Interviewee: Smackrock & PFC_Cruz
Interviewer: 7hm
Date: January 2002
Reason/Significance: Imagine it with me. The Mechanised Skirmish League has just completed its second season, with the staff looking forward to the third. The Admins, smackrock and PFC_Cruz, are eager to talk to such a prolific reporter as myself (cough :grins:). In the following interview, we examine the state of the MSL, and the path that the future holds for it.



7hm: First off, welcome to you both, and congratulations on what has been up to this point, a successfull second season of the MSL.

Smackrock: Yeah it's been a long 1, 2, 3 .. 3 months

7hm: The season started in what... september?

Smackrock: It was supose to start in Sept, but actually it was pushed back to the 1st of october.. but all the dirty work started in Sept.

7hm: You did much better this season then last.. few squads dropped out and there were only... 4 forfeits? Why do you think that is?

Smackrock: Well last season I didn't run the msl till the last week of the season. Artermis and Sabrael did. They did a great job, though they weren't as popular in mech, so many people didn't trust them

Smackrock: When I took charge I let easy things slide and hired people from the community rather than other zones

Smackrock: So people began to trust us more.

PFC_Cruz: Both the league and its player base have matured since last season.

7hm: You have a much bigger staff this time around I notice. --yeah--

7hm: Do you feel that the larger staff has helped take some of the strain off of the admins and allow more to be done?

Smackrock: Well we hired more staff because people are naturally lazy

Smackrock: And less work means the staff will stay longer

Smackrock: so we made 3 divisions of different kinds of work so that people would only have 1 main job.

PFC_Cruz: I can vouch for the Lazy part :)

7hm: pfft cruz, you've done more work than most in the last few weeks... but back to that in a minute. What are the three divisions for those who don't folliow MSL happenings?

Smackrock: We have Refs, Staticians, and Reporters

Smackrock: We made up the word staticians if your wondering =p

7hm: pfft, spell it right :)

PFC_Cruz: Each has a Dept. head who reports to both Smack and Myself.

Smackrock: we got too lazy to spelll it the real way

7hm: Who are the department heads at the moment?

Smackrock: Seifer is running the staticians, Alphasquadron87 and Thornmartin are running the Refs, and Runndmc is running the reporter sections.

7hm: How many staff are they each responsable for?

At this point I dcd :) I returned to find smackrock alone in the arena.

Smackrock: We have 5 staticians, 7 refs, and 4 reporters at the moment.

Smackrock: actually 3 reporters

7hm: Will they be remaining to help out next season?

Smackrock: Most will be, some are going to retire

7hm: Speaking of next season, whats the plan for it. I know you've spoken of it beginning in early march.

Smackrock: It's hopefully going to be march 3rd. We're trying our best to meet that deadline but there may be some new ideas to add which we need to talk to the Squad Leaders about.

7hm: Such as...? :) Or will they remain confidential until you confer with the SL's?

Smackrock: We may want to raise the number of weeks to 10 and add 14 squads to the season. We're not sure though as of yet.

Smackrock: Those are the ones we want to ask the public

Smackrock: Other things are just talk to the staff about the new set of rules.

7hm: New set of rules? :)

Smackrock: Yes, the ones you sent me. I looked at them.. added some things.. but are debating other things with the staff, to make sure everything is agreed upon.

7hm: Hmmm... Well, a minute ago you touched on the number of squads in the league. Do you know who will be remaining from the current season?

Smackrock: I'm still not sure as of yet, but all playoff squads are welcomed to come back, squads I know that won't be coming back include NB, and looks like NW because they are, or going to dissolve.

7hm: Will this season's squad be automatically included next season if they wish? Or will the have to tryout like the rest of them?

Smackrock: Playoff squads need to renew thier spot by just asking. Season squads will need to try-out like other ones.

7hm: Well... ah yes, the flagging tournament. The MSL will be having a little tournament to try out flaggin rules if I'm not mistaken. When will it begin?

Smackrock: Cruz is incharge of that, but I gave him a time even though he is having computer problems. It is expected to begin Feb. 9th.

7hm: How many squads do you expect to participate?

Smackrock: We're hoping 6

Smackrock: so far we have 4

Smackrock: maybe 5

7hm: As someone who hasn't read the rules, can you explain to me a little bit how the tournament will work?

Smackrock: Tournament will be a Flagging and killing game with Vehicles sort of like the MFL except squad vs squad.

Smackrock: 3 flags held for 20 secs will give that team the win

Smackrock: Or if you run out the clock the certain varibles including kills will determine the winner

Smackrock: Vehicles allowed are 1 slick and 2 mechs

7hm: Will you have moderator help to fix the number of flags? Or will you be forced to restart repeatedly?

Smackrock: Good point, as of now Hobot stated he could fix the flags since he is on staff, but I'm certain mar also can help us out.

7hm: On the subject of mar. In mid season a number of staff members decided to retire and tried to start up a new league which was unsuccessfull. This was of course not an easy time for the MSL. Why do you think you were able to survive the conflict?

Smackrock: Well I won't include all the facts.. but I promised I would never quit the MSL untill I'm the last standing Staff member or feel right to pass it on. Stuff like this has happened to me before so it

Smackrock: wasn't totally new to me. Sometimes you need to just fight through the tough times and enjoy the good times.

Smackrock: I need to go

7hm: Well, thanks for the interview, good luck with MSL season three.

Smackrock: thanks

Smackrock: Bye

7hm: cya




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