Sound Track-Down

A few days ago, i was talking with some of my friends about the music we listened to when we were younger. After a few minutes of talking we quickly came to the realization that shaped our musical taste's of today, came from video games. While at the time we had no idea, games like Tony hawk and Burnout actually played a part in our life while having nothing to do with the game itself. Quickly springing to my computer i began to look through my i-tunes library, and could almost relate 200 songs worth of my favorite music straight to video games i had played before ever hearing of these artists. Just a sample of these songs includes









Alkaline Trio (THPS)
Rise Against ( THPS)
NOFX (THPS)
The Transplants (THPS)
Bad Religion (THPS)
Jimmy Eat World (Burnout)
The Von Bondies (Burnout)
Silent Drive (Burnout)
Bouncing Souls (Burnout)
Atreyu (Burnout)
Fuenral For a friend (Burnout).
These are just a small sample of the artists i have subconsciously discovered due to video games.

What's a MOBA?

Excellent Question! A MOBA is a new, exciting genre of video games that has rapidly grown in popularity over the past few years. MOBA is an acronym for "Massive Online Battle Arena" in which players take on the role of a Top down viewed champion and battle against an opposing army as a general of his own army. With up to 5 players on a team, the goal of each teams general is to push the opposing AI "Creeps" (Computer controlled weak soldiers) through their home base and destroy their castle, while fighting against the enemy teams player controlled general. The game plays out like a much more indepth version of chess, and is heavily focused on teamwork and coordination. Games of this genre include DOTA (Defense of the Ancients) and LOL (League of Legends), Both of which are free to play and extremely addicting to anyone from casual to hardcore gamers alike.

FPS + RPG = ?

For a long time, i feel like game companys have been missing out on a huge opportunity. First person shooters and role playing games have almost always been two seperate entity's that never crossed each others path. With the knowledge that every almost every attempt at an FPSRPG has crashed harder then a 12 year old after a bottle of mountain dew, Double fine studio's had put themselves out on a limb with a game called Borderlands. Borderlands masterfully crams the action and intensity of a first person shooter into the frame of a deep, complex, strategic role playing game. Where games like Planetside (First attempt at FPSRPG) have failed, Borderlands excels with flying colors. By using a loot system, when enemies are killed they drop weapons and items that scale in value just like in RPG's. RPG Dungeon's and raid's are masterfully incorporated so that you and your 4 online friends can attempt to grab some rare gear from the difficult dungeon bosses. Borderlands has over a million different weapons, (A MILLION DIFFERENT WEAPONS!!!!) so that a player will never pick up the same gun twice. Borderlands is a must have game for any fan of either genre.

Its all about the hype!

When it comes to gaming, anticipation is half the draw. Game companys hype their games up so much that some players might chew their arm off with excitement before the game comes out. In some circumstances, games that may not neccesarily be any good will be a huge selling sucess if they hype is done right, and if the game happens to be done right the sucess is almost instantly doubled. My current "chew my arm off in excitement game" is none other then "Call of duty Modern Warfare 2".

Bieng an avid player of the prequel, Modern warfare 2 was automatically on my buy the first day list. At E3 (Electronics Expo) a trailer of the game was released, and after watching it at least 45 times my jaw still remained on the floor. Company's that can deliver and experience of the game without ever playing it is a huge leg up in selling games and gaining popularity without ever releasing a game.

The Best Video Game Of All Time

Im a gamer to say the least, having held a controller before i could ride a bicycle (i learned how to ride a bike at the age of 4) im happy to say ive plowed through my fair share of video games. Some games would last me 30 minutes, while others would keep my interested for years. While some people dispute that the classic games (such as mario, donkey kong, etc.) are the best ones, due to their simple yet addictive nature are the best, i have a very strong reason to disagree. In the world we live in now, technology in video games is astonishing with features like graphics so real that you could swear you were sitting two feet away. Amongst the games that have held my attention for years, there is one in particular that as hard as i try to get away from it, and believe me... i try, i just cant help but stop playing the game. This game is called "World of Warcraft". In the game of world of warcraft, you create a charecter in a fictional world divided by two factions, "The Alliance" and "The Horde". Upon entering the game, you choose a faction to play, level up your charecter, recieve items and weapons, and fight against your rival factions with thousands of other people playing along side you. The game has 7 different classes to choose from with 5 unique races per faction, the possibilities are endless when choosing a charecter to create. With its astonishing graphics, complex and challenging pvp (player vs player) system, and over all fun and addicting nature, it really lets you dive into your charecter, and the story, making you feel apart of this fictional world. Having played this game on and off for 6 years, i have to say that it has been one of the most addicting games i have ever had the pleasure of playing in my life. With over 11 million people subscribed to the game and winning over 4 game of the year awards spread out through its 3 expansion packs i cant find any other game that competes with world of warcraft for the best game of all time. Just for fun ive linked a video to show you some of the things the game allows you to do with your charecter
World of warcraft Dancing Video

Chrismtas Gradification

With christmas around the bend, paintball players world wide should be hitting the internet to see the latest gear to grab for their list to santa. As for me, the previously stated empire magna drive will definately be one of them. For others looking for some great buys this season, i have a few suggestions in store for yah. The first thing id like to point players attention to, is the Proto matrix rail, recently droped in price from 400$ to 275$. Although it is the lower form of its more powerful predecessor, (the proto matrix 8) it still lays out some impressive paint. Also the price of halo B belt driven hoppers has decreased from 130 to 90$, so if this season u were thinking about getting into the sport of torunament paintball, do it now. With the multitude of christmas sales ive seen at action village, a total gun package for a mid level gun package, would only cost around 500$. So visit www.actionvillage.com this christmas, and make a hefty list, because we all need a little christmas gradification.

Attention to Detail

Empire Magna Drive paintball loader
Uploaded by paintball

Having just purchased a new gun, the desire to upgrade some more (for all paintballers) is way to great to resist. Having heard alot about the new empire magna drive hopper, i had to dig around and see if the product lived up to all its hype. After watching this video, i quickly found out that this new hopper is definately going on the christmas list this year. ^_^

"EGO"Mania

After waiting patiently by the doorstep after school for weeks. Finally the package has arrived. Like a kid on Christmas i tore into that ups package and feasted my eyes upon the beauty that was my new EGO. I was in utter shock, after having spent many months saving my lack luster Waldbaums paycheck i had finally recieved the fruits of my labor. The planet eclipse etek ego with a 13in intimidator threaded barrel, with blue estar camo pattern and a T.I Rammer. It may not mean much to some of you, but to a paintball player it means alot. After testing it out, i was pleased to find that it can shoot even the most brittle of paint and that its speed was remarkable. Although quite the expensive venture, this maker was worth every penny. For anyone looking to upgrade their marker into the pro tournament bracket, the Etek ego is a great way to get enough "bang for your buck".

Thanksgiving throwdown with toys for tots.

The weekend before the almighty feast we refer to as "Thanksgiving", Me and my team went to EMR Paint ball park in Pennsylvania for their Toys for Tots scenario event. After countless hours of driving, getting lost, and then driving again, we finally reached our destination. All of us being from a city environment, seeing the acres upon acres of field area that this park entailed was like bieng a kid in candy land. Although it wasnt like the speedball me and my team generally play, it was a refreshing and to fun to play in such wide open space, with so many friendly people. Although the weather was cold, and the paint was blender quality brittle, the trip was still extremely enjoyable. Aside from all the fun and paintball, we got to donate toys to the toys for tots foundation. The amount of toys that EMR had collected was extremely impressive, i know myself that me and my team had donated 5 large boxes of legos, and this was not even a fraction of the number they had recieved from all the other players. All in all, this trip was one that will never be forgotten.

Betrayal thy name is Lang.

In any team sport, or in any team situation, the one thing you always need to be able to count on... is YOUR TEAMMATES. In order for a team to work, your team must be like your second family, making your team just more then a team, it makes you a FAMILY.
For years, Oliver lang was the captain of one of the most innovative and creative paint ball teams in the league, Team DYNASTY. Oliver had played with this team even before they were called team dynasty, Even since he was a little kid he had played with this FAMILY.
But what happens when money gets in the way of your FAMILY. Oliver was offered a contract to play with another team called the Iron men. This contract would allow oliver to make more then he previously made on the DYNASTY.
In my opinion, Oliver was posed with a choice in which the decision should have been fairly easy to make, because every paint ball player knows, you don't turn your back on your team, you don't turn your back on your FAMILY.
Oliver made his choice... A choice to take money over friendship and family. This is not what being a part of a team is about. No proper team captain would have made a poor choice like that. I hope future teams take this as a lesson, no amount of money is worth the cost of your friends, your team, or you FAMILY.

The Alan Keys to Success

Fine tuning your success in professional paintball is much like fine tuning your paintball gun, if every bolt and screw is not perfectly pitched, then your gun wont operate to its potential, and neither will your team. Professional teams spend countless hours of practice to perfect these key components, but if done properly, each hour of practice gives back 10 fold in those few short minutes of your match.

THE KEYS:

The Breakout: - Your teams starting position on the breakout is essential to success. If you dont have your players in the right positions at the start, your running patterns will be crossed and you will more then likely wind up running through your teammates lines of paint.

Field Position: - Once your team has broken out, obtaining field position is how you start to obtain field dominance. If your team cannot cover the key areas on the field, the other team will gain position on you, and have the winning angles of fire.

Swift Movement: - Once your team has obtained its position, having your frontmen move the field up is what must be done. By moving up the field, you trap the enemy on their side of the field. If the angles are covered properly, they will be pinned down in their side and will be on their way to defeat.

COMMUNICATION: - This is the most important aspect your team can practice. Communication is what makes or breaks a team. If your team can't communicate well with each other, your frontmen will be moving blindly, and your backmen wont be able to find where they need to cover. Your team can have the most talent on the field but without the teamwork and communication, no talent in the world will be able to beat a team with good communication.

The Paintball World Cup:

Paintball - Millennium Series 2007 movie
Uploaded by paintball

Like a pilgrimage to mecca or a childhood trip to disney land, The millenium series paintball championship is the mac daddy of all paintballers events. Although it takes place in europe, players travel from all over the globe just to get a taste of premiership paintball. This video is just a tiny taste of what real professional paintball looks like.

Plugs in, safety's on?

Regardless of how strong you are, how rough and tough you make think you can be, paintball safety is a mandatory component to all paintballers. Here are some tips to make sure you and your friends enjoy your paintball day on the field, and not in pain.

Tip#1
Whenever approaching a field, MAKE SURE YOUR MASK IS ON! At most fields, the refs will stress this heavily. The mask is the only thing protecting your face and eyes from bieng injured.
Tip#2
When not on the field, Make sure your marker is off, your safety is on (if you have one) and that your barrel plug or sleeve is properly placed over or in the barrel. This prevents accidental fire off the field, when people may not necessarily have their masks on.
Tip#3
When preparing for a day of paintball, make sure you dress properly. If you do not have previous paintball gear like myself (Jersey and Slider Pants) i suggest wearing a long sleeve shirt and a thicker pair of pants (Jeans). This will make sliding easier on your legs, because scrapes and cuts will be obtained if you do not dress properly. In addition to this, some players wear slip over knee and elbow pads in order to reduce the amount of scrapes even more. Although i suggest this, it is not necessary if you do not have them.
Tip#4
Respect other Players - Respecting all of the players on the field is the best way to make your day much more enjoyable. If all players respect each other, you'll be sure to make new friends, and never have any problems on the field.
Tip#5
Be Honest - If you get hit with a paintball, Call yourself out, its much more respectful to the player who shot you, and prevents the ref from having to come and pull you off the field.

All of these tips are here for your safety, and i hope on your next trip you keep them in mind.

The Make-up of the Breakout

Your heart races... you look from side to side to see nothing but your friends and teammates squished in next to you, making sure your barrel is touching the net. Your eyes are dialed down the field, staring at the only thing stopping you from winning the game. The ref starts the countdown... your heart races even more, then before you know it... One of the most important components to a great teams success has just begun... "The Breakout"

The Breakout is the portion of the game in which the game just starts and players are scrambling to get set up into their positions. This opening 10 seconds can be the most important part of a paintball teams success. During this time, there are various different things occuring that make this of the most importance. To start, a large majority of teams use their backmen off the break in order to stop the other teams frontmen from getting to their set up areas on the field. This is done effectively by having the backmen shoot in the direction in which they predict the opponents will run, so that they are not able to reach their set up positions. Also at this time, your teams frontmen are trying to get into set up position, while dodging the fire of the opponents backmen. This can cause for a very hectic situation, which is why the team that can keep their cool, and effectively do their job, is the team that will 9 times out of 10 come out on top.

As you can see, this is why the "Breakout" is one part of your teams game that should not be broken!

Pre Game Check In!

The Sport of Paintball:
For some people, Paintball is only known to them as the game where friends run around in the woods in camouflage shooting each other with paintball guns. This in paintball terminology is referred to as "woodsball". This is not the Sport of Paintball. The Sport of paintball is played on a clearcut area, that which is very similiar to a football field. The size of field varies to the amount of players, but generally a field is around 50 yards. The "Bunkers" or areas for cover on the field are made of inflatable yet durable plastic. These are used to protect you from the fire of the opposing team.

The Gear
- THE MASK - The absolute most important piece of gear in the sport of paintball is your mask. without a mask you will not be allowed even near a paintball field. The mask protects your entire frontal face, (most importantly your eyes)
- THE MARKER - In the sport of paintball, a major factor is your marker. Marker is just another way of saying paintball gun. For most speedball games, a marker with a fast rate of fire is a plus.
- THE JERSEY - Like any other sports team, paintball players wear jerseys to let you know what team they play for. Many Professional teams put their logos and sponsors names on their jersey.
- THE POD PACK - A Pod pack is a harness worn around the waste, in which holds tubes filled with extra paintballs.

The Rules and Objective:
-The Objective of the game is simple. Shoot out the opposing team. The team with players left on the field after the game, wins the round. Points are accessed this way.
-There are different game variants depending on the tournament and area. In certain games it will be strictly elimination, like stated above. Other times it will be capture the flag, in which points are accessed based on which team hangs the flag on the opposing teams net.

THE BASIC RULES
1. At the beginning of the game, before the countdown, all players much have the barrel of their marker touching the net.
2. Once Hit, you must check to see if the paintball has broken. If broken, you must walk off the field immediately. If not, you are allowed to play on. If you do not eliminate yourself from the game when hit (and broken) a referee will access a one for one penalty. This means that a you, and another player on the team will be eliminated as well.

THE POSITIONS:
In the world of paintball, their are 3 positions.
"FRONTMAN" - A Frontman is the player who makes his way as forward up the field as he can. This is a player who gets the majority of the team eliminations.
"MIDMAN" - A Midman is a player who requires a diverse amount of skills. As a midman, you can either be called to double as a frontman, or as a backman.
"BACKMAN" - A Backman has the job of putting down a large amount of fire, in order to allow the teams frontman to move safely up the field.

If you have any questions about something you've heard about paintball, or something you would like to know. Please send me an email.

Off the Break

10 Seconds! 3... 2... 1... GO GO GO!
For those of you out there who are unfamiliar with the sport of paintball, by the end of my blogs i hope to "bunker" your mind and "burn" it full of information about the sport i call my passion.