Pain-ball
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A while back one of my friends remarked that they'd "try anything once," which i must admit was fairly off-putting... but it does seem like a good way to live life. A few weeks back, in Corfu, i thought i'd turn my hand to kayaking, parascending and waterskiing - although of which i was utterly useless at and then it hit me. As much as i've slagged it off in the past, i've never played paintball....
Now that's kinda odd in some ways, as most airsoft players tend to be ex paintballers. So i thought it might be time for a comparison. So i booked up my paintball day and took a mate along for a bit of a giggle. That seemed the first difference between airsoft and paintball. Every airsofter i've met has been to airsoft before, or is a regular at a site. It's their "thing." Nobody at the paintball event had tried it before - the majority of the team being made up by a stag party. N00bs? Hell no. We all had the same gun, the same level of knowledge etc, so for once it seemed like an even playing field, although playing airsoft gave me a pretty big advantage. For once i embraced the chance to actually hit something.
So the day starts off by getting kit issued. Paintballs.... £6 per hundred? Expensive yes, but bearing in mind these guns only fire in semi auto it's not too bad. But still, that buys about 2000 rounds in airsoft terms - enough for 1-2 games.
Time to dispel some myths, methinks. I minced my way into the first game, trying my best not to get hit as anyone would after hearing the horrible stories of what injuries paintball will do to you.
Strange though, i noticed that no-one really went in for the whole "lets get down" thing in paintball; they were quite happy enough to run around and occasionally kneel. After spotting one of the other team, i returned fire. Now in airsoft, i would imagine that anyone under 40 metres away, in the open, has got no chance of not being hit. But by Christ paintball guns are weird. First round dropped WAY short, followed by one that went skywards - weird. I finally got the range right and then had to deal with the paintballs curving allover the shop. Sniping it was not.... So to elaborate, i hit sod all in that first game. But i got hit myself, right on the chuffin shoulder. How much did it hurt? Well a non softing friend said that it was "like getting punched in the arm." Was it hell, it was just a more painful shot that airsoft, sting, throb, gone. I'm no hard guy, but i thought it would hurt MUCH more.
Where you do get hit though bruises up very nicely and a few days later, im now covered in a multitude of yellow bruises. Nice. Strangely, yesterday i got stung by a wasp for the first time ever, and after paintball, it felt like nothing really, although the pain lasts for longer than airsoft and paintball.
The big difference between airsoft and paintball i found is the engagement distance. In airsoft i often find myself walking through the woods quite happily, and then out of nowhere i'm shot out of the game. Well a lot of paintball is at VERY close range. A chance to actually see the opponent and for me, to get a shot in first for once 
In fact i really enjoyed speedball, something frowned on in airsoft. I have no idea why it is though. Hell i like it, i'm going again next wednesday....
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