Crookshankz

MMO community connection:

The Gaming Goob

Chapter 1: Introduction

What is your name (your online persona/alter-ego, what have you)?

Crookshankz

What is your connection to the gaming/blogging/podcasting community (your chance to plug yourself here)?

I started blogging about MMO’s by accident really. One of the SOE dev’s (Grimwell) posted on his blog a “hard core challenge” asking people to only allow your toon to die 7 times and then delete him. And, you had to blog about your adventures. I took up the challenge and lost interest in it, in roughly a month or so but, I kept the blogging. I found it a good way to kill time at work. I started at crookshankz.blogspot.com and ended up changing over to http://thegaminggoob.wordpress.com where you can find me now.

Please take a minute and describe what your blog/podcast is about.

My only real theme is MMO’s. Mostly it is a diary of what I did the night before or what I plan to do in the future in an MMO world. Sometimes I will gripe about aspects of games that annoy me but, I’m not opinionated enough to do that regularly.

Where were you born? Where did you grow up?

Up until the 4th grade, I lived in Glenn, Michigan (close to Saugatuk). Then my family moved to Davenport, Florida and I lived there until my 20’s.

Where do you live now?

Deltona, Florida.

Your level (age) is somewhere in the range of (pick one): 10-20, 21-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-60, 61-70, 71-80, 81-90

31-40

What do you do for a living?

My fancy title is a Network Operations Center Technician. Mostly I just answer the phone here and there, and kill time in a small, dark room with no windows.

If you could reroll your career, what would you be?

I’m currently trying to reroll, to become a teacher.

List five random things most people don’t know about you.

• I once tipped over my high chair as a baby and cracked my skull.
• When I was 8 I wrote a full length Batman Comic Book
• Spending most of my day on a phone makes me not enjoy built in voice chat in games.
• I am horrible about cycling through hobbies.
• I enjoy drawing, painting, play the guitar and ukulele and write. All very poorly.

Feel free to discuss any family you have here.

Once upon a time I was married to the Wicked Witch of the West. I got tired of waiting for a house to fall on her, so we divorced. Afterwards, I met my current, wonderful wife and have an awesome stepson (age 11). I feel I am truly blessed with the best family I could ask for.

Chapter 2: Origins

What kind of games (if any) did you play as a child before you got into video gaming? Did you play with family, friends or was it more of a solo activity?

Pre 4th grade I was all about some baseball. I either played with my cousin who was quite a bit older or my dad. We had to use “ghost men” to stay on the bases for us. 4th-7th was 4 square at school and High School I could be found every day at the local basketball courts.

What other hobbies and/or activities did you have as a child (sports, music, etc)?

As a child? hmmm. I played video games back then quite a bit. I was an avid comic book reader, collected baseball, basketball cards. I’d also wrote and drew quite a bit.

Were you ever exposed to pen and paper role playing games? What was that experience like?

I tried quite a few times to play D&D. Back in my High School though I had a hard time finding people to play with. So trying to play usually consisted of me and 1 other person and we spent the time just rolling random characters.

Did you read much as a child? If so, what did you like to read (books, comic books, etc?)

As a child I read quite a bit. Hardy Boys, Encyclopedia Brown and A Wrinkle In Time. I was also an avid comic book reader. (I was taught to read by Spiderman).

Would you say that any of these games or books had an effect on your later appreciation of computer gaming and ultimately MMOs? Please explain.

I guess in an off way. Reading when I was younger taught me an appreciation of the Fantasy Genre. I read a lot now and they are pretty much all either Fantasy or Sci Fi. On the same note, all the games I play are either Fantasy or Sci Fi.

How were you first introduced to video games? How old were you? What was the platform?

When I was very young, my uncle had the original Pong. He would let me play it when I would go over and visit. I must have been maybe 4 or 5ish and still vaguely remember it. I also remember being a bit upset when I was 6 because my Dad was willing to pay $275 for an Atari 2600 but wouldn’t buy me a $7 toy (my priorities were confused back then).

Did you ever play coin-op games at the arcade? What was that experience like?

I use to play coin-op games like crazy. My dad use to work late night at a resort at Disney World. When I hit 15 or 16 he would get me into Disney and I would run around there until it closed. Then I would go over to his hotel and he would give me a roll of quarters. I’d play until he got off work. I did that once a week for a few months. Even when I was 20, and working at the local mall. I knew a guy who worked in the mall’s arcade and he would give me free games. So I’d go in there and play Street Fighter II during my lunch breaks.

What was the first video game you can remember playing that really made an impression on you? Please explain.

If I can still remember playing Pong at pre-5, I would think that counts.

What gaming consoles have you owned in the past?

Atari 2600, Commodore 64 (if that counts), NES64, Game Cube and the Wii.

Feel free to share a story related to your gaming experience as a child.

I when we first got our Commodore 64. We would go and buy Compute! Magazine (I think that was the name of it). And in these magazines you’d get pages of code for games to type in. You’d type it by hand, then go through and recheck it, save it too cassette tape and then execute the program. That was how we first started gaming on it. The process took days.

Chapter 3: Online

Were you ever exposed to MUDs?

My MUD experience is really limited to null. Early days I did play almost all the InfoCom text adventures. Zork, Planet Fall, ect, if those come close to counting.

What was your first MMO experience?

My wife worked on me quite a bit to give EQ a try. At the time, I played FPS’s and was afraid I’d get sucked into MMO’s. Wouldn’t you know it, I finally gave in to my wife (was there any doubt) and got sucked into MMO’s. If my /played is accurate that was early 05.

If possible, list all the MMOs you’ve played extensively.

• Everquest ~ 53 Monk, 53 Druid
• Guild Wars ~ many 20 builds
• Everquest 2 ~ 80 Shadow Knight, 80 Conj, 80 Troub
• Wizard 101
• Runes of Magic

What is your current MMO of choice, or perhaps, what are your current MMOs of choice?

Right now, I am MMO of choiceless. I’m just randomly playing various MMO’s waiting for something I’m actually intrested in.

Which MMO have you spent the most time playing? How long would you say that has been?

I’ve spent a good chunk of my MMO time playing EQ2.

Have you reached level cap in any MMO? If so, which ones?

Guild Wars, and Everquest 2

Loki taps you on the shoulder one day to inform you that you have fallen victim to one of his elaborate pranks. The world you’ve been inhabiting of countless MMOs to choose from and play has merely been a dream. In reality only one MMO exists. After laughing at you for a bit he decides to take pity on you and allows you to choose which MMO will remain. Which one would you choose and why?

Uhhh….Star Wars: The Old Republic? Right now, I’m not that into any one particular MMO so that mean ole Loki can take all his MMO’s and just leave me a pile of money

Are there any MMOs currently in development that you are particularly interested in? Please explain.

The Old Republic has my geek DNA pulsing like crazy! Also, I really think it’s about time that 38 Studios starts giving up some info on the game they are making. 38 Studios has such an all star cast, and if they can’t make a kick butt MMO I will have to consider not gaming ever again (no pressure guys).

Feel free to share an interesting or amusing anecdote related to your MMO gaming experience.

I think this posting was the closest thing to an anecdote I ever wrote. It’s fairly lengthy for this format but, if you get a chance, it will explain the goober in me.

Chapter 4: Preferences

At your peak, how much time per week would you say you spent gaming? How about now?

I shudder to think at my peak time. Maybe 5-6 hours per day on my weekdays and 10-15 per day on my weekends at my peak. I try to justify that much time as both my wife and son game as well so, we were all playing together. No one was being neglected. Now, maybe 10-15 per week.

When during the week are your regular play times?

Friday – Monday’s usually 9:30ish pm – 11:00ish pm and Tues – Thursday on my days off when I can find the time or the interest.

Generally speaking, are you more of a social creature in MMOs (grouping to quest, joining guilds, etc.) or something of a lone wolf?

Me being a shy person, I play alot with just my wife and I. Every now and then, I will join a guild that I click with most of the people in it.

Have you made any lasting friendships through your MMO experience? Please explain.

Yes. That’s why you find me going back into EQ2 for instance. I love the people in my guild there and we resub for a month just so I can say hi to them. I have quite a few of them on my facebook and I’ll keep in touch that way or via emails here and there.

Before logging into a game, do you already have a course of action planned out in your head, or do you just sort of do whatever you feel like once in game?

Just depends on how into the game I am. When I was hardcore EQ2, I usually had my time spent out. Now I’ll log in with a generic goal but not really a game plan.

When playing MMOs do you tend to just play one at a time or do you take more of the smorgasbord approach?

Right now I’m doing a Smorgasbord approach. I’m in between mmo’s just killing time until a game shows up that I’m actually interested in.

Do you tend to supplement your MMO gaming with other PC, console or tabletop games?

Here and there I will. The family gets into some Guitar Hero and Sims 3.

Are you something of an altoholic?

Huge, Huge, Huge. I never understand how people always play just one class without ever trying anything else. When I start playing an MMO, I’ll fill up my character slots with everything I may be interested in playing. And then just through playing them all I will start gravitating to what I actually like playing the most. I’m also big into matching Race, Class and name. If one of these things are off, I’ll have to remake the toon. (I’m just weird like that).

Do you find yourself multitasking while gaming (perhaps watching TV, talking on the phone, out of game instant messaging, playing another game, or even listening to a podcast)?

Not really. Sometimes I may listen to a podcast if I’m crafting. Usually though, I just game.

Do you find yourself having much MMO discussion off-line, perhaps with friends or family?

All the time. I’m surprised none of them have just told me to “Shut up, you’re rambling about non-sense”

Have you ever felt that you game too much? If so, how did you cope with that?

I’m fairly no-nonsense. When I feel I’m gaming too much, I just game less.

Since you started playing MMOs, have you ever taken a break from the genre? If so, please explain.

I have tried but, usually I just go back to MMO’s in a matter of days.

Chapter 5: Blogging

When did you first start blogging?

As I stated I started crookshankz.blogspot.com when Grimwell posted his hard core challenge. Later I switched from blogger to wordpress and changed the name to thegaminggoob.wordpress.com. On hind site, the name kind of makes me feel like a goob but I’m think I’m pretty much gonna stick with it.

Why do you blog?

Because I simply don’t have enought time sinks.

Do you have a schedule or some sort of routine you try and follow when blogging?

Not really. When I game, I just write about it. When I don’t game, I don’t.

Is there some grind involved in blogging? If so, what is it and how do you cope with it?

Nah. My blog is fairly laid back. When it feels like a grind I simply don’t blog.

By contrast, what do you find pleasurable about blogging?

I blog so I’ll talk about gaming less.

How many people offline know you blog or podcast?

The handful I actually talk to.

What advice would you give someone who wanted to try their hand at blogging?

Figure out why you want to blog and what type of blog you want to write. Use that as your guide lines.

What is something you know now that you wish you had known when you first started?

Your wife will pick on your misspelled words and poor grammer.

Can you picture a future where you will hang up your keyboard and no longer blog?

That time is definately coming soon.

At your funeral, what song(s) would you have played as your corpse is set alight and cast out to sea on a funeral barge?

Rainbow Connection?

Shawn Schuster

MMO community connection:

Massively | Massively Speaking | OMG-RL!1!| Through the Aftermath

Chapter 1: Introduction

What is your name (your online persona/alter-ego, what have you)?

I just go by Shawn. I’ve never been much for alter egos and all that good stuff.

What is your connection to the gaming/blogging/podcasting community (your chance to plug yourself here)?

I currently do 3 podcasts. Although in total, I’ve been the host of 6 podcasts and an audio book. I’m also the Managing Editor for Massively.

Please take a minute and describe what your blog/podcast is about.

Let’s go chronologically, shall we?

- Weisenheimer Radio: This was my very first shot at a podcast where I basically played indie comedy music I found around the net. It lasted about 3 months before I was overwhelmed with the popularity of my second podcast. Even though this podcast totally sucked, it was my first adventure with a podcast interview and I received my first free swag from a wonderful band called Orange Monkey, who I still love.

- GuildCast: This was a podcast all about Guild Wars. Still my most popular podcast to date, even after almost 4 years doing this.

- TabulaCast: I played Tabula Rasa in the beta and loved it, so I decided to make a podcast about it. Had lots of fun with the show and the game, but just couldn’t stay with either.

- Oh My God Real Life: This was started as my show where I could just let loose and say whatever I wanted. It soon evolved (thanks to the addition of my co-host Jenna) into a humorous advice podcast for gamers. It’s really a lot of fun to record and I enjoy the interaction with the gaming community and acting like I have some good advice for them.

- Eve of Adam: This is my first attempt at an audiobook where I presented it more as an ‘in-character’ play than an actual audiobook.

- Massively Speaking: This is the official podcast of Massively.com, started by Michael Zenke and myself a little over a year ago. We cover the top MMO news stories each week, with special guests consisting of developers, community leaders and the rest of the Massively staff.

- Through the Aftermath: My newest podcast that I started up with Jonathan from The Online Gamer’s Anthology. We cover everything post-apocalyptic in media — from games, movies, books, comics and more.

Where were you born? Where did you grow up?

I was born in Northwest Indiana, right smack dab in the middle between Gary, IN and south Chicago. Needless to say, I didn’t go outside much, lest I get shot. This is probably the main reason I got so deeply involved in activities that kept me inside.

I moved around quite a bit after college, do the most growing-up in Phoenix, AZ and New Orleans, LA.

Where do you live now?

Tennessee

Your level (age) is somewhere in the range of (pick one): 10-20, 21-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-60, 61-70, 71-80, 81-90

33

What do you do for a living?

Managing Editor for Massively.com

If you could reroll your career, what would you be?

I absolutely love my job, and it took me a long time to get here, so I wouldn’t think of rerolling right now.

List five random things most people don’t know about you.

• I do all the housework at home, except cooking. I can’t cook, but I can wash a mean dish and vacuum the hell out of a carpet.
• I am saving up to buy a farm.
• I own 2 cats: Max and Hemi
• I get anxious when my phone rings because I hate talking on it. I hate texting even more and will usually not answer you if you text me.
• I consider myself an environmentalist, but my one vice is old cars. I love rebuilding them, watching drag races and going to car shows. Other environmentalists would probably kill me if they knew that.

Feel free to discuss any family you have here.

I have a daughter and a step-daughter. I’m divorced, but living with my girlfriend for about a year now.

Chapter 2: Origins

What kind of games (if any) did you play as a child before you got into video gaming? Did you play with family, friends or was it more of a solo activity?

Risk, Sorry, Monopoly, Life, Dark Tower. Those are the ones I remember playing with my parents the most. Risk was kind of a right of passage for my family during birthday parties. Once I was allowed to play with the adults, I felt I had become a man.

What other hobbies and/or activities did you have as a child (sports, music, etc)?

I always hated sports. My dad tried getting me into baseball and wrestling, since he was good at both when he was younger. But I just wasn’t competitive enough to care about winning. I was that kid standing in left field picking grass and looking at bugs.

I started playing drums on my mom’s tupperware when I was about 11, which evolved into drum lessons and an old kit I got at a garage sale when I was 14. Eventually I got into a metal band in high school and we had a nice little following for a while there: studio-produced album, t-shirts, paid concerts… the whole nine yards. Some of the greatest times of my life!

Were you ever exposed to pen and paper role playing games? What was that experience like?

I played AD&D with my best friend and a few others when I was in 9th and 10th grade, but I was always afraid my friends in the metal band would find out and make fun of me, so I stopped. I was totally in nerd denial.

Did you read much as a child? If so, what did you like to read (books, comic books, etc?) Please list some favorite authors, titles, etc.

I could read my first book at 3, and my parents loved to bring this up to as many people as they could, as many times as they could. I was fanatic about my GI Joe comics in the mid 80s. I still have them all, too. I never had the attention span to sit down read too many novels though, but my best friend was an avid reader and turned me on to some great stuff like R.A. Salvatore and all the Forgotten Realms books.

Would you say that any of these games or books had an effect on your later appreciation of computer gaming and ultimately MMOs? Please explain.

Definitely. My best friend’s appreciation of the whole fantasy genre is what got me into it and we immersed ourselves into it with the music we listened to, the drawings we created, the movies we watched and most everything we did.

How were you first introduced to video games? How old were you? What was the platform?

When I turned 10, my (rich) aunt and uncle bought me an Atari 2600. Back then, that was a huge deal because they were expensive, and there’s no way my parents or I could have ever bought that. I would sit and play games like River Raid, Space Jockey, Outlaw, Grand Prix, Vanguard and others religiously.

Not long after, my best friend’s dad got a Commodore 64 and he would let us watch him play Telengard. I was fascinated by it and I’d want to watch him play more than my friend actually would. I saved my allowance for a few months and got a used C64 from the newspaper. This was the fuel that fired my future obsession with RPGs, thanks to SSI’s Gold Box series when I was about 13.

Did you ever play coin-op games at the arcade? What was that experience like?

There was one arcade near my house, and whenever my parents would drive me and my friend there, we’d spend hours and more quarters than I’d care to remember. Ironically, he met his current wife there, although back then she was just an icky girl and we were more concerned with getting the top score in Golden Axe.

What was the first video game you can remember playing that really made an impression on you? Please explain.

Pool of Radiance. It was so amazing to me that I could make a party of adventurers to control against real AI monsters. I went full-force into the RPG genre from here, playing games like Wasteland, Knights of Legend, Bard’s Tale and a few others at every spare second I had.

What gaming consoles have you owned in the past?

I was never much into consoles. I guess the Atari 2600 could be considered my first, then I had a Sega CD, an Xbox and now a Wii. That’s it.

Feel free to share a story related to your gaming experience as a child.

In junior high, I would set my alarm for an hour early every morning so I could play games on my Commodore 64. For anyone who never owned a C64, most of that time was spent booting the darn thing up, but it was totally worth it.

Chapter 3: Online

Were you ever exposed to MUDs?

MUDs played a big part of my life from 1996 until about 2002 or so. I met my ex wife on a MUD, and my current gf on a MUD. This is an unfortunate coincidence, not a creepy dating MUD or anything.

What was your first MMO experience?

I wasn’t really ‘allowed’ much gaming while I was married, so I missed out on things like EverQuest, UO, etc. I remember looking at the boxes on the Best Buy shelves for EQ and even an oldie that got shut down called Motor City Online. I remember reading the back of the boxes thinking “How on earth can they expect people to pay for a game AND a monthly fee?! That’s absolutely insane!”

When Guild Wars came along in 2005, that was my ticket in.

If possible, list all the MMOs you’ve played extensively.

• Guild Wars – Level 20 Necromancer
• Tabula Rasa - Level 37 Spy
• Lord of the Rings Online - Level 60 Hunter
• Runes of Magic – Level 25 Mage/Warrior

What is your current MMO of choice, or perhaps, what are your current MMOs of choice?

It’s been LotRO for about a year and a half now, and I have yet to find a game that will bring me away from that for longer than a month or 2.

Which MMO have you spent the most time playing? How long would you say that has been?

I used to know Guild Wars like the back of my hand, and played it religiously for almost 3 years. I still play it occasionally now, but not nearly as much.

Have you reached level cap in any MMO? If so, which ones?

Guild Wars and LotRO. If combining the levels of alts counted, I would have reached the cap in Tabula Rasa about 4 times, not counting clones.

Loki taps you on the shoulder one day to inform you that you have fallen victim to one of his elaborate pranks. The world you’ve been inhabiting of countless MMOs to choose from and play has merely been a dream. In reality only one MMO exists. After laughing at you for a bit he decides to take pity on you and allows you to choose which MMO will remain. Which one would you choose and why?

LotRO. I want to live in The Shire and grow vegetables all day.

Are there any MMOs currently in development that you are particularly interested in? Please explain.

Actually, several…

Fallen Earth. The game mechanics of that game are everything I’ve ever wanted in a game since I started (only because I missed the pre-NGE Star Wars Galaxies). I worry about the game though, because it’s being developed by an indie studio which might not be able to handle the inevitably negative comments from the majority of forum trolls who will hate it because it’s not simple and/or World of Warcraft. I hope I’m wrong though, because I like what I see so far.

Global Agenda. I’ve played this game a few times and have had so much fun every time. PvP is not usually my thing, but they make it so fun. That might all change once the teabagging Xbox Live demographic enters the picture, but we’ll see.

Aion. This is NCsoft’s last chance at regaining a positive public opinion. I hope they can pull it off, so that development will follow through on their next big title…

Guild Wars 2. I will buy this game even if every game reviewer out there said it was the worst game they’ve ever played. I love ArenaNet and I love what they’re capable of making. I have high hopes that GW2 will be huge.

Feel free to share an interesting or amusing anecdote related to your MMO gaming experience.

I have loads of these stories, mostly because I never pay attention when I’m playing. I fall off cliffs, aggro unwanted monsters and get left behind many times. One day I’ll learn to turn off my IM client and concentrate on playing. One day.

Chapter 4: Preferences

At your peak, how much time per week would you say you spent gaming? How about now?

At my peak, I would play Guild Wars 6-7 hours after work every night. Now, it’s down to about 2 hours a day across many games

When during the week are your regular play times?

I dabble throughout the day when I get the itch, but the only times I play for more than 30 mins at a time are usually after 10pm EST. I don’t really play on weekends at all, because that’s family time.

Generally speaking, are you more of a social creature in MMOs (grouping to quest, joining guilds, etc.) or something of a lone wolf?

I’m usually a lone wolf, but I’ve been blessed with a wonderful kinship in LotRO, so I play with them whenever I can. I like to at least be a part of a guild in every game I play, even if I don’t always play with them. In fact, I really enjoy the prcess of starting new with brand new people in a guild who don’t know me at all. That’s so interesting and exciting to me.

Have you made any lasting friendships through your MMO experience? Please explain.

Definitely. I’ve even met several guildmates. I see my LotRO kinship members about once a year and we go out for dinner, etc.

Before logging into a game, do you already have a course of action planned out in your head, or do you just sort of do whatever you feel like once in game?

I usually log in with a plan, but that changes if someone needs help with something. I’m open to doing whatever, and don’t get upset or frustrated if my original plans get forgotten. But this usually means I level slower than everyone else, because I’m not determined to advance as quickly as possible.

When playing MMOs do you tend to just play one at a time or do you take more of the smorgasbord approach?

I used to be all about one game, and wouldn’t think of trying another game. Now (mostly because of my job), I try to have a working knowledge of as many MMOs as I can. That’s becoming increasingly more difficult.

Do you tend to supplement your MMO gaming with other PC, console or tabletop games?

I would go insane if I didn’t. My favorites include Fallout 3, Rockband 2, Guitar Hero World Tour, Mount & Blade, Half Life 2 and Wii Sports. I also love to play board games with my kids. I created a simple tabletop RPG for them using only animals as characters and Uno cards for a basic combat system. We have lots of fun with that.

Are you something of an altoholic?

Yep, and I’m not afraid to admit it. I need to try out every class, and every race, and every combo, and… and. Well, let’s just say it takes me awhile to find my perfect character. Even then, I like to go back to other alts and try new stuff.

Do you find yourself multitasking while gaming (perhaps watching TV, talking on the phone, out of game instant messaging, playing another game, or even listening to a podcast)?

I HAVE to multitask when gaming. I’m either reading email, searching my RSS feed for potential news stories and always listening to podcasts or music. When I edit podcasts, I’m usually gathering nodes in LotRO.

Do you find yourself having much MMO discussion off-line, perhaps with friends or family?

Only with my gf, who also plays Guild Wars and LotRO. None of my family and most of my friends don’t even know what an MMO is.

Have you ever felt that you game too much? If so, how did you cope with that?

If it didn’t pay my bills, then yes. I still get guilt trips if I play for too long, and usually make up for that by doing more housework or something else productive.

Since you started playing MMOs, have you ever taken a break from the genre? If so, please explain.

Not since I started playing MMOs, but I think that’s because I started so late (in 2005). I took a break from gaming for a few years while I was in college and married, though.

Chapter 5: Blogging/Podcasting

When did you first start blogging/podcasting?

I started podcasting in July of 2005. I started blogging in about 2000 on Livejournal, but that doesn’t count.

I started Weisenheimer Radio first, in July of 2005, then GuildCast on November 19th, 2005. From there, I started OMGRL on July 31st, 2007 and TabulaCast on October 15th, 2007. Eve of Adam started in January of 2008, Massively Speaking in April of 2008 and finally, Through the Aftermath started on January 30th, 2009. Apparently I like to start podcasts in July and January.

Why do you podcast?

Originally, I started podcasting because I loved the whole (new) concept of podcasts at the time. I loved sitting at work with my headphones on, listening to other people talk about gaming. My first gaming podcasts were World of Warcast (even though I never played WoW at the time) and Gaming Steve. I enjoyed them so much, and I enjoyed playing Guild Wars, that I thought marrying the two would be a good choice. It was.

Do you have a schedule or some sort of routine you try and follow when podcasting?

Definitely. I think you need to. Out of the three podcasts I do now, TTA and MS are on regular schedules. OMGRL is the only one that comes out whenever I have a chance. Possibly not coincidentally, OMGRL also has the fewest listeners.

Is there some grind involved in podcasting? If so, what is it and how do you cope with it?

Editing is almost a grind, but I enjoy it. It’s very soothing, and I could probably do it in my sleep now. I actually cope with it by farming in LotRO or doing something menial in another MMO. I have to make sure it’s something I can stop immediately when I hear a mistake that needs to be cut out of the podcast. So grouping is out of the question during this time.

By contrast, what do you find pleasurable about podcasting?

The finished product. Knowing that I created something that could potentially educate or entertain someone.

How many people offline know you podcast?

Very few, actually. I once told a co-worker and he asked me if I LARP and cosplay, too. Then he proceeded to tell me all about his weird sister-in-law who goes to Ren Faires and plays a lute and how crazy she is (to him). Lesson learned, on my part.

My parents know, but don’t even begin to understand. I tell them I make internet radio shows, and they kinda understand that. They just don’t understand how it could be about video games. I usually don’t tell too many people though, to avoid explanations.

What advice would you give someone who wanted to try their hand at blogging or podcasting?

• Be consistent
• Be yourself
• Don’t worry about spending hundreds of dollars on recording equipment. I use a $30 headset and free mixing software.
• Don’t conform to negative feedback. Constructive criticism is one thing, but for every person telling you they hate your show, there are dozens more who like it and don’t say anything.
• Don’t respond to idiots. Afterall, they’re idiots.

What is something you know now that you wish you had known when you first started?

Nothing. I think the fact that I was so naive helped me learn the way I did. I seem to learn best from my mistakes because they really stick with me.

Can you picture a future where you will hang up your microphone and no longer podcast?

I’ve never really thought about it too much, but I coped just fine before podcasting and blogging. Of course, right now it’s how I earn my money, but I hope to stay in this as long as I possibly can.

At your funeral, what song(s) would you have played as your corpse is set alight and cast out to sea on a funeral barge?

“Time to Say Goodbye” by Andrea Bocelli. That’s the song I played on the final GuildCast and OMG IT’S SO SAD.

David

MMO community connection:

Timesink

Chapter 1: Introduction

What is your name (your online persona/alter-ego, what have you)?

David “No Nickname” Bailey

What is your connection to the gaming/blogging/podcasting community (your chance to plug yourself here)?

I maintain a blog at http://www.timesink.ca which I really didn’t think too many people knew about.

Please take a minute and describe what your blog/podcast is about.

My blog mostly reflects the games I’m playing at the moment and my experiences in them.

Where were you born? Where did you grow up?

I was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. My dad was in the military so I was fortunate enough to grow up in many different cities across the country, however most of my time has been spent in Ottawa, Edmonton, and Winnipeg.

Where do you live now?

Winnipeg, Manitoba

Your level (age) is somewhere in the range of (pick one): 10-20, 21-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-60, 61-70, 71-80, 81-90

33 years old according to my birth certificate. 8 years old according to my wife.

What do you do for a living?

I’m a Network Administrator and second level support for a large organization. My duties include many things that would probably sound very boring.

If you could reroll your career, what would you be?

Growing up I always wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps and become a pilot for the military. I think that’s something I’d really enjoy. Of course, If I’m allowed to dream here, I’d be playing for the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL.

List five random things most people don?t know about you.

• I love to sing, and do so constantly when home alone.
• When I was a kid I drew a comic book featuring a character named Scabman. He was a regular guy who had been decapitated and the ensuing fountain of blood dried up and formed a new head made entirely out of scab. I still have it buried in my closet somewhere.
• I like to tell my friends that I write fiction.
• In my younger days I once gave myself a horrible looking black eye when I went to dive on to my bed, over shot it, and face-planted into the wall.
• After watching the movie “Heat” I wanted to become a professional criminal

Feel free to discuss any family you have here.

I’ve been married to my wonderful, beautiful wife for seven years and we have an adorably cute two year old daughter.

Chapter 2: Origins

What kind of games (if any) did you play as a child before you got into video gaming? Did you play with family, friends or was it more of a solo activity?

Growing up I used to play board games quite often with my two sisters. We played the typical games, Monopoly, LIFE, Sorry, etc. Aside from board games, most of my time was spent outside with the neighbourhood kids playing ball tag, hide and go seek, and just about any other game we could think of.

What other hobbies and/or activities did you have as a child (sports, music, etc)?

I’ve played hockey my whole life, and soccer until I was fifteen or so. I was forced to take piano lessons for one year which I didn’t enjoy.

Were you ever exposed to pen and paper role playing games? What was that experience like?

I wasn’t heavily exposed to pen and paper RPGs, but I always wanted to play them. I had the basic set (Red Box) released in 1983 but only played it a little bit with a few friends off and on, certainly not enough to leave a lasting impression. Only recently, with the release of fourth edition have I started to play more, although due to various commitments and other excuses, we don’t get together as much as I’d like. I love the idea of playing, making it happen is where the difficulty lies.

Did you read much as a child? If so, what did you like to read (books, comic books, etc?) Please list some favorite authors, titles, etc.

I wasn’t a heavy reader. Any reading I did was either comic books (X-Factor, Batman), or Choose Your Own Adventure-style books. My favourites were the Fighting Fantasy books done by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone, of which I had quite a few.

Would you say that any of these games or books had an effect on your later appreciation of computer gaming and ultimately MMOs? Please explain.

There’s no doubt the books I read had an influence on my video gaming habits, especially the Fighting Fantasy books which are essentially basic computer role-playing games, minus the computer. I once converted one of the books, I think it was “Island of the Lizard King”, into a simple game using BASIC on my Commodore 64. I literally re-typed the book into the program and connected all the pages using a series of GOTO statements based on whatever page the player wanted to go to next. I had a lot of free time back then.

As far as I can remember I’ve enjoyed exploring alternate worlds and the books I read, and later, the games I played complemented that.

How were you fist introduced to video games? How old were you? What was the platform?

I don’t remember having a huge interest in video games as a kid. Back then the only time I saw them were in the malls on display (I have no idea what systems, probably Colecovision) or arcade machines in restaurants. A friend of mine eventually got an Atari system and even then I don’t really remember playing with it much; we were always outside.

Things started to change when my dad brought home a Commodore 64 one day (if I were to hazard a guess, I’d say it was 1983-84ish). That thing rocked my world, it was so cool. Miner 2049er was the first game I played on it and I was hooked. As such, I consider the C64 my introduction to video games.

Did you ever play coin-op games at the arcade? What was that experience like?

When I was little, the arcades were strictly off-limits. It was where all the “bad kids” went. As a result, aside from the odd machine in a restaurant here and there I didn’t play the coin-ops until later.

When I was about 13 or 14 there was a local arcade that would let you book your birthday party there. This became the big thing for my circle of friends to do. The birthday boy would get an unlimited supply of quarters while everyone else got a set amount, and we’d just go crazy for an hour or two. Those birthday parties were amazing.

The corner store by my place had a Double Dragon machine which was the greatest thing ever for that particular summer. I remember feeling pretty awesome the time I finished that game on one quarter. The crappy thing about it was when playing co-op, I could never seem to beat my friend at the very end after fighting the machine gun dude, and I’d always lose the girl.

Later on, during my last year or two of high-school, there was a place that had eight Daytona USA cabinets connected together. A bunch of us would go and race each other on weekends, which was crazy fun.

What was the first video game you can remember playing that really made an impression on you? Please explain.

There have been a lot of games that I’ve played that have made an impression on me, but there are a few that were just different in some way and really stood out. Perhaps the first one would be Times of Lore on my Commodore 64. Wikipedia tells me it released in 1988 yet I can still remember it quite well. It was the first game that really drew me in to its world, which was absolutely huge for its time. It doesn’t surprise me in the least to see it was developed by Origin Systems, they made awesome games.

What gaming consoles have you owned in the past?

Commodore 64, Turbo Grafx-16, Super Nintendo, Gameboy Advance, Xbox, Game Cube, Xbox 360.

Feel free to share a story related to your gaming experience as a child.

Answering these questions has certainly sparked some fond memories. The next time I’m over at my dad’s place I’m going to have to search through the boxes in the basement to see if my old Fighting Fantasy books are buried away there.

I don’t really have a specific story pertaining to my gaming experience as a child, but what I remember most fondly is getting together with friends and taking turns playing whatever game it was we had rented for the weekend. I wonder if kids still do that, or do they just stay in their respective homes and play over the internet?

Chapter 3: Online

Were you ever exposed to MUDs?

I’ve never been exposed to MUDs, nor have I exposed myself to them.

What was your first MMO experience?

EverQuest II. My first character was created April 10, 2005. I really wasn’t interested in getting into MMOs but my friend kept bugging me to try it out. One day he sent me a link to the Trial of the Isle seven day demo and I figured I’d give it a shot.

Despite the island being relatively small and restricted to level seven, I was hooked. Shortly after I bought the full game and I played for three more years until finally leaving Norrath.

If possible, list all the MMOs you’ve played extensively.

• EverQuest II from April 2005, to March 2008. My main character was a level 74 Berserker. I also had a 74 Mystic which likely would have become my main had I continued playing.

• World of Warcraft from March 2008 to present. My main character is a level 80 Shaman (enhancement spec). I’ve got a few lower leveled alts that are slowly getting more of my attention.

I also had a two month stint in Vanguard in between EQII and WoW.

What is your current MMO of choice, or perhaps, what are your current MMOs of choice?

World of Warcraft.

Which MMO have you spent the most time playing? How long would you say that has been?

EverQuest II for three years.

Have you reached level cap in any MMO? If so, which ones?

Currently at the cap in WoW. I was at the cap twice in EQII but didn’t have the steam to push myself to its current cap of 80.

Loki taps you on the shoulder one day to inform you that you have fallen victim to one of his elaborate pranks. The world you’ve been inhabiting of countless MMOs to choose from and play has merely been a dream. In reality only one MMO exists. After laughing at you for a bit he decides to take pity on you and allows you to choose which MMO will remain. Which one would you choose and why?

This is a tough question for me. Ultimately I’ll choose World of Warcraft but that’s not saying it’s the best MMO, rather it’s the best MMO for me. My family commitments keep me from playing a great deal these days and WoW fits into that very well. It’s easy to pop in for an hour or two here or there and still get something accomplished. I don’t raid, nor do I group much and take on instances, but I still feel like there’s something fun for me to do.

If I had more time to commit to playing, my answer may very well be EverQuest II. In my opinion it doesn’t offer the solo experience that WoW does, but its instances and raids were awesome fun. Unfortunately, I’m not able to devote the time to it that it would need.

Are there any MMOs currently in development that you are particularly interested in? Please explain.

Not really actually. If anything I’d say Star Wars: The Old Republic, but to be honest I haven’t seen or heard anything about it that’s making me tremble in anticipation.

Copernicus, or whatever it is that 38 Studios is working on could have potential based on some of the names attached to the project, but I have a feeling it won?t amount to much. Hopefully I’m wrong on that one.

I’m curious to know what Blizzard’s secret MMO currently in development is, and I would be absolutely thrilled to hear that EverQuest 3 is being planned.

Feel free to share an interesting or amusing anecdote related to your MMO gaming experience.

I swore I’d never play a game that charged a monthly fee. “What a waste of money,” I thought. Since then I’ve played three years of hardcore EverQuest II and another year of World of Warcraft. Not only that, I started a blog to talk about all this stuff. I never would have believed it four and a half years ago.

Chapter 4: Preferences

At your peak, how much time per week would you say you spent gaming?

I’d guess 30-40 hours per week. Thinking about that now just blows my mind.

How about now?

Maybe 10 hours.

When during the week are your regular play times?

Nowadays I wait until my daughter is in bed and asleep which is usually between 8:30 and 9:00. I’ll get an hour or two of gaming done after that if nothing else is going on.

Generally speaking, are you more of a social creature in MMOs (grouping to quest, joining guilds, etc.) or something of a lone wolf?

I’m definitely a lone wolf. I’ll play now and then with friends, but only if we can schedule it ahead of time. My window of free time has narrowed significantly over the past couple of years so it’s much easier to just log in and do my own thing instead of waiting around to find a group.

Have you made any lasting friendships through your MMO experience? Please explain.

No, I’ve gone into each game with the friends I’ve already had.

Before logging into a game, do you already have a course of action planned out in your head, or do you just sort of do whatever you feel like once in game?

I typically have a plan in mind when logging in, but it’s not so rigid that I won’t ditch it if something else comes up.

When playing MMOs do you tend to just play one at a time or do you take more of the smorgasbord approach?

I barely have the time for one. I’ve tried two at once (EQII and WoW, WoW and Vanguard) but I just couldn’t do it. I would find myself more interested in one over the other and play it more to the point where it just wasn’t worth the cost of keeping the other around.

Do you tend to supplement your MMO gaming with other PC, console or tabletop games?

I try. I’ve got an Xbox 360 which I play off and on. I tried tabletop games (Warhammer 40k) but got too burned out painting my darn army to bother playing the game (there’s a billion dollars I’ll never get back; that stuff’s expensive).

I jump into other PC games now and then but like so many others have said before; whenever I play something else it always feels like it’s causing me to “fall behind” in my MMO. It’s absolutely ridiculous, but the stacks of games I’ve bought and never played confirm that it’s real.

Are you something of an altoholic?

No. I had a couple of alts back in my peak MMO days, and one of them eventually caught up to my main in levels, but I’m mostly a one character guy. Typically I’ll start an alt just to get a feel for a different class, or to see some zones I wouldn’t have seen with my main, but they’re usually forgotten about eventually.

Do you find yourself multitasking while gaming (perhaps watching TV, talking on the phone, out of game instant messaging, playing another game, or even listening to a podcast)?

I’ll sometimes have the TV on in the background (typically a hockey game), or I’ll check out a web page or two on the side.

Do you find yourself having much MMO discussion off-line, perhaps with friends or family?

Constantly with friends; it’s all we talk about.

Have you ever felt that you game too much? If so, how did you cope with that?

I definitely have felt that I game too much, usually as a result of a certain look my wife gives me. My heavy duty playing days are in the past however, and my play time is much more reasonable now. My family always comes first and I have quite a few other obligations and hobbies that keep my gaming in check.

Since you started playing MMOs, have you ever taken a break from the genre? If so, please explain.

Yes I have. Towards the end of my EverQuest II days I was completely burned out and took a few months off from MMOs. I played a bunch of other single player games, even finishing a few of them, and loved it. Eventually I started to feel the itch for MMOs again and ultimately ended up in World of Warcraft.

Chapter 5: Blogging

When did you first start blogging?

My first post on Timesink is dated Wednesday, March 21, 2007. Previous to that I had a personal blog, mostly just for family and close friends to read which I still post to today, albeit infrequently.

Why do you blog?

I like to write, and I like discussing games. Mainly it?s just another hobby for me, and I collect hobbies like they?re going out of style.

Do you have a schedule or some sort of routine you try and follow when blogging?

I blog whenever the mood strikes me and when I feel like I’ve got something to say. Sometimes that means several posts in one week (rare), but for the most part I’ve sort of settled on one or two a week these days.

Is there some grind involved in blogging? If so, what is it and how do you cope with it?

I simply don’t let it become a grind for me. If I don’t feel like posting, I don’t.

By contrast, what do you find pleasurable about blogging?

I just enjoy sharing my gaming experiences and opinions. Also, the realization that complete strangers have read something I wrote is pretty darn cool. I was on cloud nine after receiving the first comment that wasn?t from someone I knew.

How many people offline know you blog?

My core group of friends, which is about six or seven people.

What advice would you give someone who wanted to try their hand at blogging?

I’d point them towards one of the free blogging sites and tell them to go give it a shot. They’ll find out fairly quickly if It’s something they enjoy doing or not.

What is something you know now that you wish you had known when you first started?

I can’t think of anything actually. Part of the fun in starting the blog for me was taking the leap without really thinking about it. If anything I wish I knew back then how much fun I was going to have doing it, because I would have started blogging about games even sooner.

Can you picture a future where you will hang up your keyboard and no longer blog?

Absolutely, although that time hasn’t come yet. I imagine I’ll just get bored of it one day.

At your funeral, what song(s) would you have played as your corpse is set alight and cast out to sea on a funeral barge?

Amazing Grace, played by a hundred bagpipers as a thousand F-18s streak overhead through the worlds largest fireworks display. You know, something simple and modest.

Andras

MMO community connection:

Free Play Podcast

Chapter 1: Introduction

What is your name (your online persona/alter-ego, what have you)?

My current, and longest standing one is Andras Krigare, Andras being the name of some demon on wikipedia, and Krigare being the swedish word for warrior. Note, it should really be (“Kree” “gar” “eh”)

What is your connection to the gaming/blogging/podcasting community (your chance to plug yourself here)?

I am the official analogist at the Free Play Blog. I also make sure that no one has an easy job editting by adding inappropriate comments on occassion.

Please take a minute and describe what your blog/podcast is about.

We try to provide a complete review source for everyone who enjoys the MMO experience, but, like me, hates monthly fees.

Where were you born? Where did you grow up?

I was born in Sweden, but moved over to CT

Where do you live now?

In MD (or Maryland for the laymen)

Your level (age) is somewhere in the range of (pick one)

Mental age: 0-10
Physical age: 10-20

What do you do for a living?

I make pizzas like you would not believe. +5 DEX apron.

If you could reroll your career, what would you be?

Most likely game development/programming. Or a Scientist. Whichever has better crafting.

List five random things most people don’t know about you.

• I run around in circles for a sport. REALLY big circles
• I can touch my spine from my front
• My favorite game of all time is Star Wars Republic Commando
• I once stripped for $40
• The last one was a lie

Feel free to discuss any family you have here.

Now, is that a politely phrased demand, or a genuine offer?  Either way, I’m probably going to answer anyways. By probably I mean most definitely. My parents got divorced when I was younger, but it went as smoothly as that kind of thing can go. Mom’s kinda “spiritual” and somewhat hard for me to relate to, but over-all she’s pretty cool. My dad’s much more into technology and, by the transitive property, easier to relate to. I got two sisters, one of which I don’t exactly get along with, and two step siblings, who I usually keep at arms length. I’m pretty sure I have more family, but I’m not going to go into the whole genealogy here.  We got some cats, too. Heh. There’s another word for cats that’s funny.

Chapter 2: Origins

What kind of games (if any) did you play as a child before you got into video gaming? Did you play with family, friends or was it more of a solo activity?

I mostly played single player games as a hermit, but I did get Smash Bros. for the N64 and played with my sisters… And then they didn’t want to play with me after losing a few times with max handicap. Grrg.

What other hobbies and/or activities did you have as a child (sports, music, etc)?

I liked/like to run around in really big circles, also known as running Track and Cross Country. Listening to music, reading the odd book here and there. Oh, and I liked to play dress-up.

Were you ever exposed to pen and paper role playing games? What was that experience like?

I was exposed, but only recently, and it was filled with shenanigans and over-all silliness.

Did you read much as a child? If so, what did you like to read (books, comic books, etc?) Please list some favorite authors, titles, etc.

I used to be big into Sci-Fi, some great works include anything by Micheal Crichton, The Last Book in the Universe, and any of the “classics”

Would you say that any of these games or books had an effect on your later appreciation of computer gaming and ultimately MMOs? Please explain.

In a sense, yes, but only in the idea that I enjoy sci-fi games. I think that has more to do with the technology aspect than any literature I enjoyed prior. They do give me slight pains when reading quest text, though.

How were you fist introduced to video games? How old were you? What was the platform?

A friend of mine at my old bus stop played the Game Boy Color, and when I saw the amazing potential of it, I had to have one. From there it careened into computer games, the playstation, the N64, and so on.

Did you ever play coin-op games at the arcade? What was that experience like?

I would try my hand at Smiles Entertainment Center, and I would spend seemingly endless amounts of allowance on the styling of House of the Dead. I think that’s what really got me into shooter games.

What was the first video game you can remember playing that really made an impression on you? Please explain.

That would most likely be Pokemon Blue. The impression it left wasn’t so much in the content, but in the ability it possessed to hold my attention. It was my first grinding experience.

What gaming consoles have you owned in the past?

Gameboy Color, Gameboy Advanced, Playstation, N64, Ninetendo Gamecube, Xbox, Xbox 360, Wii

Feel free to share a story related to your gaming experience as a child.

I played the Star Wars Dark Forces 2 game, and fell completely in love. I still consider it one of my top 15 games of all time.

Chapter 3: Online

Were you ever exposed to MUDs?

I was back before the Free Play Gamers when I was just trying to find a good F2PMMO. I was enthralled by the retro feel, but quickly grew tired of it.

What was your first MMO experience?

That’s a toughy, since I would usually mooch off of Riknas and all the MMOs he played, but the first that I owned and paid for was City of Villains around 2005 or 06. My computer thought that it could run the game, but I would have half-hour to 45-minute loading times. I didn’t renew.

If possible, list all the MMOs you’ve played extensively.

Okay, so we got the aforementioned City of Villains, where I typically played a DPS stalker, and occassionally a mastermind.

Then I went onto my stepbrother’s World of Warcraft account, where I tried a hunter and warrior, I think I only got up to around level 15.

Then… Eve online, which I returned to again later. I was going for EWar, and got the reqs for an interceptor.

After that it gets blurry with all of the different F2P MMOs I went wandering to after that.

What is your current MMO of choice, or perhaps, what are your current MMOs of choice?

Love Guild wars, but I haven’t had the memory to re-install it, I still approve of Eve online, though I don’t feel too compelled to play it at the moment. Really, I’m keeping my eyes on the horizon.

Which MMO have you spent the most time playing? How long would you say that has been?

Well, Eve without question, but there was a lot of mindless work involved there. The MMO I’ve put the most active thought into was probably…. World of Warcraft once we got steady group nights going.

Have you reached level cap in any MMO? If so, which ones?

No, that’s still a goal of mine. (Makes me feel like a poser)

Loki taps you on the shoulder one day to inform you that you have fallen victim to one of his elaborate pranks. The world you’ve been inhabiting of countless MMOs to choose from and play has merely been a dream. In reality only one MMO exists. After laughing at you for a bit he decides to take pity on you and allows you to choose which MMO will remain. Which one would you choose and why?

First off, I’d ask if I could get something else instead (a superpower perhaps?) When he would undoubtedly laugh and threaten to take away his wish, I would probably have to say (almost guiltily) Guild Wars, but I’d have to do so out of ignorance, really. I would probably start to say Eve Onli-, but after the gloss of the player interaction wore off, I’d realize that would not be an intelligent choice. In the end, I might have to settle for a ressurected Tabula Rasa. Before anyone gets ready to through bottles at me, I feel that if TR were the only MMO and had the amazing revenue stream and extended time (without having to keep scrapping 90% of its code), it might have had something really amazing there, and its failure was just a case of too little, too late, not the absence of ambition.

Are there any MMOs currently in development that you are particularly interested in? Please explain.

There are quite a few MMOs I’m interested in, the first that comes to mind being Fallen Earth. I love the post-apocolyptic setting (morbid, maybe; fun, we think so) and the FPS ideas with it. The team seems to have reasonable goals set for themselves, aiming for a consistent base if not a large one, and they have a completely different outlook on crafting. I won’t go into total detail on every MMO I’m watching, but Champions Online, Jumpgate Evolution, and the possible Stargate Online.

Feel free to share an interesting or amusing anecdote related to your MMO gaming experience.

I suppose mine will fall into the category of interesting, and might take place over too long a timeline to truly be considered an anecdote, but since this is a question that I will “feel free” to answer, it shouldn’t matter too much.

So, whilst playing eve online, I ended up joining a corporation, whose leader was absent for a good deal of time. During this period, me and my accomplice (Riknas) decided we would try and make him the new CEO, since we could not be certain if the old one would return. In order to do this, we had to do quite a bit of social networking, to the point where I actually used the game’s notepad feature to keep track of who had what opinions on the matter, and who it would be best to avoid. Eventually Riknas got voted in, and upon doing so the former-CEO came back and pronounced his concern over the matter in a most colorful way. There the corp split, much like the Sunni and Shi’a, over who supported who. The old corp leader got another corporation to try and completely obliterate us, but Riknas was able to enlist the aid of a wonderful person we met very early one, who got HIS friend in a mercenary corp to declare war on the offending corporation.Throughout this there was lots of hiding in stations, frantically asking anyone if the coast was clear, quickly warping to a nearby station if a corp member said they were under attack.

Oh, yeah, and we only joined the corp to try and rob them.

Chapter 4: Preferences

At your peak, how much time per week would you say you spent gaming? How about now?

I probably spent 45 – 50 hours a week gaming. Now that the rest of the “busy” world has caught up with me, I usually get about 5 – 10. I’m not sure if this is a bad thing or a good thing.

When during the week are your regular play times?

I wish I had them, its usually whenever I get some free time. I guess it would typically be early weekends and late weekdays

Generally speaking, are you more of a social creature in MMOs (grouping to quest, joining guilds, etc.) or something of a lone wolf?

I’m a shy wolf, I would say. I don’t like meeting and grouping with random people in MMOs, but I think I’m usually pretty sociable once I’m introduced by a more extroverted friend like Riknas here. It’s a weird dichotomy since I absolutely hate soloing.

Have you made any lasting friendships through your MMO experience? Please explain.

I’m not sure if the friendship was made through the MMO or through other mediums, but to be safe, I will say yes.

Before logging into a game, do you already have a course of action planned out in your head, or do you just sort of do whatever you feel like once in game?

I typically forget where I was when signing into the MMO, so I usually do whatever I feel like in the game, unless there’s a pressing auction item or something which requires previous planning.

When playing MMOs do you tend to just play one at a time or do you take more of the smorgasbord approach?

Definitely one at a time, but only for fiscal reasons.

Do you tend to supplement your MMO gaming with other PC, console or tabletop games?

I usually have the other games ready for my breaks in between MMOs, but when I have one that I’m subscribed to, I feel I won’t be getting my money’s worth unless I play it in all my free time. Which kinda ends up killing the game a bit. I should probably stop that.

Are you something of an altoholic?

I wish I knew what that me- oh! Like alternate characters! Then, yes, since in most games (most notably City of Heroes) I love the character creation and set-up, and it usually takes me a few run throughs before I create a character I feel like investing considerable time into.

Do you find yourself multitasking while gaming (perhaps watching TV, talking on the phone, out of game instant messaging, playing another game, or even listening to a podcast)?

I feel like if I do that, the game I’m playing probably isn’t worth the money involved. That said, in F2P games, I will often do it. The one I can remember most clearly was playing runescape on my laptop, grinding for runes, while watching the Twilight Zone marathon.

Do you find yourself having much MMO discussion off-line, perhaps with friends or family?

YES! I would adjust the font and make it larger, but I fear that adjustment might not make it into the final product. As a note, larger fonts are typically used to add emphasis, what I’m trying to achieve here. I find myself talking about MMO comparisons, rumors, opinions, theories, and anything else you can think of to anyone with the slightest care for MMOs, and a few that do not.

Have you ever felt that you game too much? If so, how did you cope with that?

There was a time when I felt a gamed too much, particularly during those 45- 50 weeks. I eventually decided that I would immediately stop gaming given the slightest opportunity to do anything else. This actually helped quite a bit, as I took more walks, hung out with more friends, and played more boardgames. In my current situation, I feel like I could stand to play games a bit more. Ah well.

Since you started playing MMOs, have you ever taken a break from the genre? If so, please explain.

Yes, I take fairly frequent breaks. Usually I get tired of the MMO I’m playing and stop until Riknas “drags” me into the next one. I daresay these stints are longer than the time I actually play MMOs, with the exception of when we review the F2P ones. I don’t really count those.

Chapter 5:  Podcasting

When did you first start podcasting?

I first started podcasting with Riknas with a show called Behind The Front Lines, which was for the late Tabula Rasa (may it rest in peace). The show was fun, but a bit difficult considering the game was hardly dynamic enough to warrant its own podcast, and a lot of what we did was merely reading some news and sharing our opinions about it. We did get to interview the community manager which was pretty fun.

After leaving that (me because my computer could not even run the came which I was podcasting about) there was a while that we didn’t do anything, and we felt the need to. We through some ideas around with reviewing things, and reviewing MMOs, and reviewing things on an incredibly cheap budget, and F2P MMOs seemed like an obvious choice. We started the blog on gax online alternating reviewing games in textual form, and once I acquired a functioning microphone, we quickly moved on into the Free Play Podcast that you may know us as today.

I do sort of miss some of the things you can do textually, but not verbally.

Why do you podcast?

Funny things, I originally misread this as How do you blog/podcast and wrote up this nice answer involving skype and audacity.

There are certainly many unflattering reasons why I might podcast, such as the inflated ego, the imaginary popularity I receive, the feeling of raw power the likes of which might only be rivaled with that of a certain Death Star. But I think its mostly the feeling of accomplishment, of progression, that I cannot derive from my school or work. It also, oddly enough, makes me feel professional in a way which, though hard to describe, is incredibly compelling. On many occasions due to scheduling issues and my own short memory, I’ve brushed off threats from Riknas by saying I wouldn’t really care to much to be off the show; it would give me more free time. That may be true, but I would have the feeling that something would be conspicuously missing.

Do you have a schedule or some sort of routine you try and follow when podcasting?

Yes and no. We have been changing our schedule a bit here and there, and some things get missed for whatever reasons.

Is there some grind involved in podcasting? If so, what is it and how do you cope with it?

The grind usually comes when I occasionally have to edit the podcast. There is a lot of listening through, stopping, adjusting someone’s volume, listening a little more. The easiest way to cope is to try and actually listen the podcast; while we’re recording it we really don’t get the same understanding of what everyone is saying as when you listen to is passively.

Trying to make a switch to just syncing up two audacity recordings, which should alleviate that, but who knows?

By contrast, what do you find pleasurable about podcasting?

I would say the actual recording of the episode. It’s nice to be able to have a fun, possibly intelligent discussion ( a thing Riknas and I will do in our free time anyways) while also feeling that we are contributing to the community in some way because of it, that we are providing a service.

How many people offline know you podcast?

Narcisist that I am, I’ve told more or less everyone I know with mixed results. I would say only 4 or 5 know and actually seem to care. One of them is my girlfriend, who doesn’t play games, so I’m not sure she counts.

What advice would you give someone who wanted to try their hand at podcasting?

GET A CO-HOST! But, more importantly, get a co-host you have some chemistry with. Podcasts, in my opinion, are more about having a conversation than listing off news or opinions. When I listen to podcasts its usually because I’m in a situation where I can only listen and not interact in any way. Podcasts still give you the feeling of being in a conversation, even when you are unable to contribute.

Co-hosts also halve any work you have to do, provided you split it evenly.

What is something you know now that you wish you had known when you first started?

I’m not sure there is any specific tidbit of knowledge or advice I would have benefitted from when I started, it’s more the experience and comfort I know have in podcasting that I think helps more. There aren’t as many stare-at-the-microphone moments, and bloopers are dealt with pretty seamlessly so that we can get back on track quickly.

Can you picture a future where you will hang up your  microphone and no longer podcast?

I can picture this future, but it is also marred with air-raid sirens, machine gun fire, Swastikas and very possibly and oncoming alien invasion. Short of that, no.

At your funeral, what song(s) would you have played as your corpse is set alight and cast out to sea on a funeral barge?

Zippidy Doo-dah

Openedge1

MMO community connection:

Dichotomy of the Gamers Blogosphere

Chapter 1: Introduction

What is your name (your online persona/alter-ego, what have you)?

Openedge1. I also have gone by Amatheon. My saying is “It is as simple and complex as that”.

What is your connection to the gaming/blogging/podcasting community (your chance to plug yourself here)?

I started blogging about a year ago after being interested in what others had to say. In particular I have enjoyed West Karana, Tobolds Blogspot, and many more. My main connection and how I came to be know is how I am slightly rigid in my belief that if something stinks, I am going to tell people. It started with LOTRO and blossomed to other mistakes like Warhammer Online. Due to the WAR blogging and particularly my commenting on blogs who were in “love” with the game with all of my criticisms, I got reamed by several known bloggers.  Heartless_, Hudson, Keen and Graev and Bildo all took offense to my comments and told me to stop what I was doing. I took this as feeling like I was living within a communist society (only say what others want you to say and be happy). I converted my blog into a Russian speaking blog, and only posted stories from other bloggers about WAR and how excellent it was and referred to these bloggers as “Comrades” in the MMO Communist Bloc. I then was noted on the podcast “Channel Massive” with their own little reward system about my shenanigans. There was a lot of controversy over this. Some understood the reasons I did it, others did not.  Basically, it led to my latest blog after I blew up my previous blog and re birthed as The Dichotomy of the Gamers Blogosphere.

Please take a minute and describe what your blog/podcast is about.

Basically I do cover subjects of what games I am playing. I do discuss the industry to an extent, as I feel the MMO genre has grown stale, and needs a reboot. I discuss 360 games, TV and Movies (in particular Sci-Fi and Horror), and of course some personal stuff. Just like a good bloggie should.

Where were you born? Where did you grow up?

I was born in Kentucky, but lived most of my life in Michigan. I moved to North Carolina about 9 years ago, and married my current gamer wife (I was slightly odd in that I had never been married, and waited until I was 40 years old and found me a “Southern Belle”.)

Where do you live now?

Western North Carolina, in the area called the “Smoky Mountains”.

Your level (age) is somewhere in the range of (pick one): 10-20,
21-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-60, 61-70, 71-80, 81-90

41-50

What do you do for a living?

From Research, Web Development, Computer Systems. I own my own Computer business and do servers and systems. I also work for a Non-profit religious group with Web research, Drupal development under contract.

If you could reroll your career, what would you be?

A musician (again) I played drums for 3 years, but let others ruin my development in that arena, especially as we had one hit that was regional. But, dope heads ruined that course of my life…ah well.

List five random things most people don’t know about you.

• I went to art school for 1 year before having to leave due to credit concerns (this was when they started to deny loans due to bad credit for schooling)
• I dated a stripper for a year, who went Psycho, and thought she was another person (she kept swapping her personalities of at home and the stripper, and got messed up. Her family ended up putting her in an institution…)
• I still write my own music, and I am working on some quick “30 second” commercial style pieces
• When I go to an amusement park and do the “How old are you”, they always miss it between 15-20 years,.,..(whole family on my fathers side looks young)
• I hate some technologies, like Blackberries, Twitter, Facebook and Myspace.

Feel free to discuss any family you have here.

I have a wife who is 11 years younger than me, the “Southern Belle” who is a great Fantasy gamer herself. I also have a son who is 10 this year! He is also a gamer. I am also working on raising him by being aware of what the real world is like. We discuss today’s issues with him, and other taboo subjects that some parents balk at. He is quite intelligent, and is working on making Halo videos to upload to Youtube!

Chapter 2: Origins

What kind of games (if any) did you play as a child before you got into video gaming? Did you play with family, friends or was it more of a solo activity?

I liked playing as the superhero or war games with my friends from my neighborhood. At a young age though I started to get moved around a bit and started to play more on my own until High School. (More on that later)

What other hobbies and/or activities did you have as a child (sports, music,etc)?

I played only a little sports, like football. I was musically inclined and at around 13 I hit my stride and started out playing drums, this then became a career for a bit from 18 until I was 26.

Were you ever exposed to pen and paper role playing games? What was that experience like?

Indeed. A friend of mine from school (who ended up having the same last name as me…weird) introduced me with the original rules, dungeon crawling, the whole 9 yards. I played all through high school (and sometimes with a little help from my friend mary jane…yea, did that too), and played until my mid 30’s. Experienced many games from D&D to the I.C.E rulesets, Shadowrun and Vampire the masquerade (and variants).

Did you read much as a child? If so, what did you like to read (books, comic books, etc?) Please list some favorite authors, titles, etc.

I liked comics when I was still very young (about 8 or 9)..until high school, and one class had me read the Hobbit. Then it was all over, and I read full blown. A novel a day type of reading. I started with Tolkien, went to Roger Zelazny, Stephen R Donaldson to name a few.

Would you say that any of these games or books had an effect on your later appreciation of computer gaming and ultimately MMOs? Please explain.

110%. I think starting with video games when I was very young helped. From Pong and Nintendo, to an Amiga computer and my first PC being a Windows 95 machine…I was definitely there, and knew it would be an easy progression to MMO’s.

How were you fist introduced to video games? How old were you? What was the platform?

As stated above…Pong, Nintendo…and even before that with arcade titles, bar games (like Pac man, etc…). I would say my first video game was when I was 13. Owned a Commodore 64 when I hit 18.

Did you ever play coin-op games at the arcade? What was that experience like?

Again,stated above. My Mom worked for a short while at a local bar as a Waitress/ Bar-tender, and they had games like Pac man, Dig Dug, Tempest. I really loved pinball machines as well.

What was the first video game you can remember playing that really made an impression on you? Please explain.

The first game was Pools of Radiance, part of the TSR gold series. The group dungeon adventures, with the real time combat was a joy. I even had some friends that we would invite Mary Jane again (hehe) and sit around and each take a character and decide their options, just like a D&D game. I already started to see options for for computers and Pen and Paper RPG’s at that time.

What gaming consoles have you owned in the past?

Pong, Nintendo, Sega Genesis, Playstation 2, Xbox, Gamecube, 360.

Feel free to share a story related to your gaming experience as a child.

I think the most important gaming experience when I was very young were the games of D&D. We went all out heading to far spots in our town in the woods or in the park to camp out, and bringing our books and doing the game. Long sessions, overnight fun, we could play for hours on end. I still have the most fond memories of these times.

Chapter 3: Online

Were you ever exposed to MUDs?

My first ever MuD was Nethack/Rogue. And this was quite brief. I had an Amiga with a 2600 baud modem. I also remember the extremely high phone bills after. I had my phone shut off after that period…lol.

What was your first MMO experience?

I usually call my access to NWN Persistent World my first taste, I played for about an hour or two, and thought I would never do this kind of stuff again. But, then I followed up when Guild Wars was released. This I consider my “true” entry due to the complete package. A huge guild, vent server, the whole nine yards.

If possible, list all the MMOs you’ve played extensively.

WoW. I am to old to have that much of a memory. I can tell you the extensive MMO’s. Guild Wars for around 2 years worth of play, WoW almost a year, LOTRO for almost a year (including Closed Beta 1 and 2) EQ2 was 8 months. Age of Conan is going on 6 months, Lineage 2 was 2 months, and the rest were always under 2 months. I can say I always was a spellcaster or healer…GW was on and off, but WoW was my first true all heal game. Age of Conan is the first game where I have totally loved melee classes, and play them extensively.

What is your current MMO of choice, or perhaps, what are your current MMOs of choice?

There is no doubt that Age of Conan has really shone for me, and made me realize that I may not like the High Fantasy games like WoW, LOTRO, etc. Guild Wars still calls me back once in a while, and Guild Wars 2 would have me totally!

Which MMO have you spent the most time playing? How long would you say that has been?

Guild Wars for sure. The fact it is free really makes it the easiest to return to.

Have you reached level cap in any MMO? If so, which ones?

NEVER. I may be unique in that. Age of Conan is looking to be the game for this to happen though.

Loki taps you on the shoulder one day to inform you that you have fallen victim to one of his elaborate pranks. The world you’ve been inhabiting of countless MMOs to choose from and play has merely been a dream. In reality only one MMO exists. After laughing at you for a bit he decides to take pity on you and allows you to choose which MMO will remain. Which one would you choose and why?

Guild Wars. If I was FORCED to choose. I mean, c’mon…FREE! oh, and way fun.

Are there any MMOs currently in development that you are particularly interested in? Please explain.

One hint….it has a G a W and a 2. ‘Nuff said.

Feel free to share an interesting or amusing anecdote related to your MMO gaming experience.

When my wife and I started in Guild Wars, we had one player who was slightly naive about the situation of the MMO’s. He could not comprehend that one player was maybe NOT a woman. When the woman kept making “guy like” remarks, and this friend kept giving “her” gold, we finally told him. When he confronted this “woman”, she quit the guild, and went on silence mode so we could not whisper… This was our first run in with this special “contingent”.

Chapter 4: Preferences

At your peak, how much time per week would you say you spent gaming? How about now?

Peak times could be 4-6 hours a night. I remember my wife and myself skipping work to play through some quests, and then on the weekends, we could play for 10-12 hours straight with foodie breaks between while we chatted over vent. Now though I cannot play more than 4 hours without needing a break. I have a new routine of 1-2 hours in the mornings and 3-4 hours on the weekends. Good casual play.

When during the week are your regular play times?

Oops…stated above. I have a M-F from 6-8am play schedule, and a little longer on Weekends. I have not played in the evenings for a long time now. Maybe I need to get on an Aussie server?

Generally speaking, are you more of a social creature in MMOs (grouping to quest, joining guilds, etc.) or something of a lone wolf?

Lately a lone wolf due to my weird schedule. Weekends I try to find groups though…but, I am not chatty. I use to be back in my heyday, as it seemed we played more for the friendship than the game itself. But, this friendships created quite a few issues in those relationships, like arguments, control issues, etc.

Have you made any lasting friendships through your MMO experience? Please explain.

My wife an myself have two people we still speak with. One gentleman joined us for every game. But, then we reached a divide when it came to LOTRO. This game broke up our gaming friendship for a year and we all hated LOTRO with a passion. We have started speaking with him again, who btw is playing LOTRO again…but we will not. Thus we just chat.

Before logging into a game, do you already have a course of action planned out in your head, or do you just sort of do whatever you feel like once in game?

Recently I have had a course of action. I have NEVER finished an MMO (even though you really can never finish an MMO)..i.e: I have never max leveled and raided or done any endgame. I am currently on the war path to do this. Otherwise, the only other game that we ever had a plan with was Guild Wars, which is really an entertaining game to focus on their missions and progression. The game really condones that planned gamestyle, and works. MMO’s just do not feel like they have a plan though…so I never had one myself.

When playing MMOs do you tend to just play one at a time or do you take more of the smorgasbord approach?

I have tried to play multiple games, and it never works. One always wins out, and I focus on that one.

Do you tend to supplement your MMO gaming with other PC, console or tabletop games?

Yes. We have an Xbox 360, and I have played several other single player games on my PC (The Witcher was a true winner)

Are you something of an altoholic?

Naw. I like to try some classes out to see if I like them, but I just cannot focus on more than 2 or 3 at most. Usually only 2 win.

Do you find yourself multitasking while gaming (perhaps watching TV, talking on the phone, out of game instant messaging, playing another game, or even listening to a podcast)?

Big time. I always like to break after some quests, and will scan some sites, do some Twittering or Facebook action. I even paused a game once or twice to watch a show on Hulu.

Do you find yourself having much MMO discussion off-line, perhaps with friends or family?

Just on my blog. I use to chat with the one friend 3-4 times a week on games over cell or vent. I will troll forums sometimes, or visit other blogs to talk about games..but not really too much lately…too busy.

Have you ever felt that you game too much? If so, how did you cope with that?

Not anymore. I really have a good schedule. I always worried about it in the past, but life is real good, thus no reason to involve myself too deeply in games when I have other things to do.

Since you started playing MMOs, have you ever taken a break from the genre? If so, please explain.

I had a major break after the launch of Age of Conan, No other game interested me. The game really broke down the parameters I associated with the MMO genre, and when I tried to play older games, they failed to me. I was able to play Guild Wars for a couple of months with my wife, and we had a blast. But, we finally left that genre for over 6 months. AoC’s failure to perform well was disappointing… But, when the game was taken over by Craig Morrison, I got an itch, and went back, and was quite pleased, and learned how to enjoy this MMO again. But, I am still leery of other slow style global cooldown MMO’s, and may never play those again… stay tuned!!

Chapter 5: Blogging

When did you first start blogging?

Originally I started just lurking on forums and other bloggers blogs, commenting away. I noted about a little over a year ago that my comments became quite stream of consciousness, and of course took up too much space in their comment sections.  I then took it to the blogs.

When I first started, it was a little about my guilds in the games I enjoyed, then it became commentary on the MMO industry. But, at one point, the commentary became a war of words with other select bloggers. A disagreement became a battle of the blogs.  My commentary ruffled some feathers, and I got a little ticked at the comments taking place. Felt like a forum troll war.

I took my blog, and converted it into a Russian Bloc, complete with paraphernalia, imagery and Russian alphabet being combined with Communist like news stories. All other bloggers who “kissed the butts” of the games and developers they enjoyed were taken to task as “Comrades” of the Blog Regime…hiding how bad some games were behind a Russian like rhetoric. Especially after the Age of Conan, WAR releases, there became quite a continuity in the blogosphere.  Dousing their game with love even though the game was not that great. It was the shiny new smell that still had them enthralled. From Keen and Graevs praise of WAR, Heartless_ meanderings on how it will be THE game and Bildo’s personal attacks all because of WAR love, this really got me fed up with this group of bloggers. I wrote articles about their blog posts, having fun, and making them look like Communists.  But, after this brief stint, I destroyed my blog…i.e: Russia finally nuked itself!

I recreated what my blog is today, and I am more focused on the games I am playing and discussing those games in particular, and avoiding the blogosphere itself as my posting regimen.

Quite a story. Head to Channel Massive’s podcasts, and find their archives there of how this played out.

Why do you blog?

It is a good outlet to me to tell a story of what is happening in my game of choice, and a way for me to write my thoughts. I am not an overly social person outside of my blog (yet, I play social games)…and that is a personal preference. I will not get into that story. But, by blogging (and Twitter now) I can communicate with a world who may wish to read what these games are doing…or not. It is up to them. I am not in it for the money…that’s for sure…lol

Do you have a schedule or some sort of routine you try and follow when blogging?

I am trying to stick to a post a day. But, it can be random. No set day of “this is what I will write”. Like I said, I wanted a stream of consciousness way of discussing whats going on. And it is a way to share with anyone who has an interest in my game of choice to see what is happening in that title, and if it may be right for them. Maybe it is a “rants for free” service if anything.

Is there some grind involved in blogging? If so, what is it and how do you cope with it?

If I want to write a big article, I have to feel it. Like sharing a post on a major quest I completed or something…but, it is not grindy to me (it was before the Bloc exploded though…and maybe that is why that happened..I needed an outlet to destroy this need of my own to force blog each day)

By contrast, what do you find pleasurable about blogging?

That stream I discussed. I want to write what I am thinking and sometimes it may have typos, or be confusing to some people. But, it is an outlet for me, not meant to be news..I also think that is what the Bloc meant to expose. Some of the bloggers think they are news, paparazzi, and they are just another person with an opinion…I have even noted some of those bloggers who blew up with me seem to not write anymore. Maybe realized their words were falling on deaf ears?

But, the blog is a personal outlet to discuss what I am feeling…It truly is my own diary of gaming and stuff.

How many people offline know you blog?

A few…not a lot. Wife who has discussed stuff with me in the past.  Several gaming friends…that is about it.

What advice would you give someone who wanted to try their hand at blogging?

Don’t…unless you know that you are doing it for yourself. A lot of the bloggers from last year all died in their blogging and blew up themselves. Due to the fact the game they chose maybe died, or they felt they were reporting something important. Just know that the blog is for you…not anyone else. If you wish others to read it…share it…but don’t expect a major audience…and who knows..

What is something you know now that you wish you had known when you first started?

Be careful of how you discuss things with others. Some do not understand how to take the written word and disconnect. Some still have “feelings” hurt when words are used. Even though those words may not be harmful. I guess you just need to learn to control some language and I am trying my best to deal with that.

Can you picture a future where you will hang up your keyboard and no longer blog?

Yup…but, as Conan says “In the year 3000…..”

At your funeral, what song(s) would you have played as your corpse is set alight and cast out to sea on a funeral barge?

Sorry…burning taking place here. We do not need to be ruining our oceans with strange objects like myself. But, hey, if some bagpipers wanna play something as my body turns to smoke…cool!

RC

MMO community connection:

Grinding to Valhalla

Chapter 1: Introduction

What is your name (your online persona/alter-ego, what have you)?

Randolph Carter

What is your connection to the gaming/blogging/podcasting community (your chance to plug yourself here)?

I’ve just recently started this Valhalla project, and beyond that I don’t think anyone here would know me from Adam.

Please take a minute and describe what your blog/podcast is about.

I’ve done my best to try and explain what this project is here.

Where were you born? Where did you grow up?

I was born in Tyler, Texas.  I grew up in Richardson, Texas…a suburb in north Dallas.

Where do you live now?

Sachse, Texas.  Let’s hear you pronounce that one.

Your level (age) is somewhere in the range of (pick one): 10-20, 21-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-60, 61-70, 71-80, 81-90

41-50

What do you do for a living?

I am a cataloger at a public library.  Interesting job that.   I also order the science fiction and fantasy titles for our collection.

If you could reroll, what would you be?

I’ve always thought it would be interesting to work as a game developer, maybe for a company like Bioware or Bethesda.  However, I’m not one who works very well under pressure or with deadlines.  I’m sure I’d get fired.  Then I’d probably be a cataloger.

List five random things most people don’t know about you.

• I’ve lived in Texas all my life and have never owned a cowboy hat or boots and have never really enjoyed country music.  I just don’t go that way.  I do chew tobacco on occasion when I’m running an instance.  No I don’t.  I just lied there.
• Although I’ve spent time in six different MMOs, I don’t have a max level character in any of them.  Shame on me.  Thanks WotLK!
• I met my wife online.  No, not playing an MMO.  What kind of a person do you think I am?
• I have a man crush on Captain Feathersword.  So does my son.
• I was around 10 years old when Star Wars came out.  I went to see it at the theater even.  I was not blown away.  I’ve seen all the subsequent releases and have felt the same about each and every one.  In fact, I think the latter ones have gotten progressively worse.  Obviously there is something broken in me.

Feel free to discuss any family you have here.

I’m married to a wonderful, very patient lady and we have one 18-month-old son.  I also have an older mother and brother and two big dogs.

Chapter 2: Origins

What kind of games (if any) did you play as a child before you got into video gaming? Did you play with family, friends or was it more of a solo activity?

I seem to recall playing quite a bit of Monopoly and Yahtzee when I was younger. I also played a lot outdoors and games like kick the can, hide and seek, tackle the man, come to mind. My family was also big into card games (spades, hearts, even a little bridge), but I think where I really started to get into gaming was with Risk. I would play with several of my friends and we’d go for hours on end. I remember really getting worked up when someone was attacking me. I’d get nervous. My heart rate would go up and I’d start sweating. Fast forward 30 years and you’ll see me experiencing the very same sensations when I engage in PvP. It’s not exactly a pleasant sensation in my autumn years though.

What other hobbies and/or activities did you have as a child (sports, music, etc)?

I played my share of organized soccer, basketball, and about 9 seasons of baseball. I took a year’s worth of classical guitar lessons and learned enough to strum a melody all these years later.

Were you ever exposed to pen and paper role playing games? What was that experience like?

Indeed. I think it must have been the summer of my seventh grade year (we read “The Hobbit” in class earlier that year, so I was hungry for fantasy) when one of my friend’s older brothers introduced us to D&D. The two older boys would let us watch them play but refused to let us in on the action saying that we were too young and immature. We finally broke them down and were soon playing away the rest of the summer. I think I played pretty steady for about 3 years. Then girls came along and too many of us didn’t make their saving throw.

Did you read much as a child? If so, what did you like to read (books, comic books, etc?) Please list some favorite authors, titles, etc.

I really don’t think I got into reading until my 7th grade year. We read “The Hobbit” in class and that, as so many people have mentioned, was a life changing experience. From there I went on the Piers Anthony Xanth books and Stephen R. Donaldson’s Thomas Covenant series. I’ve never heard of H. P. Lovecraft though.

Would you say that any of these games or books had an effect on your later appreciation of computer gaming and ultimately MMOs? Please explain.

D&D had a huge impact on me. I started reading nothing but fantasy from that point forward. I switched from collecting Iron Man comics to Conan. Pretty much anything game related has involved fantasy in some shape or form ever since.  I don’t think I’ve ever really ventured outside the fantasy based MMO either.

How were you fist introduced to video games? How old were you? What was the platform?

I won a contest at school for selling the most spice racks. Well, my dad did actually. He took my order sheet to work with him and got a ton of people to place orders. The grand prize was a glorified Pong system with bonus rifle pack. I must have been in 4th grade at the time. So, somewhere in the neighborhood of 9 or 10. I seem to recall being able to point the rifle at the wall and still hit the moving target on screen. Impressive.

Did you ever play coin-op games at the arcade? What was that experience like?

I was pretty self conscious as a kid and having people watching over my shoulder while I was gaming wasn’t my idea of fun. If I could have had the arcade to myself I would have been in heaven. I think that’s why the console worked so well for me over the years. I could screw up to my heart’s content and no one else would be the wiser.

What was the first video game you can remember playing that really made an impression on you? Please explain.

I remember a friend of mine had an Odyssey 2 and he had a Lord of the Rings inspired game called “Quest for the Ring.” I remember getting very excited when I went over to his house. Just the idea of playing a fantasy based video game was enough for me. I seem to recall the game was something of a hybrid between a board game and video game, for it came with a game board and some playing pieces. Sweet, eh? Looking back I can see how rudimentary the game play and graphics were, but at the time it was like mana from heaven. Unfortunately my friend had played the game to death before showing it off to me, and I could hardly ever pry him away from his impressive collection of nudy magazines to play the game with me.

What gaming consoles have you owned in the past?

Atari 2600, NES, Super Nintendo, Playstation, Playstation 2, Xbox, and Xbox 360.

Feel free to share a story related to your gaming experience as a child.

We had our own D&D group with a very lax DM who would let us get away with all sorts of things-murder just being one of them. Eventually we became ridiculously powerful and about the only thing left for us to do was start challenging gods and demigods out of the D&D pantheon. And that’s what we did. Well, there was this other group of D&D players who lived further down the street from us and one time we managed to get together for a gaming session. Their DM was ultra strict. One of their players was wielding a plain digging shovel as a weapon. Another was wearing a barrel for armor. No joke. Suffice it to say we had trouble finding a suitable adventure for our two groups to go through together. Their players simply couldn’t believe how decked-out our party was. I don’t think this sat very well with their DM either. Funny the things you remember…

Chapter 3: Online

Were you ever exposed to MUDs?

I remember watching over one of my roommate’s shoulders in college playing some MUD. His character was represented by an ampersand and the dungeon walls were pound signs. Eventually he came across a creature (I think it was the dragon) which was a dollar sign. At the time it was awesome. He never would let me play it though as he thought I might break his computer. Being the spineless person that I still am today, I was happy just to watch him run around slaying keyboard symbols for hours on end.

What was your first MMO experience?

That would have been Wow back in March of 2005. I had been looking for a copy of the game soon after launch and wasn’t having luck finding a copy anywhere. Eventually I found myself in a Game Stop looking for a game me and my buddy could play and I noticed a huge display of WoW boxes behind the counter. I asked the lady working that day, “Those are empty display boxes, right?” When she told me no and then asked if I would like to purchase one, I almost danced a jig right then and there in the store.

Oddly enough, however, I don’t think I was mentally prepared for what an MMO experience was going to be like. I think the first month or so of playing I pretty much stuck to a single player game mindset–never chatting with anyone or ever setting foot in the auction house. It took two of my closest friends to start playing to get me to start opening up more to the experience.

I sometimes regret not getting into MMOs back in the days of Ultima Online and Everquest, but I happened to be in a rather unhealthy marriage at the time which took 8 years to self destruct. I simply didn’t have the stamina or emotional well being to play video games at the time.  I think my second wife would say I’m making up for lost time now though.

If possible, list all the MMOs you’ve played extensively.

• World of Warcraft – Level 73 priest, level 72 druid.
• Everquest 2 – Level 36 necromancer.
• Vanguard – Level 27 hunter
• Lord of the Rings Online – Level 40 hunter, level 30 minstrel

What is your current MMO of choice, or perhaps, what are your current MMOs of choice?

Lord of the Rings Online

Which MMO have you spent the most time playing? How long would you say that has been?

That would have to be WoW. I’m thinking somewhere in the neighborhood of 3 years.

Have you reached level cap in any MMO? If so, which ones?

At one point I had reached the cap in WoW, but then RotLK changed that.

Loki taps you on the shoulder one day to inform you that you have fallen victim to one of his elaborate pranks. The world you’ve been inhabiting of countless MMOs to choose from and play has merely been a dream. In reality only one MMO exists. After laughing at you for a bit he decides to take pity on you and allows you to choose which MMO will remain. Which one would you choose and why?

Although I can’t seem to bring myself back to playing WoW again, I’d have to say WoW. All of my real life friends are still playing there and I’m thinking if this were the only game around, I could find ways of keeping my enthusiasm up for the game.

Are there any MMOs currently in development that you are particularly interested in? Please explain.

I can’t say that there are. Although I’ve been hearing some nice things about Earth Rise. The only MMOs I’ve played have been in the high fantasy genre. I think I might enjoy a change of pace.

Feel free to share an interesting or amusing anecdote related to your MMO gaming experience.

The Story of plucky Patpen

by

Randolph Carter

I’m not much of a PvPer, yet at one point in my illustrious WoW career I found myself playing on a PvP server. All of my friends were there as well, and we were playing on the horde side. Anyway, one evening a group of five of us was questing over in Arathi Highlands at Stormgarde Keep and we ran across a lone hapless night elf hunter named Patpen. Seeing how he was of a similar level to our party, we made short work of him and then went about our business. Within a few minutes Patpen was back and began expertly exploiting his surroundings (remember, a good portion of Stormgarde is filled with alliance NPCs) and was able to take us all down rather painfully one at a time. We were shocked. This must have been a fluke and we all agreed to go back and teach Patpen a lesson. What should have been a 20 minute diversion ended up becoming a 2 hour marathon exercise in futility. 5 corpse runs later, licking our wounds we decided to call it a night.

By the way, adding insult to injury, his pet cat was aptly named HordeRaper.

Chapter 4: Preferences

At your peak, how much time per week would you say you spent gaming?

I’d say between 25-30 hours a week during my in-between marriage phase.

How about now?

Probably between 15-20.

When during the week are your regular play times?

I play pretty much every night, but during the week it’s usually only for an hour or two after my son goes to bed. Friday and Saturday nights I usually have an extended gaming session lasting until the witching hour or so.

Generally speaking, are you more of a social creature in MMOs (grouping to quest, joining guilds, etc.) or something of a lone wolf?

If I’m playing with friends I know in real life I will be more sociable. That means that in WoW I am in a guild and tend to group up with friends regularly. When I dabble outside of WoW, I generally go the lone wolf route. I have joined several guilds but never seem to do much grouping or other socializing.

Have you made any lasting friendships through your MMO experience? Please explain.

Not a one. And I’m not sure why that is, really. I’ve met a lot of friendly, helpful people online, but I just can’t seem to get past the initial acquaintance phase. I think I still have something of a single-player RPG mentality when I play my MMOs and don’t open up much beyond that.

Before logging into a game, do you already have a course of action planned out in your head, or do you just sort of do whatever you feel like once in game?

I usually don’t and I think that’s become more and more of a problem for me. More times than not, I tend to find myself staring at the screen once I log in wondering what to do next. There have been times when I’ve done a bit of planning before logging in and things tend to go smoother then. You’d think I’d learn.

When playing MMOs do you tend to just play one at a time or do you take more of the smorgasbord approach?

Generally just one, but I have juggled two on the rare occasion. It didn’t end up very well. I found myself spread too thin and with the limited play time I now have, it just doesn’t make any sense. That’s not to say that I wouldn’t like to play more than one. I just don’t have the time or the mental stamina.

Do you tend to supplement your MMO gaming with other PC, console or tabletop games?

I have an Xbox 360 I fire up now and then, but for some strange reason I tend to fall asleep when gaming on the couch. PC gaming seems to be the only thing that can keep me awake later at night.

Are you something of an altoholic?

I am and I wish I wasn’t. Invariably the first class I pick is the one I eventually end up leveling to any extent, but I always piddle around with alts at first to make sure I’m not picking the wrong character. I also start experimenting with alts just before I get to burnout phase in the game I’m playing.

Do you find yourself multitasking while gaming (perhaps watching TV, talking on the phone, out of game instant messaging, playing another game, or even listening to a podcast)?

I don’t. I even listen to in-game sound. On the rare occasion I will tab out of a game to look something up on the internet, but generally I like to have my gaming experience as immersive as possible.

Do you find yourself having much MMO discussion off-line, perhaps with friends or family?

I bet my wife wishes I’d shut up about my gaming exploits. She used to play WoW and we would go for long walks discussing strategy and the pros and cons of the game. Those were fun walks. Now, I pretty much just spew forth and she rather patiently listens. I always start off with, “Would you mind if I talked about such-and-such game for just a minute?” It’s never just a minute though.

Have you ever felt that you game too much? If so, how did you cope with that?

What kind of a question is that? Who comes up with this stuff?

Yes, I think I go through periods of feeling guilty about my gaming, but having read through others’ responses here who seem to be at peace with their gaming hobby, I think I’m feeling pretty good about my gaming again.

Since you started playing MMOs, have you ever taken a break from the genre? If so, please explain.

When I got married again I took a 6 month hiatus from MMOs only to return to the genre with wife in tow. I haven’t taken a break since.