| "What Should I Get Next?"
Many threads on upgrades and mods usually involve questions of "What next?" or "What should I do now?" Well, this one isn't going to answer those questions per se. Instead it will offer general suggestions and principles to attempt to direct you to find your own answers. I don't intend to get into any form vs function debates or recommendations on mil-sim type things, this is for marker performance alone. Let us begin.
Start Big
My philosophy on upgrading is this: find what will grant the biggest performance boost for your play style and then start working down from there. Too often people end up getting things that really only have marginal performance boosts while neglecting core things that really hold them back. For example, getting a new double trigger looks cool and may make it easier to walk or fan your trigger, but putting that $30 toward a good barrel or quality paint would've helped your accuracy and overall performance much more. Get the big things first and then come back for the little bits and pieces. Find the area in your game that's suffering the most and start finding ways to fix it.
Familiarity
For the novice player the worst part of your game is most often just inexperience and inconsistent play. Take some time first to get familiar with the gear you have and just practice as much as you can with it. You can't hope to build any type of consistent play if you're continually making big mods and upgrades to your gear. ( I'm talking about big changes here, not little things like hauling some extra paint on the field or getting some different clothes to play in. ) After a bit you'll find out if those weaknesses in your game stem from equipment issues or operator error. And when I say equipment issues, I'm not talking about bigger and better, but inconsistent and inadequate. A marker limited to 5 bps that's a little bulky may not have all the performance you'll eventually want, but if it does perform reliably to what it says it will do, then it's something you can keep working with. However having one that chews through multiple gas tanks in a single day on minimal firing, or that suffers constant velocity spikes, or using a barrel that's always putting bad spin on your shots is a different matter entirely. That's having unreliable gear and is something that should be dealt with. But it may take a few games or more to figure some things out. Start asking yourself things like, "Am I a bad shot, or is my marker not putting balls where I aim it?" Then you can find places where your gear is holding you back, not yourself. So, start looking for equipment to fix it.
Research
Now, this means some effort on your part because you're going to have to do some research. Hit the boards, make some searches, go through the Wikipedia, go to your local shop, call up the boys at OpsGear, UMS, or SpecOps shop ( I know I bother them quite a bit, ) just get some reliable info. Don't buy into posts and reviews of people who just say, "Get this, it ROCKS!" or any other hype. Find reliable sources where they can explain the why and how of something. Ask questions, even if they seem stupid. Any experienced player should remember the time they were in your situation and should be able to help you out. When at a game, check out other players' gear and see if they have something you're considering getting. Ask if you can try it out. Every player likes to brag about their gear a bit, no matter how hashed it is. I've never had anyone say no to me and can't recall ever denying another player myself either. This is possibly the most important part. No matter how many reviews you read, no matter what kind of recommendations you get, if something doesn't feel right to you, don't get it. I used to think the longbow stocks were just the coolest thing, all the tubular aluminum and everything. But then I tried it out and didn't like it. It was too short for me and I had to tuck my arms in too far to my liking. That's not to say it's a bad product, just that it's not for me.
After you get your facts straight, go back to asking questions of yourself if will really impact the way you play and if it will help you. Be brutally honest and answer whether it's something you actually need. For example, I don't have a quick exhaust valve ( QEV ) or a vortex mod on my A-5. Why you may ask? Well, they simply won't improve my play style. A QEV is designed to allow exhaust gases to bleed off faster after a shot, lessening back pressure and allowing the firing system to reset faster. A vortex replaces the standard plastic ratchet at the base of the cyclone with more durable metal parts which can take more abuse and higher rates of fire. Well, I don't have an E-Grip or a response trigger so my rate of fire can't exceed my fingers. I don't lay a lot of paint when I play so my ratchet isn't very worn and I don't have any problems with back pressure in the cyclone so I didn't need to spend the $50 to gets those upgrades. Truth be told, I was ready to get them, but after talking to the boys at SpecOps about it, I found it wasn't something that I needed at the time. Now, if my ratchet finally wears out, then yes I'll probably get a vortex to fix it. But even if I get an E-Grip or RT I probably won't get a QEV simply because I don't care to shoot above 10 bps. I was able to save money because I did my research and asked questions first.
Plan Ahead
Finally, take the future into account when getting something. A certain amount of obsolescence, incompatibilities, and deprecation will happen throughout your paintball career without fail. But, with proper planning you can minimize it. If you're considering moving to HPA in the near future, then don't go blow cash on an expansion chamber, regulator, and anti-siphon kit. If you're thinking of buying a new AGD, don't go buy a whole set of barrel backs for your 98C unless you're also willing to get some thread adapters. A little forethought can save a lot of money.
Now there's going to be times where you just go on a splurge to get something because it's cool or you just felt like working on your marker; hey I've done it too and I'm sure everyone will continue to have some of those moments. I mean, what fun is owning a fine piece of equipment if you can't personalize it and make it truly yours? ( I think I finally understand how some of my motorhead friends feel about their cars. ) Just take care that any work you do on your marker has a specific purpose. And remember, often times it's worthwhile to put off an upgrade while you save up to get a really high quality one. That way you don't waste money continually replacing parts trying to ramp up to that high quality. Also, you may just get lucky while waiting and saving. Maybe something else gets released in the meantime that will work even better, maybe a big clearance sale happens, or any number of things.
Any thoughts, ideas, additions, or comments are welcome. |