Is paintball better than airsoft?

[Ricochet]

My personal opinion of paintball doesn't dictate its merit, as what you enjoy is up to you. We were discussing the capabilities if both in a speedball style environment. But two key points. For starters, paintball is generally nailed down into let's say a dozen common gameplay styles, mostly generated around a competative scrim or game. Airsoft on the other hand is 75% revolving around a loosely based military style, tactical game. The game in question is slowly morphing into more realism, or indepth style of gameplay. But airsoft is also commonly used in a thousand other mediums including roll-playing, reenactment, to a bunch of kids just running around shooting one another. I'm sure these things happen in paintball, but not to this degree. Paintball in a sense is more refined, perhaps due to its age. Except perhaps in regards to the whole, weekend warrior, birthday party, pay your twenty bucks and have fun once in awhile style, but airsoft has this as well. Secondly, anything done in one, can be done in the other. You can milsim in paintball, and you can speedball in airsoft, etc, etc, etc. The key difference is not how you utilize your game, but the technology available, and of course paint versus BBs.

My tone was never meant as aggressive, and my analogy was simply as a laugh. My personal opinion is that airsoft, although not as clean and organized, yet, has a much higher potential in all things. But once again, that's simply my opinion.

Back on topic, speedball. More commonly found in airsoft is military gear; strictly referring to the real deal here. Let's take Crye BDUs for example, you won't find a better set of combat based clothing anywhere. Lightweight, engineered joints, breathable, comfortable, etc. Now add in some Bates Zero Mass boots, or Speed Freaks, etc; lightweight, ergonomic footwear. But all this doesn't come down to gear, because you can wear all this in paintball as well. So maybe it's the players. Not really, the best airsoft and/or paintballers could easily transition into the other game type, as realistically at their core, they are the same premise; shoot other people, in a competitive setting. So it's not the people or the gear. Here's where the difference starts to appear, equipment. Things like vehicles, night vision, etc, are almost exclusively found in airsoft, and rarely in paintball. Something about getting paint on/in thousands of dollars worth of stuff isn't desirable. But I digress. This in no way means you could not use these things effectively in a paintball setting. So we have the ability to cross use people, gear, and equipment, effectively putting airsoft and paintball on even standing, especially given the ability to have all the same game types from one side available to the other.

What's the real difference then, other than commonly used gear and/or commonly played game styles? It's the guns. Airsoft guns are based off of real world counterparts, modern western military for the most. Based directly, and often one to one, of the best hand operated killing machines the world has to offer. Airsoft guns, at least the good ones, are 100% compatible with real accessories, sights, and functionality. Paintball is not, just on the fact they utilize gas, often need a hopper, and even small paint pellets are cumbersome. Even the best paintball guns cannot match the functionality of an airsoft gun in this manner. Lastly, if you want accuracy, precision, and function, airsoft is an obvious win. Sure you can pump up the FPS on your paintball gun, but it can be done to airsoft as well. So if your matching joules allowed in game, airsoft will always have an advantage. Take into account that the best military gear, which is the best gear ever in existence of anything, is engineered specifically to work with direct effect to today's modern armaments, which airsoft guns mimic. Airsoft is also evolving at a faster rate, as its technology appears to have fewer limits.

So, the guns, and everything they relate to are faster and more effective in airsoft, for the same job(s). However people, gear, and equipment are interchangeable for the most part. Airsoft = win. At least in the speedball round. I've also played speedball with both mediums.

As a direct speedball related advantage, and although you can see, hear, feel, airsoft BBs striking you or someone else, and it really comes down to the people you play with, paintball does, usually, leave a clear mark. So nearly eliminates confusion on hits in speedball, but I'd still prefer effectiveness and speed all around.

[Juic3]

Paintball aint better than airsoft . Nor airsoft is better than paintball. Striptag is

[Aj619]

I agree with ricochet on the fact the this is not an Egotistical conversation at all just a debate on whether airsoft could be played at the same speed or faster than paintball.


I have to disagree with you on the point that airsoft guns Having a higher FPS could attribute to a higher speed of play what gives paintball the ability to be played at a much higher speed is the fact I can complete my bunker movement even if I have been hit as paint doesn't always break on target.

However if I am hit while making a move in airsoft I'm out no completing the move and allowing the ref to check me. it's not just the speed at which the game ends I'm talking about the speed at which it is played at general you'll never see me run straight down the side of a field to bunker someone in airsoft however in paintball I'll do that all day long as I'm not dead unless I have paint on me.

See I find airsofters have to be more slow and deliberate in there movement as getting hit is an automatic out however with paintball getting hit ain't always the end

P.S I still love both games and wish to be a part of both communities for a very long time.

[Jimski]

paintdick vs airhard

[Ricochet]

Obviously you've played speedball/paintball more than I have, not that I haven't played it a bunch. I have played speedball/airsoft a lot. We'd drop our rigs, pocket a ready mag, and do it. Often though we'd play full load out, for conditioning and what have you. I found the airsoft games would often go very quick. Some guys wouldn't even get off the starting point, or teams would be quickly over run. I found shoot-and-scoot quite a bit easier with my airsoft guns than with paintball markers.

Now, I see your side, being that paint in itself can change the game, but wouldn't that make the game go quicker if elimination from a strike was certain? No stoppages, no refereeing necessarily? Even if a player didn't call a hit, you could hit him multiple times, even through cover.

[Brit ter]

Put it this way airsoft is being used for reenactment groups , movies , TV and my buddies and myself use them with our army trucks .You don't see paint ball guns being used the same way !

[Ricochet]

Airsoft guns are more versatile, but that isn't what I'm asking. It doesn't really matter, speedball will be played to the style any individual chooses or has become accustomed. It's starting to look like I'm trying to slam paintballs legitimacy, and that'll just start a stupid debate.

I guess "in my opinion", if you were to take twelve players of equal standing, and put them in a six on six, speedball style game, going paintball versus airsoft, assuming everyone was honest, airsoft should have a clear advantage. Precision/accuracy, ergonomics/functionality should win. This purely based off of my experiences.

Let's just take friendly poll instead. Situation above, same skill levels, same gear, same everything, and of course honest players. Would you take a high end, properly tuned tournament paintball gun, or a fully modified airsoft training weapon? Both would be tuned to appropriately limits.

[zzzzsleepy8]

The only advantage I see with paintball is when you're tagged, its often more obvious other than the rare cases of the paintball bouncing. Because it leaves a colored mark. So you can weed out cheats.

This leads to the downside to airsoft, which is BBs can ricochet off walls and other surfaces, which hits you. So sometimes you are unaware if you are legit hit or from a ricochet. So you might opt to surrender yourself if you are honest, even though the guy on the other side probably technically didnt tag you from direct hit.

[SuperHog]

What do law enforcement and military train with?

[Deadpool]

Originally Posted by SuperHog

What do law enforcement and military train with?

Neither


Simunition

[Ricochet]

Originally Posted by Deadpool

Neither


Simunition

If only

[Bossman]

Originally Posted by Brit ter

Put it this way airsoft is being used for reenactment groups , movies , TV and my buddies and myself use them with our army trucks .You don't see paint ball guns being used the same way !

Need to correct you ... Dog the bounty hunter and his son Liam often use paintball guns while apprending fugitives ... can't get more real or hardcore then DOG!

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk

[wobblypop]

He's got the paintballers hair to match... and in no way is that an insult...

[Ricochet]

A family friend of ours has a house just up the hill from Dogs office. Watched him and his cronies get their asses handed to them thirteen year olds with pepper spray. Apparently in Hawaii he's not taken very seriously. That's Hawaii man, that shit is laid back. Also, am I the one who remembers him getting arrested in Mexico, while going after the Maxfactor heir? This was before he was famous. Anyways, I'd find it hard to take a person seriously that dresses like him, not saying I don't appreciate his right for flare. However I don't think it's very professional. I'd have no problem tazeing some guy who's trying to arrest me and looks like. I'd probably be like, "no...., I don't think I'm gonna cooperate.).