View from the Deadbox

Not In The Paintball News

noreply@blogger.com (Baca Loco) — Fri, 24 May 2013 18:43:00 +0000

NPPL 4.0's NE Open is less than two weeks away with registration closing in a week and according to the team list available on the registration page the team count remains 43 (the total from last week) with only 9 pro teams and 3 D2 teams listed. Either the league is intentionally under-reporting the numbers so that a still modest turnout (sixty-ish?) looks like a success in comparison or they really have their work cut out for them. The event layout remains 180 feet long for the second event in a row despite the league officially reducing field length to 170 prior to the start of the season. (Or are we just supposed to forget about that too? You know, like the Hawaii non-event.) And I will be curious to see if Walker plays--he is a member of CP Raiders--or if that will deemed inappropriate.

The MS Bitburg event began play today and their webcast can be seen on Livestream via a link at the Millennium website. And, no, I'm not gonna give you the link, you lazy slackers. If you really want to see it you can spend the extra 30 seconds to make it happen. The camera set-up remains similar to the Med Open (or last week's CPS webcast) with good angles and views on the snake wire but nothing on the dorito wire which leaves you at the mercy of the commentators--who frequently seemed as lost as the hopeful viewer--at least during the period I was watching earlier today. All of today's scores can be found at pblivescores.com--which also has a link available on the MS home page. Both Impact and Infamous had strong outings today that should see them through to Sunday.

If you're too lazy to go to the MS homepage for the webcast link or scores you might want to reconsider given the Millennium has been promising that their season ender (Euro WC) will take place "at the best venue ever used for paintball." I won't spoil the surprise but I gotta say it came as a major surprise when I saw what they have in mind. Will it be the best venue ever? I'll let y'all decide.

And finally, stepping outside VFTD's usual area of interest I can't pass up on the amusing irony on display during and after Living Legends 6, the annual (6 times and counting) scenario game held at CPX paintball park in Joliet IL and recent home of both NPPL & PSP events. Despite (apparent) efforts by media sponsors to keep the most aggrieved commenters off their sites the game itself (apparently) featured excessive bonus-balling and (gasp) cheating and borderline unsafe playing conditions on Sunday plus that special brand of low rent debauchery CPX is becoming well known for--a bikini contest judged by what were (apparently) this year's "legends" that devolved into a 'Girls Gone Wild' affair. All I can say is thank you. Next time somebody decries the state of paintball I will agree and say, "It's those damned scenario players, no integrity, no respect but what are you gonna do?"

Baca's Mailbag: 90 Seconds or Less

noreply@blogger.com (Baca Loco) — Wed, 22 May 2013 16:16:00 +0000

Brian writes in and says: I would like to hear your opinion on shortening the time between points for pro matches. I know that a few years back it was 90 seconds. In late 2008 I proposed the idea on Pbnation. [Matches] will be more fun to watch with a quicker turn around. Teams will have more trouble running the same 5 guys making your bench more important (A deep roster should count for something). Could put a premium on player conditioning. Would make pit crew, coaching decisions, time outs and play calling all more important. I really do think that at most the time between points should be 60 seconds. Anyone who has played xball/race2 understand that 2 min is more than enough time for even rookie teams to turn the same 5 guys around and IMO this is something that should change.

So my questions for you:
Why did they change it back to 2 min?
Do you think the time should drop?
What are possible negatives to having 1 min between points (and I really, really don’t want to hear that it’s too hard to do or that you can’t run the same 5 guys with only 1 min between points).

Questions answered first, then my opinion. It changed back because some of the pro teams were claiming it was an unfair advantage to teams with organized pit crews (that were often part of the team.) Keep in mind there are pro teams out there now who hunt for pit help at each event so the level of planning, organization and resources still diverges pretty dramatically. I would personally have no objection to returning to the 90 second time frame at the upper levels of play but I'm not sure I'd mandate it across the board. Unlike Brian I've seen a lot of lower division teams in particular struggle with their clock management but it's an issue for everyone now and then. Perhaps matched up with more but shorter time outs?
The only important negative is that there literally are teams that can't effectively negotiate a 60 second time clock. (So yes, despite risking your displeasure, Brian, I'm saying it's too hard--for now.) It is largely a matter of poor pit organization and/or lack of crew but is also an issue with regards team order and discipline. And what I wouldn't want to do is risk altering the quality of play by unnecessary rule or regulation. At divisional levels this is a non-starter automatically. To my mind they are customers first, competitors second. At the pro level if pro paintball were in fact a legit pro sport, even a modest one, I would be much more inclined to say bring it on. The teams and organizations will learn how to adjust on the fly. I've already designed play calls around a rapid shorthand system similar to calling football plays and there are lots of ways to accelerate the process--if you have the time and resources to properly develop those changes. I think 60 seconds is a reachable goal but that in the present it would be another burden most teams don't have the time or resources to deal with.
I wouldn't put the extra burden on lower level divisional teams. I would take a hard look at progressively integrating some restricted clock measures for the upper level divisional teams who clearly have aspirations of moving up; D2 & D1. I'd reinstitute the 90 second clock tomorrow if I could have 2 extra 30 second timeouts per match. And I'd make the 60 second turnaround the goal to be aimed for in the future.

Monday Poll in Review

noreply@blogger.com (Baca Loco) — Mon, 20 May 2013 19:43:00 +0000

The wretched and worthless poll is over and Blogger is also wretched and worthless when it comes to dealing with these sorts of idiosyncratic errors. Mostly because they don't really care all that much unless a problem becomes systemic. Anyway--the final tally was seven. Votes. 4 favored the top Challengers playing the bottom Champs for the opportunity to move up but so what? The polls are supposed to be fun and give the VFTD community a snapshot of what you think of the latest trends or topics in competitive paintball but when the gadget don't work we are all up the proverbial creek without a paddle. Besides ruining this last poll it also means I probably won't be attempting another until I can get some answers as to what went wrong this time. In the meantime find something to amuse yourselves on Mondays; work, school, inventing better hangover recipes, the usual.

Baca's Mailbag: Event Paint Sponsors

noreply@blogger.com (Baca Loco) — Sun, 19 May 2013 18:44:00 +0000

What do you think about Joey Blute's [Manager of TB Damage] suggestion in the recent Social PB video about limiting events to specific paint providers so as to avoid an advantage?

Is there that much variance in paint from event/manufacturer event to event to provide an advantage and warrant such a change?

Let's begin with the second question. Yes, there often is. And the reasons are almost endless. It can be as simple as miscalculating the local weather if the top grade paint was made for the event or deciding a large quantity of leftover from the last event was really good and if it's been properly stored it should still be good ... And complicating the issue further is separate lots within the grades of paint vary as well. Now I don't want to suggest the differences are enormous but then they don't have to be to potentially impact the results. Which is why the smart pro teams (and I assume that's all of them) make their event paint supply a high priority.

I think it's an intriguing idea. I liked it back in the days of print mag 'Paintball Games International' when I suggested it and again on this blog in 2008 in a post called, Paradigm Shift. And I have no doubt that somebody else before either one of us got around to it thought it sounded like a good idea because it is a good idea. From a competitive perspective it would remove the most influential existing variable from game play. And it's a significant enough variable at times to have an impact on the outcome of matches particularly if the teams are closely matched to begin with.
I also think now was a good time to bring this idea back. In the past when virtually all the pro teams were locked into substantial (and very valuable) paint sponsorships it would have been impossible, or nearly so, to make this kind of change but now we have a one paint league with the NPPL and the level of team paint sponsorships has shrunken to the point where a change may be in the best interests of the manufacturers and most of the teams. There has been a trend of late for local and regional leagues to feature single paint sponsors. But exactly how that might work in the PSP for example is hard to say. I do think it's an all or nothing proposition though and an event like WC would have to be shared on a rotating basis between the paint sponsors. What if PSP offered two 2-year paint sponsorships to the highest bidders and each sponsor would get 5 alternating events. Whoever took the first event the first year would get the first WC but each sponsor would get exactly the same number of events over two seasons. High bidder gets choice of schedule. Would leaving someone out work? In the hothouse environment that is paintball industry probably not but who knows?
And of course at the end of the day whatever the arrangement it would have to make economic sense to the manufacturers.

Mid-season Humdrum

noreply@blogger.com (Baca Loco) — Sat, 18 May 2013 21:05:00 +0000

It's not that nothing is happening. All the usual stuff is happening--which is good--plus some extra stuff like the NCPA finals on CBS Sports earlier today. I confess I haven't seen it yet but I watched a large chunk of FGCU thumping a hapless Liberty and that alone could stand as the reason we now play Race To 7. (Although with the advent of Champions "real" Xball might be a completely different animal the second time around. Just a thought. I mean if it's good enough for the NCPA why not the PSP? Anybody want to take a stab at answering that? Raehl?)
It's not even that there aren't a couple of juicy rumors floating around even. I expect the word to break soon that a high profile pro is leaving his current team and looking to make a move. (No names or teams until it's a done deal, if a deal is gonna get done, cus I don't want to interfere.) Even bigger than that is the talk a Champions level team may call it quits after this season. No lie. But not, that I've heard, a done deal just yet though it seems to be a legit possibility.
And there's always the MS to kick around--still no sign of the long-rumored rule book--but even the Millennium Board has been making various overtures to at least pacify their peasantry lately so what's the point? (And everytime I hear from some Eurokid on the down low who is gonna have a scoop for VFTD it never seems to materialize.) The sad truth is despite their desire for world paintball hegemony and spotty officiating (and no rule book) the MS is doing a good job in the eyes of most of their critics and customers.
Then there's the NPPL. For now. Here today--could easily be gone tomorrow. 43 teams registered for NE Open. All the rest of their promises disappearing down the memory hole as fast as Chuck can dig. It's gotten so bad that slapping the NPPL around is like shooting fish in a barrel or engaging in a battle of wits with a Downs Syndrome kid. It's only fun the first time or two.
In the meantime this is your opportunity to ask a question--or even two. Unless something significant strikes my fancy I'll be nonstop answering questions submitted to Baca's Mailbag. (Use the email link on the sidebar.) As long as there's a paintball connection all questions will get a reply. Who knows, if enough questions come in VFTD might even start giving out awards and prizes for stuff like the best, worst, dumbest, etc. It's not like you're winning Powerball any time soon.

CPS Paris on Livestream

noreply@blogger.com (Baca Loco) — Thu, 16 May 2013 16:24:00 +0000

If you're not playing Bunkerfest or CFPS event #3 this weekend--or perhaps getting your grind on for MS Bitburg (two weeks out)--or you're simply jonesing for some tourney action you may want to check out some of the matches from last weekend's CPS Paris event on Livestream. Of course if you are playing Bitburg taking in some of the CPS action will give you a head's up on how the Bitburg layout plays with the opportunity to watch some of the Millennium's CPL pros competing. Or if you are a student of the competitive game--not to say a paintball nerd--it's an opportunity to watch for differences in very similar layouts (PSP MAO & MS Bitburg) and the contrasting styles apparent in the European and American games.
I don't recall if Livestream requires registration or not but if it does it's dead simple--otherwise I wouldn't have done it. And while the quality of the webcast isn't up to the PBA/PSP standard it offers a good view across the field and a strong snake presence so you can get a good look at breakouts, shooting lanes and the snake wire action. The CPS brought over Matty to do the commentary and while he lacked some familiarity with the teams it's a plus for all the English-speaking only audience.
The one truly unique feature of the CPS webcast is the diversity of teams shown. Their webcast isn't limited to pro team action or even exclusively upper division action as they offer matches across all the divisions competing at the event. So, next time you're bored check out the CPS action and if you are a member of a divsional team and would like to see yourselves on an event scale webcast the CPS may be the ticket.

Housekeeping: Worthless Poll

noreply@blogger.com (Baca Loco) — Tue, 14 May 2013 22:51:00 +0000

The latest The Monday Poll went up, er, Monday and appeared to functioning correctly but about midday on Monday it began registering different vote counts that have since gone up and down seemingly randomly but mostly down. I've checked repeatedly using multiple browsers so I'm officially blaming the Blogger widget responsible. Blogger isn't usually much help for this sort of thing but I'm going to let the poll run its course and see if reveals something more like accurate results at the end of the polling period. I'd apologise for the inconvenience but most of you slackers didn't vote anyway.

Dissecting the 2013 PSP Field Designs

noreply@blogger.com (Baca Loco) — Mon, 13 May 2013 22:06:00 +0000

There's quite a lot to be learned from the Dallas & MAO layouts but what I want to focus on is how layouts intended to be one thing--promoting a faster game play--and that was plainly the intent--turned out to be nearly the opposite.

How do I know the intent was to promote faster game play? Simple. Look at the back center. It has been conventional wisdom for some time that no back center, or a marginal one at best, pushes teams to run for their primaries and diminishes laning OTB. The theory is less laning with its concomitant lowered risk encourages more aggressive actions OTB. But actual game play doesn't match up with the theory. For starters heavy guns OTB are far more likely to get breakout eliminations and every kill is a 20% reduction of the opponent's players and numerical mismatches are what promote aggressive play particularly when the situation is fluid. And of course the fact there is no traditional laning options doesn't stop teams from finding lanes to shoot in a variety of different ways. Now you might think the risk involved shooting lanes despite lack of cover would result in those early eliminations and mismatches we want but simply watching a few games will show otherwise. The reason for this is usually the placement of the blocking bunkers (the bunkers that block certain lanes and shots) which results in the unintended consequence of also blocking efforts to find those laners using blind spots and dead zones to temporarily hide in.

As you can see the snake used in Dallas was very different from the one used at MAO--and the MAO snake was a much better "fast" play snake--up to a point. That point was the mid-snake or snake 50 dorito. Anytime you see an isolated prop in the fifty, especially snake side, you can be confident play will bog down at that point. But the place where all current snake designs have difficulty in promoting aggressive play are the elbows and "technical" beams or more accurately the efforts made to make those bunkers playable. The technical snake requires its own set of blocking bunkers which make the snakes playable but also reduce the number of inbound and outbound shots and angles available to be played. Since it is now sufficiently difficult to play the snake in the traditional manner alternatives have arisen. For example, if you can't deny the snake you prepare to deny the one or two positions in the snake that could be effective.

Now let's look at the d-wire. Note that all the wire bunkers are within a single (green) column of gridded space the length of the field. When aligned thusly it's nearly impossible for players on the wire to contest their opponent's wire movement. This theoretically promotes aggressive movement and a race for the fifty. As can be seen subtle adjustments do allow some contain opportunities on the wire but they are minimal. So if a team intends to contest their opponents movement they require a different bunker and angle. (The orange props.) [In the case of Dallas the Can also functioned as an offset "Home".] The orange positions provided inside angles capable of shooting in the gaps but were also easily double-teamed. (At Dallas teams could double the Can and upfield MT and did but the Dallas Can was also in demand as a cross field lane option at times.)

The light green column is just a demonstration that illustrates that most of the blocking bunkers also fill a column space and often create in interior running lane--and if you flipped the fields the two green columns would contain the snake and a similar inside lane on that half of each field as well. And usually does.

If both Dallas & MAO were intended to promote faster play what happened? In Dallas it was possible to aggressively lane the snake and corner OTB which forced teams to short play their snake breakout to reduce their risk. In order to both slow down d-wire movement and maintain a snake wire presence the teams used the snake inserts to post up cross field. (See pink colored bunkers.) And also used D1 (or D2) as a primary snake contain position. Remember, they weren't denying access, they were denying useful shots and since the number of positions in the snake with useful shots is limited now it's easy to target the spot(s) you want to stop. And even though it was fast and easy to access the MAO snake the same limitations applied that allowed the lead snake players to be contained more often than not. Right now we are getting the games the teams are choosing to play and it isn't going to be easy to encourage change.

The Monday Poll: Read Before You Vote

noreply@blogger.com (Baca Loco) — Mon, 13 May 2013 06:00:00 +0000

This is the last time--for now--that I'ma bring up relegation and promotion and I'm only doing it because I want to know what you think. (And if you believe that I have some pristine wetlands commercially zoned for your immediate development. Cheap.) I think most everyone agrees that some form of relegation/promotion is a good idea but I want a clearer idea of how the differing opinions shake out. Not like it will influence anybody. (The PSP.) But as they say in all the gambling disclaimers purely for entertainment purposes only. So here's the deal. The poll only addresses promo and relegation between the Champions division and the Challengers division. Got that? Good. A vote for keeping it the same would be a vote for event-to-event as is. One alternative would be promo & relegation at the end of the season only. Another would be no automatic relegation and promotion but would instead feature lowest ranked Champions versus highest ranked Challengers in head-to-head match-ups. Or a return to the status quo; no relegation or promotion period. Lastly you may choose other if you have a promo & relegation idea that hasn't been mentioned yet. (And if you do please share your concept in comments.)
You only have one chance this time around so make that vote count. It's a little tougher than making toast but at least you can't drop your vote butter side down. (The only time, btw, that the five second rule doesn't apply.) Consider your options carefully. The future of paintball may depend on your vote.

Russians, Challengers, Relegation & More

noreply@blogger.com (Baca Loco) — Fri, 10 May 2013 22:18:00 +0000

A single "unexpected" outcome doesn't invalidate a system. The current version of relegation/promotion isn't a failure because the Legion got relegated and, yes, it's almost certainly still a work in progress. Regulars should recall that in early discussions before the season began this blog suggested the first year would be a learning process--and it will be. It is also true the Challengers concept was conceived in response to pressure to add more pro teams when the practical limit (given the webcast and tournament duration) is 12 teams. It was determined, based primarily on "political" concerns to identify the Challengers as another pro division instead of semi-pro which would have been more accurate and more in keeping with the purpose of the division which was to bridge the gap between D1 and the pro teams. And to give the overflow of pro teams a place to go. Whatever status you assign the Challenger teams it has largely fulfilled its purpose. As the season goes on it will continue to serve as a training and proving ground for the promoted D1 teams. It should also unlock the bottleneck that for years has seen teams reluctant to compete at the D1 level and then make the leap to pro. Even if it's eventually decided that the process requires a tweak or two none of that will negate the positive benefits Challengers is delivering today.
One of the opportunities a forum like VFTD offer is the possibility of a free-wheeling no-holds-barred intelligent discussion of things of interest or concern to competitive players. This situation is no different. I usually advocate for the changes I think are worth considering but this blog also broaches topics in order to open a dialogue. Disagreement is to be expected. But disagreement alone isn't productive. Disagree all you like but bring something constructive to the mix.
As to that unexpected outcome it wasn't unexpected at all--at least not among some of the Champions. Prior to MAO the expectation was that RL stood a better than even chance of being relegated. This isn't the Legion y'all grew up watching dominate. There have been roster changes and coaching changes and a number of things have been apparent for some time. The Russian Legion system proved not to be a paintball player making machine. The system develops the individual player's skill set--a process that has expanded across Euroland in recent years--but it has limitations. It doesn't create intuitive and talented players. Fortuitously they started with a core group that proved to be both well trained but also adept at the game. What they couldn't do was develop a second generation as gifted as the first which is why they have picked up so many non-Russians in recent years to fill gaps in the roster. Include the departure of coach Max and some decline was almost inevitable.
I originally liked the event-to-event relegation and promotion concept mostly because year-to-year seemed too extreme, at least when you're dealing with only a ten team division and no guarantees about the quality of the promoted teams. As it stands now a Russian Legion can be relegated for an event but that's substantially better than if it were for a whole season. All that's missing now is for the Challengers to actually earn promotion by beating the Champion they replace. And should the league ultimately make no changes that will be less than perfect in my never to be humble opinion but then most things are.

NPPL 4.0

noreply@blogger.com (Baca Loco) — Thu, 09 May 2013 15:59:00 +0000

The second coming of Shawn Walker hasn't exactly fired the imaginations of tournament players the world over--or even in more mundane if more practical places like the northeastern and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States if the 32 teams currently registered for the next NPPL event is any indication. There was a Walker sighting during the recent PSP MAO event however as he made an appearance at the venue and was observed taking lots of photographs along with a bevy of notes. One might imagine he was collecting information and insights into how to organize an event at OXCC if he wasn't already a high profile tournament promoter.
But my purpose today isn't to share gossip--that's just a bonus--it's to encourage Shawn and the league to stop being stupid with a capital S. In revising the league's event locations and schedule to something more closely aligned with reality they still managed to do themselves no favors by attempting to schedule on top of the PSP. Both their June and October events fall on the same weekend the PSP releases their layout, two weeks prior to their events, and the NPPL's August event went from being the same weekend to the one before. Granted there are limited options and without reflection it might seem like a good move to get in front of the PSP events but in reality all the league is doing is forcing teams and players that compete in both to make a choice--and the majority of the time that's a choice the NPPL is gonna lose. A fact that may already be reflected in the very modest upper division numbers registered for the Northeast Open. The two leagues may no longer share a significant number of teams but there are a lot of players, particularly in D1 and above, who compete in both leagues and since the NPPL is forcing them to decide which league and events to play it's the NPPL that will lose players--and teams--not the PSP--and that could extend to the pro ranks as well. Especially when you consider the discrepancy between the promised prizes and those delivered--so far.

Relegation & Promotion: PSP Style

noreply@blogger.com (Baca Loco) — Wed, 08 May 2013 19:29:00 +0000

I'ma give y'all the benefit of the doubt and assume you kinda skimmed over the relegation/promotion part of the MAO review--and since it's important (to me and all right thinking peeps) I'm taking a moment of my valuable time to address this topic specifically.
Right now 2 teams are relegated from the Champions division every event and 2 teams are promoted up from the Challengers. The current process is dramatic but it doesn't really fit the claimed league intent, which is that the Champions division consist of the ten best teams in the world that event. But just because the league relegates the 2 lowest Champions there's no reason to believe that teams previously relegated are better than the teams the newly promoted are replacing. It's simply that if 2 go down 2 gotta come up and right now they make the biggest deal out of the 4 teams fighting on Sunday morning to stave off relegation. All that really does is give the prelim bottom dweller(s) one last chance to avoid being relegated but it seems to me more of a spectacle than a system guided by competition or the league's stated desire to see the 10 best teams compete in Champions.
What the league should do, beginning in Chicago, is simply take the bottom team from each Champions bracket and match them up with the top 2 teams from the Challengers. If the Challenger wins then that Challenger is promoted and replaces the defeated Champion. If not, you reaffirm for the time being that the ten best teams are the ones that are currently competing in the Champions division. In you want to be the Champion you have to beat the Champion--and those match-ups will be a lot more exciting than pairs of Champs fighting to avoid relegation.
Promotion & relegation is a good idea as is the Challengers division but this is a better way to implement promotion & relegation than the system used now. Tell the PSP you favor head-to-head Champs vs. Challengers.

More MAO Talk: Post Event Observations

noreply@blogger.com (Baca Loco) — Tue, 07 May 2013 03:06:00 +0000

OXCC
Before delving into the couple of problem areas that arose during the MAO (or continued to be problematic) I'd like to take a moment and be positive--beautiful weather, beautiful venue and the shuttles running back and forth from the expansive parking area were greatly appreciated. Now if only the league would stop making all the pros hike past all the vendors to get to our field every event paintball life would be nearly perfect. I mean really, how much stuff are pro players gonna buy on impulse if you endlessly walk them past the vendors? (I know, the idea is to make everybody else trek past the vendors to go watch the pros, and maybe buy stuff, but I'm old, slow and cranky and your rational explanations are wasted on me.) I want a shuttle! I want a shuttle everywhere we go. Or at least a radio dialled into the frequency the Paintball Central air crew are using 'cus Roy will hook a brother up. (Okay that turned out a little less positive than it seemed in my head before I began.) Suffice to say it was an excellent event that appeared to run like clockwork and while OXCC is off the beaten path a ways it has proved to be a hospitable venue.

Reffing
Here is where things go negative. Nobody else will say so publicly and I'ma be circumspect in how I discuss this because of the very real possibility of on field ramifications but the reffing has suffered lately. Badly. At least the pro field reffing has. (I didn't hear any great hue & cry from the Challengers field so, fingers crossed, let's hope they did a solid job as I'm told most of the Challenger's crew are refs pulled up from D1 duties in the past and it would be a real plus to see they've made a rapid transition to the pro game particularly given the new rulebook and so on.)
Maybe a little background is in order first. When past NXL (PSP Pro) commish Tony Mineo left to join the NPPL in a similar capacity the league simply passed many of Tony's duties to the pro field head referee. While the new boss had a different style the refs as a group generally did a commendable job. With the addition of the Challenger's field the former head ref was promoted to supervising both fields and that loss of direct contact I think has seen things get out of hand to a degree on the pro field. During this past weekend there were some very poor calls made at very inopportune times and worse the consistency of the officiating has deteriorated. Here are a couple of examples: Player in his snake 2 attempts to bunker an opponent out of the snake 50 dorito. The ref signals the player in the dorito eliminated, pauses for a slow two count then throws a red flag on the aggressor. For starters those actions are inconsistent. If the player was eliminated cleanly there's no flag and if he wasn't he should be wiped off and left in the game. In another instance a player runs down an opponent in the snake shooting that player in the pack then dives into the opponent's snake. For a moment they are laying next to each other. The eliminated player makes a questioning hand gesture to the nearby ref because no call has yet been made. With no signal from the ref the player shoots his attacker who promptly fires back again--at which point the refs throw red flags on both players. If, however a ref had simply made the call without delay none of the other action would have followed--and the ref in question did see the first player get hit. Admittedly paintball in some situations is very fast and its difficult to officiate but that is a fact, not an excuse. There are also refs "playing" out of position and duelling refs arguing over whether a player was eliminated or not and players being penalized for playing after a different ref has called them clean. It hasn't deteriorated to a free for all yet but if the fundamentals aren't addressed it will only get worse.
While I'm at it it would enhance the webcast considerably if there was a way to relay reffing decisions to the boys in the booth. They currently do the best they can but they are also sometimes simply guessing as to what the calls made were predicated on. It would also be a positive way to improve reffing accountability.
There was also some uncertainty in a couple of situations about how or if the rules applied so you've got to wonder if the group is up to speed on the new rulebook too. (Beware, Raehl has his hands on an editable copy so who knows what will suddenly change overnight. You think I'm kidding. I'm not. Much.)

The Pro Game
On the flipside the pro game has become more and more tedious to watch just when the league and PBA are making a huge and expensive push to promote our sport. It's boring and it doesn't help our prospects for the future. The slow game is not good for tournament paintball. There, I said it. And I'll say this too--the PSP doesn't know what to do about it. (So, like usual, I'ma help y'all out.) For starters the reffing ain't helping. If as a team you don't have to risk crapshoot officiating why would you? One thing the slow game does is take the refs outta the game to a large degree. And paintball is like other sports. If a team succeeds (Heat last season and to a lesser degree Damage before them) playing a particular style it won't be long before it's being copied by other teams. And in large part what that means is that teams and coaches around the league are breaking fields down focusing on defense. How do we deny our opponent movement up field? We are talking counterpunch paintball with a heavy duty dose of defense. And of course the layouts are contributing. In part because the league doesn't know how a chosen layout is going to play (and apparently neither do the peeps generating them.) And, and I really hate beating this particular dead equine some more but those wretched "technical" snake beams ain't helping either. You put all those pieces together and you gets slow play paintball. You wanna change that it's going to take a concerted effort on all those fronts. (Hey, I didn't say it was gonna be easy.)

Our Event
We missed Sunday by the smallest of margins but part of that calculus was dependent on what other teams did and consistent teams, winning teams, don't get lucky or routinely sneak in the back door of success. They control their own destiny. So, sure, it was a little disappointing but we've already been over the webcast of our matches and there's lots of room for improvement. Improvements we will begin making immediately in preparation for Chicago. And of course it's just that much harder to make the cut this season while fighting through every match to keep the relegation monster at bay. It's brutal and nobody is exempt, not even the storied Russian Legion.

Thoughts on Champions and Challengers
Even though 3 of the top 4 teams in Challengers were former Champions I must say the new kids on the block put up a better performance across the board than I expected. Good for all y'all and well done. None of the former Champions came through the prelims unscathed (though Vicious only lost to Thunder) and Shock and XSV got thumped. I confess I didn't expect any of the new Challengers to perform that well but this result bodes well for the concept of Champions and Challengers given the idea is that the second pro division is intended to build competitive pro teams to Challenge the Champions.
Despite the fact the whole relegation and promotion thing is brand spanking new and has only just been initiated--it needs a tweak. Let's not call it a fix. Rather a tiny upgrade. Here's the thing: the idea is for the Champions division to be the 10 best teams in the world at any given time. So all the rigmarole around fighting off relegation in the Champions and battling for promotion in the Challengers is the right idea but the wrong application. If the goal is to always have the ten best teams compete in Champions then what needs to happen is for the bottom teams in Champions to play the top 2 Challengers head-to-head. Winning Challengers doesn't make a team better than the worst Champion--beating that Champions team does. Best of all it would be more intense and exciting than the battle to avoid relegation among the bottom four Champions, it would be a direct one off war to be or stay a Champion.

Things You'd Never Discover Without Paintball
On the way to the Philly airport we pulled off the highway early to get gas. The first station was on the other side of the road and we were already in the wrong turn lane have followed Siri's directions. The next one proved to be a Wawa market--no gas. (Since when does Wawa not have gas?) The third one was a private gas station for the service buses working the airport. Finally we found a station willing to sell us gasoline and were rewarded with the gas station radio network. Piped through tinny outdoor speakers we were reminded that buzzed driving is drunk driving which was followed by Tom Petty's 'American Girl' as muzak which was cut short as we pulled away from the pump with an identifier that we had been listening to "The Gas Station Radio Network."

Top Super Secret News
VFTD can report that a rep of a very large multi-national was on site over the weekend checking out the event and the webcast. The unnamed company targets our demographic and is very active in the sporting world. I have no idea what they were looking for or expecting to see or what they thought afterward. I suspect the league doesn't know either--at least not yet--but the fact is the league has been working behind the scenes quietly pursuing the kinds of outside sponsorship we've all been hoping for for years.

Well would'ja look at that

noreply@blogger.com (Baca Loco) — Wed, 01 May 2013 23:11:00 +0000

Or, the PSP folds under pressure of the incontrovertible logic of VFTD. (Not really but it sounds mighty impressive, don't you think?)
What am I talking about? Oh, right. I should probably explain. Thing is a while ago in discussing future webcasts I suggested that it was possible to schedule up to 12 matches per day on the Champions field which meant the league could feature a Challengers match (or two) during the prelims. I split the difference and suggested one per day would be good as it would remind folks of the Challenger action and give the webcast crew the opportunity to keep the audience up to speed on all the Challenger results. It seemed like an obvious move but when I broached the subject directly with the PSP it was categorically rejected--at least for the foreseeable future.
So imagine my surprise when I (finally) got a look at the schedule--what was up with the delay in releasing the schedule this time around, btw?--and there were two Challenger match-ups per day on the Champions field on Friday & Saturday. See the official schedule here. However it happened that the Challengers have been included I think it's a good thing. Except of course when the teams that didn't get a webcast match begin to complain--then all bets are off.

Whitebox TV

noreply@blogger.com (Baca Loco) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 23:42:00 +0000

Whitebox TV: Breaking Down the Challengers at MAO
by: BacaLoco

The camera angles failed to display but since the event is almost here y'all gonna have to settle for the preview version.

MAO Here We Go

noreply@blogger.com (Baca Loco) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 22:10:00 +0000

Last weekend we had Impact in for a weekend's grind on the MAO layout and this weekend we had new Challengers competitor Texas Storm in town pounding out the points. From our perspective reversing that practice order would probably have been better but you do the best you can and both teams helped us prepare our game for this coming weekend's event at OXCC. Many thanks. In terms of the nuts & bolts of breaking this field down we're good. We know what we want to do and why and everyone has a good feel for all the various roles this layout requires but when the opposition is lined up across the field and the horn is about to sound and the scoreboard posts up each point as it's scored it all boils down to execution and the will to win. Are you ready?
This layout is interesting in the sense much of the field replicates many of the patterns seen on the PSP Dallas layout--D-wire and assorted crossfield contain lanes--except there's more going on in the center/middle of the field and the snake, which plays very differently. Given the offset positioning of some of the props it will be very important to see how the playing fields compare to the grid--and peeps practice set-ups. With so much clutter on the field narrow gaps and tiny windows offer marginal lanes and even small changes to key props can alter the field in important ways. Walk your tourney field carefully!
This is also a curious layout on account of the fact I expect to see a lot of cautious even slow play, especially by the time Sunday rolls around, in many if not all the divisions despite the fact that when approached with an aggressive attitude and a game plan to match it's very possible to score very quick points and turn any match into trainwreck paintball. Which will or at least could make for a great webcast. It will also make for a difficult field for the refs to officiate efficiently and effectively. Hopefully they will be well prepared too. The faster and more furious the action the more likely we are to see flags fly as the refs are overwhelmed by the speed of the game. After the event VFTD will compare and contrast the Dallas and MAO layouts.

Also coming soon, another installment of Whitebox TV as hosts Randy Randy and Old Grouch breakdown the Challengers action in this historic first event with both Champions & Challengers.

Is Adrenaline Games Trying to Standardize International Competition?

noreply@blogger.com (Baca Loco) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:54:00 +0000

By standardizing the playing field? Now that the PSP has returned to 150' x 120' the dimensions are nearly identical (36 meters x 45 meters is 118' by 147.6') and so far this season the first two events of PSP layouts have been mirrored quite closely in the MS layouts. Except for the A (X) and the (new) 3D giant M how soon will it be before the rest of the bunkers sets align too? As it stands they are already pretty close. With the NPPL shifting over to the Race 2 style bunker set it makes too much sense for a company perpetually struggling in a tough economic environment to standardize the international bunker set--minus the unique center props--not to try and make it happen. My only question is are they, once again, acting independently of the leagues they provide bunker sets for or has there been some agreed upon plan to transition to a universal field set? Given past practices I'm assuming they are simply doing it and waiting for someone to notice as past objections--or claimed objections--have yet to result in forcing AG to change direction.

In a separate paintball mystery I wondering which pro teams currently retain a stake in the NPPL. Far as I can tell there's no way of knowing unless you're already a member and know the secret handshake and password. Last I heard the league had no formal (legally binding) contractual structure or bylaws and no formalized system for booting anyone once in out--but you know there are teams once on the inside that haven't competed in a couple of years--and they can't still be in, can they? Did they forfeit their stake by not competing? Does that mean that Impact is out? Did nay of the new pro teams pony up to buy in. The league wants to claim it's still a "by the players for the players" league but there's more secrecy surrounding which teams, if any, still have an owners stake in the league than when the Vatican elects a new pope.

Growing the Game

noreply@blogger.com (Baca Loco) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 18:34:00 +0000

It used to be the highest moral justification for whatever you chose to do in the realm of paintball was for the love of the game. Nowadays it's a little different. If you claim your actions are aimed at growing the game you get a pass for most anything because what's more important than growing the game? Do the blood, sweat and tears you shed at the paintball field result in new turf or extra bunkers sprouting up perhaps? Or your online support of a particular tournament series? Does that make it better, more appealing or efficient? Or the routine injunction to only say positive things? Is paintball like plants that shrivel when harsh words are spoken or discordant music is played? Is there a peak output for amateur videos on YouTube that when reached will result in growing the sport? Do photos of players diving into the snake grow the sport faster than photos of players tucked behind doritos? But wait there are also those who are equally certain that the demise of a particular tourney series will benefit the sport too. How does less of something indicate growth? Or maybe 'grow the sport' is just the latest nearly meaningless paintball cliche, a mantra for the slack-jawed and semi-literate. Or the latest code phrase used by the in-crowd who somehow conflate how they feel about paintball with actually doing something constructive for paintball.
I don't mean to burst your bubble or deprive you of that warm, fuzzy feeling you had inviting a couple of friends to play paintball with you that time 'cus I think that's swell. Really I do. And who knows, they may keep playing and invite other friends along and that's a good thing. But if you want to make a real if modest difference every time you play give your business to the local field focused on customer service, a safe and friendly game environment--and be a part of that friendly environment when you're there. Use a little common sense and try a little common courtesy and you will always be 'growing the game' wherever you go and whenever you play. Do me a small favor while you're at it? Quit talking about it and just do it.

Monetization

noreply@blogger.com (Baca Loco) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 18:35:00 +0000

It's coming. VFTD is selling out. (Not really but I figure if I say it first it will confuse the haters.) VFTD is not going the typical Blogger-Google Adsense route of stuffing every nook & cranny with some ugly lame ads. What I do intend to do is use a rotating banner ad above the header--the photo at the top that includes the blog title--and a block of sidebar banners representing the blog's sponsors. My intention is to attract inside the industry sponsors. If you rep a company, large retailer, tournament series, etc. and are interested in the possibility of sponsoring VFTD let me know via the email link on the sidebar. In the meantime I will be using the lead-up to and time at MAO to make the rounds.
For those concerned that sponsors might influence content the best I can tell is the same thing I will tell potential sponsors--the value of this blog resides in its independence and the positive brand association readers will make. Besides, I never discuss gear.
Nothing will change other than I will be able to better justify the time and effort spent on what until now has been purely a hobby. Which reminds me, have you seen the "new" VFTD T-shirt promotion. If you hadn't noticed all remaining stocks of VFTD & Deadbox Puppet Army t-shirts are on sale at Baddog and if you want one all you gotta do is click on the image.

Webcast in Euroland

noreply@blogger.com (Baca Loco) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 20:31:00 +0000

I know, I know, I'm getting to this a wee bit late but there is no expiration date and while it might not be at the peak of its freshness it's still worth posting about. If you are up to speed you know VFTD holds the opinion that PBA has upped the ante for a major league series with their webcasts of the PSP. Webcasting in general is interesting on a couple of counts. The technology is almost daily becoming more accessible and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see the webcasting of events move down the tournament food chain in the next couple of years--and if anyone finds a workable revenue model webcasting of paintball events will explode. (All those kids who wanted to make videos gotta do something, right?)
Slightly O/T apparently PBA handled the broadcast of the College Nationals this past weekend, which, in the past has often done a better than average production job. Was this most recent event noticeably better? Worse? About the same? I'm just curious 'cus I missed it.
Back to the Cote D'Azur or at least someplace not too far away, Puget Sur Argens, host of the recent Med Cup--and past host of the St. Tropez Open or whatever they called the event in 2012. While retaining the venue this time around the MS brought in the folks who produced the DPL (German league) webcasts last season to handle the technical side of the Millennium webcast. Unlike the budget webcasts in America that feature the snake wire the Mill's budget webcast featured the D-wire with fixed position cameras elevated in the dorito wire corners of the netting (or thereabouts) and at least one hand held roving the wire. (I watched a DPL event last year with the same basic set-up.) The resolution was barely adequate as any fast and furious action pixelated large areas of the video images--though bandwidth on tap may have also impacted the visuals. Without being overtly critical if one considers the webcast like the proverbial gift horse it was much better than nothing. The question that remains is this a standard the MS will find acceptable--in order to claim that like the PSP they too have a dedicated webcast--or will any effort be made to improve the product as the season goes forward? I guess we'll see.
And what about PALS?

MAO Practice

noreply@blogger.com (Baca Loco) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 04:18:00 +0000

It's late Monday evening and I've only been home long enough to grab some dinner and take a shower. And I have two more weekends coming just like the one past. First another practice in Texas this coming weekend and then the event the following weekend. And if you'd asked me six months ago what I thought of that schedule looking at it on a calendar I have absolutely no doubt I would'a hung my head and muttered a string of naughty words under my breath--at a bare minimum. And yet, here I am right smack dab--(I'm learning new stuff in Texas)--in the middle of it and I couldn't be happier. Weird, huh? I've never been a big fan of the travel. I'm a destination guy yet here I am almost (but not quite) looking forward to more of the same. And I'm not feverish and as far as I know I haven't ingested any illegal substances. Go figure.
On top of that I had my backpack stolen yesterday after practice. Alex (Martinez), Ryan (his younger son) and I stopped at a Mexican restaurant called Chuy's off the 1604. In hopping out of the truck, an enormous quad cab turbo diesel beast, I grabbed my wallet out of the backpack and in we went for lunch. The truck is so big even Tim Duncan couldn't look inside the cab without using the step so nobody noticed the backpack and grabbed it spur of the moment. Whoever took it had to look inside the truck by opening the door and deciding to lift the backpack while leaving everything else. My son thought maybe the person or persons were hoping for drugs or money in the backpack and if he's right they were in luck--sorta. All my vitamins and sinus meds were in the backpack. Along with maybe two bucks in change, my APPA PSP I.D., some sand, lint and gum wrappers. That and my team notebooks, field layouts, practice notes and a couple of pens. C'est la vie. Thank God I took my wallet with me or this would be a completely different post. And if you happen to run across a two year old Dye backpack spotted with dried paint speckles in the San Antonio area let it go. I hated that APPA photo anyway.
Impact dropped by for the weekend grind minus Bart and his sons who had to stay home because they were buying Manitoba or something like that. It was good to have the rest of the team in and we had a very productive practice both days as we stayed late on Saturday. For those keeping score at home my unofficial stats had Impact getting the best of X-Factor but the points don't go into the record books for another couple of weeks and in the meantime everyone learned a lot and both teams finished the weekend with very clear ideas of how to play the field. Which is kind'a the point, right? There was about the perfect amount of chippiness for a pro practice. Enough to let you know the guys are competing but not so much that the process becomes unproductive. After all, anytime highly competitive guys get together and compete a few sparks oughta fly.
We've got a lot of work to do next week too when Texas Storm comes to town but we have a blueprint for success. Now all we need to do is learn to execute it effectively in one weekend and we're golden. Btw, have you looked at the prelim match-ups in the Champions brackets? Either half could easily be the teams that moved through to Sunday from a year or two ago. Not for the faint of heart.

NPPL 4.0?

noreply@blogger.com (Baca Loco) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 20:31:00 +0000

So I was wrong. I had previously predicted the Denver event as the over/under for the demise of the NPPL 3.0. At least this is gonna be fun to watch. (Gee, I hope the checks from HB don't bounce.)
The official statement can be seen here. [Does any paintball company have anyone on the payroll who can write and spell? Doesn't seem like it.] A few items are noteworthy.
But before I get to those it might be worthwhile to do a brief, very brief, historical review of the NPPL. The original NPPL was comprised of representative pro and am teams fed up being at the mercy of the limited number of promoters running national scale events back in the day. The idea was that the NPPL, representing the teams, would sanction specific events after vetting the promoters who would handle the logistics and event operations. Within a couple of years it devolved into a series of individual events run by NPPL members. Without going overboard on the details ownership of the NPPL name and logo lapsed due to unpaid fees and was acquired by Chuck Hendsch. At around the same time WDP had a falling out with the by then PSP promoters, specifically Jerry Braun, at one of the Ponciana Blvd. cow pasture World Cups. Thus was born Pure Promotions and a deal with Chuck to promote NPPL (1.0) events using the 7-man format then used in Euroland by the Millennium Series. Despite a second and third season of operations when it wasn't uncommon to see 200 plus teams signed up Pure Promotions was rumored to be hemorrhaging money and sold their interest to the Pacific Paintball group (NPPL 2.0). Pacific hired Shawn Walker as their event operator and over the next few seasons was unable to stave off declining turnout and in a surprise move the Monday after a tentative merger agreement was made with the PSP Pacific declared bankruptcy. Prior to asset sales of the Pacific bankruptcy Chuck talked a number of pro team owners into the idea they could each pony up some cash and run their own league. The physical assets and intellectual property were bought by Chuck & partners and NPPL 3.0 was formed. Rumor has it that prior to HB 2013 the league (3.0) had spent 300 large more than they had taken in. Throw in a couple of failed TV ventures, a fistful of fumbled merger attempts and the departure of most of the original "owner" teams and here we are today.
NPPL 4.0.
According to the press release the NPPL will oversee (and sanction) events now to be run by PB Promotions--a company[?] that has apparently existed for a few days at most but is believed by most to be a front company for Valken. My sources say such speculation is incorrect and that it is Shawn Walker and Shawn Walker--of NPPL 2.0--alone who will be the event operator using PB Promotions as the legal front company. Walker has past and ongoing on site operations experience in tournament promotions though his previous NPPL efforts were unsuccessful and left him shrouded in ugly rumors and innuendo.
So where does this leave Chuck, Pev & the rest of the "owners"? For starters no longer in charge of the checkbook but still able to sit around and dream big dreams and talk big talk without the downside of actually having to produce anything.
A couple of months ago there were some hot and heavy rumors of Richmond (GI Sportz) and Gino (Valken) both buying into the NPPL. At the time Richmond was also looking to regain a piece of the PSP but the only thing that came of all the threats and bluster was a multi-year sponsorship deal between GI and the PSP. It was also rumored at the time that one look at the state of the NPPL as a legal entity frightened both potential suitors away.
By acting as the event operator PB Promotions avoids legal ties to the NPPL and what may or may not be its current debt burden. In the interrum however it seems fair to ask what resources PB Promotions will bring to the table that will help the league succeed when as the man on the ground for NPPL 2.0 Walker literally had millions of dollars to work with from Pacific Paintball yet failed to be successful.
The one remaining critical question for PB Promotions is: Does a national tournament series exist if it doesn't have a webcast?

Maintaining An Aggressor's Mindset, part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Baca Loco) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 22:49:00 +0000

If you missed part 1 you don't deserve this link but I'm just that kind of chill dude still willing to help you lazy slackers out--as long as I don't actually have to make much of an effort. I'll wait while you go back and catch up. Any time now. Oh, you're back. Let's continue.

Too often the image we conjure up of the ultimate aggressive player is a rabid beast hellbent on destruction whatever the cost. (Which is admittedly cool--but not productive.) A more useful mental construct is of a hunter. A hunter in search of prey. The hunter prepares. The hunter is patient. The hunter makes every effort to put himself (or herself) into a position from which to strike. But most of all the hunter has a clear perception of his relationship with the hunted. The hunt has risk, there is danger but the hunter is in command. This is the mindset to cultivate.
As a team player it is one thing to have the correct mindset and another to be confident you are acting appropriately within your team's style of play. Here is where a clear and shared understanding of how the team chooses to play is important. Secondarily each player's role will be defined by the team's vision. And here, within the individual player's role in the context of the team orientation, is how you make decisions about what actions are appropriate in any given situation. Remember this is a process and if the members of the team aren't on the same page the individual can only make personal decisions. (Some of which will be good ones regardless if the are predicated on principles of smart play. What I mean is the nature of the game, any game, is such that correctly understanding a situation and acting accordingly is a good decision even if your team fails to take full advantage.) Part of the process, the foundation of the process, is coming to a shared vision of how the team should play as this is the only way to free the individual player to be their aggressive best.
Here we reach the final hurdle. You understand conceptually but you're not always sure you "see" everything there is to see and there are times when you absolutely get destroyed and don't see it coming. Which leads you to feel like you got's a long way to go and may or may not be making any progress.
There is no "easy" button. There is only hard work and the right attitude. (And I may surprise y'all with this one.) The right attitude plays for the love of the game without fear or conscience. The ideal attitude is irrationally confident yet humble. Too often our egos interfere, making us both proud and fearful, both of which are seriously detrimental to learning.
Remember practicing like you intend to play? This is your opportunity to improve. Get out there and screw up. In practice. The more the better--as long as you learn from each mistake--and that means being open to constructive criticism and operating within a team environment that carries a shared vision. And finally, be the hunter. If you aren't the hunter you are the hunted.

HB (& the Monday Poll) in Review

noreply@blogger.com (Baca Loco) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 20:04:00 +0000

I was gonna do another episode of Whitebox TV to wrap-up HB but I think it deserves a more serious take. (Instead Whitebox TV will preview the first PSP event featuring both Champions & Challengers--kinda like Matty and Todd--but animated.)
I know what you're thinking: X-Factor wins so Baca won't be dissing the event or making fun of the NPPL like usual. Well, yes and no. Because we won I think it's important I try to be fair but I won't be pulling any punches. First let's review The worst Monday Poll ever.
Last week's The Monday Poll wanted to know who you (the voters) thought would win HB given a pro team line-up that included so many brand new teams. Predictably y'all went with the biggest names, the established teams with the few votes that went to some of the new kids almost certainly based on family and friendship or a wishful level of confidence bordering on insanity. Consequently your results had Dynasty, not unreasonably, appearing on 87% of all ballots with X-Factor next on 77% of the ballots while Uprising was third with 20%. [Some of you may have remembered right about now that Arsenal was on the list and had 27% of the vote. That's correct but since they were a no-show I've chosen to toss their result. Speaking of no-shows there had to be something more to the late Arsenal withdrawal than misplaced dates on the calendar, didn't there? Waiting until the very last minute, almost literally, was a huge snub and one that must have been intended to send the league a message. And not one of well-being or best of luck either. That's also one more big checkbook no longer part of the NPPL.] Contact received 15% of the vote followed by Avalanche at 10% with a number of teams, Vendetta, Explicit, Outlaws, tied at 7%. More interestingly though is how the actual teams performed.
For those with a few years of HB experience it wasn't hard to spot a few shortcuts here and there but nothing that would have effected the competition--with the possible exception of rumors of "missing" chronos. (On the grandstand field it wasn't an issue but there was some talk about conditions on the other two fields.) And it seems the Virtue chips, if needed, weren't supplied as part of a team's entry this year--at least if our experience was indicative--and the cost of the chips was up 50% too. [I might add here that over the course of the last year all the stats promised by Virtue and the NPPL have been non-existent which tends to make a cynic (like me) wonder how well the system is really working.] Word on site was that around 110 teams were competing but a count of teams using the results suggests it may be closer to 100--though that doesn't include any 5-man or 3-man teams--if there were any.
The grandstand (much reduced from the its scale back in the NPPL's heyday) was sparsely populated most of the weekend though the weather didn't help as both Saturday and Sunday were overcast much of the day and uniformly chilly. (The sun made a brief appearance Sunday towards the end of the day.) Also not helpful was the announcing coming from the VIP. Without a scoreboard and with 4 teams playing at the same time--within the same set--it's important that the information provided to fans and spectators make the play comprehensible. Something that frequently lacking but at least Pev wasn't soliciting women from behind the microphone this year--at least not that I heard.
Despite lowered expectations the anecdotal reports I heard from a couple of vendors was that they did better business than expected--and better than they've done at other recent NPPL events. The venue was set-up in the original location, north of the pier, which goes a long way toward creating the HB vibe that has made the venue a popular favorite of the players and of the imagination of Paintball.
Okay, let's take a look at the pro teams starting with the remaining regulars; Dynasty, X-Factor, Vendetta, Uprising, Xplicit, Avalanche and Phoenix Contact (which played Vegas 2012 as their first pro event as a team.) Dynasty and X-Factor are the only two remaining pro teams that also routinely have competed in the pro ranks of the PSP. Uprising came in to this event with some highly publicized new additions and a lot of momentum. Amongst the teams with pro experience a part of the difference in results can be attributed to the amount of practice time the teams get in preparation for each event. This time around it looked like Xplicit was learning the field and how they wanted to play together during the prelims. The same is usually true of Avalanche. (Even on a simple layout like HB--and by simple I mean it played as a straightforward control the wires win the game traditional layout--a number of the teams were fundamentally sound OTB but struggled in the mid-game and failed in the close.) In the past both Uprising and Vendetta have had their high moments but have generally lacked consistency. Most if not all of the boys from Uprising also play PSP so their attentions and preparation for the event were divided. Even so they played with a lot of intensity. Vendetta looked solid and played a consistent and aggressive game all weekend long looking like they were confident in their preparation and in each other. Contact looked improved from Vegas and didn't shy away from making some strong moves but man for man simply don't have the roster some of the established teams do. Contact is also symptomatic of the sort of team that looks like they plan for their breakouts but not their close-outs and as a consequence find themselves up on occasion but clueless as to what to do about it. Of the new teams the two Crushes (Buffalo & Arsenal) and Flashpoint were the least prepared mostly looking ill-matched even against the other new squads. In the case of Arsenal Crush they at least were intending to play D1 originally and bumped up to fill the pro division vacancy left by Arsenal at the last minute. Warped Army was a noticeable level above the basement teams but not quite up to par with the best of the new teams. They were (and are) the Ft. Wayne Outlaws sporting a roster peppered with some old pros, CP Raiders (a successful D1 team from seasons past in the NPPL) and PB Gateway which proved to be a solid if unspectacular team that played smart methodical paintball.
What then does the future hold for the newest pros? I suppose it depends on the fate of the NPPL. Some of the NPPL's old pros weren't that long ago the new kids on the block themselves.
And how much impact will the change in the bunker sets and field dimensions have--if they are ever actually implemented? It's hard to say but the game is rapidly becoming more and more like its competition.
While the tournament itself seemed to go well (and on schedule Saturday and Sunday) there were a few behind the scenes glitches like the disappearance of the color guard on Sunday and rumors of regular crew members quitting either prior to or during the event. If true, it didn't seem to impact the paintball but HB is also the most expensive event in the NPPL schedule and without a cash infusion the league will likely spend the rest of the year in debt (and attempting to break even or even pocket a few bucks). Add to that the so-called 4 star Chicago event is now less than a month away and registration hasn't opened yet nor have any of the event details been released, including a field layout, and it appears like the remaining NPPL leadership is already slipping behind. And Tampa will not be the Tampa of old despite the fact it's a good venue with excellent access to hotels, restaurants and the airport. Nobody plays 7-man in the southeast anymore and if the most magical of all tourney venues, HB, can only muster 100 teams Tampa won't be close. What Tampa might be is the last NPPL event of the current regime.

Maintaining An Aggressor's Mindset, part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Baca Loco) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 14:59:00 +0000

A while ago (quite a while ago) VFTD received a mailbag request to post on how players in support roles can stay (or become) the aggressor. So here it is--finally. I know now this is gonna go long so I'ma breaking it into two parts. One today, another (hopefully) tomorrow.

First thing we need to do is define our terms so we begin this discussion on the same page. What does it mean to be an aggressive player? Is it the guy who suddenly dashes downfield to bunker out two players and blow a point up? Is it the unopposed snake player who pushes past two or three knuckles without even looking to take a shot in order to get to his opponent's end of the snake asap. Is it the insert who sees his lead eliminated and immediately retakes the spot in order to maintain a position of advantage on the field? Is it the back guy who sees an opportunity to begin pushing a wire hard who rotates out to a corner from home? The answer is it's all of them--and the ability they share in common is recognition that results in instant action. And if either element is missing nothing happens. You can't take the proactive move if you don't "see" it when it is available and you can't make good things happen if you don't act on what you see. (Or, what often happens, is that players will "see" opportunities but over-think them as if they are having an internal debate over whether the opportunity they think they "see" really exists. And by the time they decide it doesn't matter 'cus its too late. More about that later.)
Okay, the aggressive player sees opportunity and acts--but that doesn't happen in a vacuum, especially for a support player. Whatever action you take will have an impact on your team and teammates and in the meantime you have a job to do. And here is where a lot of teams come up short and as a consequence leave their players hanging--and ultimately indecisive.
The aggressive player's mindset is to make something happen instead of waiting for something to happen and it is first and foremost a conscious decision. As a player you make the decision to act--and then you act on that decision.Over and over again until you no longer consciously question yourself, you simply act. (Practice the way you want to play because if you don't, you won't.) That is the basic step but this is a team game and while we all know the lone cowboys who will ride or die at the drop of a hat the loners frequently do as much harm as they do good. So we need to take some additional steps. (Next time in part 2.)