"Friendly" fire

[thebaum]

It seems "friendly" fire, that is when someone on your own team shoots you, is a real problem almost everywhere.

We have been there. I am tired of it. I am also tired of losers who deny they shot their own team member. I have had to physically pound 2 guys at 2 separate places for continously getting scared, rushing to judgement, and shooting me when I was on their team. Friendly fire is never acceptable.

Why is it so hard for people to realize that a person is on their team? How hard is it really to be patient and to identify your target before shooting? If you are unsure, don't shoot. It is not hard. Also, you should have a clue as to where you members are at...that is why it is called a team.

Arm band just plain don't cut it. They are hard to see from a long distance no matter what color. Plus, they are usually only on one side of the body. Even place on the hopper, they are hard to see, especially if it is dark out. They are basically worthless as a team identifier.

Is there a better solution than arm bands that would not be too obstructive?

[MuckRaker]

I feel for ya Baum, but you should never "pound" someone just because of that. At our field, you'd be ejected and blacklisted from playing there.

Funny Story: I was pinned down behind a barrel bunker, fire from two guys directly ahead that I could see and another from about 45 degrees to the left who I couldn't see. I finally managed to get rid of at least one guy in front and peek out of the bunker to the left, saw this pair of camos standing about where I thought the other guy was firing from, shot twice, hit the guy in DA BUTT ... Heard some yelling, it was one of my team members.

The Irony: About 10 minutes before we played that game, the team member who's butt I shot was regaling us with a story of getting shot in the Butt, right betwixt the cheeks.

[Not Too Shabby]

You could do a "shirts and skins" kinda thing.

[antiramie]

I doubt people would be willing to lose their shirts, jerseys, and sweatshirts to take a thousand welts without any protection for the chest or the back. I think bright colored jerseys are the best option.

[MuckRaker]

But I spent a lot of bucks on a jersey, I'm wearing it. I think the more experienced players, the Refs and whoever does the safety briefing for new players need to emphasize the fact that new players will be playing on a team, and they should pay attention to who is on the team.

If you're having problems with players who just shoot whatever moves, report them to the Refs, make an issue of it, and if the same person continues to shoot his own teammates, make the Refs do something, like expel the player from the next game.

If it's a big enough problem that its happening every game, every weekend, then work with the Refs to find a solution.

[Not Too Shabby]

We used to use these lightweight mesh type jerseys in P.E. to distinguish teams in pick-up basketball games. Maybe field owner should use these instead of armbands. They would be much easier to see, but would also stand out in wooded areas.

For all of you that don't know, I was just kidding about the shirts and skins thing.

[antiramie]

You should have put the smiley face after the sentence. Then it would have been more clear. Jeez, the grammatical problems these days. :D

[MuckRaker]

just take a quick look around at the people standing next to you in the staging area, and try to remember not to shoot any of them. :)

[TLplus84]

well when you're in a crazy firefight, and someone pops up, your first instinct is"OH ****~! SHOOT~!" right? i guess for newbies, it's like that as soon as they step on the field; they have a tendency to shoot at anything that moves...i know i've done it a few times when i was starting out..:P

[A damn fool]

i actually shot two of my own guys, but it was a funy thing. We did the whole pick a ball thing to decide teams, and i got on a team with 4 newbies, and oneother good guy. We were playing experienced players, and we knew we were gona get our asses kicked, which we did. Me and the good kid went up the middle, and the newbies went to the sides. Two of guys went WAY to far forward, but me and the good kid didnt know they even moved. They got caught, and ran bakc, but decided to run back to the bunker me and the other kid were at. But, one of the other newbies yelled, ther bunkering, so when the two kids came by, we unloaded on them. We felt real bad, but the kid who yelled was at fault. We all had camoe, no arm bands, and they ran to us with there guns up, so we fired. The kids had welts, so i felt bad, biut hey, **** happens

[MuckRaker]

A few months back, maybe it was just a few weeks ago, I was in a great flanking position with four other guys, when someone behind us started shooting. It was one of our players who'd got lost in the woods, disoriented, and when he saw us he just assumed we were on the other team.

We didn't call ourselves out, but we did return some fire. :eek:

[ptflyer]

maybe if your nicer they wouldn't shot you in the back....

[MuckRaker]

Originally posted by ptflyer
maybe if your nicer they wouldn't shot you in the back....

But I was nice ... Sort of ... Well, OK, maybe I shouldn't have shot him in the staging area and called his Mother a "Dirty Crack Ho," but hey, I was just kidding! :eek:

[TLplus84]

dirty crack ho...hrmm..sounds familiar...:eek:

[MuckRaker]

Originally posted by TLplus84
dirty crack ho...hrmm..sounds familiar...:eek:
:D
Don't get any funny Ideas, I've never talked trash about your mother ... well, maybe some minor garbage, but never trash. :eek:

[thebaum]

I was kinding about the "pounding" part....I should've used the smile icon. But I did yell at them extensively.

Once, I played six mini-games in a tourament. Of the people there, I was the newest to paintballing; yet, 3 of the games I was "outed" by friendly fire. Again, a I was very verbal.

I guess we all need to do our part and make it very clear (without pounding) that we strongly dislike friendly fire and it ruins the fun for everyone. If folks are spoken to clearly about this before play, there will be less of it. Also, continuous offenders, need to sit out a few games to get the hint.

I will promote this at all games I attend.

The whole issue of clothing that identifies is, of course, a double-edged sword. Easy to see...or...easy to see.

[MuckRaker]

I know how it goes, I've gotten Very Verbal with Refs and other players before ... I don't really mean to, but when you're in the heat of the moment, and something happens that you consider unfair, it's easy to pump that Adrenaline to the Anger Node in your brain.

Note to Self: Must watch Anger.

[Creek]

We was doing a woods game in a rocky area,each team had 6 new people on it,then we picked sides.Well on our team we had this one girl she never played before or even really shot a marker. At the word go we all took off in diffrent groups.Well we lost 2 people before they got 3 feet.She nailed them. Would of been as bad if the people she shot where new but these guys played alot. We talk too her about running with her finger on the trigger.Well after that we joked with her all the time about it. Only thing that bug me was almost everytime i turn around she was behind me. I was waiting too take one too the head at anytime. This is going too happen always nothing you can do but school them a bit before you start. but then theres the few the proud and the dumd that dont listin

[MuckRaker]

Depending on how big the teams are, I'll try to lag behind the newbies for that same reason. What really bothers me though, and we're working with the Refs on this, is the newbies who just open up in the staging area.

(The field we play at has a staging area at each individual field where teams are divided up and the Refs explain what game is being played. The bad thing is that you may have 50 people standing there, and lots of newbies just point guns and firing at bunkers ... I always stay in the back cause I know sooner or later, someone's gonna take a shot to the back of the head at point blank range, and it ain't gonna be purty.)

[Creek]

Well the one big field i play at the staging area where they explain stuff your guns are to be on safety,barrel pugs in. After that you mocve too the field,and right before you enter there a Ref there she's kinda a cute one too.You can't walk by till mask is on.If you plugs out of you gun you not going in till next game. After you walk into the field you are allowed to test fire your gun. And it between 2 tape off areas that is the only place you can do that.Then you walk to your starting points and the game starts.But when we have a rec game in the woods i sometimes gets crazy.thats where a few of us old timers step in and take over.

[Irongut99]

This week-end I was playing indoors and the game was defend the flag. The other team wasn't allowed leaving the manmade mountain. I had moved up to the side of the mountain into a small 2 storie shack and was standin on the stairs looking into the mountain waiting for someone too take another look when BANG I recieved three shots from the 1st floor. I walked out not too happy and asked the guy on my team if they weren't allowed to leave the mountain how could he think I was the enemy??? His reply was "I thought I saw you scoping me out"??? I'm still working on figuring that reply out??

[MuckRaker]

Yeah, our local field has a staging area inside the safety zone, but that's where they explain the Field Rules to the Newbies (Barrel Plug in Goggles down, etc.). But for whatever reason, they don't tell us which game we're playing until they get us to the individual fields (capture the flag, elimination, attack and defend, etc.).

[Creek]

Well muck,i guess i be either in the front of the pack or behind it,in front you hope its someone else,in back you know your safe unles they frogot something and turn around lol,Well there three diffrent fields,you pick the playing firld before you go out.The ref at the gate said when they frist started out you walk out and then picked.Now its pick before you walk.They do have a newbie field for there frist time out.But then thats up too the newbie too use it.If he comes out with friends that have played before then they dont go.I enjoy watching guys play on that course too.

[MuckRaker]

I just keep to the rear, no matter where I'm at, in the safety zone, on the playing field, as long as no one is behind me, I feel safe. No need to get eliminated before the game begins.

[Creek]

Well so far i never been taken on by my own guy yet,took my self out in a tournie,started shooting before i pop out to make a move on a guy and it bounce off the bunker and hit me Ref called me out.

[MuckRaker]

Damn Creek, I've never heard of Paintball Suicide before :eek:

That's gotta Suck the Royal Big One.

[Creek]

Well i was pissed,we was trading shots like seem forever,so i kinda had this guy peged.He change ever 2 times outof the bunker,but it was only 2 diffrent moves.I needed to move i shot he return fire and right when he stop i started shooting as i got up too move.well this time they bounce back at me.We laugh about it now but dam i couldn't belive it .The ref said sorry as he took my band off and was trying not to fall down laughing