Ramping in rec?

[Jonnydread]

How do you folks feel about ramping in rec walk-on games?

I've been watching a lot of videos of rec games recently and it seems like a lot of electro guys are using ramping during normal walk-on games with mixed equipment owners and rentals. I wouldn't think much of this except for in the videos a lot of the new players/rentals are catching a lot of bonus balls and are clearly not having a great time with it. In my head, if you're self-equipped and experienced, there doesn't really seem to be a need to use ramping in a rec situation. Anyone with a little trigger experience should be able to use semi auto to fight it out with experienced players and easily dial it back for rentals. I am an unabashed limited paint player, so maybe this is just out of my realm?

Curious to other perspectives. I know this can be a spicy topic so let's keep it friendly please.

[iamthelazerviking]

Where I usually go, a majority of self equipped players use electros (as in like 95%+) and although ramping shouldn't be allowed, they're told semi and 10 bps, often times it sounds like it. Even at a 10 bps/semi, these guys just have no chill no matter who they're against. Refs try to remind everyone there's new players/young players and to be mindful buuuuut that doesn't always happen.

Most of these guys are also taking 4-6 pods out each time. I carry 2 at most and often don't need to reload more than once during the two games.

I told the field owners they have a problem with electro dudes spraying down new kids and it ain't cool. We'll see if they crack down more or not.

Honestly the whole thing just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I'm not really eager to play as much, at least not at this field. There's another place a little closer I have yet to try and it doesn't seem like they really have a much of a regular crew of these types, so will need to go check it out sometime.

[Jonnydread]

I'm with you, and I'm optimistic, but I've run into a similar situation and the fact is that most of those dudes throwing a ton of paint down the field are more valuable to the field staying open. I always thought it was funny to see a dude that looks ready to shoot an entire case going out for a 10 minute recball game.

[Chappy]

Ramping in open rec play is pathetic and bad for the game. As you said the rentals don’t enjoy not having a chance. It’s like bringing a motorcycle to a bike race and bragging that you won.

[Jonnydread]

That's my whole thing is the level playing field. You want the rentals to have a fighting chance against the experienced players from the get-go. This to me means they need decent masks, and guns that reasonably go pew.

[William the Third]

Bonus points for the Aprilia!

[Nish]

[Jeopardy buzzer noise] What is the best way to runoff new players.

[Grendel]

Yup, ramping (or even the appearance of ramping) is bad for long term business success and should not be allowed in Rec Ball. Most places I have played at over the last several years state "semi only max 10 bps" but not seen a lot of checking markers. Most of the time it takes an incident to happen for anything to happen or a ref who cares about their role on the field.

[Jonnydread]

Same here. I've been to quite a few fields that have this rule listed, but I have yet to see it enforced.

[Impactfour]

I feel like it's rare to see a ref Chrono people in as well. Most fields are great about mask and barrel bag safety and call it good. To me this strategy falls short for retaining new players. If I'm on good terms with someone and I suspect they're shooting unreasonable ropes against rentals/newbies I'll call them out on it in a light hearted manner. It's surprising how many tone it down when you frame it as a lack of skill to need to shoot so much.

[Warmongrel]

Ramping isn't allowed at the field where I play, but they do allow for uncapped semi which still feels like ramping. My niece played paintball for a birthday party and she got lit up and called it quits because it hurt so bad. Luckily most of the regulars are playing pump or mech to go easy on the rentals.

[Jonnydread]

Fair point, removing ramping doesn't remove the risk, but it's one way to mitigate. Maybe field culture is the biggest inhibitor?

[Impactfour]

It's definitely field culture. Back in 06-09 or so some of my local fields had a terribly exclusive mentality. Tons of people on teams from NEPL JR to D1. I remember some dude just shouting "fuck them kids" and just letting a halo b hopper empty out off the break, saw more than a few fistfights, but shouting mages and obvious bonus/dead balling people were happened too often for my tastes. Truly some of the most toxic shit I've seen

[Impactfour]

Meanwhile Warzone does a pretty damn good job in its modern era. Jeff and most of his senior refs will definitely look out for the new guys, talk shit to regulars or anyone who takes it too seriously. Hell they even have a 'rule' for range one that says no going past the 50, and they pull it out whenever there's a tryhard just ruining the rentals on a speedball style field with unlimited respawns in most of its game modes.

[shooter311]

Ramping is a major contributor to the decline of our sport. I feel like the reason the fields that allow it, do is because it brings in so much more money than capped semi.

[RAZRBAKK]

Hey man, if you see it, call it out. I always give dudes a hard time for ripping lanes at renters.

[Jonnydread]

Absolutely! and I do, but player to player doesn't make as much of an impact as field to player.

[Tschema]

If you're playing versus renters or more casual players it could be ok if the bps cap is quite low, maybe like 6 bps.

[nerdcore]

Never liked, or used, ramping, even when I played tourneys. Seems so unnecessary.

I don't ever see electro users let loose at the local field. First, there aren't many (it's like 90% rentals in this area), and those that do exhibit good trigger discipline, or they just play pump.

[Jonnydread]

That's awesome. We have one field that we (we being pump/mech/limited players) outnumber the space guns and I have seen a slight shift in field culture the more we play there.

[Mr. Hick]

..... I detest it, truly.

However, I feel like its situation dependent. Open play on "rec maps" or standard woods fields should have it be punishable by death or at least being spanked in public with a herring... If you walk out into the air ball field with the boys running open points.... Be prepared.

[SETHZILLA!]

Sadly our local fields only care about people buying cases. It's sad but ramping has definitely hurt the sport for returning players. If i'm playing pump and some kids start ramping, next game i'll break out my Karnivor and show them what old age and treachery can do with uncapped rof and a bigger wallet.

[Cyberpyr8]

Our field allows it for the most part. There have been days where the owner has come out and told electro owners that they had to go to semi but that hasn't happened much. Probably because someone got shot up and complained or there was fighting going on over it.

Even when I was using an electro I always shot semi 10bps capped(except when I'm on a speedball field). I don't mind playing against people ramping, but even on those days where it is allowed, if I see an electro moving in on the last few rentals and I'm out, I will tell them to take it easy it's renters in effort to try and have them use some self control. I wish our field would ban ramping on rec fields, but I don't really see it happening.

We have hardly any pump players but we do have about half a dozen or so magfed players. I'm one of the few non-rental mech guys. Other than us, it's either electro or renters.

[iamthelazerviking]

I would love to see rules for electronic markers enforced, if playing in mix of rentals and experienced, you have to cap at something lower than 10, and limit the amount of pods.

Or separate the experienced and have them all go at it.

[Warmongrel]

If the rec group gets big enough at my local field, they will break it up. Advanced and beginner walk on groups, which help.

[Impactfour]

There's definitely a difference between the employee created culture from field to field. I've found FPO fields whose major draw is airball just aren't good places for new players, and have more toxic cultures. The more woodsball oriented fields have been better in my experience, and if it's not FPO then odds are they'll cater more to beginners. I mentioned it in a comment above, but I've found warzone is great for new players, sometimes even at risk of catering too heavily to them in some facets.

[maggot]

I've experienced the exact opposite: FPO fields tend to make their income on renters where BYOP fields cater to the space gun, pod-dumping crowd.

[Jonnydread]

maggot my experience is closer to yours than Impact’s. There are very few BYOP fields left in this area, but one of them is very yeehaw let’s shoot 3 cases, but I think the presence of airball makes a big different too