Iain Compton

MMO community connection:

Antipwn

Chapter 1: Introduction

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

Iain Compton a.k.a. IainC, Requiel

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

I have an MMO industry blog at antipwn.com/blog that has been going for a few years now. I am a games designer for an MMOFPS being released later this year and I worked as a community manager for DAoC and WAR in Europe before that.

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

I discuss the inside of the industry, trends and game design topics

Where were you born? Where did you grow up?

I was born in Scotland and I grew up in a lot of different places.

Where do you live now?

The Black Forest in Germany

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

31-40

What do you do for a living?

I’m a games designer

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

A musician

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

• I’m autistic.
• I am a huge fan of comics.
• I am a wargamer.
• I have lived in a warzone.
• I hate getting out of bed in the morning.

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 a lot of tabletop roleplay games which are, of course, a social activity. I also played a lot of miniatures wargames, CCGs and board games. I never really needed to play games as a solo endeavour.

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

Mostly I played games. Chess and D&D were the main ones.

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

I played a whole lot of pen and paper games, mostly 2nd EdAD&D but also Shadowrun, Cyberpunk, MERP, WHFRP, Torg, DC Heroes, Rifts, Rolemaster, Palladium, GURPS, Twilight 2000, Traveller… You get the picture. Those were great times.

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 mum was a huge fantasy and SF fan so I grew up reading Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, Tolkien, Ray Bradbury, Anne McAffrey, Brian W. Aldiss and so forth. I read a lot as a kid and books were my retreat of choice when there was no-one to play a game with.

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.

Of course they did. Games without narrative are lifeless to me. A game needs to have a commentary to be interesting enough to play. Even if that commentary is applied externally.

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

I played a lot of games on my Commodore 64 when I was a kid – probably 8 years old or so. My dad was a computer hobbyist well before most people even knew what they were, back in the days when games had to be typed out and saved on tape.

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

Not really, they didn’t exist in most of the places where I lived.

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

Eye of the Beholder, the original Gold Box SSi game. Stories in a computer game!

What gaming consoles have you owned in the past?

PS1/2/3, Xbox 360, Atari 2600, Sega Megadrive, 3DO, Nintendo DS. To be truthful I was never really into consoles, I preferred computers.

Chapter 3: Online

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

A friend got me playing a hybrid fantasy/crime/SFgame which I played the hel out of for a couple of years. I found it fascinating and was turned on by the fact that the lack of graphics didn’t detract from the gameplay at all.

What was your first MMO experience? Again, when was this (a year please) and what was this like?

The first MMO I played was Dark Age of Camelot in 2003 when it was released in Europe. I had tried to play UO before that but I couldn’t get past the arcane interface.

If possible, list all the MMOs you’ve played extensively. Please start from the beginning and work your way up to the present.

DAoC, WAR, Eve Online, LotRO, Everquest II,

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

Eve Online

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

DAoC without a doubt. I played it for five years pretty solidly and must have ranked up 250+ /played days.

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

DAoC

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?

Eve Online, it has the most depth of any MMO around.

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

I’ll play Aion when it releases. I like the premise and I’d like to see how the PvP is handled.

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

I ran an event for DAoC in Europe where I ended up accidentally scamming the players who’d turned up. Eventually I gave all the money I’d stolen to the first newbie I encountered and ran a follow-up event where the players could capture me and put me on trial for my crimes.

Chapter 4: Preferences

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

I used to play about 30 hours a week, nowadays it’s probably around 15.

When during the week are your regular play times?

Evenings, weekends.

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

Definitely social. I hate soloing as it becomes a challenge to stave off tedium rather than a challenge to defeat the game.

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

I’ve found plenty of strong friends through MMO gaming, I’ve even brought some of them over to this side of the industry table.

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, most often I’ll just log in and see what my options are.

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

I tend to play one as my main game which absorbs most of my time and I may have another one or two that I play as a change of pace.

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

Yes. Currently I’m playing Bloodbowl and a few other strategy games in between Eve sessions.

Are you something of an altoholic?

Depends on the game. I was in DAoC but not so much in WAR or Eve.

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)?

Eve lends itself to that quite well. In other games I tend to concentrate more on the game and try not to get distracted.

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

My wife plays MMOs too and all my colleagues work on an MMO so yes.

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

I went and took a holiday without internet access.

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

Not really.

Chapter 5: Blogging

When did you first start blogging?

I have two blogs, one is an MMO industry blog which has been running for about 2 and a half years, the other is a wargames and miniature painting blog that I started earlier this year. I recently migrated them both to my own domain www.antipwn.com/blog/  from wordpress.com.

Why do you blog?

I like to think out loud and a few people seem to like discussing my thoughts with me.

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

No. I try and set myself a one update per month minimum but I don’t always meet that. Sometimes I update several times in a day though.

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

Not really, because I don’t make myself write unless there’s something I want to write about. There’s no pressure for me.

By contrast, what do you find pleasurable about blogging?

I like to read the comments and discuss with the readers of my blog.

How many people offline know you blog?

Most of my friends and family.

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

Figure out what you want to write about and why people should want to ready your opinions. Then go for it.

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

If you get no comments on a post, that doesn’t mean no-one read it.

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

Possibly, not for the foreseeable future anyway.

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?

Sumerland (What Dreams May Come) by the Fields of the Nephilim.

Spinks

MMO community connection:

Spinksville

Chapter 1: Introduction

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

Spinks is the name I use for blogging. It’s actually the name I thought up for my WoW character back when the game launched, and before that it was a name I used for a character in a short story about an East End guttersnipe who worked for a vampire crimelord. I like it because it sounds a bit comic and also not pretentious.

I hope that reflects my writing voice!

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

I’m a blogger at the moment. My online hangout is spinksville.wordpress.com. Before that, I wrote bookofgrudges.wordpress.com with my sister (I mean, sister as in blood relation, not sister as in nun) — and *plug* she’s still updating BoG but also writes a blog at nerfthecat.wordpress.com.

The Book of Grudges blog was a riot, and also successful way beyond anything we had imagined. And after that, I was hooked.

Before that, I was involved with MUSHes. As well as playing, I was part of the staffing team on a few games and wrote most of the game bible (ie. the large background document to which staff referred for thematic questions) for Sanguinis Nobilis, which was a MUSH based around White Wolf’s Vampire game and set in modern day London. It was awesome and so were my amazing fellow staffers, and we had the best players ever. If I enjoy MMOs, it’s because sometimes they remind me of SN.

I have also written for RPG companies, in particular:

Steve Jackson Games:

For In Nomine:

Hope and Prophecy

Rogues to Riches

and a scenario: The Rat’s Revenge

For GURPS:

GURPS Screampunk

I also wrote the first draft of GURPS Dragons

Guardians of Order:

Dreaming Cities: Tri-Stat Urban Fantasy Genre

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

My blog is about MMOs and elements of game design. I’m fascinated by interactive fiction and in particular by emergent player behaviour and in-game cultures. And if that sounds high-faluting, it means I’m often writing about guilds.

I also write about whichever game I am playing most at the moment, and I try to do this in a way that will help people who don’t play better understand player behaviour in that game. At the moment my main MMO character is a protection warrior in WoW, so I’m writing at least one post a week about tanking and raiding and WoW sorts of things.

Where were you born? Where did you grow up?

I was born in London. I’ve lived in several parts of the UK (including Hull and Leeds), went to University in Newcastle, came back to London as a Post-Graduate and am now living about 50 miles west of London.

Where do you live now?

Reading. It’s fine, as long as you don’t mind swans.

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?

At the moment, I’m between careers and doing lots of voluntary work (I volunteer as an adviser at the CAB *plug*). Before that, I acquired a PhD in digital signal processing and spent 20 years or so working as a design engineer, mostly designing mobile phones. The work also drifted to low level software engineering and I have worked on operating systems, my particular speciality was filing systems.

I’m one of the few coders I know who has actually worked on production assembler (ie. programming in assembler for mass market devices). These days even low level coders usually work in a higher level language.

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

Opera singer, but I’d need to reroll my larynx too!

I am actually working on rerolling my career at the moment, most likely towards social work.

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

• I chew my nails.
• I have been hang gliding and it was great.
• I once ate roast sparrow (on a stick) in Japan.
• I once played the role of Aouda Fogg (the Indian woman who married Phileas Fogg in Around the World in 80 Days) in a live RP and had to learn how to put on a sari. Fortunately I found the info on a web page.
• I’m a big REM fan and met my husband via an argument in my sister’s kitchen about which was their best album.

Feel free to discuss any family you have here.

I have two awesome sisters. I am also happily married to the most patient man in the universe.

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?

We’ve always been playing games as a family. I remember playing card games like Whist and Rummy with my great aunts, I remember playing Monopoly with my cousins, I remember playing Scrabble with my friends and their parents. And I remember playing lots of board games and card games and lets’ pretend games with my sisters.

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

Piano, fencing, swimming, reading (lots of reading!)

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

lol yes, I’ve played, run and written a lot of pen and paper RPGs. I don’t remember the first but it may have been boxed set D&D which I played (kind of) with my sisters. We had an AD&D game going with cousins also.

Pen and Paper RPGs were big at the time.

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.

Yes. Read lots of everything. I remember loving lots of authors and titles, anything I pick out would be arbitrary.

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.

Probably. I enjoyed escapist fiction and games, but I just got into games in general at an early age. And stayed there. A lot of my friends are gamers, we often bust out a card game or board game when we get together. I liked computers a lot anyway, the difference between programming and computer games didn’t come clear to me until later – I just thought they were both fun things to do with computers.

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

Don’t remember precisely. I know one of my friends had a ZX Spectrum. And a friend of my dad’s had a build-your-own computer (a Sharp I think) and he’d got some really really basic games for it which we adored. First computer we owned was a VIC-20, and I remember spending a fair amount of time typing games into it from computer magazines.

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

Not much.

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

I was blown away by Elite when I first saw a friend play it on her BBC B. It was also the first game I ever actually finished, some years later, when it came out on the Atari ST.
I loved the novella that came with it.
I loved flying my spaceship around, struggling to learn how to dock and being able to trade up to better ships and weapons when I’d earned enough money trading.
I loved that space was just so /big/. It was one of the most immersive games I’d ever played.
I also love that so many gamers and designers of my rough age pick it as one of their favourite ever games — it reassures me that we all have great taste

I also don’t remember which was the first roguelike game I played but like so many people, I was hooked immediately.

What gaming consoles have you owned in the past?

gameboy, gameboy advance, DS, PS, PS2. I think that’s it.

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

OK, the epic tale of WHO KILLED BOB?!

This is not really from my childhood but from when I’d just moved into a flat with my sisters after leaving university. I had a dinky Apple computer which I’d gotten cheap from uni (I was a postgrad) and one of the few games I had that ran on it was Angband. Which is a roguelike.

So my sisters both liked the game too and we took turns playing it. And then … the terrible night when one of them logged on and … her character was gone *dire music*. We never did find out who killed Bob (if you’re reading this, I swear it wasn’t me!!), but I remember lying in bed and listening to her recite Bob’s entire gear list mournfully from her bedroom across the corrridor.

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.

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.

Zonk

MMO community connection:

MMOG Nation

Chapter 1: Introduction

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

I used to go by ‘Dialogue’, but nowadays I use ‘whoisdialogue’ as a moniker in a bunch of spots. I’m also pretty well known as ‘Zonk’, a nickname from high school that followed me to my days at Slashdot.

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

I’ve been a blogger at MMOG Nation for about three years now, and for over a year I ran the super-awesome MMO news blog Massively.com.

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

MMOs generally, with a focus on what I personally find engaging about the games.

Where were you born? Where did you grow up?

Born in Chicago, IL. Grew up in Madison, WI.

Where do you live now?

Austin, TX

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?

Game Designer

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

For more than half a decade, I’ve been fortunate enough to pretty much always be doing something that I loved. I hope it never stops.

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

• My favorite movie in a trilogy is almost invariably the second one. Empire Strikes Back, Attack of the Clones, Bourne Supremacy, Two Towers, etc etc.
• The very first MMO I played seriously wasn’t EverQuest (the first MMO I played) or Star Wars Galaxies (the first AAA MMO I played seriously), but A Tale in the Desert.
• I once dressed as a ‘mob’ from an MMO for Halloween. I wore a black vest and a skull mask, taking on the guise of a member of the ‘Skulls’ gang from City of Heroes. I affixed a piece of clear cellophane with the mob’s name to a headpiece so that I’d have a floating name over my head.
• My first portable system landed in my hands as a result of my ability to spell. I was in fourth grade and got sponsored in a spell-a-thon. A combination of invested relatives and the cogent placement of letters in proper order resulted in my coming out on top for my grade. As a result, I won a Game Boy!
• My favorite beer is the Belgian White Ale called “Blue Moon”. Yes, it’s not a microbrew, but I like those too. My favorite of those is the New Glarus, WI beer called “Spotted Cow”.

Feel free to discuss any family you have here.

I’m married to another awesome gamer named Katharine.

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?

Before I got into videogaming, I was pretty much just into boringly normal stuff. Monopoly, Yahtzee with the grandparents, etc. My life as a videogamer began at Christmas of 1985. I was about 5 years old.

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

I was in little league when I was very young, and did very poorly at it. I was always much better at Mario and Duck Hunt.

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

I’ve been a tabletop gamer since I was 10. I’ve played using numerous game systems, but my favorites have always been Shadowrun and D&D. Since getting out of college I’ve mostly been running games, and I’ve had the pleasure of running two ongoing SR games and three long-standing D&D campaigns since 2002. I just began a new D&D Fourth Edition campaign about a month ago that I’m playing with some friends via Skype and the Fantasy Grounds software.

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 pretty much everything I could get my hands on when I was younger. Some favorite books/series from my youth include:

• The Young Wizard Series (So You Want to Be A Wizard, etc..) by Diane Duane
• From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg
• The Bunnicula Series by James Howe
• The Tripod Trilogy by “John Cristopher” (Samuel Youd)
• The Johnny Dixon Series by John Bellairs

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.

An appreciation for imagination and weirdness is a theme that runs through a lot of the stuff I like to read. I’d say that ties directly into my enjoyment of gaming.

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

My mother purchased a Nintendo Entertainment System for my brother and I on the occasion of Christmas 1985. I was 5 years old.

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

Though I didn’t play in arcades as often as some folks (because of the NES at home), I definitely got in a lot of time there when the family was shopping. It was a pretty unique experience: the sound of the machines in ‘barker’ mode, the smell of the cheap pizza or uber-sugery soda. There were always older kids (teenagers) hogging the best machines, and my pitiful abilities at fighting games left me out of some of the best experiences those places had to offer. When I did hit an arcade, I tended to go for side-scrolling action titles that button-mashing would help with.

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

The first game that really affected me deeply would probably have been Legend of Zelda. The sheer scope of the game, along with its real effort at a plot and story, were incredibly novel.

What gaming consoles have you owned in the past?

NES, SNES, Game Boy, PlayStation, N64, Dreamcast, PS2, Gamecube, Xbox, DS, Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii.

Chapter 3: Online

Were you ever exposed to MUDs?

Yes. In the mid-90s, I check out a few MUs on local BBSes in Madison. I honestly don’t recall their names and didn’t spend too much time with them. A friend of mine got a bit involved in one of the larger ones that allowed player programming, and invited me to check it out. That was probably my first social MMO experience. He later told me a story of how he created a hat as a vehicle/room, jumped into his hat, and was able to essentially scoot around in it. His fun ended when someone put on the hat and effectively trapped him in the room.

What was your first MMO experience?

As with a lot of people, my first proper MMO experience was with EverQuest right after launch. Some acquantances were playing it in College and I expressed a lot of interest in the product. They let me jump onto the client and create a character. A Troll, I believe, which would make it my first MMO character. I only occasionally played EQ again on the very rare occasion I was over to their dorm room; otherwise I didn’t really play MMOs until I got out of college.

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

I’ve played pretty much every AAA MMO released since 2002, so I’m not going to go into detail of EVERY game I’ve played. Here are the ones I’ve spent a lot of time with:

• A Tale in the Desert - I joined up sometime near the middle of the “First Telling”, and along with my wife made a pretty extensive encampment on a hill somewhere in (I think?) the Sinai valley. My mentor in the game made wine, and we’d go over to have tasting parties and hang out.
• Star Wars Galaxies – I was in-world on launch day, and actually had my very first character go belly up due to server issues. I played hardcore for about six months and since then have only occasionally drifted back to it. At the end of my six month run I had an uber-powerful Mon Cal Pistoleer/Master Tailor that supplied uniforms to most of the PAs on the Starsider server. In the current game mechanics, he’s a Commando.
• City of Heroes - I’ve played a Blaster named “Jacob’s Ladder” in the game since launch day. CoH and I have always had a very much on again/off again relationship, with my coming back to it every six months or so, usually just for a month or so. I’m currently playing CoH with the same group I tackled EQ2 with. We’re in our low teens with those characters.
• Dungeons and Dragons Online - I played a Cleric up to about level 5 or so at launch and then jumped ship. I didn’t go back again until last year, where myself and some friend adopted it as a weekly play target. We, likewise, only made it to about level 5 or so before jumping to Lord of the Rings Online.
• EverQuest 2 - I played EQ2 for about two minutes at launch before deciding it wasn’t the game for me. With the innumerable changes that have happened to the game, it became well worth revisiting as a target for a group of friends a few years ago. I played a Gnomish Inquisitor once a week for about two years or so, and made it into the high 50s. We’ve since moved on to CoH.
• Guild Wars - I’ve played GW on and off since launch day. It’s fantastic not having to worry about a subscription fee. I leveled a Monk/Warrior to 20 in the first campaign, dabbled with a Necro in the second, and have a level 20 Dervish/Necro that I’ve played in the third and the expansion.
• Warhammer Online - I’ve played a Warrior Priest up to about 20 or so, and have a Runepriest in her low teens. I’m not actively playing the game at the moment, though.
• World of Warcraft - I’ve basically had a live WoW account since launch day. I’ve leveled a Dwarven Paladin to 70, a Human Mage to 60, and my current main (an Undead Rogue) is within spitting distance of 80. I also have a Troll Priest in his 50s, along with a slew of fun alts (all on the Horde side). I basically don’t see myself ever closing my account at this point, though I’m not always actively playing it.
• Lord of the Rings Online - After playing a Hobbit Minstrel up to about 20 at launch, I set LotRo aside. In the last few months my podcasting buddies and I have been playing the game diligently once a week or so, and we’re having a ton of fun working through the group content. We’re now all about level 40, and really looking forward to Moria! I’m playing a Guardian named Grodomil, and I have a much-loved Warden alt sitting in her low teens.

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

Right now I’m playing three MMOs regularly. Ever week on Mondays I get together with the Podcasters of Bree to explore Lord of the Rings Online. On Thursdays I get together with the Shortiez, the same folks I played EverQuest 2 with, to play City of Heroes. World of Warcraft is the MMO I play for ‘me’, when I have some time to do so and feel like engaging in that sort of activity.

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

In sheer in-game time, that’s probably World of Warcraft. As I mentioned above, I have leveled a number of characters into the ‘higher’ levels, though some of those higher level characters I’ve since deleted to avoid the temptation to play them. In terms of how long I’ve played a game continuously, that’d probably have to be EQ2. The Shortiez and I got together about once a week every week for about two years or so.

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

Yes. World of Warcraft, Guild Wars, and Star Wars Galaxies.

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?

I know it’s trite, but WoW really is the kind of game I like to play. I honestly wish that I’d spent more time playing WoW when the opportunity was available in past years.

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

Well, aside from my one-could-say overwhelming interest in DC Universe Online, I’m very keenly looking forward to Star Wars: The Old Republic. I imagine I’m not really alone there, but from everything BioWare is showing us it really feels like SWTOR could become my own personal WoW-killer.

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

I have a lot of them, but most of them are really only amusing to me, you know? That’s one of the things I love about MMO gaming, how personal it is. A lot of people have been to the Mos Eisley cantina or IronForge, but we all have our own personal recollections of what those places mean.