Preparing for War or Just Having Fun?

Some people have negative connotations towards paintball because they think it encourages violence. Undeniably, paintball is meant in some ways to simulate war. However what is gained through the paintball teambuilding experience can be extremely valuable for anyone who participates in a paintball game. Paintball works like many other sports in that it involves practice, strategy, teamwork, and analysis of opponents. The thing to remember about paintball is that it is not about a bunch of teenagers randomly running around and shooting each other. It is a sport designed to increase many abilities that are both mentally and physically beneficial to the player.

Laser Tag versus Paintball

Both laser tag and paintball are games of action, shooting, and strategy. There are leagues and professional players in each of these realms. Though similar in basic skills and strategies, there are many differences between the two games. Laser tag is extremely fast-paced and takes place within a very small playing field. Laser tag is also associated with smoke machines, strobe lights, and futuristic playing turfs. In contrast, paintball usually takes place outdoors in a natural, usually quite large setting. It is often viewed as a more realistic warfare-type game by the fact that you are actually shooting something at someone. Even the military uses paintball in some training exercises. Laser tag usually requires constantly fast action; paintball, on the other hand, usually employs more strategy, control, and stealth.

Three on Three Techniques

The number of players on a paintball team has a direct effect on which strategies should be used. A three-on-three-game is a very typical number for paintball. The strategies used in three-on-three games are not too difficult to implement, and also work well with bigger teams. One basic strategy is to assign one team member the role of attacker. The goal of the attacker is simply to annihilate members of the other team as effectively as possible. In the meantime, the two other players have the goal of protecting both the attacker and location or object being defended, as well as assisting the attacker when possible. One way to think about it is to set up your players like a basketball team, with a forward, center, and guard.

Team Player versus Single Player

Playing paintball is like playing with a deck of cards: there are endless varieties of games you can play. Most paintball games belong to one of two camps: teams playing against each other, and individuals playing for themselves. Since they are so popular, it is good to know some of the different strategies that are used in each of these games. Some team games include all-out war, being the first to complete an objective or assignment, or a capture-the-flag game. With each of these games, developing a strategy, coordinating between team members, and defense all play a role. An advantage to team games is that newcomers to the game get a chance to have fun without immediate elimination and with support of more expert players. The other popular game type is exactly as it sounds in that the last man standing wins. There are a lot of different skills for this game type, such as hiding, sniping, going after the most experienced player first, and so on. In the end, an all-for-naught type game is as much about the intensity and adrenaline rush as for the actual strategy.