There are two fields currently in use at IPS: the main field and the speedball field.

Main field:The general construction of the main field is wooden crates, pallets and buildings among numerous tall pine trees. Some brush bunkers have been constructed as well as some tire bunkers and plywood bunkers.

A tower stands midfield	One of several wooden buildings

There is a tower structure on the low side of the field, and several of the wooden buildings have stacks of cable spools in them, allowing shooting "over the top" of these buildings. This adds an interesting element of vertical fire. The buildings themselves are quite extensive, most having windows with gratings and several rooms.

The bridge	Sandy gulch

One thing that struck me about this field is the number of different types of structures and situations available in one game. You could really pick the kind of engagement you wanted. There is a wooden bridge constructed over a dry gulch that allows for a very unique scenario in one corner of the field. Many intense firefights end up there among the thick bush. No one had the guts to run across that bridge, though ...

All in all, the main field is extremely interesting and varied, well-laid out and fun. The rec ball experience of the designers shows. There is just enough cover to keep the game going, and keep stalemating and camping to a minimum. It accomodated 15-player teams quite well.

The speedball field as darkness approaches.

Speedball field: I did not play this field so I can only comment on its appearance. Cable spools and brush bunkers are the rule here, all low enough and sparse enough to promote a fast game. This field is available to anyone who wants to change the pace ... even groups if you have enough players to get a game on (and if there is enough staff to ref another game at the time).

Workers confirmed that at least one other field is in the works at IPS, and improvements are also planned for the existing fields.

Prices and policies are clearly displayed on boards at the rental stand.

As of Sept. 2001:

• Field fee $15 (1/2 off through September 2001)
• Gun rental fee $15
• $70/cs house Zap paint
• $80/cs house Proball Platinum paint
• $90/cs house RPS Marballizer paint

Policies are the things that give a field its character, and IPS is no exception. Most of the rules have a somewhat "oldschool" flair to them, and an obvious concentration on pure rec ball.

Rules:

• No outside paint (field paint only)
• No electric triggers
• No reactive triggers
• Own equipment OK (HPA and CO2 both OK)
• Gun/loader/pack hits don't count
• All back hits count, breaks or bounces (including pack hits)
• Players with gun malfunctions can leave and return

The Games: We played simple elimination games the entire time I was there, however there are flag stations set up for capture-the-flag games, and other players indicated that center-flag games were also played occasionally. The lack of variety may have been caused by the larger-than-normal crowd.

All players started at a single area on their respective sides of the field, and an airhorn signaled the start and end of each game. Game durations were 15-20 minutes. There were generally no recycles.

Refs: There were generally one or two refs per game, and they stayed visible and somewhat active, although not as active as I've seen other refs be at other fields or at other times. The all-back-hits-count rule helps mitigate this somewhat, as the need for paintchecks is greatly reduced. My biggest gripe is that "time remaining" wasn't announced loudly enough ... in a rec game, this really can help action pick up as the minutes wear down.