Scenario games based on historical battles

[The Jayster]

There is one thing that has bothered me for quite a while, and that would be military-themed paintball games. A huge part of the attraction to paintball is military or gun based, I get that. Hell, when I started playing 30+ years ago that's all I thought about and admittedly it is what drew me to the game in the first place. Now for quite a while we've had games like D-Day, Fulda Gap, or even Afghanistan-themed games. Before I go on, and without delving into politics, do know that I'm fairly pro-military.

My beef here is two-fold: One, is that really the best image we want for paintball? But more to the point, aren't we making light of dreadful situations? I've grown up with not so funny war stories (Italian family on my dad's side, some German on my mother's) and to turn famous battles into a game somehow doesn't sit well with me. I once had a girlfriend 20+ years ago whose grandfather was a Canadian paratrooper that was at D-Day. She told me early on to never ask him questions about it because he refused to discuss the matter with anyone due to what he witnessed.

I've seen sci-fi or humorous themes used for scenario games and I believe that's much more appropriate. For instance, someone once made a Simpsons-themed game where the teams were representing Springfield vs. Shelbyville. Another one was the U.S. vs. Canada, where the Americans came to invade and steal Canadian bacon, with players bringing packs of frozen bacon as props.

[Riot]

I wouldn't mind seeing the old Pennsylvania vs Connecticut war turned into a paintball game. I don't have much to say on the topic, but it might make you feel a hair better knowing I yell at everyone that disrupts the paintball game to play army pretty regularly.

[NONOBLITUS]

Signing up for Connecticut.

[Chappy]

Meh. Movies, videos games, civil war re-enactments… There’s plenty of entertainment venues that beat paintball to it.

[zinger565]

Paintball2Go runs a game loosely based off the Battle of Monte Cassino. Really all the most "re-enactment" it gets is the first and last session, mostly it's an excuse to slowly move the point of contention (and thus the focus of the game) throughout the entire field. Kinda brilliant really.

Honestly, reading the wikipedia page on the Battle of Monte Cassino, it's kind of a big flub for the Allies. They were so sure the Germans were using the Abbey as an outpost, when it reality there were next to zero soldiers stationed there.

[Trbo323]

My beef here is two-fold: One, is that really the best image we want for paintball?

No

But more to the point, aren't we making light of dreadful situations?

Yes

Here's the problem though, in order to make a big game successful, it's really really difficult to start with anything other than a military conflict. How many big games can you name that are not military conflict?

Supergame, Oregon is really the only "big" game as it's the original, the others are still growing

Living legends/dead legends although I've never heard player count numbers

Decay of nations, I heard it was like 800 players so not the biggest but also, still military themed even though it's fictional

But you tell a new player they are going to storm the beaches of Normandy, that gives them something to match onto. A starting point

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

[Grendel]

Non-issue, I believe the OP is making a mountain out of a mole hill. We [paintball] have been down this rabbit hole several times since inception and it really does not matter. There was the "Marker" vs. "Paintball Gun", "Camo" vs. "Clown suit [bright colored jersey/outfits] ", "paintballs" vs. "bullets",....etc. Over the years these debates and concerns really did not nor do affect whether people play paintball or not. Paintball is one of those things that people either like or do not like. That is in fact or concept. Hell when I started playing/staffing in the 80s I started at "Combat USA" and they soon changed their name to "Vanguard Paintball" to try and appear less militaristic. You know what it had an effect on player count? Nothing still saw the same people come out regular and still the same trickle new players some who became regulars and some that were one and done.

You want to help paintball, provide a venue were:

• environment is friendly
• everyone is accepted
• keep the cost down
• be a safe experience
• games everyone enjoys or has the opportunity to enjoy
• provide basic sanitary facilities
• limit down times

[coyote]

I have run 15 ish scenario games and played in many others. I'll share my thoughts. Context matters

I have never been in a scenario situation that made me uncomfortable. Sometimes that requires adjustment on my part. Notice the wording "my part". The best example is I don't play on the Nazi side of WW2 games. My father in law is a German expat whose father was interred in a concentration camp. I don't want to have that conversation at the dinner table.

When I have an issue I opt out. It's" my "problem. Not "our" problem. Not "your" problem. It's also a trivial problem. I don't need a bunch of other folks moralizing over a paintball game on my behalf.

We aren't celebrating mans inhumanity to man. We are recognizing that perhaps today we can do better. Those prone to hyperbole will probably disagree. I would suggest those folks find actual problems to solve.

[glaman5266]

I view those scenario games as just another form of paintball. I can see how some would be irritated with them, though I don’t really lean either way with them.

Think about this: many of us here dislike tourney play. Some even rail against it, saying it’s a scourge within the sport. There are valid reasons to think that way, but it’s just another way to play. Like most other things in life, if you don’t like it you don’t have to pay attention to it.

[SignOfZeta]

There is one thing that has bothered me for quite a while, and that would be military-themed paintball games. A huge part of the attraction to paintball is military or gun based, I get that. Hell, when I started playing 30+ years ago that's all I thought about and admittedly it is what drew me to the game in the first place. Now for quite a while we've had games like D-Day, Fulda Gap, or even Afghanistan-themed games. Before I go on, and without delving into politics, do know that I'm fairly pro-military.

My beef here is two-fold: One, is that really the best image we want for paintball? But more to the point, aren't we making light of dreadful situations? I've grown up with not so funny war stories (Italian family on my dad's side, some German on my mother's) and to turn famous battles into a game somehow doesn't sit well with me. I once had a girlfriend 20+ years ago whose grandfather was a Canadian paratrooper that was at D-Day. She told me early on to never ask him questions about it because he refused to discuss the matter with anyone due to what he witnessed.

I've seen sci-fi or humorous themes used for scenario games and I believe that's much more appropriate. For instance, someone once made a Simpsons-themed game where the teams were representing Springfield vs. Shelbyville. Another one was the U.S. vs. Canada, where the Americans came to invade and steal Canadian bacon, with players bringing packs of frozen bacon as props.

I wish more people would put this level of thought into things instead of just trying to be “pro everything” in order to “help grow the sport”.

All I can say is that I’ve been to the field when it’s magfed/airsoft/camouflage/fake gear day and I’ve been there when it’s not and I do not like the vibe in the place at all when the Call of Doody people show up. One time I was at Hell Survivor’s some champion of a man brought his real actual rifle out to show all his dumb friends and honestly at times like that I’m extremely uncomfortable with how blurred the lines get. “Is that an AR?” is not a question that I want to ever hear come out of a person’s mouth at a paintball field.