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| Photo by Angela Earle Grey |
How long have you been playing?
My
first event was Capn' Bynkiey, Featuring the Irate Pirates in June of
2002. It's pretty hard to believe I have been going to events for a
decade. Before I hit my first event I also attended fight practices in
Nashua (back at the old commuter parking lot site) for close to a year.
How has the game changed since you've been playing?
It
has changed in quite a few ways. First, as a community are more open
minded about new construction materials. When I first started playing
pretty much anything deviating from duct tape and PVC was thought of as
unsafe. This persisted for a few years, until eventually people began
to accept fiberglass regularly. The same thing happened with bamboo
over the last few years, but fiberglass certainly was the material
that started the trend of trying new materials. It was unfortunate that
we took so long to get on board with these materials, as it put us way
behind other high combat games in terms of weapons technology.
Another
major change has been the community aspect of the game. When I first
started playing, the Realms in general didn't seem like a very friendly
place. There were social cliques and many groups did not get along, nor
were willing to help each other out. As the years have gone on, people
definitely seem more open to helping out all different nations and
groups in the game, whether it be by NPCing, or showing up to a fight
practice with people you may not know so well. This has been a great
development because the more people you know and friends you have in the
game, the more likely you are to keep playing and have fun.
Some spells and
other rules have changed (Theif path renamed to Assassin, one cost
budowns etc.) but overall that portion of the game still seems very
similar to when I started playing.
Who have you learned the most from?
This
is an interesting question because most of what I've learned in the
game I've learned indirectly. Through watching Tom Johnson/Blade run
Grimloch for many years I learned a lot about leadership and respect.
From Ben Grant/Rohde and Josh Learned/Shandar I've learned loads about
combat, they've always had a fairly public rivalry; but they have
always been people that I measure myself against when it comes
to fighting. Honestly the group and culture of Grimloch in general has
taught me so much that bleeds over into real life. It is what
motivates me to do better in every facet of my life whether it is my
career, personal fitness, fight practice, or striving to constantly
learn new things and make myself more well rounded. Grimloch has made
me a better person.
What was your best moment IC?
There
are a couple of moments that stand out. The first was winning the
original Best of the Best tournament alongside Blade in 2007. This was
an important milestone for me because it was the beginning of my first
season as a fighter after having been a rogue since my second or third
year. It proved to me that I could make the transition well and compete
with the top fighters in the game.
Another
was during the Queen's War at QoH in 2006. I was the queen of our team
and we had gotten off to a very bad start. At a certain point, it was
only Rillan and myself still standing. I went undefeated in the Queen's
War and helped bring our team back from elimination to win
the tournament and event. What made this important to me was that I was
a fairly under the radar competitor back then, and people were
completely shocked that I could do so well. People really began to take
me seriously as a competitor after this event.
Other major
moments include being promoted to First Warrior, Warmark, and Warlord of
Grimloch over the course of the last five years. Being responsible and
leading a group of people that I am very close with and have done a lot
for me over the years is a huge honor.
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| Photo by Tanja Johnson |
What was your best moment as a NPC/EH/Player?
By
far my best momement as an EH or Player was throwing the Order of the
List invitational back in November of 2011. It was the culmination of
years of work, and I couldn't have been more impressed with how the
event went. The competitors, spectators, and my fellow Order of the
List members made it so worth all of the work and stress leading up to
it. I am very excited to see who comes out on top in season two.
We
did a nightquest at the second Grimloch Questing event where we
blindfolded all of the players and scattered them across Abe's Land. We
also put up these little tripwire sound traps all over the paths that
would cause a horde of zombies to flock to the sound. This was combined
with fireworks going off everywhere. People were freaking out and it
was great to give people a real thrill. One of the funniest moments was
after the nightquest when Abe told us even he got a little lost.
What would you like to see changed or developed more in game?
I
would like to see marshalling developed more in game. It would be
awesome to see some kind of qualification process, because I think many
events suffer from an inexperienced or unqualified marshalling staff. I
don't think it should be limited to tournament events either, one of
the most frustrating parts of questing for me is that players have no
accountability to call their shots correctly.
What advice would you give new players?
Set
a goal and do your best to try and complete it. My goal from the first
time I picked up my heavy wall PVC, spiral wrapped, double sided, 4'4"
battleaxe (having an omnibus would've been helpful) was to be the best
fighter. I haven't accomplished that goal yet, but it has kept me
motivated and I've had tons of fun along the way. Maybe your goal is to
slay some big bad guy, or collect a million magic items. Just pick a
goal and get crackin'.
What do you love most about the game?
I
love the combat. I am definitely a stick-jock, but the community is
what I appreciate the most. I've made more friends in this game than I
can count or probably even remember. I spend more time with people from
the game than I do my own family. Going to Creathorne or other big
events throughout the year is exciting for the big fights, but also
because it is like a family reunion with people I don't get to see very
often.
Who would you like to see the next interview be with?
Kyle Yazinka/Killian
Anything else you'd like to take the opportunity to put into print?
Support your local fight practice
