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GREENSBORO -- That someone would be shooting it out over a barrel of oil isn't such a farfetched notion nowadays. And so the fighters of Rogue Cell, Red Star and Team Krisis head into the woods near Sedalia to duke it out for the sake of humanity's energy needs.

They come back from the battlefield splattered in paint and covered in welts.

Though Texas tea is a precious commodity in this day and age, the "fighters" were actually engaged in a scenario paintball game, "Fuel of War," at Paintball Central's 75-acre Guilford County park.

In scenario paintball, players put on historical re-enactments or, as was the case at Paintball Central, futuristic or video game situations. Fighters are given certain roles, such as medic, engineer or helicopter pilot and sometimes military ranks. Games can go on all day, and unlike traditional tournament paintball, players who are shot can come back on to the field to keep playing.

"It's different from what everybody else likes to play. It's not just going out there and shooting as many people as you can," said Joey Lyon, a 30-year-old player from Colfax.

"You've got missions to complete, you have to hold territory. It's like what you would see in a combat situation, except you're not getting killed. In tournament, once you're shot, your game's over. I've seen games last 10 seconds, because when they blow that whistle, everybody starts shooting and the whole team will get shot right away."

Team sport

Military veterans who play say comparing scenario paintball with real fighting isn't a good analogy, but they also say military experience comes in handy when devising tactics and command structure.

"The biggest thing is knowing how to command people," said player Chris Molles, a 30-year-old Army sergeant and helicopter weapons technician who will soon be deployed to Iraq. "The Army training does help you a lot with that, knowing how to lead."

At the beginning of a game, the warring parties (which are made up of a coalition of local and regional teams) enter the field at opposite ends and take up their positions.

In "Fuel of War," three 55-gallon drums full of black-colored water are placed around the field. The action takes place in 2024, after oil wells have started running dry. As the storyline describes it, "There is only enough oil left to sustain one half of the world's remaining population. This is an inescapable fact. The only question -- which half?"

Players in the role of "field technicians" fill one-gallon jugs with the water. Those jugs can be used to obtain mission cards. If the team completes the missions listed on the cards, which can include tasks such as capturing an oil refinery, blowing up a command post or assassinating a leader, the team members earn points. The team with the most points wins.

Roles include medics, who are allowed to "heal" players by tagging them. If a player isn't tagged within about a minute of getting shot, he is officially considered dead and has to walk off the field. Demolition specialists have the ability to blow up structures by tagging them and yelling, "bunker tag," and stringing caution tape around them. Engineers can fix those structures by taking the tape off. In some of the more elaborate games, bottle rockets are also fired.

"It's really not that much different from playing football or soccer; it's still a team," said player Larry Rivenbark. "Everybody has a role, like a lineman or a quarterback, but here you're an engineer, a medic, a commander or a rifleman. We all know our part. We can't operate without the other part. There's a tremendous amount of respect, no matter what somebody's background is, given when you're on the field."

A more relaxed style of play

During the week, Rivenbark runs a custom exteriors company. But on this weekend at Paintball Central, the 50-year-old contractor is "Iron Man," and he looks like he's ready for war, with camouflage fatigues, canisters of ammo strapped to his back and rifle at his side.

A member of team Rogue Cell, he first played paintball 14 years ago with a group of friends but didn't become serious about it until last year.

"My son Chris (now 13), he started bugging me about taking him, and so we went out to a local field and played," he said. "And kind of by accident, we found a small scenario game going. We just kind of liked the concept of doing a daylong game, instead of just a lot of little games during the day. And also it's a chance for Chris and myself to do something together."

Rogue Cell has about 20 members, including several military veterans and law enforcement officers. They have taken part in re-enactments of the Battle of the Bulge and Operation Market Garden (a World War II European theater battle), as well as a number of sci-fi storylines.

Unlike regular tournament paintball where teams sometimes compete for large cash prizes, scenario players usually compete only for bragging rights.

"There's a very good competitive spirit between the teams," Rivenbark said. "But at the same time we're all friends. It's a good- natured competitive spirit. You shot me up this time, but give me another 15 minutes, I'm going to get you. So it's a good environment."

Though there's more strategy involved, players say scenario is a more relaxed game than tournament paintball. When someone gets shot, they have to walk off the field, but are typically allowed back in the game after a 15-minute break.

"In the tournament world, people are going out there for ranking and prizes and whatnot," said John Tinker, regional manager for Paintball Central. "Whereas scenario, it's all about playing with your friends. And it's a more recreational style of paintball. All those tournament guys -- they train every single weekend. Go out to the gym all week. Scenario, it's going to pull on you physically, but you don't have to be the type of guy who goes out to the gym all the time."

David "Otto" Deshaies, a member of Team Krisis, added, "We've got people of all sizes playing here, all ages from 10 up to guys in their 50s, as well as some people who could probably compete in the Olympics."

Even though the game may not be as high-pressure as tournament paintball, it can still get intense.

Once the fighting commences, the staccato of CO2 fire rarely lets up.

Soon, the grounds at Paintball Central are littered with gelatin paintball shells. Paint-splattered casualties walk into the dead zone for a short break, pick up some more ammo, tend their welts and rush back in.

"You get 40 guns going off in a small area, it gets loud and you get your adrenaline pumped up," Rivenbark said. "People start yelling pretty loud, 'Cover my left, cover my right, I'm hit.' The volume gets turned up, the excitement gets turned up."

Contact Robert C. Lopez at 691-5091 or robert.lopez@news-record.com.