A paintball is a capsule of vegetable oil-based dye, which
comes in different colours and variations. It is used in a military-type combat game consisting of teams. The players of the team have to eliminate the
opposing players by shooting these paintballs at them. When a paintball hits a player,
he gets eliminated.
Paintballs are made in a unique way. They are basically gelatine
capsules, which contain coloured liquid. This paint or colour liquid is safe as
it is non-toxic, water-soluble and biodegradable.
Paintballs weigh only a few grams and measure only 1.7 cm in
diameter. When they hit a person, they burst and leave a splatter of paint on
the person. The size of this splatter is about 13 cm.
Players use gas-powered guns to shoot paintballs at each
other. The use of paintballs provides the players with real-time atmosphere and
situations.
The history of Paintball
The history of paintball can be traced back into the early
1970’s. During this period paintball guns were mainly used as a tool for
marking livestock and trees. Then in 1981, some 12 friends introduced paintball
as a recreational game. They used industrial paintball guns. These twelve
friends played this game for the first time on a field of over 100 acres. The
game paintball was originally named as “the national survival game”.
Paintball-the evolution
It started with normal paintball guns and paintball, and the
game was simple –hit each other and win. Since that time paintball has become
popular all over the world. It has become a globally recognized recreational
activity. The game has evolved and has become more sophisticated. Today people
from all around the world form their teams set up international tournaments and
leagues. There are continuous innovations happening in the construction of new
games and fields of paintball.
With the growing number of paintball fans, the paintball
industry is also blooming. They are developing commercial paintball fields. In
1982, the first commercial outdoor paintball field was developed. Since then
developments of new fields have kept paintball enthusiasts coming back for more
fun and excitement.
Today there are prizes set up by organizations for the
winning teams. The players keep on updating their paintball guns, with the
advent of newer technologies.
The basic thing which sets this game apart from other games
is the type of equipment involved. Not too many games involve such adept use of
guns.
The famous paintball games
Since the advent of paintball as a game, people and
industries have both developed a new style of game combating. But there are some
famous paintball games that are played and enjoyed by paintball enthusiasts.
Capture the flag
It is a classic paintball game. This game includes two
opposing teams. The teams have to acquire the opponent’s flag and hang their
flag on a designated location. During this process, the players of either
team have to protect their own flag.
When this game is played in tournaments, it requires skills
and intelligence. If a team eliminates all the players of the opposition,
having none of their players eliminated and hangs the flag within the allotted
time, they are said to have ‘maxed’ the opposition. The term ‘maxed’ implies
that they have scored the maximum possible points that could be achieved in the
game.
Centre flag
This paintball game is similar to capture the flag. There is
only one difference. The flag to be captured is hung in the centre of the
field. The teams have captured that flag and hang it on a designated location.
This designated location is somewhere on the opposition base.
Elimination
This paintball game requires the elimination of all the
members of the opposition. The objective of the teams is to hit the players of
the opposing team and get them all eliminated. Whichever team eliminates all
the players of the opposing team wins the game.
Paintball has emerged as a game of wits and strategies. It is
becoming popular all over the world and is gaining an ever-growing fan base.
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