Re: New Member - Michigan

[Frank Pittelli <frank-at-rctankcombat.com>]

Steve Edwards wrote:
> 
> I wondered about this after watching  a 1/16 battle (the little guys 
> that shoot IR beams). There was a lot of "unrealistic" tactical 
> maneuvering going on; struck me as "gaming," and reminded me of the 
> differences between laser-tag and paintball.  I haven't seen the "big 
> boys" go at it yet though, so I couldn't say if those tactics translate.

The first time you see a battle, I think you'll agree that there is 
nothing "unrealistic" about our battles.  The tanks move across the 
field just like their full-scale bretheren, with turrets facing towards 
the enemy at all times to protect yourself.  We fire on the run, angle 
guns to gain more distance, dig in behind barriers whenever possible, 
retreat facing the enemy when necessary and crash through trees and 
underbrush to surprise the enemy.

More importantly, when a paintball hits a tank, you not only see the 
hit, but you hear it and feel it.  The shooter and shootee both get a 
shot of adrenaline and all your senses work overtime to figure out how 
to make/avoid the next hit.  (You get even more of a burst of adrenaline 
when the paintball goes whizzing past your ear ;-)

The 1/16 scale LED game is interesting (especially on a nice field like 
the one in Danville), but it can't compare to the action and physical 
demands of a 1/6 scale paintball battle.

> 
> IMO it makes some amount of sense to have a limited speed scale (heavy / 
> medium / light) but only if the scoring of frontal hits were adjusted as 
> well -- ie a Sherman sould be faster than a Tiger, but the Tiger's 88mm 
> should likewise be able to score a frontal hit at double the range of 
> the Sherman's 76mm. Tallying of hits could be made easier by using 
> different color paintballs for heavy / medium / light guns.
> 

It's interesting to note that you only included WW-II tanks in your 
example.  Try formulating such an approach for 100 years of vehicles 
ranging from pre-WW-I to Desert Storm.  Clearly, any rule based on scale 
specs would result in nothing but M1A1s on the field, since it is 
faster, stronger and more powerful than any other tank ever built.  Most 
scale clubs limit themselves to a relatively short time period in 
history to reduce such problems, and we'd rather have lots of different 
vehicles on the battlefield so that everyone can build their favorite.

Also, scoring hits only at certain ranges according to scale gun specs 
simply won't work on a competitive battlefield.  It's difficult enough 
to get a group of grown men to agree that a paintball actually hit a 
vehicle in some circumstances (it bounced, it splattered on the ground, 
that was already there, etc.)  We follow the lead of the human paintball 
game ... it there's paint, you're hit ... doesn't matter how it got 
there or from whom.

Simple rules make fun games.

        Frank P.