Electronic vs Mechanical

[baeman1]

I’ve been playing for well over 11 years now and I learned how to play on mechanical guns especially the tippman 98…what happened to people learning how to play with a mech and then going to a electronic. In my opinion that’s what makes a player learn the game and be just an all around better player. I went to the field local to me today and there was a group of guys there who just started playing 2 months ago and all had cs2s and tm40s, like don’t get me wrong I’m all for spending money on paintball but what happened to learning how to play with a mechanical and then going to electronic? I’m all for new players getting into the game and taking up the passion but at more point it just seems to get a little ridiculous to me.

[iamthelazerviking]

Many people's first intro to paintball now days is air/speed, so they want the fast laser guns. Or maybe have friends who got them into it who are also already using electros, so feel the need to do the same.

[FredMnkyDad10]

Those darn kids with them fandangle toys and new technology. Well in my days....... hahahahaha just kidding.

I learned long ago, just because you have the news and greatest, dont mean you can take anyone out.

Remember playing next two guys that use to spray and pray. They were shooting keeping everyone down that they would go through pods. And they were trying to fill so fast that I would say a good amount of paint fell at their feet. Still if they won it was not complete dominance, they would be down to their last guy or two. Lost some games too.

At an outlaw field my friends and I use to play at when we started. We show up, we had tippmanns, mech spiders to play. This guy shows up with karni and suits up head to toe in full gear. All of us are like ok we are getting our butts kicked. The guy was the first to be shot out. He then keeps pulling marker after marker at least 5, each one crazy high like egos. Same results, he was always one of the first to be out. He made comments about his markers like they are ok, not great or sucks. After we thought maybe it's not the markers.

[Trbo323]

I actually started with an e frame, took me a while to figure out that there are good mechs out there.

I think the big thing is there's such a huge difference, performance wise between a tippmann 98 and even a $250 axe, and the price difference isn't that much a lot of people are skipping over the 98s. I mean really, back in the 90s, to get axe level performance you were looking at a LOT more money than you need these days.

Sent from my motorola edge 5G UW (2021) using Tapatalk

[glaman5266]

This.
The price vs. performance ratio of markers has shifted dramatically since the early 2000s. You get a lot more bang for your buck nowadays & people are skipping many low-ends in favor of $300 electros that can perform similarly to the high-ends. Back then you had to pay a high-end price tag for high-end performance. That all began changing after the Ion was released.

[BigRed]

I’ve been playing for well over 11 years now and I learned how to play on mechanical guns especially the tippman 98…what happened to people learning how to play with a mech and then going to a electronic. In my opinion that’s what makes a player learn the game and be just an all around better player. I went to the field local to me today and there was a group of guys there who just started playing 2 months ago and all had cs2s and tm40s, like don’t get me wrong I’m all for spending money on paintball but what happened to learning how to play with a mechanical and then going to electronic? I’m all for new players getting into the game and taking up the passion but at more point it just seems to get a little ridiculous to me.

Back in my day we said the same thing! Them kids come along with their new tech guns and those big hoppers! Learn to play as God intended with a SC pump...PGP in my case.

[SignOfZeta]

I started with a pump…never moved on from there. As far as I’m concerned moving to an electro at any point is satanic and mechanical semi autos are for people with one arm.

[RAZRBAKK]

My first gun was a Piranha Evo with an e-frame, and not more than a month or two after that I bought a first gen mini right when they came out. I went Piranha to Mini to FS8, and then the gun hoarding really began.

I was fortunate to be an early adopter of pump in the local speedball scene, right before the recession took hold and the pump boom started. For the last two years of high school I was the "pump cocker" connect. I bought pumps on MCB when the Canadian dollar was strong, and sold them on the local forum to all the airball kids.

I knew right when I started playing that I didn't want to shoot a 98 or A5. All the local TippmannSh00ters had giant G36 kits, remote lines, etc. and I saw it as nothing more than cumbersome and limiting. Outside of the short lived Evo, I didn't do the beginner gun thing.

[flyweightnate]

Anymore, an "entry level" mech is an Etek.

Is it all that different from a CS2?

I hear what you're saying, but back in the day, a lot of kids would start with an e- frame or RT A5, and I think it's a pretty similar impact on BPS. A bit cheaper, sure, but man... technology has advanced! I just can't imagine dropping $3k in guns and gear to see if I enjoy a hobby.

[Tarsun2]

there was a guy that played with us awhile back. real hot *stuff* (censored). had an lv1 in a field of spyders and tippys. shot ropes all day long and would go through more boxes than amazon...

one game, it was just him and a buddy of mine sporting a spyder. the would fields watch from the net as the two of them started getting closer.

shooting lasers dosent help when theres no one there. lol
my buddy snuck around the side and got 'em before he realized. it was epic. the whole field was cheering.

that guy stopped playing with us. idk if he went to another location or just went on the days we weren't there. but that was the last we saw of him.

[Cyberpyr8]

Those darn kids with them fandangle toys and new technology. Well in my days....... hahahahaha just kidding.

I learned long ago, just because you have the news and greatest, dont mean you can take anyone out.

Remember playing next two guys that use to spray and pray. They were shooting keeping everyone down that they would go through pods. And they were trying to fill so fast that I would say a good amount of paint fell at their feet. Still if they won it was not complete dominance, they would be down to their last guy or two. Lost some games too.

At an outlaw field my friends and I use to play at when we started. We show up, we had tippmanns, mech spiders to play. This guy shows up with karni and suits up head to toe in full gear. All of us are like ok we are getting our butts kicked. The guy was the first to be shot out. He then keeps pulling marker after marker at least 5, each one crazy high like egos. Same results, he was always one of the first to be out. He made comments about his markers like they are ok, not great or sucks. After we thought maybe it's not the markers.

I learned a long time ago, you don't want to be on the team with the new guy with all the brand new high end equipment. 8/10 games they will either get shot out right away or their gun won't work and they walk off the field before the game even starts. Just because you know how to use a credit card doesn't mean you know how to operate a paintball marker.

[glaman5266]

Well, there's something to be said for simply wanting a premium product. With modern conveniences these days I have little desire to monkey around with older platforms. The last time I bought a blowback for regular use was maybe 12 years ago. (not that blowbacks can't be good, but you see what I'm saying)

Even the current midrange stuff has features that even some high-ends back in the day didn't have, and with better reliability than the old stuff. Not to mention the price/performance ratio is excellent for many of them. Axes & Etha 2s are hard to overlook when you're starting out.

I still do suggest Spyders & Tippmanns for new players, but that's more for the price point than anything else. And they still make good backups.

[Jonnydread]

I think part of it is speed/airball is more common as intro play these days and the fact that outlaw barely exists. When I first start playing in the late 90s, we weren't old enough to drive to pay to plays and we couldn't afford it even if we could, so we bought our Walmart guns and took them down to the woods nearby and played as long as our 500 bag held out. Once we got a little older and started mowing lawns and stuff we bought blowbacks, etc., then eventually moved up to cockers, electros, etc. I don't think many kids have that experience these days.

[Chuck E Ducky]

What difference dose it really make?

Dose your field not have a ROF cap on Rec play?

[flyweightnate]

Nope. Which is part of the reason I'm not there too often.

[pintbuster]

Why would a new player starting out NOT want to take advantage of technology?
My old stuff is cool because I remember when it came out, but it was new then, and I wanted it.
Ammo boxes, quick changers, constant air, semi auto, power feed, swing triggers, I wanted all of it the second I heard of it.
All the new electronic stuff is foreign to me, but I get it.

[shooter311]

I don't see the big deal personally. It is like when I talk to old timers and they are upset because "kids these days" don't know how to drive a stick shift. Who cares? I don't know how to use an Abacus, that doesn't make me any less of a Man. The fact that I dress up in women's clothing and dance around listening Celine Dion while pretending to be a Disney princess might though.

Honestly, it might be what is best for the sport. The 98 is a rock star, but let's be real, it sucks to play with when compared most markers. It is heavy, loud, harsh on paint, and very long. If a newbie picks up an electro that is super light, easy to shoot, and keeps him competing with the other veterans on the field, there is way more chance they will stick around to play more. Which is what we need. Just make sure the fields have ROF caps.