Admittedly, I’m from a different era. Growing up in New Jersey in the late 1960s and early 1970s, my siblings and I would play war, inspired by “The Rat Patrol,’’ or cops and robbers while imitating “The Rookies.’’ International espionage? “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’’ did the trick. Our games weren’t considered politically incorrect. We didn’t know any better. We just had a blast.

David Painter of Northborough can relate. The 51-year-old native of East Lyme, Conn. is the owner of Fox 4 Paintball in Upton and the upTon 187 cRew, a professional paintball team. More than two decades ago, he moved to Massachusetts and was invited by his new neighbors to play paintball. He got hooked immediately.

“My love for the game has only grown stronger over time,’’ he said. “I’m addicted to the fast action of the tournament paintball scene, the instant gratification of knowing if you’ve won or lost your point.’’

For him, paintball is the perfect answer for those pursuing faux gun play. The only question remaining for a prospective paintball player is whether to play indoors or outside.

“There is a huge difference between indoor and outdoor paintball,’’ said Painter. “Indoor is very loud and very fast, due to the small, enclosed areas.

“Outdoor can be fast . . . when played on the tournament field,’’ he said. “Outdoors also allows for more ‘Hide and Seek’ and ‘Capture the Flag’ from when we were kids, playing in the woods near our house.’’

Clearly, the allure of these games isn’t strictly limited to my generation. Paintball facilities throughout eastern Massachusetts offer a variety of options for a broad clientele, ranging from league play to kid-friendly skirmishes to specialty events like birthday and bachelor/bachelorette parties and corporate outings.

But the appeal still gets back to feeling like a kid, said Evan Duarte, 25, a Hopkinton native now living in Boston.

“As a kid growing up, everyone played with Nerf guns,’’ he said. “My friends and I always would have big Nerf battles in the yard.’’

And, of course, the age-old debate that vexed my brothers and our friends was the same for Duarte’s band.

“We would always have one major argument: Who shot who? It kind of took away from the tag aspect of the game if it couldn’t be recorded,’’ said Duarte. “The ability to see what you hit, and have an actual splat mark on your target, is what initially attracted me’’ to paintball.

That, and the physical exertion involved. Anthony Silva, the 21-year-old manager of Ultimate Battleground in Bourne, said he’s always been interested in war-themed game playing, but the exercise he gets through it is a bonus. Paintball has “kept me in shape,’’ he said, “instead of just sitting around all day playing computer games.’’

Another big reason why my mom was probably content to claim ignorance when it came to our gun-toting pastimes was that she had six of us. Getting everyone out of the house probably helped her stay sane. That’s still a draw, said Maria Harrington, a florist from Pelham, N.H., who has 10-year-old twins, Benjamin and Alexandra, who play in the “Splatmaster’’ program at Boston Paintball in Chelsea.

“It’s a fun team game that allows kids to be active,’’ said Harrington. “Benjamin loves the bunkers, hiding and running around with friends. He isn’t worried about getting hurt with all the padding and goggles on.

“Alexandra said she likes playing on a team with her friends and beating the boys,’’ she said.

Besides its Chelsea indoor venue, Boston Paintball offers “Apocalypse City’’ in Ashland and a Maynard field that is home to the New England Paintball League.

“The best thing about this sport, unlike most others, is that it doesn’t matter if you are a tall, skinny 10-year-old, or a short, fat 65-year-old,’’ said 33-year-old AJ Holt of Dorchester, co-founder of the GSD paintball team. “I don’t believe there is any such thing as a ‘typical’ paintball player.’’

“For instance, just on my team alone, our players range in age from 13 to 42, . . . with careers ranging from electricians, mechanics, carpenters, engineers, EMTs, 911 operators, police officers, and even a chef,’’ he said. “We all banded together for the love of the sport.’’

Many paintball enthusiasts acknowledge that perception issues surround their sport, especially given recent heightened concern about gun violence.

“The most common misconception is that paintball is like war,’’ said Painter, owner of the Upton game facility. “It’s far from it. There are so many different types of play, ranging from scenario play to tournaments. It is more a game of chess than war on the tournament field.’’

There’s also the issue of safety. Protective equipment is required, and low-impact options are available for pre-teen players.

“Paintball is very safe when following proper protocol,’’ said Duarte. “You must wear a paintball mask when operating a paintball marker. I’ve never seen or heard of a paintball-related injury. Your typical sports injures, yes – sprained ankle, bruised elbow, et cetera – but never anything related to the projectile of a paintball.’’

Arrayed against those risks, say enthusiasts, there’s the pure fun of the sport — and the friends made.

“On the playing side,’’ said Painter, “it’s the camaraderie and friendships built over 20-plus years of playing paintball tournaments around the country.’’

“People I may see only two or three time a year for a few days at a time are like old friends I’ve known my whole life.’’

Brion O’Connor can be reached at brionoc@verizon.net.