to young people. However, as you will see, paintball teaches kids some very important "life skills". SAFETY First and foremost it teaches safety. Players MUST wear their goggles and they MUST use barrel plugs. They must treat the paintmarker with respect. They learn that safety is important, not just to protect themselves, but to protect others. A lapse in safety can cause field staff to keep the offending player out of a few games. Habitual unsafe practices will get that player ejected from the field. RESPONSIBILITY FOR ONE'S OWN ACTIONS If you make a mistake, realize that it was nobody's fault but your own. Accept the fact and move onto the next game. Players learn that what they do, or do NOT do has an effect on the outcome of the game. It is a simple example of cause and effect at work. TEAM WORK As a species, humans are reluctant to ask anyone for help, be it from pride, stubbornness or lack of knowing when to ask for help. No one is an island, and the sooner young adults learn that they just may have to rely on someone else's help, the better. They will also learn that their help may be much needed as well. Learning to work as part of a team and contributing to a single objective is an essential "life skill". HOW TO WORK WITH OTHERS This is not the same things as team work. I am referring to a one-on-one situation where the young adult and another player are working as a small team. You may not have an entire group to depend on, and being able to work with an individual, any individual, is essential. Everyone is different and they have their own way of doing things. How you work with each individual, and contribute to the task at hand, changes with each different individual you work with. INDIVIDUAL EFFORT Often players, through no fault of their own, will wind up by themselves. It takes a lot of courage not to just hide behind a bush, where it's safe. (I've been tempted many times, in this situation.) No one really likes to be alone. Learning to apply yourself, without the help of others, is a good character builder. There won't always be people around to help you. WORKING WITHIN LIMITATIONS This was something I did not seem to have when I was a teenager. I could do anything, and I knew everything. Being an "adult" I realize that I do have limitations (and many more than I care to admit to). You can only run so fast, the fields are only so large, you can only carry so much paint and air. Paintball sets up limitations (whether intentionally or incidentally) and forces players to work with reasonable and realistic limitations. OBEYING RULES AND LAWS There are safety rules, field rules and game rules. In order to be permitted to play, you must abide by them. Cheaters are not well liked in this sport and they are quickly ostracized. REWARDS SOMETIME COME WITH HARD WORK Your hard work is sometimes rewarded by a victory. A successful flag capture thrills even the most seasoned paintball player. There are few feelings that match it. ACCEPTING LOSSES Sometimes, hard work will result in attaining no rewards. In paintball, you can do everything right and still not win. Paintball teaches the "there's-always-another-game" mentality. If you lost the last game, you'll have a chance to win in the next one. You won't always be successful, but you will learn to treat a loss as a learning experience, not as failure. WINNING IS NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING Players outside of the tournament level, rarely see winning as the ultimate goal. Playing for the enjoyment of the game seems to eventually override a person's desire to win. It seems to be the general atmosphere on the recreational level. Players soon realize that winning is not the real challenge. The real challenge comes from bettering yourself as a player. HOW TO BEST ATTAIN YOUR GOALS A little planning and forethought go a long way in this game. They also go a long way in life. PROBLEM SOLVING AND DECISION MAKING Every time the horn blows and the game starts there will be a COMPLETELY new set of circumstances to deal with. Paintball teaches you how to rectify situations that may not start in your favour. You think and act in such a way as to be successful (hopefully). Brash, thoughtless actions are met with a brightly coloured mark on your person. Sometimes, taking a chance is worth the risk, but you usually can weigh the pros and cons before you take that chance. Paintball is the perfect arena to teach people when it is time for pensiveness and when to take a calculated risk. If you make the wrong decision, the only thing that gets hurt is your pride. HAND-EYE CO-ORDINATION Learning to shoot a paintmarker requires the development of good hand-eye co-ordination. Yes, video games teach this too, but at least in paintball, the young people are interacting with REAL people. EVERYONE IS EQUAL We might not look or act the same, but no one has an advantage over another because of it. No one race, gender, age, occupation, or political or religious persuasion is better at this than any other. Paintballs are non-discriminatory, they break on anybody, regardless of race, creed or culture. Tells you something about life, doesn't it? RESPECT FOR AUTHORITY Field staff have to enforce safety and playing rules. Argue with them and you won't get to play. You have to listen to what they tell you, they are there to ensure that everyone has a good, safe day. It's nice to hear kids saying things like "yes sir" and "Mr Referee". CONCLUSION I am a parent myself. As parents we want our kids to learn the lessons of life, without getting hurt in the process. What parent doesn't? However, it's not very realistic, is it? Well, I think it is, and paintball is the medium for it. Is there anything I've covered that you DON'T want your children to learn? These are all the qualities everyone should have. Paintball teaches ADULTS these things, too. Paintball is also a good motivator. Kids who have played paintball have routinely earned better grades and have stayed out of trouble. Why? They love the sport, and if they start getting low grades, or refuse to clean their rooms, they don't get to play paintball, do they? Believe me, there are worse things for kids to do. Given a choice between the two, I'd rather have my daughter buying paintball markers and paintballs than pistols and crack. Paintball doesn't sound too bad, does it? Is it better to hang out at the mall, or play a fun day of paintball? (They'll be supervised at the field.) They're not allowed to be intoxicated when they play paintball. They won't be influenced by "less-than-desirable" elements of society. (That is if you exclude the fact that they'll see some player with a really cool paintmarker, and they want one, too. Sorry, can't help you there.) In playing paintball they will learn all the important lessons they need to carry with them for the rest of their lives, without getting physically or emotionally scarred for life. The best part is, they don't even KNOW they're learning it! So when they ask if they can play paintball, say they can. Don't you just love getting one past the kids, every now and then? HOW TO CHECK OUT A FIELD INTRODUCTION Knowing what to look for in a field is important. However, it is not as simple as asking a few questions about prices and what you get for your money. Being a responsible paintballer, you probably will want to check the field out for yourself. Many of us get caught up in the moment and exuberance wears a blindfold. I've worked as a referee since the early Nineties and I have worked and played at some of the best fields in North America. Allow me to give you some hints on what to look for. SAFETY CONCERNS This is THE MOST important aspect of a paintball field. To help you judge a field's safety standards, here are : DURTY DAN'S FIVE LAWS OF GOOD FIELDS The field MUST have a chronograph. They must also enforce that EVERY players must ensure their paintmarker is below 300 feet per second. They should also be doing periodic checks of the player's paintmarkers throughout the day. The field MUST enforce the use of goggle in the playing area. They must only allow goggles SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED for paintball. The brand names are widely known by all players, ask around. The field MUST have a designated safe area, well away from the playing areas (or at least separated by fine mesh netting) where the players are allowed to remove their goggles. The field MUST have a barrel plug rule and enforce it in the safe area, because players will have their paintmarkers in the safe area, where no one will be wearing goggles. The barrel plug is a device which prevents a paintball from leaving the barrel, should the paintmarker be fired accidentally. face="arial"There should be NO SHOOTING in this area at all. If you do hear shooting, you should also hear "Hey, cut it out!" (or words to that effect) from disgruntled field staff. The field MUST have competent and experienced field staff to enforce the rules of safety. (What good are rules if no one is enforcing them?) If they do not enforce all five of these rules (not one, not four, ALL FIVE) you don't want to play there. Actually, NO ONE should be playing there. AGE LIMITS Some fields have minimum ages. Some fields require the parents to sign a permission slip for players under a certain age. This is usually for insurance purposes, but also because the safety equipment (goggles and face mask) are designed to fit adult heads. INSURANCE Ask if the field is insured, you don't have to take the owner's word for it. Ask for the name of the company that carries his insurance. (However, you will realize that if the field does not meet my Five Laws, it probably isn't insured, anyway.) Ask for a copy of their waiver form. Read it carefully, when you get home and be sure that the waiver only provides protection against players suing field owners for something stupid the player did. The waiver should show that if the player is injured through staff or owner negligence, the owner WILL be liable. "MIXED GROUPS" Yes, this will decide what kind of day you are going to have, and perhaps what equipment you should bring along. Ask if the field mixes groups of new and experienced players. If they do, ask them what limitations and restrictions they place on the more experienced players. These restrictions restrict the more experienced players from "walking all over" the newer players. Make sure the experienced players are expected to play with the newer players, NOT against them. Ask if they routinely split up teams. If they don't, it MAY BE because they're catering to the teams, and that's not good for the newer players. Ask if they allow "walk-ons". The field owner should answer that by saying, "Well, if the group allows walk-ons, yes. If you want to play as a walk-on call ahead to find out if the groups on that day will accept them." (Or words to that effect.) This way, you can join a group of players, without having to worry about organizing a group of your own. The ideal situation is any field that does not allow newer players to play with, or against, experienced players. SHOULD I ASK FOR A FIELD TOUR, AND WHAT SHOULD I LOOK FOR? Yes, if you can, get a tour of some of the playing areas. (They should make you wear goggles.) Look to see if the boundaries are clearly marked (so players don't wander off and get lost). Look for things like barbed wire fences, cliffs, rivers and lakes. Make sure these things (if they are present) are not part of the playing fields. Ask about local animal life, especially if the field is in warmer climates. You should know what kind of nasty animals live in your region or the region the field is located. If there are poisonous animals in the area, ask if the field staff is first aid trained and if they carry "snake bite" kits and the like. CONCLUSION While brief, this pretty much outlines the important things you should be looking for. If everything seems to check out, THEN ask about prices and what you get for your money. Free lunch is fine, so is inexpensive field rentals, but they don't do much good if the field is unsafe, do they? Paintball is as safe as the persons running the field. There are disreputable field owners out there, not many, but they are there. Don't be afraid to ask questions. The field is in business to cater to players, not the other way around. COMMON MISTAKES INTRODUCTION Here are the most common mistakes most players make. Surprisingly, they make these mistakes over and over again. COMMON MISTAKE NUMBER 1 Staying in one place for too long. This allows the opposition to easily flank you. COMMON MISTAKE NUMBER 2 Losing your temper when you get eliminated. It clouds your judgement. Instead, the time should be filled with trying to figure out what you did wrong and how not to do it again. COMMON MISTAKE NUMBER 3 Taking things for granted. Just because you THINK no one could be behind a particular tree doesn't mean there isn't. NEVER assume ANYTHING! COMMON MISTAKE NUMBER 4 Turning your back on the opposition. If you have to move away, move backwards, if you can, or try to keep something between you and your adversary, to keep from getting shot in the back. COMMON MISTAKE NUMBER 5 Target fixation. This is when you are only aware of the player you are shooting at. I find this is usually when players are eliminated. COMMON MISTAKE NUMBER 6 Forgetting to look over your shoulder. Opponents have been known to come in from behind. I have been guilty of this in the past. COMMON MISTAKE NUMBER 7 Shooting at another player when a teammate has it well in hand. Unless you're specifically needed to do so, don't waste paint on a player your teammate is shooting at. Concentrate on covering your team mate, just in case he is making Common Mistake Number 6. COMMON MISTAKE NUMBER 8 Getting cocky. There is ALWAYS someone faster, stronger and better than you. You just haven't met him (or her) yet. COMMON MISTAKE NUMBER 9 Dismissing luck. Most things in paintball are dependent on luck. The feeding of the paintball, the flight of the paintball, the functioning of the paintmarker is all based on luck. Sure, someone will tell you otherwise, but how many times have you seen things NOT work out, for no known reason? COMMON MISTAKE NUMBER 10 Not being a good winner or loser. There is nothing that says "childish" more than pouting when you lose or rubbing people's noses in it when you win. Believe it or not, there are players who have been playing this game for years who still make these mistakes. So don't feel too bad if you don't do well on your first time out. DURTY DAN'S KWIK-AND-DURTY TOP TEN TIP LIST (First say it ten times fast, without a mistake. If you still don't need medical attention to untie your tongue, read on.) TIP # 1 Follow all safety rules. Do not fire your paintmarker in camp, for ANY REASON. Do not remove your goggles in the playing area for ANY REASON. Pay attention to the safety portion of the orientation briefing at the field. TIP # 2 Don't stay in one place too long. The key to the game is movement. Try to plan your next move, before you actually move. However, if you do decide to lay in ambush for someone, keep absolutely still. Movement will defeat the best camouflage. TIP # 3 Don't stand behind someone when they're being shot at. There's a good chance you're going to be hit with the paintballs that missed the player you're standing behind. TIP # 4 Don't ever lie down. Crouch or kneel, otherwise it takes too long for you to get back up again. I find "going to ground" is a habit most associated with people who have had military training. Sometimes you have to crawl, but for the most part, stay on your feet. TIP # 5 Don't forget to check over your shoulder. TIP # 6 Spend some time on the target range. Learn to operate the paintmarker you're going to be playing with. TIP # 7 If possible, play with someone who is patient, who will point out what you did right, and who will offer constructive criticism when you do something wrong. TIP # 8 When defending the flag, you should be away from the flag, so when you are pressured by the opposition, you have some room to move back, to prevent from being out-flanked. You should also not be disappointed if the opposition does get the flag. If you've managed to hold them off for even a couple of minutes, you've done your job. I might point out that you are a flag DEFENDER, not a flag KEEPER. No one ever said you had to keep the flag, just defend it. TIP # 9 Don't be afraid to surrender. If you are vastly outnumbered, you've been cornered, or you're in any no-win situation -- its okay to give up. Besides, it's painless! TIP # 10 Don't get discouraged. Every paintball player in the world, no matter how good they are, started out as newbies. They just forget it, sometimes.

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