This list contains the following:
WHAT IS PAINTBALL?
Paintball is a sport in which players shoot each other with small
paint pellets fired from air guns. Many variations on the game can
be played. The "standard" game consists of two teams, playing on an
established field, attempting to capture the other team's flags. Players
are eliminated from the game when they are hit with a paint pellet.
The winning team is the one which has accrued the most points when
time runs out. Points are given for eliminations, capture of the
other teams flag, and hanging the other teams flag in your own flag
area.
You don't have to have an organized team or go to an organized field in order to play. If you have some paintball guns and a few friends, you can simply get together and shoot at each other.
IS IT SAFE?
Most paintball guns shoot a 68 caliber paint pellet. The pellet is
a thin plastic shell filled with a water soluble paint. Guns
shoot the pellets at a speed of 200 to 300 feet per second. Since
the paint pellets are fairly light (only weighing a few grams
each), they have little momentum while in flight, and thus are
not lethal like the heavy lead projectiles fired from conventional
firearms.
In addition to using a non-lethal projectile, paintball players *always* wear protective goggles to protect their eyes and usually wear masks covering the rest of their face as well.
Safety is highly stressed at most fields. Many fields require goggles be worn at all times unless in designated areas. Many fields also require that barrel plugs (plastic inserts that prevent projectiles from leaving your gun's barrel) be used while players are in certain areas. Ignoring safety is a good way to get yourself ejected from a field.
DOESN'T IT HURT WHEN YOU GET SHOT?
The paint pellets break open upon impact, and generally cause very
little pain. What pain is experienced is more of a stinging sensation
from the pellet's impact against the skin or through clothing. In my
experience, the stinging pain goes away after a few seconds. Of course,
the closer you are to the muzzle of the gun, the higher the velocity of
the pellet when it hits you. Thus, more pain may be experienced when shot
at close range rather than farther away.
In general, one can count on coming off the field with a few welts from paintball impacts, but your most annoying injuries are more likely to be scrapes and bruises from the local terrain.
IS THERE SOMEPLACE TO PLAY PAINTBALL NEAR ME?
[ here I would like to include (or at least refer them to) a field
list. The list in the back of APG is, er.. long.. ]
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO PLAY?
Most fields allow you to rent equipment when you play. This is
probably the cheapest way to get a taste of the game. You can rent
guns & goggles for around $10 per game. Prices vary. Fields will
also let you buy paint and CO2 to use during the game. In all you
should be able to play all day at your local field for $30 to
$40 (assuming you have none of your own gear).
If you start playing regularly and would like to have your own equipment, you have several options open to you. Buying a used pump action gun and a new pair of goggles is a good start. You can buy a used pump for $50 to $150. You can buy an entry level semi-automatic for $100 to $300. A new pair of goggles might cost $20 to $40. Buying yourself a new pair of goggles designed specifically for paintball is a must.
Paint costs about $.03 to $.04 per pellet. You may go through several hundred pellets of paint over the course of a single day, so this cost should be a long term consideration. Depending on the type of gun you're using, the cost of CO2 should also be a long term consideration. If you're using a 12-gram gun (see list of terms, below) you can buy disposable 12-gram "powerlets" at your local sporting goods store for a few dollars a pack. If you're using a constant air tank, you should be able to get it refilled at your local paintball shop or field for about $3-$5, depending on its size.
WHO ARE SOME RETAILERS THAT SELL PAINTBALL SUPPLIES?
[ here I would like to include a list of retailers. Trouble is, we can't
list retailers without leaving somebody out, so I'm not sure if that
would be fair. Please refer to Action Pursuit Games or Paintball Sports Magazines
OKAY, I'M HOOKED. WHAT BRAND OF GUN SHOULD I BUY?
First of all, don't buy a gun until you've played with rental
equipment several times. No single gun is going to please everybody,
and you need to become aware of features that you like or dislike
about the marker you've been renting. When you do go to buy a gun,
that experience will help you be better informed about the different
options available to you.
In general, you may find a constant air pump gun to be a good initial investment. The gun will not break your wallet, and it will not cost too much to feed. As you learn to play, you will find that you can hold your own against many semi-automatic guns out there. A pump's slower rate of fire may encourage you to learn better basic personal tactics as well.
WHAT IS THE BEST KIND OF PAINT TO USE?
Fortunately for the paint manufactures, and unfortunately for you,
that's something you have to find out yourself. Different guns
tend to like different paint. Other factors such as the weather,
how fresh the paint is, etc., can all effect how well your paint
performs for you. There are a few brands which are well known for
their high quality, however they still may not perform in your gun
as well as a less popular paint. The only sure way to find out
what the best kind of paint to use is, is to try several brands
through your gun.
The 1993 year-end edition of PCRI contained an article testing most brands of paint on the market. Keeping in mind that we don't know what kind of guns they were using to test this paint; their final ratings based on weight, size, roundness, burst strength, shell thinkness and accuracy were:
WHAT IS TEAM INTERNET?
From the Team Internet FAQ:
"Team Internet is a social organization of paintball players that have access
to the rec.sport.paintball newsgroup on the internet and connected networks.
It is more of a club than a team. We rarely play together, and then usually
only in very small groups. Membership in other real teams has nothing to do
with and is unaffected by Team Internet membership. There are currently
three "rules" for membership: You must have played at least once, you must be
able to read rec.sport.paintball, and you are a good sportsman (no cheating,
helpful to newbies, ...)."
More on team internet can be learned from the Team Internet FAQ file which is periodically posted to this newsgroup.
IS THERE AN FTP SITE FOR REC.SPORT.PAINTBALL?
Yes. You can access the paintball archives via anonymous ftp at
caticsuf.csufresno.edu in the directory ~/pub/rec.sport.paintball.
Included there are this FAQ and the Team Internet FAQ.
INDEX OF COMMONLY USED PAINTBALL TERMS.