Thread: scenario reffing : chrono

Hey all - Im brainstorming this one - so please bear with me. I like chewing over ideas here in public so if i head off the ranch my friends and associates can kick by butt back in the right direction.

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ok, here is the players situation : safety briefing is over, game starts in 20 minutes, he has a reg with dried out seals, and the chrony line is 3 wide and a hundred yards long. refs are on hand and punching cards for "START" after you put 3 across under 280. So far he has $225 invested just to play, and has yet to shoot a shot in anger.

(er, this sux a dozen ways - the biggest "way" being the game starts with hundreds of of ANGRY, PISSED OFF players.)

or

The field has 4 Big Red Chonys from the early 90s - two with dying batteries, and the other two don't read the same. 275 on one is 325 on the other - the other two don't read at all.

or

The refs are chronying at one base, and not the other.

or

The refs are waiting until a major fight to break out, and then interupt the game during the heat of the action to spot check your team.

or

The line is long, deep and wide and you've been in it for 30 minutes, and local players/staffers keep jumping in at the head of the line like the own the place.


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These situations ALL results in angry customers, and for the most part avoidable.

I would like to discuss best practices for the good of the
game and how to best serve the paying customers.
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also: please share your horror stories

I think one way would be to finalize and punch the cards for chrono at each teams base before game on. The chrono area can be used to get it dialed closely. Yes, that would mean that players would have tools on the field, but I see it like this: If you just punch players cards whenever they have a chance to chrono before the game, that could leave a lot of time to tinker with the velocity anyhow.

So checking just before game on could help with players shooting hot. I would put 2 refs at each base and it should not take too much time at all.

velocities creep; seals give; grease changes; temperatures change; gas, liquid co2 and dry ice change state.

The notion that a marker can be checked at game start, and that is all that is needed is inherently dangerous - even foolish - but somehow customary.

I have seen too many fields focus on the initial chrony, but completely overlook what is needed during the day.

I like the idea a lot that you chrony EVERY TIME YOU SPAWN (or INSERT) - and you must chrony before spawning - EVERY TIME.

I like play at events where this ^ is customary.

If doing this EVERY TIME, it must be easy and hassle free.


another gripe : I know Ive been spot checked before on the field and been caught with a hot gun. I've personally got like 7 palmer stabilizers *at $100+ each to help me not creep, but it happens. My gripe isn't getting caught with a hot gun, but the reffs getting their panties in a wad over it and the lack of easily accessible chronographs so I can check my velocity before I go on the field. It happens all the time.

Me and Sarge ran into some of what you are discussing at PBC last week. We chrono'ed in the area as usual and thought all was good, go to our starting point and rechrono with both of us shooting hot. Actualy I was 25 or so players in front of Sarge and ran out to change mine and ran back, with the same result, over. We scrurried out and I shot over all 4 chronos and made my adjustments. We went back and barely made the start and passed the chronoing at last.
I like the checking at base before entering play, but they should have adjustment allens there for you to use. I also like the fact that handhelds are on the field and random checks are made and if a player accuses another player of shooting hot they are checked. I heard "He's shooting hot ref! Mine barely make it to him & he whizzes them by me!" I saw the ref check the accused player and call him clean so I told the finger pointer the results.
There is no full proof system to stop the markers from creeping up during the warm weather, check, recheck, & re-recheck is all that can happen. Use hand helds & make them available to ALL refs on the field, even player refs. Maybe those of us who have handhelds should be player refs?
Is there a certification for the chronostations? Maybe they should be checked at random and if not accurate be adjusted or replaced?
I have seen players get frustrated because of chronoing, I was one last week! I just calmed down, tried to get it done and back in so I could play. I want to be safe and not hurt anyone on pourpose.
I bought a handheld years back for my home games after seeing some players shoot another from a distance and leave some of the worst welts I have ever seen. There are kids that play, not mid-teens or adults...kids. I do not want to be the responsible party for turning a child into a paintball hater and drive them away from this great game/sport.
I like the direction Thumper is going and we should all continue in that effort. Should we make a group to be player refs with handhelds at all scenarios they attend & find a way to get all the chrono stations in sync?

One method I've seen that works pretty well is the central chrono area that is open at least an hour prior to game on and during stand-downs. Refs punch player cards per normal procedure to reflect players have chrono'd.

At game on, two of the line chrono's are moved to each insertion point nearest to the edge, not at the CP. The insertion ref does double duty of having each player fire across the chrono and show their card to validate that they are good. Since this re-chrono is closest to the edge of the field, players are relatively close to their tools if needed.

When insertion windows are utilized, the ref that pre-chrono players waiting to insert to cut down on the 'rush'.

The field that does this also did a very ingenious think to smooth out insertions. They typically do insertions every 15 minutes for a 5 minute window. To alleviate the insertion/chrono ref's stress, a Red or Blue light, controlled by the game master is mounter that comes on when the window is open, goes off when it's closed. It's so simple, it's genius!

Aside from managing traffic, the insertion ref concentrates on the chrono.

I'm not opposed to having the chrono's co-located at the CP, however the field either needs to provide tools at the chrono or allow players to carry the essential wrenches. When players are spending more time walking back and forth due to inconsistent chronos they are impacting customer satisfaction.

The biggest "cuprit" of erratic or rising velocity is CO2. CO2 should be a mandatory rechrono check at every reentry. WARPIG has an excellent article on CO2 Dynamics. CO2 Dynamics

Pay particular attention to the "Hot Gun" paragraph. The link to Rick Muncy's article that explains the rise in pressure per rise in external temperature is dead. Maybe someone can bring it up. If our refs know more about the mechanics of the gasses, maybe it will help them do the job better...

I would like to qualify my first post by stating that in no way did I mean for the first check to be it. I agree that random checks should be done throughout the event. If this is done and on a regular, random basis, I don't personally see the need to chrono every time before respawn.

Didn't think that, Duck. While it may not be necessary for HPA guns to recheck, CO2 is the biggest culprit for overpressure and hot shots. At very least, if a player using CO2 that has just refilled should be re-chronoed. Read over that WARPIG CO2 paper and you'll see the variables involved with CO2...

I personaly like the way PBC does it with a chrono station at each base. Sometimes we get hurried and do not recheck ourselves or if you are like me swap out markers randomly and do the quick chrono on one station which can be the inaccurate one. This keeps us all on the up & up and ensures that the field is doing all it can to keep it safe.
Thanks for that Skeeter & Brain, more places should do that just to piss us off... I mean to keep all the players safe!