The weather appeared to hinder one side from effectively utilizing the scoring dashboard to monitor the WSS status and from employing radios for communication . While the game format does not necessitate a commander or a team , it does require vigilant oversight
of the battlespace to keep track of WSS status promptly . This oversight is crucial for devising counter-strategies . The Midwest team seemed prepared for this , equipped with $ 40 Baofeng radios and $ 50 burner phones , given their frequent participation in RKE events . Thankfully , neither the phones nor the radios suffered any damage due to the adverse weather conditions . Despite facing challenges like delayed 3000 psi fills from the compressor and enduring rain and mud , the players adapted well and made their way to the starting points on the field .
A standout feature of the game was the Mechs . These Mechs could transport one player , drop them off , pick up another player , and move around freely . The only way to eliminate a Mech was by another Mech , either by being shot with a scenario slug ( a Ballmart exclusive — contact your Ballmart representative for more details ) or defeated in a melee duel using a foam energy sword . With five Mechs at their disposal , teams could scout WSS statuses , capture exclusive WSSs , and transport players one at a time as needed , only needing to be wary of enemy Mechs . The Yellow team effectively utilized this tactic on Saturday , demonstrating its potency to the Red team , who adopted it on Sunday . At 10:30 AM ( delayed slightly due to weather ), the horns blared , signaling the start of six hours of relentless action amidst some of the heaviest rain Texas has seen
in years . Players engaged in fierce backand-forth battles for the first hour , with the Red team taking the initial session ,
Photo by John Amodea leading 1-0 . However , that would be the last scoring session for the Red team until Sunday , as Saturday belonged to Stayback , the Midwest contingent , and the rest of the Yellow team .
The Mechs became the standout leaders
on the leaderboard , far surpassing individual players on the field . As Ohmic ( Yellow ) steadily pushed Akron ( Red ) back
towards their insertion point , it became evident that the Mechs were instrumental in shaping the game ’ s outcome . While Akron attempted to rally , deploying smoke provided by the venue , their
Mechs operated independently without centralized communication . In contrast , Ohmic ’ s command staff , including the RKE Platform creator Allan Martin , supported their Mechs with a tablet and AR glasses , ensuring continuous access to the game map ’ s HUD . For a brief 30-minute period , Allan even led the leaderboard as a Mech , thoroughly impressed with how his creation performed in action .
Despite facing weather challenges , including a torrential downpour adjacent to a power substation located just 200 feet from the field , the WSSs performed admirably . This event served as a realworld test for these WSSs in rainy conditions , yielding valuable insights for the upcoming 6th generation build . These insights include implementing a faster ref reset option , providing WSS status updates to a producer dashboard , and improving
communication among the WSS units . Although two WSSs , # 7 and # 14 , presented some challenges , Big Bang managed to address them effectively through internal communication adjustments . Ultimately , 13 out of 15 WSSs remained active throughout the event , with all 15 operational for over three-quarters of the event duration . www . paintball . media
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