Comments on Novus' Review

Novus Sunday, November 19th, 2006 Period of Field Use: Just once Date There: November 18th, 2006 Paintball Experience: 2 years Review: -Scenario Game- I was fortunate to visit this park on their first scenario game. It was a very fun experience however, in my opinion, even with the creativity and originality that their games were obviously filled with there is still plenty of room to grow. For the first few hours, one team obviously had an advantage in player skill. In fact, until the time I left, the weaker team did not even seem to have a chance to recover from a flawed spawning system. Players were getting shot at before reaching their official "re-insertion" point. -Rules- The rules of the game as well as rules for the field were very brief and didn't seem to go beyond common sense. I felt also that the referees were explaining the rules in a way that an experienced player would understand. This didn't bother me personally but it was very clear later in the game that some of the newer players were not following the rules. In fact, during a game, I and another player tried to ambush our opponents but had to tell them to put their masks back on thus ruining a possible game turning maneuver. It was also discerning that the General and the Ref who were 5 feet from the offenders didn't seem to care until we spotted them. -Safety- Lack of Refs in a 20 vs. 20 person game was a big hassle. Paint checks were rare. Excessive shooting in the staging area. Barrel plugs and condoms were somewhat enforced meaning that on more than one occasion i felt like i should wear my mask everywhere except at my car to avoid accidentally staring down a barrel when i turn around. Netting was not secure thus every once in a while a paintball would fly into the staging area where masks were not being used. -Fields- The field total area for playing a scenario game was perfect. A wide variety of speed ball courses including air bunkers and a tire course. The wide range of fields offer everything you could ask for. However, even though the fields show great potential, there was a very un-tidyness too it. Rusted metal lying on the ground covered in thick, dead leaves, Broken pieces of wood from bunkers made it a chore to not slide into a potentially dangerous obstacle. Granted my visit was in the late fall, the fields were cluttered with leaves and broken branches. *Do NOT play this field without protective footwear i.e. Lace up boots that come up above the ankle!!! -Services- I was able to meet Paul, the owner. I must say, this guy shows a great dedication to the satisfaction to his costumers. My marker would not stop shooting above 300 fps and Paul was very understanding and offered me a tippmann to play with while he would look over my gun, Both free of charge. When it was time for me to leave, even though my gun wasn't fixed, he offered me advice on how to fix it. Candy and drinks are provided and the day i went for the scenario game, his family had prepared a delicious meal for all of the players. -Overall- Even with a few flaws here and there with safety and field work, It is obvious that Paul certainly has his heart in the right place. From everyone I talked to it seemed that no matter what team you were on or how often you visited this park or any park, EVERYONE had a fun time. I would rate this field a 8/10 for needs improvement but is certainly better than almost all other paintball parks this side of Indiana