My First Paintball Experience

*Me in paintball gear*

Paintball is a game for us lucky b*stards who don't have to serve in a battlefield for a wartorn country, or failed as aspiring policemen or soldiers.

On Monday, we geared ourselves for an exciting game of paintball at Kompleks Belia dan Sukan opposite USM. It was a teambuilding event which consisted of 8 teams, 32 players. The total fee was charged according to boxes of paintball pellets - RM250 per box of 2000 pellets. We consumed 4 boxes.

Paintball pellet - gives a gooey yellow texture after being crushed

Paintball mask

Marker - we have to cover the muzzle when marker is not in use and lock the safety catch

The weather was great - I had prayed and prayed for the sun to be gentle and for rain to not come. My wish was granted, we did not have to play in sludge. I liked the playing field. It was dry, and the combat feel was exciting as I looked eagerly around for tyres and barrels to hide behind, and wooden huts to hide in. It was really a new experience for me.



Panoramic view of paintball field in KBS

We were divided into 8 teams, A-H. I was in Team F. Everybody had 3 rounds to play, and the last two teams with the highest marks would have the pleasure to play another round.



My team in red: (from left,) Willetts, CP, Me & CN

One of our opposing teams in blue: (from left,) WM, GS (askar), ML & CH

Game Start

First game. I crouched low behind the huge tin cans, barely daring to breathe as paintball pellets flew past me. The first few minutes where we marched into the field seemed like history to me now. The marshall was correct, I thought, 5 minutes does seem like a long, long time in here.

"Pong pong pong"... many pellets hit the tin barrels with a merciless rhythm, while some simply bounced off onto the grass on where I lay. I could view my opponent from the little gap between the barrels, yet I was afraid to stick my gun out to shoot... lest she shoot me first in the head. I didn't dare yet experience how that would feel.

I turned my head over my shoulder to where CP was stationed at; I wanted to get a clearer picture of how the situation was like out there. Suddenly, I heard cries from the crowd from outside the safety net: "Run! Xiaowei! Grab the flag!" With a burst of courage that came out like a thunder from the blue, I rushed forward like a ferocious young bull and grabbed the piece of plastic flap and ran for dear life. As I was running I could see my opponent on my right - I swung my gun for aim and bang! she was down... my pellet had somewhat surprisingly landed right on her knee.

By the time I dashed to the opposing board, I was already giddy with a sense of heroic euphoria. As I made it back to where the marshall was checking our markers, I took off my mask in exchange for some fresh air. Alas! I had forgotten I was still in the field. "Mask on! Mask on! Minus 20 marks from your team!", the marshall shouted. And due to that, our team ended up with -20 + 15 (for grabbing flag and tacking it on opposing board) + 3 (3 players still alive) = -2 marks. :(

Second game. We trotted happily onto the field, each hoping that we could gain back some marks, and that this game would be better than the last. I resumed my original strategy, brimmng with confidence that I would, again, clinch the flag and bring it to safety. In the midst of the game, I suddenly lost track of the opponents in front of me. Frantically looking in front, all over, I could not see a trace of them. Have they all been defeated? A happy thought. But something tugged at my heart otherwise. It was not until CP suddenly shouted from my left, "Xiaowei! Look out! Cheng Hui on your right!!" And as soon as his warnings left his lips, I was gunned down by Cheng Hui who had already taken hold of our white hut. Not once, but twice. Until I hurriedly surrendered myself in shame. Luckily we won by virtue of CN who grabbed the flag and brought it to the opponent's base.

Test-firing my marker before game starts

Third game. I suddenly realised that I hadn't been inside the white hut as yet. It seemed good to try, so I told Willetts I would be good inside. And what a good hiding spot it was! I was in full coverage from my opponent (unless he tried to creep up on me) and I could shoot as I please from 3 different angles. I was focusing on the opponent in front of me until I saw a commotion on my left. There seemed to be 3 silly guys hovering together in a corner, in full view! I immediately took aim, and managed to hit one. Another one, aha! I gleefully recognised as my nemesis - WM - I took aim, and shot his arm. However that fella wouldn't succumb, and I gave him another shot, this time, on the head. Ha! He immediately surrendered after that.

Having gunned down 2 opponents (the third was also dead), I summoned up my courage to venture out of my safety zone. I crept behind my usual tin barrels, and tried to gun down the remaining opponent in front. I was trembling at my knees already from all that excitement and stress, yet I was hoping for a chance to outdo my opponent who is actually a real soldier. The flag was barely five feet away from me, I rushed out to grab it but was chased back by shots from my opponent. Practically diving headlong into the grass for shelter, I gave a second attempt at the flag. This time I got it! At that moment, CP shouted, "Run to the endpoint!" And with a sudden rush of adrenaline, I ran... CP also ran ahead to engage in close combat with our opponent, and I ran to what seemed like a white board to me and shouted in all my glee... "Yes!!!"

But it was not until I caught the glances and heard the shouts of people outside the fence "Xiaowei, you're not there yet!" that I turned back, and looked, to my horror, that I had mistook the white board in front of me as my endpoint! And so clutching the flag, I ran again... and was just one foot away from the endpoint when BANG BANG BANG! My opponent had shot me dead... one at my waist, and one at my ass. I think he really hoped me dead.

White hut in which I hid

My last opponent who gave me a pain in the butt

Needless to say, we weren't one of the teams to enter the finals. CN told me that we just fell short of a few marks. However, I had great fun during my first paintball game. Hope that there will be more chances to play paintball in the future... :)

Comments

pik lay said…
i watched the one that you ran towards the wrong winning point. I shouted "xwei pau! pau!!" hahahahhahaha
rukawa said…
SALUTE! officer on deck! GI Jane! Powerful gal in first game :)
FLASH MOB AGAINST SPIN-DOCTORING

http://www.malaysia-today.net/2008/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=54&Itemid=36

written by KopiO, December 18, 2007 18:47:57

Here's an idea on how to protest agains the spin-doctoring in Malaysian mainstream print media, which my friend and I came across it in a blog.

http://fast0811.blogspot.com/

Here's the translation and gist of the article:

FLASH MOB AGAINST SPIN-DOCTORING
Time: Main Concourse, Suria KLCC
Date: 1 Jan 2008 (Public Holiday)
Time: 3pm

To do:
1. Go to Suria KLCC Main Concourse on 1 Jan 2008 at 3pm.

2. Bring a copy of local newspaper; it can be The Star, NST, Metro, Malay Mail, Utusan Melayu, Berita Harian, Sin Chew Jit Poh, Nanyang Siang Pow, or any Tamil dailies.

3. At 3.30pm sharp, crumple the newspapers and throw them inside the rubbish bins.

4. Disperse IMMEDIATELY

NOTE:
DO NOT LITTER. If the rubbish bins are full, stack your newspapers on top of the pile. If you can’t do that, find other rubbish bins at 1st Floor or other floors. The ultimate goal is to dumb the newspapers collectively as the sign of protest!!
-------
Imagine this: FRUs guarding the rubbish bins, uniformed and plain clothes policemen arresting people for dumbing newspapers into the rubbish bins!
Unknown said…
Looking at those paintball ammos reminds me of Poké Ball. Anyway, for beginners of this game, it is a must to know the drills and rules. Also, it is important to have the right kind of protective gears and equipment. Paintball can be a tough game for you if don’t follow the rules and don’t wear appreciate apparels.

Kisha Kitchens

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