Mil-sim

This is a long post. I will apologize in advance. It's in response to an e-mail I received. It's been a long time since I put out a nice long post. Read it. Or not.

"To: tsp8ntball@aol.com
Sent: Fri, 27 Jun 2008 6:58 am
Subject: Hey Mick, why exactly?

I'm wondering why you have such a negative view on Scenario and Woodsball. They seem like perfectly reasonable aspects of the sport. I personally started playing paintball for the woodsball version of play. To me it seems like its growing especially considering all the new "mil-sim" markers hitting the industry. It seems like you're selling paintball short by not embracing this side of the sport. Why are you so outspoken against the mil-sim side of paintball?"

Let me see if I can answer this. First, I love scenario and woodsball. I prefer scenario and woodsball. I grew up on scenario and woodsball. You got it right toward the end when you asked why am I so "outspoken against mil-sim.

I don't like mil-sim for many reasons. You have to remember paintball started 20 years ago for me. Back then Vietnam was not such a distant memory and the blood of JFK, RFK and MLK still stained the places where their assassins dropped them. The military and guns and violence in general was shunned. Women were knocking aggressive males off the corporate ladder while men were told to "get in touch with their feelings." It was a different time.

Anyway, back then, in order to help paintball grow into a good, safe, fun game of tag we in the industry did everything we could to protect our image. A field owner in NJ had to take the state to court in order to prove paintball guns were not guns. South Cambodia Village became SC Village, Battle Dress Uniforms were replaced with colorful motocross style designs and paintball guns (now called markers) were anodized like rainbows. The game of paintball came out of the woods and was played in arenas.

Things were good. Only now and then would we hear stories about this county or that neighborhood or some state park banning paintball but for the most part we were ignored.

And now paintball is moving back into the woods. Hoorah, I say. And maybe times have changed. The military isn’t looked down on as much. Hell, even the US Supreme Court just ruled by 5-4 (ONLY 5-4) that we do indeed have a right to own handguns. But have times changed so much that we should be dressing our children in attack vests and arming them with paintball guns that look like AK-47’s or M-16’s? It’s only a matter of time before our image will come under attack again.

I don’t like mil-sim just like I don’t like broccoli. Can’t really say why. I just don’t.

I don’t like mil-sim for the same reasons I don’t like fantasy games or role playing. I have enough trouble keeping my own world in check. I don’t have time for two worlds. While it’s true I host two Big Games each year I down play the themes and discourage costumes or exaggerated characters.

And then there is a matter of pride. I was in the military. Unless you were, and even if you were and are now a civilian, you have no more call for running around looking like a commando then you do dressing up as a cop or a fireman or an airline pilot. It’s the same reason I stay away from D-Day. Good men died that day. Some say we are honoring them when we replay the event with paintball guns. I’m not so sure.

Should my opinions stop you from playing mil-sim? Not at all. I’m not for eradicating mil-sim from the planet. I just don’t elect to support it. It use to be called "alternative paintball." With that said I do have an X7 hanging on the pro-shop wall and a pretty gnarly 98 with a Tac Kit. In fact I’d like to find some guys that would be interested in running more involved games in the back 20 acres of the field. Maybe there is hope for me yet!?!!

I’m not sure any of that answers your question. It’s all paintball. And paintball is good!

What do you think of Mil-Sim?
	I like it.
	It's OK.
	Don't like it.
	Ban it!
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