What is Paintball?

DVD Review by Bill Mills - Sept 2008
Video Stills Courtesy Ragtop Video

Since 2002, Thomas Fletcher has been faithfully undertaking a difficult task – documenting scenario games on video. This work has resulted in the release of over 50 DVD titles. Flether's Ragtop Video DVDs have covered scenario games from some of the most popular producers in the sport. His use of animated maps is combined with on-field footage to both get a player's eye view of the action and an understanding of how the game unfolded.

As an introduction to the world of scenarios, Fletcher has released his latest DVD - “What is Scenario Paintball?”

With a run time of 51 minutes, the new DVD assumes only a cursory knowledge of paintball, and walks the viewer through a brief introduction to scenario paintball's history stemming from Wayne Dollack's first scenario game in Florida through what has become a world wide phenomenon.

Narrated by Peter Delloro, a Connecticut based professional voice talent with experience in the radio and television industries, the new DVD provides a thorough treatment of its topic verbally, set to a background of related footage from various events Ragtop Video has covered. High profile scenario players and teams make regular appearances illustrating the points covered in the voice-over.

Paintball as a whole is diverse, as is scenario paintball, and the video takes care avoid a common pitball of similar articles and books - presenting one promoter's format as the way all scenarios are played. Instead it makes clear what factors are common to most games, but that diversity is to be expected.

Topics covered include how games are played, such as what impact missions have, the concept of resurrections and reinsertion and how some games culminate in a final battle. Specific player roles such as demo expert, tanker, engineer and medic are covered as well as role playing, a factor that is ised more by some event producers than others.

For teams introducing new players to scenario paintball, or for recreational and tournament players interested in making the jump, “What is Scenario Paintball” offers a concise yet surprisingly thorough overview of what to expect out of, and how to prepare for one's first scenario game.