TV Discussion LACWAC Member Interviews (★☆★ SpecialOpsUnit & Fives_Says_No_To_Sixes ★☆★)

It was a lot more normal back then compared to all the other subforums

It wasn't until temps that we became the bane of MS's existence.

 

We can back and forth some. This is your interview, though, and I'd like to keep the focus mostly on you, Tomboy.

Dark Horse boards, huh? I was never an internet person until a few years ago, I started on the OS, that place was dead and then died for real within a few months. I came here shortly before it died completely and loved it, this place was just magnitudes better than the OS in every way. To my knowledge, I've never met a Star Wars fan IRL, so this place was like a wonderland. I hadn't been able to share Star Wars with anyone since my brother and I were kids, that time really meant a lot to me and it was just so cool to get a little of that back.

I remember trashing Anakin Skywalker in a PT forum thread in one of my first posts and anakinfansince1983 called me out for "drive by posting". I'll never forget that, because even though I disagreed, it led to great discussion and I've been fond of her since.

I do remember being in a tiny minority of people who were giving episodes bad grades. Basically you, GG and myself. I remember you being like literally the only person who agreed with my stance on the clones, even if you were just humoring me. I joined in at a really bad point in the show, I was hating almost every episode and I think that really colored the perception of a lot of users. I really enjoyed S1 and I don't think I would have been seen as a "hater" if I had started then.

I think I've mentioned the origin of my username before, it was just a spur of the moment thing, like all of my usernames all over the internet, they're all different. I had a different name on the OS, for example. I was actually on Wookieepedia (another site, another name) trying to find info on certain clones that I liked, but I couldn't find their pages because I only knew their nicknames and not their ID number. When it came time to register on JCF, I had the Wook open in another tab and started playing around with the idea of using a clone identification. So what numbers to choose? A certain song quickly came to mind, I thought it was amusing, so I went with it. It took me about fifteen seconds total to come up with it.

Since we're chatting and revealing things, my name is Brian. You guys can call me Brian or CT, whichever you prefer. I guess my username would make more sense if my name were Christopher, but it's not.

Back to the questions, ImNotAStarWarsFanboy.

We're gonna get into some drama here. So we've learned about your early experiences here. Obviously, something changed. At one point, I believe it was back on the temp boards (I'm pretty sure I wasn't around), you left the JCF. Could you tell LACWAC about that? Give us some insight on what you were feeling, what led you to the decision. Was there sort of an "arc" to it?

Let's try to handle this with some tact. I think it's a chance to learn something about you and LACWAC as a community. I don't think anyone wants history to repeat itself.

 

Here's the thread I mentioned, with my first memory of anakinfan (under the username anakin_girl), and PiettsHat, another user I'm fond of.

I'm off to get something to eat, but I'll be back in a jiff.

 

It's cool, I was spewing rage all over the place. I was pretty close to getting banned my first week or so, I had to step back and tone it down a bit.

 

Wow. Two whole walls of text without a single mention of Savage's name.

You're slipping, Fanboy.

 

We'll get to that.

 

CT-867-5309 No probs man. I've always been curious is all. Interesting how both our aliases were spurs of the moment. Well, not really that interesting. But what is interesting is I actually pictured you as a Christopher. Brian is a surprise to me, probably because it seems to be way more popular over in 'Murica than it is over here. Now I'm curious what people thought my name was.

Okay, questions.

Yeah, that leave of absence I took last summer/autumn/winter. This is actually a lot bigger than I think anyone else knows, and extended beyond just TF.N, as I will explain.

I think it was motivated by a combination of factors. For one, some of us set up our own forum. It was really cool to have a whole place just to ourselves to mess around in, and over time it turned into a more serious thing, and we kept it alive for so long that it started to seem like a valid alternative to TF.N should everything on temps go completely sideways, which was what eventually happened. I really enjoyed the temps overall, but when the tension reached its climax I think we were all forced to make a decision, and I chose to support my friends. It didn't stop me from coming here altogether but I definitely stopped turning up as often, seeing as most of my friends were in another place. That was a big deal. I think you were the only one who wasn't already on Kowak forums. I mean, you were but then you took your leave, again. In fact, after you went on hiatus in the late summer, there wasn't anyone left on TF.N that I couldn't already talk with somewhere else. And it seemed at the time like you really weren't coming back. When Season 5 of TCW started I think I was back here for a bit, I think mostly because it coincided with the end of the temps and the new TF.N going up. When we set up Kowak forums, the original intention was that we would come back once the new boards were up and running. It lasted for a while. Then things pretty much went to ****. I think we all made vows like, "I will never visit secondary forum again!" even though we all did anyway, just not as much. I checked in less and less often. I think I also suffered a couple of bans, so I was distancing myself from TF.N more and more. When it started becoming clear that Season 5 was failing to keep me interested, I figured it was time to stop altogether. In the end it wasn't a bold statement. I just didn't see any reason to stop by TF.N any more.

At the same time, I was playing Mass Effect 3's multiplayer a lot, and I was becoming increasingly active on the MECoOp subreddit. I had been there pretty much since launch but over the summer I became more and more of a regular there, even though during that period I had gone through quite a few Reddit accounts. MECoOp became a second community to me in addition to my older buddies on our own forum. Then in October a DLC for the multiplayer dropped - a really good one that added a load of extra features - and I found myself almost completely losing interest in TCW and transferring all my spare time to playing ME3 online. It was pretty much all I talked about. Shortly thereafter I was actually invited to become a moderator on MECoOp, and I leapt at the opportunity. My new duties on the sub took up much of my time and attention and I loved it. In order to not lose touch with Star Wars buddies I forced myself to keep watching the new TCW episode, just so I could check in and have something to talk about. But I wasn't nearly as invested as I once was and I think after the conclusion of Young Jedi, when I saw what was coming next, I "quit" the show. Barely showed up at Kowak forum after that. I'd also started losing interest in Star Wars in general, I had shifted to Mass Effect instead, which I mostly discuss on Reddit. There were a couple guys on Kowak forum that were also into it but we didn't talk about it nearly as much as I would've liked, so I moved to my other community to get my new fix. Even Kowak forum started to lose its appeal by Christmas. It was genuinely sad, because by this point I'd known all these guys for a long time and we'd really bonded over the summer, but all the same I felt like if something didn't change soon, I was going to end up moving on, possibly never to return.

 

I definitely get that. Interests rise and wane, something new will come along and strike your fancy, it's very natural. It doesn't seem dramatic at all the way you put it. I'm really glad you came back though, this place really picked up.

I think that's enough about LACWAC.

Since you mentioned it, I want to ask you about gaming. How deep into it are you?

You mention Mass Effect a lot in LACWAC, could you talk about why you love it? Sell LACWAC on Mass Effect. I haven't played ME3. Should I? Why, or why not?

What are some of your other favorite games? Go ahead and sell us on those, too, if you want.

What is your favorite Star Wars game and why?

 

It was because of Fanboy, HJ, and Drew that I became addicted to Mass Effect.

Love you guys for that.

Really.

 

I'm off to bed, I'll pick up my duties tomorrow.

 

These interviews are awesome - great job, CT!
I think I actually did know Fanboy's name was Tom, because I followed Lord Kowak on Twitter, and so did he, and twitter recommended I follow him as well. I also know Lord Mortis' name for that same reason, too. Weird.

 

CT-867-5309

Gaming? Love it. Probably too much. It's about the only thing I'm good at.

Mass Effect is a glorious series. Not necessarily because of its plot, which Darth_Zandalor will tell you is nothing extraordinary. But what BioWare managed to do is what George Lucas did with Star Wars: they created such a rich and detailed fictional universe, with such fantastic supporting characters that it feels special and "real". You get immediately immersed in the universe, you love and care about the characters you run into. Even if the story is the same alien invasion plot we've all seen a hundred times, the characters sell it and make it work. I don't know if it's because they feel like real people or what, but it bloody works. Other than that, the gameplay's fun, the setting is classic sci-fi, and you get to completely customise your Commander Shepard. And, you get to tap dat alien ass. Just ask Coric, she's just started playing through the series and we've all been enjoying her live thoughts on the games on Kowak forum. It's pretty much been fantastic feedback so far.

Should you play Mass Effect 3? Well, no self-respecting ME fan would tell you to start with number 3, much like no Star Wars fan would tell you to start with Episode VI. If you're looking for the whole shebang, the full ME experience, you've got to start with the first game. It's an all-or-nothing. Trust me, you won't regret it. If you've played the first two and you're still on the fence over ME3, my advice is, dude, what are you doing? Go play ME3. You do not get off this bus early. I'm not going to tell you it's an amazing game, because I don't think it is. But Mass Effect isn't just a series of games, in very much the same way that Star Wars isn't just a series of films. Who among us can say we thought all the Star Wars films were, as films, perfect? Exactly. But we don't care, do we? Because we're captivated all the same. That's what makes Mass Effect special, and that's why if you're thinking of maybe getting into ME3, you will appreciate it so much more if you take the time to experience the whole trilogy, as a trilogy, instead of as standalones. You won't care about all the shortcomings because they don't detract from the experience.

Other favourite games? I've always liked the Pokemon series, although I haven't played a game in a long time. My first game ever was Pokemon Gold. Maybe with the release of Gen VI I'll get back into it. I've also loved the Battlefront games, as straight-up Star Wars shooter games they were fantastic growing up. Uncharted 2 for the PS3 is another amazing game. It's another one of those special games where the characters are so incredible that they could carry any mediocre plot. I also really love the Darksiders series. Something about playing as the four horsemen really does it for me, and I really like the setting.

Favourite Star Wars game? Has to be Bounty Hunter. The first Star Wars game I ever played, right when we first got a PS2. I loved pretty much everything about it. Playing as Jango? Badass. The Bando Gora? Badass. Setting up the plot of AOTC? Pretty cool. And there's so many great levels, like the whole prison chapter, and the upper levels of Coruscant one, as well as Tusken Canyon and Gardulla's Palace. And being a fan of all things dark and evil, the final arc, on the graveyard moon Kohlma, was just incredible from beginning to end.

 

I approve. Seems only a handful of folks remember that game anymore.

Pity the TFUs couldn't be half the game Bounty Hunter was. Or that LucasArts chose to make a sequel to TFU rather than Bounty Hunter, which would have been one of the few means of making Boba cool again since he's basically devolved into shoe-horn fodder at this point. But alas, perhaps it's for the best... BH will forever be a one-of-a-kind game.

(also graveyard moon of Kohlma!! Totally forgot about that place -- it was like some sort of trippy Nightmare-Before-Christmas/Star-Wars crossover. Crazy.)

 

Damn Fanboy's deeper than I thought. LOL

 

I might have slightly embellished that story for dramatic effect.

 

I used to be into gaming pretty deep myself, but I'm just not anymore, haven't been for years. I'll probably never play ME3. I know it's bizarre, I've played through ME1 and ME2 six times each, and I don't bother with the "epic conclusion". I'm a fan of Bounty Hunter, but I don't think I'm as high on it as others, and it's definitely not my favorite. I still think the cinematics were amazing, it's like Jango's own little movie added to the Star Wars saga.

Alright, let's get back to Tomboy. I really should have asked these questions first, it would have made more sense chronologically. To really get to know ImNotAStarWarsFanboy, we're going to go back to the beginning and hopefully get a sense of the grand journey he took on his way to becoming such a force of nature here on LACWAC.

If you don't mind, where are you from? Could you tell us a little about it?

 

Now this is an interview...

 

CT-867-5309 Sure thing.

As some of you already know, I hail from that glorious master race country - the glorious master race country - Great Britain. We aren't as big on patriotism as you Yanks are, except when it has to do with the Queen or the Olympics, but I'd say I'm proud to be British. All around fantastic country. I mean you can't say ill of the country that invented fish and chips. And I think there were a couple other inventions down the line as well.

In terms of whereabouts in the UK, the county I'd most associate with is Devon in the South West of England, as it's where I've lived the most of my life so far, although I was actually born in Yorkshire. Sadly, I did not pick up the accent, which I rue and lament to this day. I've been told by Americans that I sound really British, but I really don't hear it when I speak, it sounds like I don't have an accent. Accents are cool yo, unless they're Southern Hillbilly or Scouse. 13 of my almost 21 years have been in Devon. It's alright, but the towns are incredibly spread out because of all the farmers and it's nearly all windy country roads, so getting to places can take a while. Because we have so much coastline and untouched natural landscape like Dartmoor it's a popular tourist destination and the scenery is pretty stunning in summer. The town I live in is significantly less glamorous, loads of druggies and people cheating the welfare system. Fortunately they've collected in the pit in the middle of town and they rarely escape to the more affluent neighbourhoods.

Not really a lot more to say, I like the fact that we're in the countryside, even if everything's so spread out. That said, definitely wouldn't mind moving into a flat in the middle of a city just for the convenience of having everything essential within ten minutes walking distance. University life has spoiled me.

 

It's a bit of a journey to get from London to the South West or anywhere else worth visiting. I imagine it's at least 10x worse in the US considering how much bigger you are. I don't blame you anyway, London is a fantastic city full of culture and life. There's loads to see there. Hell I'm pretty sure I still haven't seen it all and I've been there quite a few times.

 

I've only been to Berlin and somewhere else in Germany, Europe-wise. I want to visit the ol' UK someday..

 

That's right, and don't you forget it.


You mentioned your accent, Tracy seems to be confessing to a Southern American accent.....maybe LACWAC should jump on some form of voice chat at one point. It might be fun just to try to identify people by their voices only.

@ImNotAStarWarsFanboy, do you have any siblings?