The Wild World of TB!

I have been musing about this topic for at least the 8 months, mostly as I watch the 'Old Guard' make adjustments to their schedules and fields coupled with hearing some of them whine about not having any money or the players aren't coming out. I have heard the varied excuses as to why they think that; from people like me being at the game to backdoor politics being played by their competitors and so forth and so on. But there are truths out there, ugly nasty truths that most of the National Promoters either don't want to talk about or don't want discussed. But discussed they are and the simple fact is that the numbers are showing that. So let's delve a little more into is shall we?

Now as most of my articles are, I am not naming names, but I am sure that you will be able to figure out who I am talking about. And if not, then just apply it to your favorite or 'not so' favorite national promoter. And if you are a national promoter (or a former one) and you think I am talking about you? Well as the saying goes, if the shoe fits, walk that sumbitch off.

So what is the National Promoter? Let's start with that. Since there are so few now that some people in paintball might not even know what I am talking about. In the beginning was one promoter and he did games at two locations on the east coast. He even had a game or two out west if memory serves me correct. And then there was another promoter, well he started up west of the Mississippi but east of Rocky Mountains. And for awhile that was the state of things. And then in 1999, a company started up founded by people who had been working with both of these promoters and touted itself as the first 24 hour National Scenario Production Company. They traveled the country putting on their games. Now I can assure you that neither of the first two promoters really liked this. Why? Because it signaled the first reason why the National Promoters are losing ground; No one has to travel to play scenario paintball.

Back in the day, there were maybe 6 games a year put on by two promoters. If you wanted to play in a real scenario game, then those were your choices. You could play home-made games, but at the time no one knew the 'magic' formula and the costs were just out of reach for the average scenario promoter or field to start up. Oh several worked on it, like EMR, Skirmish, SC Village and OK DDAY, but the realm of scenario paintball was in those 6 to 8 games. Hence the reason why all of those games were so big at the time. It was why teams like Mayberry Marauders, Blitzkrieg, Air Assault and Joint Fury could travel and make names for themselves with people from all over the country. However the aspect of the national promoter who could bring the production to your favorite field changes all of that.

Here was someone with the game play experience and the tools and formula’s to bring the game to you. There were so many positives at the time; different fields allowed for different storyline, different playing style allowed for different tactics and approaches to the game. But there were also the downside, teams quit travelling and started recruiting for the local game vs. the away game. This led to the eventual reasons that so many people don’t travel today, and it was only coupled with the second reason that the National Promoter is on the way down; the little guy is more creative.

That’s right, I said it, and if you look at the National Promoters they aren’t very innovative. They all have their quirks and issues and they all have that reputation that they hold onto. As one promoter puts it, it is called steak. And if you want hamburger that’s fine, but if you want steak then you have to travel for it. There are several issues with that, what if my hamburger tastes better than your steak? Or what if they start making steak and using a different spice or something that makes your steak obsolete? But being the little guy (and I have produced a few games) allowed me huge leaps with creativity, so much so a National Promoter is still using my storylines and cards and I haven’t written a thing in a year. Oh there have been some minor changes, but most anyone will tell you that the creativity is gone.

It might be called replaying the greatest hits, but in the realm of scenario paintball these days, greatest hits just don’t work anymore. Most people see it as the same ole, same ole and well that is never a reason to travel. Me and my team travel for one reason, to test ourselves against new people in new parts of the country and with new formats. And we are pretty successful because of it, because we come out of our little pond and swim in the ocean; it allows us to be much bigger fish in the grand scheme of things. Sure it is harder to maintain a national team vs. a regional team, but you do what works for you right? And taking a game you have already done, and cookie cutting in major character changes isn’t being creative either, even more so when it wasn’t your game to start with.

I mean some promoters are just going to ride some things into the ground. It works for them and some people do those games over and over again. And they have decidedly mil-sim flair and it normally evolves into some people lining up on one side and other’s lining up on the other. In essence the venue becomes an event, much to the bewilderment of the national promoters. I have heard them tell these local big game mil-sim style producers that ‘right’ way to do something, the response has always been, you do it your way and I will do it mine. They are having 2500 and 3000 player’s games, most promoters are lucky to get 300. So who is right?

We’ll leave it there for this time, and I will follow up with more the next time around. But I don’t want to over-burden too many people too quickly. But I will leave you with this for these two reasons, what are your reasons for not traveling to these national promoters’ events? Is it a team or a player? Is it the lack of creativity or competition? Is it the region or the economy? I don’t really buy the economy because the National Promoters have seen shrinkage in the last 5 years. But we will pick up more on that in a few days.