How long have you been playing?
I started going to fight practices in late 2003 for a few months before my first event. My first event was Tournies (they spelled it that way) of Chiron 10 on March 7th, 2004 so I am going closing in on ten years now, hard to believe..
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| Photo by Casey Lemay |
I started going to fight practices in late 2003 for a few months before my first event. My first event was Tournies (they spelled it that way) of Chiron 10 on March 7th, 2004 so I am going closing in on ten years now, hard to believe..
How has the game changed since you've been playing?
The game has changed in several ways. We have made spell progression easier (it used to take much longer to learn spells), we went from two cost to one cost buydowns, we got rid of the rule where spell casters use to have to wait three seconds before switching combinations, we have seen the rise and the fall of the Skirmisher, spells have gone away and new ones have been added and that’s just the magic side.
Fighting wise I've seen the introduction of shark mail and then neo-prene as well as fiberglass and bamboo. Armor and weapons keep getting lighter, which I feel is a good thing as it allows those with less muscle mass to still be combat effective.
We have also started to see an upswing in competition which I think is a good thing.
The game has changed in several ways. We have made spell progression easier (it used to take much longer to learn spells), we went from two cost to one cost buydowns, we got rid of the rule where spell casters use to have to wait three seconds before switching combinations, we have seen the rise and the fall of the Skirmisher, spells have gone away and new ones have been added and that’s just the magic side.
Fighting wise I've seen the introduction of shark mail and then neo-prene as well as fiberglass and bamboo. Armor and weapons keep getting lighter, which I feel is a good thing as it allows those with less muscle mass to still be combat effective.
We have also started to see an upswing in competition which I think is a good thing.
Who have you learned the most from?
This question I have given the most thought and hands
down was the hardest to answer. You see I learned from so many different
people. In fact I still learn from so many people, new players and old players
every time I take the field. I find in order to keep growing you need
to continue to learn.
In short these people taught me the most:
In short these people taught me the most:
Tom Johnson (Blade) who brought me into the game taught
me I can take easy roads or hard ones but hands down the harder paths would bare
the most fruit.
Henry Giasson (Guilliam) taught me to open my home to new
players and give every kid a chance because we were all new once.
Matt Daviault (Zula) taught me how to pick a lock and be a shady individual. Damian LaHaye (Sabboth, Dell) taught me how to quest and how to use seer magic. Bobbly Blache (Gryf) showed me that there doesn’t need to be a North/South divide and that if you give people a chance you might just make new friends.
Matt Daviault (Zula) taught me how to pick a lock and be a shady individual. Damian LaHaye (Sabboth, Dell) taught me how to quest and how to use seer magic. Bobbly Blache (Gryf) showed me that there doesn’t need to be a North/South divide and that if you give people a chance you might just make new friends.
And probably the two most influential people in my career
are Ben Grant (Rohde) Chris Marques (Jaha). They pushed me to be the best
version of myself with countless fight practices, weapon making nights, event
planning, and being the two best friends a guy could ever dream to have.
What was your best moment IC?
Hands down my favorite IC moment was when Jaha and I went to (now) the Dark isle (then) Dracula’s Island. We were in a village were a murder had just happened; people were running around panicking except for one mill girl. We went over and tried to extort her for her grains so that Grimloch could eat during the winter. When she would not bend to our threats we killed her. Then the guards came over and were very upset and wanted us arrested. Jaha and I were quick on our toes and said she was the murderer who had killed the local blacksmith. We explained that she was in a jealous rage when he turned down her love and affection for another women. The guard clearly didn’t believe us until another guard said “Sir we found this bloody dagger on her and it appears to be the same shape and size of the victims wounds.” So they raised her and asked her what was up and she started screaming, “If he won’t love me he can’t love anyone.” Jaha and I were rewarded and from that day on we became super sleuths.
Also there was this time were I joined the greatest fighting nation the game has ever seen. You know them as Grimloch I know them as family.
Hands down my favorite IC moment was when Jaha and I went to (now) the Dark isle (then) Dracula’s Island. We were in a village were a murder had just happened; people were running around panicking except for one mill girl. We went over and tried to extort her for her grains so that Grimloch could eat during the winter. When she would not bend to our threats we killed her. Then the guards came over and were very upset and wanted us arrested. Jaha and I were quick on our toes and said she was the murderer who had killed the local blacksmith. We explained that she was in a jealous rage when he turned down her love and affection for another women. The guard clearly didn’t believe us until another guard said “Sir we found this bloody dagger on her and it appears to be the same shape and size of the victims wounds.” So they raised her and asked her what was up and she started screaming, “If he won’t love me he can’t love anyone.” Jaha and I were rewarded and from that day on we became super sleuths.
Also there was this time were I joined the greatest fighting nation the game has ever seen. You know them as Grimloch I know them as family.
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| Photo by Angela Earle Gray |
What was your best moment as a NPC/EH/Player?
NPC: I really liked playing the nameless knight for the
Duke of War during the Oberon portion of the Fae events. I got to assist the
rise of Sir Owen to Cullculen (sp?) up to the final encounter were I sacrificed
my self to get him up with full armor so he could defeat Oberon. I never
really role played before this I always kind of played Syruss as Cal with garb
so this really got me into playing different roles and made me want to expand
my horizons.
EH: Proudest thing I did as an EH was help to resurrect
the Tournaments of Blues Rose along side of Eddie Reed (Qualoyth) and Kyle
Vaihinger (Caspian) (taking place at the end of this month). More
important than resurrecting it however, last year we lost a dear friend Jason Massey,
and I was privileged in organizing a charity version of ToBR for the family of
Jason Massey. I got to see our community step up and really donate to a great
cause and show me just how much of a family this Realms community could be. We
raised well over what we expected to and PJ told me the joy on the face
of Mrs. Massey and how proud she was to see a community her husband loved
so much step up in her family’s time of need.
As a player from a non IC perspective. My favorite moment
was when Jaha and I held the beach at a North South war. The two of us made a
final stand and killed 22 people (who for some reason decided to stagger in on
us one or two at a time). While we were eventually killed it was hands down one
of my favorite fights of my career.
Oh and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the other
top three: Winning Champion of Grimloch back to back years, going on to Win
Champion of Queen of Hearts and of course my victory at the Invitational last
year and being inducted into the Order of the List.
What would you like to see changed or developed more
in game?
More EPIC plots!!! We used to have a whole slew of Big
Bad guys then in like 2006 we killed them all.
We are now starting to see the rise of great Epic quests again. I would like to see more of those.
More interactive puzzles and pickable(is that a word?) locks, better costuming for NPC’s heck better garb for players.
Also continuity would be nice, maybe a group of EH’s that work on ONE HUGE EVENT together, with epic costumes, puzzles, and cross over event character’s.
Four things.
1. Go and support your local fight practice. It is one of the best ways to meet new and great people and hone your fighting skill as well as your ability to call shots.
2. NPC and NPC often. I was brought up in the game with the mindset you NPC every third event you hit. It is a way of giving back to the community as well as another great way to practice different weapons and spells, but more importantly you allow your friends who NPC all the time the same chance to have fun on the weekends as you often do.
3. Give everyone a fair chance (sometimes multiple chances) if you put yourself out there and meet knew people you might find that preconceived notions of them were less than accurate and you may even find yourself with a new best friend. But at the very least you will have given someone a fair chance, which is something we all deserve.
4. And as a wise man named Jason Rosa once said wear kneepads (I wish he told me ten years ago lol)
1. Go and support your local fight practice. It is one of the best ways to meet new and great people and hone your fighting skill as well as your ability to call shots.
2. NPC and NPC often. I was brought up in the game with the mindset you NPC every third event you hit. It is a way of giving back to the community as well as another great way to practice different weapons and spells, but more importantly you allow your friends who NPC all the time the same chance to have fun on the weekends as you often do.
3. Give everyone a fair chance (sometimes multiple chances) if you put yourself out there and meet knew people you might find that preconceived notions of them were less than accurate and you may even find yourself with a new best friend. But at the very least you will have given someone a fair chance, which is something we all deserve.
4. And as a wise man named Jason Rosa once said wear kneepads (I wish he told me ten years ago lol)
What do you love most about the game?
Late night drinking parties…….just kidding. What I truly love most about this game is the community. I have met my best friends on the planet here, heck most of those friends have transcended from friends to family along time ago.
Time and time again I see us come together as a community, whether it is for a fundraiser for a lost love one, to raise money for cancer, to support community kids school fundraisers or to work together to help improve a event site we all love. There is nothing this community can’t do when we set minds to common task.
Late night drinking parties…….just kidding. What I truly love most about this game is the community. I have met my best friends on the planet here, heck most of those friends have transcended from friends to family along time ago.
Time and time again I see us come together as a community, whether it is for a fundraiser for a lost love one, to raise money for cancer, to support community kids school fundraisers or to work together to help improve a event site we all love. There is nothing this community can’t do when we set minds to common task.
Who would you like to see the next interview be with?
Tom Johnson (Blade) (good luck)
Bobby Blache (Gryf)
Eddie Reed (Quayloth)
and if you are really stetched for interviews
Jacob Ruggiero (Grebinar)
Tom Johnson (Blade) (good luck)
Bobby Blache (Gryf)
Eddie Reed (Quayloth)
and if you are really stetched for interviews
Jacob Ruggiero (Grebinar)
Anything else you'd like to take the opportunity to
put into print?
Yes put yourself out there as both as student and a teacher and never be afraid to try something new or make a mistake
Also…Hey Ben its me Cal
Yes put yourself out there as both as student and a teacher and never be afraid to try something new or make a mistake
Also…Hey Ben its me Cal