http://hype.pbguide.com Your source for paintball link resource and latest paintball news Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:59:20 CET en http://hype.pbguide.com/the-ford-report/vanguard-2012-and-beyond%E2%80%A6/ Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:59:20 CET pbguide The Ford Report 1 http://hype.pbguide.com/the-ford-report/vanguard-2012-and-beyond%E2%80%A6/ http://hype.pbguide.com/view-from-the-deadbox/desperate-measures/ Perhaps worse is the change being made. Check out the SOP article for pictures of the new props. For those who don't read French below is the Google Translation:

Here's a preview of the obstacles that will be used this year on the land side snake in Europe and the United States on the PSP system!
You find that the spectator side became boring? You will be served. With these new obstacles to former Lower adorning the grounds of major tournaments, and the new L-shaped design, players will have to be more technical on this side.
The Upgrade Kit will consist of at Supairball 4 "Chips" (Beams in the Angliche) and 4 "L" (for Elbows). They will replace the six fries usually found on the lands of last season.
It'll just test them to tell us what happens.
Attack!

Previous field kits had 6 Giant Beams in Sup'Air speak. The new "upgrade" apparently reduces that number to 4 Chips--which appear to be the same except slightly narrower--and 4 L's. As they are displayed in the article's photographs they are damn near worthless as playable props. There is nothing "technical" about them. They will remove much of the skill of playing a snake effectively while shrinking the size of the snake at the same time. All the new bunkers demonstrate is Adrenaline Games lack of imagination and desperation in trying to force us into buying and using these pointless changes. (It may be possible to find alternate uses for the Ls but that's clearly not what Sup'Air intends.)
And does anybody know what the full field kit will be comprised of this season? Are any other bunkers out besides (apparently) the 6 GBs of the past?
I don't know that anything can be done now but at a minimum Adrenaline needs to pay a price down the road. I bet the kids at Ultimate can make a Giant Beam package available pretty quick to replace the "upgrade." Then nobody would need the upgrade because the league wouldn't be using those new props. I know but I can dream, right? ]]> Sat, 04 Feb 2012 17:59:38 CET pbguide View from The DeadBox 1 http://hype.pbguide.com/view-from-the-deadbox/desperate-measures/ http://hype.pbguide.com/the-ford-report/vanguard-us-to-no-longer-work-with-vanguard-paintball/ Sat, 04 Feb 2012 06:59:17 CET pbguide The Ford Report 2 http://hype.pbguide.com/the-ford-report/vanguard-us-to-no-longer-work-with-vanguard-paintball/ http://hype.pbguide.com/the-ford-report/new-bob-long-g6r-lo-pro-bolt-pin/ Sat, 04 Feb 2012 01:59:20 CET pbguide The Ford Report 2 http://hype.pbguide.com/the-ford-report/new-bob-long-g6r-lo-pro-bolt-pin/ http://hype.pbguide.com/the-ford-report/new-bob-long-g6r-zero-ping-ram/ Sat, 04 Feb 2012 01:59:18 CET pbguide The Ford Report 2 http://hype.pbguide.com/the-ford-report/new-bob-long-g6r-zero-ping-ram/ http://hype.pbguide.com/view-from-the-deadbox/chips-ahoy/ Instead of attempting to refute assorted misinformation I'm simply going to give you the facts as they stand today. Anything else you may hear will be either wrong, disinformation, conjecture or, at best, outcomes intended to be implemented some time in the future.
The chip can monitor a ROF cap. In this instance the cap is 15 bps. The chip can identify guns exceeding the cap, it does NOT enforce the cap. That remains a matter for the rules and rules enforcement. The chip does NOT identify bouncing, ramping or any other artificial shot adding. It does provide data that with experience and testing may suggest shots are being added but that falls into the category of data interpretation. The interpreter is a person, not the technology.
The chip can monitor ROF because it is recording each discharge from every monitored gun in real time. This has resulted, over the period of time the chip has been in trials--primarily by pro teams in both major leagues--in a substantial amount of raw data. The same kind of data that will accumulate across divisions in the NPPL during events assuming everything goes to plan. All current "information" within the data is a matter of interpretation and statistical analysis built on the firing of the guns in play.
Okay but what about the claims made by the NPPL? (here) (Which mostly fall in line with what Virtue has been promoting.) For example, what about the player stats? Player Effectiveness tracks how many of the opponents were eliminated while a given player remained active. Does that tell you that the active player was responsible for any of the eliminations? It does not. Even with an accumulation of data covering many games does the stat really confirm the effectiveness of a player? I don't think so. It may but at best it's inconclusive. Or how about the Stamina stat? Let's apply it to a lead snake player. Depending on his role he could easily be one of the first players eliminated routinely. Does that mean he isn't doing his job?
One thing the accumulated stats do allow for is comparisons. Alone a stat's value may be uncertain but since stats will exist for every player it should be possible to compare similar players or positions by stats in which case the data may prove valuable. I think the jury remains out on that too but it's a viable possibility.
The same applies to team and game stats. Yes, numbers and notions can be generated from the raw data but the question remains about the real utility of those numbers and notions. Unfortunately the stats don't generate themselves and part of the ongoing process will be in pulling the stats from the raw data.
I am, btw, pro stats. I think having bite size numbers and easy ways of looking at our game helps make it accessible. And some of the stats the chip offers may prove popular and if that's all the "stats" do they could still serve a valuable function. On the cautionary side claims made for the numbers aren't the numbers and the numbers, in my estimation, do not necessarily validate the claims made. All I'm suggesting is to look past the hype. Take the claims with a grain of salt and examine what the numbers are really all about. At worst it's harmless and at best it is a legit tool in rules enforcement and may provide new ways for people to think about the game.
Apart from functionality it seems to me a couple of other issues arise. In traditional 7-man it's relatively simple to keep track of guns & players. In the Race 2 format with the quick turnarounds and changing lines it may be a singular challenge to try and keep track of the gun (chip) / player association. And while chips can be installed in a minute or two it will almost certainly prove nearly impossible in Race 2 format matches to swap out the chips to different guns which means teams will likely need extras. If each specific chip isn't always associated with a specific player it poisons the data and the stats derived become unreliable so it's going to be a rather big deal trying to keep up with which chip is being used by which player in which game or point. ]]> Fri, 03 Feb 2012 18:59:45 CET pbguide View from The DeadBox 2 http://hype.pbguide.com/view-from-the-deadbox/chips-ahoy/ http://hype.pbguide.com/speedball-world/video-hk-army-the-world-is-ours/
Et vous savez pourquoi ? Parce qu'ils tournent en EPIC RED ! ( les connaisseurs connaissent ! )

Bonne vid ! ]]> Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:59:23 CET pbguide speedball world 2 http://hype.pbguide.com/speedball-world/video-hk-army-the-world-is-ours/ http://hype.pbguide.com/view-from-the-deadbox/supporting-adrenaline-games/ Confused? Here's the dealio. Every year or so it seems Sup'Air adds some new props that the major tournament leagues incorporate in their event layouts (also frequently designed by Sup'Air) that forces fields with airball fields used for tourney practice to buy the annual new props kit in order to keep up to date. Good for Adrenaline Games, not so good for local fields.
I noticed the NPPL expressly didn't change their bunker set this season--an unequivocal thumbs up--and it appears that Adrenaline Games hasn't kicked them to the curb by refusing to provide event fields or gone out of business. And while I have no desire to see anything bad happen to Adrenaline Games I have a hard time understanding how any league can justify placing their grassroots supporters in that position to benefit a third party. It's practically extortion.
Beyond that I have a couple of other issues too. Since when do real sports let manufacturers dictate what essential elements of the game will be? Yeah, I know, competitive paintball has always been an old boys club. Now's as good a time as any to change. Also, why is somebody other than those responsible for the sport deciding what's an appropriate change? Seriously, the whole thing ought to be a no go.
That doesn't mean the bunkers shouldn't ever be changed. Want to add some interest? Keep the game fresh? Sure. Sounds good but that's a job for the PSP--or any other league purporting to be focused on competitive paintball as sport. ]]> Fri, 03 Feb 2012 03:59:44 CET pbguide View from The DeadBox 2 http://hype.pbguide.com/view-from-the-deadbox/supporting-adrenaline-games/ http://hype.pbguide.com/the-ford-report/valken-to-offer-its-first-pro-level-scenario-team-sponsorship/ Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:59:19 CET pbguide The Ford Report 2 http://hype.pbguide.com/the-ford-report/valken-to-offer-its-first-pro-level-scenario-team-sponsorship/ http://hype.pbguide.com/paintball-x3/february-edition-of-paintballx3-ero-is-live-free/ Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:59:03 CET pbguide paintball X3 2 http://hype.pbguide.com/paintball-x3/february-edition-of-paintballx3-ero-is-live-free/ http://hype.pbguide.com/speedball-world/nppl-les-statistics-du-lanceur-par-rof-fi/
Mais qu'est ce que c'est que ça ?!

L'info est importante et pourra, dans une certaine mesure "changer" / "révolutionner" notre sport ! ]]> Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:59:25 CET pbguide speedball world 3 http://hype.pbguide.com/speedball-world/nppl-les-statistics-du-lanceur-par-rof-fi/ http://hype.pbguide.com/the-ford-report/january-26th-2012/ Thu, 02 Feb 2012 04:59:33 CET pbguide The Ford Report 4 http://hype.pbguide.com/the-ford-report/january-26th-2012/ http://hype.pbguide.com/the-ford-report/paintball-extravaganza-pre-registrations-exceed-goals/ Thu, 02 Feb 2012 02:59:18 CET pbguide The Ford Report 4 http://hype.pbguide.com/the-ford-report/paintball-extravaganza-pre-registrations-exceed-goals/ http://hype.pbguide.com/the-ford-report/the-skeletor-262%E2%80%B2s-take-on-galaxy-wars/ Thu, 02 Feb 2012 02:59:17 CET pbguide The Ford Report 4 http://hype.pbguide.com/the-ford-report/the-skeletor-262%E2%80%B2s-take-on-galaxy-wars/ http://hype.pbguide.com/view-from-the-deadbox/cfps-1-breakdown/ In diagram A the red lines are principle lanes. Note the lines marked A & B. They are the primary OTB lanes from Home. The interior red lines are optional and only useful if your opponent is delaying their breakouts or attempting to counter your Home shooters. Take a look now at the orange lines marked 1 & 2. 2 is an option to either red snake side lane and may catch the occasional floater intent on shooting a lane before making his/her primary prop. If the opponent is consistently breaking hard that lane is unlikely to be effective as it will almost always be late. 1 is a bit different. Note how the lane crosses over a Pin. One of the secrets to effective laning OTB is to find and utilise unusual lanes that catch players unaware. However, there are risks. In this case the Home shooter must shoot the lane standing--or nearly so--otherwise the paint won't drop in time to hit the TCK (and be at a level that may catch your opponent.) (Shooting lane 1 from a kneeling posture won't be effective because of the angle change unless the shooter's velocity is well below normal ranges.) Likewise, standing or not shooting over the mirror Pin on your opponent's half of the field won't hit anyone except perhaps a player delaying close to the back boundary. The pink lines show the secondary lanes available if the OTB shooter stays Home or makes the delayed move to one of the mid-field stand-ups. Note that the pink dots approximate alternative "Home" OTB laning positions and offer the shooter good laning zones and the ability, in most instances, to put paint on likely props. The purple lines are the same side lanes that are available once the player is in a midfield stand-up. Take note of purple arrows indicating a rotation toward the wire from the stand-ups. The stand-ups offer an excellent alternative path to the wire feeds particularly if there is a teammate in the corner. (The best option is to match that rotation to a support player in a corner but it isn't necessary.)
Switching to diagram B note the props surrounded in green. The green lines represent the primary Home OTB lanes and the more effectively those lanes are shot the greater the likelihood your opponent will begin holding up on their wide breakout moves. Containment provides new offensive opportunities. (This is likely to occur more often on the D-side of the field as most teams will play weakside on the D-side. This means they will tend to commit only two of their 5 players that way.) Better yet if the opposition uses the Can to play the cross field angles you are no facing only one gun caught in a compact insert. And even if, when using the Can on the cross field, Home stays D-side the opportunity to attack the center of the field as a secondary option remains. The goal is to eliminate the widest gun (and at a minimum hold them in that spot) while positioning yourself to deny any moves to your wire while gaining new angles to threaten other positions. So while it is probably not an effective move to go up the center OTB given the right circumstances--circumstances your team can force on your opponent--secondary moves up the middle ought to be nearly automatic responses to the correct set of conditions.
In both diagrams the focus is on making full use of the stand-ups effective lanes while maintaining an offensive mindset. Too often teams, newer and lower division ones in particular, tend toward a defensive approach regardless of their talk or intentions and this can happen unconsciously even in playing certain props--like these midfield stand-ups--that promote a defensive style. ]]> Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:59:52 CET pbguide View from The DeadBox 4 http://hype.pbguide.com/view-from-the-deadbox/cfps-1-breakdown/ http://hype.pbguide.com/paintball-x3/empire-paintball-sponsors-upton-187-crew-for-2012-1/ Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:59:03 CET pbguide paintball X3 6 http://hype.pbguide.com/paintball-x3/empire-paintball-sponsors-upton-187-crew-for-2012-1/ http://hype.pbguide.com/speedball-world/materiel-dye-nt11-des-prix-en-chute-libre-/
Achetez mon NTTTT !!!

PAS CHER POUR TOI ! ]]> Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:59:21 CET pbguide speedball world 6 http://hype.pbguide.com/speedball-world/materiel-dye-nt11-des-prix-en-chute-libre-/ http://hype.pbguide.com/the-ford-report/empire-paintball-sponsors-upton-187-crew-for-2012-/ Wed, 01 Feb 2012 02:59:20 CET pbguide The Ford Report 6 http://hype.pbguide.com/the-ford-report/empire-paintball-sponsors-upton-187-crew-for-2012-/ http://hype.pbguide.com/view-from-the-deadbox/the-npl-national-paintball-league/ Let's begin with the game format. While I'm not a fan of swapping offense and defense I will limit my concerns to problems not opinions. The principle one being uncapped semi-auto marker operation. A serious league cannot validate a mode of operation that cannot be regulated. And since the only way the defense can score a point requires elimination of the flag carrier in his/her end zone the rules also encourage illegal modes of operation. (And if refs start penalizing teams and players for things they think but can't prove happened it opens the league to unnecessary conflict and controversy.) Also, no where is the league's field set of props outlined by numbers or type. And, as with other forms of competitive paintball this will directly impact the nature of the game as it plays out as will the layout(s) used. (Though one might assume a NPPL style bunker set given the field dimensions although that would prove problematic from a game play perspective.) The other thing of note is the apparent requirement to provide scoreboards, time clocks and scorekeepers able to keep track of all the game records as matches are played. One assumes these are built in costs that a local field operator must commit to before the league even gets off the ground in his "region." If there was a simplified way to run a match it would make it more attractive for fields to opt in and give it a try.

As mentioned in passing in a previous post I think a rigid adherence to the structure as currently outlined is counterproductive. While there needs to be some sense of how all the pieces fit together as the league grows the important part, especially in this formative stage, is that it grow period. And as with any developing venture there will be growing pains and as more people and regions become involved there will be more and more diverse opinions about what ought to come next regardless of what's written down already. If the outline of the future league structure is taken as a set of guidelines instead of set in concrete the league becomes flexible enough to deal with issues as they arise. That said there are numerous incongruities and conflicts in the current details. The following is just a sample, not a comprehensive review. (And if it seems confusing I'm responding to the Rule Book and Players Guide so you're only getting half the "conversation".) For example, "regions" are defined essentially as local fields which is okay but confusing. Not okay is that local field owners are also team owners and regional directors. (Each region is supposed to comprise of 6 teams--unless it's eleven--but don't ask me how that works 'cus it isn't explained anywhere--and the field owner also owns those teams and essentially runs his little corner of the NPL too.) Regional directer--yes. Team owner--no. In part because only the Regional Director can approve trades but since that same person is all the team owners he's "approving" decisions he instigated in the first place. That's not oversight, that's nonsense. Get more local people actively involved who have an interest in the outcomes and success of individual teams. The rankings "system" given is a mess and if a region actually operated the combine completely unnecessary. The combine demonstrates talent and the teams draft eligible players. Some outside source of artificial ranking is completely unnecessary particularly given the NPL's definition for pro and semi-pro players. But seriously while sounding cool the combine and draft are a no go. (Only authorized NPL professionals will be allowed to be involved in testing and evaluations? And just who will be an authorized NPL professional and what is the criteria the league will use to determine that status? Really?) Best of all just jettison the combine (drug testing?) and the draft and the rankings because, according to the NPL, they are all Amateur players. Some teams will be better than others. So what? The Regional Director controls who plays and who doesn't and can provide competitive balance. Meanwhile not so good teams will have a reason to work to get better and recruit new players, etc. There's more but this is enough for now.
Finally there is a sanctioned NPL paintball. Why? If the idea is competitive balance that's fine. If it's part of a funding scheme for the NPL then less so but understandable. (Minimum event day purchases.) But then how is the league funded? It isn't actually outlined anywhere though there are hints in the section on registering players in which pros, semi-pros are apparently expected to pay a pro and registration fee while Ams only pay a registration fee. Otherwise how will the league afford its commitments to the regional teams once the playoffs begin? Did anybody crunch the numbers? Where will the national championships be held? Lots of partially formulated structures, short on some of the details that will matter to the players and teams.

The simple fact is if the league has any chance to succeed it needs to focus on getting local fields participating and making it as simple and easy for local players to get involved. Bottom line, the game may appeal to lots of players but it's going to have a hard time getting off the ground with all the extra unnecessary baggage its lugging around. ]]> Wed, 01 Feb 2012 01:01:10 CET pbguide View from The DeadBox 6 http://hype.pbguide.com/view-from-the-deadbox/the-npl-national-paintball-league/ http://hype.pbguide.com/speedball-world/andrew-battersby-sur-speedball-world-com-/
Speedball-world vous a donc préparé une petite Interview !

Bonne lecture ! ]]> Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:59:21 CET pbguide speedball world 6 http://hype.pbguide.com/speedball-world/andrew-battersby-sur-speedball-world-com-/