Bold text: Interviewer (NowhereT): Regular text: Victim (panel). "Panel! The latest addition to the staff team, how did you first get involved with Age of Kings Heaven?"
Despite playing AOK when it was released in my childhood/early teens (when I didn't have internet access), I only got in contact with the Heavens around 2009, when I remembered the good old game and started looking for online resources. That's when I started playing in the editor also. I lurked around the forums for a while learning tips and tricks, and then I made an account and uploaded a crappy first scenario, like most of us do. Started posting on the forums with the ocasion of the 2009 minigame competition, but I started to really get involved with the community during last summer."You've been keeping your new wings nicely preened with The Blacksmith Treasure Hunt - what inspired you to dig up forgotten gems in the blacksmith?"
I was always a fan of the Blacksmith Feature (it's one of the things that grabbed my attention when I first came to AOK Heaven), so I really wanted to see it back up. Since at the time there seemed to be no visible intention in taking the feature further, it occured to me that I could do my own , unofficial version of it. I had played quite a few good, unrated games during that time, so I figured I'd review and feature them for everybody to enjoy. With my cherub promotion came the great oportunity to feature these projects in an official manner, and tackle more popular projects too."You've released a few files yourself (all of which achieve high ratings!) - most notably your project "The Successor". Whose designing has influenced you? Tell us a little bit about your style."
I think that the first great campaign that you play always stays with you, and acts like a point of reference. For me it was Great Emperor's (AKA Roman Rausch) "Vlad Dracula", which aside from tickling my national pride (the historical Dracula is considered one of my country's biggest heroes), also made me realise how many possibilities the AOK editor can offer for creating quality games.
That being said, I have no single favorite designer, but there's lots of things I admire from each great designer here. Ingo's atmosphere in Ulio, Andanu Trisatya's excellent cutscene storytelling, Julius999's pleasing map design, Mashek's epic battle gameplay in Blood of the Bear, Night Conqueror's innovative duel scenes, not to mention Lord Basse's addictive arcade minigames. I could go on forever, so I'll just stop here.
I feel my own style focuses on storytelling. I've always enjoyed telling stories through visual means. As a kid I drew comics. Now I find that telling a story interactively through gameplay is much more fulfilling."Apart from playing almost every file in the blacksmith and hanging out with your awesome dog, what do you get up to in your free time?"
Right now architecture school keeps me very busy, but I enjoy playing field tennis and football (the real thing, not the American one). I play some guitar and do some 3d modelling, though I seldom do the latter for fun nowadays. I also read a book from time to time."What's the best joke you know?"
I can't remember any that qualifies right now, but it'd probably be too offensive to write here anyway.---Quick-Fire Questions--- "Red or Blue?"
Blue."Holidays: Beach bum or culture vulture?"
A combination of both, as long as it's in a far-away and culturally challenging place."Tea, coffee or other?"
I'd go for beer... the Romanian national passtime.
"Who would win in a fight between Batman and Spiderman?"
I'm not good with superheroes, but I'm guessing the Joker would."To finish, do you have any bands/films/books/anything else you'd like to recommend to the community? I omitted scenarios because you recommend a lot of those already!"
Music: Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
Book: George Orwell - 1984
Film: Any western starring Clint Eastwood (especially the Sergio Leone ones)
Beer: A romanian brand called Ursus, dunno if it's exported though.
Game: "Legend of Zelda - Link's Awakening" for the Gameboy. As a kid that game fascinated me through its philosophical undertones, and it's changed my perception of game design, going as far as to consider it an art. It epitomizes for me everything the Zelda series stands for, and what a real RPG should be.
Thanks panel - and best of luck with The Successor!