Friday, March 4, 2016

10 Questions with Brian "Crispin" Rubenstein



How long have you been playing?
I’ve been playing for about three and a half years now. I was brought in by my brother who had just started being involved in SMAS.
How has the game changed since you've been playing? 
Honestly, not a whole lot has changed. We still have high skill based combat, an extensive magic system and a ton of really dedicated helpers and content providers.
Who have you learned the most from?
There are a huge number of people who I have learned from. I’ve learned a number of things about the history of the game from Becky Baron (Kovaks), a ton about spellcasting from Eric Willison (Rosetta/Ged) and Richard Pavis (Quinn) and a lot about how to stand up for myself and argue points I have to make from Jesse Gifford. (Mestoph)

What was your best moment IC? 
My best moment IC definitely has to be the end of the Bedlam series, as Kieren. Walking around the circle, carrying the ball of northern light was one of the most powerful moments I have had in a LARP in a long time.
What was your best moment as a NPC/EH/Player?
My best moment as an NPC (or really, staff for the event) would have to be when someone shouted “Its vision is based on movement” at Saurabian Questing. That room was definitely the highlight of that event, and I think really had the sort of silly horror moment we were going for, including the breaking of the fourth wall.

What would you like to see changed or developed more in game?
I would love to see more roleplaying in the game This isn’t to say that I haven’t also been guilty of dropping character sometimes, but the more people are immersed as a whole, the less likely individuals are to break character.
What advice would you give new players?
Be willing to accept help, but also be willing to make your own choices. A lot of people talk about how there are plenty of people who are around to help you, but oftentimes I’ve noticed people fall into one of two types when they start playing. One, they are willing to listen, but their own thoughts get overwhelmed by all the voices around them, or two, they aren’t willing to listen, and just want to do everything on their own. I’ve found that a combination of the two really works well, for those who can do it.

What do you love most about the game? I love how much people jump to help. One of the greatest things I’ve seen about the realms is how much people care, and how much they give back to the community. If I could say one thing that truly means Realms to me, that would be it.
Who would you like to see the next interviews be with?
 Andrew Bancroft (Rorin), Jesse Gifford (Mestoph), Jeremy Grayson (Nighthawk)
Anything else you'd like to take the opportunity to put into print? 
Nope.