| Perhaps you only just recently made the decision to | | | | scenario field would be set up to represent the actual |
| try this widely popular extreme sport called "Paintball". | | | | field of battles as realistic as possible and could cover |
| At this point you may be wondering about paintball | | | | a very wide area of play. Such battles often run for |
| places or paintball courses. Just where in the heck do | | | | entire weekends or longer depending on the battle that |
| people play this game? There are various types of | | | | is being recreated and are generally held in specific |
| paintball locations or settings that offer a challenge and | | | | paintball locations around the hosting country. |
| excitement to players. This variety in paintball courses | | | | Airball/Speedball Paintball Courses |
| add to the overall enjoyment of the sport. | | | | Speedball or Airball is the new breed of paintball that is |
| Woods Paintball Courses | | | | very popular with both players and spectators. |
| Traditionally the most common paintball places were | | | | According to paintball fanatics the most exciting and |
| outdoors, generally in forests or woodlands, where | | | | challenging of all paintball courses are the airball fields. |
| there was lots of natural cover for hiding. "Woodsball" | | | | They are made up of equally spaced and equally |
| as it is referred to by a lot of paintball players, is | | | | sized barriers. The challenge here is that a player can |
| thought by many veteran players to be the "purest" | | | | not see past the huge barriers and can bump into or |
| type of setting where paintball is played. On this type | | | | encounter anyone at any time. With the smaller |
| of field, players get the feel of the real war game and | | | | barriers a player can be concealed one way, yet |
| "yes" you can wear army "camo" and look very | | | | revealed to another player who has a different line of |
| serious! Basically, the field is a secluded area in the | | | | sight on the barrier. Due to the small playing area and |
| woods which has an open area. Players must learn | | | | limited cover, airball or speedball games are generally |
| how to stealth or how to quietly and quickly move in a | | | | very short in duration, often ending within minutes. |
| very sneaky manner to avoid getting shot by | | | | Indoor Paintball Courses or Paintball Arenas |
| members of the opposing team. | | | | These paintball locations offer a much different |
| Concept Paintball Courses | | | | approach and encounter from an outdoor field. The |
| The concept field is a paintball course often created | | | | first and major thing that new players encounter is that |
| outdoors, with many objects that have been set up for | | | | here paintball guns are very loud: some find that the |
| players to take refuge in or seek protection from. | | | | sound hurts their ears so they wear earplugs; but this |
| Usually concept fields have a theme, the most | | | | is not necessary most of the time. |
| common of which is the urban city setting with cars, | | | | Indoor fields are generally found in cities where there is |
| buildings and many other city elements. So these types | | | | a lack of open areas to play the game. Similar to |
| of fields generally include both natural and man-made | | | | outdoor paintball courses, indoor paintball arenas also |
| objects to enhance game play. | | | | offer a variety of themes and set ups. The range is |
| Now there are some commercially operated concept | | | | considered to be the major difference. Most often if |
| fields that are very creative with their themes, such as | | | | you happen to watch a televised paintball game, it will |
| medieval themes with castles which have towers, | | | | be held at an indoor paintball arena and is most often |
| wagons and cutouts of people. Probably the most | | | | used to showcase professional paintball matches and |
| famous of these is called "Tippmann Castle" that can | | | | tournaments. Instead of natural cover, most indoor |
| play host to hundreds of participants per game. | | | | paintball courses (and some outdoor ones as well) are |
| Concept fields are interesting and fun to play on. | | | | now using inflatable bunkers to provide protection to |
| Scenario Paintball Courses | | | | players during the game. |
| Scenario paintball is becoming very popular. These | | | | A group of players with great team effort is the key |
| paintball places actually re-create an historical event | | | | to the game of paintball regardless of where you play |
| for the participants to take part in. Obviously these | | | | - the basic paintball idea remains the same. The option |
| involve some famous battle such as the D-Day | | | | is up to you to select paintball courses which fit your |
| Landings, Battle for Stalingrad, etc. and the paintball | | | | interests and your performance level the best. Paintball |
| players are immersed in a very similar situation as | | | | places and paintball locations can be as diverse as you |
| faced during the actual battle; having to capture | | | | want them to be, ranging from just a nearby vacant lot |
| objectives and seize enemy territory. Instead of a | | | | or rural wooded areas to the major urban areas which |
| handful of participants, scenario paintball may involve | | | | host very expensive indoor paintball arenas used by |
| hundreds of players divided into two or more "armies" | | | | the professional paintball leagues. |
| that were key combatants in the actual battle. So a | | | | |