Interviewee: Research Monkey
Interviewer: Luke Vader
Date: February 2002
Reason/Significance: Former Moderator and Super Moderator of Infantry Research Monkey talks to Luke about his ideas for Infantry, his experiences as both a Mod and player, and his real life and identity.



Luke Vader: Hello

Research Monkey: Hi Luke

Luke Vader: Ok I have a few questions, first, how long have you been playing Infantry?

Research Monkey: i started in second week of October 1999, the second week of Harmless Games Beta

rm: my very first game was the very last game of Twin Peaks where tanks spawned at game start

rm: the spawn areas were on the ground (instead of dropships) and i exited the spawn to see a dead tank right in front of it.. and I thought.. "Yeah THIS is what i'm talking about", I knew the game would be awesome

LV: and when did you become a moderator?

rm: I became a moderator the day Twin peaks opened on the Sony servers

rm: Yankee wanted some mods to make sure flag lamers etc didnt appear in the ctf zone

LV: overall, would you say the game is improving or getting worse?

rm: game engine is definately improving, zone maps are improving and zone development is also improving (although the last got slowed down by the SOE restructure)

rm: I got mod because yankee knew me from me help with dev in HG beta and I was one one around when TP opened up.. right place, right time

LV: Are you enjoying not having the responsability of being a moderator?

rm: YES!!!

LV: I thought as much

rm: I can swear to players again

LV: hehe

rm: I can play again

LV: sounds fun

rm: as a mod then smod i really didnt get much time to play, my online time is very limited and mod duties would take up most of it

rm: it's very annoying work.. you normally only meet the worst players in the Infantry community, so it gets you down

rm: That's the main part of customer service. You dont meet the great people becasue they dont make problems or need help

LV: I seem to see a lot of the older players leaving either modship or the game entirely, do you think this is because of simple burnout or is there somthing that is causing this?

rm: Well I think the playing life for alot of players is only 3 months, stretching to 6 months, after that its hard to maintain enthusiasm, so it's natural to drop out

LV: hehe, that makes me feel like an oldbie =p

rm: It's why not being a mod now is great. I got to play the zones again, and guess what? they're STILL fun

LV: What is your favorite zone?

rm: hmm tough question... I really like them all

LV: as do I

rm: I am limited due to my time though, so lately i play eol alot. It's because you need to gain exp for classes

rm: so EOL, TP, and Mech Skirm (I think mech is my actual favourite even though I hardly ever play)

LV: any favorite class?

rm: Well my favourite would be medic in Mech Skirm, JT in EOL, used to be medic in TP/HP, but now I prefer SL or JT

rm: I used to mainly play medic in TP, like all the time

rm: I actually dont like how medic has developed now (not really developed) with the same ctf style being used in new zones that are unlike ctf

LV: If you could design a zone what would it be?

LV: generally

rm: oooo... well I have 2 fully developed zones

rm: But the one i came up with first was a team based combat zone, that had structures that would be owned, like static flags to produce rewards or Vending machines to make stuff at

rm: It would include the attribute system and have persistent game settings where you develop your character

LV: sounds EXACTLY like my first zone idea, and I mean EXACTLY

LV: wow...

rm: Most of the things i'd like to see will not happen, becasue there are other alternatives

rm: At the moment SOE only has 1 zone developer, so he will go with his ideals on zones, and development on new zones is going to be slow due to the time involved

LV: some people have given the Infantry community a bad rap, what is your opinion?

rm: Infantry community? do we have a community? hahaha

LV: lol

rm: Yes we do, you just have to look for it these days. It's still out there evolving as new players come in. Its ok, but its not like the HG "old" days,, because ...

rm: 1. the players we knew back then aren't involved much anymore, its all new people we're not so intersted in meeting

rm: and, 2. the ruling classes (mods, sysops) are not so visible. they dont have a personality you can see. before you could because they we allowed to play around a bit with the community.

rm: Without that defining image at the top you don't get the reflection onto the rest of the community

LV: Do you think mod's should have special powers, IE mod weapons etc?

rm: NO

rm: SOE is a business, if players want to help out great, but it shouldnt disrupt normal play in anyway

rm: What I'd like to see is more private arena stuff, like events hosted by mods so that they become visible to the players more, but noone really has time for it

LV: What is your favorite thing about infantry, and what is your least favorite?

rm: favourite thing... hmmm... it's fun to play, because it does have a community you meet, I've made plenty of friends in the game, and we meet occassionally in real life

LV: least?

rm: my least favourite thing atm would have to be FGT cloaking units in a combat zone. I honestly don't see how they fit into mass combat zone of fighting other players. (cloak, rear attack, zap, sonic rifle.... you are unable to fght back) its stupid

rm: oh.. lol no sooner do I say that than yankee logis in

LV: lol

LV: ?find roach


Found=Roach Mill Zone=Infantry:Bug Hunt Arena=Public1


LV: he is out to get you =p

LV: so, do you think some people (aside from the mods) should have private arena ownership to do events?

rm: hmm i don't know... ctf doesn't have ownership becuase there was some problems with abusing the functions in ctf... i'm not sure its needed

rm: i think you do need a mod to control the players in a private event

LV: ok, a few more questions

LV: on a lighter note this time (lighter than discussing a computer game? lol)

LV: what music do you like?

rm: a varied mix. I am a raver, or was, but i also like things on the edge of that. Ambient, Jungle, stuff like Orbital & The Prodogy, which is a bit mixed

rm: but i also like classical music especially Mozart, and weird stuff like Gregorian Chant

LV: three more questions

LV: What is your name?

LV: What is your quest?

LV: What is your favorite color?

rm: Dave, to be the absolute ruler of this planet, and purple (the color of sexual frustration)

LV: ok, thanks a lot

rm: np....

LV: I will post this on NMEbase, assuming you dont mind

rm: nothing about RL? I don't mind

LV: um... sure I will ask you somthing about real life

LV: what kind of car do you drive?

rm: I sold it

LV: what was it?

rm: i am in Finland while my car was rusting in Austrlia so i got mum to sell it. It was a Nissan datsun Bluebird '82 5 spd manual sedan

rm: I am carless!! But my work has 2 cars, a Mitsubishi Gallant and Skoda Hatchback I can drive them!!

LV: do you like to cook?

rm: I am an excllent cook, F00L

LV: awesome

LV: what kind of food do you cook?

rm: my versions of italian, mexian, chineese, indian

rm: i am 37 i used to have a real life

LV: I love to cook as well

rm: one day I will marry BioPlague (if I can sedate her..)

LV: lol

rm: J/K Bio

LV: she is fiesty =p

rm: There is a job oppening in Oregon i must apply for, although I am supposed to be going to Turkey
LV: ok, any final statement?

rm: yeah

rm: Orbital "Know where to run" so owns

LV: I think I understood most of what you said...

LV: thanks, goodbye

rm: bye



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