Ever wondered what makes an Angel? Well... to mark the start of our third year, we're introducing a new feature in which we strap an Angel to a BBQ and grill them til they squeal.

Our first ramdomly carpetbagged.. Ahem, Volunteer is: Knight667


Where did Gaming begin for you?
I started gaming in the early 80s…we lived in Brookings, South Dakota, USA; my dad was teaching Air Force ROTC at South Dakota State University (SDSU). It would have been about 1982 or 1983…I would have been about 10; my parents bought an Atari 2600 to help me with my hand-eye coordination (she was convinced I had coordination issues…). I remember playing Pacman, Adventure and other games…I was hooked. We used to write our scores down in a notebook and compare them with each other (family members)

Writing scores in a notebook and comparing them sounds like Gamersore. How competetive did it get? Did that level of competetiveness stick into early adulthood or did it fade a long time ago?
lol…my mom was actually the most competitive of all of us…she got her score up over 10,000 which was crazy high in the Atari version if I remember correctly. Honestly, I've never been that competitive…I play to have fun, and I always believed the old adage "it's not whether you win or lose but how you play the game".

Do you think that any specific influences before you became a Gamer, led to you choosing it as a pastime?
I've always had a pretty good imagination; my dad got me started in science fiction early on, and I used to make up and write my own stories, even at that age before I started playing games. We were allotted a certain amount of time for gaming, so the fantasizing became an extension of that. I like the idea of escapism, getting away from the real and submerging oneself in fantasy or fiction.

So a good Narrative is important to you, But what would be your favourite no-narrative title and why?
Well, it used to be SOCOM: Confrontation before they trashed the series…now I'd have to say Warhawk. It's just fun…like being in some sort of steampunk/sci-fi/military fantasy. I get completely immersed in it.

What are the major influences on your gaming preferences?
I don't play anything that's not fun anymore. A game has to have a good story, or if it's online-only, it has to have an engaging reason to play. That being said, I also stick to certain genres…sci/fi, military shooters, platformers, that sort of thing. I've always been a fantasy nut, so I always have some sort of RPG in my pocket…whether that's when I was playing MUDs (there are some stories there, let me tell you!), WoW, Guild Wars, etc., I have to have some sort of fantasy game around…other things come and go, that's a constant.

So you're well grounded in fantasy, or should I say Ungrounded? Gene Roddenberry once said that people that watch Star Trek tend to be good people, as they aspire to a better world. Do you think that could hold for those that immerse themselves in all other forms of fantasy or just certain fantasies?
I think it holds for a lot of people, but many people who get into the fantasy realm can go to far…I'm sure we all know people who have succumbed to WoW, Everquest, Guild Wars or something similar. Heck, even console games can do it (KOTOR, anyone?). I think, though, that it promises something perhaps they're not seeing…as you say, maybe a better world that they know they don't participate in in real life.

How have your preferences changed/matured throughout your gaming life?
Kinda ties into the above…I used to buy and play everything I could get my hands on. Lately I've been more discriminating…I read reviews, I pay attention to what the game is really offering, and I stick to my guns. I try not to be swayed by what's popular just because it is; if the story stinks or it doesn't look fun, I'm not going to play it no matter how "good" everyone says it is. That's the long way of saying that I play to have fun now; I don't hunt achievements, I don't care about 100% completion…the instant I'm not having fun anymore, the game is gone. Life's too short not to enjoy yourself.

Have there been any notable events in your gaming life?
Each console I got was a notable event, I think. However, when I got my Xbox 360 I felt like something significant had changed. I'd had a PSP prior to that, and really got into online gaming via that (beta tested SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo, the first real online game for the PSP), but the 360 for me changed everything. When the PS3 came out, I was frantic to try and get one, but that $600 launch price tag was simply not going to happen. I think the impact of the internet on gaming has also changed my gaming life; it has made information, conversation, and gaming as a whole different. I'm a self-proclaimed technophile, and this is merely an extension of that. I love computers and the internet, and when gaming came online en force, I think my entire outlook changed.

Have there been any moments that have changed gaming for you significantly?
As I noted above, the advent of the 360 and PS3 changed things quite dramatically. Also, I go through phases every year or so where I re-evaluate my gaming preferences and desires and try and figure out what's important to me as a gamer. Sometimes I get the radical idea of giving it up (I've given up a dozen other hobbies over the years, all of which I enjoyed immensely at the time) but gaming is here to stay, no matter what or in what form.

Can you tell us some of those other hobbies that you've given up over the years? Have you ever returned to a hobby that you've given up? Are there any that you can envisage returning to in the future?
I spent a couple years getting really intense with building scale models; armor, aircraft, figures, cars, just about anything I could get my hands on. Our garage was my workshop, and I sank an obscene amount of money into it. I thought about going back to it, but the interest just isn't there. One of my builds is still online to be seen: http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.co...rquist/00.shtm I also had a stint rock climbing, but my hand being rebuilt kinda killed that hobby. Used to mountain bike a lot, but another injury and the fear of other potential injuries kept me from going back. I was also a gym rat for a while, was lifting every day and really enjoyed it. Recently getting back to that after a two-year break…and my body's reminding me that I can't just jump back in to it.

If we assume for a moment that there's something different in the Psycological makeup of an Angel, to that of a Troll or Griever, what do you think made you an Angel? Maybe a habit of being the good guy? Or A conscious decision? Or in reaction to an experience?
I've always been called the "good guy" or "nice guy" by people I know…no matter how much I tried to bely that when I was younger, I can't help it. I believe that we're drawn to GA because of an inherent desire to be that good person, because we are all good at heart, and we all have good moral standing. We play fair not because we "have to" but because it's in our nature and we want to. This carries over not just to gaming for me but to every aspect of my life; I wouldn't live any other way. And thus my attitudes while gaming are similar. Be the nice guy, and people may not remember you, but they might have a better day; be the jerk, and you'll get remembered, and you'll also ruin someone's day. Why not help someone have a better day instead?

Aristotle said "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." To form a habit it must first be done repeatedly. If you've always been the good guy rather than becoming the good guy, Then the next question is; For Knight667, nature or nurture?
Nature. I honestly can't think of any other way to live. Compassion, humility and a desire to "do right" by my fellow humans is at the core of my being. I don't have a lot of friends, but those I do have I'd jump in front of a bus for. I don't follow any theology other than this: do unto others as you'd have them do unto you. It's a nice way to live.

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I seriously enjoyed reading that

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Currently playing:
PC: Titan Quest, Dungeon Siege II.
PS3: Little Big Planet, Uncharted 2: Honor Among Thieves, Bayoneta.
PS1: Final Fantasy VIII, Metal Gear Solid.

Little Big Planet Levels I've Published:
Phantomizer's Obstacle Course Race (v1.6).
Phantomizer's Obstacle Course Race 2 (v1.3).
Green Fields.

Last 3 Books i Read:
Word of Traitors - Don Bassingthwaite.
The Ghost King - R.A. Salvatore.

Last 3 DVDs/Blu-Rays I Saw:
Elektra.
Druids.
Silent Hill.

Here here. Really interesting!

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*runs and hides* I'm not next!!!! lol

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1st GA member to complete Seriously 2.0!!!

I vote for fluffy next!

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1st GA member to complete Seriously 2.0!!!

SECONDED!!!

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Currently playing:
PC: Titan Quest, Dungeon Siege II.
PS3: Little Big Planet, Uncharted 2: Honor Among Thieves, Bayoneta.
PS1: Final Fantasy VIII, Metal Gear Solid.

Little Big Planet Levels I've Published:
Phantomizer's Obstacle Course Race (v1.6).
Phantomizer's Obstacle Course Race 2 (v1.3).
Green Fields.

Last 3 Books i Read:
Word of Traitors - Don Bassingthwaite.
The Ghost King - R.A. Salvatore.

Last 3 DVDs/Blu-Rays I Saw:
Elektra.
Druids.
Silent Hill.

Thanks!

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yep

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we see people with our hearts, not our eyes
we believe in beauty of the soul, not of the flesh
we believe in individuality, not prejudice
our souls do not need saving, for they are not in peril

...Just because we aren't saints
it doesn't mean we'll burn in hell...

NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

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1st GA member to complete Seriously 2.0!!!

Come on, Fluffy, it's good for you...call it "self exploration"

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I shall remain a mystery

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1st GA member to complete Seriously 2.0!!!

lol...we've got you figured out, Cerb!

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no chance

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1st GA member to complete Seriously 2.0!!!

That thing' be sweet, I'm tellin' you!

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Ever wondered what makes our very own Sai tick? Read below for the Anotomy of Saiasanc.


Why Gaming? Is gaming at the top of your list of recreational activities? what else do you do for recreation?
Why gaming....heck, why not? Honestly I can't answer that too well. I have been obsessed with gaming of one form or another since a very early age. I got an Atari 2600 for Christmas when I was 8 years old. So, 28 years ago. That was always fun playing Pong and Space Invaders and other classics alone, as well as with friends and family. Around that same time in my life, I was also first introduced to both PCs and Pen & Paper D&D. My father got an IBM clone (iirc it was a Magnum XT 8086) PC. I remember that a monitor for that computer was more expensive than the computer itself, roughly $10k just for a 15" Monochrome CRT that weighed upwards of 50+ pounds. I also received an Atari 1200 personal computer and a subscription to Atari Monthly(?) magazine. It contained Basic coding for some different fun applications that I would copy into my Basic compiler and then mess around with it to come up with my own custom version of the same app. That was my first experience in programming. And then there was D&D. I still have my original Red Box Basic D&D set. With the dice that you had to use a white crayon to color in the numbers so they were easier to read.

As for other hobbies or recreational activities, well I like to draw. Sometimes I am REALLY good at it. Other times I just really suck and toss the paper and pencil across the room in frustration...kinda like my gaming and wanting to toss my controller across the room out of frustration from being spawn camped for the 50th time in a row.

What, and When, was the first video game on console or PC, that left you thinking, 'Wow this is a great game! It literally amazed me!' or words to that effect? And why?
Hmmm. You know it has happened so many times that it is really hard to remember the very first time. Each "generation" comes up with new technology or a better story line than the last. Since I can't remember my first, I will tell you about the most recent one that has also had the most profound impact on me personally and emotionally. That would be Lost Odyssey. This game, to me, was epic. The graphics were top notch, the battle system was very well thought out and implemented. And then there was the story. Never have I had a video game literally make me weep out of shear empathy for the characters and their story. This game did that. The writers did such an excellent job of developing the main characters and drawing you in to empathize with their struggles. There were many times during and after a new memory sequence where I found myself with tears streaming down my face either because of the sad thing that had just happened or out of joy for something good that had happened. I can't recommend this game highly enough. There are no words or rating systems to do it justice.

You Said never, before Lost Odyssey, had a video game made you weep out of sheer empathy for the characters and their story. But I seem to remember that many were equally moved by the plight of characters of Final Fantasy VII. Especially at the loss of Aeris. Do you truly believe that each generation manages to better the storylines of the previous?
Well, you see I hadn't really gotten into RPG Video games back then. I just couldn't get into them and so never really completely finished any of the Final Fantasy games. They just seemed like a lot or running around and random encounters that got frustratingly tedious to tolerate. During the time those games were in their prime, I was more into games like Silent Hill and Tony Hawk.

As for your last question, yes. Each generation there has been a significant improvement in technology that has allowed developers to take a part of the story that, on a previous generation console, could not be done and do it in this new system. I do believe that some previous gen games had parts of their stories cut out simply because the technology was not there to properly represent that part of the story, or made the game too large. Going back to Final Fantasy. Part of the reason I didn't get into it was because they tried to make the gameplay last longer with too many random encounters rather than adding more to the story to invest me in the characters and their plights. I was never really emotionally attached to any of the characters like I was with Lost Odyssey.

How do you choose what to play and the company to play in?
Hm, I am kind of random when it comes to choosing games. Sometimes I just see something that catches my eye and decide to try it. Those are usually 50/50 on whether I actually like the game once I have played it. I can usually tell within the first 5 - 10 minutes of gameplay whether or not I will like the game. Thus why my completion percentage for games on XBL is so very low. I like to try all sorts of games. But if it doesn't grab my attention and hold on tight within the first 10 minutes, it never sees the disc tray of my 360 again. I also listen to the opinions of friends that I trust, such as other GA members. Except Sarge, his taste in games is even stranger than mine! Love ya, Sarge!

Have you ever thought you should be more certain about a game before aquiring them? Or if you can tell within ten minutes if you'll ever play it again, maybe trying them out without signing in?
Nah. I am a pretty impulsive guy. It takes too much energy for me to really worry all that much about it. And I can't stand repetition. There are not very many games that I replay once they are finished. As a matter of fact...I can't think of a single game I have played all the way through and thought "Hey, let's do all of that same stuff over again on single player even though I already know everything that is going to happen." I have more fun and/or important things to do than repeating the same stuff over and over. Although, I will do it on co-op if the game has that option. Thus, again, why my completion percentage is so low. Just can't be bothered to keep playing the same scenes over and over hoping I can find the right combination of key presses or dialog options to unlock that one little 5 point achievement I am missing. To me that is not fun.

We are all the people that we have ever been. Sometimes they cause us to add to who we are & sometimes we subtract. What are some of things you have added to your activities? And some that you've stopped doing?
This one was a little hard for me to understand. But I think I have figured out what you are asking here. Everyone is their own person, but as human beings, we can't help but be influenced by others in our lives. Sometimes those influences are good, other times not so good. Good activities I have added are online co-op gameplay with friends. I love the socialization aspect of working together as a team and strategizing. I have recently stopped playing online adversarial. I am just not good enough at those types of games and find myself, more often than not, getting frustrated and wanting to throw a controller through the screen. I don't need that kind of frustration and stress in my life. Therefore I have resolved not to involve myself in those types of activities any longer.

Have you completely abandoned online adversariel or would you still consider it in a group of really good friends?
I have pretty much abandoned online adversarial altogether. I get too frustrated with my own lack of skills, even when playing against friends. I tend to rage too easily. So I am just not going to put myself into those situations that could potentially increase my blood pressure or cause me to lash out at people verbally. But, I am still very much up for any online co-op. That is my favorite way to play. Work together as a team against a common goal and socialise at the same time.

Is your Gamertag just a necessary tool to protect your anonimty? Or has 'Saiasanc' become something of an alter-ego?
Yes and no. I do think anonymity is good, at least before getting to know someone better and trusting them. 'Saiasanc' is an old name that came from Anarchy Online several years ago. I had tried various different names that I wanted to use for my character and they were all either already in use or not allowed by the naming conventions. So I just kept hitting the random name genertor until Saiasanc popped up. I don't know why, but I just felt like this was a good name to represent me in my online activities. And I have been using it in almost all of my online activities since then. It can be an alter ego, when/if I am roleplaying online such as in World of Warcraft. I will take on the persona of how I believe my in-game character would act and speak. But also, I try to always act as a good person and treat others with the respect that I would expect them to treat me with if we were actually speaking to each other face to face. God knows I am not always successful and sometimes let my emotions or stress from real life or other things effect my mood and how I talk to people. But, If I am able to realize this at the time, I will correct my attitude and apologize for being such a douche.

"I just kept hitting the random name genertor until Saiasanc popped up. I don't know why, but I just felt like this was a good name to represent me...It can be an alter ego, when/if I am roleplaying online such as in World of Warcraft. I will take on the persona of how I believe my in-game character would act and speak". Considering this, would you say you have a spiritual side? As in, you may often feel a connetion rather than define one logically.
I do. I absolutely am a very spiritual and emotional person. I am a Libra, so balancing scales and all that. Now, I just want to be clear here as well. I am NOT religious. I am spiritual. Technically, you could say I am Agnostic. Spiritual, but I don't believe in organized religion or "The Church". Being the balancing scales, I am constantly conflicted between emotion and logic. I will sometimes latch on to a thought or idea out of pure emotion, only to bring myself down using the same logic I am trying to use to convince others of my convictions. It is quite embarrasing and very humbling at the same time. I am my own worst nightmare sometimes. LOL

List your 2 favourite Genre's & current five top games on any platform, And why?
Gosh it's hard to say. There are so many good games in almost all genres. I would have to say MMORPG for the roleplaying and social interactions. Aaaand....hm, maybe RPGs. Currently my top games (in no particular order) are DDO (PC), Borderlands (360), Lost Odyssey (360), Sacred 2 (360) and Fable 2 (360). As you can see I like RPGs. Borderlands is more an FPS with RPG elements mixed in. It is a really great 4 player online co-op game.

Sometimes being an Angel takes a little more effort. What makes Saiasanc behave Angelically?
I like to believe that my ethics and upbringing play a big part. I wholeheartedly believe in the "Golden Rule". Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. And I believe in "Karma" as well. You reap what you sow. Lord knows I am not perfect. Nobody is. But, I do my best every day to be a good person and do what I believe is the right thing to do. And yes, as you mentioned, sometimes it takes more effort and can seem difficult. By human nature, most people (at least in this day and age) seem to look for the easiest solution to a problem. The problem is that the easiest solution is not always the best. I believe we all need to take a little more time out to reflect upon our own ethics and decide if the decision we are making in our lives are truly something we feel are morally correct. Whether it be big issues such as global warming or the economy, or little issues such as whether responding to a troll on a forum is really the right thing to do or should you just ignore them and get on with your life.

Would you conceed that it is possible for someone to have the best upbringing and still turn out bad, and conversely a bad upbringing and still turn out good. What influences do you think could make a difference in the virtual anonimity of the online community?
Remember above? Balancing scales talking here. I will concede that ANYTHING is possible. Wow. That last question is hard for me to answer. The only answer I can come up with is that more people should just learn to RTFM and STFU. I know it sounds a bit cliché. But I have seen too many arguments on online communities that could have been avoided had the original poster read the freaking manual or searched the forums. Conversely, if the troll that posted the first RTFM response to said OP would have just STFU and kept their comments to themselves, there would probably have been less "drama fo' yo' mama" going on as well. Basically, just have more compassion. Remeber that there is a person on the other side of that conversation and, as such, they have emotions and feelings just like any other human being. I think the internet could be a much better place if people would just remember that and treat others as they would want to be treated IRL.

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Nice one Sai and MG.

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great sai, love the honourable mention of sarge's taste in games lol

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1st GA member to complete Seriously 2.0!!!

Who's Sarge?!?!

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Currently playing:
PC: Titan Quest, Dungeon Siege II.
PS3: Little Big Planet, Uncharted 2: Honor Among Thieves, Bayoneta.
PS1: Final Fantasy VIII, Metal Gear Solid.

Little Big Planet Levels I've Published:
Phantomizer's Obstacle Course Race (v1.6).
Phantomizer's Obstacle Course Race 2 (v1.3).
Green Fields.

Last 3 Books i Read:
Word of Traitors - Don Bassingthwaite.
The Ghost King - R.A. Salvatore.

Last 3 DVDs/Blu-Rays I Saw:
Elektra.
Druids.
Silent Hill.

Very nice, keep 'em coming!

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