Wayne Dollack

Wayne Dollack is an American paintball player, event producer and field operator widely recognised as a pioneer of scenario paintball. He is credited with producing one of the earliest documented commercial scenario games in 1985 and subsequently developing the extended, mission-based, role-playing format that became established within recreational paintball.[1]

Dollack and his wife, Jacqueline "Jackie" Dollack, operated Wayne's World of Paintball in Ocala, Florida, and produced 24-hour scenario events at paintball venues throughout the United States.

He was inducted into the Paintball Hall of Fame in 2019.[2]

Paintball career

Early involvement

Dollack was involved in recreational paintball in Ocala, Florida, during the 1980s.

He played with Marion's Raiders, a woodland tournament team associated with the Survival Zone paintball field, operated by Fred "Doc" Miley and his son Patrick.

The team participated in conventional capture-the-flag tournaments but also began experimenting with longer games incorporating additional objectives.

According to fellow scenario organiser Kerry Rosenberry, known as Viper, members of Marion's Raiders developed these games partly as a means of raising funds for tournament participation.[3]

Development of scenario paintball

In 1985, Dollack organised Operation C.I.A. (Cash in Action), regarded by paintball historian John Amodea as the first documented commercial scenario paintball game.

The event was held at the Survival Zone in Ocala and involved approximately 38 participants.

Players contributed money to a prize fund and competed to locate and capture a defended objective on the playing field.

The game introduced an organised mission and financial reward system distinct from conventional capture-the-flag competition.[1]

Dollack subsequently experimented with night games and extended playing periods.

In 1987, he organised The Longest Night, an early dedicated night scenario.

The following year, he produced Operation Stealth, identified in Amodea's historical research as the first 24-hour scenario paintball game.[4]

Introduction of role-playing

The development of character-based role-playing within Dollack's scenario games was influenced by Lenny Lancaster, a Vietnam War veteran and tabletop wargaming enthusiast.

Lancaster suggested allowing participants to portray fictional characters with particular identities and objectives rather than simply competing as members of opposing teams.

Dollack incorporated this concept into his events, introducing specialist characters, intelligence activities, fictional identities and missions linked to an overarching storyline.

These developments helped establish the role-playing format subsequently associated with scenario paintball.[1][4]

Professional event production

Following his early work in Florida, Dollack developed scenario paintball into a professional event production business.

His games were promoted as Wayne Dollack 24 Hour Role-Playing Scenario Games and were organised at commercial paintball fields across the eastern United States.

Dollack and Jackie travelled between venues, bringing their own event organisation, storylines, props and game management systems.

A contemporary WARPIG report documented Dollack's 64th scenario event, Tour of Duty, held at Skirmish Paintball in Pennsylvania on 11–12 July 1998.

The event attracted more than 600 participants across approximately 200 acres of woodland.

The report also established that Dollack had been producing games at Skirmish for seven years and had recently organised an event at Hell Survivors in Michigan.[5]

Scenario design

Dollack's events incorporated structured missions distributed through radio communications to opposing team commanders.

Participants competed to complete objectives, capture designated locations and recover scenario props.

The games also featured specialist characters, including spies, intelligence officers, medics and demolition experts.

Role-playing participants could influence the outcome through negotiations, information gathering, deception and the completion of separate objectives.

His 24-hour format generally incorporated daytime competition, night-time gameplay and a concluding morning session.[6]

Wayne's World of Paintball

Dollack and Jackie established Wayne's World of Paintball in Ocala, Florida, as a venue for recreational paintball and scenario events.

The facility featured constructed environments designed to accommodate different game formats, including fortified bases, villages, towers, bridges and other structures.

Its historical playing areas included a South American-themed village, simulated airstrip, helicopter, radar installations and an Incan-style pyramid.[7]

The venue became particularly associated with Dollack's recurring scenario events and the annual Paintball's Grand Finale.

Paintball's Grand Finale

Paintball's Grand Finale developed as the concluding event of Dollack's annual scenario programme.

The December 1997 edition, titled Area 51, featured a science-fiction storyline and a substantial paintball industry exhibition.

The December 2000 event, titled Battle for Earth, attracted more than 1,200 registered players, exceeding the attendance figures of previous Grand Finale events.

The 2000 event was produced by Wayne and Jackie Dollack alongside their associates Ben and Bonnie Torricelli.[8]

Grand Finale continued through subsequent decades, with changing historical, military and fictional themes.

The December 2025 edition, Operation C.I.A.: Conflict in America, marked the fortieth anniversary of Dollack's scenario game production.[9]

Living Legends

Dollack was involved in the inaugural Living Legends scenario event, held at CPX Sports in Joliet, Illinois, on 5–6 April 2008.

The event was developed through a collaboration involving CPX Sports, Smart Parts, Dollack and Kerry Rosenberry.

Dollack was responsible for creating the gameplay, while Rosenberry assisted with the event's mission structure, communications and scoring.

Living Legends was intended to bring together prominent figures from paintball's history and contemporary professional competition alongside recreational participants.[10]

Influence on scenario paintball

Dollack's work influenced the development of professional scenario event production in the United States.

Kerry Rosenberry, founder of Viper Paintball, has credited Dollack as an early influence and described seeking his advice before establishing Viper Enterprises in 1996.

Rosenberry subsequently developed scenario events in other regions of the country, extending the format pioneered by Dollack and his associates.[3]

Other organisers associated with the early scenario paintball community included Diane "Mother" Howe, Patrick "Pacman" McKinnon and Spiro "Black Cat" Mamaligas.[1]

Dollack's contributions included the popularisation of extended scenario games, character-based role-playing, structured missions and professional event production.

Recognition

Dollack was inducted into the Paintball Hall of Fame in 2019.

His induction recognised his contributions to the development of scenario paintball and the wider recreational game.[2]

In February 2026, Paintball Media Magazine published a retrospective history of scenario paintball, documenting Dollack's early events and influence over four decades.

The publication incorporated historical photographs and interviews with Dollack and other figures involved in the development of scenario paintball.[1][4]

References

External links