Innovation in paintball

[Magmoormaster]

A common theme around these parts is that paintball companies no longer innovate. I generally disagree with the premise, but that's besides the point for today. It's true that we don't see oddball stuff like what Tippmann was coming out with in the early 2000s; the cyclone, flatline, C3, and so on.

It begs the question, what kinds of innovation would you like to see in paintball? Not just bigger bore or higher quality paint.

I'd like to see tankless guns. Something like an airsoft AEG, but not as crappy. Imagine not having to worry about tank fills for outlaw games, or having to rehydro tanks.

[flyweightnate]

I think feed systems could be the most interesting innovation at this point. Something like the Omen paddle or Cyclone, but gentle on paint and compatible with lower- profile systems like magfed or like the Longbow system.

Out of the way, but not finicky would be great.

[Ego10Baller]

Id love to see a quality injection molded hopper that is pump player sized (100 round capacity or so). Either fully mechanical (wind up is fine with me like that one company makes) or electronic. Lightness and durability being prioritized over a 15 BPS feed-rate.

Something like the shoe loader that floated around for a bit but unfortunately had issues with both durability and availability.

that all said, I can see that demand wouldn’t be all that high for these (I’m the only pump player at my local field) so the juice wouldn’t be worth the squeeze.

[Riot]

Name doesn’t check out…

[Ego10Baller]

Haha - a holdover from when I got back into it about 6 years ago. Bought and then sold an Ego 10 after realizing that pump and occasional mech play was more my speed

[ChuckLove]

A mask that is as comfortable, breathable and customizable as a Proflex with an easy lense change that doesn't make you look like a power ranger.

[Jonnydread]

Amy Jo Johnson 😍

[Cdn_Cuda]

Been very disappointed with modern masks and haven’t found one I like brought to drop 300+ CAD on.

[SR_matt]

yeah they got so close with the E-flex and then just had no customization. It also feels a lot heavier to me, not sure if it actually is but sure feels like its notably heavier.

[iamthelazerviking]

Odd shaped tanks. Like a 4500 psi that's higher capacity than something like the First Strike 17 ci, but the same length without being an 80ci.

[Jonnydread]

Hell yeah weird tanks tickle my nibblies

[markdem]

I would like to take a moment to praise Riot for the North East Pump Calendar. Condensing all the upcoming games onto 1 page was so simple and ingenius and i use it constantly. Thats what i call a useful innovation

[Riot]

I’m glad people find it useful! I’ll be sure to do it again for 2025!

[ChuckLove]

A standard format rec league that isn't xball. The barrier to entry with competitive paintball is too expensive and not welcoming. The current xball format doesn't lend well to getting today's youth and women into paintball.
Paint/pod limits, random draw teams, capped semi-auto encourage sportsmanship and field variety would make things fun!

[$L!mBo]

Classic Mech League
Single finger mech mags and cockers only, no r/t, revvys only

[The Hobbit]

This but mech only and set it up with objective based games. Then run a weekly schedule instead of a couple tournaments.

[boomersruckus]

Golf ball dimpled paintballs would be cool. AEG style markers is another neat idea. Pods that loaded onto the hopper vs dumping balls into a speedfeed. Bottom feed guns that had hoppers below the body. Not sure really. Seems like the game has peaked in terms of originality.

[The Great Equalizer]

I keep seeing videos of box mags for EMF-100sand I think they're typically 150-ish round capacity, but I don't see why they can't be 200+ and why they aren't more popular.

[russc]

How about paint that is consistently round, shelf stable and sized to spec rather than mystery bore Russian roulette?

[TF_Aloha]

Insanity, that will never happen. Now take your lumpy, barely oversized .50 cal and quit complaining. That'll be $89.95 for a case of 1600 BTW. Field Paint Only.

[Fossilhead]

Moving bunkers.

[jetenginekyle]

so airball with a strong wind?

[The Great Equalizer]

We had an indoor field on a carpeted defunct roller rink and after a few weeks of paint in the carpet all the bunkers moved if you ran into them.

At the field I worked at in the early 2000s we had an 8-ish foot diameter cable spool that could be rolled through our close combat village. It did make for some interesting plays.

[KMDPB]

Further development and competition to the first strike round.
I'd love to see other propellants other than hpa.
A new brass, nelson valve pump to come to market.

[The Great Equalizer]

I'd love to see a biodegradable First Strike so fields will actually allow them. On their website they claim it is biodegradable, but still list it as polystyrene, which is not a biodegradable plastic. I've tried to get them to clarify before and after they were bought by the Renatis Group but they stop responding when I ask them how polystyrene can be biodegradable.

[uv_halo]

The Great Equalizer Not to be rude but, you are spreading a bit of misinformation here. Biodegradable as an official, legally defined term, is wide enough to run an oil tanker through it. As a material science it includes materials such as photodegradable plastics. As you should already know (since you commented on my First Strike IP thread), First Strike Rounds are a photodegradable polystyrene (meaning, they add agents to the polystyrene that encourage the photodegradation of the plastic). That being said, If you drop the lifespan of the plastic from 1000s of years to 100s, legally speaking, you can call it biodegradable (with a subcategory of photodegradable). I'm not saying that this is a good thing, it's just the legal and technical framework we're all (even us consumers) operating in. Notably, there is growing concern that photodegradable plastics may contribute to higher levels of microplastics. It would be better to say that you want something that is 'more' biodegradable (with specifics in regards to time,decomposition products, etc).

[scottieb]

I'd like to see a semi auto mechanical pistol with air source in the grip frame and a spring feed on the side of the marker, the complete package having a minimal profile. The air source chamber would ideally be refillable, no 12g's.

It would also be great to have masks custom fit with some process that maps your face and builds/molds it to the you.

[Magmoormaster]

Sounds almost like the old DSDS Sidekick.

I wonder if you could propel a paintball to velocity with green gas like airsoft pistols.

[The Great Equalizer]

Someone can make one with one of these test rigs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDapIj5FgOs

[Chuck E Ducky]

All I want is a better ball I’m happy with the current stuff available.

non proprietary, round, heavy big bore, constant, bio degradable,

markers are more complex then ever but we still shooting bath beads shaped like footballs with dimples like golf balls.

[Jordan]

Do we need innovation?

[Blackmagic71]

I was just thinking that. We’re lobbing little gelatin balls at each other for fun. Current technology is plenty developed for that. All I want are fun fields, with plenty of other players, and paint that’s large enough to not roll out my barrel.

[Chappy]

We need to innovate more people to the field.