Blackguard

MMO community connection:

a

Nerfbat.com | 38 Studios

Chapter 1: Introduction

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

Ryan “Blackguard” Shwayder

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

Nerfbat.com and 38 Studios

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

MMOs! Sometimes I talk about game design, other times I just comment on current events in the genre.

Where were you born? Where did you grow up?

I was born in Mesa, Arizona. I grew up in Newport News, Virginia and Denver, Colorado.

Where do you live now?

Massachusetts

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

21-30

What do you do for a living?

I’m a game designer and community relations manager at 38 Studios. On the game design front, I’m considered a hybrid designer, in that I work on both content and mechanics.

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

A better game designer?

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

• I play hockey.
• I’m ambidextrous (mostly).
• My favorite class is the Bard.
• I’ve always wanted to write a hilarious fantasy book.
• I can’t remember the words to songs despite listening to music all the time.

Feel free to discuss any family you have here.

I’m married to a hotty.

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?

Video games were my first games of any kind. I usually played console games with my brother and friends.

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

I played various sports, though I mostly played hockey, as well as the guitar. I also wrestled my buddies… like WWF style. My name was Taxicab (I can’t remember why). I did a lot of random stuff all the time, rarely sticking to anything for very long (sounds like me in MMOs these days).

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

Yep, it was awesome. I played D&D, Vampire, and Shadowrun mostly. I liked being the DM/GM/Whatever sometimes, but usually just played a quirky character of some sort.

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 read a decent amount as a child, though I read more now. I read mostly fantasy/sci-fi titles. Choose Your Own Adventure books were fun, and those Goosebumps books were totally sweet. I really liked comics (Batman and X-Men especially) too. I didn’t have specific favorite authors until I got older.

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.

Yes… they collectively made me want to become a game designer.

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

My brother probably introduced me to them. I first played them either on the Commodore 64 or one of the old consoles. I was so young when I first started playing games, I really can’t recall.

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

Yep. I went to the local arcade (Tilt) all the friggin’ time with one or two buddies. We always eyed the Zippo lighter booth near the entrance and eventually got one when we were old enough. Then the arcade closed (I didn’t burn it down!).

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

The Ninja on the Sega Master System, or maybe Oregon Trail… or Carmen Sandiego (don’t know which was first). I don’t know! There’s a pantheon of them. In The Ninja, I loved being a ninja, and the music rocked. In Oregon Trail, I always found it interesting to try to successfully make the trek across the US. In Carmen Sandiego, I liked the mystery and how so many people loved creole food.

What gaming consoles have you owned in the past?

Oh man… Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Master System, Super Nintendo, Sega Saturn, Nintendo 64, Sega Dreamcast, Playstation, Playstation 2, Xbox, Xbox 360. I think that’s it. If you count handhelds, you could add Nintendo Gameboy, Atari Lynx, and Sony PSP.

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

There was this one time when I threw the controller at the TV and broke the controller. Okay, that was a bunch of times. I blame you.

Chapter 4: Preferences

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

Probably somewhere around 80 hours. These days with a full-time job and wife, I’m probably down to 10 hours or so normally (though when a new game comes out that I really enjoy, that goes up to the 40 range).

When during the week are your regular play times?

I don’t have regular play times anymore. I play when I can play and feel like playing.

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 not overly social in MMOs most of the time. I go through spurts when I’m really big into socializing, and I’m almost always in a guild, but I tend to keep to myself pretty often given my erratic playtimes.

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

Yep. I still talk to a number of different people who I’ve played one or more MMOs with, and have met a decent number of them in person.

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?

Sometimes, yes. Sometimes, no. Usually, I just jump in and do what will gain me the most progress in the shortest period of time.

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

I usually play one at a time, but I try pretty much all of them. If something comes out while I’m playing another, I’ll usually check it out briefly. But, I’m so fickle that I tend to stop playing any MMO after I feel like I “get” it, and rarely stay with one for a long period of time anymore.

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

Heck yes! All kinds. I play good games and bad games of any type.

Are you something of an altoholic?

Yeah, I like to try everything out and rarely ever get to the end game with one character.

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)?

At times, but I prefer to immerse myself as much as I can. The most common way I multitask while gaming is in front of the TV with the wife so I can still hang out with her.

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

Yeah, it’s kinda my job.

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

Not anymore. There was a time when I absolutely gamed too much, and I pretty much just grew out of it over time (I needed to make a living, ya know).

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

Not intentionally. There are often times when I’m not playing an MMO actively (like right now), but I’m always playing some kind of game.

Sister Julie

MMO community connection:

No Prisoners No Mercy

Chapter 1: Introduction

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

On occasion I get asked “Why do you write under the name ‘Julie Whitefeather’?” The reply is simply because that’s my name – I don’t use a “nom de plume” of any sort. I don’t believe in hiding behind an ‘online’ personality. The person you hear on the podcast and read in the column is who I am. Now if considering names I have been CALLED before, that’s different. Names like “Heretic” come to mind.

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

I started out writing for sources other than gaming; such as the book that my convent asked me to write. I began writing about gaming fiction featured on places like battleclinic.com. I have written regular columns about videogames and the videogame industry for WoW Chronicles and Online Gaming Radio. Currently I write for virginworlds.com where my column and the No Prisoners, No Mercy Podcast are hosted. My fiction is currently hosted as a guest author on lorewriter.com which is owned and authored by R.W. Harper from Gorilla Systems – an independent game developer whose name I EXPECT to see here (hint, hint). The audio version of my fiction is currently part of the Gamers Fiction Podcast hosted by Saylah.

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

We constantly get letters saying include more or less of particular games. The podcast originally started out as “Age of Conuns” as some of our listeners are aware. When it became “No Prisoners, No Mercy” and part of (and proudly so) the Virgin Worlds Collective it began to reflect the direction of my column for Brent – in other words it is not about any one particular game. We tend to concentrate on games that interest us most at the time. Beyond that it is a matter of what we consider it interesting to talk about, and Warhammer always provides some delightful material.

Such is the case with the personalized email Fran recently received from Mythic not only begging her to come back but saying your guildies (which it went on to list) are still in the game; the whole thing sound like boyfriend who had been dumped begging to be taken back.

Like the name of the podcast suggest, it is a “no holds barred” type of podcast – nothing is sacred (at least nothing in the gaming industry). This is true of my column as well. On occasion I am compared to a “shock jock” but that is only rarely and I was not the first one to make the comparison.

Where were you born? Where did you grow up?

Where was I born? Which time?  Home, as they say, is where the heart is. However I have lived in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Seoul, Korea.

Where do you live now?

Des Plaines, Illinois – and if you intend to come and “get” me for some part of my column or podcast remember…we have dogs.

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

Asking a lady her age? Is that exactly polite? How’s this for an answer: “old enough to have been around the block and wise enough not to go around again.”

What do you do for a living?

I am a nun, a writer and a project manager – in that order.

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

They say a job is what you do with your time and a career is what you do with your life. I like my careers just fine – writing and being a nun. The job part I would drop if I could. I wouldn’t change part of the career I would just add to it, but that will come in time.

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

• I am related to Herbert Hoover
• I have a degree in theater and have acted professionally (albeit briefly).
• I am a Buddhist AND Christian nun (that’s where the “heretic” name sometimes comes in).
• I have written a book about my life (for the convent).
• I have had relationships three out of the four possible ways.

Feel free to discuss any family you have here.

My convent is my family.

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 will spare your readers the story of my long, and somewhat less than idyllic (and at times torturous) childhood – suffice it to say I had friends. I will point out that when I was a child even the videogame “Pong” was a far flung dream, yet to be conceived in the imagination of its creators. If you wanted to use a computer you punched cards and fed them into a reader.

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

I played a mean “Sax” for awhile. Beyond that my plans for winning an Oscar and world domination seem to have fallen by the wayside.

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

I have been “exposed to” before but that was on a train in Chicago and I told the gentlemen in question to “put the silly thing away.”

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.

As a child I read a lot of the back of cereal boxes – I think my favorite authors included Cheerios, Wheaties and Sugar Pops. Favorite authors are a think of adult hood (or at least as much of an adult I can approximate) and as you will find in later questions includes David Webber, William Gibson, Terese of Avila, Therese Martin, The current Dalai Lama, and some selected works of the Apostle Paul.

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.

This assumes that I appreciate video games. I am, however, looking forward to Star Trek Online. The best influence there would be Gene Roddenberry – without him Star Trek would not have existed. It’s hard to match that kind of influence on an mmo.

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

You want to know how old I was when I was introduced to video games? Hells Bells I can’t remember how old I am now. In fact I have managed to block it out of my mind on purpose – I once went as long as a year that way until my mother, God rest her soul, inadvertently reminded me (she was wrong).

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

I have indeed played coin op games at arcades, commissaries and other places. What was the experience like? – Expensive.

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

The active phrase here (at least semantically speaking) is “made an impression you” – I am still waiting for a videogame to make an impression on me. Hence, the title of one of my recent articles for Virginworlds.com… “In space no one can hear you yawn.”

What gaming consoles have you owned in the past?

Play station, Nintendo, Sega Genesis, Nintendo 64, Panasonic 3do

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

I try hard to forget my childhood…let’s not share any memories from it.

Chapter 3: Online

Were you ever exposed to MUDs?

The last time I was exposed to MUD was a long time ago when someone threw it at me. I grabbed them by the collar…it went on from there. I did, however, play a text based game called “Zork” as well as a space based 2-d game on the large computers at a particular university which, as they say, “shall remain nameless”. It was always late at night – back when the only screens where “amber” screens and there was no such thing as a Playstation.

What was your first MMO experience?

Again with the year questions – the only reason I remember my own name is that my cohost shouts it at me all day long. I do remember the first mmo I ever played, however. That game was called “Ultima Online”. There were many interesting aspects that set Ultima Online apart from any other game, not the least of which was that player housing was not instanced. The result was a virtual megalopolis necessitating dodging between the allies and avenues created by player housing as one tried to traverse the landscape.

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

List my main by class and level for each game? You have got to be kidding – is this a questionnaire or a memory test? Do I get graded afterwards? Some of the games I have played are Everquest 1, Everquest 2, Ultima Online, World of Warcraft, Age of Conan, Voyage Century, Warhammer Online, and Lord of the Rings Online – there may be others but at the moment my mind is still reeling from the “by class and level” part of the question…I think I need coffee now.

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

My current mmo of choice, if Cryptic ever finishes with it (thank goodness it was resurrected) is Star Trek Online. I would love to try Aion but alas neither I nor my co-host were invited to the beta. There are a few mmos that seem to follow me around like a lost puppy: World of Warcraft, Eve Online (yawn), Warhammer Online, and Lord of the Rings Online.

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

Ah here you must be more specific – the most time playing when actual months or years the subscription remains active is concerned? The most time actually playing the game? That one would be difficult as I would have had to keep a log of the playing time.

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

Again with the memory questions – you really do believe in taxing this middle aged broad’s memory don’t you? I seem to recall reaching the level cap a few times in several games but the problem with mmos is they keep moving the damn things. It’s so hard to keep up. I like the concept of Eve Online…no level cap. How about Ultima Online? That doesn’t even have a levels.

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?

My first reaction would be to wonder who had slipped what hallucinogenic drug into my food since I am, supposedly, conversing with a mythological being. Beyond that, I recall the furor that Richard Bartle caused when he said that if he had the ability he would get rid of World of Warcraft. That being the case I would tell Loki to get rid of whatever game Richard Bartle is currently playing – that will teach him.

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

I am very interested in Star Trek Online. Why? Hells bells man, that’s simple – IT’S STAR TREK!!!

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

There is no antidote to gaming…once you have played an mmo you’re hooked.

Chapter 4: Preferences

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

Well, where I live now it’s about 300 feet above sea level, and that’s not much of a peak. I traveled through the continental divide once, but I didn’t have a game with me even though that was a very high peak. But then, again that wasn’t really “MY” peak…it was in Yellowstone National park, so really that particular peak belongs to the State of Wyoming. That presents an interesting point…how do you ask a state how much time it spends gaming? Can a state game at all? After all the State of Nevada has a lot of gaming.

When during the week are your regular play times?

I have never had a problem with regularity – on those rare occasions when I do I usually make sure I get a lot of fiber in my diet. Did I get that question right? When will the grades be passed out?

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

The only creature I have ever played in an mmo would be a tauren and that isn’t really a creature is it? It’s more of a creature/being. I have been some nice people in mmos and because of the writing and podcasting I do about it. MMOs are part of what Marshall McLuhan called “The Global Village”. Getting around the global village has allowed me to meet people I never would have otherwise. But every mmo has people who treat others around them badly. Those people are creatures – jackasses.

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

This assumes, of course, that I have had lasting friendships. I have had lasting friendships, of course, but they had nothing to do with gaming – Unless you count the friendship with my sister, cohost and mother superior. I have a lifelong friendship with her but the mmo came after the friendship. Does that even count? I mean we met the first time because of Star Trek and a Star Trek Online game is coming out but I guess you can’t say we met because of Star Trek Online, even though it is Star Trek…or can you. I think I derailed my train of thought here.

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 guess it depends very much on what I am logging on to the game for – but “course of action” makes it sound too much like a battle plan…it’s a game, not a strategy for the D-Day Invasion.

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

A smorgasbord approach? Are we talking about food or video games here…I think you have me confused.

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

I like supplements – they’re good for you. I make my mmos take vitamin C.

Are you something of an altoholic?

Never…I only rarely have a beer and even then only with pizza.

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 drink coffee while I game – does that count as multitasking? If so than I do A LOT of multitasking because I drink A LOT OF COFFEE.

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

Oh I hope so…otherwise my column would simply be a blank page and the podcast I co-host at Virginworlds.com would be nothing but dead airspace – which is fine, I suppose if you are reviewing a zombie game but it would still be a bit boring.

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

Too much by who’s standards? By my standard? Those change. What about someone else’s standards? My co-hosts standards? She’s my sister and I care about that. By anyone else’s standards? Who cares what they think about how much I game. As far as coping is concerned, a little apathy about the issue goes a long way. If you don’t care how much you game there is nothing to cope with.

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

I take breaks from gaming all the time – coffee breaks.

Troy

MMO community connection:

Travels With Troy

Chapter 1: Introduction

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

Troy Christensen, Shalimar (Everquest II), Tuffenuff (Everquest), Troynan (Age of Conan), Dagsabor (Warhammer), Meganaut (City of Heroes)

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

Podcasting:

Voyages of Vanguard

EQual Perspectives

Travels with Troy

Blogging:

Emerald Tablet

Role-Playing Game Systems (Pen and Paper):

Phantasm Adventures

Advanced Phantasm Adventures

Mutliverse

Bloodbath

Bloodchant

Game Modules & Adventures:

Devil’s Domain (Villains & Vigilantes: FGU)

Most Wanted III (V&V: FGU)

Dawn of the Devil (V&V: FGU)

Ice Age (GURPS: Steve Jackson Games)

Castle Guide (AD&D: TSR [Wizards of the Coast])

Arms & Equipment (AD&D: TSR)

Heroes & Rogues (RoleMaster: ICE)

Thieve’s Challenge (AD&D: TSR)

Novel:

Amish Johnson and the Pegasus Chamber (unpublished)

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

Several years ago, while working in a constrained computer job, I started tapping into Itunes to listen to podcasts of the gaming nature. I started off with the more well known titles such as PC Gamer, but quickly wandered into a whole range of smaller podcasts. This is where I found Virginworlds and Brent.

At the time, I was very excited about a new MMO called Vanguard and I was shocked that no one was really talking about it. So in May of 2007 I created my first podcast called “The Voyages of Vanguard”. I ran with that show for more than a year before moving onto “Equal Perspectives” which tried to cover both the Everquest and Everquest II community.

With most podcasts, soon it became more of a chore than a fun hobby and the show waned. To try and revive my enthusiasm I created “Travels with Troy” a show that was less restrictive and allowed me to talk about all sorts of gaming. Alas, I have fallen victim again to the “Fade” and need to find inspiration again to continue my podcasting.

Where were you born? Where did you grow up?

I was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The street that my parents lived on was Jupiter and I tell everyone that was my home. It sounds a bit more exotic to have grown up on Jupiter than in Grand Rapids.

I have lived extensibly in the Grand Rapids area my whole life, venturing a bit north to Sparta and to another hamlet called Comstock Park. I did make a foray to Japan for a year and another journey to Washington DC for another year, but each time I was dragged back to my roots.

Where do you live now?

I live now, not more than a stone throw from the farm I grew up in Comstock Park. The rolling cattle pastures now gone and replaced with house after house. The ponds and copses of trees are gone, replaced with manicured lawns and concrete pavement.

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 (Can this be true? This must be a mistake I feel like I should be 10-20)

What do you do for a living?

I am an IT Administrator for Spartan Graphics

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

I would be a coral diver in Fiji. The thought of being surrounded by the aquamarine waves of the Pacific, with the lush golden sun overhead, seems serene. A small eighteen foot boat cresting the waves until I throw my cement filled pale overboard as an anchor, and diving into the warm, sweet waters filled with tropical fish of every kind – with no other worries than finding a few pieces of coral to buy me my dinner. No technology, no people . . . just a white sandy beach, a palm thatched roof over my head, and the lapping waves of the great pacific keeping time.

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

• I am really not that gifted with working with technology
• I am an extreme introvert
• I used to drink too much, just shy of being an alcoholic
• I like Big Band music, such as Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller
• I dated my boss’s wife before they were married

Feel free to discuss any family you have here.

I have a brother, who is a successful programmer with People Soft.  I have a sister, who is a head nurse in UP (that’s Michiganese for the Upper Peninsula).  My parents are retired, my mom was a nurse and my dad was a truck driver.  I am the youngest of the clan, though married I have no children.

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?

When I was growing up we didn’t have any video games. I remember when I was around 14 saving up to buy a console that played pong. My next door neighbor had a small hand held unit that also had tank — I was so jealous of him.

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

I really always enjoyed games growing up, and my brother would play Risk and the old Avalon Hill strategy games. My brother is eight years older than me and he soon grew tired of trouncing his little brother. I soon after moved on to RPGs that were just coming out. I made my own Dungeons & Dragons game at 12. To this day I remember with pristine clarity going to the hobby store and buying the AD&D Dungeon Master’s guide.

I was never very active in sports — obtaining the nickname “pockets” for sitting out in left field with my hands in my pockets playing softball.

My parents were too poor for me to ever own a musical instrument and I never really got into it.

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

I could talk for hours on RPGs. I have so many fond memories playing Villains & Vigilantes, Dungeons & Dragons, RoleMaster, Swords & Glory, Star Wars, Champions, Phantasm Adventures, and Arduin & Grimoire. My best times were the saturdays in the late 90s, before marriage and the world bogged me down, having ten to twelve guys over in my little house and playing games from Noon to Midnight. Simply fun.

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 read allot of stuff, probably not as much as others. My favorite authors had to be Robert Heinlein, Terry Brooks, and Alan Dean Foster.

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.

Terry Brooks basically shaped my idea of what fantasy is with his Sword of Shannarra series. I also think that Alan Dean Foster shaped my ideas on what a future rpg should be like and the fantastic stories that could be developed for such a system. Robert Heinlein proved that you could have great SciFi without getting bogged down into too much technology.

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

My first video games were at the arcades — I never owned a console until my early twenties and never found much use for them. I believe the first game system I had was a Gensis — Road Rash stick outs in my mind as a game I played allot of.

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

In Michigan you could get 10 cents for bottle returns. I used to drive around on my little scooter finding bottles and trading them in for quarters. The quarters then made their way into a slew of cool arcade games including Asteroids, War Wyzzards, and a ton of other games with their names lost in old memories.

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

Tank — I think that was the name of it. You have your tank in a three dimensional polygonal world and with left and right joysticks you plowed around in the world hunting other ray traced tanks. That was the impetus for three-D worlds.

What gaming consoles have you owned in the past?

Only owned one, the Genisis-64, if I remember right. Never did much of that myself. Road Rash was a favorite of my cousin and I; we would take turns playing the game, jeering and cheering the other on.

Tipa

MMO community connection:

West Karana

Chapter 1: Introduction

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

Brenda Holloway, AKA Tipa after a favorite EverQuest character that I have taken from game to game ever since.

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

I blog at West Karana. This has almost nothing to do with the EverQuest zone, The Plains of Western Karana, but through diligence and bribery, typing “West Karana” into Google now puts my blog above any results for the EQ zone. I sometimes wonder how SOE feels about that.

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

I write about MMOs, especially the ones I am playing or would like to play, at the West Karana blog. I also do only tangentially MMO-related silliness like my board game-inspired Adventures in Monopoly weekly webcomic, something forced upon me by a pewter bear that came with EQ2’s “The Shadow Odyssey” expansion.

Where were you born? Where did you grow up?

I was born in Renton, Washington, when my dad worked at Boeing. Both parents felt so lonely for their native New England that they moved back to New England, to Massachusetts, where I grew up. We moved once more, to New Hampshire, and that’s where I lived until I got married and moved to California.

Where do you live now?

Back in New England. Like a bad penny, I returned, and now live in Connecticut.

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 web applications developer at a Fortune 50 insurance company.

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

A writer. Actually, if I were a writer for work, I doubt I’d enjoy it as much. I dunno. I guess I’d like to have a career as the daughter of a wealthy oil executive.

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

I doubt most people know anything at all about me, so that’s easy.

• I wear glasses.
• I like Diet Coke.
• I love falling asleep to old movies.
• I have owned three different Volkswagen Beetles.
• The last time I dressed up for a SF convention, I went as a frozen telepath (from Babylon 5).

Feel free to discuss any family you have here.

I have a beautiful daughter, handsome son-in-law, and frankly, the cutest grandson in the entire world living in the Riverside area in California. My son has decided to embark on a personal spirit quest in Virginia that may last several years. I have a furry constant companion named Isis, who closely monitors how long I spend on the computer to be sure it doesn’t overlap mandatory cat time.

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?

Board and card games were really popular when I was a kid. Monopoly was a favorite, if we had time. At school, sometimes we played Scrabble in home room. Which seems odd, looking back on it. My sister and I played Chutes & Ladders and Candyland to death. When we visited our grandmother, we would play Sorry, Clue and Canasta with our cousins. Mom taught us kids to play Whist, Uno and Mille Bornes.

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

I read a lot. I also played trumpet and later color guard for the local Fife & Drum corp.

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

Yes, I was in the gaming club at the University of New Hampshire. We played AD&D first edition, Traveler, Kingmaker, Diplomacy, and way too much Risk. That’s where I learned to play Hearts, too.

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.

My mom was a huge reader, so mostly I read whatever books she read. And SHE got her books from a hippie named Norm. While babysitting for Norm and his wife, Gloria, I discovered Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells, which changed my musical life forever.

I graduated from Nancy Drew and the Bobbsey Twins to Madeleine L’Engle’s “A Wrinkle in Time” books, which were — WEIRD. I read the Heinlein juveniles, because they were in the school library (Have Spacesuit — Will Travel, Tunnel in the Sky). During sixth grade science class, the girl sitting next to me was reading Kurt Vonnegut’s “Sirens of Titan”, and after that, nothing was the same. Turns out my father was also a Vonnegut fan. He used to work at GE, briefly, just out of college, and so had Vonnegut (though not at the same time or place). Dad was a HUGE fan of Vonnegut’s barely disguised satire of work at GE, “Player Piano”. And for some reason, he liked “Breakfast of Champions”, too.

My mom was more into the usual science fiction, and it was through her that I first read any Philip K. Dick. I’m not sure which book of his was the first I read, but “The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch” scarred me for life after I read it.

Mom gave me a boxed set of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings when I was 12 — I still have that, that’s one of the only two things she gave me that I still have. I wore out my copy of Richard Bach’s “Jonathan Livingston Seagull”, and remember saving up my money to buy James Blish’s “Cities in Flight”.

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.

No, arcade games and later, computer games were a wholly new experience.

Well, when I was a kid, there really was nobody known as a “gamer” in the way we think of people today — a large subculture of people interested in gaming in general. That sort of generalizing wasn’t really common. So I really can’t answer how computer games or RPGs affected me in the years before either existed, in any public sense.

1980 was when I first realized that there was such a thing as a gamer, and that you could identify as one. Wargaming, the domain of middle-aged men, was being overtaken by the next generation. Even though you specifically said not to talk about computer RPGs or MMORPGs, it was computer games — via “Hunt the Wumpus” and “Hamurabi” and a thousand other games from the dawn of personal computing in the 70s — and then with Colossal Cave Adventure, Dungeon (AKA Zork), DECWars/Megawars, Walter Bright’s Empire and Rogue, all of which I played first in college — that made me a gamer.

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

The bowling alley in Concord (NH) had a few pinball machines. And one day, they had piinball machines plus Spacewar and that snake game and Bricks. This must have been 1976 or so (so I’d be about 15). After that, video games were everywhere — Sub Hunt in the local pizza place, Space Invaders and Boot Hill and some racing game in the Sheraton’s lobby. When I went to college in 1979, the golden age of arcade gaming was just beginning — Galaxian, that 3D tank game, Asteroids…

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

Yes. In fact, on our honeymoon, we went to an arcade in Laconia, on Lake Winnepesauke. Among other things New Hampshire is still famous for its Funspot arcade, home of the Classic Videogame and Pinball Tournament.

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

Space Invaders. I’d won some certificate for a meal at a local restaurant at school. My grandfather brought me, and we were seated at a table with a built in Space Invaders. I had so much fun

What gaming consoles have you owned in the past?

Atari 2600, Colecovision, Super Nintendo, Playstation (1,2 & 3), Dreamcast, Sega Saturn, Nintendo 64, Xbox 360.

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

Not sure I have any. As a kid, games were just how you spent rainy Saturdays.

Chapter 3: Online

Were you ever exposed to MUDs?

Lambda MOO had made a big splash in the social media. Their website says this was around 1993, and that sounds about right. It was very, very crowded, and I had no idea how to not just be another gawker looking at all the freaks… which wasn’t all that wrong, and I didn’t stay long.

What was your first MMO experience?

1998, Nexus: Kingdom of the Wind. I was looking for a free version of a game like Ultima Online, which I couldn’t afford at the time. It was great fun, I played it for several months. Even though it was just a 2D game, it was incredibly deep and had a great backstory. It’s still running, too.

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

• Nexus: Kingdom of the Wind – I don’t remember my level. I think I was a mage class.
• EverQuest – 67 Druid, 70 Rogue, 75 Cleric were my mains, in order.
• Dark Age of Camelot - 34 Bard was my highest
• Final Fantasy XI Online – 46 White Mage/Summoner I believe
• World of Warcraft – 60 Priest
• EverQuest 2 – 80 Troubadour, 80 Inquisitor
• Wizard 101 – 50 Theurgist (Life Wizard)
• City of Heroes – 21 Controller
• Lord of the Rings Online – 36 Captain

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

I don’t really have a main game. I wander between EQ2, W101, LotRO, DOMO, etc.

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

By far, I’ve spent more time in EverQuest than any other MMO. I was unemployed :/ I’ve spent over 200 days playing EQ on all my characters combined. We used to compare /played times so I know pretty much exactly how much I played.

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

Yes, in EverQuest, EQ2, WoW (at the time), and Wizard 101.

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?

EverQuest, the way it was when it started. But without so much crowding. I’ve never met so many good friends as I did in EverQuest. Never felt that same sense of wonder, mystery and danger. It was an open enough game that players could invent entirely new things, like marketplaces and raiding, which would set the standard in newer games from then on (and even be adopted by the devs themselves).

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

Star Trek Online looks good, It looks like an Exploration-based MMO. We haven’t had any of those since EQ went Achiever, but before then, all MMOs were Exploration or Social based. Asheron’s Call, Ultima Online…

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

Too many. I couldn’t even start.

Chapter 4: Preferences

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

At peak, when I was unemployed, I bet at least 30 hours a week. Now, it’s about 15 in a variety of games.

When during the week are your regular play times?

From about 7 or 8pm until 11 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?

I like to do things with friends, or alone. I don’t really group with people I don’t know too much.

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

I have made MANY. Some people I met back in 1999, I still talk to today, even though we’ve long since changed games.

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 see what friends are doing (yay, XFire), and if that’s something I want to get in on, I chat with them out of game and then log in. Otherwise, I don’t often sit down to play. More often I just read people’s blogs for awhile, and then if I feel an urge for a specific game, I play it.

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 a single MMO player, back when I was serious. Now I am completely casual and go where the whim takes me.

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

I have some DS games and some PS3 games, but I feel I am missing a chance to be with friends if I am playing by myself, so I inevitably find myself on the computer, firing up an MMO or just chatting via XFire or Twitter while I play Flash games.

Are you something of an altoholic?

Not any more. Since i went casual, I stopped really wanting to see newbie content again and again.

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)?

Always. I am either watching a movie, or a TV show on Hulu, or listening to music, or playing a game on my DS at the same time. Wizard 101 fights are so slow that I just play my cards and then tab to a browser until it’s my turn again.

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

Not really. I don’t know anyone offline who really cares about MMOs, or even really knows what they are.

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

I gamed too much when I was unemployed. But now my kids are grown, I have a good job, if I want to play MMOs or do anything else I want to do, why not?

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

No. Since I started playing Nexus: Kingdom of the Wind in 1998, I have been a dedicated MMO gamer. This was the kind of game I’d been looking for up til then.

Chapter 5: Blogging

When did you first start blogging?

I started blogging October 2005, but I had been making blog-like posts on my EQ guild’s message boards for some time prior to that.

Why do you blog?

I can’t play every MMO, and I can’t play even the ones I have as much as I’d like. Blogging lets me experience games in a new way. I’ve always liked the metagaming that surrounds games — of which blogging is a part — as much as the games themselves.

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

I usually like to read my news feeds in the morning, take a show, then blog while my hair is getting dry enough to be manageable, before work.

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

I mix up my blogging just like I mix up the games I play. If I feel like writing an opinion piece, I do it. If I feel like just making a silly comic instead, I do it. If I feel like writing up something that happened to me in game, I do it. Story to tell? I do it. Commercial blogs perhaps have to set a tone and be consistent, but blogging is for fun.

By contrast, what do you find pleasurable about blogging?

I like finding like people through blogging. Blogging is like being at a party where everyone is a friend, the ultimate social gathering. It doesn’t take high end graphics or the latest computer or a fast internet connection to do it, either. It’s just a bunch of friendly people, sharing stories, and everyone has their turn.

How many people offline know you blog?

My family (though mostly they aren’t MMO gamers and thus don’t read it), a couple people at work. Weird question, though. Who is offline these days?

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

Do it on a schedule, do it every day if you can, and do it because it’s something you like to do. People will find you eventually — but you can help things along by commenting on other people’s blogs, or sending in voice mail to podcasts in the hopes it gets played.

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

Don’t be a whiner.

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

Only if I find another creative outlet I like more.

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?

Requiem by Altan Urag.

My ashes swept up on the wind, and borne by the wind, fly over the frozen plains and embrace the earth.

Saylah

MMO community connection:

Mystic Worlds

Chapter 1: Introduction

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

I’m more commonly known as Saylah which is the first name I donned in an MMORPG. As time went by and I created alts I added Illinah and Alysianah too. Over the years, I’ve found it harder to secure Saylah in games and have switched over to Alysianah.

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

Outside of the game’s actual community, I’m most known for my blog Mystic Worlds. MW is actually my second gaming journal/blog. Unfortunately, I was a bit short-sighted with the first blog after Asheron’s 2 closed down. The day I left AC2 I deleted the blog. I was heart sore from watching the wonderful people I played with leave the game one by one. I didn’t think I’d invest in another game enough to warrant a blog. It was a crazy sensitive time in my life. I’d stumbled into MMOs while recovering from cancer. AC2 had become a place I could go when I needed a break from the pain and reality of that situation.
Once I was in recovery and back to work, I still played and kept in close touch with guild mates in and outside of the game. A month or so later the guild reformed in World of Warcraft. I was skeptical but went along for the ride. When I fell in love with WOW, I kicked off Mystic Worlds and it has been live ever since.

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

Mystic Worlds is about my gaming adventures and gaming commentary. It’s very much about the journey my characters take in the games I play. There’s more gaming commentary in this blog that the original which contained a lot more fiction vs. commentary and opinion. I’m big on taking screenshots even though everyone that’s playing the game sees much the same thing for themselves. For me however, the screenshots are like taking pictures for a family album, they’re cookie crumbs to stir happy memories.
The blog is not all sunshine and smiles. I’ve been known to break into a rant when something I’ve read, seen or experienced in a game or the internet, really pisses me off. I welcome dialog and opposing ideas as long as we treat each other with respect.

Where were you born? Where did you grow up?

I was born and raised in Queens NY

Where do you live now?

When we were ready to start a family, my ex-husband and I moved to GA near where my parents and siblings had moved. Twelve years later, I was divorced and took a career opportunity in Chicago where I lived for 11 years. I’m not back in GA and have been for the past 3 years.

Your level (age) is somewhere in the range of (pick one): 11-20, 21-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-60, 61-70, 71-80, 81-90

41 to 50

What do you do for a living?

Business Intelligence and Strategy in the Telecomm industry

If you could re-roll your career, what would you be?

That’s a really hard question. The ultimate dream is published fiction author. However, I’d settle for something less stressful that would at least allow me the mental downtime I need to focus more on writing fiction more. The essay style of blogging is something I can do even when stressed whereas I find it hard to write fiction under those circumstances. I’m hoping to leave Corporate America within the next five years to start a bakery or tea shoppe where I can find more equilibrium during the day and sneak in writing time.

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

• Mother of 3, 2 of which I turned into gaming lovers too.
• Thrice published author of technical books.
• Studied to be a dancer and attend the high school immortalized in the movie Fame. I studied and danced with several of the dancers from the movie, who attended the High School of Performing Arts in NYC.
• Excellent cook and co-owned a bistro with ex-husband.
• Dream vacation is to see the pyramids of Egypt.

Feel free to discuss any family you have here.

My kids, nephews and I are avid board gamers. With the exception of my oldest daughter, I’ve converted them all to playing MMOs too. Together we’ve had some amazing good fun playing AC2 and WOW. We’ve drifted off to different games since WOW but still connect via the mutual appreciation of RPG gaming. My sister isn’t always happy that I corrupted her son in our gaming shenanigans. With the exception of my nephew, everyone’s grown up and gone. Often there are few things more fun than when we are all online from different locations, running around a virtual world together.

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?

As children, we played mostly board games. It was one of my favorite group pastimes. I had a standing request for a new game for my birthday. I think we would have loved role-playing games had there been anyone to show them to us. We wrote a lot of skits and plays that we performed for family and friends.

Our first video game was the original Atari. In college, friends introduced me to arcade games, which I played on a regular basis. Tempest and Galaxian were my games of choice for a long time. Years later, I purchased my first Nintendo and was the queen of Street Fighter.

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

Beyond games, I danced for most of my childhood. I studied ballet for 16 years. Dancing was my one true passion up until college. Friends and my parents probably thought it was more of an obsession. I studied dance seven days a week.

I attended the High School of Performing Arts which is the school showcased in the movie, Fame. I danced with many of the principle dancers featured in the movie. Moreover, while some of the impromptu dancing in the streets and on cars is an exaggeration, I have danced in the street and on the sidewalks of New York City. I’ve danced on the subway platforms and in train cars. Anywhere that found a few of us from school standing together for any length of time could instantly turn into an impromptu rehearsal. Looking back, we must have seemed insane – or not, given that we were NYers.

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

No.

Did you read much as a child?

I didn’t fall in love with reading until High School. I was writing a lot of poetry at the time. An assignment to read Hamlet showed me how poetic prose could be in the hands of a master. Shortly after Hamlet, I read my first Judy Blume book, Forever. That was it. I was hooked on the power of words as an expressive art form.

My favorite authors are Stephen R. Donaldson, Roger Zelanzy, J.K. Rowling, Sharon Kay Penman, Dan Simmons and Jane Austen for penning my favorite books The Mirror of Her Dreams, The Great Book of Amber, Harry Potter series, Here Be Dragons, Illium, Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion.

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

None of the authors listed did but Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings did for sure. It wasn’t until the massively title Middle Earth Online was announced that I made a connection between fantasy and gaming.

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

Parents bought an Atari. I think I was in my early teens. It didn’t have a lasting impression on me. I thought it was a fun little pastime back then but nothing more than that.

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

In college, I hung out with friends at a local pub that had video machines and cheap pizza. Put those two together and there was always a crowd. I still wasn’t into gaming. I played Pacman, Donkey Kong and such but it wasn’t anything more than something to do while waiting for pizza.

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

Asheron’s Call 2. It was my first MMO and I was completely blown away by the fact that I could actually walk around and interact in a fantasy world. The idea and reality of it really rocked my world. I was a diehard fantasy lover by then consuming books and movies like candy and chips. As a ardent The Sims player most of the settings I created for my characters were all fantasy using the game mods and hacks being produced by other skilled players in the TS community.

Just getting into a fantasy setting that was already devised without all the painstaking setup required of me doing the same thing in The Sims was amazing. Walking among characters controlled by other players was very surreal. I’d tried Ultima Online and Horizons briefly just before purchasing AC2. I didn’t like either of them and quickly bailed. There was something about the mood and tone in AC2 that instantly captured me. That feeling remained me until the last day I played – when the servers were shutdown.

What gaming consoles have you owned in the past?

I’m not a console gamer. The only title I bought explicitly for myself was Harvest Moon.

Esri

MMO community connection:

Gaming Granny

Chapter 1: Introduction

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

Esri

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

I had a Warhammer blog for about six months (The White Lion Blog) and when I quit Warhammer I decided to go to a less focused site. The Gaming Granny has been around about six weeks now.

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

MMOs and gaming in general from the perspective of an “older” female player – I am an actual “gaming granny”. I post news from the gaming world, what I’m playing now and some personal stuff.

Where were you born? Where did you grow up?

I was born in Santa Ana, California, back when there were still orange trees there. My Dad was a Marine and I grew up in California, Virginia and North Carolina for the most part. I graduated from high school in Louisiana.

Where do you live now?

Hinesville, Georgia

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

51-60

What do you do for a living?

I am an IT Specialist for the Department of the Army, currently working in the field of Information Assurance.

If you could reroll, what would you be?

If I could reroll, I’d finish college with my first major, history, and be a professor at a university or a curator at a museum – writing historical novels in my spare time.

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

• I DO like country music.
• I’ve spent considerable time in six or seven mmo’s – and played even more – and I’ve never had a character at the level cap either. In fact, my EQ2 character just hit the original level cap late last year. Leveling just isn’t my raison d’etre in mmo-life.
• Ha, ha – the fact that I play mmo’s at all is something most people I didn’t meet in one don’t know about me.
• I have one-off connections with a movie star, a TV star and a famous singer. Haven’t met any of them, but people I know either know or are related to them.
• My favorite book is “Gone with the Wind” although “The Lord of the Rings” comes a close second, followed by the “Dragonriders of Pern” series.

Feel free to discuss any family you have here.

I’ve been married for 26 years to the best husband in the world – he is the only one in our immediate family who isn’t a geek and somehow he’s flourished and he even gets the jokes in “The Big Bang Theory”. I have two sons and one grandson. I live with 9 cats and a dog.

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 played many kinds of games as a child — board games (Monopoly, Life, Trouble, etc…), card games (from Go Fish and War to Spades and Poker), outdoor games (tag, hide and seek, Red Rover). Games were always played with others. I often played with my troll, Gumby and Pokey making up stories alone, but those weren’t games as there were no “rules” or predetermined actions.

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

I was not a very athletic child — I did as much physical activity as required in school, rode my bicycle as a form of transportation and for fun daily and that’s about it. In the summers we usually swam every day either in a pool or in a river somewhere. I played the accordion for about six months and that pretty much sums up “music”. I played with my friends, siblings and cousins. I read books incessantly. I watched television for a few hours in the afternoon and maybe 2 hours in the evenings.

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

I never played pen and paper games as a child. As a young adult (early 20s) I played Dungeons and Dragons with my husband and a group of his friends. D&D filled a spot I didn’t know was empty — I loved science fiction and fantasy as a child and the chance to “be” in a fantasy world was a dream come true.

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 read incessantly. My mother used to kick me out of the house to “get some sunshine”. I read mostly animal stories as a young child and then as a teenager I read everything from gothic romances to science fiction to non-fiction to historical novels… My favorite books as a child were the animal stories by Ernest Thompson and the series starting with “Big Red” by Jim Kjelgaard. I loved “Black Beauty” and the “Black Stallion” series. When I was about 11 I discovered the “Tarzan” series and devoured all of those. In my early teens I started reading science fiction by Isaac Asimov, Harlan Ellison, Robert Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke and many others. I was a charter member of the “Science Fiction Book Club” when I was about 14-15. I still have those books on my book shelf today.

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.

Not directly, but if you live mostly in your imagination as a child it has to have an effect on what you do as an adult. Reading about “darkest Africa” or living on Mars certainly made me susceptible to wishing I could live somewhere less mundane than Virginia or Louisiana

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

The first video game I bought for myself, rather than my sons, was “Pool of Radiance” for the Commodore 128. I was 31 years old. Prior to that I had played games on my sons Atari 2600 system, but not very often. I played a bit of Asteroids and Space Invaders to keep the boys amused, but never got into them myself. When I played “Pool of Radiance” though, I was hooked. I played all the gold box games, then Baldur’s Gate.

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

Only with my kids. Again, never a great attraction for me.

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

“Pool of Radiance”. It was like D&D came to life — even with its little blocky graphics. “Pool of Radiance” was the first game I ever played that caused me to put off doing other stuff I should be doing, like cooking dinner (they never starved, but dinner was late quite a few times).

What gaming consoles have you owned in the past?

I’ve never personally owned a console until the Wii. My sons had an Atari 2600, a Nintendo NES, a Nintendo 64 and a Playstation while they lived with us.

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

There is an old movie, the first movie Steve McQueen ever starred in, called “The Blob”. It’s a monster movie about this blob of jelly that comes out of a meteorite and starts eating all the people in this little town. It must have shown on the “Creature Feature” on Saturday afternoon at least once a month. My cousins and siblings and I made up a version of tag based on “The Blob”. Basically, if “The Blob” tagged you, you had to hold hands with someone who was already part of “The Blob” while you tried to catch everyone who wasn’t yet a part of “The Blob”. It was huge fun and by the time you got 6 or 8 (or more) kids in “The Blob” it became a real power struggle as to who was in charge of where you were going and usually ended with a huge pile of arms and legs on the ground somewhere.

Chapter 3: Online

Were you ever exposed to MUDs?

I never played any MUDs. I knew they were out there and what they were, but never really had any interest.

What was your first MMO experience?

2000 – Asheron’s Call. I had been thinking about trying an MMO for awhile — I read reviews of both Everquest and Asherons’ Call. Then I was in the Best Buy in Savannah one day and saw AC on the shelf. EQ was there too and, quite frankly, I chose between them based upon the cover art. From the first logon, I was hooked. I remember a day or so after I started playing, I had my husband playing on a second account. My son came home for a long weekend from college and said “What’s that? Can I try it?” So, he made a character on his Dad’s account and we were running around Holtsburg together. We were hunting in the swamp and my son, at the desk behind me, said “What’s that?” I glanced over at his monitor and literally shouted “REEDSHARK!!!! RUN!!!!!!” I hated those things — as a baby melee they just ate me up. By level 10 or so I had built my stamina up enough that I could handle them, but in the beginning they literally terrified me. My husband played AC for a couple of months before he got bored and I don’t think my son ever played more than that one time, but I was in love. For two years, Dereth was where I was when I wasn’t working or taking care of my family. I didn’t watch TV, I didn’t read, I just played AC. I remember Christmas of 2000 — my sons were both gone with friends for the holiday. It was the first holiday we’d spent without them home. After I got the turkey in the oven (yes, I made a big dinner for just me and my husband… we ate turkey for a week!), I sat down and logged into AC. The server, Thistledown, was practically empty. I ported to Holtsburg and just started running north. I was running through the falling snow and everything was so empty and peaceful. I just felt at home. It was an amazing moment and one I remember (obviously) to this day as a great MMO moment — just me and the virtual world. Just running around seeing sites I’d never seen.

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

Let’s give this a try:

• Asheron’s Call – 2000-2003 and then off and on until 2006 – Aluvian Dagger, 82
• Asheron’s Call 2 – Beta from “Friends and Family” and then 2 or 3 months into live – Human melee of some kind, level 25 or 26?
• Earth & Beyond – Open Beta and 1 month into live – Space Trucker — no idea what race or actual class or level.
• Star Wars Galaxies – Beta from Shuttle 1 Closed Beta and 2 years into live. Human Creature Handler. I loved that game and my creatures. The game and my guild friends saw me through a very bad year after I lost my mother to lung cancer. When I wasn’t working or playing SWG that year, I was sleeping.
• Everquest 2 – 18 months steady starting at launch and I still play off and on a few months at a time. Kerra Guardian, 62.
• Lord of the Rings Online – Beta and a lifetime subscription. Human Guardian, 44.
• Warhammer Online – Beta and 3 months into live. High Elf White Lion, 26.
• Eve Online – Tried to play in beta, but couldn’t figure out how to fly my ship! Tried to play soon after it went live, still couldn’t figure out how to fly my ship! Read about a new tutorial about 3 years ago and finally figured out how to play. Played for about 18 months before I got distracted. Went back after the expansion pack was released a month ago. I started a new character due to the change in the way skills were distributed to new characters — wanted a more focused character for industry. There are no levels or classes in Eve, but my current main is Caldari and I have a second account with a 2 year old Caldari miner character.

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

I am currently playing Eve Online (two accounts), occasionally logging in to Lord of the Rings Online and just started beta testing a game that shall remain nameless.

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

In hours probably Star Wars Galaxies, but I’m not sure. In years, Everquest 2 — going on 5 years.

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

Never have.

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?

On any given day, I’d probably have a different answer, but even though I’m playing Eve primarily at the moment, if I had to choose I’d take Everquest II, because it is the game I keep going back to and the one my friends keep going back to. If there was only one game, I think we’d all be happy if it was EQ2.

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

“Beam me up, Scotty” — Star Trek Online. I’ve loved Star Trek since I was 11. Given any universe save this one to live in, I think it would be that one. If done right, Star Trek Online is going to be an awesome game. I am also watching Free Realms, so I can play with my step-granddaughters in Minnesota, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.

Chapter 4: Preferences

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

Probably 40-50 hours.

How about now?

10 – 30 hours.

When during the week are your regular play times?

I usually play for an hour or two in the early evening during the week, maybe 4 hours on Saturday and 6 on Sunday.

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 both. I join guilds (usually with the same people I’ve been gaming with for years, but not always), participate in guild chat, but do most of my playing solo. Some games I’m more solo and some I group more, but for the main part I like to play “together alone”.

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

Oh, yes. In fact I just got back from a long weekend get-together with a group of long-time gaming friends. We still play together in various games, some in one, some in another, have our own forums and congregate in Facebook and about once a year we get together in “real life” and have a blast. I have other friends that I talk to in IM even though we haven’t played a game together in over 5 years.

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?

Most of the time I have a plan, but sometimes I get distracted and sometimes I just log in and go with the flow.

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 play one at a time, but now I have subs to multiple games going at once. Right now I have subscriptions to Eve Online, Everquest II, Free Realms and a lifetime sub to Lord of the Rings Online.

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

Yes. I play the occasional board game, an hour or so of Wii per week and the odd game of Mah-Jhong on the PC. Occasionally, I’ll buy a single-player PC game and spend a few days or weeks in that.

Are you something of an altoholic?

I mostly use alts to try out new or alternate starter area content and classes and those alts seldom make it past the starter areas in games. My altaholic tendencies are satisfied by the multi-game approach — I used to play alts more often when I was playing one game at a time.

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)?

Very seldom. I used to be able to do multiple things at a time — for instance, I always had a book I was reading while watching TV, but these days my only multitasking takes place at work, where it is a necessity and at home I try to concentrate on one thing at a time. Sometimes when mining in Eve Online, I will be doing something like working on a skill training plan, watching a baseball game or working on my trade spreadsheets, but other than that, I’m pretty focused.

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

I talk about my gaming with my husband and sons, but not really with anyone else — except when I get together with gaming friends.

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

I have felt like I was spending too much time gaming — I’ve even quit because of it. I soon found that I didn’t get much else that was useful done, gaming time tends to be filled by watching TV when I stop. Gaming is no more a waste of time than TV, so I don’t worry about it too much anymore.

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

I have taken breaks from gaming every couple of years or so since I started spending gobs of time on it 10 years ago. I’ve quit a couple of times because I wanted to spend more time on my genealogy studies and those breaks have been well used and helpful. I set a goal for the genealogy studies and work on that until I meet the goal and that works well. I’ve also stopped a couple of times simply because I felt I was “wasting time” playing games — those breaks aren’t as helpful… I usually end up watching too much TV and DVDs and not accomplishing any more than I would have gaming. My total breaks from gaming usually last 3 to 6 months, whether for genealogy or “just because”.

Chapter 5: Blogging

When did you first start blogging?

I started blogging in July 2008. I blogged on The White Lion Blog, a Warhammer specific blog, until January of this year when I quit playing Warhammer. I had intended to quit blogging, but several readers suggested I try a non-game-specific blog and The Gaming Granny was born.

Why do you blog?

I started blogging to evangelize the White Lion class in Warhammer. Although I tired of Warhammer, I did not tire of the White Lion. It is probably my dream class — a melee-DPS class with a pet that is a LION!!! What more could you ask for? I still miss my war lion, Ravi. I continue to blog primarily because I like to write. I’ve come to consider my readers friends and even though the communication is mostly one-way, I feel it is an important part of my life.

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

I am currently neither playing games nor blogging on any kind of schedule due to pressing personal concerns other than blogging once a week or so to keep my few, but loyal, readers up-to-date on my status. When I am actively gaming, I try to have 3 or 4 blog posts a week. I generally write my posts first thing in the morning. A week will generally see the “Sunday Sampler” which is a compilation of gaming news and posts from fellow bloggers from the previous week that I found to be of compelling interest, a couple of “what I’m doing in x game” posts and maybe a cute animal post. I occasionally blog about my personal life, as well.

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

I simply don’t do “grind”. If I find something is “grindy”, I stop doing it, at least for awhile. That’s one reason I switch games every six months or so. I often go back to a game I’ve played in the past, but it seems I’m always going to switch every once in awhile.

By contrast, what do you find pleasurable about blogging?

I enjoy writing and I enjoy the give and take with commentors.

How many people offline know you blog?

Maybe 6. My family, my boss (although she doesn’t know what I blog about) and one friend. Everyone else who knows I blog is primarily an online friend or a blog reader.

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

I hardly consider myself in the position to give advice, but I do feel strongly that if you are going to write you need to use proper grammar and spelling.

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

I can’t think of anything, really. I enjoy blogging — when I no longer enjoy it, I just won’t do it anymore. That’s the way I roll.

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

Yes. I’m not ready to do so yet, but I’m sure the time will come where I think “this isn’t fun anymore”. I have a lot of stuff I have to do that isn’t fun, so I don’t spend my free time doing stuff like that.

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?

Who said I was going to have a funeral?

Jaxom

MMO community connection:

The Middle-Earth Adventurer

Chapter 1: Introduction

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

Jaxom92, although the numbers aren’t necessary in addressing me. Jaxom or Jax is fine.

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

I involved myself in the blogs and podcasts surrounding MMOs when I started playing LOTRO. I listen to many podcasts over at VirginWorld.com and follow about a dozen gaming related blogs, mostly about MMOs. They’re too numerous to mention, however, if you check out my own blog, The Middle-Earth Adventurer, you can find the blogroll there.

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

First and foremost it is about building community. I want to see a community of blogers and readers surrounding LOTRO and MMOs/gaming in general. Secondly, I’m interested in creating quality thoughts about my chosen subject. When I created my blog, I noticed a lack of LOTRO specific blogs and decided to fill that space myself. In the coming months I realized the space wasn’t as solitary as I had thought. This has give me a wonderful jumpstart to the community building side of my blog.

Where were you born? Where did you grow up?

Where do you live now?

I was born in the Pacific Northwest of the US. I’ve grown up here and still live here. It’s a wonderful place to live.

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

As of this writing, I’m 23.

What do you do for a living?

At the moment, my living migrates to and from temporary positions due to the currently bad economic situation. I have a bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies and hope to get a job as a planner of some type.

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

I’m also interested in writing so being a professional writer would be something I’d be interested in as well. At the moment, I write fiction in my spare time, of which I have too much, even to fill with gaming.

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 played some elementary board games such as Candy Land and Chutes and Ladders. I also made up a bunch of games using various toys I had, particularly with decks of cards though.

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

I loved to read and play with Legos. I wasn’t into sports very much, being a small kid, but I did play viola for a while in Middle School and High School.

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

No, I never got into D&D or any of the other pen and paper rpgs. I had been misinformed by some people, not my parents, that those types of activities were “evil.” As such there was never a desire to play them. Now, however, I would be interested in getting involved in one should I have the time and opportunity.

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 read quite a bit as a child. Starting out with simple books like Dr. Suess, I gradually worked my way up to full length novels, mostly in the science fiction and fantasy genre since that’s mainly what my mother read. She read aloud to me as a child and helped ween me, so to speak, into my own reading. The last books read to me as a kid were Alan Dean Foster’s Pip and Flinx books. I never got into comic books. I don’t know why, it’s just something that never happened. I think the time that I would have been getting into comic books, mom had already opened up the world of novels, and I’ve always found what my imagination conjures more compelling than what’s already on the page.

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.

Certainly. The genre of science fiction and fantasy is probably most predominent in games and premises for games with those genre elements always pique my interest at least a little. Currenlty I play Lord of the Rings Online and the only reason I became involved in this game was because my love for the Lord of the Rings books, which I read in early high school.

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

My first introduction to video games was via friends and extended family. My cousin was really into Nintendo and I also ran across Nintendos at friend’s houses. I didn’t have one, however, which probably is the reason I came about gaming from a story and literary side rather than an entertainment medium side of things. I was probably 8 or 9 when I first encountered them and showed an interest. Eventually I got a gameboy as my first system, followed shortly afterwards by a Super Nintendo. I’ve incidentally always been one generation behind in the gaming platforms but PC took over, spurred by my cousin. When we would visit grandma’s house, there was little to do but play games. We started out with made up games, like many children do, but when he got into video games, I followed. The first that I can remember is Railroad Tycoon, an old DOS game. He got into it from his step brother who was a teenager at the time. We played that incessantly. Later it was StarCraft and from there I began getting into games on my own. Now PC rules my gaming universe. I haven’t bought any of the newest consoles, though the 360 still creeps up on the horizon from time to time.

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

I never got into arcades. Mainly because money was always tight. We weren’t poor per se, but the budget had little room for luxuries like arcades. My parents couldn’t justify me stuffing quarters into a machine for hours on end. And the concept was never really fun for me either. I much preferred the greater freedom of playing games at home. The more a game could let me use my imagination, the more I liked it.

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

I think I need to go back to Railroad Tycoon. My step cousin installed it onto my grandparent’s old (not at the time though) 486 machine in their basement and played it. Me and my cousin were entralled. My step cousin was a teenager at the time and had little tolerance for us little kids bothering him about the game so we taught ourselves how to play when he wasn’t monopolizing the computer. We played all day, talked about it into the night when our parents finally had to come down and tell us to shut up and go to sleep, then we got up early and played some more. Rinse repeat. We were hooked, and we dreamed about the game too. It was like we never stopped playing. I don’t get that hooked into games anymore. The newness that addicted us then is long gone, but I still have fun and I play games to this day because of that first wonderful impression.

What gaming consoles have you owned in the past?

I have a Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, and GameCube still in my posession. The GameBoy (orignal brick like thing) is long gone. Consoles aren’t my main focus anymore. I’ve invested quite a bit into the PC side of things.

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

I think the best one is the Railroad Tycoon story, but when me and my cousin hung out, but didn’t have access to a Nintendo or computer, we’d take blank peices of paper and write our own levels and have each other “play” them. At one point we experimented with creating a “real life” level with various objects, but that never worked out quite so well. Not enough materials for my limitless imagination.

Chapter 3: Online

Were you ever explosed to MUDs? If so, when and what was the experience like?

My MUD experience is only by association. That is, I knew people who played MUDs, and in one case were creating a MUD, and I learned about what they were by this, but I never participated in the playing of MUDs, barring some play testing for the aforementioned creators. It’s too bad they never finished the project actually as it was pretty fun.

What was your first MMO experience? When and what was the experience like?

My first MMO experience was getting invited to the beta for Lord of the Rings Online. At that time the testing was still in the alpha stages and the playtesting period I was invited to was one week long. And boy was that an awesome week. Being the first time I delved into an MMO, I was hooked immediately. I played as much as I could for that week and despite the bugs and little content that was in the game at that point, they had themselves a customer already. I think my attachment came two-fold. First, it’s one of the few RPGs I’ve played and the new and shiny aspect of that appealed to me. Secondly, it was Tolkien. I’m a huge Tolkien fan, especially coming out of the movies (I’m a book first person though). Two and two make infinity in this case.

I remember being enamored by a couple of specific things though. First was the opening instance which put you right in front of a Black Rider within a couple minutes of the opening gameplay. That was really cool. It put the story in front of the player from the start – and being an avid reader and aspiring writer, story is very important to me. Add in the fact that I was experience Middle-Earth in a new and interactive way, this first instance really left a strong impression. Second was the visuals. At that time my computer couln’t put out enough horsepower to have the graphics cranked up, but the beta didn’t have full graphic settings available anyway. However, what I did see was wonderful. In Tolkien’s world, the land is as much a character as the people running about it and having a game that can produce breathtaking visuals helps a great deal to sell the world. And I’m kinda an eyecandy nut too so…

List all the MMO’s you’ve played extensively:

I’ve only played LOTRO. So, first and only MMO.

Which MMOs have you spent the most time playing? How long is that?

LOTRO is of course the answer here, however I can elaborate on how long. I’ve been playing since my invitation to beta on August 28th 2006. So, that’s about two and a half years. In terms of hours, I’d say I’m somewhere close to 1000. That means I’m a fairly casual gamer when it comes to LOTRO. Primarily that’s because I’m also a lifetime member. There was a deal offered to the beta testers to become “Founders”. They had the option of bying a lifetime subscription for a one-time fee of $199. Of course, I have to buy the boxes for the retail releases of the game but there’s no monthly fee for me. That puts less pressure on me to feel like I need to play and get my money’s worth. Instead, I feel no pressure to play except for keeping up with my in-game friends as well as getting new content for my blog.

Have you reached level cap in your MMO?

Yes I have. Currently that’s level 60, after the Mines of Moria expansion. I only have one character at the cap since I’m not someone who plays with alts very often, if at all. I do happen to have characters sitting around from my little dabbling with other classes but they’re all less than level 15. No, my Captain receives most if not all of my attention.

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

There are a couple that I’d like to mention. Since I’m playing LOTRO, any future MMO I play in addition to LOTRO will not be anything like LOTRO if I can help it. That means I will probably never venture into Everquest (1 or 2), Age of Conan, Warhammer Online, World of WarCraft, etc. What does strike my fancy at the moment is Jumpgate Evolution and StarTrek online, for somewhat different reasions. The former peaks my interest because I was a big fan of the Freelancer game. I came late to the space sim/flight genre – unfortunately bypassing WingCommander, so I can’t say I’m an avid fan of this type of game but it is different from many other games I play and I like a little variety. I also never played the original Jumpgate so I’m coming at this new with very little expectations and knowledge about the game. I’ll trial this game first and see how I like it since I’m not in the beta (if the beta is even going at the moment) and it will require a montly sub. StarTrek interests me because I’m a big StarTrek fan. This one I’m more weary about because they have to get it absolutely right. Moreso than LOTRO in my opinion. I’ve let a lot of things slide in LOTRO that don’t feel exactly true to the spirit of the IP, but with StarTrek, it’s something very specific in tone, quality, activity, story, etc. In other words, there’s not a lot of margin for error in my book – meaning it will absolutely be a trial first and they could do a lot more things to screw it up than get it right. Still, I’m watching both these games.

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

The one that comes to mind is a bit amusing, but very dear to my heart. It’s how I came to be in my current kinship (guild) in LOTRO. It was a mistake, actually. During beta I decided to play a dwarf Champion for one of the phases and while questing I got asked if I wanted to group for some of the content I was working on. Sure, why not. It’s an MMO after all, I should be sociable. So I did group. And both members were great people to play with and they seemed to think the same of me. One of them asked if I’d like to join their kinship. This was new territory for me. Being my first MMO I’d never involved myself in a kinship before (although I do have online friends from other ventures previous). Why not, they seem nice enough. If I don’t like it, I can always leave.

Well, the kinleader invited me, then proceeded to promote me to hier (which is basically second in command of the kinship). Okay… that was wierd, but whatever, there are strange people out there. Perhaps these guys are just a bit quirky. Turns out because my character name started with a G, our kinleader automatically assumed I was the hier, who happens to always name his characters with a G. He hadn’t yet logged into that session of the beta and wasn’t in the kin yet. After some odd questions the misunderstanding finally sorted itself out. I was no longer heir, but I now had an immediate connection to everybody who was online at that time. And I’ve never left. They’re a great group of people to play with and I’m blessed to have been mistaken for someone I wasn’t.

Chapter 4: Preferences

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

At my peak, which was probably the year I took off school I approached 40 hours a week, like a full time job. Most of the time it’s less than that. Now a lot would be 20 hours a week. Currently I’m probably looking at 10, maybe. I’ve settled down the gaming quite a bit. I think there’s only so much gaming one can do before needing a break, and since I have a lot of other interests I can pursue besides gaming, I tend to not play nearly as much as I used to.

When during the week are your regular play times?

We’re mainly looking at evenings here, though lately I’ve show up late morning to early afternoon. When I finally get a steady job evenings will probably be the norm. I live on the West Coast of the US so evenings here will differ even across the US, let alone other parts of the world.

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

I have joined a kin and consider my kinship to be the best thing that happened to me in LOTRO. I think I still play because I have kinmates I like to hang out with, whether that’s just talking or we’re actually grouping and experiencing content together. However, my playstyle is mainly solo, with my socializing taking place primarily in chat.

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

Lasting to the point that I’ve played with the same people for over two years now. I’ve only talked to a few outside of game and because of the distance, via e-mail or other internet communication. I’d like to think that these people are friends not just because we play LOTRO together, but because we enjoy each other’s company. At some point I’d love to actually visit some of them if the opportunity presented itself.

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 like to start out with goals before I log in. In the past, when I haven’t had goals, I’ll log in, stare at the screen for a while, and if nobody from the kinship is really on or doing anything interesting, I’ll just log back out again. But, if I have a goal for my play session – complete quests, craft, whatever, I find I’ll stay logged in longer. I might finish my predetermined goal and still long in if I have come up with another activity I want to do. Often this will be finishing a play session with crafting – cooking in my case. It’s a nice relaxing end to change up the typical hack and slash of questing.

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

Lately I’ve been all over the place when it comes to play time. Just depends on my mood since my schedule is variable. However, I’ve also filled my schedule with non-gaming activities as of late which aren’t necessary regular either. As such my gaming is sporadic and to someone who doesn’t know my schedule, unpredictable.

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

Sometimes I’ll play some single-player PC games. I don’t have a new gen console so I don’t play console games. I’ve never done intensive tabletop gaming so it’s just single-player PC games for me. I took a few days break to play Mass Effect when it came out for the PC. I’ve recently bought Heroes of Might and Magic V and was playing that until it got ridiculously hard even on the easy setting. If I get frustrated I’ll move on – no reason to play something that’s not fun. I played GTA IV until the latest patch made it crash before I could even load (was pretty miffed about that). I also play Galactic Civilizations II from time to time as well.

Are you something of an altoholic?

Absolutely not. I rarely play the alts I’ve created. At one time I was playing two alts for crafting purposes but I just got bored going through some of the same content again. I stick with my captain exclusively now, though if I ever had some friends I know locally play LOTRO, I’d make an alt specifically for playing with them. That would last longer – as long as they played and/or until they reached the level of my captain.

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)?

Every once and a while. Sometimes I’ll listen to podcasts while playing. I don’t have a TV in the same room as the computer so that’s out. IMing, no way. I hate alt-tabbing out of the game, especially something that’s “live” and cannot be paused. If the phone rings, I’ll answer of course, except in the most intense situations where getting up would be the death of me or another person I’m playing with. If the person on the phone wants to talk I’ll put them on speaker and get my hands back for playing. That’s rare though and most of the time I’m only playing the game.

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

Not with local friends or my family all that much. Recently my sister started playing WoW so we’ve been trading comparing comments back and forth from time to time. My main discussoin of LOTRO comes in the form of my blog – The Middle-Earth Adventurer. And even then that tends to be me talking a lot with occasional comments.

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

Yes, on occasion. When I first bouth HoMaM V I stayed up till 3 AM playing – because it was new mostly. I regretted it afterwards not just because I woke up too late the next day but also because I felt like it was somewhat a waste of time that could otherwise be more productive. Being unemployed makes you feel like you should be using all the time you can to finding a job rather than “goofing off” playing games. I think I’m just a point in my life where gaming is becoming more of a hobby and occasional activity rather than an obsession. I don’t think I ever reached the point of being obsessed but when I was younger I lived to game.

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

Yes, with the single player games I mentioned above. However, LOTRO has always been something I played since I started Beta in August of 2006. I might take a break with a different game from time to time but LOTRO has the largest percentage of my game time.

Chapter 5: Blogging

When did you first start blogging?

I started blogging on October 13th 2008, so a little over 6 months ago. That was The Middle-Earth Adventurer, which remains my one and only blog, although I use livejournal for personal blogging and Twitter. I should also mention a brief foray into writing a monthly column at a fanfiction website I was once a part of. In a sense, that might have been considered a blog, but that was before I had ever heard of blogging.

Why do you blog?

I love talking about what I love doing. So, in my case, I love to talk about playing LOTRO. It’s pretty much that simple. As I discovered/helped create the current community that exists around the LOTRO blogs, I think I need to add that I blog for that community as well. At first, bloging was about myself. I did it just for me because I liked it. Now, in addition to that, I do it for everybody else that reads and particulates.

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

My goal is to have on average one post per day over at the Adventurer. This last month has seen a reduction in that regularity because I have been playing less and we’re in the middle of a development cycle for the game. Before Book 7 was released, I saw nearly three posts per day. As to a more general routine in my day, I usually blog in the morning, mostly about things that happened the previous day, if it’s about activities in the game, or information I’ve run across in my morning e-mail checking, blog reading, twitter updating, etc, etc. But I don’t limit myself to specific times during the day when I blog. When inspiration hits, I try and jump right into a post.

Is there some grind involved in blogging? If so, how do you cope?

Well, you might say that it’s hard to keep up a regular 1 post per day schedule at times. That could be considered a grind, but I don’t view it as such, or keep a grinding mentality when I’m blogging. If there’s material to post, I’ll post it. If not, I won’t post. The nice thing is I’ve managed to find inspiration so far to keep my goal and it hasn’t become a chore or grind. It helps that I love to blog.

By contrast, what do you find pleasurable about blogging?

First and foremost I love to write. Anything I’m interested in I love to write about. And I get the added benefit of a clearer mind. Writing helps me to interact with the subject I’m writing about. For LOTRO, I understand the game and the mechanics behind the game better because I think critically about what I’m blogging about. I’ve also come to love the interaction with the small community we have. Either other bloggers or readers, it’s always nice to hear other opinions about what you’re interested in. That assumes an open mind. We all know about flame wars on forums and such. So far, all the participants have kept an open mind about the topics presented by the Adventurer and other LOTRO bloggers. It makes for some wonderful social interaction.

How many people offline know you blog?

All my local friends do, because I’ll mention it from time to time. But most of them aren’t interested in the subject of my blog (LOTRO) so don’t participate in it. They’re cool with what I do though. It’s not like I’m doing something weird or particularly nerdy. Then again, many of my friends are fellow nerds so their perceptions might be a bit biased.

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

You need to love two things to be successful at blogging. First, you have to love whatever it is you want to blog about. If you don’t love it, you won’t keep up your blog over time. You’ll burn out. I love LOTRO and despite hitting a lull in my playing, I still love the game and I still want to write about it. Secondly, you need to love writing. If writing is a chore, blogging is not for you. Building on that, your love of writing should come with a desire for improvement of your writing skills. None of us start out writing Stephen King quality novels, even King himself. A successful blog will be well written or will see improvement in the writing as the blog progresses. And all this is only possible if you love to write.

I’d also say that if you get a large readership, you will come across people whose ideas differ from your own. You must be open to ideas. This might seem strange because many bloggers aren’t but they blog anyway. And some of their blogs are popular. I don’t see blogging as simply a means to expressing your own ideas and calling it good. Blogging is interacting with the community about which you blog, and interaction should be just as respectful online as in person. We don’t see enough of this. So be open, because you’ll find people who don’t agree with you and won’t be open about the opinion. They’ll attack you personally, call you names, discredit you in anyway they can. You need thick skin.

All this is well and good. You love a subject, you love to write about it, and you can take the heat. Now you need to set the ground rules of your blog. Do you talk about personal stuff? What comments are acceptable? Etc, etc. This is part of establishing your personality as a blogger, setting an expectation for your readers. And you cannot back down from your choices. People need to know what to expect with your blog, whether they like your rules or not. Changing the scope, scale, content, subject of your blog will turn your readership into a roller coaster ride. If you don’t want to blog about your topic anymore, but are interested in a different topic, start a new blog. Or make sure you started your current blog with enough generality to include everything you might want to blog about.

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

Honestly, I was lucky in this. I had delved into the world of blogging long before I started doing it myself. I heard many bloggers and podcasters talk about the dos and don’ts, the ins and outs. I read different styles, saw the types of discussions and community interaction. I knew how to write before I started my blog (thank you college). So I came into blogging knowing what to expect, knowing how to accomplish my goals. That’s not to say there aren’t any surprises. I was amazed at how fast I became involved in the LOTRO blogging community. We’re not big, but there were more LOTRO blogs out there than I thought. Soon as I started the Adventurer, I began to quickly follow the links and profile pages to find everybody. It’s amazing how interconnected everything is on the internet. So, if there’s one thing I wish I knew I would have to say that is how to find the LOTRO community before I started, that way I could have done a better job at inserting myself into the mix. Not that things didn’t work out well anyway. I started the Adventurer because I didn’t think there were active LOTRO blogs. I was wrong, and I’m glad I was wrong.

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

Anything is possible. I’m single and unemployed. I have a lot of time to blog. But I plan on getting a job. I plan on having a career, a family – wife, kids, dog, etc. Life won’t always be so forgiving and there may come a time where I need to take a sabbatical. I don’t think I will every quit forever. If it’s not LOTRO, I’m sure I’ll be bloging or writing about something. The regularity may change, but there will never be a lack of quality subjects to put my mind to. I hope the Adventurer will continue for the lifetime of the game, but like I said, who knows. Only the future.

Namari an si, Jaxom