[Ricochet]

There really is nothing to a paintball gun; not that there needs to be. They have made some interesting advancements, but the basic idea has never really changed. Drop in a paintball, hit it with air.

Airsoft is anything but stagnant though. Open bolt systems, Systema PTWs, it's all very exciting, and getting better all the time. Granted the basic AEG design hasn't changed much, but then it's more like a Harley Davidson in that regard. There are mosfets, integrated optics systems, high torque motors, better engineered batteries, quick change spring designs, etc. you can put some pretty unbelievable upgrades into an airsoft gun to make it better; not to mention any gun nowadays worth owning comes built with higher tolerances and made out of high grade CNC'd materials.

Every airsoft company that's worth talking about is working on a way to replace the Tokyo Marui style mechbox, but realism is a key selling point so I think more R&D will go into GBB technology. Remember as well that many things have already been tried, and perhaps have flopped.

When I stated that airsoft gear was better I wasn't just referring to the guns, but I still haven't seen a paintball gun that does the job of, or looks or feels as cool to shoot as a Fight Club Custom PTW, or an RA-Tech custom open bolt GBBR. Paintball pistols aren't even worth mentioning in a comparison, and neither are sniper rifles, LMGs, etc. Airsoft will always win in the realism department. But where airsoft really shines, is in the usage of real steel gear and airsoft adapted gear. Of course you can apply these things to paintball, but it wouldn't cross over as smoothly.

Injury wise, well that's a hard sell. Paintballs are bigger and this hold more kinetic energy, but their surfaces and shock absorbency are also higher. I had a buddy who got a concussion through his paintball mask. I've also had friends who've had BBs stuck in their skin, and remain to this day.

Paintball fields often have that goopy shit all over the place, or it gets on your eyewear and smears, or it breaks in your gun, etc, etc, etc. I don't mind getting my gear dirty, muddy, covered in sticks, but I sure as hell don't want yellow paint on it.

I can see how people enjoy paintball, I've played it; a bunch actually. No tournament play or anything so involved, but I've seen the gear, the air tanks, and the paintball loading systems .....No thanks, I moved onto something with a ridiculously higher potential, and even now offers so much more.

Paintball I found to be linear, as it always had a one or few directions. So at its most basic it was like a lesser form with the same goals in mind. Like a pocket bike all the way up to a Ducati SS and everything in between. Airsoft on the other hand is all over the place. There are so many different styles and groups that a sport style is hard to nail down. Most airsofters don't get to experience wearing truly special forces level engineered gear, play at games where all the guns shoot between 200 - 300 feet plus, get hunted by guys with gen-3 plus night vision, have camouflage that'll hide you from someone who is almost standing on you, snipers who's guns are dead silent, etc, etc. to me, that is airsoft, and that is what I compare to paintball. Running around with your friends with a $300 gun, and whatever replica gear you could get your hands on is a bad example. Not that there is anything wrong with it, but the perspective is way off in comparison.