Appearance vs. performance

[beatstanfurd]

Help me understand something.

Why does it seem that the majority of paintballers are so interested in appearance? Appearance seems to be a bigger factor than performance. Yeah, I would like to look good on the the field, but I would rather have a fugly setup and still be in the game than looking good and in the dead box.

[Wreckin Effx]

:D Id definatly pick performance over looks. I don't want a marker that will crap out on me and look good on the repair table in the shop, but rather a marker that works and performs good on the field. My spyder isn't something to oohh and ahhh about, but it has served me well through many games and hasn't given me any big problems yet.:D

[pr0kch0p]

why cant you have both?

i dont think that people really sacrifice looks for performance. most performance upgrades are made to look good as well.

[Wreckin Effx]

yes i know you can have both, i bet your timmy looks sweet prokchop. But if I had to choose between and ugly but high performing marker compared to an awesome looking marker but a poor performer, I'd go with the 1st choice.

[Richy_C]

While preformance does come first, if i can get a cool anno that won't break the bank, is there any reason not to?

[beatstanfurd]

Don't get me wrong, looking good is great, but from what I have have read at various message boards, so many seem to value appearance over performance.

Mostly, I frequent the cocker section, and it seems that so many buy stock cockers and have to upgrade even before shooting it. The amazing thing is it is their first cocker. How would they know that they need to upgrade? It seems that they are motivated mostly by appearance.

Its just my opinion that appearance seems to outweigh performance in too may cases.

[strongboy2005]

i think the real question here is would you buy a paint job for your gun before you bought an internal part that would help preformance? or would you just say "oh, it will prolly increase my R.O.F., but that custom paint job looks really good"

[Wreckin Effx]

I'd go for the option that helped my marker perform better. Looks are nice but I'd rather have something help my marker perform better so I could look good taking out the opponents.

[Ref]

Agreed.

[strongboy2005]

so i should get an intelliframe before i get a minimag body?

[simon woodstock]

Originally posted by beatstanfurd
Help me understand something.

Why does it seem that the majority of paintballers are so interested in appearance? Appearance seems to be a bigger factor than performance. Yeah, I would like to look good on the the field, but I would rather have a fugly setup and still be in the game than looking good and in the dead box.

give an example. i say this because most performance products are good looking.
take an angel for example, or a gladiator regulator.

if there are 2 products that work the same, the deciding factor is ussually aesthetics, and since performance is objective and can be determined by doing some research and testing on the field. looks are subjective so the popular vote will be able to determine what is better looking to people.

but i think the majority of people would rather have a nicely performing marker than a nice looking paper-weight.

[Incube]

I try to look some what cool but i dont really care ...i dont see why people go and buy jersays...even though i got 3 lol

[TheZephyr]

Most high quality guns look damn nice. The BM and STO cocker, Angels, and most of the higher end electro guns i know of both shoot beautifully and have head turning ability. Even spyders have some visual appear (mostly shutters) if you get the color schemes right. I think a red shutter with blue grips, barrel and hopper or vice versa, look really nice.

[elTwitcho]

It depends really. I like a gun to look good, and I do care about performance, but I usually find the products that perform best, then choose the best looking of all of them. Would a stainless freak should better than an aluminum freak? Absolutely not. Did I spend 70 bucks more (canadian) to get stainless instead of aluminum because it looks better? You betcha. Same goes for regulators, the AKALMP Sidewinder is the best reg on the market. The chrome version costs more, but I'm willing to pay that for looks.

Personally, my gun is performing at a level that is high enough right now, that if someone offered me any gun to use instead, I'd keep my gun. As a result, my next upgrades will probably be purely cosmetic, like milling :D

On a side note, when something performs good, it often makes it look good. If you switched the performance of a Gladiator with a PMI Pure Energy inline reg, people would probably be saying "The PMI Reg is so sexy, the chrome and curved grips are great". Performance in itself is sexy, and that's just a fact

And stock cockers are ugly, I wouldn't be caught dead shooting one of those dull black bodied unmilled monstrosities :laugh: