Before I clue you in on how to find the type of game that
best suits your paintball disposition, allow me please to wax etymological for
a moment on the changing nature of the word scenario. What I once thought of as a clear-cut word has become, like
everything else, a muddied phrase with lots of gray areas. I’ve come to realize that when people
use the word “scenario,” they could mean an actual 24 hour role-playing
paintball game, or a big game, or simply paintball played in the woods. I heard a few players at my local field
who were decked out in their mil-sim gear say, “Hey, let’s go back to the woods
course and play scenario.” I
thought these guys have a production trailer, props, and prizes? No, but
to them the word scenario has become synonymous with playing tactical (whatever
that means) paintball away from the speedball arena.
Since
scenario has become a spectrum, to
decide what type of paintball experience you’d like to have, it’s best to first
understand what’s out there. Big
games occupy one end of that continuity.
These events usually have certain predetermined goals that run continuously
throughout the course of the game.
For instance, a common objective is for teams to try to control as many
key points on the field as possible.
A ref will walk around and check which team’s flag is flying at each of
those stations and award points accordingly. The advantage of big games is that they’re easy to follow
and a heck of a lot of fun, especially when you have hundreds of players on a team, but don’t think that
just because the event is labeled a “big” game that there will be masses on the
field. I’ve traveled to one of
these that turned out to be 15 on 15 – considerably smaller than many walk-on
rec games. This little big game
did have running objectives and reinsertions, so technically it met the
definition. If you’re a savvy
internet surfer (and who isn’t these days?), then check out the activity on the
field’s forums, which can act as a gauge for how many players are likely to
attend. Send a private message to
the locals to ask questions about the usual game size. Since not every field owner is a
straight-shooter (paintball humor there), I’d contact the players to get the
facts. Then you can weigh
distance, entry fee, and paint costs to determine if you’ve made the right
choice.
The
second category of games is all that stuff in the middle – that gray area I
mentioned. I’ve increasingly found
that these have become the most common types of games with the scenario label,
ones that contain some aspects of the true scenario game but don’t quite get
there. Big games with a back story
fall into this category. To draw
more players, fields producing big
games will give them back stories like, In times of old, knights championed
justice and put their lives on the line for the common good, but then the
demons came… Prologues spice a big game
with some scenario flavor, and if you’re new to the scene, these games might be
a place to start, but don’t expect more than a dolled-up big game. A few fields go further by building
props and creating missions based around the game’s premise. Instead of constantly turning flags at
the three forts, the Alien team might get the mission to take their eggs from
the breeding pits to the host bodies without cracking them, while the Space
Rangers bravely try to stop the alien infestation by destroying their
eggs. The next mission could be
something else entirely, but it’ll be based on the back story. Games in this category are often
produced by field owners, and they are usually single day events. Some fields
will encourage costuming and build realistic props to immerse players in the
story, nearly pushing their games into the realm of the real scenario, but they
lack one crucial element.
The
true scenario game has all of the above: the props, missions, story, and
costumes, but as I see it, the important aspect that distinguishes it from
events in category two is the role of the player. Scenario players receive role-cards containing background
information and hints about the character’s personality and motivations. Often they hold clues that could help
solve some of the game’s conflicts, but only if the holder of that card
chooses to act on them. This is the major distinction. In a real scenario game, the players
write the story as they play the game.
A capable scenario producer monitors what’s happening on the field, what
interactions are taking place, what wacky schemes the players invent, and he
reacts to them, altering the missions, props, and the entire flow of the story
to fit what the players create.
Players form alliances, supplant their officers, go off on personal
quests, and shape the game experience for everyone involved through their own
decisions. In one game I witnessed
opposing generals meet on the field during a major battle, declare a temporary
truce, and work together to defuse a bomb that, according to the storyline,
threatened both teams. Once the
bomb no longer posed a danger, they stabbed each other in the back of course,
but that sort of intrigue can only happen in a game controlled by players. One of the beauties of scenario play is
that you don’t have to immerse yourself in the storyline if you don’t want
to. Sometimes it’s fun just to run
around and shoot people in a target-rich environment, or to take part in
interesting missions, but to get the full experience, play the game to tell
your story.
If you want to find a game near
you, start by checking the local fields.
If you don’t know where your local fields are, I suggest using PaintBall.com’s
field finder. If you’re after the true scenario experience, the only way to go
is to play with a national producer.
That means you’re looking at Black Cat Paintball, Wayne Dollack, Viper,
MXS, MPP, 24 Hour Games, TAW, or NOCER.
Some producers, like Black Cat, take their games coast to coast, while
others, like 24 Hour Games, are more region-specific. Look at the websites, find a game within your range, and
take the scenario plunge. Let
yourself become a part of the story, and see what happens when you shape the
game with your own decisions.
