XML FeedsCategory: Ancient History
Viper Texas Revolution - Star Wars
By TB on Jul 18, 2008 | In Scenario News, Ancient History | 2 feedbacks »
Yes indeed, Viper did a game in 2002 based on Star Wars, The Phantom Menace. This should bring back some memories. Enjoy the history and if you take the photos or link to them, please credit worldoftb, thanks!
The Phantom Menace
By P.B. Buzzard
The one who will be Darth Vader is just an innocent young man, who knows how to put out paint. We were at Paintball USA in Houston, TX and all of the characters from Star Wars were here and ready for the conflict. The night before Andrew “Phychopete” Watt won the costume contest as a Tuskan Raider, but all of the costumes were great. Darth Maul was most easily recognized, young Anikan Skywalker looked innocent, and Jar Jar Binks was, well, Jar Jar.
Kerry “Viper” Rosenberry called the players together for the briefing at 10:30 AM and the program got underway. Free stuff was given out, the rules and background for the game was gone over, and finally the key leaders had their chance. Queen Amidala, (Christina “Blaze” Smith) told her subjects that the Trade Federation wants to subjugate the planet of Naboo and they will be defeated. She asked her General and Jar Jar if the assembled forces were ready, there was a resounding YES!!!
Nute Gunray, Viceroy of the Trade Federation, took the stage and denounced the queen as a little girl, and ranted about how she had broken the treaty. Darth Maul was standing in the background as a silent reminder of who was backing the Trade Federation. The assembly broke players to chrono and get taped; the start of the game was fast approaching.
The day was hot and humid, as Houston is famous for, when the game started. Both sides planned the same strategy for the first move, both tried for the speedball field. The fighting raged and a steady stream of players headed for the dead zone. The Trade Federation (the Red Side) went up the creek adjacent to the speedball field and flanked the Naboo Army (the Blue Side) and taking fire from front and side, the Blue had to retire.
Watto tried to take the field several times to sell his stuff, but Watto, (Jason “Padre” Ebeyer) kept getting shot. Well, how is a merchant to make an honest buck? Finally he gave up for a while, if anyone wanted merchandise, they could come to him!
As the game progressed, the first light saber fights took place. If a Jedi were to point his light saber at a Sith Lord and the other would return the gesture, the two were no longer paintball targets, they would walk towards each other, with a ref present, and the light sabers would slash the air. As an added attraction, the players had to make the sound of a light saber. If a player was hit in the leg, he would have to hop around on his good leg, if hit in both legs, he was on his knees.
The entire time the Jedi and Sith Lord are fighting with light sabers, the paintball game is taking place around them. A Blue patrol had a mission to the bridge which was not far from the Red Base, and was wiped out. The Red ran an operation around the back side of the Blue base and caused enough damage that the Queen Amidala and many of the Blue players were nervous all day. To get into the Blue base one had to pass thru an ID check.
The peace and tranquility of a paintball firefight was broken by what sounded like a car alarm going off. It was the recall for the Blue troops, the Blue base was surrounded and under attack. I personally walked thru the ring of Trade Federation troops and Sith Lords and did not know how the Queens Headquarters was going to hold out. And how did the Red army get in so close??
It seems that all of the Blue troops along with several Jedi were doing the same to the Trade Federation base, actually taking the base for the first of several times. The Queen somehow held on and the Red Army failed to over run the Blue base.
As the lines stabilized and most of the fighting seemed centered on the speedball field, the light saber duels were becoming more frequent. Many of the Jedi seemed to avoid Darth Maul, but Qui-Gon Jinn (Jim “Mok” Logan) and Yoda (Ellis “Choctaw” Easterly) seemed to draw opponents from the ranks of the Sith Lords.
As the day battles drew to a close, we prepared for the big light saber fight followed by a big push on the speedball field. With the players on both ends of the field ready, the Jedi and Sith Lords advanced to the middle of the field, and the Dark side of the force quickly won out. With the last Jedi gone, the dam broke and more than a hundred players on each side opened fire and raced for bunkers, the fight was on. It was to be a one hour fight, and in the end the Red pushed the Blue off of the field.
When we resumed, it was for the pod races. There were six bicycles and six PT Extreme pistols. There would be two heats, three laps around the speedball field, and after the first lap the players could shoot at each other. In the tower were three Tuskan Raiders who would shoot at the racers as they passed. Race one was off! One racer dropped his pistol, another was taken out by a lucky shot from a Tuskan Raider. In the end, Jousha “Midway” Wimberley won it for the Trade Federation. The second heat was much of the same, except for the blue on blue fight early on, eliminating two of the three blue racers. Alex Garbino won the second heat for the Trade Federation. There was no need for a third race, the Red had won it.
Night brought on a different game. The heat had taken its toll, there were fewer players. Both sides seemed to mirror each other, both clashed on the back side of the field. By the time I got to the scene of the battle, there was only a lonely referee there. About that time Viper started lighting ground flares and smokes on the speedball field, and the fight raged for possession of the field. Both sides disappeared as the action slowed down to a creep and hide game. In the dark many time the sides missed each other by just yards. The game stopped for the night at midnight.
The next morning both sides were tied at 320 points. The Army of Naboo pushed and took the Trade Federation base again. One of the Queens handmaiden, Yane (Frankie “Door Nazi” Autry went to Watto and made several purchases, fuel rods for a start. This morning Watto was doing a brisk business with both sides.
The Trade Federation made several big pushes thru the speedball field and Sith Lords were seeking light saber fights with no Jedi around. Several Jedi and Sith had made kills with light sabers, the equivalent of a barrel tag with an empty gun. In the end, the Blue had pulled ahead slightly on missions and the Jedi had won more of the light saber duels than the Sith. One last light saber fight, a scripted fight from the movie, followed by a mass light saber fight which the Dark Side won, again.
Then the Final Big Fight. It was similar to the day before with one exception, the Naboo was not pushed anywhere. It appeared to be a stalemate from what I could see, the play was fierce. I watched Anakin (Matt Doke) make several moves forward under fire and return paint for paint. The force is strong in this one!! Finally the air horn sounded and we headed for the rear and the final count.
The most Valuable teams and players were named, more stuff was given away, and finally the scores were given. The Trade Federation, 445, the Republic, 470. Queen Amidala managed to beat the Trade Federation and good defeated the dark side of the force.
In the 2nd part of this 2-part interview, we conclude with Diane and Patrick McKinnon, the principals of MXS.
By TB on Jul 17, 2008 | In Scenario News, Ancient History | 1 feedback »
The second part of the interview with Diane 'Mother' Howe and Patrick 'Packman' McKinnon. The answers given have to come as a surprise to quite a few people out there with revisionism in their thoughts, but be sure to give it a read.
By Lawrence “TB” Wright
SN: Now, we know that you two own MXS, but you are still active paintball players as well. So how do you feel playing other promoters’ events? Let’s say, the pros and cons of playing other producers’ events as an event producer?
Patrick: (smiling) You mean the producers that will let other producers play their events? And I’ll leave that at that.
SN: Do you think it’s good for other producers to play each other’s events?
Diane: Absolutely. And it’s not to ”spy” and see what the competition is doing, but they may be doing something you’re not that spurs an idea of something you could be doing. You see how the players react to the props they use, or the missions they run or just the operation differences in how they run their events. And even though you would never consider taking their idea, it may spark something else that you would have never thought of had you not been there in the first place. Spiro played and commanded I don’t know how many MXS games, and he’s pretty adamant that he wants to do things his own way, though there are certainly similarities. It’s all paintball. SN: Do you think it’s wrong to use other promotes’ ideas or way of doing things? I mean, there are no copyrights to the way a 24-hour event is run.
Patrick: I don’t think any of it can be said to belong to just one person. ‘Cause I am sure if you ask Jerry Braun - who did the first ‘scenario’ game and had a write up in his magazine - whose idea this was, his answer would surprise you. He did all this before Wayne Dollack even had his first event. Now Wayne did bring the role-playing aspect into the game, but here is something that everyone may not know: Wayne was doing a Vietnam game, and Kerry “Viper” Rosenberry called him and said, ‘hey we should have helicopter insertions and extractions just like they did in Vietnam.’ So Wayne came up with a piece of rope and a ref. But Viper came up with the idea and it got put in the game. And Diane also contributed a lot of different ideas to those games that helped make it a scenario. I’ll let her talk about that. But the thing to remember is that a lot of people contributed ideas to what is now known as scenario. It wasn’t all one person.
Diane: It’s a gathering of ideas. Like even now, the MXS staff sits around and comes up with ideas and such. Players contribute ideas of their own that become incorporated in games. They love to see their ideas come to fruition! It was that way back then as well, and however someone does it,
Diane: doesn’t make them the owner of that particular operation. There will always be adaptations to be made. I mean, we don’t use a rope and a ref (to simulate a helicopter); we use a pole and rope and allow the players to fly their own helicopters. But it’s that whole “is it a sneaker or a tennis shoe?” And what kind of trademark would be on it if it was a tennis shoe? Would it be a Nike or a Keds? I mean, we all have helicopters, and demo players, and props and specialty roles, but they are all done a little bit differently.
SN: And that is the big thing - there are differences in the producers and the way they run their games. There is a basic format, but a different approach or spin on something that could be the same character to all outward appearances.
Diane: Right, and it’s not that I consciously want to do something different or the same; I just want to see what happens to this character when it’s used like this. Or will it make our games run smoother because we do things this way? It’s just what works best for us, as it is for the other producers.
Patrick: Another thing about playing other producers’ games is you get to see what doesn’t work for you. If they try something new and it doesn’t go over very well, you can say ‘whoops, don’t need to do that one’ seeing it on the field as a player. That’s the thing for me and
Diane: we are paintball players who have gone into event productions. But we always approach things from a players’ perspective. Tempered with a lot of things, I mean as an event producer, I say full-face goggles, but as a player I say throw them things away and give me just a set of goggles. I started playing this game back in the days of just goggles. But that is the balancing act between being a player and an event producer.
SN: And I know that at MXS, you have no problems with other producers playing your games. I mean, Kerry “Viper” Rosenberry and Spiro “Black Cat” Mamaligas have both had important roles and been players at your events, right?
Diane: Definitely. We welcome other producers to our games. Both Spiro and Viper have generaled our games and had major roles in them. Spiro was a major role character in our first season of games over a series. I would love to see all the scenario producers play our games. Even Hugh McElvey over at Old River Paintball! He produces all their scenario games. But he plays MXS games in Florida as well, and we play his. He has a totally different perspective of how he approaches the game and it is a lot of fun and a welcome break for us to play them.
Patrick: And there are several times during his games, he’ll come up and ask ‘Hey Pacman, how’s the game going?’ and my response is always, ‘I don’t know how the game is going, but I am having a blast.’ I’m not there as a promoter; I’m there as a player and that is how I approach it when I get a chance to play another producer’s game.
Diane: Right, we’re not there to steal sponsors or talk up our games or any of that. We are just there to play and have the same kind of fun that other people do.
SN: Well, I am going to jump a little bit into some common mis-perceptions by people who don’t understand the events and scenario games and the things that make them happen the way they do. Now, some promoters use “canned” missions, but MXS uses dynamic missions based on the happenings of what’s taking place on the field. Which is a better way for the players.
Patrick: Dynamic, all the way. I like the way Diane does it. She gathers input from a lot of people from the field. Bobby Gogolin, our ultimate ref, stays in touch with her while he’s on the field. The commanders, the other refs, role players and other players - she takes all that into consideration and then tries to make sure the game stays within the boundaries of its concept.
Diane: It allows me to be more adaptable and versatile in how the games flow. We don’t have a set outcome, or a set story, saying it has to end “this way.” This allows the players to develop their own game. As it should be, I think. And there are many times it doesn’t end even how I perceived it would. In our first season, who would have thought the bad guys would have stomped all over the place and win the series of events? It was a lot of fun to watch the development of the story line. And it really was a challenge for me to come up with a chapter after every game, because it very rarely went the way I had intended for it to go, but I wasn’t going to interfere.
Patrick: Any time an event producer writes a story, he or she has an ending in mind. They think “wouldn’t that be cool if it ended this way?” As humans, we do that. But what I like, the way Diane does the games, and that is at 12 noon, it’s hands-off to all that. The players dictate how the game is going to go. As an event producer, we don’t control the story; the players control all of that. I spent over a week building a full, working catapult for a game at EMR. It came apart in several pieces and was very cool. Blue and I played with it for a few days, and we kept saying this is really gonna rock when it gets in the game. But the players decided they didn’t want to put it together, and so it never made it into the game. I mean I wasn’t happy about it, because I wanted to see this cool thing get used, but the players decided that they didn’t want it built to blow up their base, so it got put together again about 5 'o’clock Sunday afternoon. It was there for them if they wanted to use it. That’s what Diane and I do - we put the items out there to be used, and if the players use them, great and if they don’t, it doesn’t matter. As long as everybody had fun with them.
SN: Now there is this belief by people outside scenario - and even some people inside scenario games - that these ‘spooky’ people influence the game. The instances of where someone thinks that a role player cost their team the game. Even though they ran the missions, and won the battles, this one player didn’t do the one thing and it cost his side the game, or he did do this one thing and it won his team the game. What are your opinions on that as players and promoters?
Patrick: I have actually been in a situation where in front of 500 players, because I set off a satchel charge in the game, the event producer said that one event cost our side the game. And I thought, ’Man, I’m one person and I controlled the fate of 499 players?’ And of course there were 249 other players who weren’t very happy with me and I felt very badly that it happened. But it was what my character would have done in the game, given the opportunity.
Diane: Now how could that be? Even if the game was very close it would be very hard to narrow it down to one thing. There are a lot of things that go into the score, from missions and props to role-player meetings. All of them add up to the final score.
Patrick: It makes no sense for us to control the score in that way. One of the things I am anal about, is making sure each team has the same opportunities presented in an equitable time frame, where they have the same opportunity to get the same number of points. And if we were any different than that, we would be upsetting half of our player base every game. Basically, in about 4 or 5 games, we would be out of business. And that is why we don’t control that. It doesn’t matter to us who wins or loses the game. I do know that Diane makes every opportunity to make sure that the sides have equal opportunities to score the same. After that, it’s up to the people on the field.
SN: So where do you see scenario games going? Say, in the next 5 years, what is going to be the next big thing in scenario games? They have been going on for over 10 years and in just the last 3 we have seen them really explode on the scene. You have had 3 more producers step on the scene of nationwide games and local fields all over having 12 and 24 hour scenario games.
Diane: You know, it just occurred to me why all of a sudden there is this growth in the industry. I think one of the biggest things was the belief that no one else could do it. Now, there’s a feeling of “if they can do it, then I can too.”
Patrick: We are starting our third year of business now. I had the vision of it (the growth) and told other event promoters who thought that it would be bad for them or the industry for another company (like MXS), “It’s not us you have to be concerned about; it’s all the companies that will follow us.” When we started, Viper did games in Texas, Louisiana and Kansas; Wayne was doing Florida, Pennsylvania and Michigan. There were only 6 states getting games. We alone did games in 9 different states our first year. More folks are doing the same as we are doing. Fields are trying their own scenario thing as well.
SN: Right, there’s like 55 games this year and that doesn’t include the ones not listed on the web.
Diane: Sure, and it will just get bigger and better. And I say “go for it;” safety above all else. You might want to try a few of the bigger promoters’ games to see how they are, but as long as you are providing a safe environment for the players, I say “good luck.” But what I would really like to see - and if I had the means we would do it - would be the actual immersion into a scenario. You would play the game just like it was a movie. With all the bells and whistles that being in a movie would be able to provide. Now we are as close to it as it can be for us, but the next level is coming.
Patrick: What I am starting to see is the fields starting to develop more toward scenario games. They are still doing the rec ball thing, but they are designing objectives for the scenario game, and laying out the field so it is easier to play at that kind of event. They are running power and sound systems out to objectives and the bases. I think they will be the ones who help take this thing to the next level. Blue at EMR built a Stonehenge that can be broken down into a Sup’Airball field. Sherwood Forest has a full-fledged three-story castle built out of railroad ties. Think of the thousands of dollars poured into those fields. Look at Challenge Park in Chicago - millions of dollars invested in a field.
SN: And finally, if you could tell that player who has never played any scenario events that one thing to get them to play, what would you tell them?
Diane: Well, it all sums up into this: “Be all you can be, and be someone else for 24 hours.” Forget this existence, school and every thing, and go out and have fun. You can escape this reality and be whatever you want to be for the duration of the game. Plus, you’ll make friends, get prizes and all of that. And I guarantee you, you’ll sleep good Sunday night!
Special thanks to Diane and Patrick McKinnon for sitting down with us and taking the time to answer these questions. Be sure to check them out at www.mxsportz.com.</em>
In this 2-part story, we take a look at the force behind what is known in the Scenario World as Mackz Xtreme Sportz or MXS.
By TB on Jul 16, 2008 | In Scenario News, Ancient History | 2 feedbacks »
Another reprint from Scenario News. I am a firm believer in learning your history and as Scenario News isn't around anymore, I have tons of information. At one time I was going to put the whole magazine online, but life and such happened and that got put on the back burner. And regardless of what I think of the McKinnons and MXS now, they and it are a part of my history. A big freaking part! However, this gives some great information about scenario paintball, the history, and more. Even some talk about night play and why they made the changes to the format that they did (since it is relevant to the current discourse on mandatory stand-downs).
By Lawrence “TB” Wright
SN: Good afternoon, Diane and Patrick. Thanks for taking time to talk with us today.
Diane: Hi-ya TB! We are happy to be here.
SN: Well, let’s get started. Since we may have some readers who not only do not know who MXS is but what scenario games are, why don’t we start at the beginning? How did this thing called Scenario Paintball come about? Not so much the who, but how did someone come up with characters and plots and other things?
Diane: You cannot go into the how without going into the whom, and of course the who is Wayne Dollack, who started what we now know as Scenario Paintball in 1987 or 1988. He and another member of the team Marion’s Raiders – Lenny “Custer” Lancaster - put their heads together. Lenny was a big board game player; he did a lot of war games - with a big board in his house, and had been doing it for years. His idea was to incorporate that type of thing with paintball. He and Wayne came up with a game they called a Scenario that involved role playing, which Wayne handled. Lenny structured the game operations and Wayne wrote the characters and the story. The first game was a night game called “The Longest Night,” with the first Role Playing Scenario being “Operation: Stealth.” All of these games were done at Survival Zone in Ocala, FL. It was a way for the team to make some extra money for the field. Wayne Dollack, Lenny, myself, Kerry “Viper” Rosenberry and the rest of the team did the work on the field and helped put the events on. It was a team effort, but Wayne and Lenny were the ones who constructed the first scenario game.
SN: So what’s the major difference between a Scenario Game and a Rec-Ball Game?
Patrick: The biggest differences are the playing area, number of people and time, is what I would say. Most rec-ball games are played over an area of .5 acre to a 5-acre field that has a specific area object to it. Whether it’s Capture the Flag, King of the Hill, a Predator game or whatever style of game is played on it. For a limited time, you know, 15 minutes maybe a half hour game, so that the field owner can have a lot of games turnover during the course of a weekend. And they are generally whoever you have playing rec-ball that weekend. From 5-on-5 at smaller fields to 80-on-80. And that depends on the number of walk-ons or groups that have come to play paintball that day. Scenario games are more of an event, where you are getting 150 to 1,200 players over the weekend. It is played over generally 40 to 120 acres for longer period time. Most events start on Friday afternoon with a Pre-Game player party and end around 3 or 4 on Sunday afternoon with the scores and prize package giveaway.
Diane: And you also have multiple objectives that have to be completed throughout the event.
Patrick: Yeah, instead of the short games over one objective played in rec-ball, you’ll have missions that take place throughout the whole field, with multiple objectives. Then another added bonus is the special cool weapons – the helicopter insertions and extractions, the mortars, the LAW rockets, the demo, medic and engineer characters. Where you can blow up this objective on the field and it can’t be used again until an engineer rebuilds it. It creates a whole lot more depth to the game.
SN: What do you think is the main draw for players to play a Scenario Game?
Patrick: The number of players to shoot.
SN: You think that more than the amount of time in the game? You know going to a rec-ball game and spending 20 dollars for a day of play in 15 minute increments or paying 50 dollars for a whole weekend of paintball.
Patrick: I’d have to agree with you there. I think it’s a different reason for a lot of different people. For some people it’s ” I could go play rec-ball today and shoot maybe 30 or 40 people, but if I wait til next weekend, they’re having this cool scenario game with 300 people. That means there’s 150 other people I get to shoot.” There’s that draw to it. Then there are the players that like to get into the role playing. Then there’s player like myself: Very few rec ball games get played at night; most of it is during the day. I love playing paintball during the day, but at night, once the sun sets, that really does it for me. I love it; it’s a completely different thing. You can’t describe playing paintball without saying you’re chasing that “fix,” that adrenalin rush. For me, rec ball games were great; I loved it. Then I started playing scenario games and thought “man this is great.” And the first time I got to play in the dark all night, man, you’re just squeezing every drop of it you can get.
Diane: I think another major draw to the game is the fact that there is a story. It’s a story with a theme that attracts a lot of players to it. Instead of the capture-the-flag thing, you have a story that you are a part of. It’s still a team thing or it can be an individual thing. You don’t have to be a member of a team in order to be successful in a scenario game. You can shine individually, as opposed to being a member of a team or a group, like you would be in a rec-ball game.
SN: So it covers everything from a squad, or individual, all the way up to a full fledged scenario team?
Diane: Right. Anybody can play either, but in a scenario game, you have more options. You have the option to be a major character, or a specialty character. You have the option to go out on your own or do something with a group. It’s whatever your style of play is, and you can explore all types of styles in a scenario game.
SN: Well what do you think is the main detraction of scenario games? Why someone would look at it and say you know, I don’t think I want to give this a try?
Both: Cost.
SN: Really? You think cost being the thing that most keeps players from playing scenario games?
Partrick: Well, most field fees are 15 bucks and you get to play all day. And you buy your own paint. Even at fields that are field-paint-only, the cost of the paint is about the same as it is at a scenario game. At some places, it’s cheaper; at others it’s more, depending on where you are in the country. The thing that I have found out is that once most rec-ball players play a scenario game, they get hooked on them.
Diane: You have to know what you are getting to justify the cost. You are getting 20 hours of paintball, night play, a structured format, role playing, props, and meeting a lot of people that not only play the scenarios, they live them. I think it is that initial cost. I see on the message boards all the time that some people just don’t understand what scenarios are all about. An example is the insertion policy at a scenario game. They think, “oh, I am going to go out there and get shot and I’m done for the game.” That’s not how it works. There are re-insertions and you can play for as long as you like. You don’t have to play at night. You can camp out, hang out with people and meet new friends. It really is a family type of atmosphere.
SN: I see there 2 differences in scenario games: You have a 12-hour format and a 24-hour format. What do you think are the main differences between the 2 formats?
Patrick: I think you would have to back up a bit. I posted this definition on Warpig (www.warpig.com) a few years back. It’s not necessarily the time. When you say playing a scenario game, it is a scenario game. Whether it is a 12, 24 or even a 48 hour game. I think the definition you are looking for is that there is a vast difference between rec-ball, big games, themed games and scenario games. Rec-ball is 1-5 to 20-minute games played on a field on any given Saturday or Sunday. A big game, some of which are the Coram Game, The Long Island Big Game, the World Record Game and the Michigan Monster Game. Twenty-four hundred players showed up for the Skirmish World Record game in 1997, I think. No theme, no story, 2 monster teams of 1,200 players go out on the field and hose paint at each other played over a very big environment. That pretty much sums up big games. Then you have themed games. Two of those that are foremost are the D-Day game in Oklahoma and the Quest for the Grail at EMR in Pennsylvania. D-Day game, it’s Americans vs. Germans; they’re playing out the invasion of Normandy again. The first couple of time it happened it was the Americans were supposed to win, it was re-enactment. And of course Quest is based on the “Monty Python” movie of the same name. It had that theme to it. It doesn’t really have structured missions. People basically dress up in costume and play a big game. And then you have scenario games. They have a story line to them. Every player on the field gets a character card; they’re an individual character. You can completely step away from reality for 12, 24 or 48 hours that you are there. If you want to, you can step in and be this character for the duration. There are structured missions that run all over the field. And they are set up so that these 50 people will run into these 50 people and have a fire fight over here. Different things will be happening all over the field. And then you have the role playing that’s going on. All the cool, great props that are introduced into the game. Scenario games have no end to them. They are constantly expanding and people are introducing new ideas into them all the time. And they have been for the last 10 years.
Diane: And you would bring less gear to the 12 hour game. You wouldn’t be camping out unless you traveled a long way. Your budget would be smaller. I mean, we are extending our game play by 2 hours this year. So it will have to be something that we look at. Those two hours will extend some player’s budgets.
SN: Which leads me to my next question. Most of the Scenario Producers have extended their play hours by 2.
Patrick: Well, MXS and Viper Scenarios have extended their game hours by 2.
SN: Yes, but Black Cat games play until 1. Spiro starts his final battle at 12 and it ends at 1. But what do you think brought this on?
Patrick: Well Stephen Hipkiss, of Twilight Zone, made a good point. Not everyone plays the night portion of the game. They just don’t like it, but they are paying the same entry fee and they wanted more play time that they would enjoy. Well, in the 25 games we have produced and the over 50 scenario games I have played in, we have seen some consistent things. As night play goes on into the night, around 4 a.m., there are just a handful of players left on the field. Myself included. I have stayed on the field until the stand down at 6 and walked off with about 10 or 12 players. Now there was there a whole lot a shooting going on between this players. So what we are doing is starting a mandatory stand down at 4 a.m. And since we took those 2 hours from the players, we felt we had to add them somewhere. So, we added them to Sunday and extended the game until 2 p.m. A lot of the players Sunday morning didn’t get up until 9, and then a hour or two to gear up. And by the time they hit the field it was like, “man we just got an hour of play time.” Now, the Sunday portion is a whole different thing. It gives the team that’s down a real opportunity to catch up. There won’t be anymore getting up on Sunday and being ahead in missions and thinking, “I can just coast to the end and win. We just have to run a couple missions and it’s in the bag.” They have to get out and continue playing the game full force.
SN: So basically, what you have done is made the Sunday game an actual, viable game play, equal with the game play on Saturday?
Patrick: Yeah, in other words, you get 6 hours of day play, and then 8 hours of night play, and then finish it off with 6 hours of day play again. I mean 8 hours of night play should be more than enough for anybody. And if you figure out the cost of a scenario, 50 bucks entry, a case of paint, air, hot dogs or whatever, and you got about 150 bucks. That comes out to about 7.5 dollars an hour. Where else could you go and pay that amount for the game play you get in a scenario?
Diane: In the 2 years we have been doing this, we have had only 3 events go all night until the 6 a.m. stand down. And 2 of them were at the same field. Most of the games ended at 3 or 4 a.m. anyways. So we figured, you have referees that have to be on the field, and the commanders, even if there are only 4 or 5 players. So, it became a matter of common sense that we give the players what they want, which is more game time. I think it is just a better and safer way for everyone to enjoy scenario games even more.
Next month we will conclude this article with Diane and Patrick, talking about their playing styles, playing other promoter’s events, the state of scenario games today and the future of Scenario Paintball. You can check them out at www.mxsportz.com for game information and more.
Me and The Captain, Part 4
By TB on Jul 16, 2008 | In Ancient History | 2 feedbacks »
If you read this, I am sure some will see the wording and the statements and think that there is no way TB was every that nice. Sure I was then and I am still now, if you are lucky enough to get to know that side of me. I waited on this to see how many people wanted to read the rest of it, based on the emails, quite a few of you did. So here you go!
Editor: Here it is, everyone -- the grand finale of this four-part series. We hope you’ve enjoyed TB’s storytelling and that you felt as though you were actually there playing the game with him. If not, we just hope you enjoyed reading about it in this unique way. Feel free to email us with feedback on the way the story was told. It might become a new way to write about events.
So I walked back over to the CP. I hear Pacman telling Bill the plan of how we are
going to give the Federation the ‘coup de grace’ and put us over the top. “Um, Pacman, can I see you for a second?” I said quietly. Pacman sensed something was wrong, so he walked out of the CP. “What is it, TB?” he asked. “The prop, man, it’s gone. I know it was there. I hid it, but I just went back and it isn’t there any more.” “Oh my God, TB. You have got to go find that prop. We need it. I don’t care where it is; you have got to get it back. I’ve already told Bill we were providing the winning move.”
I walked off, feeling rather badly that I had lost a prop worth another 100 points, knowing there was the possibility that we could lose the game by that much if the missions started to go against us. I returned to the old run-down school bus where I had hidden the prop. I crawled underneath it, looking everywhere. I broke out my e-tool and dug in a few places. Then it hit me -- I knew where it was.
I rolled over and looked on top of the transmission and there was the prop! The blue case had blended in perfectly with the blue transmission. I had hidden the prop so well I even hid it from myself! I let out a whoop, and took off for the CP with the prop in hand. As I rounded the hill, Pacman looked up, saw the prop and asked, “Where was it?” I told him the story and he found it rather amusing, to say the least! He told me to get in the tank; it was time to do it. So I jumped in beside him. “Do I need a gun?” I asked. “Nope. Here, have this,” he replied, and handed me a Sidekick pistol. Great, I thought, and threw it in the glove box. The ref jumped in the ‘shuttlecraft’ and off we went. Since we were cloaked, it was fairly easy to move. We drove down the road, and as we pulled up to the insertion point, guns came our way.
“You can’t see this tank, it’s cloaked,” the ref yelled. The players were looking all around, bewildered at what he was talking about. “Ok, TB,” Pacman started, “where is the vehicle?” I walked him through the directions, and he drove right up to the burned-out car. “So I just throw it in, right?” he asked. I replied, “Yeah, that’s what the card says; in the back seat, either through a door or the window.” “Oh, man. This is gonna hurt!” he said, and he looked at the ref. “Ok, ref, as soon as I throw this prop in the car and you confirm that the mission is complete, I am calling myself out. TB, you better do the same.” And with that, he grabbed the prop and heaved it into the car. Nobody was really paying attention to us, as the Borg had started attacking the Klingon base. But as soon as Pacman started yelling, guns went up at us. “Hey, I’m out, too!”
I yelled. The ref signed off on the card, collected the prop, and told us to drive off the field, since we were eliminated. As we drove off, it felt good to know that it was over and that no matter how the final battle went, we had worked hard to win the day for Bill. We stopped by the ‘Bat Cave’ and let JJ know we had placed the final prop. “Good job” was his reply, along with “you guys have done a helluva job out there, and I think you’ve pretty much cinched the victory.” With that, we roared back to the insertion point to tell Bill and the command staff the good news. As we pulled up, it was insertion time. We were telling Joe Stayback the news, when out of his pocket he pulled a mission card. Seems that Joe, after he had been shot on a high-point mission to hold the temple, had dropped the card, hoping someone else would continue the mission. They didn’t, but there was no time limit on the mission, either.
So Joe had picked it back up and just finished completing that mission. It was signed by the ref and worth another 50 points. Not one to let points just sit around, Pacman let out a whoop, and off he went with that mission card to give to JJ. When he got back, he was a very happy camper, and he told Bill to go out and have fun at the final battle.
The game was won, and then we found out the news. Bill had made an alliance with the Klingons about an hour before. And we remember what alliances do, right? We had to share the points! All those hard-earned points went to the very same people we had tried to outsmart, since no one had told either us or them that we were allied. The Alliance was off the field, because on-field it was each side for itself. We geared up and moved to the back end of Armageddon for the final battle, which promised to be the mother of all final battles. We all had our paint and air, and the tiger tank was playing music from the Star Trek tv series over its loudspeakers. It was a serene scene as we prepared to take Bedlam and push out the Borg and the Klingons. The time for Alliances was over; there would be no quarter asked and no quarter given. At the bird banger, the sides rushed forward. The command staff stayed off to the left of the throng, but Bill was in the front of the charge. Over the hill they went and we could hear what happened when they got there. I winced at the thought of all the paint that was going their way.
Then it was our turn, but we all pulled smoke and over the hill they went first. We moved over the hill with a hail of fire, into the first buildings. Unfortunately, the Borg were waiting in the woods, so we got stitched really good from the side. Because they were sitting on two sides of the triangle, we couldn’t move. And since all the sides got points for showing up for the battle, the Borg were content with causing as much body count as they could, but at least it was at both sides. Kinda. The charges kept going, wave after wave of red-shirted players getting ripped as they charged over the hill. But they kept going, because Bill was up there leading them. The fireworks went off, signifying the end of the game, and just like that, it was over. The cheering was overwhelming and the excitement of the moment was a feeling that can’t be described. But now people were walking to the staging area and dropping their gear in their cars. The awards ceremony kicks off with a flair not seen before in most games. The charity auction starts by auctioning off everything from the original artwork, to a replica of the actual E-mag used by William Shatner. It was even autographed by Bill to further the value. Magazines and markers and a whole host of other things brought a princely sum for the charity that the event was intended for: Ahead With Horses. This charity is one that is very dear to Bill’s heart and we found out just how much later, after the game. The score was announced, but most people knew the scores because the board had been up the whole time and the scores were added up as they happened. The Federation pulled out the victory, with the Klingons in 2nd and the Borg in 3rd place position. Everyone was spent from the game. Although a few thought the game was scripted, I can assure you it was not, at least not on our end. We fought with ferocity and courage, as did all the players there. It was a pleasure to compete against everyone who made the journey to CPX and donated their money to a worthwhile charity.
Now it was time for goodbyes, so we left for the hotel to get cleaned up to go out for the much-earned celebratory dinner. It really hit me how much Bill put into the game after Pacman came into the room and told me the story of the elevator. Bill had been putting on the visage that the game was nothing but a “thing,” but when Pacman and Bill got into the elevator and the door shut, Pacman looked at Bill and saw how tired he really was. “You look how I feel,” Pacman told him, and Bill smiled. He was experiencing the feeling we have all had -- that adrenaline high is great while you’ve got it, but when it leaves, you are more drained then ever.
We went over to the casino across from the hotel where we were staying, and prepared for the dinner. We heard they were having a William Shatner movie extravaganza. When we walked in, to our surprise, there sat Bill. He was recounting the day’s adventure. I couldn’t figure it out. Where had the tired guy gone? He was sitting down, which, according to him, he never did, but he was so animated no one could ever tell that he was as worn out as we were. We sat down and listened as he talked about the charity and how the game came to be. He called Pacman up to introduce him to everyone, and then Pacman called Joe and me up. It was a pretty cool moment, one I know I will never forget. Watching my friends get the accolades by the ultimate Captain was just the best. Then it was over, and off we went to eat. When I pushed back from the table, just like every other game, the stories began and they went on until about midnight, when we decided to call it a night. As I drifted off to sleep, I couldn’t believe that I had actually played paintball with William Shatner. But it did happen and it was for real.
How To Blow It Up, Part 1
By TB on Sep 23, 2007 | In Ancient History | 1 feedback »
If there is one role that is never overlooked, it would be the role of the demolitions character. This character varying from producer to producer handles everything from high explosives to the LAW rockets that take out tanks and hard points. In this article we will first discuss the demo role, the type of player that makes it a effective role, and tactics to make you that player. So sit back and read on as we talk about , How To Blow It Up.
The demolitions role is a very demanding role for the un-initiated. Some people just think of it as just a role, while others see it as a calling that some may even call being fanatical. But in the end, to be a great demo player, you have to think outside the box. So lets start off with what the demo role is. In the scenario scene, the demolitions role handles all of the goodies that go boom. From satchel charges, and ordinance to LAW rockets they handle it all. The list is very large of the props that can be put into play and used by demo players. All players who bring their own LAW’s have to have the role assigned to them by the game director.
How it normally works is each side is assigned so many demo players and then the commander can get more from the director. If you want to play a demo role, it’s better when you pre-register to let the director know then trying to get it when you get to the field. After getting your role, you’ll check in with your commander and get your specialty tape. This also varies from producer to producer. For MXS and Viper games it is brown arm band tape. Unlike team tape, this tape must be worn anytime you want to utilize what the role is. They will also issue the ordinance that will be used for the game. This is the actual satchel charges, ordinance, or LAW rockets.
The satchel charge is by far the easiest and most effective way to make things go boom. Having two parts, means that it is also one most confusing props to the new player. The satchel bag is just that, a bag. A old gas mask bag for some, a burlap sack for others. Either way, it is a bag that holds the actual charge. In this case the charge is a card pre-printed by the game director. There are 2 in use normally but there may be more as the need arises. The satchel charge card is the normal card that gives the bag the ability destroy anything within 25’. .
This includes building and personnel. The demolitions player should have surveyors tape with them to tape off the structure. This signifies to the players and refs that the structure is blown. The next card is the anti-personnel card. This gives the satchel extra distance but at a cost. 40’ is the range but it doesn’t eliminate players in enclosed bunkers. This is by far the best type of card to have with you, as it eliminates a whole bunch of people at a small cost. But if you get a mission in to blow a objective, this just isn’t going to work.
The use of the satchel is easy. First, you place the card in the bag of the type you want to use. And before you ask, no you can’t use both types for a double explosion, it’s one or the other. Then you make sure you have your surveyors tape. Make sure your OS (Operational Specialty) card is numbered and in your possession and that you have your OS tape on. Now you are ready. When you are ready to detonate the satchel you have several options. You can throw it, set it in place, drop it, bury it, hand it off, place it in a box, or whatever you need to do to get it where you want it. You can set the charge on a time delay of up to 15 minutes.
But you have to let the ref in the area know where it is, as well as the ref when you detonate it. All you have to do to detonate the charge is say BOOM! The charge is blown and the things around it turn to pink mist, well not really but it never hurts to have a active imagination.
The refs will retrieve the bag, mark off the distance eliminate any players around the source of the explosive and you break out your tape and tape it off. This will let everyone know that you’ve been there. Feel free to leave calling cards around to take credit for your fun. I like little teddy bears myself.
Ordinance is handled much the same way as the satchel charge. In this instance, it’s a actual prop meant to look like it’s namesake. Pipe bombs look pretty realistic, as does the dynamite. My favorite of course is the white clay with a kitchen timer on that looks so much like C-4. In any case, they are normally 25’ total destruction and they must be placed. Some producers allow for a remote detonation to be done via a ref, but it is usually a secondary prop that must be attached to the device.
With all of the ordinance or satchel charges, there is one downside. Any other demo player can disarm your creation. Just remember that when you place something, before you blow it confirm where it is. You might just have had it delivered back to you.
Howlers©, Vortex©, and ION Storm Discs© are a very unusual additive to the demo player’s arsenal. They are of course normal Nerf© footballs that have tails added to them to provide extra distance. They have been used for flying rocokets, flaming arrows and a host of other names. But they provide a great way to safely allow players to use the rounds to get around 55 or 60 feet maximum for a very good throw. These provide a very cool factor to a normally complex item. They are treated like a LAW round in that they must detonate by hitting an object and it takes out the object and anything in it. Any players in 5 feet of the open bunker are also taken out.
The final thing that the demo players get to play with is of course the LAW rockets. Whether they are your own creation or the ones provided by the scenario producer they are a integral part to the role of the demo player. They come in 2 flavors now and both lend to a whole lot of fun on the field. The first is the MRPL or Multiple Paintball Round Launcher. This is the same LAW rocket that shoots other ammo, but in this instance it is a special paint provided by the scenario director. This is done to allow the ref’s to distinguish when the round impacts on the target. 
The commander will have paint and CO2 cartridges for the LAWs, when they are depleted so are the LAWs. So make sure of your shot before you take it. In the case of MXS who use the LAWs provided by Area 51, you place the end sponge in the barrel. You place a handful, but no more then 10 in after this. You take the next sponge and then use the ram rod to drive it home. You charge up the LAW with a 12 gram and you are ready to fire. In this instance anything more then 15 feet away the paint just isnt gonna break unless you get really lucky. This load out is primarily designed for the taking of helicopters more then anything. This is done, since most helicopters in the scenario world are people hanging on to a rope with a stick. I have been shot at close range with these MRPL’s and they don’t hurt. They are scary to look at, but in reality, they don’t fly very fast.
The next round that has been used to some degree of success is the Pocket Howler round. This is a scaled down version of the Howler Nerf Rocket that we talked about earlier. It is about 2 inches in diameter and fits quite nicely in the LAW. You give it a slight twist to get the spin effect as it comes out the barrel. The maximum effective range of this device on a vehicle is about 100 feet. On a point target about 145 feet can be acheived. Most chrono at under 230 and leave very little, if any mark when hit. Of course you can hit a target dead on at 60 feet with the extra distance based on the arch of the LAW. These are provided in limited numbers to the commanders, so check with them about the use of these rockets.
For safety they should not be used in the tacking out of helicopter but are free to be used for bunker and objectives. The range of destruction for them is 5 feet behind open bunkers or anything in a bunker if it is enclosed. Another style of LAW that is used by some directors is the actual Nerf© rocket launcher. This device is good for about 25 feet after pumping about 10 times. It is primarily used for new players as safety is a big issue with them, but occasionally these make them to other scenario games as well.
Check back in a few days for the conclusion of this article. To include what makes a good demo player and tactics to use to become that great demo player we all want to be.
