11 Random Facts
1. I was born in Poland.
2. First MMO was Neverwinter Nights on AOL.
3. I’ve never played EQ1, yet that MMO is the one I hate most.
4. Our house was always a Mac house, and I was always jealous of all the great PC games I couldn’t play. Senior year in highschool I borrowed my friend’s PC for a few months, since he was grounded and couldn’t use it. Play a LOT of Asheron’s Call – Darktide and DAoC during that time.
5. I was ranked #1 in the world until the first ranking reset in Myth 2. Would have been ranked #1 in Myth 1, but I was playing it on an older Mac that got 5-10 FPS during combat. When we got a new Mac it blew me away being able to actually control units in near real-time.
6. On the other hand, we got cable internet very early, so I was playing with a ping that was always much, much lower than most others who were still on dial-up. The good old days of “Pay to Win”.
7. I listen to far too much sports talk radio.
8. Pretty sure I have heavy OCD; for example my wallet, phone, and car keys are always in the same pockets whenever I go out.
9. Favorite drink when out is an espresso martini. At home gin and tonic.
10. Back in the day I applied to work at Turbine. This was right before the release of DDO and during LotRO planning. During the interview I told them instancing was a bad new feature/direction in MMOs. Didn’t get the job. Ultimately it worked out for me, not so much for Turbine.
11. I enjoy trading stocks on the market. The ironic part is while writing a blog post ranting about some $5 ‘P2W’ item, in another tab a stock or two might go up or down ~$100, and that doesn’t even cause me to blink.
Questions from Ravious:
1.What are the benefits and detriments to playing with your significant other?
Benefits: More stuff you have in common and can talk about. Great acceptance of spending so much time gaming. Far cheaper activity than going out, also more flexible with children.
Detriments: The LoL rage is real. Progressing slower because they don’t play as much, or wishing they played game X with you.
2. When you write a blog post do you care if developers read your feedback?
Not really, unless the intent of the post is to cause change in a game. Unless a dev is out of game development, they rarely share or confirm things anyway, which would be the main benefit.
3. What is your favorite “analogue” game (board game, CCG, TTRPG)?
I wish I could play these more, but right now Risk 2210 AD. It’s basically Risk but with most of the original game flaws fixed.
4. Who would play you in your Hollywood biography?
Easy, Matt Damon, specifically “Good Will Hunting” or “Rounders” Matt Damon.
5. Which upcoming MMO are you most interested in loving or hating?
Crowfall to love. EQN to hate? Most of the hateable MMOs are dying, and kicking them when they are down is only entertaining for so long.
6.You are reincarnated in the universe of Heinlen’s Number of the Beast, where every fictional universe from our perspective is real. Where are you reincarnated?
All of the interesting universes that come to mind are also much harsher than my current, so drawing a blank on this one.
7. What will be your perfect “last meal”?
Would have to go with the traditional filet steak and plenty of sides. Runner-up would be lasagna.
8. Do MMO gifts between you and your significant other (gold, skins, etc.) mean as much as the conventional gifts?
I think so? Riot points in a Christmas stocking has become a tradition over the last few years.
9. You are granted a wish to live anywhere with an internet connection that pings 50 ms to anywhere. Where do you live?
Assuming I also don’t have to work, or can work from home 100% of the time, Bahamas or Cancun. Beach or pool in the morning, gaming with room service at night, all day every day.
10. What is your favorite means of transportation?
I enjoy driving a car. I hate being a passenger in a car.
11. Do you have a guilty pleasure?
I religiously watch WWE every Monday night and the events on the WWE Network. Have since my pre-teen years. Much like gaming, this isn’t one of those ‘you’re going to grow out of it eventually, right?’ type of deals. I also love reading the write-ups Brandon Stroud does on the topic.
Questions for TAGN and Keen
1. What is your greatest MMO achievement?
2. If you could go back and stop any MMO from every being released, which one would it be and why?
3. What is your greatest ‘rage out’ moment in an MMO?
4. If you were forced to stop gaming and gaming-related activities (blogs, reading game sites) what would you do with that time?
5. Do you have any plans to retire from gaming? From blogging?
6. Which game had the most memorable ending and why?
7. Have you ever been a ‘whale’ in a F2P game? If yes, confess!
8. Is there a game or genre you wish you could enjoy, but just don’t?
9. How much time, on average, do you spend doing gaming-related activities per week (not counting actually gaming).
10. Which former blog do you wish still existed or was updated?
11. Your ‘Mount Rushmore’ (top 4 all time) games are?
Hardcore Casual 
2.6: Iain M. Banks Culture or even Star Trek seem to be utopia for the average citizen.
3.10 The Altruist (by Azual Skoll) is the first one that comes to mind. Jester’s Trek when I actually take time to think about it with an honourable mention to lady shaniqua. (And until a certain RMT scandal I enjoyed a blog by a guy named Poetic Stanziel, he was good at trolling.)
Confirming that I still consult The Altruist from time to time. It’s just that good.
Born in Poland? That’s cool. So what’s “Hardcore Casual” in Polish? ;)
Doesn’t really translate, that I can think of anyway.
“8. Pretty sure I have heavy OCD; for example my wallet, phone, and car keys are always in the same pockets whenever I go out.”
I hope everyone does this, or I have issues as well 8O
Yeah that just seems like common sense. Why would you pick new pockets every time you go out?
Will have to get the wife to explain it, but I know more than a few people who aren’t totally OCD about that stuff like I am.
Lefty, so phone in the left pocket. Keys and phone don’t mix, so it’s in the right with the wallet.
Bonus is I know what to panic about if said pocket is empty.
When did you move to the states?
Keys right front, phone left front, wallet back right. Anything different and its freakout time.
Moved when I was five.
Same. Wallet in right back, keys in front right, phone in front left. Only possible alteration is phone in front shirt pocket if i can’t easily access my front left pocket due to sitting down.
Czytam to taki szmat czasu i nie miałem pojęcia że pisze to Polak :) … świat jest mały ;) Greetings from Grudziadz … (Assuming You speak polish, could be wrong though )
I do :)
Can’t write it, but I can read it (oh so slowly) and speak somewhat fluently.
Thats just crazy man, that is literally the last thing I would expect :) Do You know the name of the town You were born in ?
Warsaw. Been back to Poland dozens of times, most recently for my sisters wedding last summer.
Next time Youre in Warsaw post a msg on the blog – having a beer with SynCaine would be something ;) Drinks on me ofc ;)
Ha, can do, but not sure when the next time will be since I got the little one.
have the same problems, two of them to be exact
Hey, we have the same first MMO.
Yeah, about the OCD thing, the main difference I believe between a OCD and a simple habit is the freaking out part when things are not in order. Putting things routinely in the same spot relieves the memory from some efforts, but for the average person it’s merely annoying when it’s not right. With OCD though, there’s a whole range of emtions involved usually with a lot more intensity.
I give mystery skins to my boyfriend. He has gotten some silly skins, but he uses them :D like Gothic Annie or Pharaoh Amumu.
Hrmm, now I have two of these, yours and Kirith Kodachi’s. Coincidence that only fans of EVE picked me? So many questions to answer now.